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.

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.

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.

The other night me, my husband and daughter went and picked up ice cream.  We got her favorite strawberry, which I must say is the best strawberry ice cream that I have ever had.  The place that we goes to makes their own flavors of ice cream and the strawberry has huge pieces of strawberry ice cream in it.  We get home we start eating our ice cream and all of a sudden a tantrum breaks out.  Immediately I wonder, did she bite her tongue, does she not like strawberry ice cream any more, what is wrong.  Then she said I want Mama’s ice cream.  I figured that  perhaps she like my flavors better.  I had apple pie (big pieces of apple) and rocky road, which she ate around.  Well she finished all of my apple ice cream, and then when she was done, she signed said “Mama’s ice cream all done.” and then ate her small cup of strawberry.  When I think about the story it makes me laugh but at the same time it brings to light how much children are masters of their emotions.  I say to myself I will not fall for this one again, but most likely who I am kidding I probably will.

• Effortlessly cuts through snow or mush
• Can be used on skating rink
• Durable stainless steel frame that easily folds

Product Description
If you enjoy spending time outdoors with your kids in winter but dont like the hassle of wrestling with your wheeled stroller, heres the solution. The Snow Stroller lets you glide your child through the snow effortlessly so that you can run your errands hassle-free or just enjoy a wintery walk in the park.

Snow Strollers are not intended for downhill sledding!

Standard features of all models include:

* a nylon three-way safety harness
* lightweight stainless steel tubing construction
* tested to hold up to 110 lbs (50 kg)
* easily foldable to put in your trunk or storage… More >>

Snow Stroller Starter Baby Push Sled

• Effortlessly cuts through snow or mush
• Can be used on skating rink
• Durable stainless steel frame that easily folds

Product Description
Standard features of all models include:
* a nylon three-way safety harness
* lightweight stainless steel tubing construction
* tested to hold up to 110 lbs (50 kg)
* easily foldable to put in your trunk or storage
Graduate model also has padding in the seat for your childs warmth and comfort…. More >>

Snow Stroller Graduate Baby Push Sled

Product Description
4.7-ounce, 100% rib knit ring spun combed cottonOne Size Fits MostPlease note in the diagram that the picture that will be embroidered is the one blown up in the diagram – not the small image on the item.… More >>

Embroidered Infant Rib Knit Beanie with the image of: squirrel w/sled

• Effortlessly cuts through snow or mush
• Can be used on skating rink
• Durable stainless steel frame that easily folds
• Equipped with tent and boot for complete protection

Product Description
The Snow Stroller Deluxe provides the ultimate in protection and comfort for your child with its wraparound boot and overhead tent to protect your child from wind and falling snow. The Deluxe model also features a reclining padded seat to make in-transit napping more cozy and relaxing…. More >>

Snow Stroller Deluxe Baby Push Sled