Posts Tagged: Baby Care Tips

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28
Jan 08

Win a Free Binkie Basket Pacifier Holder!

CONTEST IS CLOSED AS OF

10 PM EST, SUNDAY, 2-3-08

GOOD LUCK! 

 

Let the games begin!

This week, Little Jack’s Corner is participating in our very first Bloggy Giveaway Carnival.  This particular carnival is hosted by Shannon, over at the Rocks In My Dryer blog, and participation is running in the hundreds already. 

I personally know how utterly exciting it is to finally win something (don’t you get a wee bit sad when you learn you didn’t win?).  Now it’s our turn to offer one of our readers a chance to experience a winning thrill of her (or his?!) own!

Ok, for all of you moms out there (and grandmoms, and aunts too!) you know how frustrating it is when your pacifier addicted toddler loses that almighty Binkie.  Talk about chaos!  Well, with 2 children under the age of 4, my sister-in-law Michelle, knew that frustration all too well.  So one day, during all of her chores (and amidst crying babies) she dreamed up the Binkie Basket – a stuffed animal, with a handy attatched basket and tie’able ribbons, perfect for storing pacifiers anywhere within reach.

For our giveaway, Little Jack’s Corner has teamed up with Michelle’s Binkie Baskets  (www.BinkieBaskets.com) to offer you a free, one-of-a-kind original Binkie Basket of your choice!

The winner of our contest will be able to choose one basket from any of the Binkie Baskets listed in the Binkie Basket Etsy Store.  There are currently many different designs to choose from ranging from bunnies to ducks to lambs to bears.  They’ll be the perfect Easter present (they’re very cute when filled with jelly beans).

CONTEST RULES:

Contest runs Monday, Jan. 28 through Sunday, Feb. 3 at 10 pm EST

  • Please leave a comment on this post only about why you deserve this

  • You must include a reachable email address when you comment!

  • Only US entries please! (No international addresses)

  • Comment must be posted by 10 pm EST. Sunday, February 3

  • Prize is completely free!  One Binkie Basket & free shipping!

Please be aware that I moderate all comments before they go live.  The entry deadline is 10 pm EST next Sunday (2/3/08) at which time I will close off the comment form.  Using all of the entries (comments) listed, my husband and I will draw a random entry name from the box and that person will be our winner!  The drawing will be photographed, and the Winner Announcement will be posted at 11 pm EST Sunday night!  The winner will be asked to privately send me their real contact information (address) and which basket they prefer from the Binkie Baskets store.

Head on over to www.BinkieBaskets.com and the
Binkie Basket Etsy Shop to view current products!

GOOD LUCK! :)

——————–

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24
Jan 08

Is Your Heiny a Happy Heiny?

Are you tired? Run down? Stinky?

…do you pop out at parties?   Are you un-poopular?

Well, my dear vitameatavegamin loyaltists – I have a new product to bring your mommy out of the 1950s and into the new millennium.  

The answer to all your problems is in this great little package right here.

Yes, with Happy Heinys, you can wear your way to health. All you do is let go of a great big tablespoonful after every meal. Mmmmmm…. It’s so comfy, too! Feels just like cotton.

So why don’t you join all the thousands of happy pappy babies, throw away your bottles, and buy your self a great big stack of…uh…

….this stuff…

Happy Heinys brand cloth diaper selections.

Happy Heinys™ solids have been baby tested and last 12+ hours at night with absolutely no wicking for most baby’s. Happy Heinys™ are currently available in a variety of solid colors and fun prints. Happy Heinys™ Prints are laminated 100% cotton outers and may not work overnight for heavy wetters. The solids are laminated 100% poly outers and will work better overnight.

As found at http://www.diaperco.com/store/p/53-Happy-Heinys-Prints-Medium.html

After all…life’s no fun unless your heiny looks like a cow!

Thoughts from Mom — No Comments
23
Jan 08

Reading to Your Child

Some of my fondest memories when I was a little girl was nightly bedtime stories with my momma.  For as long a I can remember, my mother read numerous books (usally little golden books) to me before we went to sleep.  She says she started doing it when I was only a couple months old.  One of my favorite books back then was The Giant Who Wanted Company that my cousin Tammy had given me when I was born.

Our tradition ran from babyhood all the way up until I was startin teenagehood.  Even today, I enjoy listening to my mom read.  It was my mother’s dedication to reading to me that instilled a lifelong love of learning, language and books in me (my hubby says he lives in a library when he looks around our living room!).  I loved reading so much that growing up I would read anything and everything that came my way…..even if it was just a lable on shampoo. :)   (Shhh…now you know why it takes me so long in the bathroom… :)   j/k). 

Today, one of my favorite pasttimes is still reading.  My favorites are the classics, christian fiction, fantasy, science fiction, self help (topic depends on what I’m looking to learn at any point in life) and financial books such as those by Dave Ramsey.  I especially love reading fantasy literature with gnomes, elves, fairies, and “other world” creatures – anything that provides an imaginative escape from the real world.  Some of my favorites include the Harry Potter Series, The Naming (The First Book in the Pellinor Series), The Wrinkle in Time Series by Madeleine L’Engle, and the series about Eragon (Inheritance).  There are just so many good books out there it’s hard to name them all!

This past fall I was working on college courses towards an early childhood teaching degree, and one of my classes was “Children’s Literature”.  Needless to say it was my favorite course of the semester!

Now, all of this is in stark contrast to my husband.  He wasn’t read to much as a child that he can remember, and to this day he doesn’t read unless he’s forced to.  He simply has no interest in it.  While my strength is in book knowledge and reading, his strengths lie instead in visual perception and hands on learning.  I have a great grasp on working knowledge of language and reading, while he has a better grasp than I on mechanical thinking.  

Seeing how different we both are in these two aspects, both of us believe that reading (or the lack thereof) to a child at a young age strongly influences their perceptions on language, books, and future learning so we plan on making sure our child receives a mixture of our personal styles – Kevin will teach hands on mechanical things and sports while I will make sure little Jack receives daily reading, language, and interpersonal skills.  Hopefully when he grows up he will be a “better version” than either of us in those two strongly different areas!

Mom's Recipes — 3 Comments
20
Jan 08

Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe

The other day, my goood friend Ebonie sent me a link to a really cool article about doing Baby Laundry.  As a new mom, I thought it was very informative!  It was actually a funny coincidence because just the night before I had finished up a batch of 6 gallons of homemade laundry detergent and I had been wondering if the ingredients would be fine to use when Little Jack came along.  In the article, it gave a list of natural laundry supplies that are typically healthy and easy on baby and the ingredients I used were in there!

Natural Laundry Supplies
If you prefer not to use chemicals on baby’s clothes, try these natural options suggested by Annie Berthold-Bond in “Clean and Green” (Ceres Press, 1994). Be sure to rinse the clothes thoroughly. Keep these and all household products out of the reach of children.

Baking Soda
An effective cleaner, deodorizer, and fabric softener. Mix with water to form a paste, and use on stains to absorb odors; or add to water when presoaking new clothes to eliminate residue.

Borax
A water-soluble mineral with antiseptic, antibacterial, water-softening, and whitening properties. Makes mild soap more effective (add 1/2 cup to wash). Also a good diaper presoak.

Sodium Perborate
A natural alternative to chlorine bleach that’s made of borax and hydrogen peroxide. Add 3 tablespoons to wash water to fight stains. (Available by mail-order from chemical-supply companies.)

Washing Soda
Also known as sodium carbonate, a mineral with strong cleaning and degreasing properties. Add 2 tablespoons to laundry soap to make it more effective, or make it into a paste to remove greasy stains.

White Vinegar
A naturally acidic pantry staple that cuts grease, softens water, and can lighten dingy and gray laundry. Add 1/4 cup to wash.

When we first got married, we tried everything we could think of to cut costs. Making homemade laundry detergent (as opposed to my usual $12 bottle of Tide) seemed like an easy quick fix. I found a tried-and-true recipe online and purchased the bulk ingredients for pretty cheap through www.soapsgonebuy.com.   ….and then I set out making the recipe!

It’s actually really easy.    here is how I do it -

 INSTRUCTIONS FOR 2 GALLONS OF DETERGENT:

3 Pints of Water

1/3 Bar Grated Soap

½ Cup Borax

½ Cup Washing Soda

2 Gallon Bucket

1 Quart Hot Water

 

Melt the grated soap in 3 pints of water.  Pour in the borax and washing soda, and stir until thickened a bit.  Pour 1 quart hot water in 2 gallon bucket, then pour the mixture into the bucket.  Fill the remaining space with hot water.  Close, shake, and let sit for 24 hours to gel up.

Add commercial laundry detergent during last step or essential fragrance oils for your smell of choice!

…I usually add whatever fragrance I have on hand or mix the rest of a tide bottle with it (about a 1:6 ratio).   The recipe above is for a 2 gallon batch.   I use to make it pretty frequently when money was tight, but this year we did pretty well so I went back to being a Tide loyaltist.   In fact, the 6 gallons I made the other night was the first batch I had made in over a year!   Now with a baby on the way, we’re tightening our money strings back up somewhat.   A $12 bottle of Tide just doesn’t compare right now with being able to use that money towards the baby. 

Some people laugh at the thought of a modern woman slaving over a hot stove, making her own detergent.  hehe….I guess if I was in someone else’s position (someone with more money than I!) I would laugh at home-grown liquid detergent too.   But it’s ok though.  I actually prefer commercial detergent (c’mon – I NEVER did my own laundry when I was living with mom and dad) because of the ease of use.   Back at home I never thought of how much it cost my parents to buy the detergent.  Sometimes though we just have to swallow our “wants” (ok, not literally…I never swallowed Tide) in order to work out whats best for your own family in the money area. 

And for us, homemade detergent works great.  :)    And it saves a ton too!