| These bodysuits by SpaSilk are wonderful. I used these with my son and wished that I had come across them when my daughter was an infant. They snap down the front and across the crotch, making it incredibly easy to dress a newborn baby... There is no need to go over the baby's head, unlike others on the market. They do contain a tag (which you could easily cut off) and are only available online. | |
| The side-snap shirts by Gerber are also awesome. They are tagless and make it incredibly easy to dress a newborn, especially when baby's umbilical cord is healing. The long-sleeve ones have built-in mittens and are great beneath pajamas that don't have mittens built into them. | |
| While these side-snap shirts by Gerber are short-sleeved, they are still awesome. They are also tagless and also make it incredibly easy to dress a newborn. They are a great alternative to bodysuits. | |
| These Sleep Sacks are also wonderful. They are a safe way of keep your baby warm, an alternative to bulky traditional blankets that may rise up over baby's face during the night. Additionally, they make great nightgowns for the baby, when paired with long-sleeve shirts or bodysuits, making it easy to dress a newborn and easy to change diapers during the night. This gift set is great because you also get a Sleep Sack that can be used for swaddling a newborn. | |
| While I didn't use this particular swaddle with my children (I actually made homemade ones that I used with my children.), I am recommending this one because I have heard many great things about this swaddle from friends. Every new parent needs a swaddling blanket. I would hang onto the package though because, while swaddling works for some children, it may not work for others (like my daughter--who seemed to hate it). | |
| While this sleep sack by Sozo is a bit pricey, I loved this one because it was thicker and warmer than others on the market. In fact, I purchaed one of these for my son, and he slept wonderfully it... And, it was so warm that I didn't need to use any other blankets with it. | |
| I came across this when my daughter was an infant... I grew tired of her throwing her bottle out of the stroller and over the edge of her high-chair. This was the perfect solution and saved me a lot of aggrevation when my son came along and tried throwing his bottle overboard. I recommend buying one for the high-chair and one for the stoller. | |
| This hands-free conversion kit by Podee worked wonderfully with my glass Gerber bottles (and would also fit Dr Brown's bottles). It was wonderful when I needed free hands, and I frequently used it when out shopping with my baby. I would not recommend leaving baby alone with it though. | |
| While I did not have a pacifier holder like this for my children, I sure wish I did! I recently purchased this for a friend and loved that it can be used with all pacifiers, including the Soothie. | |
| I loved this bath seat. I purchased others, made out of fabric; however, after awhile, the fabric began to smell of mold--and washing did not seem to rid them of their smell. I purchased this shortly after my son's birth, and it worked wonderfully for him (and he was almost 10 lbs at birth) and was useful until he began trying to escape from it. | |
| This crib-rail cover by Leachco is a great alternative to the plastic covers. It's great because it has velcro and is easy to install and can be machine-washed. I had many friends ask me where I had gotten this. |
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Products--Baby and Infant
I am sometimes asked by expecting friends what products I couldn't live without when my children were babies. I decided, since I am asked this somewhat frequently, that I would put together a list here. This list is a work in progress.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Products--Series for Beginning Readers
So, my daughter has been learning to read. I've been using the Wilson Reading System. While I am not certified to teach the program, my mom, a certified special education teacher who was trained in the program, uses the program with her students and taught me the basics of it. I do not go through the entire program with Kara but have found the flash-cards part of it very useful for introducing her to phonics. Rather than going through the other aspects of the program, I decided that I instead wanted to instead follow up our flash-card session with books that compliment the program.
With that, here are some of my--and my daughter's--favorite sets for beginning readers...
Maslen, Bobby Lynn. Bob Books, Set 1: Beginning Readers. Illustrated by John R. Maslen. New York, Scholastic, 2006. Unpaged. Boxed Set. $16.99 ISBN 0-439-84500-9
One of the first sets that I purchased for Kara were the Bob Books (Set 1 - Beginning Readers). This set contains 12 books and a tips sheet for parents--CDs can be purchased separately. This series is a great supplement for the Wilson program, as sounds are introduced in a similar order to the Wilson program. Each book focuses on a few different sounds and introduces those sounds on the first page of each book, providing examples of words with those sounds, which is helpful to those who do not have the Wilson program materials. With only a few words per page, sometimes only a single word, and some repetition, these are perfect for beginning readers; they are easy to read and will help beginning readers build confidence as they develop their reading skills. Simple pen-and-ink illustrations compliment the text and assist toddlers with comprehension; however, the simplicity of the illustrations may not be appealing for all toddlers (like my daughter). Despite this, they are still a valuable teaching tool.
Weinberg, Jennifer Liberts. Phonics Fun with Barbie. Illustrated by Karen Wolcott. New York, Random House, 2010. Unpaged. Boxed Set. $14.99 ISBN 978-0-375-85944-1
I recently purchased the Barbie set (above) for my daughter. She was immediately to drawn to it, recognizing Barbie on the front of the case. This set contains 12 books and a brief Parent Guide--a Barbie Phonics workbook is sold separately. Each book features a different sound; however, words containing other sounds are included in each book. For those using the Wilson program, this may mean that additional sounds may need to be introduced prior to reading; however, these are still great for beginning readers and are easy to read, containing only a few words per page, using smaller sentences, and some repetition. The colorful illustrations and the familiarity of Barbie will be appealing to little girls who are just learning to read and who love playing Barbies.
Hult, Gene (Editor). Clifford the Big Red Dog, Phonics Reading Program (Pack 1). New York, Scholastic, 2002. Unpaged. Boxed Set. $12.99 ISBN 0-439-40382-0
I also recently purchased the Clifford set (above) for my daughter. As with the Barbie set, she was immediately drawn to this set because of the familiarity of Clifford, appearing on the front of the case. This set also contains 12 books and a brief parent letter. Each book features a few different sounds, in a similar order to the Wilson program; however, additional sounds are included in each book. At the beginning of each book, Emily Elizabeth introduces the sounds and provides some examples of words with those sounds, which will be helpful to who do not have the Wilson program materials. These are also great for beginning readers and are easy to read, containing only a few words per page, using smaller sentences, and some repetition. Names like Cleo and Clifford may be difficult for some early readers. The colorful illustrations and familiarity of Clifford will be appealing to little girls and boys who are just learning to read.
A few tips...
One thing that I've found helpful with the above series is to go through the books in advance and create flashcards with some of the words from the books. I type up the words on photo paper--as a substitute for cardstock--then bind them together. Kara and I review the words in her "word book" before reading the books.
With that, here are some of my--and my daughter's--favorite sets for beginning readers...
Maslen, Bobby Lynn. Bob Books, Set 1: Beginning Readers. Illustrated by John R. Maslen. New York, Scholastic, 2006. Unpaged. Boxed Set. $16.99 ISBN 0-439-84500-9
One of the first sets that I purchased for Kara were the Bob Books (Set 1 - Beginning Readers). This set contains 12 books and a tips sheet for parents--CDs can be purchased separately. This series is a great supplement for the Wilson program, as sounds are introduced in a similar order to the Wilson program. Each book focuses on a few different sounds and introduces those sounds on the first page of each book, providing examples of words with those sounds, which is helpful to those who do not have the Wilson program materials. With only a few words per page, sometimes only a single word, and some repetition, these are perfect for beginning readers; they are easy to read and will help beginning readers build confidence as they develop their reading skills. Simple pen-and-ink illustrations compliment the text and assist toddlers with comprehension; however, the simplicity of the illustrations may not be appealing for all toddlers (like my daughter). Despite this, they are still a valuable teaching tool.
Weinberg, Jennifer Liberts. Phonics Fun with Barbie. Illustrated by Karen Wolcott. New York, Random House, 2010. Unpaged. Boxed Set. $14.99 ISBN 978-0-375-85944-1
I recently purchased the Barbie set (above) for my daughter. She was immediately to drawn to it, recognizing Barbie on the front of the case. This set contains 12 books and a brief Parent Guide--a Barbie Phonics workbook is sold separately. Each book features a different sound; however, words containing other sounds are included in each book. For those using the Wilson program, this may mean that additional sounds may need to be introduced prior to reading; however, these are still great for beginning readers and are easy to read, containing only a few words per page, using smaller sentences, and some repetition. The colorful illustrations and the familiarity of Barbie will be appealing to little girls who are just learning to read and who love playing Barbies.
Hult, Gene (Editor). Clifford the Big Red Dog, Phonics Reading Program (Pack 1). New York, Scholastic, 2002. Unpaged. Boxed Set. $12.99 ISBN 0-439-40382-0
I also recently purchased the Clifford set (above) for my daughter. As with the Barbie set, she was immediately drawn to this set because of the familiarity of Clifford, appearing on the front of the case. This set also contains 12 books and a brief parent letter. Each book features a few different sounds, in a similar order to the Wilson program; however, additional sounds are included in each book. At the beginning of each book, Emily Elizabeth introduces the sounds and provides some examples of words with those sounds, which will be helpful to who do not have the Wilson program materials. These are also great for beginning readers and are easy to read, containing only a few words per page, using smaller sentences, and some repetition. Names like Cleo and Clifford may be difficult for some early readers. The colorful illustrations and familiarity of Clifford will be appealing to little girls and boys who are just learning to read.
A few tips...
One thing that I've found helpful with the above series is to go through the books in advance and create flashcards with some of the words from the books. I type up the words on photo paper--as a substitute for cardstock--then bind them together. Kara and I review the words in her "word book" before reading the books.
Products--One Button Mouse
So, my three-year-old daughter enjoys playing on the computer... She likes to go on the Starfall Website. While I would enlarge the screen, hiding the top menu (hitting F11), she would still manage to hit buttons that she wasn't supposed to... It wasn't intentional; in fact, I soon realized that part of the reason was because she was having a hard time controlling my computer mouse... It was just too large for her small hands and had two buttons too many.
After some research, I came across the My Lil' One Button Mouse from ACP. Though it is not wireless, it's proven to be a wonderful tool that makes it much easier for my daughter to play her favorite computer games, due to it being smaller and having only a single button. And, my daughter likes that it is pink (her favorite color--although, it is available in other colors). While it can be purchased from the ACP Website, it is cheaper through Amazon.
Recommended for toddlers.
After some research, I came across the My Lil' One Button Mouse from ACP. Though it is not wireless, it's proven to be a wonderful tool that makes it much easier for my daughter to play her favorite computer games, due to it being smaller and having only a single button. And, my daughter likes that it is pink (her favorite color--although, it is available in other colors). While it can be purchased from the ACP Website, it is cheaper through Amazon.
Recommended for toddlers.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Holidays - December 16
Apparently, December 16th is Chocolate-Covered Anything Day! (Again, this is according to Holiday Insights.) Being a chocoholic, this is just the holiday for me, and this holiday falls at the perfect time for me. Every year, during the Christmas season, I make what I call "Faux Thin Mint Cookies." They are quite a hit with some of my friends and family members. There are many names for these, and there are many recipes for them on the Internet. A basic recipe can be found at All Recipes. To sum it up, they are, basically, just Ritz crackers dipped in mint-flavored chocolate. Don't be fooled--they are DELICIOUS, and they taste JUST like the Girl Scout's Thin Mint Cookies.
With tomorrow being Chocolate-Covered Anything Day, this might be just the day for me to make my "Faux Thin Mint Cookies." If you're not up to them, there are plenty of other options. An interesting article from Woman's Day lists "8 Curious Chocolate-Covered Creations," including ants (although insects have their own chocolate-covered holiday in October), bacon, onions, Fritos, crickets, beef jerky, squid, and carrots. Another site lists, 25 equally as curious chocolate-covered creatons, including some from the Woman's Day list. But, if you're not up for any of these (Not only would I not blame you), you might try something a little less...curious...such as pretzels, Oreos, strawberries, or marshmellows.
Enjoy!
-Sus.
With tomorrow being Chocolate-Covered Anything Day, this might be just the day for me to make my "Faux Thin Mint Cookies." If you're not up to them, there are plenty of other options. An interesting article from Woman's Day lists "8 Curious Chocolate-Covered Creations," including ants (although insects have their own chocolate-covered holiday in October), bacon, onions, Fritos, crickets, beef jerky, squid, and carrots. Another site lists, 25 equally as curious chocolate-covered creatons, including some from the Woman's Day list. But, if you're not up for any of these (Not only would I not blame you), you might try something a little less...curious...such as pretzels, Oreos, strawberries, or marshmellows.
Enjoy!
-Sus.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Holidays - December 8th
According to Holiday Insights, December 8th is National Brownie Day. There are a variety of activities that you can do with children to celebrate this "holiday." You may want to make a batch of brownies--you can do it the easy way and buy a box of mix; or, if you want to do it the old-fashioned way, there are plenty of recipes to choose from to make brownies from scratch.
According to the same site, it is also Take It in the Ear Day. This is one of those lesser-known holidays. Mention of it is mostly on sites where people are asking what the holiday is (And none seem to have been given a precise, definite answer.)... Few reputable sources give answer to exactly what the holiday is. Perhaps, though, this is a good day to practice being good listeners--and to teach our children to do the same (That, or to take our daughters and have them "take it in the ear" by getting their ears pierced...perhaps that is too literal for some though...)... Perhaps, read them a story or play a game that exercises their listening skills.
Helpful Links for National Brownie Day:
This recipe, from ifood, has chocolate pudding in it and has been well-reviewed:
http://www.ifood.tv/recipe/chocolate-pudding-brownies
This recipe, from food.com, is for Nestle Toll House Double Chocolate Brownies ad has also been well-reviewed:
http://www.food.com/recipe/nestle-toll-house-double-chocolate-brownies-19441
This recipe, from allrecipes.com, is for Nestle Toll House Blonde Brownies and is ideal if you are looking for something a bit different from the traditional chocolate brownie:
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/toll-house-blonde-brownies/Detail.aspx
Helpful Links for Take It in the Ear Day:
A list of sites and listening activities from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association:
http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/kuster4/part88.html
A list of sites and listening activities, for children of all age groups, from iVillage:
http://www.ivillage.com/activities-build-listening-skills-skill-builder/6-a-129313
A list of fun listening activities from Baby Center:
http://www.babycenter.com/0_fun-activities-to-promote-listening-skills_68099.bc
Enjoy!
-Sus.
According to the same site, it is also Take It in the Ear Day. This is one of those lesser-known holidays. Mention of it is mostly on sites where people are asking what the holiday is (And none seem to have been given a precise, definite answer.)... Few reputable sources give answer to exactly what the holiday is. Perhaps, though, this is a good day to practice being good listeners--and to teach our children to do the same (That, or to take our daughters and have them "take it in the ear" by getting their ears pierced...perhaps that is too literal for some though...)... Perhaps, read them a story or play a game that exercises their listening skills.
Helpful Links for National Brownie Day:
This recipe, from ifood, has chocolate pudding in it and has been well-reviewed:
http://www.ifood.tv/recipe/chocolate-pudding-brownies
This recipe, from food.com, is for Nestle Toll House Double Chocolate Brownies ad has also been well-reviewed:
http://www.food.com/recipe/nestle-toll-house-double-chocolate-brownies-19441
This recipe, from allrecipes.com, is for Nestle Toll House Blonde Brownies and is ideal if you are looking for something a bit different from the traditional chocolate brownie:
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/toll-house-blonde-brownies/Detail.aspx
Helpful Links for Take It in the Ear Day:
A list of sites and listening activities from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association:
http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/kuster4/part88.html
A list of sites and listening activities, for children of all age groups, from iVillage:
http://www.ivillage.com/activities-build-listening-skills-skill-builder/6-a-129313
A list of fun listening activities from Baby Center:
http://www.babycenter.com/0_fun-activities-to-promote-listening-skills_68099.bc
Enjoy!
-Sus.
Saving in South Jersey
Hello Friends!
I went out today to pick up some bread and found some great deals, including a new place to shop--and SAVE!
I buy my bread, hamburger rolls, and hotdog rolls at the local Wonder/Hostess Outlet. You can't beat their prices, especially when you're only paying $.89 for a family-size loaf of white bread! I walked out with two loaves of whole grain white bread, a 16ct pack of hamburger rolls, and a 16ct pack of hotdog rolls, and spent less than $5.00!
If you want to see if there is a Wonder/Hostess Outlet near you, I recommend using the IBC Store Locator. If you're in South Jersey, there is one in Egg Harbor Township, on Tilton Road. There are also Wonder/Hostess outlets in Westville, Philadelphia, and Trenton.
Aside from hitting the Wonder/Hostess Outlet, I also hit the local Entenmann's Outlet, which also sells other Bimbo products, including Boboli. This was my first time there, and their shelves were well-picked; however, I learned from the associate that the best day to hit the Northfield location was between Wednesday and Saturday (when they've received shipments).
Despite the above, I was still able to find what I was hoping to find... Boboli products! They not only sell the crusts but the sauce as well. Due to their high inventory, they were actually selling the Boboli sauce (at this location) for only $.66, while they normally sell for $1.09--which I believe was also the same price as the crusts.
If you want to see if there is an Entenmann's Outlet near you, I recommend using the Entenmann's Store Locator. If you're in South Jersey, there is one in Northfield, also on Tilton Road. There is also one in Clemeton.
Enjoy!
-Sus.
I went out today to pick up some bread and found some great deals, including a new place to shop--and SAVE!
I buy my bread, hamburger rolls, and hotdog rolls at the local Wonder/Hostess Outlet. You can't beat their prices, especially when you're only paying $.89 for a family-size loaf of white bread! I walked out with two loaves of whole grain white bread, a 16ct pack of hamburger rolls, and a 16ct pack of hotdog rolls, and spent less than $5.00!
If you want to see if there is a Wonder/Hostess Outlet near you, I recommend using the IBC Store Locator. If you're in South Jersey, there is one in Egg Harbor Township, on Tilton Road. There are also Wonder/Hostess outlets in Westville, Philadelphia, and Trenton.
Aside from hitting the Wonder/Hostess Outlet, I also hit the local Entenmann's Outlet, which also sells other Bimbo products, including Boboli. This was my first time there, and their shelves were well-picked; however, I learned from the associate that the best day to hit the Northfield location was between Wednesday and Saturday (when they've received shipments).
Despite the above, I was still able to find what I was hoping to find... Boboli products! They not only sell the crusts but the sauce as well. Due to their high inventory, they were actually selling the Boboli sauce (at this location) for only $.66, while they normally sell for $1.09--which I believe was also the same price as the crusts.
If you want to see if there is an Entenmann's Outlet near you, I recommend using the Entenmann's Store Locator. If you're in South Jersey, there is one in Northfield, also on Tilton Road. There is also one in Clemeton.
Enjoy!
-Sus.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Holidays - December 7th
December 7th is Cotton Candy Day, Letter Writing Day, Civil Aviation Day, and Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. There are a variety of activities that you can do with children to celebrate any of these "holidays." You may want to make home-made cotton candy (which does not require a machine), write a letter to a solider or loved one, or do an activity to teach about civil aircrafts or Pearl Harbor.
Helpful Links for Cotton Candy Day:
A great recipe, which is a bit confusing, so I would recommend watching the video below to better understand these instructions:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jacques-torres/jacques-homemade-cotton-candy-recipe/index.html
A helpful video that shows the process and mentions some helpful tips:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-bG59cITaY
If you'd rather, you can find various cotton candy machines on the market. Kmart sells a countertop electronic cotton candy machine, which is listed for $29.99 (not including tax and shipping); however, right now, you can get 4% cash back for Kmart through ebates. You may also be able to find relevant coupon codes at one of the coupon code sites in my list of links.
Helpful Links for Civil Aviation Day:
The ICAO page is very technical, especially for children; however, this page is easier to understand and gives a good overview of Civil Aviation Day:
http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/un/international-civil-aviation-day
Some easy aircraft-related activities from TLC:
http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/aviation-activities-for-kids.htm
A site, if you want to show kids some pics of civil and military aircraft, so they can see the differences:
http://www.aircraftguru.com/aircraft/
A page with lots of coloring pages; however, not all of the planes shown are originally civilian: http://coloringbookfun.com/planes/
Helpful Links for Pearl Harbor Day:
A few activities relating to Pearl Harbor (Again, some younger children might not understand this event or might be frightened by it.): http://www.lovetolearnplace.com/SpecialDays/PearlHarbor/Activities.html
A comprehensive site from Scholastic, which is great but not geared towards most younger children:
http://teacher.scholastic.com/pearl/index.htm
This site has a variety of activities on Hawaii, not directly pertaining to Pearl Harbor, and you could probably find something for any age-group:
http://www.atozkidsstuff.com/hawaii.html
Helpful Links for Letter-Writing:
A great idea for making a letter-writing kit for kids:
http://www.parents-choice.org/article.cfm?art_id=258&the_page=editorials
A page where younger kids can learn more about letter writing and even write to their favorite Arthur character:
http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/letterwriter/
A page with a variety of resourcs and ideas for writing letters:
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/letters-and-journals/resource/26369.html
For letter-writing, I really like the idea of having a child write a letter to their favorite author or musician/music group, a President, a soldier (There are a variety of sites and organizations that provide this service.), Santa, or even a fictional character (if you just want the child to practice writing a letter). If you want to locate the address for a real-life person, such as an author, musician/music group, President, you can usually locate their addresses online, with a simple Google search: (mail OR contact OR address) AND name. For example: (mail OR contact OR address) AND George W Bush
Enjoy!
-Sus.
Helpful Links for Cotton Candy Day:
A great recipe, which is a bit confusing, so I would recommend watching the video below to better understand these instructions:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jacques-torres/jacques-homemade-cotton-candy-recipe/index.html
A helpful video that shows the process and mentions some helpful tips:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-bG59cITaY
If you'd rather, you can find various cotton candy machines on the market. Kmart sells a countertop electronic cotton candy machine, which is listed for $29.99 (not including tax and shipping); however, right now, you can get 4% cash back for Kmart through ebates. You may also be able to find relevant coupon codes at one of the coupon code sites in my list of links.
Helpful Links for Civil Aviation Day:
The ICAO page is very technical, especially for children; however, this page is easier to understand and gives a good overview of Civil Aviation Day:
http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/un/international-civil-aviation-day
Some easy aircraft-related activities from TLC:
http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/aviation-activities-for-kids.htm
A site, if you want to show kids some pics of civil and military aircraft, so they can see the differences:
http://www.aircraftguru.com/aircraft/
A page with lots of coloring pages; however, not all of the planes shown are originally civilian: http://coloringbookfun.com/planes/
Helpful Links for Pearl Harbor Day:
A few activities relating to Pearl Harbor (Again, some younger children might not understand this event or might be frightened by it.): http://www.lovetolearnplace.com/SpecialDays/PearlHarbor/Activities.html
A comprehensive site from Scholastic, which is great but not geared towards most younger children:
http://teacher.scholastic.com/pearl/index.htm
This site has a variety of activities on Hawaii, not directly pertaining to Pearl Harbor, and you could probably find something for any age-group:
http://www.atozkidsstuff.com/hawaii.html
Helpful Links for Letter-Writing:
A great idea for making a letter-writing kit for kids:
http://www.parents-choice.org/article.cfm?art_id=258&the_page=editorials
A page where younger kids can learn more about letter writing and even write to their favorite Arthur character:
http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/letterwriter/
A page with a variety of resourcs and ideas for writing letters:
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/letters-and-journals/resource/26369.html
For letter-writing, I really like the idea of having a child write a letter to their favorite author or musician/music group, a President, a soldier (There are a variety of sites and organizations that provide this service.), Santa, or even a fictional character (if you just want the child to practice writing a letter). If you want to locate the address for a real-life person, such as an author, musician/music group, President, you can usually locate their addresses online, with a simple Google search: (mail OR contact OR address) AND name. For example: (mail OR contact OR address) AND George W Bush
Enjoy!
-Sus.
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