What to do with Birthday Money

What my son's birthday money went toward: driving a taxi.

As my daughter’s birthday approaches, I have to be honest: I dread more stuff coming into our house.  It seems as if we finally picked up the wrapping paper from Christmas and her brother’s birthday.  But here we are: getting ready to bring in the loot.

Although there’s not much I can do about that (I do want my daughter to enjoy the gifts from her friends), I have decided that the cash she gets from relatives is not going toward more stuff!  So I’ve been brainstorming what to do with it (besides putting all of it in savings) and ways we've spent the money in the past. 

Classes: Since my kids don't yet know how much classes cost, I often say the money went toward a class they are currently taking.  Ballet/gymnastics/sports classes aren’t cheap.  I think it’s good for them to know that classes cost money and that Grandma is supporting their love of dance/soccer. Sometimes the class cost more than a $50 check, but that’s okay.

Rides I Normally Wouldn’t Spend Money On: My son loves the little train that travels around the mall, as well as play on those quarter-fed little vehicles at the mall.  On his last birthday, we put the money toward both of us riding the train.  We had a fun time waving to mall patrons.  I think he also realized that we won’t be riding the train every time we go to the mall—we were able to do it with his birthday money.  Although, to me, the ride is a waste of money, it’s a fun experience for him and there’s no take-way mess/clutter afterward (although he did play with that punched train ticket for days).

A Fun Day Together:  Although I can afford to take my children places like bowling or ice skating, it adds up.  By my children using their birthday money towards fun days out, I think they appreciate them a little more.  It’s also nice to be able to tell a relative that the money was spent on a family activity vs. another Barbie doll.

Food Related Fun:  My daughter loves to bake.  I think she would have fun buying supplies I’m to normally willing to buy: sprinkles, colored sugar, cupcake wrappers, you name it.  And I’d much prefer doing this than having a baking kit or Easy Bake Oven sitting around collecting dust.  What’s nice about creating with food is, when you’re done creating it, you eat it!  (See my post on this: Anti-Crafting: Crafts That Don’t Use Paper, Scissors, Glue, or Tape)

Seeds and Such:  It’s getting warmer, and my kids and I are excited to begin planting.  What fun it will be for them to pick out their own plants or seeds and pay the cashier with their own money.  This can also be a learning experience as to what else they’ll need: soil?  gardening gloves?  Do they have enough money? If not, what is the most important items they need/want? Can they share certain items?

I believe a whole roll of tape was
 used for these lovely stuffed animal garments.

Supplies They Borrow from You:  Anyone else out of tape every time you need it because your little one used it to wrap a gift for her stuffed possum?  Instead, I might have my daughter buy her own tape/Post-Its/whatever gets swiped from my desk for projects.  This may sound greedy, but I have a feeling that if my daughter paid for tape, she might conserve it a little more than when it seems there’s an endless supply.

 

Sharing the Wealth: I have two children.  They might (MIGHT) buy into getting something the two of them can both enjoy, such as treating their sibling to ice cream.  It's a win-win  It's worth a try.

(Please note that that my kids are still little pipsqueaks.  I don’t think they're quite ready to donate money to charity.  I’d rather wait until they truly understand the concept.  We do donate in their teachers’ names for the holidays/end of year).

 

If you look through my suggestions, you should note that almost all of these end up adding 0% clutter to the house and 100% happy children.

Do you have a good use of birthday money?

Alone Time for All

A couple of months ago, my four-year old stopped needing a nap.  Great.  Nap time was the only time during the day I had to myself to write and veg out a little (okay, and eat chocolate). 

Soon after, I was given a double-whammy: my two year-old also felt he could live off bedtime alone. 

I began scouring pages of Pinterest for activities they could do alone.  I went through my hoarder-style closet full of toys I bought for a rainy day but had never given them. 

As a former teacher, I thought it’d be best to create a calendar arranged by theme of what they could do in what I dubbed “Alone Time” while I continued on with my old routine.

I planned to have the kids work on math-related activities one day, art another, etc.  I created boxes with fun math things, brand new art ideas…

FAIL!

The activities and toys were so foreign, the kids had no idea what to do with them.  I was called in again and again to help them.  My son plain wasn’t interested in the toys he’d never seen before.  I didn’t get it: on Pinterest, these Alone Time bins worked like magic.

As I was rearranging toys in my bedroom, my daughter came in and began to play with something we had done together a bunch of times and then I had put away.  Well, what do you know: now she was ready for it to be played with solo.

And that’s when I realized something: we could still do the fun activities I had planned, but we’d need to do them together first.  They needed to explore them when I could answer questions and show them how fun they could be.

I needed to flip the toys in my house.  The toys that were in the living room that we played with together a million times could be used in their bedrooms for Alone Time.  The new toys would then go in the living room where the kids and I could play with them together.

The kids didn’t need to do art alone.  Instead, we can do art together—this also allowed for messy supplies and scissors.  The cool princess dice and graph paper with dry erase markers would also be fun to do together.  Once she gets it, then it can be an option for alone time.  And I didn't need to be all teacher-y and have a planned agenda.  It would require too much work on my part and not really matter to the kids that much.

I’m excited to try my new plan.  I’ll report back on how it went.

Picking Up the Play Room

If there’s one word that doesn't describe me, it’s neat.  I did find a way to make clean up less daunting: Clean Up Flashcards.  By concentrating on just a couple toys each, cleaning up the play room is much more manageable. 

About ten minutes before bedtime, the kids blindly pull three Clean Up cards to know what items they need to put away that night.  My husband and I also choose some, so it’s a family task to pick up.  Some days some of the toys aren't even pulled out, so you end up with a “freebie” card.  We also have a catch-all bin for items that don’t really belong in any category; I usually also put those items away.

Here are the steps to make your own Clean Up Flashcards—they’re super easy to make.

Step 1: Provide a container for each kind of toy: one for blocks, one for books, etc.  (Being into reducing waste, I use empty diaper boxes as bins for toys.  That way, it’s easy for each type of toy to have it’s own container).

Step 2: Take a picture of each of the bins of toys.  Print.

Step 3: Create flashcards (I used large index cards for mine), with a picture and label of each bin.

Favorite Things for Parents of One Year Olds

Gift Ideas for PARENTS of One Year Olds

In my last post, I gave gift ideas for one year olds.  The below items are good gifts to give parents of a one year old.  If you've ever been to a one-year old birthday party, you know that the child is bombarded with gifts. Why not give something to the parents instead? There are so many useful products for parents out there. Here are some of my favorite.
*Please note that the links aren't the only place to find these products.

Bed/Sleep Stuff

Breathable Baby Crib Liner Once babies become more mobile, these breathable "bumper pads" help to keep limbs from sticking through the crib slates (I took mine down once my baby was starting to stand up in the crib, however.)

Leachco Easy Teether Crib Rail Cover and CribWrap Side Rail Covers I bought various other contraptions to cover the crib rails, but these were most successful. (The first link is for the front of the crib; the second link is for the two sides.)

Halo SleepSacks SleepSacks are great since little ones kick off blankets.  

Safety Gripper Door Stop My son loves to play with his bedroom door.  At first I bought a typical door stop, but he was quick to figure out how to pull it out.  This one is a little trickier for him since it slides under the door.

Food Stuff

Bumkin Bibs  My favorite meal time bibs come from Bumpkin.  They're thin, so not too stiff.  They can easily be cleaned—either by hand or in the washing machine.  Lots of fun designs, too.  

Gerber Sip and Smile Sippy Cups  These are my absolute favorite sippy cups.  They really don't leak and come either with handles or without.

Ikea Long-sleeved Bib One thing I hate about winter is how both of my babies had to learn to feed themselves while wearing long sleeved shirts.  Not matter how much you try to roll them up, they get filthy.  Ikea has a bib with long sleeves.  It totally helps to protect those winter shirts. 

Out & About

Boppy Shopping Cart Cover This one was especially good for both high chairs and shopping carts.   

Eddie Bauer Shopping Cart Cover This one was nice because it already has a seat belt built in, which is good since we all know about one in every five carts has a working seat belt. 

One Step Ahead's Wrap Strap Shopping Cart Safety Strap  This was handy once my baby was getting too big for the shopping cart's seat belt and, like the Eddie Bauer one, is nice since you don't need to search around for a shopping cart that has a good lap strap.

California Baby Sunblock Stick  I found this to be the easiest sunblock to apply to a squirming baby. 

Chicco Capri Lightweight (Umbrella) Stroller I couldn’t find the one I have online (it’s a pretty lime green one) but I believe this is very similar.  Mine rolls well, has high handles, is lightweight, and folds up slim.  It also came with a bag to store it in, which worked great at the airport.

My Favorites for the Baby Registry

Seasoned mothers: don’t you wish you knew then what you know now when you were a new mom? It was definitely a live and learn experience. Unfortunately (or fortunately), you’ll never have to go through that experience of being a new mom again.

A friend of mine recently contacted me. She is pregnant with her first child and is beginning the daunting task of creating her baby registry. She wanted suggestions from her friends on what to get. I also had contacted friends (as well as using my sister’s registry from the year before) to create my registry.

I decided to share some of my favorite things to have for a newborn. I threw in some green tips here and there as well.

Diapers—I found Huggies and Pampers Swaddlers to be the best. They both have a color-changing stripe on their newborn diapers that helps to know if your baby has urinated. (It’s obvious if they pooped, but not so much if they peed. And you’re supposed to keep track of how many times a day they do each.) To me, the grocery store brand of diapers ran big—too big for a newborn. I now use them on Baby Bear as they work just as well and are almost half the price. (I also noticed that the grocery store gives coupons at the checkout for the competitor’s brand of diapers. Save the coupons for later or stock up on bigger-sized diapers)

Wipes—If you put wipes on your registry (which I’d recommend, along with laundry detergent and diapers), be sure to sign up for refill packs and not the wipes already in the dispenser. You only need one or two dispensers for your house. Although I began by buying Seventh Generation wipes because they were chlorine-free, I now use generic wipes because they come in a huge bag.

Changing pad covers—You’re going to need cloth changing pad covers (2), but I also used disposable ones on top of the cloth one so I wouldn’t have to do laundry as often. (You only need to use a new one if it gets leaked on.) I used Especially for Baby brand; however, they make them large enough to cover the entire changing table, which you don’t need. You can cut these into halves or fourths or buy ones labeled multi-use pads, which are about the size you need.

Soap—I like Nature’s Paradise Baby Organic Conditioning Coconut Shampoo and Body Wash. It doesn’t leave a slimy residue in the bathwater that even California Baby did. It’s also organic, all natural, and doesn’t contain common allergens. You have to order it online http://www.naturesparadiseorganice.com/or buy it at boutiques.

Shampoo—Although Nature’s Paradise is also a shampoo, it mentions that it isn’t tear-free. Because I liked that baby-head smell, I started using regular baby shampoo. When I went in for Baby Bear’s first haircut, she had a very crusty scalp. The stylist said it was a wax buildup from the shampoo I was using. When I switched shampoos (Cookie Cutters brand), the gunk went away.

Laundry detergent—Before Baby Bear was born (and I actually had free time), I did research on what detergents are the best for the environment as well as the safest for newborn babies: this website was helpful www.diaperjungle.com/detergent-chart.html. Ecos brand Free and Clear(found at most grocery stores) was at the top of the list. Seventh Generation was near the top but contained enzymes and softeners.

Clothes—When buying clothes, realize that your baby will be lying down 99% of the time. You really only need one nice outfit, and, chances are, you’ll get a bunch as gifts from friends. Buy onesies instead. (And when you buy clothes, remove the hangers at the store so they can reuse them. I know I only ended up hanging Baby Bear’s dressiest clothes and kept all of her everyday outfits at close reach.)

Socks—I don’t really understand how socks just spontaneously fall off, but they do. Don’t use them if you don’t need to. If you do, the best brand is Trumpette—found online (http://www.trumpette.com/) and in boutiques. Not only do they stay on, the girl socks look like Mary Jane shoes and the boy socks look like sporty shoes.

Sleepsacks—In your baby class, they’ll teach you how to properly swaddle your baby. The problem is, a real baby can break through that swaddle within minutes. I loved swaddlers with Velcro closures, such as Kiddopotamus brand swaddlers and Halo SleepSack Swaddlers both sold at Babies R Us. Get at least two.

Breast pump—I followed my sister’s advice and bought a Medela. It came in a backpack to easily transport and can run on electricity or battery. I would recommend getting at least one extra set of equipment as all the parts need to be dry when you use it, and you’re supposed to wash the pieces after each use. I’d also buy nipples for the bottles. Otherwise you need to transfer the milk from the Medela bottles to real bottles to feed your baby. A must for pumping: a hands-free bra. The best brand is Easy Expression Hands-Free Pumping Bras, which sells a bustier you put on without having to remove your shirt or regular nursing bra. They sell them online at http://www.easyexpressionproducts.com/ as well as at A Pea in the Pod, Destination Maternity, and Buy Buy Baby.

Book—Best book in the world: BabyWise by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam. Read it, learn it, live it.

Recalls—I recommend joining the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s listerv: http://www.cpsc.gov/. They send you emails when toys and baby products are recalled.

Pesky Cradle Cap

You’re scheduled for pictures of your little pipsqueak only to find that your baby’s head is covered in scales. What is it? And how can you get it to go away?

After thumbing through my handy baby reference books (see sidebar), I found that cradle cap is considered a type of dermatitis of the scalp. To get rid of the scales, they suggest rubbing mineral oil (which is baby oil sans the fragrance) or petroleum jelly on the scalp, wait a bit, and then shampoo. When Baby Bear was still a tiny cub, she actually loved when I “massaged” her scalp using a Q-Tip and mineral oil. It really worked well.

Now that she’s 9 months, I noticed cradle cap returning. When I went in for her first haircut, I mentioned it to the stylist, who had her own theory. She said that cradle cap was actually caused by Baby Bear’s cheap shampoo. Supposedly, the wax in it helps protect the scalp. But the wax can also build up and block the hair follicles causing the hair to fall out. Yikes!

After frequent combings to remove the loose flakes and switching shampoo, the scales are gone. Now I’m not sure what to believe about cradle cap. Is it pieces of the scalp or leftover wax from the shampoo? Whatever it is, it seems that using an oily substance to loosen it helps, as well as possibly trying a different shampoo.

I’d love to hear what others have learned about cradle cap.