Ain't No Mom Jeans

What We're Reading This Week: Potty Training Books

OK, yes, I know many of these books have been around for quite some time, but they are, in fact, what we're reading this week. With my sweet potato rounding out his 26th month of life on Earth and preschool starting in September, we're gearing up for the marathon that, apparently, is the feat of potty training a boy child.  We're loving reading these books as we sit on each of the three (yes, 3!) potties hanging around our happy home and wanted to share:       

How to Score Cool Mom and Baby Gear on Ebay

I am, admittedly, an Ebay junkie.  While waiting for the birth of my son, I spent many hours on Ebay, trying to score some cool baby stuff.  I'd blame it on nesting, but my Ebay habit started long before my pregnancy.  At first, many of my purchases bombed.  There was the $50 plane ticket (to anywhere!!) that turned out to be a hoax.  (How did I not know that???).  And there was a host of ill-fitting dresses, uncomfortable shoes, and a purse that I just didn't need.  Or love.  I just got caught up in the bidding war.  BUT....over the years, I've learned a few things, gotten a little smarter, and managed to use Ebay to score some really great things for the babe.  My piece de resistance?  The super cool denim Bugaboo Frog stroller for $350, or maybe the 25 piece lot of Splendid baby clothes for $70.  Here's what I've learned:

Diaper Changes Made Easy and Hip: Choe and Tomlinson Self Portrait Mirrors

Mirrors are great for your babe’s social, emotional and language development and, placed at your kiddo’s eye-level on the changing table wall, they can also help keep diaper change fuss to a minimum.  But who wants to hang a large, heavy and disfiguringly shatter-able object above their dearest boy or girl at their most prone?  Baby mirrors intended for the car, such as the BearView mirror, $25.00 from www.GeniusBabies.com, are a safer option, of course, but they are, as a rule, either too hideous or freaky cute to want as a permanent decorative object in your home.  Here’s a hip, safe and fun  alternative: Choe and Tomlinson Self Portrait Mirrors, $35.00 (and well-worth the extra ten bucks), at www.DesignPublic.com.  The mirrors measure a diminutive 12”  x 16” and are made of acrylic, eliminating the hazards of larger mirrors you may otherwise feel compelled to bolt to the studs if your first-time parent safety threshold is as low as mine.  There are a few different motifs, but I chose the Songbird Mirror for my boy’s  mod boreal forest-inspired room and he has dug it since early babyhood, going from the perennially surprised “who’s dat baby!?” stage to, now at 16 months, hamming it up and practicing his goofy expressions whilst I pat, powder and cream his creases. 

 

- M

Review: BumGenius 3.0 Pocket All-in-One (AIO) Cloth Diapers

So, you’ve decided to get your eco-freak on and go cloth? Nice! I successfully cloth diapered my son for his first 10 months, until solid foods (and my gag reflex) really kicked in in full force.  By his 9 month birthday, I was wondering what in the world these insane environmental types were talking about when they indicated I could somehow “flick” the “solids” into the toilet.  Diaper spraying had become an eye-watering, dry-heaving torture and I hated the LIES!  I couldn’t take it anymore.  To make a long story short, I abandoned cloth diapering and started down the slippery slope of ease, comfort and extravagant waste.  And I liked it.  A lot.  I call it The Fall.