I'm madly in LOVE...

...with my double stroller.

I chose my first three strollers (all single strollers) pretty haphazardly and based loosely on what I'd "heard" was a good brand. And they worked just fine, but never impressed me. Now that I have my "golden child", my extensively researched and carefully chosen double stroller, I look at the other three with disdain... they are like my ratty neglected stepchildren.

I look at my double stroller the way I look at my own children. It makes my heart melt. I think it's soooo pretty! And I feel like hot stuff pushing it around because I know it gives other moms stroller envy. (Definition: Stroller envy = Coveting thy neighbors stroller.)

My double stroller gave me confidence that I could and should get out of the house with my two children, even early on when kid #2 was a newborn. (Now that I think about it, maybe I was just going out to show off my stroller???). I have taken many an excursion over the past 8 months from the grocery store to the library to the mall to the playground. And boy, this thing drives like a dream (I can steer it one-handed!), no matter the terrain.

The key to my happiness (and yours someday too maybe???) is this: I took a lonnnnnng time figuring out exactly what attributes I wanted /needed in a stroller and what I would use it for. No one ever told me to do that when I was registering for my single strollers. This time, I knew I wanted a side by side that could accommodate an infant carseat but without a very bulky adapter. I wanted rubber wheels, not plastic (y'know, for off-roading at the park) and a big accessible storage basket (ya need room for lots of shopping bags at the mall!). I found the Bumbleride Indie Twin (www.bumbleride.com) and it was love at first sight. Yes, it cost a pretty penny, but I sure got my money's worth.

So go moms... Go out in search of the stroller that will be the love of your life!


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When life gives your baby apples...

..Let her make applesauce!! Aw! Look how happy she is... chomping on some apples in her mesh feeder.

We are loving the Baby Safe Feeder (www.babysafefeeder.com) these days. Kid #2 is teething, so it's great to soothe her sore gums. At the same time we can give her "real people food" without worrying about her choking on it. I especially love that it keeps her busy long enough for me to choke down my dinner.

I pretty much think you can put anything in the mesh feeder: ice cubes, apples, bananas, frozen grapes... Cheerios... Maybe meatballs (haha!). Whatever makes baby happy!

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The Baby Crack Machine

I didn't give it that name, by the way. But if you google it, you will see that the Homedics Soundspa Lullaby is lovingly referred to as the "Baby Crack Machine" on many a momma message board.

These are awesome. If you are looking for a white noise machine, this is the one you want. We have two of them. Hubby and I go to sleep with the soothing sounds of "rain" coming out of one baby monitor and "the ocean" coming out of the other.

Kid #1 has used her Crack Machine ever since she was a baby. She is like Pavlov's dogs with this thing. In fact, when I want her to wake up from a nap (can't have her taking 3-hour naps too late in the afternoon or she'll never go to sleep at night), I go in her room and shut off the rain noise. Like clockwork, she wakes up happy as can be shortly thereafter.

Homedics SoundSpa Lullaby I got mine at Bed Bath & Beyond. Don't forget your 20% off coupon!

One more reason to love the UPS man!

A few months ago I went to BabiesRUs with my two kids for our daily "outing." (Always have to get out of the house for just a little while - keeps the sanity.) That day's task was to buy diapers and wipes. So there I was... Kid #1 sitting in the cart, Kid #2 strapped to my chest, shopping cart overflowing with two economy packs of diapers, one economy pack of wipes, and my diaper bag. Kid #1 is WHINING badly because she ran out of Cheerios. The line is humongous because, of course, there is only one cashier. I could just about feel the dirty looks from the impatient customers behind me when I got to the register and chose to pay with 2 American Express gift cards, one merchandise credit, and a credit card, got caught and played dumb when I tried to sneak a coupon for Pampers Cruisers when I was buying Pampers Baby Dry, then had to go digging for a different coupon in the diaper bag that would work. I left sweating, feeling guilty about holding up the line, and with a headache from Kid #1's whining.

Times have changed. My diaper buying experience is much more enjoyable now. Thanks to a few well-placed advertisements and a recommendation from my friend Katie B, I now have diapers and wipes shipped to me automatically from Amazon.com through Amazon Mom "Subscribe and Save". If you haven't checked it out, it's worth a peek. http://www.amazon.com/gp/mom/signup/welcome. For best savings (30% off!) you set up a"Subscribe and Save" subscription for each item you need. Tell them how often you think you need it and they ship it automatically. I get my diapers in 2-days!! With Free shipping!! You get reminder emails when you have a shipment coming up and it's extremely easy to adjust the ship date if you need the item sooner or later. And if your kid goes up a diaper size, you just cancel the subscription for the old size and make a new subscription for the new size.

I know I'm sounding like an advertisement, but you can't beat the savings. And with free shipping, why should I lug the kids out for diapers anymore? Don't worry, we still go out for our daily outing. But now we have more time for fun stuff... like the animal farm, the playground... Or even better... shoe shopping!
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Me vs. The Sock Houdini

Forget about finding "kickproof" baby socks. They don't exist... Not for me and Kid #2, aka the "Sock Houdini". She now likes to pull off her socks and chew on them... Which I suppose is kinda cute for a baby, but this type of behavior is frowned upon later in life.

My solution is the soft-soled baby shoe or "crib shoe" which I assumed every mom already knew about, but was surprised to hear otherwise when I gave them as a gift at a baby shower. These are the cutest little baby shoes, available in tons of different designs for both boys and girls, and more importantly, the elastic openings keep tiny little baby socks on tiny little baby feet! And The Sock Houdini can't get these shoes off! (well, usually)

One well-known brand name is Robeez (www.robeez.com)... A tad pricey for this bargain hunter momma, though Striderite outlets carry them at discounted prices, so try there. I also like the Mini-star brand knock-offs at Target and the Koala Baby knock-offs at Babies R Us (under $15 per pair).

So if you have a Sock Houdini too, try 'em!! Bet you'll like them!
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Picky Stickies: Why didn't I think of these?

It's a sticker that you can put on your baby's onesie for a "monthly photo" each month during their first year. INGENIOUS!! My favorite mommy bargains website featured this product not long ago and I just love it. But I'm so bummed that I missed out on the opportunity to try them... Kid #2 was already half way through her first year by the time I heard about them. (I just might have to have a third kid just so I can try these out.)

www.pickysticky.com

Good baby shower gift idea!! Oh, and you graphics design gurus could probably make these yourself!!

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Get your monkey on your back!

If you know me, you know I love my Ergo baby carrier. (Thank you to Courtney S and Laura G among others for the recommendation!!) When kid #2 won't let you put her down all day and kid #1 is starving for lunch, you learn very quickly how much you love your hands-free baby carrier. The Ergo is an awesome front carrier, but also can be used for a back carry when your child is old enough (I tried when she was 6 months old). The tricky part is getting the kid back there!! This youtube link "Ergo Back Carry - easier and more secure" (hope linky works!) is where I learned the ol' "hip swing" method to get my little monkey on my back. Two things: 1) Kid #2 loves it back there, 2) You will impress your mom friends if you let them see you do this.

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Mom guru reporting for duty

Here it is, Cathy B... My Mom Blog. If I can figure out how to get this to work from my trusty blackberry, I hope to share some of the cool mom finds that I've come across. This is stuff no one told me to put on my baby registry... Great finds that I've learned about from other moms, message boards, and researched on internet sites... Things I've tried out and love so I want to share with other moms. (Dads, aunts, uncles, grandmas, grandpas welcome too.)