Boutique Style for Less
Womb to Weebles

Custom Search

Posts Tagged ‘parenting’

« Older Entries

Top 5 Family Friendly Vacations

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009
Island Life

Island Life

Although there many destinations considered kid-friendly, here are the top 5 you may want to consider on your next family vacation.

1.    Walt Disney World. This ultimate family vacation has been the source of great joy for adults and kids alike.  Whether you stay several miles from the theme park or enjoy the onsite amenities, this vacation affords you an endless array of activities designed for the entire family.  From Epcot Center to Sea World; from Disney Village to Universal Studios; Water parks to Wildlife parks; no time is wasted at this world-famous resort.

Moreover, many online travel sites are offering special packages to Disney World as well as Southwest Airlines and others.  In addition, you can save quite a bit of money by selecting hotels that offer free stays for children, as well as free meals for the little ones. This is one destination where you can easily book a trip based on your budget and stick to it.

2.    Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch. From Alaska to Wyoming, there are a multitude of dude ranches perfect for a family vacation.  But, one of the most notable is the Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch in Colorado, approximately 20 miles from Rock Mountain National Park.  Here, your family can engage in an array of activities including: horseback riding, hayrides, nature walks, and a host of amenities provided by the ranch.

This dude ranch is perfect for families who love the outdoors as well as enjoy visiting such historic sites as Fort Collins, Old West Museums, and Cheyenne (where you can buy tickets to the world’s largest rodeo held from July 17 to the 26th).

3.    Hawaii. While Oahu has always been a popular destination, it is Maui that attracts family vacationers more than any of its islands.  I have visited there many times, and the condos are right on the beach. The reason is that it offers a wide variety of activities such as whale watching (seasonal); Lahaina, a famous whaling village; and Maui Ocean Center, home to the largest aquarium in Hawaii.

Your family can also take a ride on the Sugar Cane Train, circa 1890; visit Oheo Gulch to marvel at the spectacular waterfalls; spend a day at Iao Valley and view the Iao Needle; or visit the black-sand beaches at Waianapanapa in East Maui.

For fabulous weather, magnificent sunsets, and beautiful beaches; Maui is the perfect spot to unwind and enjoy spending quality family time.

4.    New York. Probably the most exciting vacation spot for families is New York.  The “Big Apple” has something for everyone; from Broadway to Rockefeller Center, you will never run out of things to do here.  Among the many sites to visit is Radio City Music Hall where you can take in a show; Madison Square Garden; the Empire State Building; the Village; 42nd Street, the Theatre District; museums; shopping, fabulous cuisine; the list is endless.

Spend a day walking along Fifth Avenue and stop at St. Patrick’s Cathedral; take a tour of NBC Studios; spend an afternoon in Central Park and visit the zoo there; go to the South Street Seaport or take in a matinee performance on a Wednesday afternoon.

Whether you stay uptown or downtown, you will always be in close proximity to the many historic sites and sounds that comprise Manhattan.  The subway system can be an adventure in itself for crossing paths with a variety of people. Moreover, your kids will enjoy all this city has to offer.

5.    Las Vegas. The city that never sleeps offers a wide range of attractions for kids.  This is why it is among the top family destinations in the US today, and it is an affordable vacation because the hotel packages and meals will fit any budget.

The many attractions offered for families in Las Vegas include: M&M’s World (it’s like chocolate heaven), the Lion Habitat at MGM, Adventure Canyon, Game Works (a video game-playing wonderland), Sports Park, Circus Circus rides; Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage hotel; Shark Reef; New York, New York’s roller coaster; Madame Tussaud’s; Lake Mead; Children’s Museum (the largest of its kind); and Adventuresdome, the largest theme park in the U.S.

Many of these attractions are free and are well worth visiting.  Don’t forget the Flamingo Habitat at the Flamingo hotel or the spectacular water fountain show across the way at Caesars Palace. For great fun and awesome rides and venues, Las Vegas is a wonderful choice for your next family vacation.

Whether you travel far away from home or decide on a local, inexpensive “stay-cation” in your own state, the most important thing is to enjoy time together as a family and to grow and learn more and more about each other.

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Events and Fun Places, General Parenting | No Comments »

Sleep, Baby, Sleep

Monday, May 18th, 2009

When you bring home that newborn from the hospital, you soon realize that sleeping like a baby doesn’t mean what most people usually take it to mean.

Babies need a lot of sleep; however, it takes time before they can sleep through the night.  The amount of sleep children need changes as they get older.  While every child is different, there are some basic guidelines that can help you know if your child is getting enough sleep during that all-important first year.
The Bitty Baby Shop offers organic bath products made with lavender that are very soothing for baby and will induce sleep after a nice warm bath.

  • Newborn babies – When you first come home with that baby, you may feel like you are in a constant cycle of feeding and napping. This is completely normal. Newborns will sleep about sixteen hours a day, spread out in about two hour segments around the clock.  When the stomach is still so small, babies need to eat frequently, especially if you are nursing.  It is a good idea, especially when you first get home from the hospital, to nap during the day when the baby naps.  You will be on their sleep schedule for a while. Some nursing mothers use a co-sleeping method so that they lose less sleep until the baby begins to sleep through the night.  By keeping the baby close, the baby feels secure and not likely to wake up frightened during the night.  If you are bottle-feeding, you might try taking turns with the feedings with your husband, so both of you get a little more sleep.
  • One month old – By the time the baby is about one month old, they are starting to be awake more, as they are learning about the world around them.  They will usually sleep about fifteen hours a day, with around six hours of that time during the day.  You will quickly pick up on the cues that the baby is ready for a nap; some will fall asleep shortly after a feed or even while they are feeding.
  • Three months old – Now is the time that every parent lives for: the baby normally begins to sleep through the night.  By about three months, their stomach has grown and they can eat more, so they can sleep longer at a stretch during the night.  They still sleep about fifteen hours, but their nap time decreases to about five hours.  Not every child will start to sleep through the night right at three months.  Some take a little longer.  When you start to introduce some solid foods, that also usually helps the baby begin to sleep longer at night. Be sure to check with your pediatrician about the right time to introduce solids. Studies continue to show that human milk is the best milk for human babies.
  • Six months old – At six months, babies drop to needing about fourteen hours of sleep each day, with only about four hours at nap time.  However, sometimes at about six months, infants will still wake up during the night.  If they are sleeping in their own room, they will wake and realize that mom is not right there. Sometimes they will go back to sleep, but sometimes they just need to know you are there. Most babies will skip night feedings by this age which will allow for more uninterrupted sleep for you both.
  • Nine months old – Nine months is another milestone. By now, they should be sleeping through the night regularly.  While they still need about fourteen hours of sleep, they begin to nap less.  They may only nap about three hours during the day, but that time can still be divided into a morning nap and an afternoon nap.
  • One year old babies – By the time the baby is about a year old, they will normally be sleeping about thirteen hours a day.  They will sleep about ten or eleven at night, with a two or three hour nap during the day.  Some children may not want to even nap at all.  They are too busy exploring their world, but it is still a good idea to try to encourage nap time. In fact, many moms will continue to put their children down for naps until they are five or six years old.

As with most growth milestones, no two children are exactly alike.  Be flexible, but still try to ensure that your baby is getting enough rest.  It will make life easier for all of you.

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , ,
Posted in General Parenting, Infants, Newborn Child | 1 Comment »

Natural, organic food for baby

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

Fresh peaches

Have you looked at the price of baby food lately? You might be surprised at how expensive it has gotten along with everything else on the grocer’s shelf.  In addition, if you want your food to be organic and not full of preservatives and salt, you have to pay even more for those tiny jars. But with a little time and effort, you can save money by making your own baby foods.  It’s easy and simple to make delicious, nutritious meals for your baby.

What you’ll need:

  • A steamer. Don’t boil baby food; it takes away nutrients from your baby’s food.  You can get an inexpensive steamer that cooks quickly and leaves all the vitamins and minerals your baby needs. However, you may easily bake some foods like sweet potatoes or white potatoes.
  • A food processor. While most people would think to use a blender to puree food for your baby, you’ll probably be sadly disappointed with the results.  Blenders not only make a mess, they also make lumpy food your child may not be fond of.
  • Ice cube trays, freezer bags, and lots of space. Unless you want to cook up food for your child everyday, freezing is the way to go.  Instead of having to make new, you can just pop it in the microwave and be ready to go in no time.   Ice cube trays are a great way to store food and make convenient portion sizes.


The first step is to wash and skin fruits and vegetables then cut them up into small pieces.  This will make them easier to use later.  If skinning and peeling gets tedious, you can always use some prepared food from the grocery store, like baby carrots.  This way you just have to wash them and skip to the next step.



The next step is to cook your food.  For vegetables, use the steamer.  Once you’re done steaming, keep the water.  You can add it later to thin out your food to the right consistency.  If you’re preparing meat, rice, or pasta, just cook it on the stove as normal, but don’t add any oil or spices.

After your food is done cooking, you’re ready to start processing.  Put the foods separately into the food processor.  For pureed foods, you don’t need to stand over the machine because it may take a while for the food to liquify.  Later on when the food needs less processing, you will need to monitor it.  This is also the point where you would start fruits like banana that don’t require cooking.  You could also try throwing in some of last night’s leftovers.


After your food is prepared, pour it into the ice cube trays.  If you don’t have enough room in your freezer, simply put sealed food into the refrigerator until you do have room.  Once the cubes are frozen, put 4 of them into a Ziploc back and put them back into the freezer.  At first, you should keep the same kinds of foods in the same bag, but eventually you can start mixing and matching.  For example, put in two meat cubes and two pasta cubes for a mixed meal.

I would not recommend microwaving the food in the baggies because you don’t want chemicals transferred from the plastic during the heating process, but you could transfer the frozen food to a glass bowl or just heat on top of the stove in a small pot.

With just a little work, you can make great tasting, inexpensive meals for your baby to supplement bottle or breastfeeding.

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Everything Else Under The Sun, General Parenting, Infants, Newborn Child, Toddlers | 1 Comment »

« Older Entries