Baby Sling & Baby Carrier Blog

We each have our own way of disciplining our children. And we all know that just because one way of discipline works for one child does not mean it will work for another. I did run across this list of creative consequences that I thought was worth sharing. Here are some of my favorites:

16. If your child likes to stomp off to his room or stomp around in anger, send him outside to the driveway and tell him to stomp his feet for one minute. He'll be ready to quit after about 15 seconds, but make him stomp even harder.

18. Another way to handle temper tantrums is to simply say, "That is too disruptive for this house. You may continue your fit in the backyard. When you're finished, you are welcome to come back inside." When there isn't an audience, the thrill of throwing a temper tantrum is gone.

19. If a job is not done diligently, have your child practice doing it. She'll learn to be more thorough if she's made to sweep the floor three or four times because her first effort wasn't good enough.

Around these parts we pride ourselves in being pretty dang good at helping you carry around your kids. The whole idea of HugaMonkey is to make it so you can do two things at once: hold your kid and use your hands! And since we've successfully helped y'all with that, you may wonder how you are supposed to carry around your kid when they get just a bit bigger. So today we're talking about the Piggyback Rider. 

Just the other day we had to tell our four-year-old he was too heavy to carry and his little heart was crushed. Now we can hold him (me or his dad) with one of these! 

The product description says:

The Piggyback Rider creates a mutually enjoyable,effortless way to carry a child on your back; replacing bulky backpack carriers and strollers. The trend-setting,streamlined,unisex design functions like a standard backpack,with a shoulder-strap mounted foot bar,integrated grab handles and safety harness for security. The child’s weight distributes at your core,allowing a natural upright walking posture,while children love the height advantage,rest,and quality time. Portable and lightweight,the Piggyback Rider is for every outing and every season. The simplicity and ease of the Piggyback Rider revolutionizes child carriers and engages parents and children in active transport.

This year has been a great one for us here at HugaMonkey! As the new year approaches, I have been pondering how I can be a better mother to my darling kids. My four-year-old is quickly preparing for kindergarten and when I ran across this list of what to read in kindergarten, I decided to make it a part of my new year resolutions. Check it out here. 

A teacher once told me that a child should be read to for 500 hours before they go to school. We are well on our way (maybe we've already got there) because I try really hard to read for at least 20 minutes a day. Out of all the things I have done, I think I have succeeded the most in this area. However, there is always room for improvement and I think this list is a fun way to expand. 

What is your new years resolution for your children? Next week we'll have to talk about what I'm doing for my 8-month-old. 

Reading this post was inspiring! In this post on Organized Mom, she used inexpensive timers on her table lamps and Christmas tree, but what I think was the most exciting idea of all: using them as a way for your children to tell time. You set them to turn off at a certain time in the morning (say, 7:30 am) and they know it's okay to come and get you. Or you set them to go off at 9:00 pm and they know it is time to stop reading their books and go to bed. 

I mean, I have a timer on my Christmas lights, but their use on everyday objects and managing your children is a great idea. What do you think? How can you utilize a timer in your home? 

We love ourselves a giveaway. And for the entire month of December, you can enter to win one free sling of your choice! 

Growing up my mom committed to one of our favorite recipes just once a year: Rainbow Jell-O. It started when there were only a few colors to choose from, but since Jell-O has broadened it's horizons, our Thanksgivings have gotten more exciting!

This recipe is easy, just time consuming. It will surely impress! I don't know how well it fits with the rest of your Thanksgiving feat, but it is something fun for everyone, especially the kids!

Rainbow Jello

Buy 3 oz. boxes of the following flavors of Jello:

Raspberry, Strawberry OR Cherry
Orange
Lemon
Lime
Blueberry
Grape

Dissolve each package in 1 cup boiling water.  Divide mixture in half.  Mix one half with 1/3 c. plain yogurt.  (Use beaters!)  Pour yogurt half in 9x13 pan.  Chill 20 minutes.  Mix remaining plain Jello with 3 TBSP cold water.  Pour on top of set yogurt mixture.  Chill until firm.

Repeat with all flavors, Starting with grape and ending with red flavor.

I was clipping coupons yesterday and stumbled on this darling recipe idea. Just in time for Halloween! Who can argue with pumpkin-shaped-full-of-goodness-rice krispie treats? Here is the recipe from ricekrispies.com:

So what do you moms do to workout? I love doing DVDs at home, but I get sick of Jillian Michael's yelling the same thing at me every morning. I could make myself clean fast enough to reach my target heart rate, but that sounds awful. Haha.

I was thinking of investing in a twin jogging stroller. Do any of you have one? What do you think? I just think they are so... big. It would have to be just for exercise or something.

What other options do you do? The gym with child care? Running without the kiddos early in the morning? Use an exercise program on your Wii/PS3? I'm interested in ideas.

My baby is almost 5 months (loves her HugaMonkey, BTW) and has started to find a REAL interest in toys. I have a bunch of toys left over from my 4-year-old and she is really not interested in the kind of toys he was interested in. Isn't that so strange? (Insert "not really, lady" comment here.) But my little girl wants hard rattles, circle links and plastic keys. She really doesn't care for squishy or fabric toys, which is what my little boy totally preferred. 

So I'm on the hunt for new toys (a favorite chore of mine). There are some great choices at just the local grocery store. There are these great plastic Gerber phones and plastic dumbell-weight-looking rattles. I have also found great options on Amazon like this and this. 

What about you? What did your just-starting-to-love-toys baby like to hold, eat and shake?

Sometimes I am so proud of myself. I mean, I'm a mom all day every day and that is something to be proud of by itself. But somedays I think of something or do something that makes me go, "Way to go, girl. That one was pretty good." Maybe it was that I didn't lose my temper (A+) or that I actually made something for dinner (A++) or that I found something for a deal when I was going to buy it for regular price (this happens often, so it only gets a B-).

But I thought I would share with you my latest idea: a cheap solution for a diaper changing pad. Now, when I'm at home, I use a reusable cloth changing pad for all of those yucky messes. But when I'm out and about, I like the dispose-of-other-kid's-germs-so-they're-not-in-my-diaper-bag version. For my last kid, I bought packs of these beauties: Pee-Wees Disposable Multi-Use Pads. Ringing in at a whoppin' $.16/each, these pads were certainly a luxury in the diaper changing world. Then one day between my diaper-changing days, I went to the dentist and they clipped on one of those lovely bibs. I thought to myself, "Hey, that is worth $0.16. Interesting." But then I went home and Googled "Dentist Bib" to find out that dentists are really only paying $0.03 per bib. And my idea was born. You can use a dentist bib for a diaper changing pad and surely not feel guilty when using 1, 2, or 5 at each change! You do have to buy in packs of 500, but us moms can use that many in just a few months. This is where I get mine: PureLife Dental. They even come in cute colors instead of that ugly bear print!

Any of you that have traveled with kiddos knows that it is really just... challenging. You can be as prepared as a 72-hour kit, but your chances of complete obedience and no crying are slim to none. I mean, really, how can you prepare for the melt down about how they don't want to take off their shoes in airport security? or that the flight attendent will be out of milk? or perhaps that their Lego piece will fall through the crack at the bottom of your rental van? If I knew, I would tell you, because these were things that I surely was not prepared for during our recent vacation. If I knew they were going to be a problem, I would have! Trust me!

I did, however, prepare in other ways. Here is a small list of things I recommend taking with you while traveling:

1. Ear drops. These are available at any regular store (Target, ShopKo, Wal-Mart) over in the general area by the pharmacy. It is different in every store, so ask an assoicate to help you. I promise, it will be the best $5 you ever spent when traveling by car or by air; the elevation changes can bother the kids even if it is gradual. 

2. A thermometer. You never know when your little ones will catch a bug while on the road. Having a thermometer that you are familiar with and is easily accessible is priceless when they are heating up. Packing it up takes a small amount of space and it can be very handy. 

3. Your HugaMonkey. You have to take your little ones out of their strollers and car seats so the items can go through security at the airport. Holding a child with one hand while you manage stuff is anything but easy. Taking along your sling with make the process much easier. 

What about you? What do you recommend packing when traveling with kids?

Are you a paranoid mom like me? I try to not be overly cautious, but I really try and be as protective as possible. My baby sleeps on her back, doesn't have bumper pads in her crib and I put the handle down on her car seat. But I still get nervous. It was a lot of work to get her into this world and I want to make sure she stays here!

So last week I found a new product: a Snuza Halo Movement Monitor. I have been using it for several nights now and I must say, I am very impressed. We haven't had the alarm go off, but we've been testing the limits of the monitor and it does everything it says it will. You can read the details here. As many people say, it just gives peace of mind. 

What about you? What product do you use in an effort to maximize your baby's safety? 

Today we were at the auto parts store (after a few other errands.) While the nice guy was getting the part we needed, I let my little boy choose a candy at the counter. He picked a pack of Rolos -- I was surprised until I saw him turn it into a light saber. Awesome.

This past weekend I was out and about when I got a call from my sister's phone. I answered to tell her I would quickly call her back, but it ends up it was my 5 year-old niece. She was calling to ask if my little girl (3 months) could be a flower girl when my sister got married. I smiled, said yes, and listened as she told me all about what you do when you're a flower girl. (I later found out that she's into this Junie B. Jones book.) Haha!

These are just two of the funny things that have happened to me the past week. What funny stuff has happened to you? 

I have many of the "baby essentials" taking up space in my house. You know, the swing, bouncer, bed, high chair and entertainer. I also have a HugaMonkey (booya), swaddling blankets, pjs, diapers and a changing table (to name a few). 

What is your very favorite baby item? I mean, if you could only take one thing with you (and your baby) to a deserted island, what would it be?! I am trying to decide on the rules here (before everyone says their food processor to make baby food). So we'll say that the basic necessities are covered like food, water, shelter, diapers and clothing. But you just get to bring one "extra" thing for your little one. What would you choose?

The HugaMonkey wouldn't take up too much room in your carry-on...

I don't know about you, but as a mom I am always looking for new products that are 1. cost effective, 2. innovative, and 3. easy to use. I have told you about a few of my finds (check out here and here) but for the first time this is 100% for you: Goody Spin Pins. My hair has always been hard(er) to do since it is quite thick. (I think every woman thinks that her hair is hard to do!) But this is a very cool and innovative product that not only works, but saves time!

So instead of placing several dozen bobby pins in your hair, the package comes with two pins for an all-day hold. You put your hair in a bun, then spin the pins in, one from the top, one from the bottom. It's that easy (and works like a charm!) So no more fidgeting, no more re-doing in the bathroom at Target; it's a firm, all-day hold!

So from one time-stricken mom to another, this is a great, must-have product! For those of you with short hair, start growing! You need this simplicity in your life! 

And now you can do your hair so it never gets tangled in your HugaMonkey. :D