Winter is upon us (in case you missed it!). And well as we all know days might be shorter, but some days at home with bored babies and toddlers can feel very long. We live in the northeast so sometimes there is no chance of even taking a walk on a very blustery day. So every winter since my daughter was walking we’ve registered for a class or two to make sure we have something to do to mix up our week. For the last, nearly two and a half years we’ve done Music Together and Gym Cubs.
Music Together is a nationwide music program for babies, toddlers and young children. Most children listen to music at home and in the car, like we do, but Music Together does a lot to get them to pay attention to rhythm, learn to carry a tune and use different instruments. Parents are expected to participate with their children so be prepared to sing a long!
Gym Cubs is a local gymnastics program for us that is walking to 3, and Gym Bears 3-6. It is great for teaching coordination, confidence and learning to participate with a group- especially waiting waiting your turn. Call your local gymnastics gym to see if they offer any baby or toddler classes or go online to find a YMCA near you. Many Y’s will offer not only some sort of tumbling gymnastics class but swimming with a parent as well. There is also The Little Gym which has locations in many states with all sorts of physical offerings for infants all the way to 12 yr olds. Itsy Bitsy Yoga- if your lucky to have one near you, is a great bonding and physical activity for you and your little one. We have a gap near us where they are unfortunately no yoga offerings for the 2-4 yr old crowd… so we do our downward dog together in the living room for now.
Storytime! Yes, a great way to spend a boring rainy or chilly day. Many libraries and small bookstores offer storytime. Even little babies will enjoy it. We use to go, when we could find a seat! Our neighborhood branch had a very popular storytime. Go and your little one will likely enjoy hearing someone else read for a change.
Find a Music Together location.
Other music programs include Kindermusik and Gymboree.
Also see Gymboree Play and Learn for activities.
Find a library or check with your local bookstore to see if they offer storytime.
Can you have a lead-free, BPA-free, phthalate-free, worry free holiday season?? God- I hope so. With all the ability to test, research and procure we are bound to have a safer gift giving season. In my house, it means I am researching the toys we give my daughter, limiting what we are giving her, looking for wooded toys, buying US and European and hoping our generous relatives follow suit. We’re in the same boat with everyone- you can’t have total control over what other people pick out for them. So I have hit the internet to check out where to look for reviews and tests, who is carrying the good stuff, and maybe even how to get a deal!
Check out: Fawn and Forest~ one of my favs with lots of natural and eco friendly products, even many handmade. They have a bunch of giveaways with purchases with month too!
Etsy’s Natural Kids section features handmade clothes and toys that are carefully, naturally and lovingly made. You’ll be dealing right with the creator so their standards are especially high.
Palumba~ a beautiful selection of all natural toys and gifts
Oompa Toys~ Lots of nice wooden toys, they have a link that you can see where all the manufacturers of the toys they sell are made.
Craftsbury Kids more handmade, high quality toys and items for kids.
Want to support us? Click on Earthy Birthy Mama, Nubius Organics, Baby Earth or Wild Dill on the right for your safer all natural toys and we’ll get a percentage of the proceeds! (albeit a small one but everything helps support the site!)
Last but not least~ Cool Mom Picks for a great safe toy gift guide and a bunch a deals listed, too! Click above.
Where to go if you’re worried: HealthyToys.org will be available on Dec. 3rd with loads of info on dangerous/safe toys. Consumer Safety Product Commission, Recalls.gov and the CDC Lead Program are all sites that will have recall information.
Still worried about that toy your kido got from your aunt in the midwest- which he/she loves and will flip if its suddenly “missing”? Buy a lead testing kit, they can be found at most big hardware stores and online.
Sound advice: remember always buy for your child’s age group, some toys are meant for older kids because they are age appropriate but many times it’s for safety reasons.
I just read an article about vitamin D and how the American Association of Pediatrics has doubled the recommended daily amount of it from 200iu to 400iu. It’s a good article and definitely worth checking out:
washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/13/AR2008101300995.html
Vitamin D sources include cod liver oil, milk, and can also be created by human bodies when exposed to sunlight. Exposure to sunlight has its own problems, so most people these days take supplements.
So I am back on my what seems to be on a never ending search to find an all natural deodorant that really works. Back in college (more than 10 years ago, and I’ll leave it at that) I heard a few reports about talc/aluminum, the number one ingredient in deodorant being tied to cancers, alzheimer’s and many other sad health affects. One report highlighted ties to breast cancer, think about where you put your deodorant and you put it on generally right after showering when you pores are open and most vulnerable to absorption. So I stopped using regular brands that contained aluminum and switched to all natural deodorants. Well, I smelled. No really, I spent a lot of money testing all sorts of brands, including Tom’s of Maine, Kiss My Face, Dr. Hauschka, Nature’s Gate, etc. And they didn’t work. Some had really nice light natural fragrances, but by mid-day trekking around campus, left me smelly. I have to point out that I am not an unusually sweaty person, but I work out (and in those days ran) and just couldn’t find one that worked. So I gave up after a couple of years of earnest effort and went back to wearing Secret.
Fast forward, when my daughter was born I almost entirely stopped wearing deodorant while I nursed her for the first year, I was more worried about some getting on her than I was about myself. But in the last 6 months or so I decided to give my search another chance. I figured with all the time that has passed surely someone has found the winning combination of ingredients that can match what aluminum does. So I went to Whole Foods where they have the best selection in my area, and asked lots of questions of what was new and worked well. First one I tried was a beeswax based formula and it worked ok, but it was yellow and anything it touched was stained yellow. That was no good, then I tried Tom’s of Maine Long Lasting Roll-On, I just felt like it never dried. The last one I am on is from Nature de France, le Stick, it has a nice light scent and works ok, I feel like if its an especially active day, reapplication is a must. I was going to try a rock crystal but was advised by a friend that they work pretty well but stings like crazy on a post shave application. For now I am using what I have but will probably try something else again. But I am going to try to stick with the safer all natural varieties. Do you have one you have tried and works? I’d love to hear about it and might even give it a try.
I am happy to see the days of summer dwindle for one reason, and one alone. The winter hiatus of the ice cream man. You would too if you lived in my house. We live in an urban area so the ice cream man is more than a daily visit, it’s 3 different trucks that drive down our street starting when school releases all the way to 7:30 at night. Two of them play music, one is something like “Pop goes the weasel” and the other is “When the saints go marching in”, the third just dings a bell. And they are the bane of my existence.
As you might know, I have a 2.5 year old daughter who loves ice cream and a well meaning husband who bought her ice cream from one of the trucks late last summer as a “special treat”. Well this summer rolled around and she knew, her ears primed for the music and bells and was excited the first warm day they came back to harass my neighborhood. No matter how hard we tried to tell her it was a special, occasional goody, she was in a flurry of panic when she heard the ice cream sounds coming from streets away. She would look for money, she would frantically tell the little kids in the neighborhood kids “ice cream is coming!!”, which they eventually caught on to, tricking her to think it was coming loving to get her whipped up about it.
But it was hard to get her off of the excitement and deliver the disappointment, “no, honey, we aren’t getting ice cream tonight”. Tears start, “No, why!!!!! Oh no! Why? Please!” and then to have it happen one or two times more, and she would get stressed to hear them and know we aren’t buying. She would actually say, “Oh no, not again! not again…” As if to even be saying herself, stop torturing me with your ice cream calls. But she’s hooked and we are too late to unhook her. Who knew it would turn into this, that the lure for terrible ice cream sold from trucks would be so strong. I know this is silly, a very no problem sort of an issue, but I want to know- do the ice cream men know how hard it is say no 3 times a night?!
Some healthier ice cream alternatives for your little ones:
Cool Fruits All Natural Freezer Pops
Fudgsicle a satisfying 60 calorie treat
Natural Choice Frozen Fruit Bars
Ciao Bella Sorbetto
365 Every Day ValueFrozen Fruit Bar
