Mom Blog and Baby Blog | Baby Bunching

Best Holiday Gifts for the Baby Bunching Mom

This gift guide, courtesy of super-awesome guest poster Rachel, is a little late coming (our fault, she sent it months ago) but if you're anything like us you haven't even STARTED your shopping yet, so we hope you find it useful!  Super suggestions on what to add to your wishlist (or get the other Baby Bunching moms in your life).  Happy shopping!

1)      Pretty and comfortable nursing bra. If you are breastfeeding, and Baby Bunching, chances are you will not be back in your old lingerie for a while. So a well-fitted nursing bra is a must, and it might as well make you feel beautiful as well. I’m a no-frills type of gal, so a Playtex Womens Nursing Wirefree Bra is my favorite. Nothing fancy, but can be worn with anything, and it makes the girls look really good. However, others might enjoy more sexy, or colorful, and options abound!

2)      Babywearing equipment. This could be a sling, a backpack, a soft carrier, etc. In my opinion, this a must-have when Little Baby is still a tiny, floppy infant, and Big Baby is still a needy, clingy toddler. My personal favorite is the Beco Baby Carrier since it is all-day comfortable for mom and safe and secure for baby, though I usually recommend a simple one-piece sling like Hostlings to new moms.

3)      Baggies galore. I’m talking about cosmetic bags, waterproof ziplock bag alternatives, and any baggie with a zipper. These kind of baggies can turn any purse into a diaper bag, and can be easily transferred from one tote to another. Use a pretty one for all your personal items, and have it double as a clutch for quick trips sans offspring. Use a clear one as a diaper wallet, and never fumble over which size of diaper to pull out.  Or use a zipper bag to store snacks, or a spare set of clothes for the baby, or toys to keep everyone entertained, or the rocks your toddler insists on bringing home.

4)      Smartphone – iPhone, Android, it really doesn’t matter. As long as one of the items you never leave home without doubles as an entertainment system for Big Baby in a pinch; a smartphone has quickly become a must-have for many Baby Bunching mommies.

5)      Nice scarf. What else can serve as a fashion statement/nursing cover/burp cloth/breast leak hider? In a pinch, I’ve even used mine as a mat for changing diapers. Ask for something comfortable (not scratchy wool) and everyday (not silk or velvet) in an oblong shape for maximum usability.  I’ve found a print that incorporates lots of colors is the best, as it works with many different outfits and can hide your toddler’s marker stains as well.

6)      Trendy shades. Sunglasses care for your eyes, can make any outfit look better, and can be worn year-round. If you’re like me, and are constantly losing your shades, or breaking them and blaming your baby for it, then a $10 drugstore pair is as good as any. Just make sure to ask for BIG glasses, Baby Bunching mommy, as those are the kind that hide your dark-circled no-makeup eyes when you make that early morning diaper run.

7) Gift cards for comforting splurges, such as coffee shops, mani/pedi, spa treatments, movie tickets, etc.  Of course, you'd need a sitter to use these, which brings us to....

8) An evening (morning/afternoon/night) off. Let’s face it. For many of us, the best gift we can imagine is a break. This can also be the least expensive option for your younger college-aged sibling, or the favorite option for grandparents. In a life with two babies, “me” time can be harder to find than a good night’s rest, so several hours spent doing an enjoyable  activity qualifies as a good gift for any Baby Bunching mom.

C'mon and help us round out a solid list of ten ideas - what else is on your list?  Happy holidays to everyone, and may you enjoy the best little gifts in your life, your Bunch!

Rachel is a Baby Bunching mom of two beautiful daughters (3.5 years and 2 months) and a handsome son in between (2.5 years). She loves giving and receiving gifts, but is guilt-ridden about spending money.

babiators giveaway

Hello!  Yes, we’re still alive!  Our paid jobs ramped up for both of us right about the time that school let out for the summer, and Cara had an unexpected move thrown in, so all of that has made for a pretty crazy past few months.  We’ve totally been neglecting Baby Bunching this summer and we’ll feel pretty bad about it, so to make it up to you we’re doing a giveaway!  In the meantime, bear with us and we should be back to speed in the fall once our Bunches are back in school.

Y’all know we’re suckers for accessories (for kiddos AND moms) and our latest discovery is Babiators.  We’re willing to bet that most of you are pretty diligent about sunscreen and hats in the summer heat wave, but how many of us think about how the UV rays are affecting our little one’s eyes?  Or maybe we’ve thought about it, but blown through so many broken pairs of cheap children’s sunglasses that we’ve given up.  Enter Babiators – safe, durable, awesome eyewear for little ones ages 9 months and up.  Babiators are made of pliable rubber and designed to withstand the wear and tear of playground horseplay and twibling squabbles.  Plus, they’re BPA, phthalates, and lead-free, so no need to freak out if they creep into the curious mouths of babes.  The good folks at Babiators are so confident these shades will hold up that they even offer a one-year Wear and Tear guarantee for all Babiators.   They come in two sizes (small and large) and four colors (Black Ops, Blue Angels, Rockstar Red, and Princess Pink).  At $19.99 a pair, they’re a little pricier than we would normally spend on shades for kids, but how many broken pairs of $5 sunglasses have you had to replace?

We’ve got a pair of Blue Angels to give away and they could be yours!  Since we could use some inspiration this summer, drop us an email at [email protected] with a burning question or post topic you’d like to see in the next few weeks, and we’ll enter you in a random drawing to win theBabiators.  If you send us an ACTUAL post on a Baby Bunching topic, we’ll enter your name in the drawing ten times as thanks AND put your post up as a guest poster.  Send in your question by Friday, August 5 to be entered in the drawing!

Q/A: baby gear essentials: avoiding big gear in a small house

Today's Q/A comes from Beth on our Facebook page.

Q:  My husband and I are adopting three boys, a 3-year old and two 18-month old twins.  We are currently childless so this is a HUGE new adventure for us.  Any suggestions on what you've done that works well?  I would also appreciate knowing what doesn't work.  I would also be interested in knowing what type of baby gear works best in a small house with lots of kids.

A:  First of all, WOW and congrats!  Nothing we can tell you is going to prepare you for how much your world will be rocked - and how much you will absolutely love it!  The blog and the Facebook pages are chock-full of do's and don'ts from seasoned Bunchers, so it's worth taking the time to scroll back through the years and load up on information.

To skip ahead to part 3 of your question, you're actually in luck.  Seven years and multiple children into parenting in *very* small houses (Cara holds the record currently, with three children and 1,400 square feet), we can both say that we know quite a bit about parenting in limited space.  The good news is that with your youngest boys being 18-months old, you can bypass some of the stuff we are tempted to get with newborns and infants (swings, Jumperoos, high chairs, etc.).  

In lieu of highchairs, get booster seats strapped onto regular old dining room chairs.  There are any number of hard plastic boosters with trays and straps that are portable and travel to restaurants, Grandma's, etc. easily (your wee ones are probably old enough to even do away with the the tray and pull right up to the table).  For bigger kids, we love soft boosters.   This will allow your oldest to climb up and down independently without you having to strap in/out while your hands are full with the little ones.  

For a bunch of kids this size, a "nice to have" if you have a little corner is a children's table and chairs - both for eating as well as for arts and crafts.  My all-time FAVORITE is Ikea's Mammut line.  Hideously colorful? Yes.  But oh, so convenient.  Lightweight and easy to move/pack/store away when grown ups come for dinner.  Waterproof so you can hose it down in the backyard.  Compact so you can throw it in the back of your van and take it to a friend's house when extra seating for children is needed.   These must be the reasons that everyone we know has this set.

As a fellow mom of all boys, I can tell you that our train table gets major mileage.  But for other families it might be a workbench or a play kitchen.  Depending on your space/configuration, consider limiting them to one "big" toy (or if they MUST have several, buy them secondhand so you don't care if they get weatherized and toss them in the backyard so the kids can play there).

The most important piece of big equipment you need, HANDS DOWN, is a stroller.  With this many small boys running in different directions, you need a way to keep them tethered down on occasion, for their own safety.  We're thinking your best bet is the Joovy Big Caboose (a Sit-and-Stand with double seats and a standing board).  We *think* that this may be superior to the Double Graco Sit-N-Stand, which we're not sure can accommodate two kids sitting AND one standing.  Readers, please chime in if you know.  Biggest cons to these strollers are they're bulky (need a good-sized trunk) and can be heavy/unwieldy at times, but it is SO WORTH IT to know that you can have everyone strapped down at once, should the occasion/need arise.  

And, of course, the cribs.  You are right on the borderline of being able to bypass cribs if you don't have them already.  A fully baby-proofed room with regular beds and a gate across the door that keeps them from wandering the house could possibly do the trick.  However, if they are used to sleeping in cribs, you may want to keep them in cribs since they are already making a big transition to a new home - I would feel that out with the current caregiver.  Skip the changing table altogether (18 months is right around the age where you have to start wrestling them to the ground to change diapers, anyway).

What have we missed, readers?  

boostApak: ready for it here in the US

This past week we hauled our Bunch off to grandma and grandpa's house for spring break. We discovered something amazing! Traveling with our kids has become not just manageable, but almost (dare I say it) fun. Yes, I admit that my kids are older: 7 and almost 6. However, in the past two years things have become easier and one reason is needing a lot less gear and that this year everyone was finally able to kind of go with the vacation flow.

Right before we left, I did a quick scan of travel with kid websites and ran across this amazing piece of travel gear that I have not yet been able to track down in the US--the BoostApak by Trunki But since we have so many readers from the UK and Australia, where I think this is sold, I'm hoping some of you can chime in on what you think about it. Because we think this is a must-have item for those of us with an older Bunch.

Love this idea because it's a car booster seat and back pack in one. This would have made our trip through the airport easier. But now I'm thinking this would even make carpools after school even easier. Kids bring their carseats with them to school as a back pack. Now that kids have to be in booster seats until they are in college, practically, this might make being in one a little more cool. Maybe.

 

hold-on handles can help get your bunch out to enjoy the spring

We scored a great Baby Bunching discount from Greater Than One Kids, the manufacturer of Hold-On Handles. They've offered a 20-percent discount to our readers (see code below) for their Hold-On Handles. If you aren't familiar with this stroller accessory, we recommend you check it out, especially those of you in transition between stroller riders and completely independent walkers. These simple and colorful handles are the first stroller accessory and walking rope for up to 3 children. We first previewed this last year for our Baby Bunching readers. Perhaps some of you remember when we asked for testers for their awesome product. Since then, they have taken your feedback and launched internationally. (Also, if you were one of the original testers, let us know what you thought!)

Why we love the concept of Hold-On Handles:

• Keeps one to three kids within arm's reach, but doesn't look like those embarrassing harnesses, which we have considered using many times.
• Easily snaps onto strollers (or better yet shopping carts!) or can be worn comfortably on mom’s wrist. Children can be safely active.
• Comfortable parent wrist strap that adjust. Everything for Baby Bunchers should always adjust.
• Kids love feeling independent and not strapped in.
• An added bonus, it's all safe and lead free and non toxic which means your baby can chew on it too. We can't promise that they're clean from your toddler's hands though.

To purchase Hold-On Handles and redeem your discount, visit www.greaterthanonekids.com and enter BUNCH20 at check out.  Valid thru May 15, 2011.  Maybe this will help you get out and about and enjoy some fabulous spring weather.

Hold-On Handles are also available at Independent Retailers Nationwide, Buy Buy Baby (all stores and website), Amazon.com, and Diapers.com

(Baby Bunching only reviews items that we deem appropriate and targeted for our readers. We were not compensated nor given free product by the company. We just think this product is a really awesome idea.)

britax says 'b-ready for your bunch'

Cara and I both covet strollers. We know there are those out there happy with their easily collapsible umbrella strollers or the Graco travel systems, but we have this strange fascination with strollers even now that our kids are almost out of them completely.

Last year, we highlighted some new strollers for 2010. But since then a new one has come on the market from Britax. This one is ever so delish and could be our favorite yet. The Britax B-Ready (c'mon don't you just love that name?) has 14 different configurations for it's babe and buddy set up. It is an in-line stroller, well, actually it's sold as a single and you add the buddy seat or as we like to say the Bunching seat. So it falls into the Phil & Ted, UppaBaby, iCandy category.

Britax designed this stroller to try and solve all the problems of its predecessors. They are boasting:

• A large basket with easy access from all four sides
• Compatible an infant car seat
• Smaller, more maneuverable frame than a true tandem or even the City Select
• Second seat that reclines flat and offers sun protection, appropriate for newborn to 35 pounds
• Versatile configurations include two car seats, a car seat and a second seat, a bassinet, and options to face the parent or the world
• Easy to fold and folds with the second seat attached. (Yay!)
• Comes with cup holder, rain cover and Chaperone car seat adapter
• Nice suspension system in both the main seat and the second seat
• Larger and taller seat with lots of head room for, well, taller toddlers

 So now the two final questions we always like to answer are weight and price. It's 28 pounds with one seat on and after you add the second seat it's 36 pounds. It's more than a Bob Revolution and the Phil & Ted, but less than a Graco Quattro or Kolcraft Contour. You can compare that to other doubles out there with our Double Stroller Guide.

And the price tag is about $400 (from Amazon) for the stroller plus $136 for the buddy Bunching seat. Do we think it's worth it? Keep in mind everyone has different stroller needs so answer our 12 questions and consider a few things to determine if this stroller is worth taking for a test drive. (We love test driving strollers! Be sure to bring along some rowdy kids to test 'em out!)  

From BabyGizmo.com.

(We were not paid for this review or even asked to do it. We only review things on this site that we think are valuable for our readers. But if we're super lucky, perhaps Britax will send us a stroller as a thank you.)  

thou shalt not covet

By Rachel Ostlie

Sixteen months. Barely a blink of an eye for an adult. Far too short, in most people's minds, to be a reasonable gap between two children. But it's incredible how much the baby gear world changes in that tiny time frame.

When I first found out I was pregnant, I did my research. A lot of research. I read all the parenting magazines, trolled through the baby websites. I asked advice from my mother and mother-in-law. I made a questionnaire and sent it out to all my mommy friends, asking them their opinion on cloth vs. disposable, infant carrier vs. baby wearing, umbrella stroller vs. pimped-out buggy.

Then came the second pregnancy, with further research. Another car seat. A double stroller. More diapers. I chose what I was certain were the best options, then scoured ebay and Craigslist to find the best deals.

Somehow, through all that, I became a guru to some. The person to go to when you want to know what detergent to use with cloth diapers, or what double stroller to buy, or the merit of various baby wearing options. Not wanting to rely on past research, I continued to research, read blogs, and keep up with the new options. And sixteen months after the birth of Little Baby, I found myself with a dilemma... EVERYTHING WAS BETTER. The world of baby gear had moved on without me, and I had been left in the dust. Though I once loved my Beco Butterfly baby carrier, and would crow its advantages to anyone who would listen, I now had a huge crush on the Beco Gemini (ergonomic, with outward and inward facing options for the baby. And a hip hold, along with the front and back standard options). And where I once drooled over my Phil & Ted's Sport, and could not imagine a more perfect stroller for my bunch, I now coveted the Baby Jogger City Select (with it's sleek lines and seemingly endless configurations).

Almost makes you want to have another baby, just so you can have an excuse to buy the newer, nicer things.

Thankfully, I'll be moving out of the country in the next eight months, and finances are tight, so all these new things I am coveting over aren't really an option. Though, I must admit... I still bid ridiculously low on ebay, in the vague hope that I might still get my latest baby gear crush.

Anybody else in the same boat? What is your baby gear crush? A $500 baby bag/purse? An amazing double stroller? Luxury baby bedding? A silver teething ring? If we can't give in, at least we can commiserate...

Rachel is a baby-bunching mom of a 3-year-old daughter and a 19-month-old son. She lives in the Chicago area, and would gladly appreciate a donation toward her dream Baby Jogger City Select.