Not Just Baby Brain

How to make the coolest sandbox ever

Stacey — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:00:55 +0000

Step 1: Mention that your current backyard sandbox is getting too small for your kids; when a friend suggests having your husband build them a new one immediately go online to find the most perfect plans for a sandbox with built-in seats that turn into the lid.

Step 2: let your husband see your children crammed into their current sandbox.

Step 3: show your husband the plans the next day, try not to fall down from shock when he goes right to Home Depot to get the supplies.

Step 4: admire the amazing sandbox that was built in an afternoon.

Step 5: cram as many children as possible into said sandbox at your daughter’s fourth birthday party the next day, stand back and enjoy!

In all seriousness, my husband is quite handy and he found the sandbox plans to be pretty straightforward. It took him roughly 5 hours to complete the entire project, which included a break for dinner and a minor setback when he realized he’d attached the seats to the wrong sides of the sandbox. He put a tarp underneath to act as a bottom to the sandbox to hopefully minimize the number of critters that find their way in there, and I plan to add some cinnamon this week to see if that helps too. This is the best part of our backyard now!

Making a princess cake for a princess’s 4th birthday

Stacey — Thu, 09 May 2013 19:57:49 +0000

To the surprise of no one, Ashlyn chose a ‘princess’ theme for her birthday party last weekend. In order to make a princess cake, I decided on a rainbow velvet cake baked in a bundt pan and one of those creepy half-doll things you can find at craft or bulk stores.

I started by making the cake, using more food colouring gel this time to make the colour more vibrant:

Next came the fun part: decorating it! I placed a regular sized cupcake inside the middle of the bundt cake, then a giant cupcake on top, to make Cinderella’s skirt. Please note that in no way does this cake resemble Cinderella at all, it’s just the name Ashlyn gave to her cake.

Ashlyn chose purple for the cream cheese icing and when that was all done, it was time to make the princess ‘fancy’. We had sprinkles, mini M&Ms, some clear decorative sugar, gum drops, dragées (those silver ball decorations) and a bit of fondant cut into flowers (which we used for Cinderella’s top because I was afraid the icing would melt off and our poor princess might arrive at the table topless!). Let’s just say no one was deprived of any sugar!

And this is what it looked like when it was served:

It’s not a perfect rainbow – I wanted the highest cake I could get so I used more of each colour than I ‘should’ have – but Ashlyn was thrilled with her rainbow velvet princess cake and that’s what matters!

Make lunch healthy and fun with “Stealth Health Lunches Kids Love”

Stacey — Tue, 07 May 2013 19:50:33 +0000

My girls love to help me and my husband in the kitchen. They have their own aprons and are so proud of their accomplishments when we let them crack an egg or stir some ingredients together. I think it’s so important for kids to understand that food doesn’t just magically appear, it takes a bit of effort and it’s a skill worth learning! Unfortunately, involving them in cooking has yet to tame my oldest’s picky tendencies but we’re not giving up.

One meal that I really want to work on is lunch. Ashlyn will be heading off to junior kindergarten in the fall and since I may not be able to send peanut butter as many schools do not allow it, and grilled cheese sandwiches don’t travel well, I’m already worried about what she’ll eat. As it is now, lunch is thrown together as quickly as possible, in a rush when we get home from a class or a play date and before trying to get the toddler down for a nap. I need inspiration and fun ways to make healthy lunches and that’s why I was happy to be contacted about “Stealth Health Lunches Kids Love”.

With tons of gluten-free wraps and pitas (the recipes are included) there’s sure to be something even the pickiest eater will love! I’m not sure that my sushi-rolling skills will be up to par but the results of the wraps are so yummy looking that I’m willing to give it a shot – and there are step-by-step, illustrated examples at the end of the book to help me out. Many of the recipes are simple and delicious; the Strawberries and Cream pita will be making an appearance at a play date soon!

I really love that it’s such a pretty book to look at; every recipe is accompanied by a beautiful photograph of the final product so I know that Ashlyn can look at it and pick something that she’d like to try. There are also loads of snack ideas – must try the Bunny Nibbles and Crunchy Pebbles – and a whole section on dips and spreads, which would be a fantastic way to get my picky eater to try something new! You can pre-order your copy here at Amazon.com or here at BN.com or you can enter to win one from me!

One lucky reader will win a copy of Stealth Health Lunches Kids Love!

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Who needs spring?

Stacey — Sat, 04 May 2013 05:41:06 +0000

Clearly not Ottawa, since we’ve basically skipped right into summer! After months and months of being mostly housebound due to the never-ending winter (please don’t send me hate mail if you still have snow where you are right now!), my girls can’t get enough of being outside these days. It makes for a quiet blog since I’m not in front of a computer very often but how can I resist these faces?

Even the cat is happy to put on her harness and lead if it means she gets some deck time.

Are you enjoying more outdoor time these days too?

ComfyRumps cloth diapers (giveaway)

Stacey — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:23:23 +0000

While I am hopefully in the home stretch of using diapers, I haven’t starting the potty training process with my youngest yet. This means that I’m still looking for cloth diapers that are cute, won’t break the bank (especially since I’m hoping to only be using them for a few more months) and fit a very active 2 year old. ComfyRumps, located in Port Moody, BC, was kind enough to send me one of their original ComfyRumps cloth diaper in midnight black to review.

The ComfyRumps original is a one-size pocket diaper (my personal favourite kind of cloth diaper because they wash and dry so easily) that comes with one microfiber insert. The beauty of microfiber is that is is very absorbant without needing to be prepped; just wash the diaper and insert once before placing it into rotation with the rest of your stash!

As you can see above, Rowan is very comfy in her ComfyRumps! It’s on the largest rise setting, which I would expect for a 2 year old who is somewhere around 26 lbs, and there is still plenty of snaps at the waist to comfortably fit a larger baby/toddler. I haven’t had any leaking issues and the elastic fits very snug in the legs. They are also trim enough that I don’t have a problem getting ‘real’ pants on over them (as opposed to the leggings and dresses/skirts that Rowan usually rocks). I’m sure that like most one-size cloth diapers, they are more bulky on the smaller settings but I always felt that compromise was worth having a diaper that would last from teeny-tiny babyhood through to potty training!

Don’t forget to follow ComfyRumps Cloth Diapers on Facebook and @ComfyRumps on Twitter for special offers and giveaways! And speaking of giveaways…

One lucky reader will win one ComfyRumps cloth diaper of your choice!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Staples makes coffee easy (you read that right)

Stacey — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 22:44:42 +0000

I’m not entirely sure when I went from drinking the occasional coffee to requiring one to start my day, but I’m pretty sure it coincided with the birth of my first child. I have loudly proclaimed my love of my ‘fancy’ coffee maker over the past few years (we received it as a wedding gift almost 6 years ago and it’s still going strong) but with my morning ritual going from a nice, hot cup of coffee that was drank at a leisurely pace while checking emails or reading the paper to something a little more chaotic,

I was happy to review a Tassimo Brewer from Staples.ca, home of the ‘easy button’! I’m sure I’m not alone in being surprised to learn that Staples sells coffee makers now, but when I think about it, it actually makes perfect sense – what office doesn’t have a need for coffee? And with free shipping on orders over $20, making sure I have a full stock of Tassimo T-Disc refills will be easier than remembering to buy them when I’m rushing through the grocery store in between classes and play dates.

As soon as my Tassimo T20 arrived, I got it set up and was enjoying my first latte a few minutes later. It takes up very little space on my already crowded counter top, and with a 1.5 litre water tank I don’t have to worry about refilling it after every cup. The T-Discs are easy too: just place in with the barcode down, close, and push the start button; if you have a drink with a milk T-Disc, you use that one first, then the coffee T-Disc. I was very pleasantly surprised at how good the T-Discs are; they more than satisfy my mid-afternoon coffee shop desires without having to leave my house! So far my favourites are the GEVALIA Caramel Macchiato and the Twinings of London Chai Tea Latte.

A big plus for the Tassimo T20 is the adjustable cup rest which is fully removable, so it fits my usual coffee cup (seen above and below) and my travel mug (seen in the first picture). This is so convenient on the mornings that we’re running out the door or my husband decides to take a coffee to go. There certainly is something to be said for having a perfect-temperature latte at the press of a button, no matter how busy life gets!

Full disclosure: Staples.ca provided met with these items for review. The thoughts and opinions expressed are strictly my own. Feel free to shop their entire line of Tassimo Coffee Makers and T-Dics online.

Wordless Wednesday – Muddy Boots

Stacey — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:00:31 +0000

After months and months of heavy layers and feet of snow, it’s such a wonderful change of pace to have splash pants and muddy rubber boots at my front door!

Groove while you build with LEGO DUPLO Jams cd (giveaway)

Stacey — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 01:48:53 +0000

I’m sad to say that this is the last month of as a LEGO DUPLO Play Agent (well, officially at least – with all of the love that my family has for LEGO and LEGO DUPLO we’ll always be recommending it as a great toy). Our LEGO DUPLO sets are in constant rotation and the change in the girls’ level of play over the past seven months has really struck me; Ashlyn in particular has gone from building very basic towers and asking her Daddy to build her ‘cool’ stuff to making her own creations and showing them off to her Daddy oh so proudly when he comes home from work!

{please excuse the crazy hair, it was a swimming lesson day today}

I don’t have a great voice, but I make it a point to sing with my girls every day. I sang while rocking them as babies, and I still sing to Rowan before her nap and bedtime. In fact, one of my favourite Mommy moments was when the girls started singing along to their bedtime songs! I frequently joke that my house is like a real-life version of Glee: non-stop singing and dancing and drama. According to the play experts at DUPLO:

“A little background music can help children sing along, build and play while they learn simple things like colors, stacking, letters and role play. A 2011 study of parents with children age 1?5 Years reveals that among children that listen to music during playtime: 55% of children are happier when music is coupled with play; 50% are more excited to play when they hear music and 43% act sillier when music is coupled with play.”

As you can see in my video above, the girls love any excuse to dance – though building a DUPLO creation stays the priority! The LEGO DUPLO Jams cd has 9 songs that are great to listen to while building with the DUPLO blocks as they offer up some fun suggestions on what to create next (such as a caterpillar, barnyard animals, a race car and much more) but it’s also a fun set to listen to all on its own. In the car, waiting in line, while we play – any time is a good time for a song in our family!

Disclosure: I am a LEGO DUPLO Play Agent and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are always my own.

One lucky CANADIAN reader will win a LEGO DUPLO Jams cd!

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Get splashing with Stonz Rain Bootz

Stacey — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 19:39:07 +0000

Ever since we came home from our trip to Florida in February, my almost-4-year-old has been telling me daily that she is done with winter and wants spring to come! I can’t blame her, though with over 20 cm of snow forecasted over the next couple of days I’m afraid it may never come. Even though until very recently there has been a significant amount of snow on the ground, I was still excited to be sent a pair of Stonz Rain Bootz in pink and black (of course) to review.

We have used Stonz Bootz and Stonz Mittz in the past so I was sure that the quality of their Rain Bootz would be fantastic, and I was not disappointed! As you can see above, Ashlyn was very enthusiastic about her new Rain Bootz and had to model them as soon as I got the package open. {Aside – yes, she is wearing a peal necklace a la Marge Simpson. It’s part of a mermaid costume that she got as a Christmas gift and she just loves it so how can I say no?}

Since the temperature has been slowly warming up, she’s been wearing her Rain Bootz outside for the last couple of weeks and has proven that they’re great for puddle stomping and splashing! Ashlyn finds them easy to get on and off all by herself; they stay on her feet quite well (I ordered them a little big so they’d last for a while, so if she swings her feet too much in her car seat they will slip off – such is life!) and most importantly, they keep her feet nice and dry!

These Stonz Rain Bootz will be getting a lot of use this spring and summer – and I anticipate that they will be handed down to her little sister to use – and I can’t wait to enjoy some outdoor fun!

Fisher Price Favourites (coupon code)

Stacey — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 10:00:11 +0000

Can you name how many Fisher Price items you have in your house? It’s definitely a brand that I see over and over and over again around here! Fisher Price Favourites is a new microsite that highlights 12 specially picked baby gear and toys that parents turn to time and again for soothing, learning, and most importantly, fun!

The 12 Fisher Price Favourites are:

1. Ocean Wonders Aquarium
2. My Little Snugabunny Cradle N Swing
3. Infant to Toddler Rocker
4. SpaceSaver High Chair
5. Discover’n Grow Jumperoo
6. Brilliant Basics Rock a Stack
7. Laugh & Learn Love to Play Puppy
8. Laugh & Learn Say Please Tea Set
9. Laugh & Learn Click ‘n Learn Remote
10. Brilliant Basics Stroll-Along Walker
11. Little People Wheelies Stand ‘ n Play Rampway
12. Little People Animal Sounds Farm

When I started to read the list, I was surprised at how many of the items were favourites in our house too! The Ocean Wonders aquarium was a big hit with our oldest (unfortunately it broke during one of our moves), and it’s not much of a stretch to say that our Cradle N Swing (we had the Rainforest pattern) saved my sanity during Ashlyn’s first few months of life – it’s basically the only place, other than in my arms, that she slept until she was 6 months old!

My parents have the space saver high chair at their house and it’s always being recommended on the mommy boards that I am a member of online. Rowan’s favourite piece of Fisher Price baby gear was her Jumperoo (ours was the Precious Planet line). She spent so much time hanging out, playing, jumping, and even occasionally sleeping, it in!

I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that I could go on and on about the toys! I’m met few children that weren’t charmed by the different Little People sets (our farm gets lots of us even now at play dates), but the surprise hit with my girls was the Laugh & Learn Say Please Tea Set. Ashlyn was received it as a Christmas present 2 years ago and immediately it went into high rotation; there’s something about the cheery songs and fun sound effects that just charms little girls!

Fisher Price is a brand that I am always happy to have in my home because I trust that their products will be high quality and high in entertainment value. Because Fisher Price has been around for generations, they really know what they’re doing! The toys are tested by professionals and children to make sure that they are fun, durable, encourage child development and support children in achieving important milestones.

I have an exclusive Mom Central and Fisher-Price blogger discount code for you! Visit Toys R Us from March 29 to April 30 and use the code FISHERPRICE20 to receive 20% off Fisher-Price favourite!

Disclosure: I am part of the Fisher-Price Blogger Campaign with Mom Central Canada and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.