When Frankie was born, my siblings bought him a ton of books to fill our very empty bookshelf in his room. I read in multiple mom books and magazines that you should introduce your child to books at an early age, so when Frankie was only a few months old I tried reading to him, but wouldnt even last past a few pages before he started to squirm or cry. I gave up for a little while and then after a few months went by and he was able to sit on his own, I put a bunch of books infront of him and he started flipping over the pages. Now he hands me the books to read to him. Here is a list of some of our favorite books:
Peek-a-who? by Nina Laden: This is by far Frankie's favorite book. Obviously I know this one by heart, but he just loves when I bring out this book. This was a hand-me-down from my sister and I hope she never asks for it back. It has a mirror at the end and when he flips the page, he kisses the mirror
You are my cupcake by Joyce Wan: We were given this book as a gift from a very special friend and I was instantly drawn in by the animation. The book is beyond cute and has all our favorite names we call our kids
Noisy Peekaboo Books by DK: A new find and an AMAZING one at that. I think I have bought all the editions. These make an amazing gift. Each book is about baby not being able to find something and you have to open each flap to find where the missing object is and under one flap when lifted makes the noise of the object. Frankie loves going through all the flaps and then finding the one that makes the noise
Clap Your Hands: Elmo in 3D, what more do I need to say :) A puppet book where you clap Elmo's hands with every page. I haven't given this to Frankie yet, I am saving it for the plane but I can only imagine his reaction. I bought this book for my neice a few years back and she loved it.
Touch and Feel Farm and Touch and Feel Zoo by Dwell Studios: Who knew that Dwell Studios makes books and great books at that. There are a few more, but these two are touch and feel but with different textures than the usual touch and feel books
123 Sesame Street 12 Pack: A cute collection that comes in a great case with 12 little mini board books with all different Sesame Street characters
My Belly Button by Melanie O'Brien: This was a fun find at the Baby Time Show. Every time you flip the page, the babies belly button appears on each page and you push the belly button and she giggles and giggles and giggles which makes Frankie giggle - too cute
Rocker Babies Wear Jeans by Michelle Sinclair Colman: A fun rocker book! This book totally suits me because Frankie is always in Rocker clothes. We got this one as a gift and it is just the cutest book. It incorporates Rocker with Baby
Up, Down, Round and Round! by Justine Smith: So much to do inside this book, pull things, move things and best of all there are big pop out pictures
Baby Boo! - This is great for babies and for toddlers - another amazing hand-me-down from my sister. Great baby expressions and you can really have fun with this book through being animated with your baby. At the end there is a little mirror which again, Frankie loves to kiss
Little Puppy - Finger Puppet Book: I love the finger puppet books, the reaction I get is hilarious. It's as if he cant figure out how the puppy is moving. The puppet goes through to every page and is fun for the kids
Barnyard Bath by Sandra Boyton: A great bath book. If these bath time books are not in the tub when he gets in, he cries. This one comes with a wash cloth and teaches children about bath time
Bath Time by Sandra Boyton: Another fav that I know off by heart "hey hey what do you say, its time to take a bath today ..." Frankie always hands me this book to read to him in the bath (2 or 3 times hence why I know the book off by heart). At the end the you squeeze the piggy's nose and it makes a funny noise and Frankie kisses him.
If anyone has any book recommendations, feel free to post them on my Babylish Advice Facebook page or comment below. I hope your kids love the suggestions.
T.
xo
Thursday, 8 December 2011
Monday, 5 December 2011
Great Toddler and Baby Apps
By popular request, here are some of Frankie's favorite apps (in no particular order):
1. Old MacDonald HD by Duck Duck Moose: Such a fun app! While the Old MacDonald song plays, your child touches (or if your child is like Frankie, he will just hit) the animal they are signing about and it does something fun or funny
2. Wheels on the Bus HD by Duck Duck Moose: The same app as Old MacDonald but with the song Wheels on the Bus
3. SoundTchLite (free): By far one of Frankie's favorite apps, so good i uploaded it to my iphone as well. There are a whole bunch of animated animals, instruments, trucks etc on the front page and when you touch one of them, real pictures come up and make a noise. If you keep touching the same picture, a new picture will come up.
4. Elmo loves ABCs: I love this app!! It is really for slightly older kids however Elmo talks to you and Frankie lights up when he Elmo comes on. When you push the arrow button on the bottom of the screen, it plays different scenes from Sesame Street
5. AlphaBaby Free: if your child is anything like mine and loves to hit the ipad than this is a great app for them. Every time you touch the screen a letter or number pops up and a voice says it outloud
6. Baby Einstein: Great for the airplane - its really for iphones but i put it on my ipad and just hit the 2x button to make it full screen. Fun games and Baby Einstein videos to watch
7. Elmos Monster Maker: I think this is such a fun app! Fun furry faceless monsters that talk to you and you put funny faces and accessories on them. Once you are done you can play with them
8. KidsSongs: Such a fun app with your childs favorite songs. I tried the free one but there was only one song, well worth it to buy the full version. You can touch all different parts of the scene and it will move along with the music
9. BabyFirst TV: This app has a bunch of different animated "shows" dedicated to little kids. Keeps them entertained for a little while.
10. Talking Baby Hippo (free): If you say something to the Hippo he will repeat what you say in a funny voice. Try hitting the hippo (not sure that is a great lesson but i think they are too young to learn that) and he does funny things!
11. Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Animal Sounds for Baby (free): a great app to learn about animals and has fun songs while you touch the different animals
12. Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Where's Puppy's Nose (free): you touch differnent parts of the puppy and a voice tells you what part you just touched - great for learning new words. Also there are some fun songs!
13. Treehouse: you have to subscribe monthly to get the programs, but great for the airplane when they want to watch some of their favorite shows - sadly there is no Wiggles :(
If anyone has any recommendations about apps, please feel free to post them on my Facebook Babylish Advice page or comment underneath. I hope you all like my suggestions - Frankie surely does
T.
xo
1. Old MacDonald HD by Duck Duck Moose: Such a fun app! While the Old MacDonald song plays, your child touches (or if your child is like Frankie, he will just hit) the animal they are signing about and it does something fun or funny
2. Wheels on the Bus HD by Duck Duck Moose: The same app as Old MacDonald but with the song Wheels on the Bus
3. SoundTchLite (free): By far one of Frankie's favorite apps, so good i uploaded it to my iphone as well. There are a whole bunch of animated animals, instruments, trucks etc on the front page and when you touch one of them, real pictures come up and make a noise. If you keep touching the same picture, a new picture will come up.
4. Elmo loves ABCs: I love this app!! It is really for slightly older kids however Elmo talks to you and Frankie lights up when he Elmo comes on. When you push the arrow button on the bottom of the screen, it plays different scenes from Sesame Street
5. AlphaBaby Free: if your child is anything like mine and loves to hit the ipad than this is a great app for them. Every time you touch the screen a letter or number pops up and a voice says it outloud
6. Baby Einstein: Great for the airplane - its really for iphones but i put it on my ipad and just hit the 2x button to make it full screen. Fun games and Baby Einstein videos to watch
7. Elmos Monster Maker: I think this is such a fun app! Fun furry faceless monsters that talk to you and you put funny faces and accessories on them. Once you are done you can play with them
8. KidsSongs: Such a fun app with your childs favorite songs. I tried the free one but there was only one song, well worth it to buy the full version. You can touch all different parts of the scene and it will move along with the music
9. BabyFirst TV: This app has a bunch of different animated "shows" dedicated to little kids. Keeps them entertained for a little while.
10. Talking Baby Hippo (free): If you say something to the Hippo he will repeat what you say in a funny voice. Try hitting the hippo (not sure that is a great lesson but i think they are too young to learn that) and he does funny things!
11. Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Animal Sounds for Baby (free): a great app to learn about animals and has fun songs while you touch the different animals
12. Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Where's Puppy's Nose (free): you touch differnent parts of the puppy and a voice tells you what part you just touched - great for learning new words. Also there are some fun songs!
13. Treehouse: you have to subscribe monthly to get the programs, but great for the airplane when they want to watch some of their favorite shows - sadly there is no Wiggles :(
If anyone has any recommendations about apps, please feel free to post them on my Facebook Babylish Advice page or comment underneath. I hope you all like my suggestions - Frankie surely does
T.
xo
Monday, 28 November 2011
Everyone Loves Comfy Pajamas - GIVEAWAY
Sure there are a lot of places to get pajamas, but I find with most of these places, the material is just so cheap and scratchy (not to name names ... Old Navy and Gap). Let's be honest, if we wouldnt sleep in that material, why would you want to put your kids in it! Worst part is that I still pay $20 + for a pair and they are a necessity.
As a side note, I did decide to get a pair on sale, I was so excited that I found pj's for $10 at Gap and then after "trying" to put Frankie in them, realized that they were on sale for a reason... NOBODY WANTED THEM. The arms had this band on it which was part of the design (a cute one at that), and I could barely get Frankie's arms through. I swear they must have been cutting off the circulation in his arms.
I didnt realize how uncomfortable the material of these pajama's were until I bought a pair from Boker & Laila at The Baby Time Show. I slowly walked past the booth thinking I already have a bunch of pj's for Frankie and that I didnt need more for the time being, but the adorable patterns drew me in. I then felt the pajamas and was truly amazed at how unbelievably soft the material was (it is 100% cotton) and I loved that all the pj's were tagless top and bottom. I was and still am hooked!
Now it's time for you to get hooked!! Our friends at Boker & Laila are giving away one pair of pajamas of your choice (up to a $30 value) to one of my lucky readers. Here's how to enter:
1. 'like' the Babylish Advice fan page on Facebook or on my blog
2. 'like' the Boker and Laila's fan page on Facebook
3. sign up for the Babylish Advice newsletter
4. email me at tkrajden@gmail.com letting me know you have done all three
Contest closes Friday December 2nd at 4:00pm and the winner will announced on my Babylish Advice Facebook page. The winner will be chosen through Random.org. GOOD LUCK!!!
Lucky for us, they have been so generous and are offering all my readers 20% off when you place an order from now until January 15, 2012. Just enter promo code TER20 when you checkout. I promise, you will love these pajama's!!!! I recommend ordering one size up.
Another side note: a friend of mine recently mentioned that she has been looking for plain black onesie's for months and has not been able to find them anywhere. When I was looking on the Boker & Laila website, I noticed that they have an entire line of them in a whole bunch of great colours. Sizes range from 3 months to 24 months.
Check them out at http://www.bokerandlaila.com/
T.
xo
As a side note, I did decide to get a pair on sale, I was so excited that I found pj's for $10 at Gap and then after "trying" to put Frankie in them, realized that they were on sale for a reason... NOBODY WANTED THEM. The arms had this band on it which was part of the design (a cute one at that), and I could barely get Frankie's arms through. I swear they must have been cutting off the circulation in his arms.
I didnt realize how uncomfortable the material of these pajama's were until I bought a pair from Boker & Laila at The Baby Time Show. I slowly walked past the booth thinking I already have a bunch of pj's for Frankie and that I didnt need more for the time being, but the adorable patterns drew me in. I then felt the pajamas and was truly amazed at how unbelievably soft the material was (it is 100% cotton) and I loved that all the pj's were tagless top and bottom. I was and still am hooked!
Now it's time for you to get hooked!! Our friends at Boker & Laila are giving away one pair of pajamas of your choice (up to a $30 value) to one of my lucky readers. Here's how to enter:
1. 'like' the Babylish Advice fan page on Facebook or on my blog
2. 'like' the Boker and Laila's fan page on Facebook
3. sign up for the Babylish Advice newsletter
4. email me at tkrajden@gmail.com letting me know you have done all three
Contest closes Friday December 2nd at 4:00pm and the winner will announced on my Babylish Advice Facebook page. The winner will be chosen through Random.org. GOOD LUCK!!!
Lucky for us, they have been so generous and are offering all my readers 20% off when you place an order from now until January 15, 2012. Just enter promo code TER20 when you checkout. I promise, you will love these pajama's!!!! I recommend ordering one size up.
Another side note: a friend of mine recently mentioned that she has been looking for plain black onesie's for months and has not been able to find them anywhere. When I was looking on the Boker & Laila website, I noticed that they have an entire line of them in a whole bunch of great colours. Sizes range from 3 months to 24 months.
Check them out at http://www.bokerandlaila.com/
T.
xo
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Did you know about Pampers Gifts to Grow Points?
I love reward/loyalty programs! It's actually a brilliant idea because everyone loves to get free stuff (well technically you are paying for it, but months down the road it feels like it is free). Infact, I think every major company should have a loyalty program.
I thought everyone knew about the Pampers reward programs, but I was clearly mistaken when I mentioned it to a few moms and they all looked at me as if to say 'and you are just telling me about this now'. I am still kicking myself for throwing out all those sticker codes before I knew about this reward program ... it's as if I was just throwing away money (at least that's what I was thinking in my head).
This program offers great rewards, everything from having your pictures printed on Shutterfly to great brand name toys to being entered to win diapers for a year or you can even donate your points to some great organizations.
Where to look?
- Every bag of Pampers diapers has a sticker on the inside of the bag, peel it off and enter it
- If you buy a box of Pampers diapers, each bag inside the box of diapers has a sticker on it
- When you buy Pampers wipes, each white bag has a code printed on it
- Pampers swimmers has a sticker on the bag inside the box
- Some magazines give you a start up points code
- The website will do 'gift' days and give you a free points code
Side note: if you hold off on entering some of the codes, Pampers launches double points days for some of their products
We obviously spend TONS of money on diapers, so why not get something back for it!
http://en.giftstogrow.pampers.ca/index.html
Happy collecting
T.
xo
I thought everyone knew about the Pampers reward programs, but I was clearly mistaken when I mentioned it to a few moms and they all looked at me as if to say 'and you are just telling me about this now'. I am still kicking myself for throwing out all those sticker codes before I knew about this reward program ... it's as if I was just throwing away money (at least that's what I was thinking in my head).
This program offers great rewards, everything from having your pictures printed on Shutterfly to great brand name toys to being entered to win diapers for a year or you can even donate your points to some great organizations.
Where to look?
- Every bag of Pampers diapers has a sticker on the inside of the bag, peel it off and enter it
- If you buy a box of Pampers diapers, each bag inside the box of diapers has a sticker on it
- When you buy Pampers wipes, each white bag has a code printed on it
- Pampers swimmers has a sticker on the bag inside the box
- Some magazines give you a start up points code
- The website will do 'gift' days and give you a free points code
Side note: if you hold off on entering some of the codes, Pampers launches double points days for some of their products
We obviously spend TONS of money on diapers, so why not get something back for it!
http://en.giftstogrow.pampers.ca/index.html
Happy collecting
T.
xo
Monday, 14 November 2011
Sweetpea Baby Food and Snacks GIVEAWAY
My son is exactly like me, a very picky eater!! He has been like that since the day I started giving him food. If he didn't like it, he would usually spit it out (and on me at that). I spoke to a few people about what to do to get him to eat meat and I was first told to make it myself. Well that was a complete disaster!!! Then another friend recommended I try Sweetpea Organic baby food. I went out and bought the Veggies, Beef and Barley cubes and the Broccoli cubes and he ate both!! Needless to say, I am a huge fan of Sweetpea's products. You might think that when your child is older he/she no longer needs pureed food, but you can use them as topings to your meals if you are having trouble (like I am) getting meats into them.
My new discovery is the Sweetpea cookies! No joke, I like to eat them, they are just that good. They are made with organic ingredients and completely peanut free which is very important to me since Frankie has a nut allergy. They come in three delicious flavours: Pumpkin Spice, Sweet Apple and Banana Pear. For your little one year olds, try them out!!! If my little picky eater likes them, I am sure yours will.
Thank you to our good friends at Sweetpea, they are giving away a prize pack to one of my readers. You will receive a great Sweetpea cooler and a bag of each of their delicous cookie flavours. Here's what you need to do to enter, its just four easy steps:
1. "Like" Babylish Advice on Facebook
2. "Like" Sweet Pea Baby Food and Organic Snacks" on Facebook
3. Sign up to my mailing list found on my blog
4. Email me at tkrajden@gmail.com letting me know you have done all three
Contest closes Sunday November 20th at 12:00pm. I will announce the winner Sunday afternoon by posting on my Babylish Advice Facebook page. The winner will be chosen through Random.org. GOOD LUCK!!!
Where to Buy: Pusateri's, Longos, Shoppers Drug Mart, Noahs, Whole Foods, The Healthy Butchers, Summerhill Market and Sobeys. For more locations and information, visit http://www.sweetpeababyfood.com/
T.
xo
Thursday, 10 November 2011
Custom Cards for All Occasions
I dont know about you, but I love when I get something OTHER than bills in the mail. That is why I absolutely loved the idea of sending everyone an invitaion to Frankie's first birthday, old school style .. by mail! Without a thought, I called Lauren Silverberg from Six Apples.
I had absolutely zero idea what I wanted them to look like, so I just told her that the theme was Halloween and to do whatever she wanted. I can't begin to explain how AMAZING they looked!!! I wish I could have taken some credit for the design, but I had no part of it. Without any exaggeration, I think almost every person who replied to the party had asked where I bought the invitations (I guess they thought I bought them at a store), but nope, I can proudly say they are a Frankie K. original design by Lauren.
She designs cards for all occassions: party invites (children or adult), shower invites, thank you cards (she did mine), birth announcements and engagement/wedding invitations just to name a few.
The picture below is of his invitaion... it's hard to see because of the lighting, but the background is a half moon (just a side note: there are two spots on the invite that look like they have been coloured in, well that's because I just coloured them prior to posting this pic)
For those who are starting new business ventures or want to rebrand, the other half of Lauren's business is developing branding; that is logo's and websites along with print like pamphlets and business cards. I have seen Lauren's work and her creativity is incredible. Check it out for yourself, her website is http://www.sixapples.com/.
Lauren is beyond talented, I absolutely HIGHLY recommend using her!!!
T.
xo
I had absolutely zero idea what I wanted them to look like, so I just told her that the theme was Halloween and to do whatever she wanted. I can't begin to explain how AMAZING they looked!!! I wish I could have taken some credit for the design, but I had no part of it. Without any exaggeration, I think almost every person who replied to the party had asked where I bought the invitations (I guess they thought I bought them at a store), but nope, I can proudly say they are a Frankie K. original design by Lauren.
She designs cards for all occassions: party invites (children or adult), shower invites, thank you cards (she did mine), birth announcements and engagement/wedding invitations just to name a few.
The picture below is of his invitaion... it's hard to see because of the lighting, but the background is a half moon (just a side note: there are two spots on the invite that look like they have been coloured in, well that's because I just coloured them prior to posting this pic)
For those who are starting new business ventures or want to rebrand, the other half of Lauren's business is developing branding; that is logo's and websites along with print like pamphlets and business cards. I have seen Lauren's work and her creativity is incredible. Check it out for yourself, her website is http://www.sixapples.com/.
Lauren is beyond talented, I absolutely HIGHLY recommend using her!!!
T.
xo
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Baked with Joy!
Aah the Joy (no pun intended) of running around for Frankie's first birthday, which of course he will never remember!
My biggest stress ... the cake! I wanted to find a large Elmo cake, but when I started calling around getting quotes, they were $200-$300 plus ... insane right?! I remembered that for my bridal shower, my girlfriends had delicious, cute cupcakes, so I inquired about them, googled the website and there it was a large, adorable Elmo cake.
The Elmo was holding a baseball (one of my husbands favorite sports) and could feed up to 40 people. Best part (well second best part, because the cake itself was the best part), it was extremely reasonable!!! I think almost every person at the birthday party (and there were lots) came up to me at one point to tell me how amazing his cake (and cupcakes) were, both the look and the taste. I have to agree!!! Joy is the next Cake Boss ;)
If you are planning your child's birthday (or really any birthday/anniversary/wedding/shower for that matter), check out her website to see all the fun shaped cakes she has. I 100% stand behind her amazing cakes and HIGHLY recommend using her for your special event. Don't forget to ask about about delivery options if you need it. Here are pictures of Frankie's cake and cupcakes
Website: http://www.bakedwithjoy.com/
T.
xo
My biggest stress ... the cake! I wanted to find a large Elmo cake, but when I started calling around getting quotes, they were $200-$300 plus ... insane right?! I remembered that for my bridal shower, my girlfriends had delicious, cute cupcakes, so I inquired about them, googled the website and there it was a large, adorable Elmo cake.
The Elmo was holding a baseball (one of my husbands favorite sports) and could feed up to 40 people. Best part (well second best part, because the cake itself was the best part), it was extremely reasonable!!! I think almost every person at the birthday party (and there were lots) came up to me at one point to tell me how amazing his cake (and cupcakes) were, both the look and the taste. I have to agree!!! Joy is the next Cake Boss ;)
If you are planning your child's birthday (or really any birthday/anniversary/wedding/shower for that matter), check out her website to see all the fun shaped cakes she has. I 100% stand behind her amazing cakes and HIGHLY recommend using her for your special event. Don't forget to ask about about delivery options if you need it. Here are pictures of Frankie's cake and cupcakes
Website: http://www.bakedwithjoy.com/
T.
xo
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