Winter Illnesses

As many of you know, my family has been sick off and on for the last month. We've had colds, earaches and the stomach flu go through the house so far. I know this is pretty common for most households with kids so I thought I would share some of my favorite things to help with those fall and winter illnesses.

Babies:

For babies there really aren't any medicines out there that you can use. Most medicines say not to use them if the child is under 2 years. So, what do you do when your baby gets sick and is miserable? Well, I've found a few things that really helped my little one.

• Hyland's Baby Tiny Cold Tablets (They are for 6 months and up and dissolve on the tongue)
• Hyland's Baby Cough Syrup (Good for 6 months and up)
• Hyland's Baby Infant Earache Drops (Good for under 3 years)
• Baby Vapor Rub (We've used Maty's and Vicks)
• A Humidifier
• Nasal Aspirator
• Steam (turn on shower as hot as possible and sit with baby in steamy bathroom for 10 minutes max)

Toddlers:

As soon as your little one hits that magic age 2 mark or weight limit a lot of different medicines seem to be ok to use. However, there are still some limitations including cold and cough meds. Here's some of the things we used for my toddler that helped.

• Hyland's Cold 'n Cough 4 Kids (age 2 and up)
• Hyland's Sniffles 'n Sneezes 4 Kids (age 2 and up)
• Little Colds by Little Remedies Honey Elixir (1 year and up)
• Baby Vapor Rub (Maty's and Vick's)
• A Humidifier
• Nasal Aspirator

Other issues

Teething: Hyland's Baby Teething Tablets and Teething Gel, Amber Necklaces
Allergies: Hyland's Complete Allergy 4 Kids (age 2 and up)
Tummy: Ginger, Peppermint

As you may have noticed, a lot of these are Hyland's brand. I love the Hyland's brand because they are all natural remedies and they work. That's important to my family. However, there are medicines out there that are not all natural and are also helpful. I give my kids pain reliever when other teething methods don't work or if they are running a fever and seem uncomfortable. Don't feel bad about giving your child medicine if that is what they need. Just do what is bet for your family.   

Day 27 - Family Photographs

Today we had our first ever family photographs taken. Thanks to Randi, of Randi Underwood Photography, I would call the day a success!

What we did:
I decided to go with purple, green and grey colors for us to wear. I think it is a very flattering combo and I love bold colors. Randi came up with the location, Papa John's Business Park. She had taken photos there before and thought the location would be perfect with the colors I chose. Having never been there, I was unsure what to expect but it was perfect. There was water, trees and lots of different spots to take great pictures. We did family pictures and some of just the kids. Even with two young kids in tow, pictures took only 40 minutes.

What I thought:
Randi did an amazing job working with us and with the kids in particular. She never lost patience, even when we were almost 15 minutes late. Of course, Connor chose this day to be a handful and not smile for most of the pictures. If you know Connor than you would know that he loves pictures and acts like a ham to have his picture taken. I was amazed at his behavior. Randi, however, was very skilled at telling us what to do to get him to smile and make great pictures when he wasn't. I would have been completely lost and would have given up 10 minutes in if not for her. So, thanks to Randi of Randi Underwood Photography we will have amazing family pictures! I can't wait to see all of them!

Randi photographing Connor

If you are interested in having Randi take photos for you, here are her websites: http://www.underwoodphotostudio.com/
https://www.facebook.com/RandiUnderwoodPhotography 

Day 24 - Citrus Lane

I am in love with this monthly subscription box for kids (newborn to 3). I thought I would talk a bit about it since Connor got his first box this month and because there is a groupon available for it right now.

What is it:

Citrus Lane is a monthly subscription box created specifically for babies and toddlers. Each month they create a box based on parent recommendation and centered on a theme. The box can include toys, books, food and parenting essentials.

Why I like it:

When you get the box in the mail it has a splash of yellow on it which immediately attracts the attention of any tot in the room. Connor was no exception and I only managed to get one picture before he was pulling everything out of the box and demanding I open everything so he could use it. The theme for October was "Fall Fun". Each box is tailored to your child's age and development. Inside the box for my toddler was the following:

• A pouch of Ella's Kitchen "big smiles cheesy potatoes with veggies"  ($2.49)
• A Munchkin Toddler Dip Dish ($5.99)
• An Oball by Rhino Toys ($4.99)
• A bottle of BabyGanics Smooth Moves Daily Lotion ($5.49)
• I Can Do it Too! by Karen Baicker book ($9.99)
• a DHC Deep Cleansing Oil mini for mama ($4.99)

Connor loved the book and I thought it was great too. The toddler dish was a big hit because Connor loves his dipping sauces but hates it touching other things. The Oball was a hit too because Connor could play with Cayleigh, rolling and tossing it about without me worrying it would hurt her. I liked the BabyGanics lotion because it doesn't have an overpowering smell and is plant based. The only downsides to this box were the Ella's Kitchen ouch and the DHC oil. While Connor usually goes for Ella's Kitchen and loves the pouches, he didn't like this flavor at all. That was sad but not their fault since I didn't even know he wouldn't like it. As to the oil, I won't use it and I'm not interested in thing for me in my kid's boxes. Luckily, they only do something for mama every few months so it is usually all for baby. Oh, and if you want to know how much that totals, it's $33.94. However, the monthly cost is only $25. While that doesn't seems to be that much of a savings, I had a discount code for the first month for 50% off. That means I got $33.94 worth of stuff for just $12.50!

Oh, and I have great news for you! There is a groupon at this link
http://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-subscription-to-citrus-lane?c=all&p=16
for a 3 month Citrus Lane Subscription for only $35! That's $40 off! It's only for new members though so don't buy it if you already subscribe.

Also, if you use this link
https://www.citruslane.com/invitedby/Belinda.Miller
I get $15 credit towards my next box. So if you are subscribing based on my review please use this link.

Day 22 - A Job Interview

Today I had a job interview with Cultural Care Au Pair. It went great but I won't know if I got the job until next week. Even if I don't get the job, I thought I would share some about the company with you guys. 

What it is: 

Cultural Care Au Pair is childcare mixed with a cultural exchange program. The au pair lives with your family while doing up to 45 hours of childcare a week. The au pair joins the family for activities and meals and is treated as an extended family member. The great thing about this program, other than fostering cultural exchange, is that it is more affordable and flexible than hiring a local nanny or babysitter. It averages out to about $350 a week or about $7.80 an hour. What makes it even better? They have discounts for military families, families with multiples, repeat families and the occasional discount for everyone, as well as payment plans.

Why I like them over others: 

Cultural Care doesn't just get random people from other countries to act as au pairs. They put their candidates through thorough screening and background checks before accepting them into the program. Then, once the au pairs get to the U.S., they attend a training school where child safety and development are reviewed. They also go above and beyond the U.S. Dept of State's requirements for au pair programs.


So, if you are looking into childcare or are looking for something different, look into Cultural Care Au Pair. It's a great way to teach your kids about cultural diversity and give a young adult the chance to experience America.

Day 21 - iPad 2

Today we went shopping at Best Buy and I finally broke down and bought an iPad for the family. It is amazing! I love that I can put apps on it for Connor to play with and not be concerned that he is calling people or playing with something he shouldn't. Also, there are apps that are good for his speech therapy that the therapist recommended so I know he is getting something from it more than mindless entertainment. I love it for myself because it has a camera, webcam for skype and other apps to make my life easier. I would love to hear some suggestions on what apps you like for yourself, your family or your kids! Leave me a comment with your suggestions as well as your email and you are entered to win a Hushabye Baby Lullaby renditions of Taylor Swift CD!  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Day 18 Monthly Subscription Boxes

A couple months ago I decided to try out a couple different monthly subscription boxes. I found the idea by seeing an ad for one on the side of my facebook main page. I can never decide on just one so I got a couple of them and thought I would share what I have found so far.

What it is:

For those of you who don't know what these are it's really easy to explain. It is a box of items that is sent to you monthly. What's great about them is the fact that you can find a subscription for just about anything. We have tried so far:

Picky Bunny (Gently loved clothes for Baby/Toddler)
Bluum (Items for Baby & Mom)
Ecocentric Mom (Items for Pregnancy, Baby, Mom)
Citrus Lane (Toys and must haves for Baby/Toddler)
Love With Food (Food Samples)
Birchbox Man (Grooming and lifestyle items for Guys)

What we thought:

Picky Bunny: We got two monthly subscription boxes from Picky Bunny (1 for each child) and used it for only two months. You can get one of four different plans: budget, basic, boutique, or bundle. We chose the budget bunny because it fit our lifestyle the best.  The clothes were in great condition and some even came with the tags still on. In the first boxes the sizes weren't right and they didn't do a great job matching the clothing items with what I requested. After sending them an email about it they quickly gave my a partial refund and made sure they had everything correct in their system. The second boxes we got from them were all the right sizes and better fit my preferences but still weren't great. We decided it was easier to go to a consignment sale or other secondhand shop and get what we really want rather than depending on someone else to basically read our minds.

Love With Food: I was really excited for this monthly box because it is food and because for every box you buy they donate a meal to a charity. However, when the box came the first time it was not all that thrilling. The sample sizes are small and the theme was not to our liking. The theme was "Getting back into skinny jeans". I don't know about you but when I want to try new food items as a splurge I don't want a bunch of healthy foods. The samples did taste ok but they also forgot one of the items for our box. I contacted customer service and they responded right away that they were sending me the missing item. I was rather shocked and pleasantly surprised to find about 12 of the sample item in the mail a week later. The second box was also not very thrilling though. The box was a back to school theme and had a bunch of snacks you could throw into a kid's lunch. My toddler ate the applesauce pouch right away but we haven't even looked at the other items again since it came. I guess I was hoping for something a little more adventurous and something with better themes. We cancelled this one after two months as well.

Birchbox Man: I got this one to see if my picky husband would branch out and try anything new for his pampering routine. Seriously, he takes more time getting ready than I do. Anyway, we have gotten 2 boxes and it is definitely a keeper. They send samples but they are nice size samples and if you like an item you can go on their site and get the full size product for a discount. The first box had shampoo, conditioner, face cleanser, body powder, cologne, and a pair of boxers. My hubby liked everything nut the shampoo and conditioner (then again all he will use is Herbal Essences). The second box came with some shaving oil, face/body cleanser, hair styling cream, cologne, a jigger and whiskey stones. There was also a gift card for $10 to an online whiskey store. My husband loves this box and looks forward to it now. I would highly recommend getting the men in your life a subscription to Birchbox Man as a gift.     

As to the Ecocentric Mom, Bluum and Citrus Lane boxes, I will have to let you know in another couple weeks. We have only gotten one box of each so far and I like to give most companies a couple chances to wow me before I decided if I like them or not.