Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Pack ‘n Play! The Fight is OVER!

Travel_Playard_B_4b7a594de7ac7Do you fight with your play yard/pack ‘n play when you go to pack it up for a trip? Well, last weekend I decided I wanted to get away for the weekend and I knew I’d need our pack ‘n play. The last time my husband packed it up, I could hear him saying not so nice words to the poor pack ‘n play. It can’t help it that the company decided to make a bag that DOESN’T FIT THE PRODUCT. Seriously, people? I walked out and giggled at my husband and then it hit me! I forgot I had bought one of THESE. That’s actually a lie…it was given to me by my fabulous boss before my little sweat pea had arrived. My husband thinks it’s the greatest gift so far. If you’re sick of stuffing your pack ‘n play into a bag that just doesn’t work, buy a play yard bag!

The Travel Play Yard/Pack ‘n Play bag is a Zoolu! exclusive. This is why Zoolu! should be your favorite baby boutique. Smile We are always thinking of ways to make your life easier! There is a clear window to put your personal information, but I might take ours to my local embroider and have our last name put on it. I’m a fan of monogramming and any other forms personalization’s. This bag is so durable and made of canvas. It has a side pocket for metal bars as well as sheets. It also has a long strap that you can attach, making it easier to carry! You can wear it like a backpack which is great when it’s just me and the little one. We all know how important it is to have two hands free!

Here’s a plus! I LOVE products that have multiple purposes. Once your kids don’t need the pack ‘n play, you can use this bag for sporting equipment or even just as a large duffle bag for whatever you like!

Buy one now in your favorite color!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Make my OWN baby food?!?

imageHmm, really? As my girlie approached 6 months (in what seemed more like 6 weeks) I was dreading having to put thought and planning into feeding her something other than the stuff that comes out of me for free. I started casually scanning the grocery shelves to check out my options... not impressed. While trolling the internets for all things baby (pretty much my only hobby at the moment), I stumbled upon chatter about making your own baby food. For some reason this hadn’t occurred to me. How do I know if it’s safe to feed my baby if it’s not excessively processed, what or how much should I give her when it’s not neatly packaged into teeny servings? Is it legal? - I guess I always assumed that Gerber had a patent on it or something. ;-) Turns out it’s super easy to make your own fresh baby food! Who knew? Not to mention it’s much easier on your wallet. And there are all kinds of nifty gadgets out there to help you “cut your teeth” along with baby. :)

baby cubesOne of my faves are Baby Cubes. Once you steam/boil/roast and puree/mash/chop your food, just fill these little cubes (available in 1 or 2 ounce sizes) and store in the fridge or freezer - a perfect serving at the ready, just reheat! And the lids are attached so they never get lost or fall to the bottom of the dishwasher. Brilliant, and SO much better than ice cube trays. Also great for storing breast milk, and you can use them as snack containers once baby has graduated to finger foods.

fresh foodAnother awesome gizmo for you baby-feeding adventures is the Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder. These funny-looking contraptions are so handy for giving your little one pretty much any fruit or veggie you can find, without any worry about choking. My little cherub likes to munch on chunks of frozen mango through the mesh while I get the rest of her meal ready (and while I’m making my coffee in the morning!). Initially I started out putting crushed ice inside to get her used to the taste of water. She loved slurping up the melting ice, and now chugs cold water from her sippy like there’s no tomorrow!

I still keep a stash of store-bought baby food in the pantry for on-the-go feedings or for those days when I’m in a rush or just plain-old feeling lazy. Every now and again when my bambina decides to go on a hunger strike, I will crack open a nice jar of green bean mush and shovel it in her mouth while she plays with a spoon. Green beans are my go-to when I just need to get some nutrition into her - she loves them, and that’s the one food I just can’t seem to break down in a blender - they get all shredded and weird.

Here’s a picture to prove that my little one loves her mesh feeder. Smile She’s pretty cute, huh?!Camden

And of course, once you get past the puree stage, the sky’s the limit. Here are a few really great blogs for baby food recipes and ideas. Have fun!! Smile Don’t be intimidated….it’s easy and kind of fun!

Nourish

super-baby-food-logo

annabel

Here’s a fancy idea: Get together with one or two friends and have a puree day! Then you can all split up what you’ve made and have a large variety of foods for your little one.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

White Noise Machines

Have you seen the latest noise machine in the baby boutique? Cloud B’s Mimicking Monkey is soooo cute!

Mimic_monkeypic

White noise machines are huge at my house. The baby has one and so do we. I also have a fan in the guest room for when people visit. I can not fall asleep without some sound. It’s not the noise machines fault either (some will argue with me). I have ALWAYS needed noise…a TV, a fan, ocean waves, birds chirping. You know, anything pleasant that can put me into a deep sleep. Lord knows I need all the beauty sleep I can get!

The Mimicking Monkey might be the next big baby shower gift. You can record your voice! My little one is experiencing some separation anxiety and if she hears my voice, I think it would help sooth her to sleep. I love that you can read a monkey story and it will play it back for the child. If I still had a newborn, I’d probably record the vacuum going because as soon as I would turn it on, BG would fall asleep! Crazy, I know!

Buy one today for your little one or that next baby shower you’ll be attending this summer! Are you pregnant? Why not add it to your registry. Smile Click here to start your registry.

Mimicking Monkey features:

    • Plays three unique sounds for fun and sleep - Monkey fun, angel falls, lullaby
    • Records voices over all sound option
    • 30 minute sleep timer
    • Velcro hands for securing to cribs and strollers
    • 2 AA batteries included
    • Illustrated storybook and adoption certificate

Have a happy day!

 

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