Friendship, for Mums

After my daughter was born, I felt so isolated. My husband went back to work after a glorious - and exhausting - month of tandem newborn parenting; suddenly, it was just me and Mia. On top of that we moved for a three month stint in a different province while she was 3-6 months old – then moved again when she was just shy of a year! My BBFs (before baby friends) pretty much made the requisite newborn visit and that was it. They mostly had older children of their own, so we weren’t in the same trenches. The friends without children… well, they weren’t interested in my favourite (okay, only) topic of conversation, and suddenly staying up late or going out was not an option for us.

Meanwhile, I was going mad without adult conversation!

After a while – when I recovered from the birth, and the shock of having a new baby - I realized that it was entirely up to me to get out of the housebound rut and make some new friends.  I really am a shy person. It is not at all second nature to me to go out and meet people; it is a major effort to get over myself and stop being such a loner! Here’s how I overcame my shyness and made some mum friends that I have a lot in common with – because that was one of the hardest parts of having a baby, for me.

Here are some of the things I did that helped me make some great new friends.

• Sign up for Baby and Me classes. Here are some places to try – your library, recreation center, fitness studio, Early Years centres (in Ontario – I’m not sure what the equivalent is elsewhere), and community centres. I joined Baby Goose at the library, which was a half-hour, once-a-week stories-and-songs program that went on for eight weeks and was quite inexpensive (I can’t recall, but I think it was around $40 at my library).  Most libraries offer programs for children.
  
  I also joined a Mother Goose program put on by Early Years, which was free (!), and that was amazing – mums’ chat time before and after, songs, stories, and lots of resources like guest speakers on topics like car seats, vaccinations, that sort of thing. I highly recommend that program if you have one in your area!
  
  A Mommy and Me Aquafit class at the local pool was also loads of fun. The babies sat in floating turtles, and us mums tugged or pushed them around the pool. We got a decent workout, the babies got to enjoy the water, as well as meeting some new friends.  There are loads of fitness programs for mums and babies; check your local rec centre, yoga studio, or look up a program like Salsa Babies. The fitness programs are generally a little more expensive, but it’s great for the self-esteem to start working out post-partum, and if you can take your baby with you, you don’t have to worry about arranging babysitting or sketchy gym childcare!


• Do drop in at the drop-in play centres. I went to one in a local church basement that had loads of toys, lots of kids, and friendly people (again run by Early Years). They had a toddler and a bigger-kid room, and did circle time and snack time as well, for the once-weekly morning drop-in. That one was free; many of the drop-in play centres have a small fee, $2 or so. Check in your area – there are bound to be centres near you in community facilities or churches (often without a religious aspect, if that is holding you back). The parents are generally local and are often regular attendees, so you will definitely have a chance to get to know some new friends if you go back a few times 


• Look online for mummy groups. I found one when we were in Calgary the first time on Meetup.com, just by searching my neighbourhood and interest. I managed to meet some really awesome people and have made at least one good friend that way – we kept in touch while I was back in Ontario and she is one reason I was not hating the idea of moving to Calgary for good – I knew I had a friend here!
   
• Start your own group. Organized mums can post their groups on community forums or on the big sites like Meetup, Craigslist, Facebook, etcetera – and get a group of like-minded people together.
  
  After I had met a bunch of mums through the various classes in Ontario, I set up a Facebook group for mums of babies in the same age group in my town. I added some of the mums I’d met, and they added more. That group is still active and getting together for walks and playdates.  My group of mum friends here in Calgary also has a Facebook presence. That makes it so easy to keep up with what‘s going on, and to arrange outings and playdates.
   
• Get out of the house and talk to people. You will find that just about everyone wants to look at and comment on your new baby – and many of those people have something to offer, whether it is advice (wanted or unwanted!), or community. Smile at other mums you see, and say hi – it just might open the door to a new friend. Nursing and baby changing rooms at malls are often full of mums just like you – getting out of the house in the daytime with their babies. In the summer, the park is a good place to meet parents of children the same age as yours, who usually live conveniently nearby. You can meet new friends anywhere that you can strike up a conversation.
  
  As an example, we just signed some papers at the lawyer’s office. I got to chatting with the receptionist about moving to a new neighbourhood, and not knowing where to get a child’s hair cut. It turned out she has a daughter close in age to mine, and was able to recommend a children’s salon. After our appointment, she gave me her email address and said she gets together with some other mums if I’d like to join them some time. How easy is that? All it takes is being friendly.
   
• Ask for advice. Everyone LOVES to be asked their opinion or for advice. Really. Think of the last time you were able to help someone with something, even finding the right aisle in the grocery store – and you will remember the good feeling that helping someone out gives you. So give people the opportunity to have that feeling – ask a question of a likely stranger! See a mum perusing the baby aisle? Ask her which products her baby loves, or what she’d recommend. It’s such an easy opening to a conversation. 

One of my favourite things about being a parent is that Mia is an instant icebreaker, and I now have at least one obvious thing in common with a lot of the people I meet. Whether we like the same movies, books, music, whatever – it doesn’t really matter, as we always have something to talk about: our children.

Making friends has now become something I work at. Knowing people in the same phase of life makes such a HUGE difference. You can commiserate together, and celebrate the milestones.  Having friends with a baby the same age makes it easy to schedule playdates (with social benefits for mums and babies), talk over any troubles, get ideas for new things to try with your baby and get advice or resources when you need them.

I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the women I have met as a mother – they are funny, intelligent, friendly, and, perhaps best of all, are perfectly willing to talk about babies at length (as well as any other topic under the sun!).

I hope this inspires you to get out and make a new friend. It’s not as hard as you might think it is!

How have you expanded your social circle after children? I’d love to hear from my readers of experiences you’ve had meeting new friends – and any of your tips are welcome as well!

Cloth diapers - my stash review!

I have been using cloth for over a year now and thought it was high time to do a little comparison and review of the diapers in my stash. I found it overwhelming when I started out, with the number of different brands (and prices from $5 to $30 per diaper). How do they stack up?

Here are the diapers I have tried and what I thought of them. Most are OS pocket diapers.

Applecheeks. These are Canadian-made, high quality pockets (and pricey at around $30). The microfleece liner is soft and good quality - it does pill but not to the extent that some of the cheaper diapers do. The envelope design allows the insert to come out in the wash (most of the time). I like the bright, intense colours and the prints are cute as well. The bamboo inserts are absorbent, but I don't like how crunchy they get if line-dried, and when they are wet they seem to get hard, which must add to the discomfort of a wet diaper. The microfiber inserts are wonderful, very thick and absorbent and even indicate which side to put away from baby's skin to keep the moisture away. The downside - again, the diapers are tight on my baby's thighs. They come in two sizes, I have gone through size 1 and 2's and even at the largest setting they do leave welts on my chunky daughter's thighs. She is not at the weight max by far; she just has fat little thighs. And she is walking and showing no sign of slimming down (I can only hope that by the time she's in her teens her thighs are more in line with the rest of her!).

Bamboo Baby. Canadian-made. These are the only AIO diapers I have. I have mixed feelings about them. They are extremely absorbent, don't leak, and are very soft if dried in the dryer - stiff and crunchy if line-dried. The velcro laundry tabs work most of the time.  My daughter has figured out how to undo velcro, and it's only a matter of time before that translates to taking these off herself, but so far, so good. (They are also available in snaps). I don't like how they really keep the moisture close to her skin, though. About $20 each.

Best Bottom. I was apprehensive about these ones at first. They are a PUL cover (unlined) that you snap inserts into. You can reuse the cover by wiping it and snapping in new inserts to change wet diapers, and replacing dirty ones entirely. My apprehension is twofold - the PUL right against baby's skin, and the inserts seeming to keep moisture against baby's skin as well. I have grown more fond of these in recent months. I like how easy it is to change the wet inserts out. It is less bulky than many other diapers, and if you are out and about it's less to carry around in the diaper bag - just bring a few inserts and a cover along instead of 3-4 full out diapers. I like the double leg gussets. Poop is kinda gross in them (but when isn't it gross...). About $18

BumGenius. I don't have a lot of "big name" diapers because I started out with cheapies and then could not justify the price of the brand name versions. However, a friend gave me a BG 4.0 Artist Series and you really can tell the difference in quality of the fabrics. The PUL is soft and thick. The microfleece is fine, soft, and resists pilling. Nice thick microfiber inserts. Is it worth the price, though - around $30 each? I am not entirely convinced.

Charlie Banana. This is a really nice diaper, good quality.  They come with two microfiber inserts (a longer and a shorter). Double up for extra absorbency, or just use the small for a smaller baby and the large when she grows. I have found the inserts get a little stiffer than most of my other inserts. Not sure why.  I have a plain one in "butter", but looking at their website they have some really adorable prints and a "Fashion Collection" that I love. Mid-range at about $21 per.

ComfyRumps. This is a Canadian company, but Chinese-made diapers. One of the first diapers I tried (read my original review of ComfyRumps diapers), and these are still in daily use at our house. They're cheap (around $7 a diaper) and plain (though now they have a few prints and minky diapers). I had two of my dozen delaminate and that seems to be a common complaint if you read their Facebook page. They will replace faulty diapers, but it can be tricky getting a response from the company. The microfleece has pilled fairly heavily but is still functional. However for the price I am quite happy with my ComfyRumps. The microfiber inserts have thinned out and stiffened over the year, but I could always pick up new inserts (which I probably would not buy from CR) if I wanted to. They have fit from newborn (around 8 lbs) to now at 23 lbs, and still have room to grow in the snap settings. I think they have modified their design a bit from when I bought, but still I would recommend these.

Giggle Life.  Again, I only have one of these that a friend gave me. The microfleece liner has pilled quite a lot - the most of all my diapers. I have found that there is "seepage" along the seams - not enough to call a leak, but poop has stained the outside of the diaper where it has wicked out along the stitching at  the inner thigh. The outer is TPU (not PUL) so is softer and less plasticky, but breaks down more quickly if you wash in hot water or use the dryer. Good fit but another I would not invest in if I were to buy. They are about $18 each or cheaper if you buy by the dozen. I will say that my daughter (a heavy wetter who needs to be changed every 2 hours at minimum) once went 4 hours in this diaper with no leaks.

Go Green  I only have one of these, a "fuzzy", and they're pretty good for Chinese-made cheapies (approximately $7). The elasticized hole to stuff prevents the insert from coming out in the wash, which is a pain. The Go Green does have wing snaps. Overall, functional diapers (and cheap, and lots of cute prints available) but would not be my first choice to buy. That said, I have not tried the Go Green Champ and have heard good things about it. Would love to try that one out. *Go Green and Lovely are IMO pretty much the same diaper

Happy Heinys These have cute prints and fabulous inserts (fluffy and soft even when air-dried, and quite absorbent. They have lots of snap settings and don't tend to droop. Good fit on my chubby-legged daughter and rarely leak (remember, she's a heavy wetter). 


Knickernappies. American made. My husband hates that these are side-snapping, I don't mind it.The hemp Loopy-Do insert is quite absorbent, but is wide and bulky. Two inserts come with every diaper. A fine everyday kinda diaper. They have loads of room to grow and fit chunky thighs beautifully. About $22 for the diaper with microfiber inserts, $27 if you choose the hemp inserts.

Lovely Diapers. I only have one of these, a "fuzzy", and they're pretty good Chinese-made cheapies (approximately $7). The elasticized hole to stuff prevents the insert from coming out in the wash, which is a pain.  My Lovely diaper has had a snap fall off (they offered to replace the diaper if I sent it back - not worth the shipping IMO). It does have a vast rise, and is the only diaper in my stash in which we are not on the largest rise setting. Lots of great prints available. *Go Green and Lovely are IMO pretty much the same diaper

Monkey Doodlez. I haven't used their diapers, per se - but I love their swim diapers. Mia's on her second size and I'm ready to buy the next size up (if anyone hears of a Monkey Doodlez sale, let me know please!). At $20 a pop they are pricey, but we love taking Mia swimming and they are super cute. I only wish they lasted longer in terms of size. Note: We have never experienced an "aquadump" (as my husband so charmingly puts it), so I can't entirely vouch for the containment properties!

OsoCozy Diapers. I have just one of their all-in-one diapers. The first time I used it, it leaked out the legs, but I think I hadn't tightened the Aplix enough. The second time I used it, Mia had it on under a dress and at naptime I went in to find her standing in her crib with a wet diaper in her hands, having removed it herself! The down side of Aplix! However, under clothing it is fine and no leaks since I tighten it a bit more. I find the cotton takes ages and ages to dry. At least two days hung on a drying rack indoors. I love the deep purple colour of the one we have. I do find the cloth/elastic at the legs is a bit less soft than I would like (it's almost like a hard edge because the fabric is stiff), but overall this is one I use often.

Rumparooz. I have tried their fitted and one-size. I love the double gussets in the fleece. I don't love the inserts - they are pretty standard micro-fleece, quite thin. They have snaps on the inserts for size settings/doubling up in front or back, as well as the "super-R" soakers which are smaller, hourglass shaped inserts for doubling. I don't find the inserts that absorbent (they're thin!). I also find that these have too many snaps. Four snaps at each side. It does prevent droop, but it's a pain and I can't always get a good combination of thigh to waist settings because the snaps are close together. With a tiny waist and chubby thighs, these are not the best for my daughter.

Sunbaby. These come in fabulous prints that change all the time and are dead cheap. I think I got 12 for $60, shipping included from China to Canada. It's a Chinese brand, supposedly with good labour practices if you believe the website. They worked well (no leaks, narrow microfiber inserts that were just fine in terms of absorbency) but sadly my daughter has enormously chunky thighs, and by the time she was 7 or 8 months old they would leave red welts even on the largest setting. I ended up selling the entire bunch on to a friend with a skinnier baby. I miss the cuteness. I understand that Sunbaby has recently created a new size that is larger and I am tempted to give them a shot - except I really do have enough diapers.

Wudda H. A Malaysian diaper that did not fit well when Mia was smaller, but now is one of my favourites. Great fit on Mia. It's not much to look at (plain white) but is a great diaper. The liner is some kind of terry (bamboo blend, perhaps?) that is soft after many washes and wicks moisture away. The soft, absorbent insert snaps into the pocket and has the same fabric on the upper layer. I have no idea what these cost in Canadian dollars (I think I must have won the one I have) but I like it a lot. I find their online store is a bit confusing.
** Note: delaminated after about 6 months' frequent use. That's disappointing! The nice bamboo terry/microfiber insert is still in rotation, though.

Zippy Doo. I still adore the fabrics (read the full Zippy Doo diaper review) and quality of these American WAHM-made fitteds. I still resist using a cover - another layer adds bulk - so these have ended up on low rotation for now. I think I'll use these more in the summer when I don't need to put a cover and pants on Mia. They are quite absorbent and so, super, lovely-soft. They take quite a while to dry, but I feel fine with putting them in the dryer as there is no PUL to delaminate or destroy, of course. The fit is great. Around $22.

more to add later...

Disclosure: this is a totally unsponsored, unbiased, non-affiliated, spur of the moment post. 

Sleep....

My baby doesn't sleep. Still. She's 13 months and a week old. Still up five times a night, usually (more often now than she was night waking at 16 weeks) - nursing every time, because it's easier and kinder to all of us for me to bust a boob out and be back in bed 15 minutes later than to lie there for an hour not sleeping, listening to her cry until she cries so hard she throws up and then spend the next half hour scrubbing puke out of the carpet. That's my effort at letting her self-soothe and it does not work for this baby (and I feel like such a JERK for lying there while she is upset, too). I have tried more than once but it just doesn't sit right with me to ignore her cries. CIO is simply not for us. It doesn't work and it makes us all miserable.

I have ended up using overnight disposables at night (cloth during the day) because I was changing her three times a night with cloth. Yes, doubled-up with hemp inserts. I tried all kinds of things. She's a super heavy wetter and with so much night nursing, cloth just doesn't work for now. I still change her disposable at 5am because if I don't, she's soaked through her sleeper and the crib sheet by 7.

Bedtime is often a battle, involving crying. We have a bedtime routine - a sleep sheep, a bottle of water in the crib, a favourite bunny, bath time, stories and cuddles. Some nights she is so tired she crashes fast. But it's still a battle. She wakes after about an hour and a half every night, crying. I could set a clock by it. And then at 11, 12:30, 2:30, 5, and sometimes she will wake just 15 minutes after I get her back to sleep, crying. Bad dreams? Maybe not all the burps came out, although I do burp her after every nurse? I don't know.

And she doesn't nap without a good hard fight, either. Some days she does not nap at all and those are long, long days. Some days she will have two naps (rare) and those are great days.

Meanwhile, I'm exhausted... so tired all the time. I haven't gotten a solid night's sleep in over a year and a half (I couldn't sleep through the night myself when I was pregnant). I can't even imagine waking up feeling well-rested.

When did your little one sleep through the night? I want to hear from the long-haulers, the mamas who stuck with attending their babies when they cried, the night nursers and attachment parents. Tell me this will not go on forever.

True story... as I was writing this, she woke up, 40 minutes after she went down at bedtime... sigh.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

A bowl full of luck o' the Irish for ya!

Tints of Nature hair colour - Giveaway!

I dyed my hair for many, many years - from black to bright (primary) red and pretty much everything in between, including stripes! I did it for fun as I was young and had the time on my hands.

Shall we see some photos? Hmm... Well, here's one I found from when I dyed my hair straight up black. Back when I was just 18. Oh, those crazy university days. Haven't changed much, have I? (shh, just agree!)

These days I'm much more concerned and aware about what chemicals and products I use - both for my own health and for their effect in an environmental sense. So if I were to pick back up on dying my hair (and, honestly, now it would be more for hiding those grey hairs I see coming in than for fun), I would definitely choose one that is low-impact, both on me and on the earth.

Sadly for me I do not just now have the time or energy to dye my hair - I am a low-maintenance kind of girl, especially with a busy (very, very busy, and also still sleepless) toddler. Maybe one day.

However! I am pleased to share with my readers the brand Tints of Nature, which I have learned is ammonia-free, has no parabens, no resorcinol, no propylene glycol, and low levels of paraphenylenediamines (pigment) and highest quality, mildest peroxide. It also contains natural and up to 60% organic (either Soil Certification Organic Standard or certified by ECOCERT) ingredients such as orange, aloe, comfrey, chamomile, grapefruit as well as Vitamins C and E.

Tints of Nature is free from animal products and is not tested on animals (thank you).

There are 24 colours to choose from, including five new shades (Very Light Golden Blonde, Ash Blonde, Medium Ash Brown, Fiery Red and Dark Copper Blonde). Hmm, the names alone make me consider getting back into a little colour!

Inside the (recycled) packaging, you will also find a clarifying shampoo for use before colouring as well as pH balanced shampoo and conditioner for after colour care.

You can pick this up at selected stores such as Loblaws, Superstores, Fortinos and Whole Foods, as well as at organic and health stores.

AND - great news - I am hosting a giveaway for Tints of Nature as well! One of my Canadian readers will win their choice of colour (ARV $18.99)!

This is a Rafflecopter giveaway - wait for the form to load, and if you don't see it click "Read More"! 

My baby

My baby with her fluffy butt, contemplating the colander.

Goodlife Fitness - Jump! Child Care Review

This is something I don't do very often - write a negative review. I had a really disturbing experience lately, though, and did provide the company ample opportunity to respond, which they did not. So I'd like to share here what happened in the spirit of a reminder to be alert and be thorough when you are choosing child care providers.

On February 27th, my friend and I visited the Canyon Meadows Goodlife Fitness Club (on Macleod Trail) in Calgary. She has two young daughters, a three year old (G.) and a one year old (H.), and I, of course, have a one year old daughter (Mia). She has taken G. to the Jump! center before and everything has been fine before, so we thought we'd try taking the babies for a half-hour test run. I'd never left Mia with a care facility before, so it was a little high-anxiety to begin with for me.

We arrived at the club at around 9:40 am. We checked in, settled the girls. G. went off to play, and H. was playing as well. I sat Mia in front of the bookshelf and she set to playing with the books. I said on my way out that Mia is "used to constant supervision" (my words exactly) - perhaps I was not clear enough and should have said that at her age, she NEEDS constant and attentive supervision as she has an avid curiosity about the world and no sense of danger. I guess I expected that child care providers would know that about one year olds. Mistake.

The child care center at the time of my check in had 9 children (the girl on the desk mentioned this as she had just done a count); at least one of these was an infant in a car seat, I would guess 5 children under 18 months and around 3 children under 6. There was one Goodlife staff member at the desk (in a Goodlife staff shirt), who remained at the desk for all the times I looked in with the exception I will mention later. There were two other adults that I saw in the Jump! center and on speaking with one of them she said she was the mother of one of the children and was "volunteering" (her word) there. Neither of these women were wearing Goodlife staff shirts so I believe they were not staff members per se.

My friend and I went to the change room for a couple minutes to stow our stuff in lockers, and then went to check through the window of the child care center. G. was playing happily, H. was playing at a child set of table and chairs, Mia was still looking at books.

My friend and I went to the elliptical trainers to warm up. The plan was 10 minutes of warm-up, check on the girls again, followed by the circuit and then to pick up the girls. We managed to get 9 minutes in on the elliptical trainers before the girl in the Goodlife shirt from the Jump! desk came out to us. She asked, "Are you H's mum?" to my friend, "She's had a boo-boo".

My friend and I rushed to follow her to the Jump center. H. was in one of the women's arms, screaming, with blood on her face. There were bloody baby wipes and tissues on the floor. On a closer look, H. had a gash in her forehead that was about 3/4" long and gaping open right down to the bone. They said H. had fallen against a wooden fence installed around the child play area. All three of the adults were gathered around her.

My friend took H., one of the volunteers (I will call her that, I am not certain of her status) told her to apply pressure and that they'd already tried an ice pack. The volunteer then applied two bandaids to H's forehead - catching her hair and her eyebrow in the adhesive (which later proved even more painful when they were removed to treat the wound). The volunteer told my friend to take her to the urgent care clinic and asked if she knew where it was. Another parent luckily was able to give her directions. I ran to get my friend's coat from her locker and she rushed off with H., leaving G. with me.

I remained in the Jump! center for the next hour or so while I waited for G.'s dad to come pick her up. I absolutely did not feel comfortable leaving the children in the care of the staff after what had happened and on seeing that my daughter was playing with inappropriate toys at that time (more on that later).

As a result of this injury, H. will have a permanent scar on her forehead. The wound was open long enough that it could not be stitched and had to be glued. Any mother knows that accidents happen, and you can't prevent every fall. However, I don't believe this situation was unavoidable.

Here are my concerns about this situation and what I saw afterwards:

• If there is a procedure in place for injuries, it was clearly not followed. Here is why I say this:
  

• using baby wipes on a would cannot possibly be standard procedure. They contain chemicals, alcohol and fragrances and are not designed for wound care. Completely inappropriate.
• The staff applied an ice pack *before* contacting the mother of this child, as there was no ice pack in sight when we got into the center yet they mentioned it had been used. How long after H. arrived at the center did the injury happen, and how long before they went to get her mother? 
• on that note, there were no first aid supplies visible either in the immediate situation or even in a first aid kit on a wall that I saw.
• One of the supervisors should have been dealing with the injured child, and the remaining adults should have continued to supervise the other children (!).

• The most basic first aid training for cuts indicates Rest, Elevation, Direct Pressure (RED). H.'s head was elevated, and they were attempting to apply direct pressure to stop the bleeding. This much was done. First aid training beyond the most basic would indicate checking responses and eyes for signs of concussion with a head wound. I did not witness anyone doing this nor did anyone mention it. I'm not sure how much beyond the basic first aid training is required for child care but a blow to the head hard enough to cut to the bone does raise concerns of concussion.
  
• The gash on H.'s forehead was such that it would have taken quite a blow against a sharp edge to create. My friend suspects that H. (a curious and active 13 month old) may have been standing on a chair to fall that hard against the rail.
  
• While the three adult supervisors were all gathered around H., nobody was supervising the other children at all. Additional children had arrived and I would guess there were 12-15 children there, all under 5.
• All the adults in the Jump! center made every effort to downplay the injury. Calling it a "boo-boo" was only the beginning. Even after my friend left with H., the women were telling me, "Oh, it didn't bleed that much", "Kids heal fast", and "It will probably only need one stitch" (as though a baby needing even "only" one stitch was okay!!)

Besides the horrifying injury to H., -

• My daughter Mia (just 12 months) was playing unsupervised with crayons and pencil crayons when I came into the room. At her age, crayons are a choking hazard. Children this age put everything in their mouths, and have teeth to bite off chunks of crayon. Another little boy about the same age was playing with crayons as well. Pencil crayons are equally inappropriate for unsupervised play: sharp, pointy sticks, easy to fall on for wobbly early walkers who like to stumble around gripping things and/or chewing on things.
  
• The older children were not separated at all from the younger children (infants were in car seats or in exersaucers in the front area, but any child who was walking was in the larger play area). The older children were playing roughly and running around the unsteady toddlers. The volunteers were reprimanding them but it was largely ineffective.
  
• The older children were also giving the younger ones age-inappropriate toys (again a lack of supervision). One of the children (about 4) gave my daughter a piece of construction paper while I was there with her, watching over her and the little boy playing with the crayons. After about 10 minutes of the two of them playing with the paper and beginning to rip it to pieces, one of the volunteers came over and said, "Oh, she has paper! Are you okay with that?". I had been sitting right there and watching the two children so they would not eat the paper, and I recognize that my presence probably made the supervisors less diligent, but all the same it took her that long to notice that these young children had something they shouldn't. This is another indication to me that there were simply not enough adults present.
  

My recommendations for this club are as follows (and I can't believe these things are not in place already):

• a maximum ratio of children to adults. There were only two floating "volunteers" and one girl sitting at a desk for 12-15 children under 5. To me this is not nearly enough adults to manage that many young children. 
• soft flooring (they had several of the workout mats laid out over linoleum, which covered maybe 30% of the flooring). Put in carpet, or if that's too hard to keep clean, put in those foam interlocking mats or another type of soft floor covering. 
• sharp corners should be cushioned if not removed. Crib bumpers or low mats could be put against the lower half of the rails where children might hurt themselves.
• maps to the nearest emergency rooms/urgent care clinics should be available in case of emergency to provide to parents.
• First aid supplies should be readily accessible and available in the Jump! center
• Older children should be separated from younger ones (eg 3-5 in one area, 1 & 2 in another, infants in another) and each should have independent and adequate supervision.
• The staff on duty at the Jump! center at the time we were there (Monday, February 26th between approximately 9:40 - 11:20) need further training in first aid and on procedure.

I had been anticipating a morning that would be stressful for me in leaving my daughter with strangers for the first time, but hoped and believed it would all work out fine and I would be able to use the Jump! child care for daytime workouts, which would be extremely convenient. I am disappointed and frankly distressed by our experience there yesterday.

I can say with certainty that after what I saw there that day neither I nor my friend will be leaving our children at the Jump! center and certainly will be telling our friends about our experience. This was extremely stressful and scary. A child care center must maintain consistent, diligent supervision and provide a safe environment for children and I feel that neither of these conditions were met on this occasion.

I sent the above information in its entirety to Goodlife, both to that specific club and to their social media contact. (I'd tweeted about our horrible experience and received a quick tweet back to email them about what happened.) I have had no response - not even to indicate receipt of my email.

I just want to be clear, I don't want anything from them personally. I'm not looking for some kind of kickback. What I would like to see is an admission that there are evidently problems with their child care - and some immediate measures to prevent future injuries (or worse).

My friend also spoke with the manager at that club on the phone and via email. (They didn't call her to follow up and make sure H. was okay - she called them.) The response she got was that they "take it seriously" and that they were allowing her to get out of her membership contract without paying buyout fees (she was so upset by the whole thing that she cancelled her membership at the club). Again no apology, no admission that there were any problems and nothing about what they were going to do to make sure that more diligent care was taken with both environment and staff.


I make no claims about any other Goodlife location's child care, and can only say that from my experience at this one, I will NEVER be leaving my daughter with them again.

Moral dilemmas for housewives

1. You find change in the bottom of the washer.

• Finders keepers! For all the laundry you do, a few coins is a paltry payout. Maybe one day you'll have enough to buy one of those fancy coffees.
• Into the family vacation fund. Hey, the jar now contains $3.68! You now have enough for an amazing family bus ride (within city limits, one way, if you sneak the baby in under your coat)!
• Return to sender. You know who never empties their pockets. The change is probably from that lunch out he had one work day last week. Nevermind that someone else makes you lunch pretty much... NEVER.

Okay, you can probably guess which option I choose! :)

2.  You have a couple hours while hubby takes the baby swimming and shopping for a new snowboard (not for the baby). You:

• make brownies (*see below)
• do 3 loads of laundry (sorting, washing, drying, hanging, folding, sorting again, putting away)
• take out the garbage and the recycling
• shovel the snow off the walk
• vacuum. The powerhead doesn't work on the crappy central vac at the crappy rental house so you spend ages going over the worst bits of the floor with the hose, inch by inch.
• tidy the kitchen (wash up, put dishes away)
• scrub the carpet some more where the baby barfed because she was crying so hard about taking a nap
• make the bed
• all of the above

WHY did I choose the last option?! I could have been having a glorious, baby-free nap this whole time.

3. Back to those brownies. The butter and chocolate chips have melted in the pot. You've added the sugars and cocoa and two of the "add one at a time" eggs. You crack the last expensive free-range egg into the pan of hot brownie batter and... it's bloody. Not just a speck, it's got a bloody yolk, bloody white and is seriously, nauseatingly gory. That last egg is sitting on top of the batter. You:

• scrap the batch. Um, gross! The very thought of bloody egg makes you gag. Eggs are hard enough for the thoughtful vegetarian to eat as is.
• rush to the sink, pour off the gruesome egg down the drain, grab another egg from the fridge (cracking it into a bowl first, just in case, wishing you'd done that before), and continue to cook brownies. That was gross, but it's over (try desperately to forget). No-one need know.

Well????

Tiny yummy things

Last night I made these no-bake "energy bites", fairly quick and easy and certainly yummy.

Of course, I never can follow a recipe, and instead of honey I added a mashed banana and 1/4 cup applesauce, and instead of ground flaxseed I added graham cracker crumbs.

Not bad and a very flexible recipe!

Playtex Diaper Genie™ Portable Diaper Bag Dispenser - Review!

If you've ever been out with a baby, you know the joys of changing diapers on the go. There's no doubt that the first thing you want to do is find a place to get rid of that diaper! I've changed diapers in all sorts of places - the back seat of the car has been a frequent one, with all our road trips - and it's a big pain when you've got an icky diaper and nowhere to put it.

Playtex has come out with a new product in the Diaper Genie line: the Diaper Genie™ Portable Diaper Bag Dispenser. It's a little doohickey on a clip that holds 25 bags for those diapers. Clip it on to the stroller, stash it in the diaper bag or car, and you can save yourself the "Ugh, what do I do with this???" moment!

The opaque bags keep diapers sealed and discreet until you can get them home to wash them (cloth) or dispose of them (disposables). The bags are also lavender scented, to help minimize the ick factor (thank you!).  My husband always complains about the smell of diapers so a fresher scent is appreciated. And any mum who has been in a nursing room at a mall knows the nasty smell of the garbage in those rooms! Imagine if those stinky diapers were contained in lavender-scented bags instead. It would be a MUCH more pleasant experience.

We got to try out the portable Diaper Genie, and I like it. I find it adds a little more weight to the diaper bag, so I just keep it in the car for changes on the road, and pop it in the stroller when we take the stroller. It is simple to use and very convenient.

I think it fits right in with the Playtex and Diaper Genie brands - simple, smart solutions that make baby care easier. I do wish it had a childproof feature to it, as the cute package and bright green clip are very appealing to my daughter. She really, really wants to play with it, but of course as it contains plastic bags, it's off limits. I worry that my clever girl will find a way to get at it (she is oh, so determined once she sets her mind to something).

The only other thing I would like to see is compostable bags. I feel hypocritical using disposable, non-biodegradable plastic bags for cloth diapers; I usually use a small washable wetbag. It is super convenient for traveling though, and we do use disposables when we are on the road or away from home for long days. Sometimes you just don't have the laundry option and this is a nice thing to have for those times.

The portable Diaper Genie retails for $4.99 and I think it would be a good addition to a baby shower gift or for any mum on the go. You can read more about it at www.playtexbaby.ca or www.playtexmommyville.ca

Disclosure: Playtex sent me the Diaper Genie™ Portable Diaper Bag Dispenser to try out. This is my honest opinion, and I was not paid for this review.

Posterjack Prints on Wood - Giveaway!

You may recall a while back Canadian print company Posterjack.ca came out with a nice little offer, a sample 8x12" photo print. Looking back it was about three months ago, just in time for Mia's 9-month check up (today's her 12 month appointment!). I got mine, and was very pleased with the quality and speed of the order. I framed the print I received, and I'm looking forward to moving into the new house in a couple months so I can put it up!

Here's a sample of their framed photo prints:

 

Posterjack.ca has launched a new product that looks really cool. They are now printing on Canadian birch wood. With the light colour and fine grain of birch, it makes a really nice printing surface. I haven't seen it first hand yet (I can't wait to get one), but I think it would look great to have a family photo or travel picture printed on wood. Really different, personalized, and pretty. Each birch wood print also has a frame included, so they're ready to hang on the wall. I think it would fit in in any style of home, from rustic to contemporary.

I have done some paintings on wood panels, and I love the way the smooth surface looks. It's very different from canvas or paper. More natural looking, and it always brings a second look.

This new product is an addition to their already diverse line of canvas prints, framed photos, and photo mounting. You can even get a photo on metal printed.

My favourite photos these days, of course, are of Mia - she's changing so fast that I want to document every moment. 

Here's some more great news: Posterjack.ca has offered one of my Canadian readers a $50 gift certificate towards anything on their site! Please use the Rafflecopter form below to enter (click "read more" if you don't see it!).

Here we are...

...in Calgary! We sold our house and had one week to pack everything and hit the road. My husband drove the truck out with the dog, and Mia and I flew out to catch up with him a few days later. Not everything fit in the U-Haul, so we had to abandon a few things (so sad!). Not to mention leaving behind our beautiful house that we put so much work into (the pergola! the composter! the shed! the raised vegetable gardens! painting the whole house! the pretty nursery! taking the basement from concrete and 2x4's to a finished state! the kitchen we finished with a custom island, new granite, new sink, new touch faucet and new backsplash TWO WEEKS before having to put the house on the market...)

Oh, well. On to the next phase.

We're in Calgary now, living in a seriously dated rental house. It'll do for now, but we have been house hunting in a major way. I think we've seen about 50 houses from the $500k to million dollar range (really... it's insane). We have a conditional offer that has been accepted on a house, we're just waiting to firm up the house inspection and financing before we can consider it ours.

 The house we are in the process of buying (if all goes well) is in need of some serious renovation. We can look forward to a complete kitchen gutting and redo, same with the master bath, and I'm sure some other things as well. It's a big house but needs updating, and the kitchen is small and not that functional - though there is room to spread out.

After renovating and making two houses nearly perfect already, I was really not expecting to do it all over again. But given the enormous waste of money involved in renting, we wanted to buy as soon as possible. With what is on the market here, we could either have spent a LOT, stretched our budget to the max, and had a lovely house with some drawbacks (nothing we saw was perfect, even the super pricey ones had flaws), or we could buy a house that needed some work and finish it to our own taste and needs. So, here we go again! 

And Mia has had her first birthday (on Sunday!). My big girl is one year old. I can hardly believe it. After all we went through, I feel so lucky to have her. And even in those moments when she is screaming her little toddler head off, I still love her to pieces. Did I say toddler? Oh, yes - she started walking on her own the day before her birthday. She amazes me every day.

Here's my big girl in our old house... all my recent pictures of her haven't been uploaded yet. I do not have computer time any more - she's down to one (if I'm lucky) nap a day, and has me on my toes all day long!

I made a fabulous cake for her birthday. Carrot-coconut, with a cream cheese and white chocolate frosting, from the rebar cookbook (a fabulous vegetarian restaurant in Victoria, BC). They apparently do not have a website, but if you are ever in Victoria, I highly recommend a visit. Anyway, the cake is amazing. Of course, when I gave her a slice, she squished it all up and flat out refused to try even a taste of the icing or cake at all!

So here's what's up

We found out at Christmas that my husband got a new job, starting February 6, 3500 km away in Calgary! So... our house is up for sale, and meanwhile we have to find a place to live there.

The three of us flew out a couple weeks ago for a weekend and viewed about 20 houses. We saw one that we loved, but it had a couple of things that gave us pause - a preserved wood foundation instead of concrete, and it backs onto a golf course that has been sold to a developer - and there's no way of knowing what's going to be put in directly behind it. We've looked at the developer's website, which shows a neighbourhood full of trees and a green belt where the house backs on to - but anyone who's seen a developer's plan versus the reality of neighbourhood construction knows things can change and trees are often just a pretty fantasy. We contacted the City planner to find out if plans have been submitted, and the answer is no. The wood foundation is okay, if it's in good condition (life span of preserved wood is 98 years, concrete is 103) - but it has a stigma to it that can hurt resale.

We also took a look at a show home of a custom builder. Very nice - at $1.2 million bucks! The house we are considering building would be less than that! However, on discussing with the builder since then, there are all sorts of costs they keep adding on to the amount they initially proposed. It's kind of a rehash of our last experience with a builder, which was an ordeal we're not eager to repeat.

All that pause and hemming and hawing - we finally decided to put an offer in on the house we loved. I was so excited. It's truly a beautiful home. And... a couple hours before we could sign it, our real estate agent emailed to tell us the house has sold. It had been on the market since May, and suddenly it's gone. I'm so disappointed.

Meanwhile... my husband starts work in three weeks there, our house hasn't sold yet, we have nowhere to live there, and no real solid prospects for houses at this point.

Stress? Oh, my. I'm drowning in it.

Here's to...

Another big year!

2011 was a huge year for us - the birth of our long-awaited daughter, living in Calgary for three months while she was an infant, traveling across Canada and taking a Western Mediterranean cruise with her... It has been a heck of a ride.

Soon comes her first birthday (wow - where did the time go?). We are preparing for another huge, eventful year in our family and look forward to sharing it with you!

Holiday Appetizers

I haven't done a food post in a long time - mainly because I find cooking with a baby in the house is a quick and dirty affair. With my husband home for the holidays, we're getting a little time in the kitchen as we spell each other off on daughter care!

My husband made these rockin' Vegetarian Chick Pea Pot Pies (a lot of work, but they are so worth it... delicious!), and we were left with about a quarter package of extra puff pastry. Hmm!

I made some Stuffed Mushrooms -

• 2 dozen large button mushrooms, of uniform size, cleaned
• 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
• 2 Tbsp grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup roasted red peppers, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tsp dried roasted garlic, if you have it handy (or the real thing, or none)
• salt and pepper to taste

Pop the stems out of the mushrooms (and reserve for another use!). Lay the mushrooms bottom up in an ungreased baking dish with a rim - or, better, on a cooling rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet. These lose a lot of liquid while baking.
Drain the chopped peppers and tomatoes in a sieve to help keep the moisture down, as you don't want your mixture to be too wet. In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese with the grated cheese, and stir in the rest of the ingredients. Spoon cheese mixture into mushroom caps. Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes and then broil until browned. Try not to forget about them under the broiler like I did (oopsie!) - unless you want dibs on the burnt ones! - give them about 4-5 minutes tops for broiling.
With the red, white and green filling, these are pretty at Christmas (or any time)!

Now, what to do with those mushroom stems and leftover puff pastry?? How about another appetizer?

Chipotle Mushroom Puffs

1 cup of finely chopped mushrooms (stems work just fine!)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup grated cheddar
1-2 tsp of chipotle sauce OR 1/2 chipotle pepper, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 package of puff pastry (225 grams)
1 egg


Saute the mushrooms and onions in a bit of oil (I used oil from the sun-dried tomatoes - why not!) until soft. Allow to cool. Mix in the remaining ingredients. On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry out into a rectangle and cut it into 2" squares. Drop a dollop of mushroom mixture onto each square. Brush the edges with water and bring up corners to make a pouch. Pinch the edges together to seal. Transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
In a small bowl, beat the egg with 2 tsp water and brush over the pouches. Bake at 425F until golden brown and puffed, about 15 minutes.

Yum, yum!

I will not tell on you if you sip Baileys and chocolate milk while cooking. I may have had to do a little of that myself.  :)

Meals for a non-eater - help!

Two blueberries, three Rice Krispies and a half teaspoon of yogourt. 

No, it's not some crazy fad diet - that's what my 10 month old daughter ate for breakfast, refusing all else.

Lunch? I am not sure but I think she may have swallowed a minute amount of egg salad, possibly a teeny bite of bread and definitely the juice from a clementine segment (but not the solid part of the fruit).

And this is why she's still up at least 3 times a night to nurse and nursing so frequently during the day.  It's not that she's a picky eater per se - she loves pizza, pasta, and will try anything we give her - tonight she tried sushi and tempura (vegetarian of course), and she doesn't balk even at spicy food. She just doesn't eat much. And yes, I've tried the blander foods too - rice cereal, applesauce, banana, whatever... She'll eat a little but not much before she starts refusing it.

I know that "food is fun" for the first year, and I'm not concerned about her weight (at all.. she's still in the 90's, percentile-wise and moving on up to 18 month size clothing at just 10 months!), but I would be happy if she would sleep longer at night and stop nursing quite so much at night. Nursing at night means she also needs diaper changes twice during the night. I love our cuddle times at night, but... I'd love some sleep too.

She loves playing with food, tearing it apart, and completely understands how to get it into her mouth and eat it, though sometimes she spits it out and sometimes she just plays or tosses it to the floor and doesn't put more than a bite or two into her mouth. She will sometimes take a spoonful or two of softer stuff (yogourt, applesauce, cereal, soup, etc) but it's rare for her to eat more than, say, a tablespoon of anything. She will happily take small bites of things we hold out to her (banana, sandwiches, pizza, etc).

I don't want to force it on her and usually stop when she starts turning her head and pressing her mouth closed. I will try again a few minutes later, and again, and again - with different foods sometimes - but never make her eat or shove things in her mouth. My husband is more likely to pop things in there when she's not quite expecting it.

She is teething, but I am not convinced it's a teething issue as she's never eaten very much, especially compared to the other babies I know.

So, faithful readers... hit me up with some advice on getting Mia to eat some more.

Christmas!

It's coming so fast! Where is the time going?! I have so many gifts yet to get, stockings to stuff, and haven't done cards at all this year... I am not sure I'll get to it.

We went out to the tree farm this weekend and picked out our Christmas tree - a lovely Balsam Fir. My husband cut it down and we enjoyed a hay wagon ride and a cup of hot chocolate. Then we stayed up late, even Mia, to decorate the tree. The whole house smells lovely from the aromatic tree! Mia keeps pointing at it. Maybe "tree" will be her second word. (Her first is "dog!")

< Here we are, all bundled up for a cold winter walk at the tree farm!

And, having found our perfect tree... >
A little snow on the ground. Mia's in her Deuter carrier, the dog's there hiding behind the tree, and my husband is getting ready to cut that tree down!

Staying up late, decorating the tree - sleepy Mia in the Boba carrier.

The result! We have an eclectic ornament collection which we add to every year. This year's additions include a Pinocchio that we picked up in Italy, and a ceramic schooner ornament my husband got on his recent trip to St. John's. More presents are appearing underneath daily. I love Christmas and it will be fun to watch Mia's reaction on Christmas morning when she realizes some of those pretty packages have toys inside for her!

There's just one more day to enter to win a Sozo Nap Sak for your little one... they are so super cozy, I kind of wish they were available in my size! Go over and enter! (hit "read more" if you don't see the entry form!)

Hexbug Nano Review!

This is a totally fun and unique toy! We got to try out some of the Hexbug Nano products and I think they're really cool. They are tiny robots that scoot around, change direction when they hit something, and can even flip themselves back over if they get overturned.

They look like cool little bugs and act like them too... enough to almost give me a creepy feeling when I first saw them skittering around the floor (they really freaked the dog out, too!). They come in a whole bunch of collectible formats with different designs and colours ("mutations"). The glow in the dark "specimens" are my favourite, and there is even a glow in the dark "habitat" for them. Each Nano has a special code where you can register online and keep track of your Nano collection, and learn about science as well.  I like the interactive educational aspect of this.

The habitats are easy to put together and create a contained area for the Nanos where you can race them or even just watch them make their way through doorways, over bridges, and through gates. (It's amazing to see these things move.) What I also like about the habitats is that you can have several different ones and connect them all together to make one big, awesome habitat with lots of variations.

The Hexbug Nanos are battery powered, and they do have an on/off switch on the bottom. I'd definitely recommend deactivating the Nanos when you're finished playing with them, though spare batteries - or, "bug food" - are available.

These would make a great Christmas gift for the kid on your list - for ages 3 and up (they're a choking hazard for really little kids). I think they'd be most ideal for ages 4 and up. If you know a kid who likes collecting things, robots, racing or competitive games, science, constructing raceways, and so on - they'll love these toys. And you can add on later with different robots and habitats!

I discovered there is a whole world of Hexbug robot creatures available. We didn't have toys like this when we were growing up! Can you believe these things? Amazing. Toys of the future...


I received some Hexbug Nano products to try out, but was not paid for this post.

Shopping, and what retailers can learn from WalMart

With Christmas approaching, and being on most-time maternity leave still (I'm working very part-time), I've spent some time in the stores lately. Time with Mia in the stores, I should say - and her Big Enormous Stroller. I've learned a few things about shopping.
The only store I have found lately that has reasonable aisle widths, no aisle clutter to speak of, and requires no elevator... is WalMart. Now, I'm not really a WalMart fan. Sure, their prices are low, their stores are clean, they have reliable family washrooms, but it seems to be at the cost of small business, employees, and results in the homogenization of the world (I was going to say North America, but I saw a WalMart in Mexico a few years back. I suspect they're stealthily taking over the world, McDonalds style). Okay, Old Navy is pretty decent as well for stroller-friendly layout.

Here's the thing: I WANT to shop elsewhere. I don't like big box stores. I have money to spend on Christmas gifts and time to spend it at the mall, or wandering down main street and popping into shops. And I'm not alone.

So, dear retailers, please take a lesson or two from WalMart - you are losing customers left, right and center, I'm sure! Just take a look at the clientele at the mall on a weekday. Do you see what I see? About 70% mums with strollers. Mums with time on their hands and a yen to shop, and a very small person in a very big stroller who seems to "need" lots of stuff. Stuff that could be purchased at your store. Here's what you need to know. It's pretty easy. 

Your store needs to be stroller accessible. I'm not talking about the first three feet of the store. The whole store.  

If I can't get in to see your stuff, I'm not buying. If I can't reach the cashier, I'm not buying.

Worst offenders? Abercrombie and Fitch decided to give their store a porch of sorts at the mall near me: three steps up to get through the door, then three steps down to get into the store. I tried, really I did. We went up the first steps with the stroller, I saw the next set of steps, peered into the gloomy darkness of the store, and said, "Forget it!". Wrangled the stroller right back down the steps and walked away. BAD MOVE, A&F. The Children's Place, Gap Kids, and Gymboree - I spend more time trying to maneuver around the racks, which are scattered in some awkward non-grid system and placed way too close together, than looking at the wares. Even Toys R Us has aisle clutter issues. These are stores for kids! People who shop there pretty much all have strollers. What are you thinking?? Stores like Bombay, Pier 1, Benix (the worst!) - I get that your stores are full of non-child-friendly stuff. But they're so darn crowded I have to walk sideways when it's just me shopping. No way am I coming in with the stroller.

And this is why the big box retailers and online shopping are winning my money over the small stores. Not because I prefer them. Not because I support their style or ethics (or lack thereof). Not because I even particularly like the stuff they have. It's because I can't come in with my daughter in her stroller.

I also have to add... If I can't even get in with a stroller, it's clear that you all really suck in terms of wheelchair accessibility too. So uncool.

Am I the only one this bugs, or are others frustrated too?

The best toys

Just a quick post today to share Geek Dad's 5 Best Toys of All Time. I like it.

Mia is napping -:yay:- so I have a minute for a hot cup of tea and to catch up on my email. Hopefully it's not like yesterday's debacle, where it took me an hour and a half to get her to sleep and then twenty minutes later, a courier rang the doorbell, and the @#$ dog set off barking which woke her! Love the dog, hate the bark...

Don't forget to enter the two amazing giveaways I've got running now for my Canadian readers. I spotted the Sozo nap saks at Winners yesterday and they are SO fuzzy and cushy. Someone will be lucky to win one of those for their little one! And the Bright Starts toy looks super fun, I can't wait for Mia to open hers at Christmas, you can win one of those too!

Bright Starts Having a Ball - Review and Giveaway!

Christmas came a little early for Mia as she has been testing out the Bright Starts Having a Ball Get Rollin' Activity Table!

It comes with six coloured balls, just the right size for little hands, and textured (with animal faces) so that they are easy to grab. The center has a ramp and a hole where the balls swirl around and drop down to one of four legs with catchers at the bottom. I have found that with one ball in the catcher, if another goes down that leg it sometimes bounces out and rolls away.  Here's a ball in action - you can see how focused Mia is on it! I like that the balls are light enough and small enough for her to have no trouble picking them up. They're very rolly, though - on our wood floors I find I'm chasing them around!

You can also see here the gears for turning, and the fish, which has coloured beads in it that tumble when it's spun. Each activity triggers a different song or phrase.

The table has two modes - play and learn - which switch back and forth depending on what page of the book is open. Mia LOVES flipping the page of the book (we read together a lot and she helps turn pages). She flips it back and forth, so we hear "Let's play!", "Let's learn!" over and over! Here she is with that page... you can see the look of concentration on her face!

Here also you can see the alligator, whose mouth flips up to reveal a hiding spot (sized just right for a ball or maybe a treat!). The alligator triggers sound effects, or "open/closed", "up/down", depending on what mode the table is in.

There's also an orange spinner, which can hold three balls - a red lever spins them madly around and they fly off in all directions. I'm SO glad Mia hasn't figured this one out yet, as she's not got the focus at her age to go around picking up the balls!

There's also a cute caterpillar that is also a shape/colour learning tool and acts as a musical keyboard, and the 1-2-3 numbers pop up and make sounds or say numbers when pressed.

The last great thing about the Activity Table is that it is the perfect height for Mia to use as a walker. She's at the age where she wants to walk all the time, but is unable to balance yet - she's been using my fingers, which is hard on the lower back when it's all day long. However, she can lean on the table and push it along while walking - it's not meant to do this specifically, but on wood floors it works a treat. Here she is on the go!

You can use it without the legs for younger babies as well.

If there were anything I would change about it - the alphabet song that it sings says "zee" instead of "zed", and I wish for the Canadian market they would have changed that. I also wish that for Canada they would give a French option. **Edit: the French versions of all the Having a Ball toys should be out in the New Year!** And I wish the balls would always catch in the legs, and not occasionally roll out.

However, those are minor complaints. Mia spends more time playing with this than a lot of her other toys and I like that it has functions that entertain her now (at 9 1/2 months old), and she can grow into other elements of it. What she loves now are the book, alligator, fish, and banging it randomly to see the lights and hear the sounds. What she will grow into are the learning elements - numbers, alphabet, relating the sounds and songs to what she sees, as well as the more complex actions of the ball ramp, spinner, and gears. I think it will be fun once she realizes where the balls go once they drop through the center - and that they could fall into any of the four legs. I also like that it's not huge, it's a reasonable size.

The Bright Starts Having a Ball line has a bunch of fun toys (Santa's bringing Mia the Swirl and Roll Truck for Christmas! Shh!) and they are available in Canada (and the US) exclusively at Toys R Us. Visit Bright Starts for more information about the toys!

Bright Starts has generously sponsored a giveaway for my Canadian readers as well! They have sent me a Swirl and Roll Truck to give away! 

Sozo - Review and Nap Sak Giveaway!

There are fresh new fashions for little ones hitting the market, and I was happy to test out a very cute outfit for Mia from Sozo Canada! I chose this simply adorable giraffe print dress with matching capris. Made of a soft, printed cotton with ribbon flower embellishments, it's super cute and comfy for her! She was fascinated by the flowers. I love that the cotton is prewashed - no shrinking!

Mia's just over 9 months old now, but wearing 12-18 month clothing. We tried the dress in a 12 month size and it fits wonderfully. Her super chubby legs mean the capris are a little snug at the elastic around the calves, but they do comfortably fit her big cloth diaper booty which is great! She didn't have any complaints! I love the length of the dress. It even looks cute with jeans underneath for the cold weather that is coming.

What stands out about Sozo clothing is the bright colours and the fun designs. The cuteness is available in jammies, rompers, dresses, buntings, swaddles, hooded towels, nap saks, and accessories like hats, gloves and mittens, as well as 'WeeBlocks' for little boys! You can see all these products in their Facebook albums, and be sure to like their Facebook page for the latest news (hint: they post current giveaways there as well!)!

The Sozo Nap Saks are super cute. They come in 0-6 and 6-18 month sizes. I have Mia in sleep sacks now for the cold winter months and I can tell you they are great - nice and warm, safer than a blanket as there's no way for them to ever cover baby's face. 

Sozo clothing is available online at Amazon.com and if you do a search you will find lots of other online retailers as well! (You can also contact them to ask about stores in your area! There are lots of stores now carrying this line.) The clothing comes in these sizes: 0-3m, 3-6m, 6-9m, 12m, 18m, 24m, and the loungewear is available in 12m, 18m, 24m, 2T, 3T 4T

Sozo Canada has generously offered to give a soft and cozy Ladybug Nap Sak to one of my Canadian readers!

Starlight Toy Drive

I think in the hectic consumer madness of the season (a friend mentioned today that Christmas is only five weeks away!), we sometimes forget what it's really all about. Here's a little reminder that the gifts which mean the most need not be found at the shopping mall.

From now until December 9th, Starlight Children’s Foundation is hosting their Annual Starlight Toy Drive. You can help spread holiday cheer to a Starlight Child or Family by donating as little as $20 to sponsor a holiday stocking. For children dealing with serious medical conditions, holidays often take a back seat. Many parents also don’t have the means to celebrate as most time is spent caring for their ailing child. Starlight’s multiple giving opportunities make it easy for people to donate and help make a holiday wish come true.

This program helps Canadian children who are seriously ill and their families celebrate the season. You do get a tax receipt for donating, and you can even donate in someone else's name, as a Christmas gift. Last year for my parents' birthdays, they requested donations be made to local food banks in lieu of gifts - they have enough 'stuff' and wanted to give instead. What a fabulous gift this would be for both the people who have everything, and for children who are truly in need of a little cheering.

The Starlight Children's Foundation Canada has been helping children with chronic, life threatening illnesses and life-altering injuries for more than 20 years. For more information, visit their Book of Smiles website.

Free poster!

I wanted to share a freebie with my Canadian readers... Posterjack.ca is giving Facebook fans a free 8x12" poster - starting tomorrow, November 15th! 

Just head over to their Facebook page, click Like, enter your name and email address, and you will receive a voucher code to redeem your free poster at Posterjack.ca. The process is pretty quick.

Then head to Posterjack.ca, upload your photo, select the product, choose the size and you’re done! And it’s shipped right to your doorstep. They have lots of other products that would make good Christmas gifts, too.  

A nice 8x12" photo of family in a frame sounds like a good gift to me. I have absolutely no Christmas shopping done yet, and no ideas on what to get people, so any little things I can get going on are at least a start! 

Tomorrow we have Mia's 9 month check-up. I can't wait to find out what her height and weight are now! I never weigh or measure her in between appointments, so it's fun finding out her new 'stats'. Not that it matters, really, as she's quite healthy and happy, but it's fun keeping track of these things.

Jolly jumper (your thoughts?)

I just picked up a Jolly Jumper on a stand for Mia. It was only $20 secondhand! She's having the BEST NAP EVER right now (an hour and 40 minutes so far!), so I've assembled it and am waiting for her to wake up. It is so big - my husband told me it was, but now that it's in our house I really get it. The footprint is about 4x4'! I hope she likes it.

My aunt gave me an aghast look when I mentioned I was thinking of getting one. She said it places a lot of pressure on the groin area. The baby carriers I have (the Boba, the Deuter Kid Comfort III, and the Sleepy Wrap - love them all for different reasons), I chose specifically because Mia's weight goes on her bum, not on her groin like certain carriers do. And when I look at the Jolly Jumper, I can see what she means.

At the same time, Mia's getting tired of the exersaucer that we borrowed from a friend (yay for borrowing baby gear - we can give that sucker back and don't have to store it or try to sell it), and I need somewhere I can put her while I do stuff.

Her most favourite thing these days is to walk holding on to my two fingers, and sometimes I need my hands! This morning she was crying at all times unless she had those fingers and was on her feet. I can't get anything done at all that way!

I don't plan on sticking her in there for hours on end, of course!

What are your thoughts on the Jolly Jumper?