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| by: Spiffy Baby
Got Toddlers? Got Chaos! Planning any kind of trip with toddlers can be
complicated. There are certain things to keep in mind that might help
preserve your sanity and possibly even let you have a little bit of fun
together as a family.
Arrive Leisurely
Traveling with a toddler can take a toll on even the most patient
parent. If you are flying, the experience can be exciting and will keep
them occupied for about ten minutes before your little one is ready to
start a full-scale exploration effort. In an airplane you do have the
opportunity to get up and move around – take a trip to the restroom or,
pilot willing, consider a trip to the cockpit.
Car rides can be complicated as well. Fortunately, toddlers are great
at napping in the car, so you might consider leaving right before
nap-time and letting your enthusiastic one sleep the first couple of
hours. A lot of parents also drive in the evening in hopes of a sleepy
car ride for longer than a few hours.
While your toddler is awake, consider a favorite video, toys,
books, coloring, action figures, snacks and anything else you can think
of to keep them entertained. Plan on plenty of stops along the way to
get out, change diapers and stretch legs. Rushing to get anywhere just
makes things more stressful, so don’t get in a hurry.
Maintain a Routine
Your toddler probably has a nice nap routine at home, and vacation is
not a time to wing it. If your little one naps at noon every day, move
mountains to help them nap at noon on the road. Take a break in the
hotel room or alternate separate parent activities so someone is there
to help even the most reluctant toddler take a break in a busy day. Try
to keep bedtime reasonably close to normal, too – a tired toddler is
not a toddler that travels well.
Keep it Loose
If you are a scheduling fanatic when it comes to travel, toddler travel
may not be for you. Plan activities with plenty of cushion time in
between. Toddlers aren’t able to appreciate fine architecture, but they
love a good fountain or the local zoo. Find activities that have a
little bit of something for everyone – zoos, parks, beaches, hikes,
wildlife, etc…
Mix “grown-up” activities in with toddler activities to give
everyone something to look forward to. You might also want to pick a
few of the most important landmarks to see and leave the rest for when
your child has an attention span longer than fifteen minutes. Above
all, just remember that this should be fun for everyone – even if you
never leave the hotel pool!
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| www.BabyAlways.com A baby shower is a party given to mothers to be so that they get all the things needed for their newborn. It's also one of the best ways to give emotional support for first time mothers. Depending on the hostess, a baby shower can be a simple or lavish event. But of course, the main focus of the party should be to gather close friends and family of the mother to be so she gets all the encouragements she needs.
Who should host the baby shower?
Traditionally, non-relatives should host the party. However, it has become more and more common for mothers, sisters, or even close friends to host the party. You can even have more than one person plan the party. What better way than to share the responsibility and excitement of welcoming a newborn baby?
Who should I invite?
Anyone can be invited to the baby shower. Traditionally, invitations should be sent to female relatives and friends only. However, it is now common to invite male relatives and friends, especially the father to be. Just make sure you choose the correct games to play and don't spend the entire time oohing and ahhing over the mom-to-be's tummy. If it is not a surprise shower, you may even want to run the list by the mom to be to make sure you have not missed anyone.
How should I invite the guests?
There are several ways. You can send invitations by writing an email or send an electronic invitation card via evite sites. I recommend using http://www.evites.com/, but be prepared to register and pay a nominal fee. You can also send invitations by mail, the good old fashion way. I recommend visiting Polka Dot Design. They have a wide selection of cards I'm sure everyone will like. When should I have the shower?
The shower is typically held two to three months before the expected date. This will give the mother time to shop for items she did not receive and would like to have before the baby arrives. And of course you don't want to hold the shower too close to baby's due date in case he or she makes an early arrival!
Some people prefer to hold a "welcoming shower" a few weeks after the baby arrives. This will allow the guests to bring gifts specifically for a boy or girl.
Where should I have the shower?
It is typically held at the hostess' home, but it can be held almost anywhere; at a favorite restaurant, park, banquet hall, or even a religious gathering. It really depends on what kind of atmosphere you are looking for and how much you are willing to spend. If you do have the shower at a restaurant, be sure to make reservations a week in advance for large parties. You should also speak with the manager a few days before the event to confirm the details of the shower.
Should I prepare anything? Baby shower favors are always a great idea. Your guests will appreciate the little memento as a reminder of the special day. Visit Beaucoup for a wide variety of personalized favors. I especially like the Personalized Baby Shower Lip Butter. ). Not only does it do a great job of moisturizing your lips, but they also smell great! I was very surprised when I had first tried some on. I loved the coconut/vanilla smell and the way it smoothly went on my lips without any sticky feeling. And don't forget to purchase "manly" favors if you plan on having male guests present.
For fun you may even want to purchase Personalized Baby Cookies for each of your guests or Custom Fortune Cookies. Although I haven't tried any of the baby cookies, I have had several of the fortune cookies, and they taste wonderful. But then again, almost anything dipped in chocolate tastes great! The chocolate on these fortune cookies are not too sweet and the sprinkles on top are a delightful treat. Beaucoup allows you to personalize the fortune and prints 3 lines of text, 35 characters per line. Have fun planning that baby shower!
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| www.babyalways.com
by: Phil Wheatley
We all want the best for our babies, and if you are having your firstchild, you will probably be even more prone to buying the mostexpensive items, which you may never use. A classic example of this isa special airlock diaper bin you can buy for around $100. At firstglance this may seem like an essential purchase when in fact, for amere 16 cents, you can buy a pack of 100 diaper bags which can then beeasily disposed of.
Another consideration is when you are buyingessentials like diapers, tissues and the like, do you go for thecheaper products or is that false economy. Well, as for tissues, we cantell you that if you are using them for wiping/drying after changingthe baby, it's better to use the cheap supermarket tissues as they aretougher and less likely to tear if wet. The more expensive tissues aresofter and more suitable for wiping the nose.
Concerning diapers, it's a bit more complicated. Yes, the cheaper ones willultimately do the same job, but because the system for keeping thewetness away from the baby's skin isn't as good, you may find the babywill be more prone to rashes, which means using more cream... andspending more money. Another problem is the cheaper diapers can leakduring the night which will result in more sleepless nights. In ouropinion, if you can afford it, go for one of the leading brands.
Another example where you may want to avoid the cheapest route is bottlesterilizers. At first we used a container where you soaked the bottlesin a solution of water and purifying tablets. We found that it couldcause the bottles to smell like chlorine and also, after a while, itcould affect your hands and make them dry, even bleed. Using a steamertype sterilizer was quicker, easier and kinder to your hands. It doescost a bit more but you will be using it every day for months andmonths to come.
Talking of essentials, the kind of itemsmentioned above would be ideal gifts to give at a baby shower (a partywhere gifts are given to a parent or baby). Sometimes people spend lotsof money on elaborate gifts which may never get used.
If you know anybody who has recently had a child then it is really worthasking about their experiences with various products, your parents mayalso be a good source of information. You will find that you may getmany different options, they may not all be right for you, includingsome of them in this article but you will at least have a range ofoptions and you can make the decision you feel is best for you and yourbaby.
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| www.babyalways.com
I'm happy to announce that Baby Always is now offering $3 shipping on all your orders, every day! And if you order more than $100, the shipping is on us!
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