Parenting Archives - Page 17 of 22

Parenting: when sick gets real

This post has been sponsored by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I’ve got three little kids, all of whom have independent schedules and loads of interaction with other kids. This basically means that cold and flu season is a constant struggle to stay healthy, and to minimize any illness that hits home. This year has been especially bad and there hasn’t even been one day that the kids’ classes were full or there weren’t a few last-minute playdate cancellations due to illness.

I can’t have them live in a bubble or sanitize every surface they *might* touch, so what’s a parent to do? I want to make sure they can see and play with their friends and not miss out on crucial lessons, but I definitely don’t want them bringing home every little sniffle that goes through their classes. To combat illness, we implement these basic rules for keeping healthy:
1)   Wash hands frequently, and make sure kids know how to wash properly.
2)   Staying home when we’re sick – no need to send the illness around the school, family, or playground.
3)   Keep a good routine. With healthy amounts of activity, good diets, and plenty of sleep, we manage to avoid quite a few illnesses a year.

DIY kids cape from an old prom dress

Have an old prom dress hanging around? Why not turn it into an awesome fancy cape for your little one {or for yourself, if you're looking to make a capelet}? I had honestly thought I purged all my old prom dresses when we moved into this house, but I discovered them tucked away in my daughter's walk-in closet while we were doing our winter cleaning. Since she has the only floor length hanging bars in the house, I remembered I had stashed a few of my nice dresses and my wedding dress in there, but I hadn't realized that there were some prom dresses mixed in.

I donated two of the prom dresses, but one of them was so out of date that it was just begging for a little DIY inspiration. I knew immediately that it would make the perfect dressy cape for my kiddos to play pretend in and the layers would add a level of drama that the kiddos would adore.

Of note: I don't claim to be the best seamstress around, and my sewing skills are basically limited to alterations and simple decor items, but even I could see the potential hidden in this 90's-style strappy number. While your DIY will depend a lot on what kind of material and length of gown you are working with, hopefully you can use this as a rough guide for a simple sewing project. Ready to get started? Great!

10 things you need to stop saying now

In looking back at my 2016, I see a trend starting that I would like to stop immediately. I am realizing that I have a hard time giving bad news, saying no, or asking for things, and I tend to add qualifiers or say things I don’t mean in order to soften a blow or decline an offer.

So, I'm writing myself this post that contains a list of things I will stop saying in 2017 as a reference for myself. Starting now, I will start approaching each interaction with confidence and/or honesty and stop diminishing myself or making excuses.

Lea Clark, American Girl’s 2016 Girl of the Year, says goodbye soon!

Remember how we were super excited to announce Lea Clark’s arrival this January as the 2016 Girl of the Year? This is just a gentle reminder that you only have until 12/31/2016 to get any Lea items before she’s gone for good! You can bring home Lea and see why she stole all of our … Read more

Preserving memories made easy with Hammacher Schlemmer’s Photo Album Scanner

Every time I visit with my mom, I am given a stack of photo albums my mom has unearthed with the instruction to scan our old family images to share with my siblings. The problem is, I never have my computer with me, let alone my scanner/copier. So, I end up either taking the whole album with me in order to pull it apart to scan, or we take the album apart and I end up leaving with sandwich baggies full of pictures, some of which are ruined during the removal process. Obviously, neither of these methods is ideal.

Wouldn't it be cool if you could scan those old pictures while you're taking a walk down memory lane? Imagine flipping through an old photo album, finding a priceless gem, and then scanning it to save it electronically – all without ever taking it out of the photo album. Dream no more, because Hammacher Schlemmer has made it not only possible, but also a ton of fun. Their new Rapid Photo Album Scanner that is exclusive to Hammacher Schlemmer does just what I've always dreamed of and converts all those old photographs into digital images in just seconds,allowing you to reminisce and relive old memories while saving them easily for future use.

The perfect Christmas gift: The new and improved Lundby Dollhouse

As parents, we categorize toys into four main groups:

novelty toys that are fun for a bit and then get abandoned within hours
toys that kids play with for days and then ditch before they have even been in the house a month
toys that don’t get played with every day but are still returned to month after month
and, finally, those special toys that are an essential part of play nearly every single day, year after year.

As you can imagine, there are lots and lots of toys that fall in those first two groups, and not so many that fit in the third group. As for that fourth group? It’s like a rare unicorn and you never know when, or where, you will find it. For us, the Lundby dollhouse is one of a handful of toys that squarely fit in that fourth group without ever wavering. From the moment the kids opened the Lundby dollhouse all those years ago, they were hooked. And then, with all the redecorating, DIYs, and crafting we have done on it throughout the years, the Lundby dollhouse just kept getting more and more beloved as we all added our personal touch to the house. So, when we got home from Boston and were greeted with a huge package from Lundby that contained a brand new Lundby dollhouse, the sideboard/TV set, and the awesome Lundby remote, it was declared as the best.day.ever. Ever since we saw a sneak peek of the newest Lundby items on social media and got wind of the remote, I was dying to try it out.

Playing and learning with American Girl: Melody’s microphone and piano playsets

After spending so much time this year learning about the new BeForever character, Melody Ellison, I wanted to get the kids something special this year to celebrate. With so many awesome choices in the Melody collection, I debated for a bit whether I wanted to go with one of her playsets or an outfit or two.In the end, I decided that adding to our Melody collection with a toy they could play with was the way to go. I chose Melody’s Microphone Set paired with Melody’s Electric Piano because the kids were specifically drawn to them at the Seattle American Girl store after they realized that they actually really work.

The ultimate in versatility with the SOLO Velocity 17.3″ backpack to duffel

We’re on the go a lot around here. Whether it’s sightseeing around town, on vacation, or simply just during our day to day routines, we find ourselves packing a bag for our days out on the regular. Often filled with snacks, necessities, extra clothing, and all the gear needed for baby, but sometimes filled with technology for work, our needs change all the time and we need a bag that can adapt with us. We found the SOLO Velocity 17.3″ Backpack and I knew we had found the perfect hybrid bag that can go from work to travel and back again. It has a padded back and backpack straps that make it comfortable to carry all day while out and about. Since the compact backpack converts to a duffel and has a fully padded 15.6” compartment that can hold a laptop, tablet, or any small peripherals, it makes it the perfect bag for just about anything you can throw at it.

The perfect personalized presents from Bunnies by the Bay

The first time I heard about Bunnies by the Bay was when I was pregnant with my first child. The grandparents brought her over some maryjanes made by Bunnies by the Bay that happened to be named the same first and middle name we had chosen. They had found them in their travels to Anacortes, WA and knew we just had to have them.

Since then, they have surprised all of my kids with gifts from Bunnies by the Bay for birthdays, holidays, and just because. So, when we decided bunnies were going to be our third child’s theme, it was just a given that Bunnies by the Bay would be how we filled her toy box and her special shelf in her room. Her Bunnies by the Bay obsession has only grown as she has gotten older, and now almost all of her cherished friends are from their extensive line of adorable plush toys. They really do carry some of the absolute cutest stuffed toys, lovies, blankets, accessories, clothing, and baby gifts for newborn on up. Every time she gets a box that looks like this, it's cause for celebration.

The Rockboard RBX scooter is a rocking good time

During the spring, summer, and fall, we’re on our bikes and scooters just about every day. Whether it’s a park date, just a way to get some energy out, or we’re on our way to friends or out to eat, bike and scooter is just the way we roll.

Since we’re on scooters so often, we’re always excited about trying new models. And, with so many options these days to choose from, this is a fun time to be a kid – or a kid-at-heart. Our latest obsession is the Rockboard RBX scooter that is unlike anything else we’ve ever tried. Instead of a traditional flat, kick scooter, the Rockboard has a rocking base. We’re not talking a slight rocking motion, this scooter base moves by inches, which is why it’s rated for ages 8 and up.