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!

Picture Pages: Of Thee I Sing

I picked up Barack Obama's newest book this week, Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters.  It is an exquisite children's book, filled with gorgeous illustrations (which our President did not do, Loren Long did) and inspiring messages to his daughters interspersed with incredible stories in American history.  This book is a lovely gift or the perfect addition to your own library.

Babywearing

I don't know what I would do without my babywearing gear!   Especially during those first few months when my darling daughter would only take long naps when I was holding her.  My favorite is the Baby K'Tan- it's really comfortable, affordable ($45 and up), washable and easy to throw on (I could even put it on and put my daughter in it without putting her down).  It's like the Moby, but without the complicated twists, ties, and adjustments. 

The Ergo is awesome too- it's what I use now (because I've loaned out my Baby K'Tan!).   I wish we would have saved our $100 on this beautifully embroidered sling by Serena & Lily and bought Mini Boden clothes instead!  We had a hand-me-down Baby Bjorn that my husband wears.  If you're interested in a Baby Bjorn, hit the resale shops. 

Here's a link to the benefits of babywearing.

TMI

In the first few weeks following my daughter's birth, I had my share of "snarts."  Sure, sure- it is mostly funny, and only a little bit embarrassing when it is in front of your mother or husband.  However, I was petrified that this would become a public thing and had already begun practicing how I'd laugh this off in front of my friends (or would it just be easier to become a recluse?).  It seemed that the R&R, sitz baths, Tuck's pads, "maxsicles," and kegels were helping, but just not enough.  Then, I read this practically-life-changing blog post from Mama Sweat about incorporating exercises for your glutes.  Voila!  It was like magic!  Snarts-be-gone. 

Cloth Wipes

 

Did you know that the average family spends $800 on baby wipes?  Yikes!  Our family uses cloth wipes and we have found that they are not only less expensive than disposable wipes but they smell so much better too!

Want to try it? My absolute favorite wipes are BumGenius bamboo wipes but cloth wipes are easy to make, from flannel, terrycloth, old t-shirts, etc.  Every other week (or so) I take a 32 ounce plastic bottle and fill it with about a tbsp. of Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap (I like lavender), 1 tbsp. of olive oil (or mineral, Johnson & Johnson, etc.), 4-10 drops of essential oil (I like lavender or geranium)- and then fill the remainder of the container with water.  I use an empty baby wipes container and put about 10-15 cloth wipes in before I soak them in the wipe solution.  I've heard that some parents use a wipe warmer too.   Happy wiping!

My New Favorite Thing

 

We recently received the cloud b Twilight Constellation Night Light Ladybug as a gift and LOVE it.  Its calming, projected constellation stars are the perfect distraction when my one year old daughter is fussy and tired.  The stars project for 45 minutes in a glow of red, green or blue.  There is also a cloud b Twilight Turtle that appears to have the same function.

It is so wonderful, my husband has mentioned several times that he would like to buy one for our room too.

Picture Pages: All The World

My little D just celebrated her first birthday.  I thought it was the perfect opportunity to start a tradition of buying her a book for each birthday.   I felt a lot of pressure to find the perfect book.  But I did, easily!  I could tell you how much I love the illustrations in All the World (it's a Caldecott Honor Award Winner), or how I love how it is written by Austin author Liz Garton Scanlon, or I could tell you about the beautiful simplicity of the text.  But I really think you should just check it out for yourself.