Tips for Stress Free Family Travel

Family vacations can be magical for young kids and parents alike, but traveling, long lines and late bedtimes can set up the perfect storm for meltdowns. Here are my tips for planning a vacation to remember, rather than one everyone is ready to forget.

Choose a location that has activities that will appeal to everyone in your group - and find a hotel or rental that has the amenities you want (such as a pool or wifi).



Be realistic about what you can do each day. Plan time for rest, eating, relaxing and naps if necessary. If dinner reservations are late, you may want to feed younger children ahead of time or arrange babysitting.

Prepare plenty of entertainment during travel and wait times - a travel activity book, electronic toy or new book may be in order.



Do your research - sites like tripadvisor and chowhound and twitter allow you to search for food and lodging options as well as reviews like never before. The more research you do ahead of time, the more likely you are to choose wisely.



Relax, be flexible and have a sense of humor. Even if things don't turn out as expected, try and find the bright side. At least you're with family, try and make the best of it. Advocate for yourself if you are in a position that is outside your expectations.


Do you travel regularly with your family? What are your tips and tricks for stress free travel and successful vacations?

Have Breastpump, Will Travel

When Sweetpea was born, I was a gold elite member with Northwest Airlines. I somewhat naively thought that when I returned to work after maternity leave I would be able to ease back into travel mode, and con some of my less maternal coworkers into taking some trips for me. I might as well have slipped that gold elite identification tag right on my pump, because we were going to be spending a lot of time together.

Overall, pumping has gone pretty well for me. I've always been able to collect enough milk to keep up with demand and then some, donating the extra to a milk bank the first time and a private donor this time around. The difficult part turned out to be finding a place to pump and making the time for it during my many trips. Before baby, I could tell you which airports had the best restaurants and window shopping. After baby I could tell you which ones had private bathrooms with a lock and a plug!

Here are a few of the more (or less) exciting places I've had the chance to pump:

various parking lots
many a restaurant bathroom
airport bathrooms
in the passenger seat of a car on the highway
in the medical department of a manufacturing plant in Mexico
in the office of one of the managers at a Mexican supplier's facility (they had to hang posters up over the windows so I could have some privacy...hi everyone, don't mind me...)
Walt Disney World

And what I think is the strangest place of all: while drivingl (stuck in traffic) in the line to cross the border back into Mexico between Matamoros and Brownsville - thank goodness for my battery backup! (and yes, this was at the urging of my friend/coworker Tom, who really wanted to go straight to eat dinner when we finally got back into Texas, thanks again, Tom!)

After pumping in so many public-ish places, I've gotten pretty good at being discreet - or at least staying covered. (there is something about that pump noise that invites people to stare, trying to figure out what you're doing) I find with a nursing tank and a long shirt I can get situated to where I feel comfortable. In areas where there isn't a table, I've hung my pump bag over my shoulder. Disinfecting wipes and the microwave steam bags are great for when you're not in a place where washing is easy, like when I was in Mexico.

As challenging and stressful as it was at times to plan my travel around making time to pump, it was comforting to me, reminding me of my little one and helping me to feel close to her even when I was very far away!

Where are the strangest places you've pumped? Come join the conversation at the Motherlove Facebook page!

Easily clean tomato stains!

The other day, I posted about cleaning up after stuck on food messes...but what if you're tray still has that yucky orange tomato glow after it's clean? Our girls love spaghetti, so this is a regular occurrence. If you're like me, you have some food storage containers that look like this too.


I did some investigating, and came up with a solution that is very effective and nearly free! Spray or wipe down the surface with lemon juice, and then lay it out in the sun for several hours. I laid our tray out before running some errands, and when we came back, after a quick wipe down, it was as good as new!

How to clean and freshen your garbage disposal

This week was one of those weeks when we were reminded how nice it is to have a functional kitchen sink...it's the little things in life, isn't it? Our sink drain got clogged sometime late Friday night. I can't tell you how much of a relief it was to run water {and even clean dishes} on Monday afternoon when it was finally clear!

Before they left, the very nice plumbers shared this tip with me, and I thought it was so easy and helpful I wanted to pass it along. If your garbage disposal needs cleaned, the blades need sharpened, or you're just getting a funky smell from the drain, try this trick!

Take a full tray of ice cubes and pack your disposal with ice. Run water in your second sink and get it piping hot. Turn on the garbage disposal and let it run, without water, for 30 seconds to a minute. Once your ice has been pulverized, switch that piping hot water over and run it through your garbage disposal for a few minutes.

The ice will sharpen your blades and help remove any food that might be stuck on the blades. The hot water will melt the ice chips and help rinse everything down the drain and away from your kitchen! If you think there might also be a bit of greasy buildup, add a few drops of grease cutting dish soap to the ice cubes.

Just like that - good as new!

5 ways to make homemade convenience foods more convenient

Convenience foods are particularly tempting during a hectic day, but many of them aren't very nutritious. The ones that are nutritious are generally pretty expensive. If you want to provide nutritious food to your family, the natural answer is to control what goes into that food by cooking it yourself, but that can be time consuming and at times overwhelming. Here are five tips to help streamline your "convenience" foods, which I generally think of as snack foods, but which could also be a previously prepared meal.

1. Bulk/Batch cooking - is it nearly as easy to double or triple the recipe, rather than make a single batch? If so, make extra for the freezer or pantry and save yourself some time down the road. There is nothing like laying out a frozen meal on a particularly busy day or reaching into the pantry for a stored snack before running out the door to an appointment.

2. Piggy Back - by planning to make snacks or meals that share common ingredients, preparation methods or cooking temperatures, you can save time and effort. I've written in the past about choosing a few main ingredients to include in my menu plan - by keeping some ingredients common I can reduce my cooking time as well as reuse leftovers in new dishes.

3. Process & Prepackage - take some time to clean and chop or assemble your snacks that don't require cooking so that they are ready to go when you need them. Packaging them in the size and container that you will want them in will allow you to grab and go.

4. Presentation - speaking of packaging, are you suspicious that certain family members like certain snacks as much for their presentation as their taste? Does your son or daughter always ask for the Dora pasta or Spongebob fruit snacks? In this case, try and use branding in your favor by providing a cute reusable snack bag or placing fun stickers on your containers.

5. Share - whether it's tips, recipes or an actual food swap, sharing resources makes things easier for everyone. If you have friends with similar tastes, try coordinating a play date where the kids entertain each other (or play with one parent) while the others make meals for everyone to take home!

Do you eat convenience food on a regular basis, occasionally or almost never? What tricks do you use to maximize the amount of homemade food in your diet?

Tips to Soothe a Teething Baby

Little Miss Teething here has been showing me a new pearly white each day it seems...for not having any teeth at 6 months, she is making up for lost time. It's so hard to see your little one hurting and fussing with the pain of teething, and if you're like me, you don't want to over medicate. Here is a fast, frugal, and effective way to provide at least some relief from teething pain!


I bought a food mill from Munchkin when Sweetpea was starting solid foods, and it came with this fresh food feeder. At first, she wasn't much of a fan. Once she started teething though, we discovered it is a wonderful thing.

Fill this feeder with ice chips, frozen peas or frozen fruit for quick relief for your little one. My favorite is the ice chips for the easy clean up ;) Another option that Sugar Plum really likes is to fill the feeder with thick cereal (rice, oatmeal, etc) and freeze it. The cereal thaws pretty quickly, but she loves it. (that's what she's eating in the picture)

If you don't have one of these fresh food feeders, a washcloth and a rubber band will do the trick as well, at least with ice chips. Place a few ice chips in the center of your washcloth, wrap the cloth around the ice and fasten securely with the rubber band. I've also heard some babies like a wet washcloth or a damp washcloth that has been frozen, though my girls never seemed interested in that particular trick. (if I've learned one thing from having two girls, though, it's that each baby wants what they want, and they are definitely unique!)

What tricks worked for you and your teething babies?

Anticipation

Congratulations to Lori for winning the $25 grocery gift card! And thanks to General Mills and Eat Better America for the giveaway.

Things have been crazy and unfocused around here for awhile now, thanks to the sickies, my classes, EmDee's unpredictable work schedule and loads of overtime, and a profound lack of sleep. Ironically now that summer is about to start, I'm going to try and take back some control - at least of my schedule and I desperately want to regain some of my organizing strategies.

One of my favorite organizing strategies is the summer fun list - I hope to have that completed and published this week. I've fallen off the menu planning wagon and I plan to climb back on next week. And I'm planning a full scale attack on the clutter in our house! I've been randomly filling sacks with unused items to resell or give away for some time now,but I don't feel like I'm getting anywhere. Patty Kreamer, author of the Clutter Rescue Course was kind enough to send me a copy of her workbook to review. So far I've just glanced through it, and I'm encouraged. I'll let you know how it works out!

There are also strawberries, cherries, and asparagus to pick, and of course sweet girls to cuddle. I absolutely love this time of year, and between all the business and the have to's, I'm trying to soak it all in!

June featured sponsors and affiliates:

the Vintage Pearl - beautiful hand stamped jewelry

Neptune Sprouts - unique clothing for your little sprout

Earth Mama Angel Baby - gifts from the earth for your gift from heaven

Introducing Solids - how to help baby try new things

I've heard many times and experienced first hand that when introducing new tastes and textures it helps to have patience! If at first you don't succeed, try again in a few days, or try my new trick - mix the new food into a food you've already established and see if that helps.

Today I introduced peas for the first time, just plain peas run through the food mill nad mixed with a bit of mama milk. Since Sugar Plum is eight months now I left the texture lumpy rather than running it through the mill multiple times to make it super smooth. She wasn't particularly keen on this new dish, but rather than giving up I added equal parts applesauce to the mix. All of a sudden it was a big hit! The next time I try peas I will try them again solo. If that doesn't work I will try a smaller amount of applesauce, each time reducing the familiar until the new food is tasty on its own.

Speaking of introducing foods, do you ever wonder what to introduce when, or how much your baby should be eating at a given age? Wholesome baby food is a great resource for these questions and more, including recipes for those mamas looking to make their own babyfood! (it's easier than you think, try it and see!)

Customized Perfume & Exercise Incentives

How is that for two apparently unrelated subjects? :) I have been threatening to get serious about exercise and my post baby body shape for about a month now. There are a few secrets I use to help get me to the gym, and I thought I'd share one with you today...I have used this little trick for years, but it's even more special now that I have little ones underfoot.

Before babies, I viewed our YMCA shower as a convenience, a means to an end, a way to get to work earlier since I once was a regular 5am attendee. Now that shower is a luxury - an opportunity to pamper myself while the girls are at the Y daycare.

As a treat to myself, I purchase special shower gel and lotion to use post workout. I make sure they are a little better than the options I use daily, and I choose the scents wisely. Not only do I want them to appeal to me, but I want them to be complimentary (not the same scent) and invigorating or perhaps calming. At the moment, I'm using Rosemary Mint body wash (invigorating) and Lavender lotion. Not a common blend, Rosemary, Mint & Lavender, but it smells wonderful together and I smell it for hours after my workout is over. I've had several people ask me what I'm wearing, even! What are your favorite combinations? Do you mix and match?

I can't say this is the only thing that gets me working out, but sometimes it is that little something extra that helps get me in my gym shoes. Do you have motivational secrets to help get you working out? I'd love to hear them!

If you're reading this in a feed reader, my blog got a facelift! I'd love it if you'd come check it out.

Attractive and convenient toy or snack storage

Looking for a way to maintain the small toy clutter in your house, or organize snacks? Storing small toys or snacks that your child can safely access in makeup bags is an attractive way to hide the mess and group like things together.

If you have toddlers and preschoolers, it can also help them practice vocabulary and motor skills. Try having them "find the blue and white bag with the brown handle", let them practice opening the zippers and snaps. If your children are like mine, they will enjoy emptying and refilling the bags as much as they enjoy playing with what is inside of them!

What strategies do you use for containing the small toy clutter? Do you store snacks in a place where your kids can access them? We're just starting to try this - when Sweetpea wants a snack, I can tell her she can have one of any certain kind of snack by identifying which bag she can choose from.

Spring Things - ideas and inspiration

First, some housekeeping things. Jennifer reminded me that I hadn't announced the winner of the Yo Gabba Gabba Live tickets - oops! The winner was entry #3, Heidi who had accidentally entered as anonymous. Since she'd emailed me to let me know, her entry was valid. I do have fun prizes for the other entries as well - Julie and Jennifer, I don't have email addresses for you, please contact me for your prizes!

Here are some links I'm loving this week:

Adorable Washcloth bunnies from Petite Planet

Saving on Easter clothes from the Happy Housewife

We've printed out several copies of this fun castle pdf for Sweetpea's sticker play

Several of these springy kids crafts from One Pretty Thing are on our activity list this month

I love this idea for practicing stitching with little hands from Filth Wizardry

This Make and Count Ladybug craft from No Time for Flashcards is a wonderful way to encourage learning through play

With the time change last weekend, this post from Simple Kids on small steps to adjust schedules is especially timely (pun intended, forgive me!)

So often I feel like Megan at SortaCrunchy is speaking directly to me - this post on modeling behavior is something we're working on.

What are you enjoying lately?

Bravado Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra

As a Bravado Mama Ambassador, I’ve recently had the chance to try out Bravado’s body silk seamless nursing bra. I was familiar with the essential tank, as I’m a bit of a nursing tank junkie, but I’d never tried the silk seamless bra. I have to say, I’m in love. As comfortable as the sleep bras I live in, this bra is much more supportive, even for larger sizes. (I’m a 36F) The clasp lays flat and is easy enough to unhook and reattach with one hand, especially important if you’re nursing in public. The bra is designed to stretch with you during pregnancy and the fluctuations experienced as milk comes in and then eventually regulates. How exciting to find a comfortable bra that will last through pregnancy and nursing! In order to comfortably nurse in public in my fancy new bra, I’ll be sporting a “regular” tank over it. Then I can just pull the tank down when I unfasten the bra, while still covering my midsection.

Something else I really like about Bravado is the new website they created to support breastfeeding moms. Members can find a wealth of information on breastfeeding, from tips for proper positioning to nursing in public and the impact of family support. Perhaps you’ve seen my favorite sites for breastfeeding information – I think this is another one for the list. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for some guest posts from this new website and its contributors!

5 tips for affordable party favors

Sweetpea had her first "friends" birthday party this year, and they were so cute! I wanted to send the kids home with a little something, but it had to be both fun and affordable. You can see above what we ended up with - each one costing roughly $0.40! Here are some suggestions for making favors affordable:

1) keep an eye out for after holiday sales - the heart shaped bubbles were $0.25 for a set of ten after Valentines day, and they were a big hit with the 3-5 year old set at our party. Michael's crafts, Hobby Lobby, CVS, Wal-Mart are all good places to check - I check anywhere I happen to be shopping the two weeks following a holiday.

2) look in dollar bins or the clearance section in the party area for affordable trinkets or toys - the Backyardigans coloring sets are normally $1 for eight at Party City.

3) fill in as needed with snacks or candy you have around the house - that way you aren't buying something extra, and don't end up with something you don't want lying around afterward.

4) get creative with packaging - we used plastic cups and tissue paper that we already had at the house to package the favors. They were cute and a good way to recycle something from our kitchen and craft space.

5) keep it simple - favors don't have to be extravagant. Consider what the birthday girl or boy is interested and let that help lead you.

The diaper dilemma continues

I've written just about everywhere but here (okay, only 2 places) about P&G and the giant breech of trust they pulled recently with the Pampers cruisers design. I can see there have been several searches here for diapers and cruisers, so maybe it's time to bring it up here as well.

In case you're a loyal cruisers buyer and you don't know what I'm talking about, the design has gone through a major overhaul (aka downgrade). In case your wondering how Pampers has been responding to loyal customers that have called and complained, I've talked a little about it here. I'm still looking for a suitable replacement, as we've sworn off P&G diapers, (cruisers, baby dry, luvs) and I'm considering boycotting the rest of P&G products as well. They have proved to me that I can't count on the quality of their products from purchase to purchase, as they are willing to redesign a product without so much as a mention in the small print on the package.

I'm still not sure what diapers we will end up using now, as I was so in love with the old cruisers design. During the day we're using CVS supreme diapers and at night we've been using Huggies overnights. I hate paying a super-premium for good overnight protection. We went cloth for trainers with Sweetpea, and I'm back on the fence wondering if I want to go with cloth diapers for Sugar Plum. Any suggestions/stories?

In the meantime, I know I swore off P&G above, and I really do mean it...but I made a discovery that might help some of you looking for the old style. I've heard conflicting reports as to whether swaddlers will be moving to the new design or not - as best I can tell they won't be changing over as quickly. I was told by someone at P&G that swaddlers size 2-3 are the same size as cruisers 3. Since Sugar Plum is a size 3, I picked up a swaddlers 2-3 today and looked at it. In the fine print along one side I saw some magic words - "absorb away mesh liner"! They were on sale, and I had a coupon for nearly half off, so I walked away with a jumbo pack, and the love affair continues, if only for 30 more diapers.

So through all that rambling, what was my point? Until now I'd never seen anything indicating whether the cruisers diapers were an old or new design. If you are still using swaddlers, you can look on the edges of the package - if the diapers have the old design, the description will include "absorb away mesh liner" on one side. The cruisers diapers have all changed to the new design as of March 1, 2010.

Make your own Rice Cereal

I've not been nearly as excited to start Sugar Plum on cereal as I was with Sweetpea. Partly because the novelty is gone, partly because I know she's getting plenty of nutrition from nursing, partly because of her problems with milk protein...I checked out the cereal boxes while picking up diapers the other day, and every one of them had soybean oil and soy lecithin in the ingredients. I believe from food elimination that Sugar Plum is also soy sensitive, and even though I've read that, "it is believed that most individuals that are allergic to soy can tolerate soy oil and lecithin" I'm not feeling so good about it.

I made baby food for Sweetpea, but never cereal. I'm not sure why, it just didn't occur to me. So since I couldn't find a boxed cereal that I was comfortable with, I dusted off the food grinder and ran some rice through it. Mixed with breastmilk (or formula if you're not breastfeeding) and it looks just like what comes out of the box.

We gave Sugar Plum a few spoonfuls, most of which was fed and refed as it ran down her chin. I think she just liked having something to do other than watch at the dinner table!

Hey, what's this spoon thingy for?! I'm supposed to eat this stuff?

Mmmmm...my mommy is a good cook!

Homemade Rice Cereal

Cook rice according to package directions.
Run 2x through a food mill and mix with liquid of your choice to achieve desired consistency.

Hot Chocolate and Snow Cones

photo by TheDeliciousLife

We've been having a lot of each of these lately - hot chocolate after Sweetpea has been playing IN the snow, and snow cones when we don't want to go out but she still wants a "taste" of what's outside. I originally got the idea for making sno cone syrup from Skip to my Lou this past summer. Summer would be an ideal time for eating sno cones...but then when you have 2+ feet of the stuff in your yard, well that seems like a good enough time too, right?

I didn't have internet access at the time, so I tried to remember the recipe. I didn't get it exactly correct, but it's easy, cheap, and delicious, so I thought I'd share my version.

2 cups sugar
2 cups water
dissolve sugar in boiling water to make simple syrup.
add 1 packet of single drink mix flavoring (we used Hawaiian punch flavor) and stir to dissolve
cool before pouring over a cup of snow
Enjoy!

Snowed Out

We don't have a hill nearby, so this is how we do sledding in the country!

We were all out of town last week when the first round of snow hit our area. I know it could have been so much worse - I feel for all the people east of us that are counting their snowfall in feet, I can't even imagine! About eight inches fell while we were gone, and the snow plows added another several inches to the mound at the end of our driveway. Had we been home, it would have been totally manageable, but since we weren't, I was afraid to get stuck half in my driveway with my two girls! Luckily, we were able to stay with my mom for a few days until one of my sweet neighbors could plow out our drive.

Tuesday we got another six to eight inches of snow, further extending our "vacation" at mom's house. At times it was really fun, and at times I wanted to pull my hair out. It was a lesson in patience and a reminder that I have only so much control over life. There were many dishes and loads of laundry (neither of which I had to worry about, thanks mom!) and a mid snow diaper run.

Yesterday morning I was finally able to get down the drive and to the business of shoveling. A few hours and a much needed workout later I was able to turn my car around and we were in business! Last night was sweet - a quiet night in the comforts of home, sleeping in my own bed for the first time in a week. Today I'll get to baking thank you cookies to the many people that helped us out over the past few days.

What are you grateful for this week?

How to modify a full sized apron to fit your child

Sweetpea has an adorable child sized apron, but with the amount of cooking she's been doing lately it's often in the wash when we want to use it...so we've improvised! It's pretty easy to modify an adult apron to custom fit your little helper:


Put the apron over your child's head as you normally would. Wrap the waist straps up through the neck loop, as shown. Pull them as far down as needed to bring the top of the apron to the correct spot on your child's chest. Now wrap the waist straps around your child's waist as many times as needed.

Talk about full coverage - at this age she needs it! Do you have child sized aprons for your little helpers? Do you use aprons at all? I love aprons of every size - thank goodness my mom likes to make them! I'd love to see links to any easy patterns or tutorials you like.

A little support for my tired abs, from Amon Maternity!

For those of you with kids out there, after your baby was born, did you rush to get back into your pre-baby shape? I knew I wanted to get there someday, but both times I acknowledged the huge miracle my body had performed. I knew that providing milk for my daughters was no small miracle as well, and I wanted to make sure I ate well to provide good nutrition for them throughout the time I was nursing.

I gained 40lbs with my first pregnancy, and while I hit the gym because it felt good, I didn't start thinking about getting "back in shape" for about 8 months. I only gained 27lbs this time (thanks to four months of "all day" sickness - ugh!) but my abs did not snap back the second time around! Even so, I'm going to cut myself plenty of slack, at least until swimsuit season. There is just too much to sit back and enjoy, and I don't want to miss any of it!

That said, hearing someone say, "honey, get out of the way of the pregnant lady" the other day was a low blow to my ego. Seriously? A quick look over my shoulder confirmed that she was, in fact, talking about me. And I thought all women knew better than to assume a stranger was pregnant! {{insert indignant sigh here}}

Thankfully, my friend Lisa at Condo Blues was kind enough to think of me when she was contacted by Amon Maternity, a company that makes maternity lingerie AND postpartum bodyshapers. They sent me a sample of their bodyshaper to try, and they are going to give a $50 gift certificate to one lucky reader!

The forgive bodyshaper is a pair of underwear with built in tummy control. It is supportive without binding, and comfortable to wear. The support panel came up to just about my belly button - I would have preferred another inch or two of support, but I have a pretty long torso. Everything stays in place very well, the underwear didn't ride up at all, and the support panel didn't roll down. I really enjoy this product and would recommend it to anyone who could use a little "help" in that area.

For those of you that are interested now is a great time to buy - through Friday 1/15 enter coupon code SUPERSALE and receive 50% off your order! And now for that $50 gift card! To enter, visit Amon Maternity and let me know what you'd like to spend the money on. That serves as one entry. For additional entries, you can do the following, leaving an additional comment for each additional entry:

Follow this blog

Follow me (@psmom) on twitter

Follow Amon Maternity on twitter (@KristiBell4Amon)

Tweet about this giveaway and send me the direct link

Friend Amon Maternity on facebook

Good luck, I hope you win! This contest will close at midnight on 2/3/10, and a winner will be chosen by random.org (and if you have any suggestions for getting these abs back to flat, please let me know!!)

Countdown to Christmas: Activity garland

Last year's garland hung up on the mantle

Last year's Christmas activity garland was such a success I imagine we'll be doing it for many years to come. We come up with a list of 24 things we want to do to celebrate the holiday season. Since this time of year is so hectic, I assign each activity to a specific day when I think we'll have the time to enjoy it.

This year's list is a bit more basic since we have a baby in the house - I didn't think we could count on any outside activities. If the weather is nice enough or we decide to have Sugar Plum stay with someone then these will be bonus activities. Below is our list. Each one will be written on a paper chain and made into a garland we use to count down to Christmas. We will hang the garland on our mantle with the stockings. Sweetpea is going to help make the garland this year as part of our first activity!

make Christmas chain
put up Christmas tree
decorate Christmas tree
paint pine cone ornaments
decorate mantle with pine cone ornaments and stockings
make dough ornaments
Santa coloring pages
hot chocolate and Christmas music by the tree
gingerbread house
bake cookies
drive around looking at neighborhood lights
decorate cookies
make grandparent gifts
deliver cookies to friends
family handprint wreath
make & decorate felt trees
visit Santa
handprint reindeer
write letter to Santa
caroling at grandparent's houses
handprint Santa
cookies to firemen
angel craft
family over for dinner

How do you count down to Christmas and organize your holiday activities? What are your favorite traditions?