This morning’s Public Service Announcement comes in the form of a sound note I did early last month discussing how to dress your baby in the cold weather months. LISTEN! [….then go HERE for my tips on How to Dress Your Kids for the Colder Months]
And subliminally post this on a Facebook page of a friend or family member who needs to hear this reminder. Thanks! Save the Babies!
The stroller is one of the first things that new parents consider when they find out they are expecting. The stroller may be an investment that lasts beyond just one baby. The universe of stroller options have opened up tremendously in recent years and it is not uncommon for one family to have 5 or more strollers for varying needs: a carriage or buggy, a canopy stroller, a convertible stroller, an umbrella stroller, a stroller that is part of a travel system.
Picking the right one (or ones) can be dizzying. Here are five great tips, we’ve brought back from a past post, for picking out the perfect stroller for your needs:
1. Determine your stroller needs. Consider where you live and how you will be using your stroller. If you plan to exercise or jog with your baby, you may want to consider a jogging stroller. Its big wheels will help smooth out the ride over any rough terrain. Wait until your baby is a few months old before using a jogging stroller because they aren’t recommended for newborns. Jogging strollers are large and don’t fold down compactly for fitting in the trunk, which is problematic for parents who opt to use a jogging stroller as their primary stroller. They also don’t steer well in tight spaces so they may be better suited as a specialized second stroller. If you live in the city and you plan to mostly run errands with the stroller you will be looking for one that folds easily and doesn’t take up a lot of space in the car. Modular or Multi-component systems (think Britax B-Ready or UppaBaby Vista) are the most expensive, but also the most versatile.
They can contain a bassinet, single seat, or second seat, and these options snap on to a base frame so that you can customize your stroller and add to it as your child and needs grow. They also accommodate most infant car seats. The Britax B-Ready also accommodates two seats. Twin or double strollers are a must if you have two young children. Seats can be side-by-side, stadium style, or tandem. Travel systems are often bulky and heavy, but allow you to keep your baby in the car seat when strolling. When your baby outgrows the car seat, he can use the stroller seat.
2. Decide on a budget. Umbrella strollers range in price from $15.89 to $199.95 or more. The cheapest umbrella stroller is very basic with a simple 3-point strap to hold the baby onto the fabric seat. The top priced umbrella strollers boasts solid construction, are lightweight (14lbs.), have an infinite-position reclining seat, are easy to fold, have a one-step brake, carrying strap, and a parent cup holder. Jogging strollers can range from low $100’s up to $500 or more. Modular systems are purchased in pieces so prices will vary, but the frames typically cost around $400. Regular single strollers range in price from the low $100’s to $400 or more depending on the features that you are looking for. Twin strollers are priced in the mid $100’s and go up to $450 or more, again depending on what options the strollers have.
3. Create a checklist of features you want/need. Essential features for strollers include a five-point harness, a multi-position reclining seat, sun canopy, swivel wheels for mobility, easy folding system, stroller basket, easy to clean fabric, and a lightweight frame. Additional luxury features include: adjustable handles, one-touch brakes, snack or play tray, parent cup holder, and an adjustable footrest to customize as the child grows.
4. Assess what size will work for you. Determine if you are looking for a stroller for one, two, or more children to help narrow your stroller search. Strollers vary in weight from 6lbs to around 25lbs. or more. Jogging strollers are large and bulky, but can also be very light. Full-sized strollers fold down easily, offering many options for taking the baby along on errands. If you live in the city and don’t have a lot of room to store the stroller you may want to look at models that fold down very compactly. Inglesina is a favorite of mine.
5. Check for consumer reviews on the model you’re looking at before you buy. Consumer reviews on strollers will be grouped by price, expert recommendations, and what the public thinks of the stroller. Once you’ve narrowed down what you will be doing with the stroller, how many children the stroller needs to hold, what bells and whistles you need, and what price you’re willing to spend on it, it’s time to select your top choices of strollers. Read how others rate the strollers that you are interested in to further narrow your search.
Final tip: If buying a used stroller make sure to check the recall list to make sure the stroller hasn’t been recalled.
If you are like my mom was when I was a kid, you stock up on next winter’s stuff at the end of the season when retailers marked down clothing tremendously. The same for the Summer. It’s the best way for well-organized families on a budget to get the best deals on children’s clothing.
In the digital world of E-commerce where there are tons of discount stores selling top quality merchandise for steep discounted prices, modern and millennial moms have way more options. We are no longer limited by seasonal discounts. They are everywhere all year round.
Like we just got word that our affiliates Crazy 8, a sister brand to Gymboree, is having a 70% off its entire site sale!
The prices start at $1.99. We combed through the website this afternoon and picked out some super cute, trendy and conversation pieces for infant to toddler to school age all for $3.99 or less.
The most expensive thing on sale is a warm quilted hooded jacket for $28.99 which itself is a steal.
And once you purchase $50.00 worth of stuff, your shipping is FREE! So you’re looking at scoring 6 outfits (a top and bottom) for $50.00. Your kid will be set for the season!
I love Crazy 8 clothing because they are of top quality but at a very reasonable price point for big families.
Check out the big sale and do share your haul with us in a pic or Video and tag us in it!
Happy Shopping, Thrifty moms!
The mom-to-be who took a college final while in labor, the mom who ranted about the school drop-off and pick up situation, the moms who starred in the “Bad Blood” mommy wars Taylor Swift spoof.
All are among the list of 9 moms who won 2015!
WATCH!
Check out 9 Moms Who Won the Internet in 2015
by Amber Dorsey at Mode
Each year, parents too make New Year’s Resolutions related to parenting and their relationship with their family. And sadly, each one is usually broken within the first three months of the year. Hey, parents are people too.
Jenna Gallina at Babyology gets it right with her hilarious list of 10 resolutions parents make then break
I most definitely can relate because I vowed to do the following 4 of the ten items on her list:
“Be more patient with the kids
This year we will discover a positive method of discipline where there is minimal yelling. We will use our words to communicate our frustrations and we will always be tolerant towards the kids.
No, just kidding. We will probably just spend a lot more time hidden in the pantry with a box of chocolates.”
Each year I pledge to yell less too. I think I have been successful and over time, I will become the Zen mom I am aiming to be.
“Declutter
Straight after Christmas is the perfect time to go through the house and donate any unwanted toys, clothes, brick-a-brac, etcetera. That way everything is fresh and clean before the start of school and remains that way for exactly three-and-a-half hours.”
I am in the middle of this right now…I hope it lasts a week though, not 3.5 hours.
“Enjoy more “me-time”
Last year my plan was to read 12 books (no, The Cat in the Hat, read 12 times a night doesn’t count). Because I do love reading. My grand total – 1/2 a book (and my kids scribbled on almost every single page). It took me three months to even get that far before throwing the thing in the bin and giving up on ‘me-time’ all together.
This year, I am going to aim for one book.”
Every year, I plan to read more and do things like stack the books on my “to-read” list on a desk in my line of vision as a reminder. To date, since making this fool-proof tactic: 0. le sigh
“Stress less”
Self-explanatory but I don’t go looking for stress, it comes to me. So…it will be hard to avoid, but perhaps, creating time to “de-stress” should be the more realistic goal.
Read the rest of this funny blog post HERE!
![new year's resolutions]](https://bellyitchblog.com/app/uploads/2016/01/new-years-resolutions.jpg)
If you made a New Year’s Resolution, you know the odds of keeping it is not very good, but chin up! There are tricks and tips that are available to help you maintain your “New Year, New You” goals.
These 5 infographics break down the Resolutions game we all play each year and offer tips for not being a statistical quitter.
Bellyitch Rewind
It’s New Year’s Resolutions season.
Adults everywhere are reflecting on the past year and looking ahead to the next, finding places where they can improve their lives. Parents often make big plans to change habits and behaviors with this fresh start, and these plans often include their children.
Here are a few New Year’s Resolutions you could work with your child to make.
1.Keep my belongings organized – The first thing that parents need to recognize about this resolution is that it very likely means something very different to your child. Children typically have unique ways of keeping things organized. This frequently stirs friction between child and parent because mom and dad might believe “organized” means that everything is folded, put away neatly and out of sight, while their child might consider things organized if he can find his underwear in the morning. This is a great opportunity for parents to connect with their child. Sitting down and discussing the differences between your view of organization and theirs can actually help a child if it is done though positive conversation. Giving him freedom in this area can go a long way in helping him discover what his organization style is. If there are rules in common areas, parents should be clear about those, but should also allow their child to control how he organizes his own space. This will help him learn to keep it all together.
2.Drink water with every meal. Most people do not drink enough water; this is true for adults and children. Telling a child she cannot have soft drinks or juices anymore will cause aggravation in the child and will only work to make her sneak them elsewhere. By setting the rule that everyone drinks water with each meal, this healthy liquid is introduced without the ban on other drinks altogether.
3. Practice the sport, art or activity of their choice for 30 min every day. Everyone has hobbies or skills they want to improve. Children often beg parents for lessons to learn to play piano or be in basketball, but after the first few weeks of lessons, the excitement fades when they learn they have to practice. Parents can help their children set the goal to practice by finding their own new skill to work on. This way parents and children can work in unison to improve themselves in at least one way.
4. will talk to one new person every week at school. This is a great resolution for the child that has a hard time making friends and connections. It can seem like a leap of faith for a timid child to make new friends, which is why it is so important to start with just one conversation. Maybe only one in every five conversations end in some kind of friendship, but then in a little over a months’ time your child will have a new friend and be confident enough to make more.
5. I will try one new food a week. Children tend to eat the same foods every week. This is due in part to the fact that these foods are easy to make and because parents are tired of fighting with their children to eat new and more healthy foods. This approach addresses the problem in steps. It does not require the child eat entire meals that he hates, just one new food a week. Make the new food three or four times during the week so that he gets a chance to try just one bite a few times. Parents should try to make the experience fun and set a good example by eating the food alongside him.
6. I will help one person every day without being asked. Generosity is a character trait most people believe is absent in children these days. Parents can inspire the development of this habit by encouraging their children to find one person to help or to do one helpful activity each day without being asked to do it. Keep a chart of these activities and praise the big-heartedness that it brings. Try to avoid “rewarding” these activities with material positions because part of generosity is not expecting anything in return. Instead give rewards with kind words and gratitude.
If you are not planning to let your kids stay up until midnight but don’t want them to miss out on the New Year’s Eve countdown, don’t fret! Netflix has got you covered.
Going on now, the video streaming site offers countdowns with six different themes, each starring different animated and live action characters.
Called “eternally popular” by Forbes, the “Star Wars” franchise is among the most beloved, recognizable, successful and enduring movie series in the history of film. The now seven-movie series (five more are planned) boasts the third-highest franchise box office gross revenue on record, but that doesn’t begin to account for the brand’s success.
From phone cases to action figures, bed sheets, stationery and lunch boxes, Star Wars is arguably the most universally merchandised film series of all time. Although today’s children are just as fascinated as their parents and grandparents with the saga, those that were kids for the original films are now somewhere close to 50 years old. According to the New York Times, Star Wars has managed to connect middle-aged fans to their childhoods like no other film series in history.
With legions of loyal fans — from toddlers to the elderly — obsessing over the tiniest fragments of Star Wars minutia, the films have actually had a measurable impact on our country’s culture, including how people name their children. MooseRoots used Social Security Administration data to find out the popularity of names used in the Star Wars franchise among new parents.
Here are how the top characters in this latest Installment, Episode VII, The Force Awakens stack up historically,
Poe #24
Poe Dameron is an ace pilot who takes on the Empire from the cockpit of an X-Wing Fighter. Although he is a popular character, the same can not be said for his name. The last time more than four boys were born with the name Poe was when five joined the Force in 2012.
Maz #23 Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o will portray space pirate Maz Kanata in “The Force Awakens.” Only five baby boys were born with the name Maz in 2013, the last year more than four were recorded. The name may remain so unusual, in part, because her character was called “Rose” on set to prevent film spoilers. Although the character is a woman, fewer than five girls have been born with the name Maz in any given year.
Rey #7 Although the tough survivor from the deserts of Jakku is female in “The Force Awakens,” the name Rey is steadily rising in popularity among boys in the United States. Over 240 were born in 2014, up from just 46 in 1980.
Finn #3
Finn is a warrior with a conscience struggling to escape his past. Although the traditional Nordic name briefly fell out of favor around 1990, it has seen an extraordinary rise in popularity in recent years. Over 770 boys named Finn were born in 2014, making it the the 234th most popular boys name in the country.
Listening to the spoken word has benefits not just for the imagination but for language development and understanding of tone, inflection and complex ideas like story and character development, climax and story settings. It can be a wonderful bonding moment and a baseline for developing reading comprehension and composition skills later on down the line.
It is wonderful to select a bedtime story that focuses on the night time. There are classics that every parent is gifted at the baby shower but each year children’s books authors come up with some amazing new titles. Here are 5, curated from a past post, to start you off if you’re starting to read bedtime stories to your little one or if you simply need new ideas for other books:
Batman138 Bro138 Dolar138 Gas138 Gudang138 Hoki99 Ligaciputra Panen77 Zeus138 Kilat77 Planet88 Gaspol168 Sikat88 Rupiah138 Garuda138 Gacor77 Roma77 Sensa138 Panen138 Slot138 Gaco88 Elanggame Candy99 Cair77 Max7 Best188 Space77 Sky77 Luxury777 Maxwin138 Bosswin168 Cocol88 Slot5000 Babe138 Luxury138 Jet77 Bonanza138 Bos88 Aquaslot Taktik88 Lord88 Indobet Slot69 Paus138 Tiktok88 Panengg Bingo4d Stars77 77dragon Warung168 Receh88 Online138 Tambang88 Asia77 Klik4d Bdslot88 Gajah138 Bigwin138 Markas138 Yuk69 Emas168 Key4d Harta138 Gopek178 Imbaslot Imbajp Deluna4d Luxury333 Pentaslot Luxury111 Cair77 Gboslot Pandora188 Olxtoto Slotvip Eslot Kuy138 Imbagacor Bimabet
