More Easy Foods

Over the last week or so, Z has become so picky when it comes to meals. Here are a few things which, thus far, have proven winners.

Applegate Farms Organic Beef Hotdogs (no nitrates)...at Trader Joe's


Aidells Chicken Sausage (spinach and feta)....I also buy these at TJ's


Mac and Cheese...boy the kid loves this stuff! You can try mixing in veggies and even pieces of rotisserie chicken.

Sit 'Em Down

About a month ago we went to a Japanese restaurant and they had the coolest kid contraption! Instead of the usual wood or plastic highchair, they had the Handysitt that they quickly attached to a chair. This booster was awesome! Z fit so well in it (it's totally adjustable) and it's a great alternative to the big, bulky highchair. What's especially great about it is that it fits right onto your own chair and it looks great while being super comfy for kids. I was quite a fan.

Book List for Little Gems

As promised, here are your favorite books! These are all boardbooks and there are so many great ones listed here! ENJOY!

Babies on the Go, by Linda Ashman

Baby Faces, published by DK

Babycakes, by Karma Wilson

Barnyard Dance, by Sandra Boynton

Bear Snores On, by Karma Wilson

Bear Wants More, by Karma Wilson

The Big Red Barn, by Margaret Wise Brown

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, by Eric Carle

Caps for Sale, by Esphyr Slobodkina

Corduroy, by Don Freeman

Counting Kisses, by Karen Katz

Daddy Hugs, by Karen Katz

Eight Silly Monkeys, by Steven Haskamp

Go Dogs Go!, P.D. Eastman

The Going to Bed Book, by Sandra Boynton

Goodnight Gorilla, by Peggy Rathman

Goodnight Moon, by Maragaret Wise Brown

Guess How Much I Love You, by Sam McBratney

Hippos Go Berserk, by Sandra Boynton

How Do Dinasours Say Goodnight?, by Jane Yolen

I Am A Bunny, by Ole Risom, Richard Scarry Illustrations

I Love You Because You're You, by Liz Baker

Jamberry, by Bruce Degen

Kiss Good Night, by Amy Hest & Anita Jeram

The Little Engine That Could, by Watty Piper

Miss Spider's ABC, by David Kirtz

My First Baby Signs, by Linda Acredolo

The Napping House, by Audrey Wood

The Okay Book, by Todd Parr

Pat the Bunny, by Edith Kunhardt Davies

Peek-a-Boo Farm, by (scholastic)

Peek-a-Moo, by Marie Torres Cimarusti,

Peek-a-Who, Nina Laden

Quack Quack, Puppy Love, and Zoo's Who?, by Priddy Books

The Runaway Bunny, by Margaret Wise Brown

Snuggle Puppy, by Sandra Boyton

Sometimes I like to Curl Up in a Ball, by Viki Churchill & Charles Fuge

Spot Goes to School, by Eric Hill

That’s Not My Dog!, by Fionna Watt

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle

Where's Spot, by Eric Hill


*The books in green are my faves AND they are also quite long. When I read these, I skip pages or only read a few lines from each page, making sure the story still makes sense but, making it much shorter!

Another Food Find!

I discovered something else that I love to eat and now Z does too! The other day I picked up chicken, rice & beans, and fried plantains from my local Peruvian Chicken carryout restaurant. I love this stuff and Z thought it was DELISH! He gobbled up the rice & beans and the plantains. He definitely liked the chicken too, but he really loved those sides. So, next time you're picking up dinner try one of these places: in Bethesda there's Chicken on the Run, on Rockville Pike there's Crisp and Juicy and in Silver Spring there are a slew of other Peruvian Chicken Rotisseries.

PS...I'm working on the Book List for Babies! Should be up soon!

Another Easy Dinner or Lunch

In my quest to never actually "home-cook" anything for Z, I'm finding lots of great "fast" foods for him. I'm just kidding, I'm happy to share our meals with him, but you need some fallbacks for picky toddlers!

Anyhow, I've just discovered the yummiest meal from Trader Joe's! It's gnocchi with tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella called GNOCCHI ALLA SORENTINA (sp?)! You'll find it in a bag in the frozen section and all you do is cut open the bag and saute it's contents for 7 minutes. It is SO yummy...would be a great side for chicken parm! Check it out!

Reading to Your Little Gem

We all know that reading to our little gems is important, but who knows just how important? I mean, half the time they're flipping through the pages faster than you can get a word in. Reading Magic, by celebrated children's author Mem Fox, is amazing! This book will give you tips on how and when to read to your child. She also explains what a difference reading aloud will make in your child's ability to learn to read later on.

If you do read this book, don't be intimidated...some of her suggestions are a bit much...ie, reading a new book to your child everyday!!! Anyhow, this book is a great tool to unlock the power of reading!

**FYI: Only the first half of this book relates to reading to very young children. The 2nd half of the book is more focused on preschoolers.

Post-Birth Help and Massages!!!

After I had my little gem, Z, I was in need of HELP! Shannon Collier runs Holistic Helping Hand and she is a certified post-partum doula who comes to your house and takes care of you! Yes, you...not the baby! Actually, she did help with him a lot, but she helped *me* take care of him and she made sure I was doing okay, esp after having a c-section. She was truly amazing! It's sort of like having a baby-nurse, but she's someone you like hanging out with and will provide *you* with moral support!

At any rate, if anyone you know, in the DC area, is expecting please pass her name along if they are in need of post-birth help. When she helped me she came for several hours each (or every other) day and was there to get me in shape to take care of little Z...esp when breastfeeding was so rough. She does lots of other things too, but she really helped get me through the rough patches!

Oh, and by the way, she's also a certified massage therapist and although I've never had a massage from her, I'm sure she's fab! Check it out!

More BPA-Free Info

Hi there! For all who read this, I realize I've dropped the ball a bit. With Z's birthday and some home renovations, it was hard for me to focus. Anyhow, I think I'm back!

If anyone is interested in any products by Munchkin, particularly sippy cups, they have a pdf with a list of many of their products and what they're made of (click on the link that says "MunchkinPublished "). It's very useful. I just bought the 10oz Mighty Grip straw sippy in hopes that I've found a straw sippy that's not leaky...and BPA free!

Cover Up!

As of now, most of us haven't been using our strollers for *too* long. But, when your stroller seat is looking rundown or you just want a change of scenery, BooYahBaby is just what you need! They make the cutest stroller liners, that will make your stroller look like new again! They also make beautiful blankets, bibs, diaper cases and more!

Safe Mama

Okay, I'm not trying to make everyone paranoid, *but* if you're interested, here's another website full of "safe" baby products. The most helpful part is all of the BPA-free info...especially their "cheat sheet" for bottles and sippies!

How Much Do We Feed Them???

Am I the only one wondering how much we should feed our little gems? I found this website and they have a helpful guide to how much they should eat. Their credentials don't seem to be in nutrition or pediatrics, but all I can say is that it's helpful!

FINGER FOODS!

The results are in!!! With them, I've compiled a list of FINGER FOODS! Of course, if you're cooking dinner every night then you can probably just give your little gem some of what you're eating for dinner or lunch. But for those of us who don't cook that often, I hope this will help! If you have any other great ideas, please email me so that I can add them!

Fruits
Apple chunks (steamed for about 2 min in microwave)
Banana chunks
Blueberries (cut in half)
Cantaloupe chunks
Peach and Pear chunks (fresh or canned--buy in either light syrup or pear juice--if you need them "to-go", the little fruit cups with peach or pear are great!)
Grapes (cut into very small pieces)
Mango chunks (not too much though, it's full of fiber)

Veggies/Legumes
Avocado chunks
Baked potatoes
Baked sweet potatoes: also the frozen sweet potato fries which they can pick up on their own.
Beans: black, white cannelini, garbanzo, lentils, any kind really.
Broccoli (frozen or steam fresh)
Carrots (steamed)
Frozen peas
Veggie “medley”:green beans, carrots, peas, corn (I love TJ’s Organic Foursome)--for some reason frozen veggies are easier for them to eat.
Dr.Praeger’s broccoli/potato cakes (or any of his veggie/potato cakes)
Dr. Praeger's veggie burger

Meat/Fish
Rotisserie chicken--seems to be more tender than grilled chick breasts
Turkey meatballs--(Z LOVES Trader Joe's in the frozen section)
Regular meatballs
Meatloaf
Hamburger (cut into small chunks)
Pork tenderloin (it’s very tender and easy for them to chew...even Z can with 2 teeth)
Sliced turkey breast from the deli counter
Ham from the deli counter (nitrate-free)
Breaded frozen chicken breast (Bell & Evans are good)
Ham/turkey & cheese quesadilla (Nature’s Promise whole wheat tortillas from Giant are very soft--I just make these in the microwave)
Fish sticks (may be too crunchy for some)
Tilapia or another low-mercury fish

Other
Trader Joe's Chicken Shumai
Scrambled eggs (if under 1yr, yolks only)
Frozen multi-grain waffles (WF vanilla homestyle mini-waffles are good too)
Trader Joe's Blueberry Waffles*
Cheese (string cheese)
Mac & Cheese (Annie’s is good)
Grilled cheese cut up into small cubes
Trader Joe's Potato and Cheese Perogies*
Toast (whole wheat) with butter and jelly
Whole wheat tortilla with hummus
Cheese tortellini
Ravioli: cheese, veggie filled, meat filled
Baja Fresh: chicken and cheese quesadilla
Yobaby yogurt
Cottage cheese
Annie’s Organic version of Spaghetti-Os
Pasta

Snacks
Kix (Z likes these better than Cheerios)
Cheerios
Puffs
Goldfish
Animal Crackers
Rice cakes
Barbara's Apple Cinnamon Os*

*newly added

Just Too Much!

Yes, this is for real! For all of you with boys, check it out...The Tinkle Tube. "What is this?" you ask...you don't want to know! Litearlly, this is a tube for your little gem to pee in when you're out and about. I know, I know...GROSS! They actually have testimonials on their site about how wonderful this is! I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist!

COMING SOON: Finger Foods!

As of late, the topic of conversation for the crawling set (well, their mommies) is WHAT DO WE FEED OUR LITTLE GEMS! Now that they're eating more and more finger foods we all seem to be stumped. I mean, everyone has a few things in their repertoire, but we all seem to need MORE ideas! I've put my feelers out there and hopefully in the next week or so I'll have a great list of foods so we don't have to keep giving them the same foods everyday! STAY TUNED!

Label Mania

Do you have friends who are super organized? You know the ones...you open up their pantry and all the jars are labeled and the boxes are lined up 'just so'? Then when you go into their little gem's room, all of the clothes are organized by color and size, and the drawers are filled with perfectly stacked little shirts and pants. Well, that ain't me!

However, I've found some hope. Mabel's Labels has everything you need to be "that" friend! They sell labels for organizing everything under your roof...household labels, clothing labels, address labels, allergy-alert labels, even a 'neat-freak' combo pack! Oh, and believe me, that's just the beginning of the label frenzy on this site! It's truly amazing how many things you can label! Happy organizing!

Very Punny!

Yes, again, I must admit how much I like Ts with funny little puns and play on words. PixieRock.com has the funniest onesies and Ts for your baby or toddler. I especially like the "I Pooed"!

Burper Baby Gift

Have you ever seen a baby product that you wished you had thought of? Well, here it is..."The Burpcatcher"! I'm sorry, but this made me laugh...both for it's simplicity and it's practicality! This is a burpcloth with a pocket at one end, ie, that end goes over your shoulder, so when baby spits up the burp cloth "catches" it!

Z was never a spitter-upper, but I know many a friend whose gems were little fountains. Perhaps, if you're one of those friends, this might pique your interest for number 2!

Super Sock Alternative

Are you tired of putting shoes on your little gem's feet even when you're at home? Well, I am! I always put Robeez on Z's feet because he's king of the "sock-puller-off" club! I'd rather he could just slip on something more comfortable at home though. A friend suggested Nowa Li moccasins for babies. They're like socks but they have a soft leather sole, great for both indoors and outdoors for crawlers and new walkers! I can't wait to get a pair for Z! I've also found new ones on Ebay for less!

Great Reads

From the author of Babycakes comes two more of Z's favorite books. Karma Wilson wrote Bear Wants More and Bear Snores On, both about a lovable bear...in one he's hungry and the other he's sleepy. The books have repetition but also have cute stories that your little one will love (and you won't be bored of reading over and over). They were both a little long for Z to sit through at first, but now adores hearing them!

Organic Baby

Now that Z is eating 'real' food, I'm constantly scrambling to figure out what to feed him. Another important factor in what I feed him is what foods should I buy *organic*? I found a list of fruits and veggies that are better off being eaten organic. Don't worry, I won't make you go to the link, instead, here's a list of those at the top of the list.

Fruits:
Apples
Bananas
Grapes/Raisins
Peaches
Pears
Raspberries

Veggies:
Bell Peppers
Corn
Cucumbers
Green Beans
Potatoes
Spinach
Winter Squash

Other foods to buy organic:
Milk/dairy products
Oats (ie, in cereal)
Rice
Anything else your baby eats a lot of!

Hope this is helpful for those of you interested in buying more organic but not ready to buy all of your groceries in 'organic' versions. For more info about *why* it's a good idea to eat these organic, check out Delicious Organics. They also have a lot of other helpful links about organic foods!