Most Loved Toys - Vol. 2

Balloons

 While we do not have balloons around everyday, we certainly do not reserve them only for birthdays. It's just an empty rubber bubble, yet so much fun for a kid. Whoever came up with the idea really should have been paid a million dollars. I have a feeling he didn't.

Yes, that is my kid licking a balloon.

Big Box of Pom-Poms

Yes, it makes a mess every.single.time the box of pom poms are out, but for some reason, that box holds the magic to entertain all four kids at the same time. Into the box I threw a few small containers, some serving tongs, and an old Christmas candy jar. The kids play candy store, scoop and dump, throw snowballs (uh, yeah. not my favorite), stuff them in their shirts... whatever pops into their little heads.



{For those who are also Money Saving Mom readers, I promise that while she beat me to it, I am not just copying her post today. I took these pictures last weekend and woke up this morning with the intention of writing this post tonight. Honest, really and truly. I take no blame for making you want to run to the nearest craft store to buy pom poms.}

Most Loved Toys - Vol. 1

This week's most played with toy...

Wooden Train Tracks and Vehicles

(Pardon the flash-erized photos. Our living room has terrible lighting,
 and Photoshop is down. {insert sobbing face here})

Young Toddler (1-2 yrs.)Busy Bag Swap

This swap is now closed.
There will be 2 swap groups of 15 with 5 fill ins for each group. You swap coordinator will contact you in the next several days.

If you have not been contacted, check your junk mail folder or spam folder.
If you cannot find an email from your coordinator, email me.

Alrighty... here we go.

This swap is for young toddlers (about 1-2 yrs.) ONLY. If you're looking for another age group, be patient; it's coming.

This swap will only include 15 activities (or however many activities people brainstorm), rather than 30, due to the lack of variety of simple activities for itty bitty critters.
Want to join this one?

Step 1: Please review the following list of activities. Choose your top three choices of which you would like to create, or let me know if you have another idea that is not listed here. Due to the limited number of simple, non-choking hazard activities for little fingers, we will probably end up with fewer than 30 activities for this swap. I will split up everyone who signs up into groups of 15 (or however many activities we end up with) rather than 30.

You may need to be creative when you brainstorm your activity to make it fit into the budget or into your current stock of stuff around the house. For example, the clank can really does not have to clank. It can be a sour cream container or cheap dollar store food storage containers. It does not have to be large, as it will not fit well into a box when it comes time to ship all 15 to your swap coordinator. You can use anything to insert in the slot, so long as it is not a choking hazard.


1. Pom Pom Bottles

2. Velcro Matching Rods -
(Set of 3 matching rods is sufficient. I'm finding it a challenge to make this fit in budget. If anyone already has supplies on hand, it may be more doable.)

3. Easter Eggs in an Egg Carton
(Half dozen is sufficient. You can cut an egg carton in half.)

4. Sponge Curlers

5. Swim Noodles on a Dowel or Rope
Someone creative enough to figure out how to attach a small length of dowel rod to the end of the rope to use as a "needle"?

6. Texture Cards

7. Pipe Cleaner Bottle
(Can substitute straws for pipe cleaners)

8. Pom Pom Stuff It In

9. Sponge Lacing

10. Clothespin Drop

11. I Spy Bottle

12. Laminated Flip Book

13. Clank Can
(Another picture here, at the bottom of the post)

14. Button Snake

15. Mini Felt Board (mid way through post)
(Glue two half sheets of felt to either side of a half sheet of card stock. Cut scrap felt in simple, larger shapes or shapes of common objects - cars, apples, etc.)


Step 2: Read the general overview of the swaps, if you haven't yet.


Step 3: If you're absolutely sure this is something you want to do, fill out the form below. This form will be taken down in 48 hours or when a "ridiculous" number of swappers is reach. (he he)

Filling out the form is not a way of expressing interest. It is a commitment to be a part of the swap. It is not fair to the other swappers if a handful of half hearted interest people sign up, only to flake out at some point. That would mean that many people spent time and money assembling 15 activities, but would not receive 15 in return. If you're not sure if you can handle the expense or the time investment at this time, then maybe you should pass this time around. If however, you do sign up with full intentions of participating, but then realize that for some reason you are unable to continue, please let me or your swap coordinator know right away, so that we can contact someone else who would love to be involved.

Two Things That Have Made Shopping with 4 Little Ones SO MUCH Easier

I remember when I was expecting my second baby and I wondered how in the world I was going to shop with two? I mean, who do I get out of the van first? If the baby carseat is in the front of the cart, do I put the toddler in the back and just hope she doesn't poke holes in the hamburger? Or do I put the carseat in the back and toddler up front, leaving very little room for groceries? What do I do if both break out in tears and the entire shopping trip turns into a nightmare? Well, I learned a few tricks very quickly, and it soon became a breeze.


1) Park right next to a cart return. You've got a cart right there at your immediate disposal and you won't have to leave the cart uncorraled afterward. (Yes, I am one of those that does not always put the cart away. If I can't prak within one vehicle's depth from the cart return when I have my kids with me, I just push it in the four corners of the parking spots. I will not leave my kids in the van while I walk half a parking lot away just to return a cart. My kids' safety is that important to me.)

2) Go with your entire shopping trip planned to the T. This eliminates the need to think, which we all know is impossible in the presence of babies and toddlers and preschoolers.

3) Don't stress the small stuff. So you don't normal give your kids snacks right before dinner, but if that's when you're shopping, let them eat. It will keep them busy and avoid the "I'm hungry" meltdown.

4) DO NOT take them out during naptime or near bedtime. It's not worth it. THE END.

I only shopped with three a few times. My wonderful, spendiferous mother in law began to come once a week to babysit while I ran errands. With the addition of the fourth child and the aquirement of a new job, requiring my husband to travel further, we now have two vehicles. This has given me the opportunity to take the kids out during the week (instead of their only outing being church on Sunday). So sometimes, while out, I swing by a store or two to grab a few things. I found right away that shopping with four is really a stenuous feat. I mean, just the logistics of gettig everyone through the store in a timely manner without returning home minus a kid and plus several items I never knew were in the cart... just overwhelming to think about.


Here are two items I have found that greatly reduce the stress and increase the enjoyability.

1) The giant brand spankin' new (at our store anyway) Walmart shopping carts with a bench for two kids in front and the normal kid seat and a regular sized basket in back. (I tried in vain to find a picture. Might have to take one myself.)

2) A sling from sevenslings.com. (BTW, I hear you can get a free sling from them by entering "babies" at checkout. I haven't checked that out though. You will have to pay shipping, which is overpriced at around $11.75ish)




A combination of these two wonders allows me to have NO kids walking or running away or lagging behind. I put C and D on the cart bench, E in the kid cart seat, and wear F in the sling. Love it! I can then walk my own pace, grab what I need quickly and let the baby sleep on my shoulder, instead of fuss in her car seat and I have the entire full size basket to fill with the required groceries. Now if I could just find a way to tie E's legs to the cart, so he'll stop kicking C and D.

If I Started Over Again (Dining Edition)

When you go through four babies/toddlers in five years, you begin to put two and two and three and four together and learn a thing or two. You know, things like what not to waste your time and money on. Here is such a list... all the things I'd skip and what I'd use instead, if I were to start back at the beginning.

Eating and drinking is a pretty big part of life for a baby or toddler. Thing is, there's so many different utensils, cups, bibs, plates, bowls, and bottles out there, that it's hard to figure out what in the world truly is designed for baby.

1. I would not buy every brand of cheap plastic utensils out there, hoping that maybe one of them might actually work. The spoons are either too flat or too deep. The forks either too rounded to stab with or shaped too much like a spoon. I would not buy sets from Target's dollar bins. The handles eventually break right off. Instead, I'd invest in about 4-5 good stainless steel set, such as the ones from Gerber or from Onieda. They most closely resemble adult silverware.

Do Not Buy This

Or This

Invest in This

Or Even Better, This

2. When it comes to sippy cups, it would seem that so long as the child can get liquid from it, it should work great, right? Hmmmm...... apparently not. There are two goals for sippy cups. One is to teach the child to drink from a cup and leave behind the bottle. The other is to avoid spills. This last goal is very important, as my couch and carpet can attest to. Straw cups leak. They always will, pretty much no matter what. Cups with no seal will leak. They always will, pretty much no matter what. Soft spouts help transition from the bottle, as well as help prevent teeth pressure. Hard spouts, while they serve the purpose, tend to put unneeded pressure on the front teeth, or so my older preschoolers have whined about.

Skip These

(straws leak)

(no seal = leak)

(hard spout = pressure on teeth)

Instead, start with this:

(Gerber handled soft spout)

Then move on to this:

(Playtex Coolster Tumbler Cup-
resembles a coffee mug, no spout,
option to use seal or not)

3. What is the purpose of a bib? I mean think about it. If we really don't want our kids getting messy with food, doesn't it make sense that the bib would catch the mess? So, I'd say no to any bib that does not have a pocket that stays open. The two that I've found that work for us is:

The Dura Bib

-snaps to form pocket
-wipe off or throw in washing machine
(I got mine at Walmart, but haven't seen them there lately)

The Baby Bjorn Bib

-molded so ornery kid cannot unsnap pocket
-wipe off or throw in dish washer
-I just wish they made a larger size for 18+ mo.
(I ordered mine from Target)

But that's just my take. I'm sure you may beg to differ. Or perhaps you've tried products I was never brave enough to spend the money on.