Little fun fact of the day, Elmo turns 3 1/2, tomorrow February 3rd. Now supposedly he never gets older than 3 1/2 years old, but since he was first introduced in 1979 he is probably a lot closer to being 32 years old.

When my husband and I debate whether to go out or not to a restaurant the question always arise, what do we need to bring.  Most restaurants provide customers with some sort of high chair, but in my experiences, they are always in poor filthy condition and are not very comfortable. Personally, sometimes it is better to bring your own gear with you so you and your baby can be comfortable while eating out.  Hear are some ideas of items to make the experience great for everyone.

Portable Booster

Portable boosters are great in the fact that they can fit universally on any restaurant chair and most of them are so compact that you can fit them underneath a stroller or some come with a carrying handle.

Other Accessories to Bring

Travel Placement: Great to put on top of the table and can fit very easily into a diaper bag. With one of these you do not have to worry about your baby’s food touching the table. Also these are usually great because they are made from no slip material that will help keep the plates on the table.

Summer Infant Tiny Diner

Toys, Toys & More Toys: While most babies and toddlers can now navigate their parents smart phones better than their parents themselves, sometimes you just don’t want to have your toddler use your phone all of the time as a “toy”.  Some great things to bring with you are a quiet time activity book or highchair toy.

Bathroom Breaks: If you are potty training your child a portable potty seat is a good idea to slip into your bag so your little one can take a potty break during the meal.

Snacks and Drinks: Crackers can be your savior when dining in a restaurant waiting for your food.  I usually try to wait to bust out the cracker card until I really need to use it.  Also, most restaurants do not have proper cups for kids to drink out of, and if they do have ones with straws, the cups are so flimsy that they usually end up spilling all over the place.  A great solution to this is take and toss straw cups.  I love these, they are inexpensive so if you leave it behind it is not a big deal, they hardly leak and most importantly they are easy for little hands to use.

With an increase of active Moms and Dads a jogging stroller can be a great way to introduce exercise into your daily routine.  With so many jogging strollers on the market it can be a daunting task to find the right stroller that meets your needs.  One important thing to remember is that it is a piece of exercise equipment, so you definitely get what you pay for.

Here are some important things to consider when purchasing a jogging stroller:

Wheel Size:

Jogging strollers come in a variety of wheel sizes, here is a breakdown of the different wheels sizes and their functions:

Fixed Versus Swivel Wheel

Depending on your usage you will want to consider whether you want your stroller to have a swivel wheel or a fixed wheel. Also, if this is going to be your main stroller, you will definitely want it to have a swivel wheel.

Wheel Type & Rims

Pneumatic Tires: These are air filled tires that will give you a much smoother ride over a multitude of terrain than traditional solid tires.

Shocks and Suspension

Shocks and absorbers will give your child a smoother more even ride when using the stroller.  This is important to consider if you want your child to nap while strolling in the stroller, also, if you plan on using it with small infants. (some manufactures do not recommend using these strollers for infants under 6 months of age).

Other Things to Consider:

Cup Holders and Trays: Very important to some people, some strollers do not come with this, some you must purchase as an additional accessory, which adds to the cost of the stroller.  Also, some strollers do not come with the tray for a child, not a big deal to me (none of the strollers I have owned had one), but if your child is dependent on one, this is something to consider.

Washable Seats: If you plan on using your stroller in a variety of conditions, for example, the beach, the woods, muddy terrain, snow, you will want a stroller that you can take the seat off and wash in a washing machine.

Brakes: More advanced jogging strollers will have a hand brake that is very similar to a bicycle brake in addition to a traditional stroller break.  This is a great safety feature to keep in mind when looking for a stroller if you plan on using it for heavy duty running.

Extra Accessories: Manufactures make a variety of accessories to maximize the use of your stroller such as bug shields, wind guards,  sun shields, stroller liners, and cup holders which you can add to increase the usefulness of your stroller.

We wake up pretty early in my house having a toddler and a puppy too.  You never know which one is going to wake you up.  Today on the Today show they had an interesting segment on “Princess Culture.” Having a daughter myself, it is something that I have been concerned about for sometime.  Luckily, my daughter is a little over two, so princess culture has not hit her yet, although when she starts preschool next year I am sure that we she will want to explore it.  Author Peggy Orenstein in her book Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture discusses how media and culture are influencing  girls at an early age that appearance and being “saved” by their prince charming take precedence over values such as hard work and intelligence.  I really think that this is an interesting read since girls at an earlier age seem t o be growing up so quickly. The message that I liked from the interview is not to forbid your daughter from seeing or liking princesses, but instead to expose them and immerse them in other things as well.  I think that is the best thing you can do as a parent is to expose your child to all different experiences relevant to their age.

Kids love to bring their stuffed animals with them wherever they go, but when you bring them out often they get dirty and need to be cleaned.  My daughter has a handful of animals that she likes to sleep with and bring around with her.  I regularly wash these animals at least once every 2 weeks to keep them clean.  Here are my tips for cleaning the animals.

1.     Get a lingerie bag.  This works great for the small bean bag stuffed animals and you then can throw a whole bunch of them in the machine at the same time.  A pillowcase will work too, but you must tie it in a knot, and sometimes the knot will come out and then you have animals all over the machine.

2.     Read the label on the tag. Often it will tell you if it can be washed or not.  I have found that most say only surface clean, but I still have thrown them in the machine and washed them anyway and have not had a problem.  It is really a judgment call.

3.     Make sure if there are any loose parts that you sew them up first.

4.     Add your favorite detergent to the washing machine.  While woolite is best for this any detergent can be used (except bleach) just make sure that it does not have fabric softener as this can be a problem for some plush.

5.     The washing machine should be set to the cool setting on the gentle cycle.  Now if you are trying to sanitize the animal because your child was sick and want to use hot water, hot water may make certain dyes run so if the animal has multiple colors on it, it is not advisable to do this, but if the animal is one single color you can do it but the animal may fade.

6.     You can either air dry or use the dryer for some plush.  I have noticed that when I use the dryer on the animals that have the longer hairier plush that the plush tends to clump together, which doesn’t bother me, but may bother some other people or children.  If in doubt air dry.

7.     You can also use a hair dryer and a stiff bristle brush to “fluff” up the animals hair.  It works for some of the shorter pile fur, but is not recommended for longer furs or very loose pile.

8.     To kill dust mites a steamer is highly effective.  You can also vacuum stuffed animals to remove dust mites.  A   hair dryer is also an effective way of removing surface dust from stuffed animals.

9. Having a handy book like Restoring Teddy Bears and Stuffed Animals is a great resource to have to get additional professional advice on how to care for your animals.

DO NOT WASH OR DRY MOHAIR, WOOL, RAYON, ALPACA, SHEARLING, OR REAL ANIMAL FUR STUFFED ANIMALS.  ALSO NEVER WASH STUFFED ANIMALS THAT HAVE BUILT IN SOUND EFFECTS IN THEM EVEN IF YOU REMOVE THE BATTERIES.

The JJ Cole Original Infant Bundle Me is one of the greatest inventions to keep your little ones warm in the winter.  When I was pregnant I saw one of these in Marshalls and picked it up thinking at the time, well I don’t know how much use I will get out of this, well I was wrong.  It is better than using a blanket over the infant seat, since the bundle me zippers up like a little sleeping bag.  I read a review somewhere where someone suggested to use it as a liner in their BOB Jogging Stroller, instead of buying the BOB Warm Fuzzy, which is an excellent idea when your baby grows out of it. We got about six months use out of this, and then I sold it on ebay, which I wish I would have saw the suggestion to use it as a liner in my jogging stroller ahead of time, because that would have been a great idea.

An adorable swing that lulls your newborn into a peaceful slumber, the Fisher Price Little Lamb Cradle & Swing is an adorable solution for newborns.  We had one of these for my daughter that we started to use a month after she was born.  This was truly a lifesaver.  The swing has a nice cradle seat which allows small infants to lie down in the seat.  The dome mirror with the rotating animals is also a nice feature that provides visual stimulation for babies.  I also found it great that it is very easy to take the cover off and wash the entire seat cover in the washer.   It is also great that you can plug this swing in.  So many swings on the market use batteries- which are not only expensive but an environmental disaster.  Since you can plug this swing in you will save money in the long run  by not having to purchase expensive batteries. Also, the swings motion and music last longer when you have it plugged in versus using batteries, which only lasts 7 minutes.

I have been looking all over for a toy washing machine for my daughters play kitchen area.  It seems that no one makes a decent quality one anymore. I came across this one when looking for one for my daughter and I think that this one may do the trick.  Step2 now makes the Deluxe Nursery Center which includes a mini washing machine, changing table, sink and highchair all in one unit. The unit is nice in the fact that it has multiple play areas so your child can use it for many different uses other than just a mini washer. For parents it is also great because it can be easily wiped off with soap and water.

I was watching the Today Show and saw the interview with Amy Chua author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.  In Chua’s new book she describes her experiences in what some would call “extreme parenting.”  I really think from a sociological perspective this book explores different types of parenting, which as a parent, is always important to study.  Some people suggest that her way of being a “Chinese Mother” as she describes in her book is harsh and at times cruel.  I really think that the whole point of the book is to explore a different approach to parenting with more of a focus on hard work, determination and not letting your children settle for less.  In her interview Amy Chua even admitted that she learned herself that some of her techniques needed adjusting, but I think that is the point of parenting.  Honestly I think that it is worth a read, weather you agree with her techniques or not.

I must say that these are the cutest set of ice cream cones that I have ever seen.  My daughter received the Smart Snacks Rainbow Cones by Learning Resources for Christmas and they are an excellent edition to her play kitchen.  The colors are nice and bright- and they are the true ROYGBIV colors which makes them easy for small children to identity. The scoops easily attach to the 2 cones that come with the set and stack neatly one on top of the other, which is great for young children to do to practice their motor skills.  The thing I like about this toy the best it that it is multifunctional- it is educational yet it can also be used in a play kitchen as well.