Ricky Zoom and His Friends Make Chores FUN!

This post was sponsored by eOne but all opinions, as always, are my own.

Just in time for National Clean Your Room Day, on May 10th, which also happens to be Mother’s Day, get your kids to start helping out around the house with a smile on their face thanks to Ricky Zoom’s chore chart!

If you haven’t heard of Ricky Zoom, then you can thank me after your kids fall in love with the show and start learning about teamwork, responsibility, friendship, community and helping others – all the core elements of Ricky Zoom! You can watch Ricky Zoom on Nick Jr - http://www.nickjr.com/ricky-zoom/ and catch all-new episodes May 18 to May 29th, from Monday to Friday at 5pm.

The Ricky Zoom chore chart is much different than the ones we’ve seen in the past. For starters, you can print it out at home and customize it or you can use one of their pre-colored ones. Because they’re easy to print and double as an arts & crafts activity, we printed a few and put them all over our home. In the basement, for example, we put up a Ricky Zoom chore chart that included: Put away your cars, turn off your iPad and wash your hands. In Zane’s room we have: make your bed, brush your teeth and put away your books.

Click here to download the Ricky Zoom chore chart!

The Ricky Zoom chore chart comes with some chore recommendations but also comes with blank tags so you can write in your own. We’re trying to teach our older son, Zane, to share with his younger brother so although “sharing” isn’t really a chore, we put it on the chart to remind him that it’s important and to encourage him to do it. My son is 3 years old and extremely motivated by reward, so we’ve found that having this chore chart has really made him enjoy helping out! He loves feeling grown up, he loves the praise that we give him when he’s completed a chore and he loves sticking the lightening bolts on the chart when he’s completed a chore!

For kids that are a little older, you can use the blank tags as a way to encourage them to make the decision about what chores they’ll do every week. And because it’s a printable, you can switch up the chores too every once and a while to keep things exciting!

I love Ricky Zoom for my kids because the show teaches him such important life lessons and values and with my son being out of school until at least September, I want to make sure he doesn’t forget all the valuable lessons that he’s learned at school about playing and sharing with others. Because of Ricky Zoom’s chore chart, my son feels like one of his bike buddies every time he finishes a chore and so it’s helped make the average boring chore (such a putting away his sippy cup) super exciting! Ricky Zoom offers so many amazing fun activities for your kids on their site such as toys, apps and free printables! Head to Rickyzoom.com to check them all out. 

The Baby Food Maker That Can Do It All!

Finding baby items that simplify a mama’s life are like finding gold and I always have my eyes open for them. I was so excited to try the Baby Brezza Food Maker Complete, available at Elfe Juvenile Products. They’re having a site-wide sale until April 17th and you can get the Baby Brezza Food Maker Complete for 15% off! the It’s everything you need to make baby food in minutes! But it doesn’t stop there. You can make soups, smoothies (for the kids or yourself) and even steam veggies! It’s so practical and so easy to use! You can steam, blend or do both! There’s an easy to use digital display and my favorite part, is that it’s not complicated to clean.

I wasn’t sure how easy it would be to use, so I started off simple: Applesauce. You cube 2 medium apples, add them to the Baby Brezza Food Maker Complete, select the steam/blend setting, set the timer for 15 minutes and then wait!

Is it possible that this magical machine has made baby food making fun? Unlike the other baby food makers I’ve tried, you don’t need to measure out how much water you add to the machine because of the timer. You also don’t have a ton of parts. The other machines I’ve tried have blades, steamer baskets, lids, tongs and the list goes on. By the time you’ve made the food, you have a sink full of dirty items. The Baby Brezza Food Maker Complete has a detachable blade, a lid and the main container. That’s it! 3 parts to clean.

It also comes with 3 reusable feeding and storage pouches and 3 funnels to help get the baby food in the pouches! This is another thing that the competitors don’t offer. The funnels are game changers! The reusable food pouches are so practical when you’re on the go but if you have a smaller baby who eats less, you can also store the food in ice cube trays and then defrost only what you need to feed them that meal!

The Baby Brezza Food Maker Complete is such a game changer for moms, and with 15% off until April 17th at Elfe Juvenile Products, there has never been a better time to buy one! I’ve included a few of my favourite recipes from the Baby Brezza Website! Let me know if you’ve tried any of them or if you have another one that I should make!

Cherry Banana Quinoa

Ingredients:

½ cup of cooked quinoa

½ banana

1 cup of cherries, washed with pits removed and cut in half

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of your baby food maker. Blend until smooth and serve.

Minty Pea Puree

Ingredients:

2 cups of sweet peas (fresh or frozen)

1 sprig of mint

Veggie broth, breast milk, or formula – if needed

Directions:

Combine the peas and mint into the bowl of your baby food maker. Set to steam & blend for 20 minutes, then let the machine automatically blend it into a super smooth puree.

If the texture is too thick, you can add broth, breast milk, or formula to achieve a thinner consistency.

Carrot Ginger Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb carrots, sliced
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
1 to 2 tbsp fresh grated ginger (start with 1tbsp and increase to taste)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup whole milk or light cream
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Heat the oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

2. Add the onions and cook until tender and translucent.

3. Add carrots and ginger to the pan and stir.

4. Pour in 1 cup of chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Then, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

5. Add the remaining 1 cup of broth, and simmer an additional 10 minutes. Then, remove cover and bring to a boil.

6. Remove from heat and blend with One Step Baby Food Maker.

7. Before serving, add milk and stir, then add parsley.

Very Veggie: Baby Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:

1 cup green beans, steamed

1 cup cooked brown rice

½ cup of water, formula, or milk

¼ tsp dried sage

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in One Step Baby Food Maker, food processor bowl, or blender.

2. Puree and serve.

Recipe Note: For babies just transitioning to solid foods, be sure to strain out any stringy green bean remnants.

The Sleep Program You've Been Searching For!

Parenting doesn’t come with a manual, but thankfully getting your baby to sleep now does! I shared a few weeks ago that my son, Boston, had decided he no longer needed sleep, which ultimately meant that no one in our home was sleeping! I turned to Little Ones, an online tool that offers incredible sleep programs to help parents learn how to get their baby and toddlers sleep schedules back on track! After 3 weeks of using the program, Boston is back to napping twice a day and is sleeping through the entire night! From 6pm - 7am.

Use code: TOVAH for 15% off!

What I love about their programs is that they adapt to you. They’re not super rigid and don’t make you turn your life around in order to get your kids to sleep, but they do give you all the tools necessary to ensure success. There are sleep programs for every stage of your baby’s life - from Birth Sleep to Toddler Sleep so I’ll be able to keep turning to Little Ones for help as my son grows up! For the first time ever, getting your baby or toddler to sleep doesn’t need to be stressful or hard.

There were 3 features of the program that definitely stood out! The first was the detailed information that they provide you about sleep and your baby. They give you all the info to not only know what to expect, but also to understand your baby’s behavior. They prepare you for regressions, sicknesses, when to stop swaddling, early wakings (and the list goes on). You know what’s coming so you’re never surprised and you’re able to stay on track.

The second feature that I loved was the easy to follow sleeping and feeding schedules. Little Ones helps you succeed from the get go by giving you all the tools to plan your day so that you know when your baby should sleep and eat, and they even adjust it for you as your baby grows! They also understand that you have a life and won’t always be home to adhere to such a strict schedule so they also give you tools for the days when a schedule just doesn’t work.

Click here to learn more and use code TOVAH for 15% off!

The final feature that really stood out to me were their settling and self-settling methods to help you transition your baby to sleeping alone when you decide the time is right. They give you choices and options for methods so it’s not a “one size fits all approach”. You really are able to choose what makes you most comfortable. In my experience, sleep training methods generally tell you what do you, and rarely give you options which can leave some parents struggling and feeling guilty if the method doesn’t align with what they’re comfortable with. This program gives you choices and then solutions. So whether you want to rock your baby to sleep or whether you want to put them down in their crib and leave the room, the choice is always yours and it won’t affect your success with their program.

Little Ones goes ever further than what I’ve described so far and covers EVERY topic you can think of: reflux, having multiple kids, baby’s being under vs. over tired, pacifiers, naps, morning feeds, sickness, sleep regressions, and the list goes on. If there’s something you’re experiencing, they have a section in their program to help you. This is by far, the most detailed, insightful and all encompassing approach I’ve ever tried.

The most unique aspect of their programs, however, is their support groups. They say it takes a village and Little Ones give you just that - the Little One™ Village. When you use any of their programs, you get access to support from thousands of other families all over the world and they’re there to help you through those tough days of being a parent. You also get access to their certified sleep consultants that can help you through any step of your sleep journey! So whether you have a baby that doesn’t like to nap or a sleep boycotting baby like my son was, I can’t say enough good things about the Little Ones Sleep Programs!

Click here to learn more and don’t forget to use code TOVAH for 15% off!

Gifting STEM Toys This Holiday Season (Copy)

This year I’m making a conscious effort to gift smart! You might be wondering what I’m talking about. I recently discovered the world of STEM toys and was a bit disappointed that I hadn’t learned about them before. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math but STEM toys focus on so much more. Although they look just as fun as regular toys, they’re actually tools that help kids develop their abilities while they have fun and learn. STEM toys generally consist of board games, building blocks and science kits and are available for children as young as toddlers all the way to teens!

We tried out and are sharing 3 STEM toys that can all be found in the GIFT WHIZ tool that was created by Learning Resources and we loved the toys so much that we’ll be using it to make informed and personalized choices for gifts for all the kids on my holiday shopping list this season!

Click here to check out the GIFT WHIZ.

Counting Surprise Party

This toy is the gift that keeps giving! Your little ones will be thrilled to discover presents that are filled with surprises! This gift will help them learn their colors, to count and to identify objects such as robots, cats, guitars and even a plane! It’s priced at under $20 so it’s the perfect gift for any 3 year old on your list!

Click here to check out the Counting Surprise Party

Hoot the Fine Motor Owl

Hoot the Fine Motor Owl helps your kids strengthen hand-eye coordination as well as an introduction to colors, shapes and number recognition skills. Your children will drop the coins in a slot on the owl’s head and use scissor skills to flap the wings and the coins come tumbling out!

Click here to check out Hoot the Fine Motor Owl.

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1-2-3 Build It!™ Construction Crew

There are 3 different ways your little engineers can put this toy together! They can build a digger, a dump truck and a bulldozer with easy and big snap together pieces. This toy helps to develop and strengthen fine motor skills, hand strength, coordination and other skills that help prepare them for preschool! Your kids imaginations will run wild while they learn and have fun playing with the 1-2-3 Build It! Construction Crew.

Click here to check out the 1-2-3 Build It! Construction Crew.

The GIFT WHIZ will guide you and help you choose the best gift for the children in your life! It takes all the guesswork out of holiday shopping! Click here to check out the GIFT WHIZ by Learning Resources.

Gifting STEM Toys This Holiday Season

This year I’m making a conscious effort to gift smart! You might be wondering what I’m talking about. I recently discovered the world of STEM toys and was a bit disappointed that I hadn’t learned about them before. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math but STEM toys focus on so much more. Although they look just as fun as regular toys, they’re actually tools that help kids develop their abilities while they have fun and learn. STEM toys generally consist of board games, building blocks and science kits and are available for children as young as toddlers all the way to teens!

We tried out and are sharing 3 STEM toys that can all be found in the GIFT WHIZ tool that was created by Learning Resources and we loved the toys so much that we’ll be using it to make informed and personalized choices for gifts for all the kids on my holiday shopping list this season!

Click here to check out the GIFT WHIZ.

Counting Surprise Party

This toy is the gift that keeps giving! Your little ones will be thrilled to discover presents that are filled with surprises! This gift will help them learn their colors, to count and to identify objects such as robots, cats, guitars and even a plane! It’s priced at under $20 so it’s the perfect gift for any 3 year old on your list!

Click here to check out the Counting Surprise Party

Hoot the Fine Motor Owl

Hoot the Fine Motor Owl helps your kids strengthen hand-eye coordination as well as an introduction to colors, shapes and number recognition skills. Your children will drop the coins in a slot on the owl’s head and use scissor skills to flap the wings and the coins come tumbling out!

Click here to check out Hoot the Fine Motor Owl.

---

1-2-3 Build It!™ Construction Crew

There are 3 different ways your little engineers can put this toy together! They can build a digger, a dump truck and a bulldozer with easy and big snap together pieces. This toy helps to develop and strengthen fine motor skills, hand strength, coordination and other skills that help prepare them for preschool! Your kids imaginations will run wild while they learn and have fun playing with the 1-2-3 Build It! Construction Crew.

Click here to check out the 1-2-3 Build It! Construction Crew.

The GIFT WHIZ will guide you and help you choose the best gift for the children in your life! It takes all the guesswork out of holiday shopping! Click here to check out the GIFT WHIZ by Learning Resources.

3 Essentials for the New Mama in Your Life

The holidays are the perfect time to spoil a new mama in your life! Chances are, high up on her wish list are items that will make her day-to-day life easier and more enjoyable now that she has a newborn! I’ve rounded up 3 items from one of my favorite companies: Boppy. Their products have helped me through 2 pregnancies and through 2 babies so I know that any new mom (or expecting mom) will be so thankful to receive one of them.

Boppy® Newborn Lounger

Recommended for babies from newborn to 16lbs, this lounger is the perfect gift for any new mom. It’s the only baby support pillow uniquely designed with a recessed interior perfect for your baby’s bottom, which means a new mama can set her baby down for supervised awake time and baby will be comfy and happy. It’s lightweight and easy to carry around so it can go where you go, making it a MUST HAVE for the holidays when you’ll likely be at friend’s and family’s houses with no crib in sight! It’s soft, machine washable and comes in 6 beautiful patterns to match any nursery and home decor! Click here to shop and learn more!

Boppy® Luxe Feeding & Infant Support Pillow

The Boppy® Luxe Feeding and Infant Support Pillow is a multifunctional lifesaver for new parents! It’s one of the items that I wonder sometimes how I ever survived without! It helps to lift babies to a more ergonomic position for breastfeeding and bottle feedings, making for a happier baby and mama! It also transitions as a support pillow for your baby to practice tummy time, neck control and sitting! The cover is removable and washable and you can buy different covers separately. Many of the nursing pillows I’ve tried are awkwardly shaped and don’t double as a support pillow for tummy time or sitting, which is why this one is at the top of my list! It’s so comfy, the patterns and colors are perfect for any nursery (check out the colors and patterns below) and it has a super soft velvet side that your baby will just love! Click here to shop and learn more!

ComfyFit® Baby Carrier

Nothing is more liberating as a new mom than having both your hands free! It used to be a rare occasion until the ComfyFit® Baby Carrier came along! Inspired by comfy yoga wear, the fabric is breathable, lightweight and so soft! It moves with you and your baby, so they won’t mind being carried in it all morning while you do your makeup, drink a warm cup of coffee and even prepare food! It’s easy to use and your baby can go forward facing or rear facing so it can be used long past the newborn days. It also has an adjustable waist and is machine washable. It’s everything you want in a baby carrier for a price that’s too good to beat! Click here to shop and learn more!

The Only Stroller Travel System You Need!

What if I told you that there was a stroller travel system that had kids and adults alike in mind in its design? I know! I couldn’t believe it either. Until I got my hands on the Tango™ Travel System by Baby Trend. This travel system has so many amazing features and checks off every box when it comes to practicality, design, ease of use and, best of all, price. I’m going to walk you through a few of my favorite features that make it stand out among its competition!

For starters, it’s a travel system so it comes with a stroller and an Ally™ Infant Car Seat and Base, which for the price, you can’t beat. These 2 items together mean that you’re equipped from the second your baby is born to travel (even if it’s only to the grocery store) and the stroller will grow with your child until they’re 50lbs! The Ally™ Infant Car Seat Base is equipped with a LATCH system, making it an absolute breeze to install and to remove. It has incredible safety features, such as EPS energy-absorbing foam for superior side impact head protection and a 5-point safety harness (that can easily be adjusted and released). With mamas in mind, it has a one-hand easy-access seat release, an adjustable canopy and a height adjustable base so that it easily accommodates any car.

Now let’s get to the stroller! It has an amazing one-hand fold making it perfect for multitasking parents! I don’t remember the last time I had 2 hands free to close a stroller! With the pull of a strap, it easily snaps closed. It’s lightweight, has a super smooth ride and has an amazing over-sized canopy with UPF 50+ making it the ultimate travel companion for zoo visits, park days and beach trips!

Tango™ Travel System by Baby Trend has a fully reclinable seat, so no more missed naps and it comes with a durable and practical snack tray with a cup holder for your mini! Don’t worry, they didn’t forget us parents! It also comes with a cell phone holder and 2 large cup holders so you can bring your coffee or water wherever you go. The large storage basket can be accessed from the front and rear of the stroller making it the perfect shopping companion because there’s room to store all your purchases.

Of all the strollers I’ve had the opportunity to try out, this one is in a league of it’s own. The price, quality and intuitive design and accessories make it a must for all new and seasoned parents alike!

Click here to head to the Baby Trend site to read more about this amazing travel system!

The Only Stroller Travel System You Need!

What if I told you that there was a stroller travel system that had kids and adults alike in mind in its design? I know! I couldn’t believe it either. Until I got my hands on the Tango™ Travel System by Baby Trend. This travel system has so many amazing features and checks off every box when it comes to practicality, design, ease of use and, best of all, price. I’m going to walk you through a few of my favorite features that make it stand out among its competition!

For starters, it’s a travel system so it comes with a stroller and an Ally™ Infant Car Seat and Base, which for the price, you can’t beat. These 2 items together mean that you’re equipped from the second your baby is born to travel (even if it’s only to the grocery store) and the stroller will grow with your child until they’re 50lbs! The Ally™ Infant Car Seat Base is equipped with a LATCH system, making it an absolute breeze to install and to remove. It has incredible safety features, such as EPS energy-absorbing foam for superior side impact head protection and a 5-point safety harness (that can easily be adjusted and released). With mamas in mind, it has a one-hand easy-access seat release, an adjustable canopy and a height adjustable base so that it easily accommodates any car.

Now let’s get to the stroller! It has an amazing one-hand fold making it perfect for multitasking parents! I don’t remember the last time I had 2 hands free to close a stroller! With the pull of a strap, it easily snaps closed. It’s lightweight, has a super smooth ride and has an amazing over-sized canopy with UPF 50+ making it the ultimate travel companion for zoo visits, park days and beach trips!

Tango™ Travel System by Baby Trend has a fully reclinable seat, so no more missed naps and it comes with a durable and practical snack tray with a cup holder for your mini! Don’t worry, they didn’t forget us parents! It also comes with a cell phone holder and 2 large cup holders so you can bring your coffee or water wherever you go. The large storage basket can be accessed from the front and rear of the stroller making it the perfect shopping companion because there’s room to store all your purchases.

Of all the strollers I’ve had the opportunity to try out, this one is in a league of it’s own. The price, quality and intuitive design and accessories make it a must for all new and seasoned parents alike!

Click here to head to the Baby Trend site to read more about this amazing travel system!

The Play Gym Built by Experts!

Save $10 off your purchase of a Lovevery Play Gym by clicking here

We stumbled upon Lovevery a few months ago and I was instantly attracted to the beautiful design, gorgeous colours, and array of learning tools for babies! The more I found out about Lovevery, the more I knew I needed to get my hands on one of their play gyms!

Made with sustainably-sourced wood, the design is just stunning. It takes 2 minutes to assemble and disassemble so it can be easily moved to any room in your home and taken with you when you go visit friends and family!

Every item on this play gym was purposely chosen and the detail that went into designing each piece is exactly what you want as a parent! It comes with an Organic Cotton High Contrast Montessori Ball, a Sustainably-sourced Wooden Batting Ring, Organic Cotton Teether with BPA-free Silicone Rings, a System of interchangeable cards to help stimulate every sense and encourage learning and a Play Guide with activities designed by child development specialists.

There are 5 development zones on the Lovevery play gym that you can cover up or leave exposed to prevent overstimulation and encourage learning! The 5 zones include:

1. Learning to focus

2. Making sounds

3. How things feel

4. Hiding and finding

5. Exploring colors

Save $10 off your purchase of a Lovevery Play Gym by clicking here

5 Tips for Choosing the Perfect Car Seat

A car seat for a new parent is such an important accessory and tool. You’ll likely use it as much as any other baby product and it’s not something you’ll want to replace after a few months. The right bucket seat can be used for multiple kids and so I’m here to give you my top 5 tips to choosing the perfect one for your growing family!

1. Find one that is easy to install! Nothing will test your patience (and your marriage) quite like installing a car seat that is hard to figure out. The Chicco KeyFit® 30 Infant Car Seat  has a ReclineSure® Spring-Loaded Leveling Foot that adjusts to your vehicle’s seat angle as well as a  RideRight® Bubble-level Indicator to show when a proper base angle has been achieved so it helps take the guess work out of the installation process!

2. Find a bucket seat that is light. Newborns and babies sleep A LOT and have a tendency to fall asleep in the car. You will likely just snap out the bucket and carry it into stores to avoid waking up your newborn to put them in a stroller. The Chicco KeyFit® 30 Infant Car Seat weighs only 7lbs so your back will thank you!

3. Find one that will grow with your baby, regardless of the size it’s born at. Finding a bucket seat with an infant insert will be amazing for your first trip home from the hospital and for the first month at home. It’ll be even more important if you have a premie! And find one that will accommodate a rear facing baby for as long as possible!

4. Find one that is safe. Do your research, read up on car seats and make sure they meet all the safety standards of the country you live in! We chose the Chicco KeyFit® 30 Infant Car Seat because it is lined with energy-absorbing foam and is equipped with a five-point harness that quickly and easily adjusts for an accurate fit, using the one-pull harness adjustment.

5. Find a carseat that you can easily clean. Messes. Will. Happen. And a lot more often than you think. Having a car seat that can be wiped down will save you time, tears and energy! Our Chicco car seat is made with fabrics that may be spot-cleaned with mild soap and water or machine-washed in cold water on delicate cycle using mild detergent. Most car seats we came across did not have covers that could be put in the washing machine so we absolutely LOVE this feature!

For more information on our Chicco KeyFit® 30 Infant Car Seat click here!

My Necessary Hospital Bag Essential

This blog is sponsored by AfterShokz and PTPA Media. As always, all opinions and views that I have expressed are my own.

They say that as a second time mom, everything seems to go a bit more smoothly. You’ve learned from your mistakes the first time around, you know what to expect and you know exactly what you need. This is absolutely true when it comes to hospital bag essentials! The first time around, I packed everything but the kitchen sink. I could have literally lived at the hospital for months with what I packed, but there were deffinitly some items I overlooked and I won’t make the same mistake twice! Curious what my unexpected hospital bag essential is? AfterShokz Trekz Air wireless headphones! Let me tell you why: They use bone conduction technology so you can listen to your music while still being able to hear exactly what is happening around you.

This means, you can play whatever music you want during labour and you’ll still be able to hear instructions from your doctor or midwife while also being able to drift off into your zone and find the strength to get through labour! I wish I could have had some awesome music blasting while delivering Zane! It definitely would have helped me relax and focus on pushing instead of everything that was happening around me.

After labour, what better way to relax than to drown out the sounds of the typical hospital environment with your fave beats, but still be able to hear your new little baby cry when they’re hungry or have a dirty diaper? The wireless headphones mean you won’t be tangled in cords or risk getting one wrapped around your baby, so there’s no need to remove them, even while breastfeeding or changing diapers!

Finally, because they boast dual noise canceling microphones which exclude surrounding noise, you can answer all your congratulatory phone calls from family and friends without missing a beat or worrying about them not being able to hear you! With a baby in one arm and an IV in the other, it wasn’t easy holding a phone up to my ear after my son was born to talk to all my friends, but with AfterShokz Trekz Air wireless headphones, I don’t have to worry about that this time around!

They’re so practical for mom life and you’ll find use for them even when you’re home with your new baby! Breastfeeding can be tough and somewhat isolating - especially at night. You don’t want to start turning on the TV because it will stimulate your newborn, so often you’re in a quiet dim and dark room for the better part of every night. With AfterShokz Trekz Air wireless headphones, you can bring along your favourite podcast, meditate or listen to your favourite song without disturbing your feeding newborn. Because they’re wireless, cords won’t be an issue and you can have both hands free to cuddle and nurse.

I know that the AfterShokz Trekz Air wireless headphones will be a lifesaver during my hospital stay this time and I’m so thankful that I discovered them in time for my delivery! Be prepared to see them in a lot of my hospital pictures!

If you want more information on these must-have wireless bone conduction headphones, CLICK HERE. They make a great gift for anyone in your life and an even better gift for yourself :).

Bath Time Essentials For A New Baby

With a second baby on the way, I am being a lot more particular about the products that I MUST have. I saw super quickly with Zane which products were useful, a waste of money, and which didn’t stand the test of time with a baby. Bath time can be a total bonding experience with your baby or it can be super stressful as a new parent so being fully equipped is SO important!!

I’m rounding up my MUST HAVE bath time products for new and experienced parents alike who are expecting a new baby! These items will also make amazing baby shower gifts!

• A light, portable and adjustable bath tub is a MUST. You don’t want one that’s only for newborns because you’ll be replacing it shortly after your baby arrives and one that isn’t specifically for newborns will drive you insane. You will either be constantly holding up your baby so that they are propped up, or you’ll have your baby constantly sliding down the slippery inclined plastic.. I recommend the Moby Smart Sling 3-Stage Tub. This tub is awesome because it grows with baby through three stages: Stage 1: Newborn (0-3 months; up to 15 lbs); Stage 2: Infant (3-6 months; up to 20 lbs); Stage 3: Sitters (6+ months; up to 25 lbs). There are 2 positions that you can place the tub in and then you can completely remove the interior mesh once your baby can comfortably sit. The mesh also provides a type of “grip” that a simple plastic tub won’t provide which is great for newborns. Click here to learn more.

• An easy to grip, light, ergonomic bath rinser. I love the Moby Waterfall Bath Rinser by Skip Hop. We actually have this one in blue and have used it since Zane was born! It’s designed to keep water out of your baby’s eyes and ears, it’s light, and the one we currently have has lasted us over 2 years already! We actually ordered a second one because Zane loves to help rinse himself off in the bath so now I can get him rinsed off and he can help too! Click here to learn more.

• A large and soft bath towel. Don’t make the mistake of getting a small newborn one… it will last about as long as your clean shirt with a new born. I totally recommend getting a larger one that is soft, has a large hood (Zane had a big head that never full fit in the new born towels) and one that is good quality so that it can withstand daily and sometimes 2 times a day baths! For Zane and our new baby, we have always used the Skip Hop Zoo Hooded Towel. It’s soft, bright and vibrant, and great quality! Click here to learn more.

• A SINK BATH! Before having Zane, I had never heard of these, and I won’t make the mistake of having another baby without using one! The Skip Hop Moby SoftSpot Sink Bather™ is the perfect size for newborns and infants. It allows you to give them a bath in the kitchen or bathroom sink. It’s GREAT for when you’re on the go, visiting your parents or friends houses and accidents happen. It’s also super practical when you’re alone and your baby has an accident. It’s hard sometimes to contain the mess, undress your baby all while trying to fill up a bathtub. With the Sink Bather, you can put your baby right in the sink and use the sprayer or tap to keep them warm and start bathing them immediately! It has a velcro strap so that it can be easily hung to dry, it has neck and head support for babies and a mesh centre so that your baby is cradled. I am SO excited to give it try when our mini arrives in a few short weeks! Click here to learn more.

• Toys Toys and more Toys. They will keep your mini’s hands occupied and out of their soapy hair and will give you the time you need to properly wash them. I always recommend toys that move, toys that can easily be disinfected and toys that don’t have a ton of grooves and holes so that you don’t have any moldy surprises. Our 3 fave right now are: Count & Play Bath Puzzle, Zoo Paddle & Go Owl and the Mix & Match Foam Pals Bath Toys (these actually stick to the sides of your tub and will keep your baby entertained and as grow with them as they learn that they can move them around and make different animal combinations!).

If you think I’m missing anything, please let me know in the comments below! You may have noticed that all our products are from SkipHop. We did a massive haul at SkipHop and keep returning to them for our baby products because we love the quality, price and design of all their products. They’re a brand we trusted with Zane and they haven’t let us down! Click here to see their full product line!

Top Recommended Books for Toddlers - by YOU!

I put up a poll on my Instagram a few weeks ago asking you for your top recommended books for toddlers! Who better to recommend books than fellow mamas? Take advantage of free shipping all summer from Indigo.ca and stock up on the adorable books below! Missed my poll? No problem! Add a comment below with any books that I missed so we can check them out!

1. THE LITTLE BLUE BOX OF BRIGHT AND EARLY BOARD BOOKS BY DR. SEUSS

Inside this adorable blue box (with a handle that your mini will love), include the 4 books:  Hop on Pop; Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!; Ten Apples Up On Top!; and The Shape of Me and Other Stuff. They survived 2 weeks with my son undamaged so these books will withstand any child lol. Click here to visit Indigo to learn more.

2. SING A SONG OF MOTHER GOOSE

All of your fave childhood nursery rhymes are in this adorable hard covered book including: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star; Humpty Dumpty; Little Miss Muffet; Rockabye Baby; Sing a Song of Sixpence; Ladybird; Pussycat, Pussycat; Jack and Jill; Baa Baa Black Sheep; Hey Diddle Diddle; Rain, Rain, Go Away; Mary Had a Little Lamb; Pat A Cake and Hickory Dickory Dock. Click here to visit Indigo to learn more!

3. DR. SEUSS'S 100 FIRST WORDS

I was curious how many other words Zane could learn before saying Mama LOL. This board book has bright and bold colours that your mini will LOVE. Click here to learn more.

4. ADVENTURES WITH BAREFOOT CRITTERS

Learning the alphabet is fun with these little critters and this adorably illustrated board book. Click here to learn more!

5. DINOSAUR DANCE!

From the best selling author Sandra Boynton, this colourful and fun board book is all about.... dancing dinosaurs! What else!? Click here to learn more!

6. THE LION INSIDE

A beautiful book with a powerful message: We all have a lion and a mouse inside. Click here to learn more.

7. I LIKE MYSELF!

This book about self-esteem encourages children to love themselves! Such a great read and an important message to start teaching your children at any age. Click here to learn more.

8. ORDINARY PEOPLE CHANGE THE WORLD GIFT SET

This New York Times best selling series is all about what makes a Hero. Click here to learn more.

9. GIRAFFES CAN'T DANCE

Gerald the giraffe just wants to dance! With his long legs, it's harder than you think. When he finally receives encouragement from a friend, he realizes he can do it! This book is an inspiration for kids who dream big! Click here to learn more.

10. CHICKA CHICKA BOOM BOOM

This lively alphabet rhyme makes learning the alphabet fun! Click here to learn more.

Don't forget to take advantage of free shipping ALL SUMMER at Indigo.ca!

Top Recommended Books for Toddlers - by YOU!

I put up a poll on my Instagram a few weeks ago asking you for your top recommended books for toddlers! Who better to recommend books than fellow mamas? Take advantage of the awesome shipping promo they have going on right now: every book ships for free all summer long for plum membersfrom Indigo.ca and stock up on the adorable books below! Missed my poll? No problem! Add a comment below with any books that I missed so we can check them out!

1. THE LITTLE BLUE BOX OF BRIGHT AND EARLY BOARD BOOKS BY DR. SEUSS

Inside this adorable blue box (with a handle that your mini will love), include the 4 books:  Hop on Pop; Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!; Ten Apples Up On Top!; and The Shape of Me and Other Stuff. They survived 2 weeks with my son undamaged so these books will withstand any child lol. Click here to visit Indigo to learn more.

2. SING A SONG OF MOTHER GOOSE

All of your fave childhood nursery rhymes are in this adorable hard covered book including: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star; Humpty Dumpty; Little Miss Muffet; Rockabye Baby; Sing a Song of Sixpence; Ladybird; Pussycat, Pussycat; Jack and Jill; Baa Baa Black Sheep; Hey Diddle Diddle; Rain, Rain, Go Away; Mary Had a Little Lamb; Pat A Cake and Hickory Dickory Dock. Click here to visit Indigo to learn more!

3. DR. SEUSS'S 100 FIRST WORDS

I was curious how many other words Zane could learn before saying Mama LOL. This board book has bright and bold colours that your mini will LOVE. Click here to learn more.

4. ADVENTURES WITH BAREFOOT CRITTERS

Learning the alphabet is fun with these little critters and this adorably illustrated board book. Click here to learn more!

5. DINOSAUR DANCE!

From the best selling author Sandra Boynton, this colourful and fun board book is all about.... dancing dinosaurs! What else!? Click here to learn more!

6. THE LION INSIDE

A beautiful book with a powerful message: We all have a lion and a mouse inside. Click here to learn more.

7. I LIKE MYSELF!

This book about self-esteem encourages children to love themselves! Such a great read and an important message to start teaching your children at any age. Click here to learn more.

8. ORDINARY PEOPLE CHANGE THE WORLD GIFT SET

This New York Times best selling series is all about what makes a Hero. Click here to learn more.

9. GIRAFFES CAN'T DANCE

Gerald the giraffe just wants to dance! With his long legs, it's harder than you think. When he finally receives encouragement from a friend, he realizes he can do it! This book is an inspiration for kids who dream big! Click here to learn more.

10. CHICKA CHICKA BOOM BOOM

This lively alphabet rhyme makes learning the alphabet fun! Click here to learn more.

Don't forget to take advantage of free shipping on every book all summer long for plum members at Indigo.ca!

Ripley's Aquarium - Fun for the Whole Family

If you're in the Toronto area, Ripley's Aquarium is a MUST SEE attraction. I wasn't sure what to expect and went in just hoping that I could keep Zane entertained for a few hours. It turned out, we could have spent the entire day there!

From the second you walk in the Ripley's Aquarium, you're surrounded by gorgeous colours, illuminated aquariums that span from floor to ceiling and EVERY type of underwater fish you can imagine. It was such a nice experience to see Zane fascinated by the lights and swimming fish. I went with a friend of mine who has 2 older children and they were just as enthralled by the breath taking views.

The aquarium is divided into exhibits such as the Canadian Waters, Rainbow Reef, Ray Bay and Curious Creatures (to name a few) but besides the exhibits, they have so many other things to offer! They have interactive stops along the way for older kids, they have caves that kids can crawl though, educational games and puzzles, and there was even a teaching session happening where someone from the Ripley's Aquarium was giving a lesson about fish!

We had 2 favourite parts of the aquarium. The first was the Dangerous Lagoon - which is a long and beautiful aquarium tunnel that allows you to walk under swimming fish, sharks, sea turtles and so much more! There is moving belt so you can relax and be transported on what feels like a magical underwater journey.

Our second favourite was in the Planet Jellies exhibit. There was this HUGE wall filled with what seemed like hundreds of jelly fish. As the wall changed colours, so did the jelly fish! It was one of the coolest things I have ever seen!

We had such a blast at the Aquarium and I can't wait to go back with Zane the next time we are in Toronto. It's a place we could visit over and over again and always find something else to love.

A sleeping baby means a happy mama!!! This is the the right place to tire out your mini :)

My Apologies to My Friends Who Don't Have Children

Having a baby changes your life and also the relationships that you have with the people around you. It makes you sympathize and bond with your fellow moms over how it's possible to survive on so little sleep and it unfortunately, can also distance you from your friends who don't have children. I can't say that I blame my friends... I once upon a time didn't have a baby and found it really hard to relate to what my mom friends were going through. I would try to have a conversion with my bestie M. and every 10 seconds was interrupted by: L put that down, L stop jumping, L stop running in the house! Fast forward a few years and our conversations now go something like this:
-Hey M! How are y - Zane don't eat the dog food! - what was I saying? 
-I'm good... tired, busy the usua - L put that down! Leave your sister alone! - what was I saying?
-You were telling me I think about your day yesterday? I don't really remem - Zane stop french kissing the dog! Omg M gotta go. Zane is playing in the toilet.

Mom life changes EVERYTHING. I've teamed up, once again, with my mom friends and we've come up with a list of apologies for our friends that don't have children! Feel free to add your own in the comments below: 

1 - I'm sorry I was an hour late to your birthday party  - to be honest.. my son threw up all over as I was heading out the door and you're lucky that I showed up at all. You should in fact be buying me a gift. Have you ever tried to wake a baby up from a nap and then show up at a party smiling? Why is your party at 9am anyways? Don't you know this is NAP TIME. 

2 - I'm sorry that every time we go out I'm always wearing black yoga pants - it's really because no other pants fit me and the black really camouflages all the food stains from my child throwing his dinner at me. Tonight we ate cheerios for dinner because i just couldn't deal.

3 - I'm sorry that my child bit you/hit you/threw something at you - I really am trying to teach him. Listen - if you think you can do better, take him for a day and try. Actually maybe a week. I could use some sleep. Please?

4 - I'm sorry I forgot your birthday/anniversary/first day of work etc. - I run on 4 hours of sleep a day and I can't even remember my own name most of the time, so just be thankful I remember who you are. You really are important to me and I promise one day I will get my shit together and start checking my reminders on my phone... if I can only find it... my son was playing with it somewhere. Speaking of which... were is my son? 

5 - I'm sorry I had to cancel our plans last minute because the baby was sick - I promise this isn't an excuse. They put everything in their mouth and are sick every week. I would much rather be sitting and having a glass of wine instead of sucking out boogers from my baby's nose (for those who don't have kids - yes this is a thing... and yes you will have to do it. Have kids they said... it'll be great they said.)

6 - I'm sorry I left your party early - I know I said it was because the baby was going to have a melt down, but I was the one who was ready to snap and felt it would be frowned upon if I started crying in the middle of a crowd of strangers. 

7 - I'm sorry I can never make it to dinner with my kid unless we eat at 5pm - Kids are assholes sometimes. Especially tired ones. If you want to have dinner at 7pm and want me to bring my son, that's fine. But know that there WILL be a melt down. And my son's screaming is comparable in volume and pitch to a beluga whale so EVERYONE will stare. We might even end up on YouTube when he starts catapulting the food across the restaurant. I'm down if you are... I've been through it all and have no shame anymore. 

All in all, my life has changed... but I promise I'll find that balance again... or a really good babysitter that's always available. I love you and miss you and still treasure our friendship so please wait for me to find my way. :)

DockATot aka My Life Line and Reason for Sleep

Before Zane arrived I had heard the hype around a sort of baby bed called the DockATot. It's main use was first as a tool for co-sleeping (which I wasn't sure I wanted to do) and I thought it was pretty expensive (between $165-$185 USD), but I discovered how essential it was to my sanity within 5 minutes of using it.

Zane was a super colicky baby (which we would later learn was due to an allergy to milk protein). He had horrible reflux from the day he was born, would cry for endless hours at a time, and seemed to be hungry every hour on the hour (mostly because of his constant throwing up). By the end of week 1 at home, we had exhausted the possibility of Zane sleeping in his crib (this meant I literally had to sleep on the chair in his room in order to tend to him when he cried or spit up) and we had also tried a bassinet in our bedroom which he hated - I'm not sure why, but the bassinet caused more crying than the reflux. My husband unfortunately couldn't take more than 2 weeks off work, so we needed to find a solution that allowed us (A) To get some sleep between the crying (B) Would offer Zane some relief from whatever he was going through. Co-sleeping seemed like a temporary solution and so off my husband went to buy this magical item called a DockATot which seemed like our last resort. 

I remember taking a screaming baby, swaddling him in a blanket and putting him down in the DockATot on the bed beside me. What I heard next was enough to make me cry. Silence. For the first time in a week, baby Zane seemed at peace and was fast asleep. DockATot should be called the Miracle Bed. 

Fast asleep in the DockATot at 1 week old

Baby Zane is now almost 3 months old, is no longer colicky and sleeps about 5 hours a night but we still use the DockATot daily. We bring it to my parents house, my in-laws house - anywhere where there is no crib for him to sleep in. It's super light and can be brought anywhere where baby needs to sleep. I have it beside me when I'm watching TV, I bring it to the park, and in a few weeks I'm taking a road trip to Toronto and it will be coming with me so Zane has somewhere safe to sleep!

The cover is removable and washable (which is a MUST for a baby with reflux) and it comes in a variety of colours to match whatever decor and design you have in your home or baby room. It also comes in 2 different sizes (the Deluxe and the Grand) so that it can accompany your baby as he/she grows! Zane is currently in the Deluxe and it seems as though it will fit him for another few months. We will, without a doubt, be purchasing the DockATot Grand when he needs it. Since getting ours, I have recommended it to every new mom I find, and I have yet to encounter 1 who is not as thrilled as I am.

I encourage you to check out their website to see what all the hype is about. If you do decide to purchase one, I am sure you will love it as much as I do!

www.dockatot.com

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