Some Thoughts on Strollers and Baby Carriers

Over the weekend, we had some very nice weather. Even though the dirt road that we live on is muddy and full of deep ruts, I really wanted to take the boys out for a walk. Dylan really wanted me to take the double stroller out so that he could ride with his baby brother for part of our walk. I thought that it might be fun to see whether our beat up double jogging stroller (which we got from the thrift store last year) was up to the challenge. We enjoyed a wonderful walk, and since the stroller is … Continue reading

Baby Center’s 15 Best Baby Products of 2012

If you are in the process of planning your baby registry, you may want to take note that BabyCenter has released its list of the top fifteen baby products of 2012, as chosen by moms. Who better to offer real life feedback on what works (and doesn’t work) for babies and their parents, and, perhaps more importantly, why. Since parenting is such an individual thing, it only makes sense that there are many products out there to address the needs of different parents with different lifestyles. Of course, it makes it a little harder to pinpoint which products will work … Continue reading

Choosing A Stroller For Your Baby

One item that you might be thinking about including in your baby registry is a stroller. I struggled with the decision to add a stroller to my baby registry because it is a larger gift than most people’s budgets could accommodate. I added one after my mother pointed out that with many stores that have baby registries, you can purchase items from your registry at a discount if you do not receive them as gifts. A group of my aunts surprised me by pooling their resources to purchase my stroller as a baby shower gift. The variety of strollers that … Continue reading

Our Baby Week in Review: Sept 3-8

Happy Saturday and welcome to a new feature here in the Baby blog where every Saturday we will try to encapsulate the last week so you can have a bird’s eye view of what was presented and what you may have missed. I look forward to your thoughts and comments as these week in reviews are written just for you. September 3 On September 3, we brought you articles on baby showers, shower games and homemade baby gifts ideal for the expectant mother whether she is you or someone you know. For parents celebrating the birth of their baby on … Continue reading

Bird Basics: Doves

We often associate doves with magic tricks or elaborate wedding ceremonies, but few realize that doves can make lovely pet birds as well (and that they also come in more colors than white). They’re a good pet bird for a first time owner or one with children, because they are very gentle; they do not tend to bite or scratch. As with any variety of bird you must research the specific breed that you want, because precisely what you need to care for it will depend on your breed. Question the breeder or your vet (because you must also find … Continue reading

Let’s Talk About Offsetting the Financial Squeeze of Parenting

What every parent-to-be needs is a list of inspiring ways to assure them that their new little bundle of joy won’t suck dry the retirement fund. Well, I can assure you that you don’t have to be a millionare to raise a family comfortably. Here are the ways our family does it: Tax Credits The federal government has created ways to ease parents’ burden via a tax bill signed into law in May 2003 that gives parents a larger tax write-off on minor children. The child tax credit is now $1,000 for each child under age 17, as long as … Continue reading

Five Ways to Make Bottle Feeding Easier on You

While we talk a lot about breast-feeding, we also talk about bottles, formulas, pumped breast milk and more. While I pumped for the first six and a half months, my daughter drank formula as well as breast milk. Because she seemed to have bad reactions to other formulas, I put her on Nutramigen as the supplement when there wasn’t enough breast milk. Nutramigen was expensive, but because it was only the supplement, it didn’t cost as much as it might have. The following five tips were what made bottle-feeding easer on me – I hope they make it easier on … Continue reading