Meet our new mom expert Chicklet No comments yet

Meet Chicklet, our latest Wishpot mom expert. You’ll love her and her baby registry recommendations.

From ever since I can remember, my favorite word has been BLURB. Blurb blurb blurb. You can WRITE a blurb, you can FORM a blurb, or you can just READ a blurb, but no matter what you DO with a blurb, it’s just plain fun to SAY blurb. Or at least for me it is. Partly cuz I’m easily entertained, partly cuz I say it with a GOOD HARD B at the end. I do NOT say blurb, BLURb, or blurp – I say BLURB-UH!

So now that I’ve got your attention, or lost it, the real point of this babbling is to introduce myself. But being who I am, I didn’t want to do one of those boring old intros that just SAYS who I am, I wanted to do something that SHOWS who I am. And yes, I believe all that babbling about blurbs explains just who I, Natalie (aka “chicklet”, as I’m known on my personal blog and review blog) really am.

As for the whole SAYING who I am, well, I’ll do that too just to be clear. I’m a happily married 33 year old, more than a LITTLE obsessed with having chocolate for dessert EVERY SINGLE DAY, red wine on a sunny patio every SUMMER day, and an ever-growing arsenal of NEW and EXCITING ways to be mean to my charming (and extremely patient?) husband. Oh, and I get to do all that in one of THE most beautiful cities in the world – Vancouver, BC.

Fortunately AND unfortunately though, the wine habit in particular is suffering a little this summer with that whole being PREGNANT thing I’ve got going on – 7 weeks to go! What ISN’T suffering however, is either my shopping OR my exercise habits – both of which you’ll see a lot of evidence of here and in my blogs.

The shopping habit, well, I think that one’s pretty obvious what I’ve been focused on lately – I mean, I AM pregnant so there’s DEFINITELY been a strong focus towards the funky yet practical things I’m going to need (and want!) for this kid. But the other focus has really been on exercise, and doing it safely both during pregnancy, and after, when I’ve got my wee one in tow.

Because the thing is for me, I’ve been a runner for over 10 years – and it’s not just something I DO, but something I AM. My running is not JUST a physical outlet to let me eat what I want and maintain my figure, but also a mental SAVIOUR for my sanity. And so with being pregnant, I’ve had to find new ways to adjust that outlet in ways that let ME still be ME, but also let this kid grow as he’s supposed to.

And while I know a lot of women DO suffer throughout their pregnancies, I can proudly say I’m not one of them. And no, you don’t have to hate me for it, because I worked my ASS off to prevent that suffering. What do I mean? I mean I really and TRULY believe my fitness regime has been the key to an easy pregnancy. Back pain? Nope. Swelling? Nope. Discomfort? Barely!

So as time goes on, between the baby and toddler gear that will UNDOUBTEDLY fill my Wishpot, you’ll also find me posting a lot of VERY cool fitness gadgets, gear, and of COURSE wear. Partly because they’re things I have a HOOT shopping for, and give me a TON of pleasure when they compliment my running. And partly because what’s the point in working your ass off if you can’t enjoy yourself, and feel like you look good doing it.

Thank you Chicklet! And click here to add Chicklet as a wishpot friend. Click on the little plus sign under her name.

Babyluxe Fridays: High Tech for Kids 1 comment

Today Wishpot Mom Expert Dana of Babyluxe Daily and The Winning Pitch blog gives us her high tech picks for holiday gift ideas.  Thanks Dana!

As I browse over my 7 year old and my 8 year old niece’s gift wish lists {to Santa still thank goodness}, I realize my sister and I could possibly spend into the thousands on just gifts for them alone! Seriously, A Nintendo DS {with of course games to go with it}, a $200 digital camera, the Wii and all the accessories, a fancy dancy IPod, a Pink Laptop, to just name a few…how do parents afford it now a days; I miss the days of Legos and Lincoln Logs on their lists!

Let me give you some other ideas and products {more affordable and durable; you know you’ll buy the high end electronic only to have it break when someone sits on it after it falls into the couch no more than a week after Christmas} I have found to replace expensive techy products for kids.

Check out my post on BabyLuxe {daily} the other day on LeapFrog, this company can not be bet! More affordable than the IPod and the DS, try the Crammer and the Didj. Still appropriate for that age group, fantastic graphics and memory, PLUS educational thrown in! These two products are brilliant {as are all of LeapFrog’s products}! They have a similar look as the more expensive ones and have all the same features, and more, so why not stick with a company we all love and save a few bucks.

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Okay, the Wii, I agree this is a fabulous product for “families”, so instead of tagging this one as just for one child, give it as a gift for the entire family. And you certainly do not need all the bells and whistles right away, the accessories and games are all pricey so spread out purchasing them throughout the year.

I would have never thought an 8 year would need her own laptop but the way the schools are run now a days, homework can be completed online and submitted to the teacher electronically, how cool is that??! So, just maybe, an 8 year will need her own “computer”, not necessarily a laptop. Purchase a refurbished computer or of course shop the sales. A desktop is much cheaper and for an 8 year old and up, it will work perfectly for what they need it for. The laptops are for the convenience of wireless and traveling, not something kids need access to as of yet.

Finally, a digital camera. I’ve gone through a few expensive digital cameras over the past couple years as they are extremely sensitive and must be handled with care, again, not something for a 7 year old boy! So, a cheaper more durable solution is the FisherPrice Kids tough digital or Vtech Kidizoom camera for the preschoolers and look at this cute and durable little digital camera for the older kids, the Argus Bean Sprout. Perfect for the younger photographers and durable enough to travel with them to the playground or wherever their fun life’s take them!

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Gift Idea: Give Books Instead of Stuff 2 comments

Mom Expert Andrea Diuguid is a SAHM, web designer, crafter, preschool teacher and casual photographer. She features her work on her blog Take It Smiling and contributes to www.picturemycamera.com.

I have three children. My eldest is a 7 year old boy, my middle a 4 ½ year old girl and my youngest child, a boy, is 13 months old. Of course, three children means we have three times the norm of many, many things: food, laundry, doctor’s visits, TOYS.

So, as we approached my youngest child’s first birthday, I thought long and hard about what to give him. Friends asked, “What does he need? What doesn’t he have?” Do you know I couldn’t answer? Sure, our doctor kit is now approximately five years old and missing a few pieces, but do we NEED a new one? No. Sure, my son already enjoys pushing around cars and trucks but since he’s got so many left from my eldest, does he NEED new ones? No. How about clothes? Nope, have them left over from my eldest as well as many friends. Hmmm…

Then, it hit me. Can you ever have too many books? No way. I don’t know about you, but I read 2 – 3 books per night, per child so that’s a lot of reading. Translation: that’s a lot of repetition. We’ve been reading the same bookcase-worth of books for SEVEN years now. Ouch. (It actually is painful sometimes.) With this is mind, I decided to have a book-themed party where everyone could give the birthday boy a copy of their favorite book. This worked beautifully for our guest list as the vast majority of kids invited were the friends of my other two. They’d been read to all their lives so I figured they had to have favorites. I was so right and, as I gazed at the very manageable stack of new books after the party, I was at peace. Gone was the usual post-party angst regarding where we’d put all the new STUFF. Where would all those tiny pieces go so they didn’t get lost? How long would it take my fingers to heal after untwisting all those wires to free all this STUFF? Instead, it was “Ahhhhh. Look at that lovely pile of books for us to read.”

But I’m not the only one with a lack-luster library. Why not consider rejuvenating your friends’ libraries this year too? They will thank you for not giving their child another THING to collect dust once the thrill wears off (ever notice how the thrill doesn’t wear off of books for kids?). To get you started, here are my absolute favorites, appropriate for children birth through third grade (at least):

On The Day You Were Born by Debra Frasier
This gorgeous tale describes the wondrous happenings across the planet as your child was born. I’ve made sure each of my children have their own copy so that they will always know how very connected they are to our environment as well as joyful we were upon their arrival.

I Hate Everyone by Mij Kelly
Selfish Queen Bee learns to be polite in this clever story. The typography lends to the excitement; as the Queen yells louder, so do the words on the page. The richly colored images are sure to entrance your child as they learn that being nice is the best way to be.

The Napping House by Audrey Wood

Can you spot the little flea in each picture? Did you notice each animal moves just a bit on each page? Your child will enjoy predicting what’s next by looking at the pictures in this fun book. The day may start sleepy but it sure ends up bright!

Bear Feels Sick by Karma Wilson

If you’ve never read any of the Bear books, you are in for a treat! In this episode, beautifully illustrated rhythmic poetry tells of Bear’s friends caring for him when he is sick. Each animal does something special for Bear and, in the end, Bear cares for them when they become sick. It’s a sweet tale of friends caring for one another.

Also look for Bear Wants More (featuring American Sign Language for “more,” Bear Snores On, Bear’s New Friend and Bear Stay’s Up (a Christmas story) and Bear Feels Scared.

How Do I Love You? By P.K. Hallinan

This fun rhyme describes all the lovable things about your child (“I love it when you’re happy and I’m sorry when you’re sad. And even though it may not show, I love you when you’re bad.”). It’s a wonderful way to reaffirm a parent’s love for their child, no matter what their behavior. The drawings are vividly colored and lots of fun!

This author/illustrator has an entire series of love-affirming books worth checking out.

My Very Own Name
Animals gather round as a new baby joins the wood. To decide the baby’s name, each animal offers a letter. “D” might come from a donkey or a deer, for example. Based on the information you provide upon ordering, the animals spell out your special child’s name. The birthdate of this woodland baby matches that of your child as well. I’ve purchased this book for all of my children. When they were younger, they loved hearing their names as part of the story. As they grew, they began identifying the letters presented my each animal. The illustrations are gorgeous as well.

Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry & the Big Hungry Bear by Don Wood

This quick board book is such fun to read. Your child will love how they, as the reader, speak directly to the mouse about his juicy, red, ripe strawberry and the very big hungry bear who loves to eat them!

Go Track a Yak! By Tony Johnston

Go on a silly journey to save the little baby who won’t eat. Thanks to outstanding typography, you’ll find yourself in character as a dim-witted dad and cranky witch. My children have enjoyed the story on many levels over the years; different parts make them laugh as they get older.

Sixteen Cows by Lisa Wheeler

Join Cowboy Gene and Cowgirl Sue as they each call their eight cows in for the night. But, when a storm blows down the fence, the herds mix and mayhem ensues. Through witty rhymes, we find Cowboy Gene and Cowgirl Sue in love and the herd size doubled!

The Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman

Do you deal with any picky eaters? Can you image SEVEN of them? This rhyming tale will entertain you and your picky eater as you watch one mother become exhausted by her seven silly eaters… and then watch their favorite foods magically combine to make one delicious birthday cake for Mom!

Old Turtle by Douglas Wood

This fable describes how all things are connected here on Planet Earth. Beautiful watercolors vividly depict the land and creatures of our world. This is a MUST read for children to help them understand the importance of preserving Earth’s ecology.

For even more book ideas, check out my list “Children’s Books – MUST HAVES” on Wishpot.com.

Andrea Diuguid is a SAHM, web designer, crafter, preschool teacher and casual photographer. She features her work on her blog Take It Smiling and contributes to www.picturemycamera.com.