Top 10 Favorite Gifts for a Baby

Once you have the baby, we all get the same gifts. Usually it's something from your registry which is typically an item you need for around your house or a gift with your child's name on it or clothes. Although those are all great "safe" gifts, I like to try to get something that is not your expected gift. I think out of all the gifts we got, only 2% were toys. I know toys sounds kinda lame, but once the baby gets a little older, those toys that you put away come in handy at one point! If you get any, dont return them, just put them away in storage and when your child starts hitting milestones, you can start to give them one toy at a time. Funny enough, I dont know who was more excited to get the new toy, me or Frankie.

Below is a list of great toys or a few "items" that would make great gifts for friends who just had a baby:

1. Lamaze Discovery Shapes Activity Puzzle: This toy is great because it grows with them. One side is black, white and red for the newborn because apparently those are the only colours the baby can see, and the other side is brightly coloured images for when the baby is older. I would put this on Frankie's change table on the black/white/red side for Frankie to look at while I was changing him and also I put it in the crib while he was "hanging" out in there (supervised of course) when I was trying to get him used to being in the crib before transitioning him from bassinet to the crib. He could not take his eyes off of this!! Where to Buy: Mastermind, Toys R Us, Lil Niblets $25

2. Infantino Activity Triangle: This toy is great for all ages, when they are really little and you want them to spend more time on their tummies strengthening their neck, put this infront of them and they will try to lift their head up to see all the shapes and bright colours (they will love the mirror). When they are older and sitting, put this infront of them and they will just spend a ton of time flipping it over and over as each side is different. Where to Buy: Toys R Us $15

3. 3 Spouts Organic Toy Bin and Storage Box: Here is a great gift that you can give to a friend and fill with a bunch of toys. These bins are absolutely wonderful and there are tons of cute animals to choose from. I got two of these bins as gifts, I was going to return one of them, but they are so great I kept both! The storage boxes are brand new, they are also great for small spaces and you can do the same as the bin and fill it with toys to give as a gift. Where to Buy: Lil Niblets or Pistachio - Bin $38, Box $28

4. Playskool Busy Poppin Toys: This is one of Frankie's favoite toys. I swear this is the toy that got him to crawl (well slither). All my friends would take their Blackberry and put it at the other end of the room as incentive for their child to craw which worked great for them, but I tried that trick and it didnt work. I used this toy and he eventually was able to slither to it. Most kids gravitate to this toy when they are over. Plus, I think it helps them learn about cause and effect. This is another toy that grows with them. You have to turn the knobs and push the buttons at the beginning, but eventually they will learn how to do it themselves. Where to Buy: Toys R Us $15

5. K's Kids Hungry Pelican: This is a great gift for when the child can sit. I recently pulled this out of my toy storage (another wonderful toy my sister gave me) and tied it to the outside bar of Frankies crib. Every morning I sit him infront of it and he pulls out all the toys from the pelicans belly and I am now trying to teach him how to put each toy into the pelican's mouth and he watches it fall back into it's belly. Where to Buy: Mastermind $35

6. Heartifacts: This is not your average gift, but it is one of a kind and will never be forgotten. The artist, Carrie Fisher makes these from scratch and fully customizes them from the colour (which she can match to the child's room) to the image that is on it and then she puts the child's name on it and frames them. The Heartifact is truly an amazing gift for a great friend . Where to Buy: http://www.carriefishergallery.com/heartifacts.html $90

7. You Name It Baby Door Plaque: I had spent months trying to find something cute for Frankie's door, but I couldnt find anything masculine enough and then I stumbled upon the 'You Name it Baby' plaque.  I chose from a large selection of designs and had Frankie's name put on it. I instantly fell inlove with the final product when it arrived. I think this would make such a wonderful gift and it is very reasonably priced. Where to Buy: You Name it Baby Store or Online http://www.younameitbaby.com/catalog/artwork/door-plaque/ $50

8. Eric Carle Attachable Activity Catepillar with Music and Sound: This is really nothing special, but for some reason Frankie loved it. I think it had something to do with the spinning ball in the middle and the different textures and noises it made when touching it. This catepillar came with us everywhere! I attached it to the car seat handle when in the car or when we were out and to the stroller bar. He just loved to play with all the different parts of it. Where to Buy: Masterminds $24

9. Mabels Labels: I bought these as soon as Frankie was born, more because I was excited to make my own FRANKIE label but I knew they would eventually come in handy when I started bottle feeding. I am infamous for leaving a toy or bottle at friends houses, so thats why I started putting my Mabels Labels on each bottle and some of his toys. I think this would make a fun gift, everyone needs them! Where to Buy: http://www.mabel.ca/ - many different price points

10. Tiny Love Take Along Mobile: I can actually say this is one thing I don't have, but I saw a few friends with it and wished I had it. At the time, only one store was carrying it and it was WAY to much of a mission to go to (because the store was so far), so I just envied all who had it. I went to register with my sister-in-law the other day and saw that Lil' Niblets was carrying it and made her register for it. What a brilliant idea! Where to Buy: Lil Niblets $40

If you have any feedback on any of the toys you see here, please feel free to comment below
I hope this helps
T.
xo

Frankie, If Your Happy and You Know It Clap Your Hands

When you were a kid, don't you wish you had one of those CD's that had your name inserted into all your favorite songs that your mom sang to you over and over??!!!! Of course I ordered one for Frankie when he was little, I played it repeatedly in the car and at home and now he LOVES the CD and giggles when he hears his name in the song. I decided that if Frankie loves it than so would his friends, so I got a whole bunch as gifts and had a picture of Frankie and his buddy put on the front of the CD. Just as a side bar: when Frankie was little and would scream in the car, I would put on the last two songs and he would instantly stop crying (I have friends who would attest to this).

Thank you to our friends at Just For Me, we are running our first CONTEST:
Win a fantastic loot bag package for your child’s next party compliments of http://www.justforme.com/. One lucky winner will receive 5 personalized CDs and 5 magic music wands.  The recipients of this loot bag will delight in hearing their name sung over 75 times on our award winning 12 song CD collection. Our list includes over 3500 names.Our CDs and wands have become the popular “anti-loot bag” gift as they are easy, environmental, and educational.  No more late night trips to the dollar store to find a bag full of plastic toys. The approximate value is: $175
*To ensure accuracy and prompt delivery, the winner must provide http://www.justforme.com/ with all the necessary names at least 10 days before the party.

How to win: All you have to do is email me at tkrajden@gmail.com and in the subject line write "Just for Me" and your name will be entered into a random draw. Contest ends: October 3rd, 2011 at 12:00.

Where to buy the CD: http://www.justforme.com/
Good luck
T.
xo

Applications Made Easy

For all you new moms, here is a quick link to all the applications you will need once your little one is born

1. Apply for Employment Insurance Maternity and Parental Benefits
http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/sc/ei/benefits/maternityparental.shtml
*You should apply as soon as you stop working, even if you receive or will receive money when you become unemployed

2. Apply for your Child's Birth Certificate
http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/subjects/cards/birth_certificate.shtml
*You should apply as soon as possible after your child is born

3. Register your Child for a Health Card
http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/subjects/cards/health_card.shtml
*When you receive your child's birth certificate you will, in some cases, need to register your child for your provincial or territorial health plan

4. Apply for your Child's Social Insurance Number (SIN)
http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/sc/sin/index.shtml
*Residents of Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario can use the Newborn Registration Service <http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/sin/apply/newborn.shtml

5. Apply for the Canada Child Tax Benefit
http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/goc/cctb.shtml
*This is a tax-free monthly payment made to eligible families to help them with the cost of raising children under age 18.
*You should apply for the CCTB as soon as possible after your child is born

Good luck
xo

You have never met a happier kid when ...

I thought that toys made Frankie happy (hence the reason my house looks like Toys R Us), I was mistaken!!! Nothing makes him smile more than when he is in his new car. I swear the first time I put him in it, he looked up at me and gave me this look like "why didnt you get me this sooner mom".

This is my cure to his miserable fits. The moment I bring the car upstairs, he immediately stops crying and it's as if he hadn't been throwing a fit for the last 20 minutes and a huge smile comes over his face. You have never met a happier kid then when you put him in his car. The best part is, he holds onto the wheel with both hands as if he is actually driving (too cute)!

I truly cant remember the last time I put him in his stroller. When I go to the mall, I bring it. When I go on a walk with friends, I bring it with. When I go for a walk in my neighbourhood, he goes in that car. I am not looking forward to the snow for many reasons, but mainly because I wont be able to take him for walks in his car.

If you dont have one, I highly recommend getting one!!

Where to buy: Toys R Us

Price: $80 (but right now online its on sale for $60) - could make for a great gift ;)

T.

xo

Starting on Solids

A whole bunch of my friends asked me a ton of questions about starting solids and progressing to finger/table foods as most said that their doctors either gave them a short list that wasnt detailed enough and felt rushed to ask questions or some of their doctors didnt even give them a list, just told them they could start solids. I made this list for a friend of mine who asked me about Frankie's eating and I thought I would share for new moms. PLEASE know that this is what I did which worked well for Frankie, but this may not work for some kids or some of you may disagree with parts. I am just providing a little guide for those interested, you by no means have to follow it or try things you dont want to :) 

Cereal: (the start)

-          1 tsp of rice mixed with water for 1 week at breakfast and dinner

-          1 tsp of barley mixed with water for 1 week at breakfast and dinner

-          1 tsp of oatmeal mixed with water for 1 week at breakfast and dinner

Note:
* I gave Frankie his bottle first and then 45mins to an hour later I gave him the food
* The milk is the most important food so that is why I gave it to him first and wait a bit so he is not so full
* I increased the amount of cereal I was giving him when I started seeing him finish what was in the bowl
* To start, I made the cereal very liquidy and as he got used to eating I made it thicker and thicker
* I originally bought Gerber but he seemed to hate it, then I switched to Heinz (with water) and he seemed to really like it

Introducing Veggies:

-          I would continue as before with the cereals at breakfast and dinner and at lunch I started giving him a tablespoon or two of pureed veggies (started with carrots, then green beans, then squash, then wax beans, then sweet potato and lastly peas) for 3 days each

Note:
* After he tried one of the veggies for three days and there was no allergic reaction, I would then mix in that veggie into the cereal at dinner time ie. Once he was done trying carrots, I would add carrots into his cereal at dinner while giving him green beans for lunch. Once he was done trying green beans, I mixed it in with his cereal at dinner while giving him squash for lunch and so on and so forth. I found this really helped with changing up the taste for him

Introducing Fruit:

-          I would continue as before with the cereals at breakfast and dinner (and giving veggies mixed in with the cereal at dinner) and at lunch I introduced the fruits (I started with apple sauce, then apricots, then pears, peach, blueberry, strawberry etc) for 3 days each

Note:
* After he tried one of the fruits for three days and there was no reaction, I would then mix the fruit into the cereal at breakfast time ie. Once he was done trying apple sauce, I would add the apple sauce into his cereal in the morning while giving him apricots for lunch and so on and so forth
* I continued to give the veggies he previously tried at lunch before giving the fruit so they don’t lose the taste of the veggie and reject it when you are done all the fruits (as fruits are obviously way yummier than veggies)
* Some doctors say to introduce meats before fruits, I however decided to do fruit first
Introducing Meats:

-          I would continue as before with the cereals at breakfast and dinner mixed with fruits in the morning and veggies at dinner and try chicken, turkey and lamb at lunch. Frankie hated this stuff (probably because I made it and I am the worst cook) so we didn’t last very long but here is a small tip: if you are making your meat, boil or steam sweet potato, carrots and squash together with the meat and then blend.

ALL NOTES:
* Once he/she has tried everything, I then tried yogurt which of course he loved
* You basically want to get him/her on the same eating regime as yourself (cereal and fruit for breakfast, veggies for lunch and a protein with veggie for dinner with a little fruit for dessert). Sometimes I give yogurt for lunch or dinner
* I stuck with this routine for quite a while and rotating the veggie and fruit every day so he didn’t get sick of the flavor

Table Food
* Once he was able to eat those star puffs without gagging, I started giving him small pieces of bread to try every day (try to give him/her a very soft finger food every day so he/she gets used to gumming it)
* Then I scrambled an egg with butter and started giving him that
* Then I started to try small pieces of watermelon, peach, plum, raspberries, soft cheese ie. cottage cheese (anything really that was super soft)
* Once he/she gets good at chewing, then I start giving him pieces of whatever I was eating ie. grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese, pizza, meat lasagna, veggies in tomato sauce … really anything that wasn’t on the ‘NO’ list and he couldn’t choke on.

Here is a sequence of pictures of Frankie trying food for the first time - I still laugh remembering this moment

Good luck

T.
xo

The Perfect Gift for A Close Friend

We all have been searching for the perfect gift for our close friends that isn't a toy which will get lost with all the others or a piece of clothing that he/she will grow out of in 5 minutes ... well I found it!!!
A friend of mine had a baby girl (after having two boys prior) and I wanted to get her a special gift. I honestly could not think of anything to get her that she wouldnt be getting from a million other people.

I overheard a conversation about custom memory boards and instantly was intrigued. I was sent some pictures of the product and I fell inlove! I mentioned that I wanted a lavendar board as that was the colour of the baby's room and she showed me a bunch of fabrics, ribbon and buttons I could choose from. Immediately after I gave my girlfriend the board, she called me to tell me how much she truly loved the gift and how unique it was (I even had her daughters initials put on it). For those who are having boys, she can pick fabrics that are sports related - see pic below

I also realized that these make a very nice house warming gift. I had one made for myself for my kitchen as I would always put invitations, grocery lists, pictures and my emergency list of contact phone numbers in a drawer hoping that I would remember they were in there. I was in desperate need of putting them out on he counter so I would remember and no taping them to the wall did not work! Below is a picture of the one I had made.

Company: Sugaree
Contact: Riva Turner
Email: riva.sugaree@gmail.com

T.
xo

Relief at Last!

Ahhh the fun of having a teething child.

I cant even begin to explain how many teethers I have tried after Frankie cut his first tooth! I have spent countless hours researching the best products out there, tried them and it seemed that either Frankie didnt like any of them or they didnt provide any relief. I then had one of those "Aha!" moments.

When I started Frankie on solids, I bought one of those feeding nets so that Frankie could try different foods that he wasnt allowed eating whole, so I thought why not put a small ice cube in the net and let him suck on it, BEST IDEA EVER! I must have refilled the net 4 times, he was lovin it and best of all his hands werent freezing holding it like all the other ones you put in the freezer. Just one hint if you decide to try it: use a bib, it gets very messy

Relief at last!
T.
xo