With a third boy on the way a lot of people have been asking me what I need. I've saved everything that is worth saving from my older two boys so luckily my response is not a whole lot. The few things I need are items that typically aren't provided by people outside of family. So like for instance, a lady from church doesn't have any interest in buying us a crib mattress, and I don't blame her one bit! So here are a few things you might find yourself having to purchase when you have your own little one on the way.
Here is the crib mattress I picked out. It's got an average of 4 stars out of 5 from 920 reviewers so I consider that a pretty reliable product. I'm intrigued by the fact that is has spring coils. We've had two other baby mattresses that didn't have coils so I can't wait to see if I notice a difference.
I'm currently loving this bag from Target. With my older two songs I had a shoulder bag that a detachable long strap. It was fine and I loved it at the time, but now that I have more experience I know that a backpack will be so much better in those days when you are carrying a baby everywhere. I especially love the wipes pocket on the side.
The other things we absolutely need before new baby comes is a stroller and car seat combo. We used to have the Chicco Keyfit 30. The car seat part was completely shot and we had to get rid of it. But it lasted for two babies so I feel like we got good use out of it. This time around I've been looking at more economical options. Because I don't need to spend $200 just for a car seat. I found this option at Amazon.
In the past couple weeks I've been in target running errands as you do. On two separate trips I found these items that I absolutely had to have for my babe. That llama lamp provides the perfect amount of soft glowing light for those mid-night feedings and diaper changes. And every baby deserves his/her own soft lovey.
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Showing posts with label baby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baby. Show all posts
Saturday, June 17, 2017
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
two interesting links
two things I found online today that really interest me.... tracking sharks and calculating cost of raising children:
http://www.ocearch.org/ :: this is the shark tracking website. i'm totally gearing up for my beach trip in early july and i will definitely be checking back in with this website to make sure that the tagged sharks are out of the area. too bad not every single shark in the ocean is tagged though...
usda cost of raising a child calculator :: i found this link in a very out of the way manner. i was reading an article about sacrifices you need to make if you want to retire by 40. and i noticed that all the couples they cited were childless (or is it childfree?). and since we're expecting a third boy i thought i would try to find the most recent numbers for cost of raising children which is how i eventually found this calculator. when this baby comes along we can expect to spend over $25k/year on our sweet boys. although that number includes $616 each for the older boys in clothing and $730 in clothing for the baby. i think maybe i've spent $616 on clothing for my oldest boy total for his whole lifetime. there's no way i'll be spending over $700 for a baby. especially not since it's boy #3. i've got so many boxes of clothing and i've even donated/consigned of a lot it because it was just too much.
http://www.ocearch.org/ :: this is the shark tracking website. i'm totally gearing up for my beach trip in early july and i will definitely be checking back in with this website to make sure that the tagged sharks are out of the area. too bad not every single shark in the ocean is tagged though...
usda cost of raising a child calculator :: i found this link in a very out of the way manner. i was reading an article about sacrifices you need to make if you want to retire by 40. and i noticed that all the couples they cited were childless (or is it childfree?). and since we're expecting a third boy i thought i would try to find the most recent numbers for cost of raising children which is how i eventually found this calculator. when this baby comes along we can expect to spend over $25k/year on our sweet boys. although that number includes $616 each for the older boys in clothing and $730 in clothing for the baby. i think maybe i've spent $616 on clothing for my oldest boy total for his whole lifetime. there's no way i'll be spending over $700 for a baby. especially not since it's boy #3. i've got so many boxes of clothing and i've even donated/consigned of a lot it because it was just too much.
Friday, August 19, 2016
bedtime books
As a former librarian and current stay-at-home mom, I read a lot of children's books. I thought it would be really fun and hopefully helpful to create a list of bedtime books that my young boys and I enjoy reading. These books are in no particular order.
The first is Day is Done written by Peter Yarrow and illustrated by Melissa Sweet.
The text is nice and soothing and it has sweet illustrations. My copy came with a cd of four songs by Peter Yarrow, but we haven't actually listened to it yet. The book version has been good enough for us so far. I really like this text because it is written to a son, so it's just perfect to read to my two sons.
The next book I want to talk about is Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker with illustrations by Tom Lichtenheld.
We first started getting this book from the library. We would keep it for three weeks and return it. Then on our next trip to the library we'd see it there on top of the shelf so we'd check it out again. We bought it to give as a birthday gift for a little friend. But we'd still just keep checking it out from the library for ourselves. So finally this year we actually bought it for ourselves when Amazon had it an unbelievable discount for their Prime Day. Both our boys love this book. It has got the perfect lulling, calming bedtime rhythm, but it also has really cute pictures and it's about trucks! Like a lot of little boys, our youngest son is obsessed with cars and trucks.
Another good bedtime book is How to Make a Night by Linda Ashman and Tricia Tusa as illustrator.
Sadly this book seems to be out of print, but maybe you can find a copy at your local library. If you do come across a copy I highly recommend it. I thought it was such a different take on getting ready for bed. It talks about taking the sky down and dipping it in dye so that it is black at night time. I also really loved the illustrations on this one. It is partly illustrated, part collage. It might be tough to see in this small image, but the girl's skirt is fabric while the rest is drawn/painted. I love that!
It's Time to Sleep, My Love by Nancy Tillman and Eric Metaxas.
I might have this one memorized. Sweet, soothing rhymes. More collage style art. This one was a favorite of mine when I had my first little baby. I have sweet memories of reading this while rocking him gently. Our copy is all taped up because we've read it so many times when little hands were helping turn pages.
The Cat at Night by Dahlov Ipcar.
This book was originally published in 1969. And in the best way possible it looks like it. It's got a very vintage feel to the illustrations which I absolutely love. It's not exactly a bedtime book as far as being a very lulling rhyming story about soothing someone to sleep, but as the title says it's about what a car does at night. I like that it is so interactive for children. You are shown a page where you see the silhouettes of certain things and the children have to guess what they are. Then the next page shows the exact same outlines but filled in with fun colors that the cat supposedly sees. It's fun and I highly recommend it. I will be looking to check out more by this author.
Sleep Like a Tiger is written by Mary Logue with pictures by Pamela Zagarenski
This is a Caldecott Honor book. It's about a young girl who doesn't want to go to sleep. Her parents are able to gently convince her to get in bed. It is just such a sweet story about curling up in bed and falling asleep. The illustrations are astounding. It's the kind of book I could stare at the pictures for minutes myself. Lots of cute details to check out such as the book the little girl is holding before she gets in bed. It's The Little Prince (one of my favorite books of all time!).
The Margaret Wise Brown & Clement Hurd classic Goodnight Moon is last on my list.
We are on our third copy of this book. I think sometimes people forget about the classics and just get whatever is new. I just think anyone who has a baby should have this book. There's a reason they make it into puzzles and put the designs on fabric. Just look at this cute stuffed bunny you can get now too. It is the perfect last book to read before giving goodnight kisses.
Amazon links provided for your convenience. Thank you for supporting this blog.
The first is Day is Done written by Peter Yarrow and illustrated by Melissa Sweet.
The text is nice and soothing and it has sweet illustrations. My copy came with a cd of four songs by Peter Yarrow, but we haven't actually listened to it yet. The book version has been good enough for us so far. I really like this text because it is written to a son, so it's just perfect to read to my two sons.
The next book I want to talk about is Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker with illustrations by Tom Lichtenheld.
We first started getting this book from the library. We would keep it for three weeks and return it. Then on our next trip to the library we'd see it there on top of the shelf so we'd check it out again. We bought it to give as a birthday gift for a little friend. But we'd still just keep checking it out from the library for ourselves. So finally this year we actually bought it for ourselves when Amazon had it an unbelievable discount for their Prime Day. Both our boys love this book. It has got the perfect lulling, calming bedtime rhythm, but it also has really cute pictures and it's about trucks! Like a lot of little boys, our youngest son is obsessed with cars and trucks.
Another good bedtime book is How to Make a Night by Linda Ashman and Tricia Tusa as illustrator.
Sadly this book seems to be out of print, but maybe you can find a copy at your local library. If you do come across a copy I highly recommend it. I thought it was such a different take on getting ready for bed. It talks about taking the sky down and dipping it in dye so that it is black at night time. I also really loved the illustrations on this one. It is partly illustrated, part collage. It might be tough to see in this small image, but the girl's skirt is fabric while the rest is drawn/painted. I love that!
It's Time to Sleep, My Love by Nancy Tillman and Eric Metaxas.
I might have this one memorized. Sweet, soothing rhymes. More collage style art. This one was a favorite of mine when I had my first little baby. I have sweet memories of reading this while rocking him gently. Our copy is all taped up because we've read it so many times when little hands were helping turn pages.
The Cat at Night by Dahlov Ipcar.
This book was originally published in 1969. And in the best way possible it looks like it. It's got a very vintage feel to the illustrations which I absolutely love. It's not exactly a bedtime book as far as being a very lulling rhyming story about soothing someone to sleep, but as the title says it's about what a car does at night. I like that it is so interactive for children. You are shown a page where you see the silhouettes of certain things and the children have to guess what they are. Then the next page shows the exact same outlines but filled in with fun colors that the cat supposedly sees. It's fun and I highly recommend it. I will be looking to check out more by this author.
Sleep Like a Tiger is written by Mary Logue with pictures by Pamela Zagarenski
This is a Caldecott Honor book. It's about a young girl who doesn't want to go to sleep. Her parents are able to gently convince her to get in bed. It is just such a sweet story about curling up in bed and falling asleep. The illustrations are astounding. It's the kind of book I could stare at the pictures for minutes myself. Lots of cute details to check out such as the book the little girl is holding before she gets in bed. It's The Little Prince (one of my favorite books of all time!).
The Margaret Wise Brown & Clement Hurd classic Goodnight Moon is last on my list.
We are on our third copy of this book. I think sometimes people forget about the classics and just get whatever is new. I just think anyone who has a baby should have this book. There's a reason they make it into puzzles and put the designs on fabric. Just look at this cute stuffed bunny you can get now too. It is the perfect last book to read before giving goodnight kisses.
Amazon links provided for your convenience. Thank you for supporting this blog.
Monday, August 1, 2016
tees
The last post with all the pictures of vintage 1980s tees got me in the mood to pick out new tees for my boys. It is back-to-school shopping season after all. Use the arrows to navigate to the next tee shirt.
Enjoy!
These are affiliate links. Thank you for supporting this blog!
Enjoy!
These are affiliate links. Thank you for supporting this blog!
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Dying TV
Our television is dying. At least, that’s what we think is happening. We used to be able to watch tv and have the volume set around 10-12 for comfortable listening. But since Saturday evening, we’ve had to turn it all the way to 30+ in order to hear it. We have to turn it up even higher to 45+ if the furnace kicks on. That’s almost maximum volume. It is an old Toshiba. I did a search to see if a setting might have been changed that we could change back, but I didn’t find much and what I did find didn’t help. Has this happened to anyone else out there?
So my husband and I are in the market for a new TV soon, which is exciting because we are looking into Smart TVs. We are actually going to be getting some of the latest technology! I love technology but always am one of the last to try it out. I mean my parents already have a smart TV. My parents also had smart phones before we did.
We are hoping our TV can hold out awhile longer, just so that it gives us that much longer before we have to put down the money for a new TV. We are trying to sell our old house before spending any money on something extra like a TV. At the same time though, I’m conflicted because it seems like there are some really good deals right now. As soon as we noticed the problem, I got busy on the internet to see what kind of deals are out there. For instance there is this one I found on Best Buy. It seems like such an awesome upgrade: it’s bigger, flat, smart, and doesn’t seem like that much money for a tv that big, especially a smart TV.
Do we buy now? Or do we try to hold out a couple more weeks or even months until it officially stops working? Decisions, decisions…
Here’s another issue. We wouldn’t be mounting a new tv on the wall because we are in a rental, and I really don’t want to have to deal with all that mess and work. It would be on a dresser that is 20 inches wide. I’m hoping that if we pushed it all the way to the back it would be too far for our little two year old to reach where he might pull it down on himself. I haven’t worried about it before because our old boob tube is way too heavy for him to do that. I guess I’m looking for reassurance from other parents of toddlers who have some insights for us.
So my husband and I are in the market for a new TV soon, which is exciting because we are looking into Smart TVs. We are actually going to be getting some of the latest technology! I love technology but always am one of the last to try it out. I mean my parents already have a smart TV. My parents also had smart phones before we did.
We are hoping our TV can hold out awhile longer, just so that it gives us that much longer before we have to put down the money for a new TV. We are trying to sell our old house before spending any money on something extra like a TV. At the same time though, I’m conflicted because it seems like there are some really good deals right now. As soon as we noticed the problem, I got busy on the internet to see what kind of deals are out there. For instance there is this one I found on Best Buy. It seems like such an awesome upgrade: it’s bigger, flat, smart, and doesn’t seem like that much money for a tv that big, especially a smart TV.
Do we buy now? Or do we try to hold out a couple more weeks or even months until it officially stops working? Decisions, decisions…
 |
| Cellphone pic of current tv & dresser set up |
Here’s another issue. We wouldn’t be mounting a new tv on the wall because we are in a rental, and I really don’t want to have to deal with all that mess and work. It would be on a dresser that is 20 inches wide. I’m hoping that if we pushed it all the way to the back it would be too far for our little two year old to reach where he might pull it down on himself. I haven’t worried about it before because our old boob tube is way too heavy for him to do that. I guess I’m looking for reassurance from other parents of toddlers who have some insights for us.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Pinterest Baby
I am one of the many addicts of Pinterest. I finally decided to start creating my own projects based on all the pictures that inspire me. So this is just a quick post to say, "Here's what I made..."
My mother sewed the bibs for me and I did the ironing. My part was definitely easier. Thanks mom! Your grandbaby has the coolest bibs!
You may have seen the bib above with variations that say "These dumbasses put my cape on backwards" or "These fools put my cape on backwards". My version is so much better.
I cannot wait to experience the magic of Harry Potter with my children!
Thanks for checking out my Pinterest Projects.
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