This time of year can be especially hard for those who are less fortunate - but, thanks to Amazon, we’re adding a new tradition in our home to help spread holiday cheer this season! We’ll now be donating to a new charity every holiday season thanks to Amazon.
Read MoreWith COVID-19 still very much present but so much of our lives slowly returning to normal, how can you properly equip yourself to protect your family? For us, it starts with a FORA IR42 Non-Contact Forehead Thermometer! We have one by our front door and we check the temperature of everyone that comes into our home. We loved our FORA IR42 Non-Contact Forehead Thermometer before COVID-19 because of how easy it is to use with our kids but have really come to appreciate it even more now.
The FORA IR42 Non-Contact Forehead Thermometer can be used on babies, kids, toddlers and adults! You simply point the thermometer at your (or your child’s forehead) and you press a button. Within seconds you have a reading. Because it never needs to touch their forehead, it’s so easy to use with kids and babies and it’s also hygienic and coronavirus safe.
It excelled in clinical accuracy tests and has a highly precise sensor that gives a reading in 1 second, which I find is so important to look into because many other thermometers that we researched at did not. What I love as well is that it has specific modes for infants, adults and even surface temperatures! It has a memory feature too so you don’t have to worry about remembering the temperature you took before.
The FORA IR42 Thermometer is not only helping us feel better about having people in our home, but it’s going to be such a game changer during cold and flu season this fall. It’s always a wrestling match trying to take my kids’ temperatures when I think they’re sick. With our FORA IR42, I can literally take their temperature anywhere, including in front of the TV, while they eat, while they brush their teeth and they don’t even know that I’ve done it! Click here for more info and to shop.
Use Code FORAXTOVAH for 10% off of your FORA IR42 Non-Contact Forehead Thermometer!
This post is sponsored by Kelley Blue Book; however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Shopping for a family car can seem like a difficult and stressful task, but it doesn’t need to be! I’m sharing my top 5 tips to use when starting your search and I promise it will make your decision and shopping experience a breeze! I always refer to Kelley Blue Book for car questions because their site is backed by 90 years of experience! They recently released a Best Family Cars of 2020 guide and included options for every budget and every size family! Their list was based on thorough testing procedures on 2020 vehicles and include many of the models we considered when we were shopping for our perfect car!
I’m sharing my top 5 tips to use when starting your search and I promise it will make your decision and shopping experience a breeze:
Decide how many rows you need in your vehicle! Narrowing down the list of cars will easily be done once you decide if you need a 2 or 3 row vehicle. Most 3 row vehicles have the option of folding down the back row for a huge trunk, which is a feature I really enjoy. For now, we keep the 3rd row folded down and enjoy the spacious trunk, and when we eventually have another child, or when we take long trips with our family and dog, we use the 3rd row! KBB.com breaks down their list of Best Family Cars of 2020 by seating options so it’s easy to narrow down the list! Click here to see the list.
Decide what type of technology is important for you. Vehicles these days have so many options. Heads up display, lane assist, parking assist, bluetooth technology, screens in the head rests, touch screen controls etc. While it’s nice to have it all, not everything is necessary if you’re trying to stay within a budget. For me, it was essential to have a vehicle that was compatible with my phone so that I could receive and send texts while driving (it reads my texts out loud and allows me to dictate my answer back) which means that even when I’m on the go, I can still work. Kelley Blue Book offers full descriptions of all the vehicles on their site so they make it easy to determine if the vehicle you’re interested in has the technology you’re looking for! They also let you Price and Build your vehicle so you can get an idea of what your perfect car will cost you!
Car seats, car seats car seats! The item that as a parent you will use the most and the reason you turn away some of your favorite cars. Let's start with the most essential - what will fit in your car. Some cars will be able to fit 3 car seats side by side safely, while others will not. So it’s super important to check out the size of the interior of the car and the car seats that you have or are planning to purchase to make sure everyone fits! It’s something we never thought of until we considered having a 3rd baby! Next are the LATCH mounting points. These make car seat installation SO easy. Life changingly easy. But not every car is equipped with them and not every car has them so that they’re easily accessible! Finally, and probably the most important if you’re considering a 3 row SUV: can you access the 3rd row if you have car seats installed in the second row (again, something we never considered until we were talking about trying for a third baby)? Thankfully, KBB.com offers answers to all these questions on their site when you’re researching cars! Click here to check out their Best Family Cars of 2020.
Reputation is key. Getting a good deal and buying a car that checks most of the items off your list is important, but you want to make sure that the car you’re choosing is safe, reliable and that you won’t be spending more on repairing your car than absolutely necessary. Take the time and figure out which manufacturers have a reputation for vehicle safety, handling and quality before spending your hard earned money. Kelley Blue Book is, again, a great resource for reviews from real owners! I love reading through the reviews and seeing what people loved and didn’t love about each vehicle.
Lastly, make sure to consider Comfort and Convenience. While having all the bells and whistles on your car is great, the reality is that having a vehicle that’s comfortable to drive and that’s simple to operate is even better. Being able to close the trunk with the push of a button or unlock doors without pulling a key out of your pocket when your hands are full, are things that you will really appreciate when you have your family with you. Being able to put down the back seats with the push of a button or open the car doors from the front seat, are just a few other features that you never thought you would use, but are such game changers with kids! KBB.com highlights all of these incredible options and features in their vehicles and took all of it into consideration when they published their Best Cars of 2020. Click here to check out the entire list!
Don’t waste your time looking at cars that may not be able to accommodate your family! Check out the list published by Kelley Blue Book and save time!
Kelley Blue Book also released a site to help car buyers and owners stay on top of auto-related COVID-19 news! Click here to check out the site that includes news, advice and safety-tips!
We LOVE DIY crafts (well I do at least... Zane loves to play with paint - so it's a win-win) and what better time to make one than Mother's Day? All moms LOVE DIY crafts from their kids and even more so from their grandkids! Zane and I got to work and created the most adorable gifts for his Grandma and Great-Grandma this Mother's Day.
Start of with finding the pieces you want to decorate. Make sure to thoroughly clean and let them dry. Some materials are more porous and will need to dry over night. This step is SUPER important. Often ceramic and porcelain products are covered in a film or dirt and the paint won't properly stick unless it's clean.
Choose your paint colours. We used the paint below and bought a thinner because I didn't want it to go on too thick.
Optional: Paint Brush - You'll need one if you decide to write something on the jar or piggy bank (such as the date, your child's name etc.). I also used a thick paint brush to paint on my son's hands and feet. You could also just mix the paint in a bowl and press their hand/foot in it.
Once your tray is clean and dry, map out the design you want. You want to know EXACTLY where you're putting your mini's hand or foot once it's covered in paint because it won't be fun trying to keep them still if they're younger. I recommend doing this project with someone else so that one of you can place the foot or hand in paint and make the print and the other can stop your baby from crawling away covered in paint.
Follow the directions on your ceramic paint. If you used the same one as I did, let it dry overnight, then bake for 35 mins at 150 degrees. Then it's ready to package and send off!
Tips: Definitely find a place to date your artwork. It's always nice to look back and see when the art project was made. I definitely recommend doing the hand print before the decorating because it's the hardest part. I needed to wash off my son's handprint several times before getting one that was perfect and the rest of the design would have been ruined had I done it first!
Happy Crafting! I would love to see the artwork you create so don't forget to tag me in your posts! @mrsnewmommtl
xox Tovah
Zane and I have recently been loving DIY crafts (ok mostly me but he'll love having these keepsakes one day :)). With a husband who has everything, it's getting harder and harder to surprise him with little gifts every now and then, so a personalized gift from Zane is always sure to be a hit! With Valentine's day just around the corner, I thought it would be so cute to make my husband a personalized candy jar for his office filled with candy as sweet at him! You could also do variations of this craft by personalizing a candy bowl or a cookie jar and filling it with delicious sweets :)
What we used:
1. Mark the jar with the pattern you want using the marking tape.
2. Choose the colour you want for your hand print, add some paint on a plate and get your mini ready! It helps if you have 2 people coordinating this part :) This is the step where you want to put on your rubber gloves if you've opted to use them because although the paint will wash off your hands, it did not come off my nail polish. Place your baby's hand palm down in the paint and make sure it's well coated. Place your baby's hand flat on the jar to get a perfect print!
** I recommend doing the hand print before painting the jar because you don't get a print that you like the first time (it took us 4 times), you can use water to wash it off and to start over without worrying about ruining the rest of the design!
3. Paint the rest of your jar however you want! If you are using multiple coats of paint, be sure to wait at least 30 mins between each coat to make sure it dries. We chose to add Zane's initials to the jar and to put the date inside the lid so that we will always know how old he was when he made it!
4. Preheat oven to 350 F
5. If you used marking tape, remove the marking slowly (if you pull too fast it may remove some paint) and fill in any gaps you may have or uneven edges!
6. Put your jar directly on your oven rack OR on a parchment covered baking sheet and bake for 30-35 mins.
7. Let cool and then fill with your fave candy or sweets!
My recommendation for doing this craft with young babies: Do it with them only wearing a diaper - it makes cleaning up the mess much easier. Have the craft sitting beside your kitchen sink so that the minute you finish with the print you can wash the paint off of them before they get it anywhere else. This craft was super easy, inexpensive (under $20 total) and I know my husband will love his surprise - and I'm sure his colleagues will too now that's filled with delicious candy :).
My fave holiday is just around the corner (and no it's not my fave because of the chocolate.... ok well maybe it's because of the chocolate), but this year I'm loving it so much more because of all the fun crafts I get to do with Zane! There is nothing sweeter than giving someone you love a DIY made by someone else you love! Below are my fave 5 DIY Baby and Toddler Valentine's Day Gift Ideas!
I got this idea from The Crafty Crow who originally posted a tutorial for Mother's Day. I changed a few of the steps and decided to make a keychain instead of a necklace because I wasn't sure a bright pink heart necklace would match with my husband's suit every day at work LOL.
What you'll need:
Directions:
I found this idea on The Mommy Nichols. She's known for her awesome DIY projects and easy recipes... and this craft is no exception. With our little ones growing up so quickly, what better keepsake than a piece of art with their itty bitty tiny feet? I love how easy, quick and beautiful this canvas craft is! Click here to visit The Mommy Nichols website and get this craft started! Follow her on Instagram for more awesome craft ideas all year long!
This is such an easy craft to do and your little one, no matter what their age, will have SO much fun doing it! You can choose whatever colours you want and the fact that it makes no mess is a bonus! It's a keepsake that you can hang anywhere in your home! Click here to see my blog post about it.
I got this idea from I Heart Arts and Crafts. I think it's such a cute craft for older kids who know how to use scissors and can use glue. This is such a sweet idea and I love that your children will be able to do it all on their own. I recommend using washable paint or protecting your arts & craft area with plastic so that once they dip their fingers in paint you don't have the paint everywhere :) Click here to visit I Heart Arts and Crafts to see the full tutorial for this DIY.
This last idea came from Inner Child Fun. This is definitely a craft for your older kids (unless you want to do it yourself lol). It requires very few things to buy and it's something that any Mom or Grandma will love. Your kids will have so much fun doing it and will love that their mom can use it every day! You can also do variations of this craft depending on who the gift is for - you can make a ring bowl, a candy bowl, decorative bowl for your home... the possibilities are endless! Click here to visit Inner Child Fun to make your own jewelry dish!
I can't wait to see which you end up trying! Make sure to tag me in your posts on Instagram so I can see your finish product :)
My son is now eating solids and becoming more and more curious about textures and food tastes, so this mama has been trying to come up with creative ways to please his ever developing palate! It should come as no surprise to me (because I know who I married) that my son is a picky eater already like his father... forget vegetables and anything healthy... my son has a sweet tooth and a desire for anything savoury! I've been forced to become a bit creative in the kitchen to make sure he's getting enough vitamins and minerals from his food, so I was SO thankful when I discovered Baby Gourmet's Squoosh packs. They are snack sized organic fruit and veggie purées that taste DELICIOUS and each has a full serving of fruits and veggies! In case you're wondering, I have ABSOLUTELY tasted one before - if the food is good enough for my mini, it should be good enough for me! And in this case it definitely is! Zane's fave is the Squabbleberry Squoosh which has apple, blueberries, bananas and butternut squash, so I decided to try to make a more textured snack with his fave purée pouch and the result was a terrific muffin!
Total Time: 30 mins
Servings: 16 Muffins
Ingredients:
Directions:
Zane, like most 4 month olds, is beginning to discover his hands and feet, and does so by giving me swift kicks to the stomach and ripping out my hair any chance he gets. It's a good day for me when I don't get my eye poked by his tiny little precious fingers (that have a way of finding my pupil EVERY time he pokes my eye). As a result, I am always looking for ways to tire him out because I really can't afford to lose any more hair postpartum and one of these days he will end up giving me a black eye with his little feisty fists. So when I heard about iFloat Baby Spa, where babies float around in a pool and can kick and move freely (and without injury to me), I was in! It was a bonus that they also gave baby massages, because you know he isn't spoiled enough already.
Their website explains that the floatation and massage helps to improve socialization, strengthens bonding (because of the skin-to-skin contact), provides stimulation, promotes relaxation and better SLEEP, increases physical & cognitive development, boosts confidence & enhances well-being, improves coordination, and builds strength & develops learning skills. With all those benefits, how can you not try it at least once?... also please note the benefit SLEEP. Anything that will get me more sleep is worth a try.
I'll be honest, at first I was a bit skeptical and nervous because at first glance, it looks like the floatation device is a bit uncomfortable... but I knew right away by Zane's reaction that it was anything but that. At first he didn't know what to do and kind of just floated around looking confused (sort of like me at the gym... out of place trying to figure things out), but 10 minutes in he was a natural (like me at McDonalds). He was yelling, kicking, laughing and splashing water everywhere. 30 mins of floating time was up and it was time for the baby massage.
The masseuse is a registered massage therapist that specializes in baby massage. She gave him a head to toe massage using organic baby massage oil... and I think Zane's face says it all. We loved iFloat Baby Spa so much that we bought an unlimited ifloat and massage package for the month. In case you're wondering - he took a 2 hour nap after our first visit (YAY SLEEP!).
And for those of you who are thinking it... I'll just say it first. My 4 month old son has a better life than most of us. Floating around and getting massages 4 times a week.
