Boogers

'Tis the season for runny noses!  I thought I'd share my favorite tools for dealing with the snotty noses, colds, sinus infections, allergies that abound this time of year.

 

I have a strange love for nasal irrigation myself (life-changing for me!) and so naturally, I was thrilled to find the Simply Saline Baby Nasal Mist.  I highly recommend making up a song and dance to go with the nasal spray action (i.e. bo-po-dee-doo-*spray* and repeat on other nostril).  I also highly recommend spraying nose in between bouts of allergies and colds so that your child doesn't forget how fun it is to have their nose sprayed (and refuses to allow you to do so when you really need to!).  Although I haven't tried it, I'm sure that Little Noses Saline Spray/Drops are great too.

 

 I know this next one will sound completely disgusting, but I assure you it's only a little bit disgusting.  The Nose Frida is much like the traditional nose bulb that is used to suck boogers out, except it is much more advanced because you actually put the red end of the tube in your mouth and literally suck the boogers out of your child's nose.  Worried about boogers finding their way into your mouth?  Rest assured, there is a sponge that prevents that from happening (and even if the sponge wasn't there, it seems like a difficult feat to do).  When there are boogers in there, the Nose Frida will be your best friend.   

I have heard from more than one mother about the awesomeness of Boogie Wipes.  Regular wipes appear to sting and irritate their chapped noses.  This is the way to go!

When my daughter requires a humidifier, I like to put a few drops of eucalpytus oil where the air comes out (not in the water).  It seems to help her breathe a little easier and it smells good too. 

We have also tried California Baby's Bubble Bath- Colds & Flu.  The aromatherapy is perfect for those congested noses. 

Stay healthy, my friends!

Cloth Diapering Favorites

I LOVE cloth diapering.  Really, I do.  I was surprised by how many people tried to talk me out of it when I was pregnant.  Thanks to several yahoo groups, I've found that I'm not the only one who gets excited about talking about everything cloth diapering-related.

My #1 favorite diaper is the BumGenius Flip diaper.  If I had to do it all over again, I would buy 1 box of the organic ,  2-4 additional covers (or you could try 1 box of the stay dry), plus 12 additional gcloth inserts.  (That's under $150 for diapers, for babies 8-35 lbs!)  

I like these because they are:  economical- the covers are reusable (like pre-folds); customizable- you can put anything absorbent in the cover (including disposable inserts- like the gDiaper disposable/flushable/compostable inserts); easy to clean, fast to dry; has snaps (velcro wears out fast); and they are one-size.  I've had 3 leaks in as many months- a record for us, even compared to disposables!  My daughter even wears these at night without leaks! 

One of the cutest options are gdiapers, especially adorable now with their brand new diaper-coordinated outfits.  These diapers are also really versatile (cloth, disposable options) and their website/customer service is impressive.  On the downside, we have had numerous leaks and the velcro wears out quickly.

Before I discovered the Flip diaper, the BumGenius AIO Organic with Snaps was my favorite.  My only beef with this diaper is that it takes a long time to dry (a full day in the sun or 2 dryer cycles).  Other than that, it's a great option. 

FuzziBunz Pocket Diapers and BumGenius 3.0 are good options.  The FB diaper has snaps, the BG has velcro.  I have had a fair amount of leaks with these diapers. 

I bought a 5 pack of Kushies AIOs on a website closeout.  These were great during the time that they fit my daughter, but that seemed like a pretty short window.    

BumGenius Econobum is worthless!  My husband, a king of puns, likes to call them "The Econo-Bum-Me-Out" diaper.  The included absorbnt insert is terrible at doing its job, absorbing- we've had a leak every single time (and yes, I washed these 6+ times before using).  Spend $8 more dollars and buy the Flip diaper!

I'm really satisfied with our Flip Diapers, but I am intrigued about the Gro Baby diapers.  Has anyone tried these?  Or have another favorite?

Mad about Muslin

Muslin blankets from Koala Kuddles, Luna Lullaby or Aden & Anais are a must-have!  They make swaddling easier, are perfect for warmer climates or layering, are small enough to keep in the diaper bag, but are big enough to spread out and use when you need it.  If your little one is like mine and escaped out of swaddles because she preferred her arms by her face, here's how to modify.

The muslin washcloths from Aden & Anais are nice to have (I purchased mine as a GaGa deal from BabyEarth).  

We also just started using the muslin sleeping bag from Aden & Anais.  It's one of my new favorites as well. ***Buyer beware:  After publishing this post, our muslin sleeping bag ripped.  Most likely from all of the pulling on the thin material from crawling, sleeping, sitting, etc. my daughter did in her crib. Perhaps this would be better for not-yet-moving-babies. ****

Does anyone know of a muslin blanket for adults?

Pack 'n Play

If I had to pick 'big-ticket' baby item that I loved most, it would have to be our Pack 'n Play.  This model has a cozy 'Newborn Napper,' with the option for nature sounds, music, and vibration.  We also used the dropped down section as a co-sleeper when we were traveling.  It's easy, shmeasy to set-up. 

If only they made Newborn Nappers for adults...

There's an app for that!

We thought about buying the Itzbeen to record D's newborn sleeping, eating, etc. but instead we paid $5 for the Total Baby app.  It was easy to use and we could email the information to ourselves to print off for the pediatrician's office. 

We also used the free apps White Noise Lite and Sleep Machine Lite when we were traveling and needed to drown out background noise.