Parenting Children

Bed time is a interesting time in this household. I really can’t complain too much my kids actually are good sleepers, besides my son nicknamed, The Rooster, waking up at the crack of dawn every day. Of course we have our bedtime rituals: brushing our teeth, singing a song and don’t forget to leave a closet light on! Out of the blue one day when my twins were three, they decided they were scared of the dark and needed the closet light on all night every night. The lights were too bright and it was terrible for my electric bill. Enter the MOBI portable rechargeable tykelight.

The tykelight is not a traditional night light, it has long lasting rechargeable batteries and a kid-friendly design. This lightweight, adorable light is perfect for my children. They can put it on their bed, or on their dresser at night. They use it in their tents during the day and they can carry it down the hallway to the bathroom in the night.
It comes in six fun colors and is the newest hit in my house! I love it because it illuminates up to 10 hours on a single charge! Choose from the bright or dim setting, depending on how much light your child will need.
It is also made from impact resistant plastic, so I know it is safe for my kids to handle.

I love the tykelight as much as my children. I think it will be great for camping trips and sleeping over grandma’s house. I have to admit I have been using the tykelight to nurse in the night, it is the perfect amount of light. At only $19.94, I also think it is our new “go to gift” for upcoming birthdays.

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When it came to getting maternity or nursing bras, I was clueless. When do I buy them, when I am pregnant or after my milk comes in? What size do I get? As my belly expanded, I decided I needed to find some new bras stat, plus I wanted some nursing bras ready for when I gave birth. Today I am going to help you out with all of your pregnancy/post partum bra needs!

Most women will need 3-4 nursing bras. Many woman have increased breast size during pregnancy so you will need bras in a larger size then you normally wear. I have three nursing bras and two sports/tank nursing bras that I wear at night. You should buy them when you no longer fit into your regular bras, which for most women is during the last trimester.
Remember that underwire may interfere with your milk ducts so it is best not to wear an underwire nursing bra at least for the first few days after your milk comes in.

Most women will experience increased breast size during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The size change will vary from woman to woman, but generally it will increase at least one bra and one cup size. If you would like to measure yourself at home before going shopping, measure around the chest, just under the arms, above the bust. This measurement is your bra band size. Then measure snugly around the fullest point of the bust, then below the breasts, the difference between the two equals your cup size. If the difference is 1″ then your cup size is A, 2″ is B, 3″ is C and so on.

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I am usually not a fan of children’s music. I don’t want to hear the Doodlebops sing kid songs or Elmo sing nursery rhymes. Our kids love music and want to hear the same songs or CD over and over again. It is torturous to listen to, so most of the time our children listen to what we like. I was curious to try the That Baby CD and That Baby DVD because I wanted to see if it was better then “traditional” children’s music.
It SO is.

That Baby DVD and That Baby CD are acoustic cover songs of popular artists like Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac, Paul Simon and The Beatles. I love acoustic music and this does not disappoint. Don’t believe me? Check out samples of the songs on their website. My children were delighted to hear their favorite song “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley. This CD is on constant rotation in our car! I admit that I have even listend to it without the kids.

The DVD got my children up and dancing. OK, so I was dancing too.
My kids love to dance and seeing the kids on the DVD bust a move, inspired my kids to really get down! It really is a very cute DVD.
Check them both out today and Enter the coupon code “MotherTalk” when purchasing and save 20% on your entire order!
From now until May 18th, all orders using the coupon code “MotherTalk” will be entered in a drawing to win a new iPod nano.

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I am looking into buying my kids new movies because I want to occupy their time once the baby comes home. I don’t normally let them watch more then two 25 minute shows or one movie a day, but these aren’t normal circumstances. We will be bringing a new baby home in eight days unless this baby wants to come sooner (please baby come sooner!) and their routines will be messed up along with their lives. I think some new movies will be in order and maybe even new ones from the Easter bunny.
Here are some new releases that maybe your child would enjoy:

The biggest one is 101 Dalmatians: Platinum Edition. It’s been re-released from the Disney vault as a double disc with improved colors and sounds from the original feature. It has a bunch of bonus features added, including a virtual dalmatian game for kids.

Little Einsteins: Race for Space - My kids love the little Einsteins and so will yours!

Thomas and Friends Engines and Escapades, perfect for any Thomas fan and only $9.99.

Handy Manny: Fixing it Right - Cheer on Manny and his tools as Rusty heroically overcomes his fear of heights to repair a jungle gym

Enchanted is a movie that will be released on March 18th. It goes from animated to non animated through the movie. On Amazon it is selling for $15.99 as a pre-release price.

I know I will be renting some movies for my husband because I don’t know the next time we will get out of the house.
What are the new movies you or your kids are waiting to come out on video?

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I have so many favorite things to share with you today, the last day of February. I love looking all over the web and in stores for the cutest and coolest things for moms, and children. I also love supporting mom owned businesses and try to promote my favorites whenever I can.
Here are some great things that have caught my eye in the past few weeks:

I love everything sock monkey. Target has had a lot of sock monkey products lately from slippers to sheets. If you want to make your own, here is a good rainy day activity for you and your kids, make your own sock monkey kit.

I have always loved anything with my name on it, but who doesn’t? This site is closed for maternity leave right now, but it has everything personalized for baby from diaper covers to bibs and headbands. I can’t wait for her to get back because I need to get my daughter a personalized headband of her own!

Practice Spanish with these cute dominoes. These are English/Spanish dominoes and for $6.50 are a steal because they are well made and so cute!

Every little one needs a pair of converse sneakers!

Check out my latest reviews on the ultimate receiving blanket

Eco-friendly baby gear

A blanket that is easy to carry and so soft you will want your own!

Great burp cloths and

This amazing pregnancy planner I cannot live without!

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My twins will be five next month, just old enough to have definite ideas about what they want for Christmas. Don’t get me wrong, they have always had “favorite” items on their lists like a Little Einstein movie they had seen or a Dora doll. This year they have been preparing their lists for weeks. I introduced them to all the great Christmas movies from my childhood, Rudolph, the Grinch and Frosty. All of which were on regular television, which they are not used to watching. Anything they watch I Tivo and it is from Noggin or Nick Jr where there are no commercials. With these classic movies came the introduction to commercials for everything they don’t need but have to have.

Two weeks ago my daughter started asking for High School Musical 2 DVD. I have no idea what this movie is about, I have only heard of it in passing. I told my daughter this movie was for older kids and that she could get it when she was older.
That was not the answer she wanted to hear.

So for days now, she tells me “I know I am going to get High School Musical!” and ” I know Santa is bringing me High School Musical”. So what do I do? My fear is she will open all of her gifts and wonder where this one DVD is, the one thing she wanted. On the other hand is this movie for older kids and if so should I stick to my guns and not get it for her?

What happens when your child really wants a gun and you do not approve of them? What about when your daughter wants a Bratz doll or makeup and you think those are not great gifts for children?
What do you do when your kids ask for gifts that are not age appropriate?

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We love books in our house, I have so many I have no place to contain them all anymore. My kids have lots of books too but I don’t mind. I would rather buy them books then toys. My kids also love going to story time at our local library and our Pottery Barn Kids and it gets us out of the house.
I have compiled a list of books for your kids of all ages and their parents to enjoy during this holiday season. If you have already finished your Christmas shopping, or don’t need any more books in your house, then take them out from the library for your whole family to enjoy.

We Three Kings. Buy this book for the illustrations alone! First written in 1857, We Three Kings is one of the best Christmas carols as it tells of the wise men’s journey to visit the manger in Bethlehem.

The Christmas Story. This is the story of Christ’s birth from the bible. Again, this book has beautiful illustrations.

Olive the Other Reindeer. It really is a cute story complete with pop ups, pull tabs and scratch and sniff.

A Wish to Be a Christmas Tree. From Amazon “Feeling sad because no one chooses it as a Christmas tree, a bedraggled forest pine discovers the importance of being appreciated all year long.” A great story for kids to hear.

The Tale of The Firebird
This book is based on three popular Russian fairy tales. The artwork is stunning. This book is great for preschoolers to adults.

What are your family’s favorite Christmas or holiday books?

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I have had many emails asking me how can parents know if their child’s toys are safe, so I decided to write some tips you can look for when you are buying toys. Chances are if you have older kids, their hand-me-down toys are not all safe. Since babies and young children put everything in their mouths, you may want to replace your toys. You can check on the manufacturer’s web site to see if they were recalled. This web site also has a list of recently recalled toys you can check out.

The paint on your child’s toys probably have volatile organic compounds (VOC). Check for toys that have water-based paint with low VOC or ones with no VOC paints. They will say so on the box!
Cheap plastic toys are cheap for a reason, they are almost always made with PVC (polyvinyl chloride). Sippy cups, teethers and baby dolls are almost always made with this material. PVC contains phthalates which has been linked to cancer and hormonal problems. Look for PVC free toys.

Try wooden toys. Not only are blocks and building systems fun for kids of all ages, if you buy non treated wood, it is safe for your children to put in their mouth (watch out for splinters!). These toys can be more expensive but try buying them on Ebay or craiglist, or find a relative or friend that has older kids and would be willing to give you their old toys.

You can always check out this website for more information on being green in your home.

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Part one was safe gift ideas for girls, and now we have some boy themed ideas. All of these are safe toys that are lead free and most are made in the USA.

Have a train lover on your hands? Why not take a stroll down memory lane and get these trolleys you may remember from Mister Roger’s Neighborhood. They can also be personalized!

If you have someone at home that loves to build or loves blocks this log cabin set would be perfect. When built, this 120 piece Woodlinks set is large enough to play with your toy animals or farm gear.

My son loves all superheroes but Spiderman is his favorite. Here is a Spiderman game for kids seven and up. Battle between good and evil!

This is a starter remote control dinosaur for your dino lovers three and up. Just press the button and talk into the remote to hear your T-Rex speak, or use the controls to make T-Rex spin and move. This is a must have for $19.99!

Do you need decorating ideas for your boy’s room? This is a racetrack for any age to enjoy. It comes with toy cars to race on it. Play with your toy cars on it or just build a room theme, this is so original.

Have you heard of Zome toys? Make buildings or spheres as big as your imagination. I think I would love these.

We got this marshmallow shooter for our 12 year old nephew for his birthday and he loved it. It shoots over 30 feet, is safe but should still be used outdoors. It holds up to 20 marshmallows for rapid fire shooting. I have to say it was hard to pry away from my big kid (my husband). It is reasonably priced at $23.00.

What are your favorite picks for the boys on your holiday list this year?

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I don’t know any parents or grandparents that are not concerned about toy safety this holiday season. It is on all of our minds and with over 80% of our toys being made in China, I can see why. You have to be careful of small parts, age requirements, lead paint and now GHB in our toys? During the month of December I will be reviewing and bring your ideas for kids this holiday season that are safe for both kids and babies.
Today I have ideas for the girls on your list.

My daughter loves watching me get ready for the day. She is fascinated with everything on my vanity and loves everything girly. Why not this wooden makeup playset for the little diva on your list? Made in Germany, this set includes a comb, 1 spray, 1 mirror, 1 lipstick, 1 roll-on deodorant, 1 hair dryer and 6 hair-curlers.

Little girls would love these Mary Jane rain boots. Perfect for slush, rain or a sunny day, these are adorable and affordable at $27.00.

A pram for your little one will be her best gift. It has rubber wheels, removable blue flowered fluffy cushions, blanket and a adjustable handle to grow with your child. This is pricey at $144.00 but can be a family heirloom.

I also recommend books for older girls, games for school age children and there is always stories on cds for kids.

Coming soon, safe gifts for boys this season!

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When I came across The Dangerous Book for Boys I loved it but I wondered what happened to the girl’s book? Well Andi Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz have taken care of that, they wrote The Daring Book for Girls a companion book of sorts to the Dangerous Book for Boys.

When I first received this book I was taken by how nice looking it was, with a old fashion feel and look to it. It was gorgeous. As I read the book I became more in love, and the memories of my own childhood flooded back. Memories that maybe would have been lost, came right back to me and I wanted to share them with my daughter. Things every child of any age or adult should know how to do, like how to make a tree swing, the names of women inventors and how to build a campfire fill the pages. It is 278 pages filled with interesting facts, how tos and fun.

This book is not just for the tomboy, it has girly things to learn like how to press flowers and what games to play at a slumber party. It comes along with practical uses for the future like how to negotiate a salary and how to change a tire. I really wish I had this book when I was younger but I am glad my daughter has it so she and my son can have old fashioned, everyday fun.

With the holidays right around the corner, I think I just found my new go to item for all the girls on my list!

< em>Remember, today is the last day to enter my contest for one of two Christmas lullabye cds!

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It is coming up on that holiday season and with so many toy and baby gear recalls I am really at a loss when it comes to gifts for my kids. Of course everything on their list is made in China and I am sure will come up as poisonous to kids in a couple of months. This season I am looking to buy more arts and crafts stuff for my kids and the one thing I will never complain about buying them: books. I love books and have since I was a child, I hope I am passing that down to my children. here are three books I reviewed that is perfect this holiday season:

Olive the Other Reindeer Deluxe Edition (ages 4-8 $13.99) This tenth anniversary edition of Olive and her big reindeer dreams is my new favorite Christmas book. It is beautifully illustrated with lift the flaps, scratch and sniff and pop ups. It is so lovely and my children and I have read it at least 3 times a day since we received it!

The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Junior Edition (ages 9-12 $9.99) Help a tween out with this book! It offers kid friendly step by step instructions on things like how to ace a spelling test without spell check, how to survive a school dance and how to survive being grounded. This book made me laugh and I wish I had this when I was a tween. This is my new go to book for my nieces and nephews!

Squiggles, A Really Giant Coloring Book (all ages $12.89) This was on my wish list for awhile before I actually received it. I originally wanted it for me but ended up giving it to my kids (I’ll have to get another for myself). Fun illustrations that are not finished allow the artist to finish the picture using their imagination. Color, paint or draw the colors won’t bleed through these thick pages. Keep the book and you have a keepsake of your child’s (or your) artwork forever. If you like this book (you will!) they have others to chose from.

What books do you like for kids this holiday season?

Don’t forget to enter my contest for a Christmas cd!

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Any parent knows that kids songs, are usually just for kids. I know I want to poke my ears out hearing “Cinderella” sing some day my prince will come or some high pitched kid singing pop goes the weasel, over and over again. The same goes for lullabies.
We would play classical piano music instead of traditional lullabies for our kids, because if we had to listen to it, we at least wanted to enjoy it! I guess you can say we are music snobs, but how much can you take?

Rockabye Baby! saved our day. Rockabye Baby is not traditional lullabies, but rock classics that YOU love that are transformed into beautiful instrumental lullabies. Everyone from The Rolling Stones to Metallica to Coldplay are reconstructed into lullabies using instruments like the glockenspiel, vibraphone, mellotron, harp and bells.
Yeah, I don’t know what they are either, but it sounds amazing.

The kind people of Rockabye Baby sent us a few CDs to check out and we were instantly in love. My husband sings Pink Floyd songs to our kids every night, and he loved the Pink Floyd cd more then my kids did. I even caught him bringing it in his car to listen to while at work.
The Nirvana cd turned all of my favorite Nirvana songs into music for little ears. They are beautiful, calming music that would be perfect for any baby and the parents that love them.

Do you want one of these cds for your very own? You are in luck, I have two Baby Rock Christmas cds to give away. Filled with rock classics like 2000 Miles and Do They Know It’s Christmas? I am sure you will love it so much you won’t just listen to it at Christmas time.
To enter to win one of these cds simply leave me a comment on this post!
Deadline for this contest is midnight November 23. Good Luck!

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Now that I am pregnant again I scrambled to find my maternity clothes. Most of my clothes are still way to big for me to fit in and I have a lot of work clothes, because at night I would just put on some comfy pajamas. I tried the rubber band around the button trick for my pre-pregnancy pants and I still fit into many of my shirts. The problem is now that I am showing faster then when I was pregnant the first time, some of my regular shirts are too short in the front because of my ever expanding belly.

Blush has taken care of that problem. Blush has topless undershirts to save your belly and your pocketbook. These undershirts add a layered look to any shirt you have without the extra bulk. They come in fourteen different colors or patterns and are $15.00 each. Less the what a maternity tee will cost you. These will also help on those days where you cannot button your pre-pregnancy jeans but are not ready for maternity jeans yet. Nobody will know your buttons are open with this layered look.

I also love the idea of wearing this undershirt while nursing. No more cold air on your belly and back or exposing yourself any more then you have to.

I am ordering mine today! Best yet, Blush has given a 20% off coupon to all parentingourchildren.com readers! Use coupon code: justfortheladies and remember this coupon is good for one month. Go ahead order one for yourself, as a shower gift or for anyone (they have non maternity undershirts too!).

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We ordered Chinese food the other night for the family. My kids wanted to use chopsticks for the first time. I wasn’t excited to show them how to use them because I knew it was difficult and it would frustrate them.

Yesterday I came across these chopstick kids. They attach to the supplied melamine chopsticks or your own chopsticks. They help small fingers maneuver the chopsticks and keep them in line. They are soft, washable and food safe. At $6.00 each for the boy or girl kid, it is not for the occasional Chinese food eater, or maybe it is.

It is a cute idea either way and anything that helps my kids not get frustrated and cry at the dinner table, is worth it for me.

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