Things I Love » Teeny Manolo



Archive for the 'Things I Love' Category


Things I Love: The Boy’s Body Book

Thursday, June 9th, 2011
By Glinda

As I mentioned before, I have been purchasing some reading material for the Munchkin related to the, ah, upcoming changes he will be experiencing in the next few years.

Along with the other book, I also purchased The Boy’s Body Book.  I skimmed through it briefly before purchasing, and when I was able to sit and read the entire thing, I was pleasantly surprised.

It encompasses not only things like the changes that puberty will be visiting upon him, but also addresses things like needing to take a shower, brushing your teeth, and wearing clean clothes.  There are sections about how to do well in school, tips on how to make new friends, and all sorts of other bonus material.

In short, it is everything I tell him, but written in a book form by someone else.  And thus for some reason, it bears a bit more weight than just being “my opinion.”  Because every eight year old knows that Mom has no clue what she is talking about and just likes to hear herself speak.

This morning before we left the house, I instructed my nine-years-old-in-three-months son to go brush his teeth.  This has long been a source of conflict between us, as for some unknown reason, he dislikes brushing his teeth.  Usually it is a big fight, and even though I always win, it just makes everyone frustrated.  So when he began complaining and asking why he had to brush his teeth, I told him that his book did a great job explaining why he needed to brush, and to go ahead and do it.  That stopped him in his tracks.  He acknowledged that the book did indeed explain very well why he needed to brush his teeth, and he promptly went and did so without another word.

Dude.

I would have paid EVEN MORE for that book if I’d known it would make my life THAT easy.


Things I Love: Bubbly Bows

Wednesday, May 25th, 2011
By Glinda

My daughter is a bit young for these yet, as she will pull any barette out of her hair when given the opportunity.  But, I cannot wait until she is a little bit older so that I can put some of these in her hair.  They have so many different kinds of bows, and I adore almost all of them.   And I’m not really what I would call a person given to dress my child up as a “girly girl.”  I just think they are well done and so very creative.   There are a ton, including holiday themed ones, so check them all out!

They are a bit pricey though, so maybe Grandma can find it in her heart to get some for a future birthday.

Ice Cream Cone

Pirate Girl

Caterpillar

Little Red Riding Hood

Monkey Face

Ballerina Slippers

Crab


Things I Love: RCA Twin Mobile DVD Players

Wednesday, April 27th, 2011
By Glinda

I won’t lie, the only way my family gets through long car rides is by watching videos. 

My son is prone to carsickness (something he apparently will never grow out of, as he has had this since he was a baby) and my daughter?  Well, she just hates being confined in her carseat and the only way to stop her from screaming the entire time is to have some Wiggles playing.  I honestly tried to resist playing the movies for her, but after multiple car trips with non-stop crying and a couple of crying-induced vomiting sessions, I copped out.  We don’t play it on trips shorter than twenty minutes, but after that, all bets are off.

We briefly considered installing a DVD system on the roof of our minivan, but decided against it because with the seven year age difference between my kids, it is pretty much a gurantee that they will never want to watch the same movie.

We also thought about installing some of those headrest monitors, but the drawback was  you could only play one DVD at a time, and they were mucho expensive.

Enter the RCA Twin Mobile DVD players.

You can actually play two different DVD’s since you can load each monitor with its own movie, but there is still a single power source.  The whole thing has worked out perfectly, especially since my daughter is still in her rear-facing carseat, and will be until she is at least two.  Her monitor is strapped to the top of her seat, and my son’s monitor is strapped to the back of the front passenger seat.  My son wears his headphones, and we are all happy.  I would have preferred larger screens, as these are only 7 inches, but they don’t make a system like this with 9 inch screens. 

And the whole set was less than one hundred and fifty, which I consider to be a HUGE bargain.


Things I Love: They Might Be Giants

Thursday, March 24th, 2011
By Glinda

The Wiggles certainly have their place in any child’s music catalogue, as does Raffi.   But for my daughter’s go to dance music, it’s gotta be TMBG.  I was never a huge fan of theirs when they were producing regular old pop music, but when they started recording the kid stuff, my fangirl status was cemented.  They mix humor along with education, and who doesn’t like that?  Nobody, that’s who. 

I can’t stand the faux-folk, stripped-down, guitar-driven stuff that somehow has become so popular on the toddler circuit, and the female singers are the worst offenders (Elizabeth Mitchell and Lisa Loeb, I’m lookin’ at you).  I don’t know why, but listening to them does not make me want to shake my thang, rather it is akin to having your hair ripped out of your head, strand by strand. I appreciate percussion instruments, that’s all I’m saying.

So I’m going to post this video from TMBG that is my daughter’s favorite, and I promise you will be singing it to yourself for the rest of the day.  Yes, its that catchy.  And cuter than hell, too.


Things I Love: Mustela PhysiObebe

Thursday, December 2nd, 2010
By Glinda

My love affair with this product began with the Munchkin, and has continued with the Munchkinette. 

Where to start?  It is a no-rinse wash for babies that is perfect for (ahem) the holidays when you are staying out later than normal and possibly skipping baths, yet still needing to cleanse sensitive areas.  It is ridiculously easy to use, smells fabulous, and if you just make sure it isn’t cold before applying to baby, then everyone is happy as a clam.  This is one of my favorite shower gifts to give to new moms. 

 It comes in handy way more often than you would think.  Got a kid who gets carsick often?  This is the product for you.  I used it more times than I can count on the Munchkin, who was famous for his ability to get sick in the car on even the shortest of trips.  Takes the smell right off them.  Same for a diaper explosion or any other of the three thousand things that happen to kids that make them dirty and smell not-so-superfantastic.

If you have a baby or know someone that does, get it.  You won’t regret it.  It’s also paraben, triclosan, and pthalate-free.


Things I Love: The No Cry Sleep Solution*

Wednesday, November 17th, 2010
By Glinda

There are few things more draining than parenting a baby who is having difficulty sleeping.

You become so sleep-deprived that even simple solutions are beyond your grasp.  And that is where this book comes in.

As a parent who follows in spirit the ideas of Dr. Sears, The No Cry Sleep Solution dovetails nicely with the thought that the whole experience of “crying it out” is not advantageous to baby or parents.  I’m not saying that it isn’t a successful method for some people, but I recoil at the thought of leaving my infant alone in their crib, crying their eyes out.  I did a one night (desperation) experiment with both of my children using the cry it out method, and suffice it to say, none of us had the stomach for it. 

Author Elizabeth Pantley doles out specific, easy to follow suggestions on how to ease your child into the whole sleeping thing.  You can use whatever ideas work for you, and leave the ones that don’t.  She doesn’t promise that within two days your problems will be solved.  But she does encourage you to stick it out, and over the long run, things will improve.

I liked this book so much that I bought it twice.  We moved and I had no clue as to where the copy I used with the Munchkin was, nor did I have the time and energy to search through the boxes in the garage.  So I took a quick trip to Barnes and Noble, and it was just as helpful with my second child as with my first.  And both of them are completely different temperamentally.

So, it’s a great gift for a parent-to-be, or a parent who is looking for help in sleep department.

*This is not a paid review, nor did I receive any type of compensation.  I would buy this book three times if I had to.


Things I Love: Luna Luna Copenhagen*

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010
By Glinda

Now that I have a daughter, I find it hard to say that I enjoy shopping for her.  I feel it is disloyal to my son to say that, but there are just so many more things for girls than for boys.  It’s unfair, but until I figure out how to design my own clothing line for boys, that’s the way it is.

I recently found Luna Luna Copenhagen, which makes beautiful, simple clothes for girls.  I like them because they do not have all the poufs and froufs (a totally made-up term) that so many girls’ things have.  My daughter is not a poufs and froufs kinda gal.  Are these clothes on the expensive side? Yes.  But I still love them.  These clothes are from their Holiday 2010 and Fall 2010 collections, but they’ve got lots more. 

So gorgeous!

This is practically perfect.

Simple and lovely.

Want!

Why was there nothing this awesome when I was growing up?  Eh, my mom probably never would have bought it for me anyway.

*I received no pay or other type of compensation for this review.


Things I Love: Columbia Trekster Diaper Bag*

Tuesday, October 12th, 2010
By Glinda

One of the most important pieces of baby gear is your diaper bag.  A good diaper bag can mean the difference between frantically pawing for minutes on end whilst your baby screams, or having easy access to your item of need.

I’d had one of the ubiquitous, cavernous diaper bags for the Munchkin, and while it was handy for the first few months, it stopped being so when used for shorter trips, as well as when he got older and just required less stuff.  We wound up just switching to a regular old backpack, which while not ideal, was serviceable.

So with the arrival of my daughter, I swore I would choose function over form, and I’m glad to say I was right.  I usually am, so it wasn’t a total surprise, but it’s always nice to have my superiority confirmed.  After doing tons of research, I chose the Columbia Trekster Diaper Bag, and haven’t looked back since.

There are so many things I love about it, it’s hard to put it all down without sounding like a shill.  It is lightweight, and entirely comfortable to carry.  You can carry it like a traditional backpack, or it works over the shoulder, too. It is ideal for short trips, which, let’s face it, make up the majority of outings with baby.  However, it does have enough room that you could use it for a day trip as well.  It has a handy middle zipper that allows quick access into the bag without undoing the main zippers.  It’s got an insulated pocket, a key fob, and a dedicated pacifier pocket.

It manages to pack in pretty much everything you need in a compact, easy to use bag.  Love it.

Oh, and did I mention the best part?  Your man will have absolutely no qualms about schlepping this puppy around, as pretty much no one will recognize it as a diaper bag. Win all around!

* I received no compensation for this review.  I bought the bag with my own money.  OK, well, maybe I used a gift card I got from my baby shower, but technically, my own money.









Disclaimer: Manolo the Shoeblogger is not Manolo Blahnik
Copyright © 2004-2009; Manolo the Shoeblogger, All Rights Reserved



  • Recent Comments:





  • Teeny Manolo is powered by WordPress

    Disclaimer: Manolo the Shoeblogger is not Mr. Manolo Blahnik. This website is not affiliated in any way with Mr. Manolo Blahnik, any products bearing the federally registered trademarks MANOlO®, BlAHNIK® or MANOlO BlAHNIK®, or any licensee of said federally registered trademarks. The views expressed on this website are solely those of the author.







    Follow Teeny Manolo on Twitter!Teeny Manolo on Facebook

    Editor

    Glinda

    Publisher

    Manolo the Shoeblogger






    Glam Ad

    Categories