tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22395243719406335902011-11-27T18:53:39.567-06:00Mom to 2 boys, a know-it-all, and a librarian.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.comBlogger611100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-45586299925038320262011-09-30T15:17:00.001-05:002011-10-01T15:10:58.722-05:00

Well, it's time to put this blog to sleep.  I am starting a new job next month and I know I won't have the time to keep up with it.  I'm going to leave it out there though in case someone stumbles across any of my old posts and finds the info useful! With that said, I wanted to do one last post.  And even though I am going to promote a brand, guess what - this was completely done on my own, not

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-76137329645640586012011-08-10T16:33:00.001-05:002011-08-10T16:42:28.176-05:00

(I know this has nothing to do with babies or motherhood or whatever, but it's my blog, so I'm gonna post a rant.) In the last week I've had the displeasure of dealing with a huge customer service fail (Virgin Mobile), and the pleasure of a great customer service win (Sirius XM).  First the FAIL. I've been a customer of Virgin Mobile for about 9 years now.  In fact, they are the ONE AND ONLY

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-9230309659736442872011-08-03T17:45:00.003-05:002011-08-08T15:07:54.222-05:00

Be sure to check out my new side project of this blog, "The Know It All Mama Reviews" for your chance to win a free pack of Seventh Generation's newly reformulated Free&Clear diapers.  I'll be reviewing my pack there shortly, as well. http://kiamreviews.blogspot.com/2011/08/seventh-generation-diapers.html

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-15481966173623699902011-06-20T09:52:00.001-05:002011-06-20T09:54:58.573-05:00

Although looking around your house at all of this KID STUFF can drive you crazy, one of the great things is that as they grow out of it, you can make some money back by having a rummage sale (that's what we call them, yard sale, garage sale, tag sale, it's all the same).  I love to hit rummage sales and see what's out there, I enjoy the thrill of a great bargain.  But I HATE wasting my time and

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-25675221288490027092011-06-10T10:21:00.000-05:002011-06-10T10:21:21.715-05:00

The Essential Guide to Baby's First Year is a good, solid choice for a new parent.  Written by a pediatrician and a psychiatrist (who are also mothers), this book is not preachy or judge-y, which I appreciate.  (You may have figured out by now that I can't stand the type of books that shriek "DANGER DANGER" at every turn or make parents second-guess themselves.) The book covers all issues from

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-20558325785881184862011-05-18T10:11:00.000-05:002011-05-18T10:11:25.394-05:00

Well what do you know, I am still around.  Let me tell you folks, as I've said many times, "One is one but two is ten..." - life can be pretty full with 2 little ones running around.  So I haven't had the time to blog as often as I would like. But I'm going to keep it up, and, make a change - instead of reviewing products here, I will have a side blog just for reviews - "The Know It All

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-9401204977525878052011-03-07T13:12:00.000-06:002011-03-07T13:12:12.557-06:00

Congrats to DyonneW, Nathan, kmogilevski, daisha, and Jennifer!  For anyone else who entered the giveaway, Rebecca is offering 10% off all Shaklee product orders placed through Waterways until March 31st!  Contact her at www.waterways.myshaklee.com.

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-5214383540418618582011-02-21T17:03:00.000-06:002011-02-21T17:03:34.378-06:00

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I recently started using some of Shaklee's cleaning products.  My independent sales distributor, Rebecca Colby, of Waterways, would like to offer my readers a chance to win a sample of their famous Basic H2 cleaning concentrate! Rebecca generously sent me a bottle of the Shaklee Basic H2 cleaning concentrate and 3 spray bottles to mix.  It's pretty amazing

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-40483346912350015872011-02-14T20:38:00.002-06:002011-02-14T20:41:22.847-06:00

Thank you to TurboTax for sponsoring my writing about household finances.Learn more about how TurboTax can help you find every tax deduction you deserve. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do. Managing your family finances is a personal topic.  Everyone has a different way that will work best for them.  Here's what

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-67111614676596369622011-02-07T11:59:00.001-06:002011-02-07T12:02:06.503-06:00

For a while now, I've been into "green" cleaning.  After getting one too many headaches from the fumes of cleaning products, I decided to seek out better options.  And having kids in the house only reinforces the notion of not wanting crazy chemicals in the house even more. For a long time, I was a huge fan of Method.  However, they aren't the easiest to find (around here, only Target sells them

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-85213267143523392272011-01-26T15:48:00.001-06:002011-01-26T15:51:00.397-06:00

It sucks when your child is sick.  It's hard to watch them be unhappy, and it's even more miserable when you feel like you can't help them.  My 1st son was hardly ever sick - he had a cold when he was 7 months old and he had a bout of rotovirus that we were all down with when he was about 9 months old - and that was it.  I never even had to take his temperature until the first time he ran a fever

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-30975626306814628362011-01-12T11:23:00.002-06:002011-01-12T11:23:27.681-06:00

Congrats to commentor "My Name is Wisdom", the winner of the Betty Crocker Cookie Mix/Gladware/Safeway Gift Card! Thanks to all who entered!

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-86418185005984085452011-01-03T11:21:00.001-06:002011-01-12T11:08:30.290-06:00

The holidays may be over, but a cookie exchange party is a great idea any time of the year, don't you think? Wow, another giveaway! This time, it's for Betty Crocker Cookie Mix and Gladware.  I like to think of the Betty Crocker mixes as a midway point between making homemade cookies and buying the refrigerated dough.  Sometimes you just don't want to hassle with homemade...but sometimes the

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-60837579852374951572010-12-23T08:37:00.001-06:002010-12-23T08:37:33.401-06:00

Congrats to commenter "noble4", Random.org chose you as the winner of the Happy Baby coupon giveaway!  Check your email for a message from me. Thank you to all who entered!

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-27520663698335694742010-12-16T12:18:00.004-06:002010-12-23T08:30:55.954-06:00

I started using Happy Baby products with my first son, who is now almost 2 1/2.  In that short time, they have really grown their product line, and we've tried just about everything from them! I'd like to start this review by stating that I am a huge fan of the Happy Baby line of products, and that although this is a sponsored post*, I actually approached them to review their products.   

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-56196601705156562882010-12-08T11:45:00.000-06:002010-12-08T11:45:53.883-06:00

Thanks to all who entered - Winners for the Old El Paso and the Happy Baby book have been chosen using Random.org! Karin was the Old El Paso winner, and Laura gets the Happy Baby Book. I'll be posting another Happy Baby review and giveaway within the next week - this time featuring their food products - so be on the lookout and be sure to enter!

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-14012563104309446012010-12-01T09:45:00.000-06:002010-12-01T09:45:39.763-06:00

Congrats to commenter #3, Antoinette, who won the Betty Crocker Prize Pack! Don't forget there is still time to enter 2 other giveaways I have, the Old El Paso Taco Night Prize Pack and the HappyBaby Book!  Good Luck!

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-37346359293240285672010-11-24T13:43:00.001-06:002010-12-08T11:46:32.339-06:00

I'd like to start this review by stating that I am a huge fan of the Happy Baby line of products, and that although this is a sponsored post*, I actually approached them to review their book. Look for a review of their baby foods coming in the next week or so as well! HAPPYBABY: The Organic Guide to Baby’s First 24 Months is a book for all of you "green" parents out there - or even for those

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-15113764060724184382010-11-22T11:36:00.003-06:002010-12-01T09:39:59.955-06:00

Oh I know, Thanksgiving is this week and you're probably up to your eyeballs in a mound of potatoes, ready to boil, cut, mash, and eat. But did you know that you can actually make pretty decent mashed potatoes from a box? I recently had the opportunity to try Betty Crocker Instant Mashed Potatoes and was pleasantly surprised. I love me some mashed potatoes, but I can't ever manage to make them

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-29805961603754349272010-11-22T08:18:00.002-06:002010-11-22T08:21:47.794-06:00

I'll admit it, I think I have a weird little crush on Dr.Oz.  So I was delighted when I saw a copy of YOU Raising Your Child at the library.  Having already gushed here about the pregnancy book in their YOU series, I was eager to review this new book. Much like their other YOU books, this book is chock full of all kinds of information, from a medical viewpoint.  And again, I really like the

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-60819810522576602852010-11-10T08:00:00.002-06:002010-11-10T08:00:07.231-06:00

This is a great essay by Erica Jong.  I particularly agree that a lot of the attachment parenting philosophy these days leaves out people who have to work to support their families - "You wear your baby, sleep with her and attune yourself totally to her needs. How you do this and also earn the money to keep her is rarely discussed. You are just assumed to be rich enough.".  (I am fortunate

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-82924683286720581922010-11-07T16:54:00.002-06:002010-11-08T11:57:14.024-06:00

Everyone knows that making your own baby food is cheaper than buying the jars, right?  However, it is time consuming, and, I happen to like the jars for the variety they offer (I'm willing to steam and mash carrots, sweet potatoes, etc, but fruit is difficult to cook and puree and I'm not about to blend flavors - the jars do it best!). It just occurred to me that this time of year (Autumn) is

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-31008216823390244622010-11-01T23:49:00.002-05:002010-11-22T08:22:32.478-06:00

December, that is. Time for the holiday card frenzy, right? If you follow any "mommy" blogs, you might see everyone talking about Shutterfly these days - that's because the kind folks at Shutterfly have partnered with bloggers to spread the word about their Christmas card collections, found here. They also offer address labels (cool!) and general holiday cards. One of the best things about

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-37696785518044337702010-10-04T21:16:00.003-05:002010-11-22T08:22:45.319-06:00

Sponsored By Cheerios® is giving you the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, your ultimate family vacation. As part of a paid promotion for their “Do What You Love” Sweepstakes, Cheerios® is sponsoring my post today about what my ultimate family vacation would be. Read mine, Enter the Sweepstakes for a chance to actually win your own fantasy family trip or one of a bunch of

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-33031721675063912622010-09-24T17:33:00.001-05:002010-09-24T17:35:55.036-05:00

Just a quick post regarding baby growth charts.  A good friend of mine who just had a baby was worrying because her son's head circumference was small.  (So was mine, Baby K was in the 8th percentile at first! Let me tell you, it made for an easier delivery... LOL) I tried to tell her not to worry because after all, these charts aren't exactly scientific.  Depending on what chart your

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-24118885228234737602010-09-15T08:40:00.000-05:002010-09-15T08:40:00.245-05:00

Now that I have a newborn in the house again, I decided to check this book out of the library:  The Essential First Year by Penelope Leach.  I had certainly heard of Leach before - she's a baby guru, particularly in the UK.  However, I hadn't actually read one of her books. Let me start by saying that one of the nicest things about having baby #2 is that it's a much calmer experience.  Yes, the

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-88679392950955994112010-09-09T20:20:00.001-05:002010-11-08T12:00:03.537-06:00

OK!Baby 2 is here, so I have lots of things I want to blog about coming up.  Um, yeah, once I find the time!In the meantime though, I absolutely love this recent post on Yahoo, so I'll share it here: 15 things that change (immediately) when you have a baby - Parenting on Shine http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/parenting/15-things-that-change-immediately-when-you-have-a-baby-2388214/ I can't

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-74972038305820681742010-07-06T15:03:00.001-05:002010-07-06T17:59:14.319-05:00

There are lots of links out there to lists for what to pack for the hospital. Here are some of my favorites, and, since I just packed my bag this weekend (3 weeks to go!), I'll tell you what I deemed MOST important! Fit Pregnancy's short but sweet list is here.  You can probably skip the nursing pads, it's not likely that you'll need them until after you're at home: http://www.fitpregnancy.com/

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-91206956056195004712010-06-20T22:00:00.002-05:002010-06-20T22:03:18.599-05:00

One of the things I like to do when hosting baby showers is the "how many diapers" game.  It's where you give the mama-to-be a plastic tote bin overflowing with diapers (best way to do it is to buy 2-3 different brands, in sizes NB and 1), and the guests have to guess how many are in it.  Closest guess wins a prize. It's a great game because: No one has to touch, smell, or taste anything funky

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-26194122017840089132010-05-25T13:40:00.001-05:002010-11-08T11:55:45.542-06:00

When I got married 8 years ago, the hot website for brides was The Knot.  They've now launched The Bump, and now that baby2 is on the way, I've signed up for their newsletters.  It's a pretty good pregnancy site, a little ad-heavy but very contemporary and I'm enjoying what I've been reading there. I wanted to point out an article they posted recently, I think it's got some good advice on

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-5567067912594598682010-04-14T11:24:00.001-05:002010-11-08T12:00:03.538-06:00

Ah, babies.  If you walk into Babies R Us to register, they will tell you (and I quote) "You should have at least 200 items on your registry list".  Um, huh??? One of the things new moms like to do is give advice, and this is one of the times you should actually listen to what they have to say.  While everyone might have different items they loved or hated (really, a wipes warmer? I have yet to

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-12303188295661751322010-04-05T14:37:00.001-05:002010-11-22T08:23:04.767-06:00

Everybody loves... BABIES. Coming to theatres this Mother's Day Weekend (May 7th), this visually stunning new movie simultaneously follows four babies around the world - from first breath to first steps. From Mongolia to Namibia to San Francisco to Tokyo, BABIES joyfully captures on film the earliest stages of the journey of humanity that are at once unique and universal to us all. Click

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-45160084551326849242010-03-30T20:17:00.001-05:002010-03-30T20:18:27.597-05:00

Recently, a pregnant pal asked for my advice on maternity clothes. Here’s my take on it. GO CHEAP. I know there are plenty of stores out there and designers that cater to expensive maternity wear, but really, you are going to wear this stuff for a matter of months. Why would you spend more than $20-30 an item for something you will not keep? I don’t get it. You aren’t buying quality stuff

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-12838707569461198102010-03-08T17:02:00.000-06:002010-03-08T17:02:06.485-06:00

Love this link from Yahoo.  I am a big big big advocate of reading nutrition labels and knowing your ingredients.  One of the worst offenders is yogurt. Everyone thinks yogurt is good for you, right? Well, most of the national popular brands (I'm looking at you, Dannon and Yoplait) are nothing more than dairy based candy. Added sugar, added thickeners, uck. It's all about taking a natural,

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-48756120826915057342010-01-21T19:47:00.000-06:002010-01-21T19:47:47.566-06:00

Since Angie at Baby Cheapskate put together a great post on this news item, I won't bother writing one too, but would like to direct your attention to her post (not to mention her ultra-fabulous money-saving blog!): http://babycheapskate.blogspot.com/2010/01/court-decides-enfamil-lipil-not-better.html "Mead Johnson, who makes Enfamil Lipil, was ordered to pay more than 13 million dollars to

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-34064205221262541212010-01-14T20:45:00.002-06:002010-11-08T11:58:55.873-06:00

It's no suprise that my son, even though he's a boy and is only 18 months old, is a product junkie.  After all, at any given time there are about a dozen different shampoos, probably 20+ body washes and even more lotions in my bathroom cabinet.  What can I say, I like variety.  Different products serve different purposes! It's the same with baby products.  My son has no less than 4 different

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-67271696480417667022010-01-13T08:00:00.000-06:002010-01-13T08:00:03.385-06:00

One of the best new pregnancy books I've read recently is You Having a Baby: The Owner's Manual to a Happy and Healthy Pregnancy by Michael F. Roizen and Mehmet C. Oz.  Now, I happen to already like Dr. Oz, I think he's very smart, very practical, and just seems so nice.  : )  I'm a little less fond of the huge "YOU" franchise they have going... but at least they are covering all the bases by

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-66498670305579513152010-01-10T18:27:00.003-06:002010-01-10T19:39:15.790-06:00

One of the things I worry about when feeding my toddler is whether or not he's getting enough protein.  He doesn't eat meat, and so I try to pick other protein-rich foods.  Luckily he really likes yogurt, and now that he doesn't need the "baby" yogurt any more, I buy Greek yogurt, which has way more protein than regular yogurt.  According to this chart, a 2-5 year old only needs 13 grams, so it's

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-34367523748978257662010-01-09T14:22:00.003-06:002010-11-22T08:23:33.024-06:00

When I was pregnant, especially in the throes of 1st trimester, it seemed all I could eat was cereal.  Ah, bland, bland cereal. My personal fave was Raisin Bran (which was funny, because normally, I don't eat it), but another good, easy on the tummy cereal is Cheerios (or Honey Nut if you want that sweetness!) MyBlogSpark recently gave me the opportunity to share some coupons on my blog. 

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-34303473706195873992009-12-30T20:04:00.001-06:002010-11-08T11:58:00.981-06:00

OK, I can't believe I didn't come across this one before, so I must share it here! What is a parent to do about all of the toys that MAKE SO MUCH NOISE?  You know the ones, that are REALLY LOUD and probably VERY ANNOYING?? Simple tip that someone just shared with me: Place a piece of strong tape over the sound output.  This will muffle the sound, not block it completely, so your child can still

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-22914264261203243062009-12-07T13:54:00.002-06:002010-11-22T08:23:52.416-06:00

So I know, what does this have to do with babies, or motherhood, or pregnancy?  OK, nothing. But the kind folks at MyBlogSpark generously provided me with a free box of Progresso's new product, Panko Bread Crumbs, as well as some cooking accessories and a carton of Progresso broth. I really like the Progresso Panko Bread crumbs, as I have a few recipes calling specifically for panko.  Panko, in

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-13650397829292068822009-11-11T13:15:00.003-06:002009-11-11T13:34:27.205-06:00

After being very pleased with Fisher Price's new Happy Nights diapers, I went and purchased the Happy Days version as well.  They come separate, or in a bulk value box with Happy Nights.  (See my previous review of the Nights, here.) Much like the Happy Nights, the Happy Days are on the square side, and quite thin.  They have a papery, not cushy, texture. As I've noted in the previous review,

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-56784105094238876272009-11-03T15:09:00.003-06:002009-11-14T13:00:36.729-06:00

So one of the things I initially wanted to do with this blog was post parenting book reviews.  Now that I have some time, here we go! Dangerous or Safe?  Which Foods,Medicines, and Chemicals Really Put Your Kids at Risk?  by Cara Natterson, MD.  ISBN 9781594630620.  2009. This book covers some of the major things parents worry about - foods, lead, pesticides, plastics, diapers, sunscreens,

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-17001794323946189332009-10-23T21:59:00.000-05:002009-10-23T21:59:49.635-05:00

Frugalista blogger Carrie Kirby has details here on a mass refund of Baby Einstein DVDs.  http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/frugalista/2009/10/full-refund-for-your-baby-einstein-videos.html I was  thrilled to read about it, (probably too much so) because my baby was BORED STIFF by the one and only Baby E DVD we has,  and I was horrified at the total lack of anything remotely quality-looking on

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-75542804935773811162009-10-21T21:24:00.004-05:002010-03-31T17:30:12.133-05:00

Diapers are a weird thing.  I think you have to try them, nearly all of them, to really decide what works for your baby and what doesn't.  I can't speak to cloth diapers (I wanted to go this route but it just didn't work out that way), and we tried the hybrid gDiapers with limited success.  But disposables are one of those things that are all over the map.  Even if you find a brand you like, it

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-81495913532159303072009-10-19T21:52:00.003-05:002009-10-21T14:39:45.711-05:00

Wow, you can tell I am not a regular blogger here, huh? (I have 2 other blogs I work on, this one is just for fun). I do promise that I will be transforming this blog shortly, I plan on reviewing pregnancy, baby, and parenting books. Soon. Really. I swear. But in the meantime, I had to share this: There is a phenomenon known as "Baby Bangs", where your hairline starts to grow these tiny

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-63554486007198329562009-07-07T11:09:00.005-05:002009-07-07T11:35:26.605-05:00

As everyone knows, babies come with lots of baggage. Literally. When my husband (who HATES to shop) and I went to Babies R Us to register, he had a bit of a panic attack and asked me, "Really? Do babies need all this STUFF??". Well, no, there certainly is a difference between want and need, for sure.Here are some great sources of what you need before bringing home baby:Consumer Reports'

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-75631205666103692052009-06-24T17:18:00.005-05:002010-11-08T12:01:48.880-06:00

Since I wasn't sure where I'd fall in the debate between cloth and disposable, I thought I would try gDiapers. I had a decent experience with them once Baby K grew into them more (we didn't start using the smalls until he was almost too big for them). Now, we have the mediums, which are a tad too large at this point, so we're waiting to try them again. I will post more later on my user

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-82349903359304037472009-06-08T12:48:00.005-05:002010-11-08T12:01:23.615-06:00

Don't toss those Pampers bags! There are codes for the "Gifts to Grow" program inside. You get points based on the package size. The program is currently running through 3/2010. There had been comments online about how shipping sometimes cancels out the "free" items, but, I've used it to get free prints at Shutterfly, so there was no shipping involved there. And, looking at the site recently

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-45041759029467205532009-06-02T12:43:00.002-05:002009-06-02T12:52:29.953-05:00

Just went to Fuego Loco for dinner last night. I can report back that it is indeed a good place to take the kiddos - for starters, Mondays are "Kids eat Free" nights! So yes, there were MANY families taking advantage. I was also amused at how mesmerized Baby K was by the place - the decor is very, um, toddler friendly. So many bright colors, it's kinda like Baby Einstein threw up, lol.

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-79025103725998165072009-05-27T19:18:00.006-05:002010-11-08T11:59:37.330-06:00

Before I had a child, I was convinced that the #1 thing that would suffer most would be going out to eat. Because I do have a firm rule: When they become mobile, they don't belong in a restaurant until they can order of the menu themselves. Now, this is not a slam to anyone else who takes their kids out to eat, this is just a personal plan of mine. I happen to know several kids who are always

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-12980470791030480932009-05-18T19:12:00.005-05:002009-10-21T14:38:08.564-05:00

OK, so, I'm going to rave about something that may or may not seem on topic. BUT. If you have had a baby in oh, the last however many years, and you're wondering what the heck happened to your midsection.. then yes, you will see why I am reviewing this item! I just got a new body shaper that I am totally in love with and I thought I would spread the word. It's by Maidenform and it's part of

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-58221758943835686122009-05-12T12:37:00.004-05:002010-11-08T11:58:31.597-06:00

PCOS is a health issue where basically, your ovaries don't work right. Your eggs do not release from the ovaries properly, so you end up with hundreds of tiny cysts (hence, polycystic). Which means your hormones are all messed up. Which means all kinds of lovely issues pop up, from bad skin to thinning hair to weight issues to fertility problems. Yay! I was diagnosed when I was 18. Back

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-24874206060618502522009-05-12T12:30:00.002-05:002009-05-12T12:33:20.055-05:00

Ha, since I've posted very little, I'm sure no one noticed I was gone... anyway, I am back with a new set of things to post on, now that I have a gorgeous 9 month old! (and now I have 2 other side projects finished, so I will have time to get to this blog finally!)Things I'll be posting on in the future:Sleep issuesTeethingBaby productsReviews of pregnancy/parenting booksIf you've just happened

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-24806709693958344052008-11-01T11:41:00.002-05:002009-10-21T14:39:22.653-05:00

My best “just went through it” advice: The first 2 weeks are NOT an indication of how the rest of your life is going to be. I promise. One day, you will wake up, manage to get a good shower, get dressed in real clothes, and venture out into the world and think “OK, life will be normal again”. But the first 2 weeks are hard. No restorative sleep, hormones going haywire, and as Ken put it, “

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-72689110508818088802008-10-21T10:37:00.002-05:002008-10-21T10:39:15.537-05:00

So. I haven't posted since May, and now it's October. Guess what? That's what having a baby wil do to you!!! My lovely boy was born July 28th, happy and healthy. And keeping me busy! I have lots of things I want to post however, so I promise to update soon.More health issues (for both moms and babies), a lot of baby book reviews (I have a whole list to get to!), and more.Coming soon, I

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-85147306194787386352008-05-07T20:50:00.002-05:002010-11-08T12:01:01.605-06:00

Don't hate me, but I am SOOOO lucky that I didn't really get much morning sickness. What I did get was a lot of gaggy-ness. And my hour-long commute home was kind of a drag. A good tip is to keep a plastic bag, roll of paper towels, and a bottle of water in your car. I never needed it, but I was glad to have it on hand. It's kind of like, if you take an umbrella with you on a cloudy day, it

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-70741813845059307692008-05-07T20:32:00.001-05:002009-10-21T14:38:33.265-05:00

Pregnant women should get more protein, but it's interesting to see how varied the recommendations are. I read articles that said 40grams, 60 grams, 75 to 100 grams. http://www.storknet.com/ip/nutritional_health/nutrients/protein_matters.html http://www.pregnancy-calendars.net/protein.aspx http://www.babycenter.com/0_protein-your-bodys-building-block_1690.bc So, I'm a vegetarian. Which made

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-66795738515069723192008-05-07T20:25:00.001-05:002010-11-08T12:00:42.479-06:00

Omega 3's and DHA in general is important, it's supposed to be good for baby's brain development. http://www.pregnancy.org/article.php?sid=2871 http://www.pregnancy-info.net/omega3.html What's hard is, you're not supposed to eat too much fish during pregnancy because of the mercury issues. So supplements are a good answer. Some of the prescription prenatals now come with DHA as well, and

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-45375829840968280292008-05-07T20:19:00.001-05:002010-11-08T12:00:27.984-06:00

During pregnancy, the baby will get the calcium they need from you, so taking additional calcium is for your benefit. In the "old days" women used to lose teeth during pregnancy, due to calcium loss. Calcium in pregnancy is also important for avoiding pre-eclampsia. I take additional calcium twice a day. I have a box of generic calcium chews (like the Vitactiv chocolate chews) that I keep at

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2239524371940633590.post-60502132165369363702008-05-07T20:13:00.001-05:002010-11-08T12:00:16.721-06:00

I am a firm believer that you don't really need expensive, fancy prescription prenatal vitamins. Regular vitamins are perfectly acceptable. Your doc will likely give you a bunch of samples and then will ask you which one bothered your stomach the least when it comes to giving you a prescription, that's how they decide! My doc even noted that they are all different, there is no regulation of

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253188784683894247noreply@blogger.com0