Personalizing Books

I'm not going to lie, here are some things that I have never utilized because I felt they were frivolous things that we didn't need to indulge in. One of those items was the world of children's personalized books.

The idea of them, I liked them, but I couldn't bring myself to indulge.  But, then I was asked to review one.

My Kool Kidz Books happened to be the place that I embarked.  I was a bit nervous on my endeavor, but off I went to try to find the perfect book for my family.  After reviewing the selections they offered...holiday books, books for girls, books for boys, and more...I decided on a cute little book about becoming a sibling.

While C-Man has been a big brother for almost 2 years now, I thought that it would help him through some of the tougher times of being Mar-Mar's big brother.  After all, she is a bully, lol.  Truth be told, Mar-Mar beats up on C-Man and he lets her get away with EVERYTHING!!!!!

So, I decide that I'm going to get The Sibling Book.

This is the book that I receive in the mail from My Kool Kidz Books.  Right off the bat, I'm impressed.  First of all, I put this order in on a Saturday afternoon, and it's at my house in less than 1 week.  Not only that, the personalized names that I used are spelled correctly.

Now comes the real test.  It's bedtime and we are winding down with a book.  So, I pull out the book I got from My Kool Kidz Books to see how the kids review it.

C-Man, loves the book.  We have success.  The book was more than I normally would spend on a book.  But, the part that made it worth the personal touch was the look on C-Man's face.  Knowing that book was about him and his sister, his whole face lit up.

He now carries he book around and when we aren't sitting down to read it together, he sits by himself and comes up with his own words for the book.  

My Kool Kidz Books gets an A in this house.  If you're looking for a cute and unique gift for a child, don't saddle the parent down with another annoying toy they will dread and the child will only play with for a few days.  Visit My Kool Kidz Books and get a personalized book that they can treasure for years to come.

Totsy

Who has heard of Totsy?  Well, it's one of those sites that I love.  It is a lot like Zulily in that they are boutique type shops that offer a set number of outfits, products, etc.

This is the breakdown of how it works.  The company Totsy, essentially, agrees with these companies to order a certain number of a product in exchange for a deep discount.  This is where you see the percentages off, sometimes 15% and going up to the 80% they advertise.

The deal is, they only offer these products for a certain amount of time, usually for 3 days.  So, when you see something you like, you can't just dwell on it and wait.  You usually have to snatch it right up.

The difference that I've seen between Zulily and Totsy is that Zulily immediately charges your card.  That can be great, especially if you have a habit of overspending on cute little outfits for your munchkin.  Totsy, on the other hand, stores your order until they place the order.  Once they receive the products from the manufacturers, they bill you and ship out your items as agreed upon.

Another thing I like about these sites, other than the deals that you can get, Totsy gives you a $15 credit to your account for each person who signs up under your account and makes their first purchase.  So, essentially, not only are you a customer, but you are in a way, an affiliate of sorts.  The only difference between a normal affiliate and this is that you get the $15 once, whereas a normal affiliate, every order that is placed through a link dedicated to them gets a percentage.

My one bad thing I don't like about either Zulily or Totsy...shipping/delivery time.  Doesn't matter which one you decide to go with, they both have the slowest shipping time from order until it gets to your door.  I chalk this up to the fact that when they do the sales, they don't actually have the product on hand.  They have to wait for these items to be shipped to them before they can process your order and ship your items to you as well.

My final review on Totsy, as long as you aren't trying to purchase a last minute dress, present, or outfit, this is perfect for cute little outfits and gifts.  They also have some cute items for mom and kitchen as well.

The Power of "I'm Sorry"

I would like to say that my children are perfect little creatures.  They could do no wrong.  But, the fact of the matter is, they are both human.  And to top that off, they are toddler/preschoolers.  So, tantrums and testing their limits are going to be testing me to my own limits day in and day out.

Now, I'm a very lenient mom.  I let both my kids get away with a lot as they explore their world, and I explain why things aren't allowed after they try them.  Do they understand me half the time?  Probably not yet, but they will.  And I can only hope that they remember the outcome of the action and eventually our conversations.

As lenient as I am, one thing I do not allow for are impolite or mean behavior.  I require that a please proceeds every request that comes out of C-Man and Mar-Mar's mouth, and that a thank you is promptly followed after the request is carried out.  And being mean to each other, mom, dad, or friends is also not permitted.

The other stuff, within reason, is a learning experience, and I allow for those mistakes and limits to be tested within reason.  But bad manners is not tolerated.

So, when I went to pick up C-Man from school today, I was excited to see in his folder that he had an invitation from a school friend.  

"C-Man, is "G" your friend?"

This is when I realize something is up.  As instead of telling me yes, his eyes go wide, and he instantly tells me:  "I said that I was sorry."

At 4-years-old C-Man hasn't quite learned the art of lying.  I'm hoping that it's a trait that he never picks up, but, that's another post.  So, at this age, being honest, sometimes overly honest, is a trait many preschoolers have.

"What did you say sorry for?  Did you hurt "G"?"

"We were playing tag and I threw a wood chip at him cause he was trying to get me.  But I say sorry."  This is his explanation.  Seems innocent enough.  Two boys, getting overly excited in a game of tag, something unfriendly is bound to happen.

This is when I decide to inform C-Man of his invitation.  "Well, C-Man, "G" invited you to his birthday.  If we hurt and throw things at our friends do you think they will want to invite us to their birthdays?"

C-Man promptly answers with a shake of the head and re-informs me that he did apologize to his school friend after the incident.

I am proud of C-Man in this instance.  He knew that his actions were wrong, and that they warranted an apology, and he apologized to his friend.

But, as a mom who wants to instill the importance of not hurting our friends, throwing things, and just overall displaying good manners and treating our friends the way we want them to treat us, this is where I may be a bit harder on my children than most.

I tell C-Man that I am proud of him for apologizing to "G" for the incident, but that throwing things at our friends are never ok.  I proceed to inform him that this weekend we will be writing a note to "G" apologizing once again for the incident.

Maybe I'm hard on my children in this situation.  But, as lenient as I try to be, there are things that I do not tolerate.  C-Man knows this, and is actually eager to have Momster write out an apology letter to his friend "G" for him as he dictates what he wants to say, afterwards he is excited to draw a picture of him and "G" playing together as well with the letter.

Maybe it's a small feat, but any feat that I cam accomplish in teaching my kids good values I will take.

What values do you try to instill in your children?  What are you lenient with?  What are things that you absolutely do not tolerate?

Daddy vs Wipes

How many mom's out there pass of diaper duty to dad sometimes?

I am home all day with Mar-Mar, our only child in diapers.  So, I am very familiar with diaper changes, and using the least amount of wipes to get a clean bottom.  You can always tell whether it's going to be a 2, 3, or 4 wiper when you open the diaper.  But, you always try to use the least amount of wipes.  Those suckers are almost as expensive as the package of diapers.

But, when Pac-Man comes home for the day, I pass off diaper duty to him.  I pray that any diaper changes he comes across are merely wet diapers.  Our pocketbook can't handle the kind of wipe war Pac-Man has with a poopy diaper.

The scene pretty much plays out with Pac-Man realizing that he has a poopy diaper on his hands.  This has him start the plea for me to take the diaper change duties on and he'll get the next one (and you know, secretly he's saying, as long as it's just wet).  I of course refuse, I'm not new to this diaper changing war, and have changed a fair amount of diapers myself throughout the day.

Resigning himself to the fact that he is indeed saddled with the poopy diaper, Pac-Man prepares for the damage.  Clean diaper?  Check!  Mar-Mar?  Check!  Wipes?  Check!  Diaper Cream?  Check!

Now, off to change that diaper.  As he takes the tab off the diaper he makes these gurgling, almost gagging sounds at the sight.  You know it's not really that bad, but you laugh anyways, cause he tries to make it out to be the worst poopy diaper of his life.  This is just another ploy to try to convince you to take over diaper duty lest he throw up all over your child during the diaper change.

Pac-Man and I have been parents for the past 4 years, so I'm well versed in this tactic, and know how to stop it in it's tracks or just ignore it.

Realizing his fake gagging sounds are not working, Pac-Man once again attends to the task at hand.  Out come the wipes.  As I'm looking over his shoulder I notice this is merely a 1 wiper, but I watch in awe as Pac-Man pulls out, 1...2...3...4...5...6....did he just pull out 15 wipes for that one little diaper?

Not to be outdone with my awe of the 15 wipes for the first wipe, Pac-Man proceeds to go in for a second round...here we go with another 15 to 20 wipes for the second wipe.

"What on earth?  How many wipes do you need?  There's barely anything there to wipe?"  Of course his reply is that he wants to make sure her bottom is clean.  This still bewilders me as there is not even a speck of dog hair on her bottom from the enormous amounts of dog hair that our 2 dogs shed.

I proceed to move on to my own thing.  Pac-Man puts the diaper cream and dry diaper on Mar-Mar, and a set of bloomers so that she can't take her diaper off leaving us in a poopy mess later on.  45 wipes later, the diaper change is done.

Who else has a wipe warrior?  

Diaper Rescue

There comes a time in a mother's life when she realizes that her poor baby is suffering from a diaper rash.  It's painful to look at, and you're positive it's the reason your easy going child has started booking it at the sight of you with a new diaper and wipes.

You cringe and cry every time you change their diaper cause it's so red and raw, and you're just beside yourself.

We recently went through this with Mar-Mar.  I was beside myself, I had never dealt with a diaper rash with C-Man when he was in diapers, so this was new territory with me.  Throw in the fact that both my kids have eczema, and I am always looking for something that will be a wonder cream, while still being sensitive on their skin.

This is when you turn to other mom's who have been in this position.  You talk to them and you discuss what your best options are.  

Enter in a super mom, and she tells me about Pinxav (pronounced pink salve).  I'm not going to lie, this stuff stinks.  But, I'm trying it cause Mar-Mar's butt is red and raw, and nothing is working on her.  Everything is making it worse, and I want to cry along with her each time I have to change her diaper.

One of the first ingredients in this Pinxav, aloe vera.  This left the pediatrician impressed.  She informs me, as well as some of the over the counter diaper creams work, most of them either do not have aloe vera in them, or it's an ingredient that is listed towards the middle or end of the list (generally this means there is less of it).

So, I get this Pinxav in the mail and I start to use it.  It's thick, it stinks, and it doesn't come off my hands when I wash them with soap and water afterwards.  It takes some wipes to get off.  This I can overlook as the next diaper change the red and raw sores on Mar-Mar are merely pink blotches.

Another great thing about this Pinxav, like I said, it wouldn't come off my hands when I washed them with regular soap and water.  This also means that when Mar-Mar has just a wet diaper, that it keeps the wet off her.  I also only need to reapply after a poopy diaper, but I'm reapplying it about every 2-3 wet diapers.

I know, the Pinxav seems a bit overpriced.  Heck, what isn't these days.  But, I'm telling you, this stuff works miracles.  Not only that, it lasts forever.  I got this stuff 3 months ago, and I have only used 1/4 of the tub.  

As soon as I spot some red on Mar-Mar's bottom during diaper changes, I pull out the Pinxav, and she is completely clear within a few diaper changes.  

I suggest using it for about an extra week or two after the rash is clear, but that should be with any type of diaper rash ointment.

Nap Time Fight

Had I known then what I know now about naps, I would've taken more of them.  Well, at least I would like to think that I wouldn't have fought my dad so hard when it was time to take a nap.

C-Man has been nap free for quite some time.  We do still have the occasional nap from time to time, but they are few and far between.  Oh how I miss the days of nap time when it was just me and the C-Man at home.  Then it was easy.  He goes down for a nap, I fall asleep for a little nap as well.

But then you have more than one kid.  Once Mar-Mar was born, nap time for the C-Man was all but extinct.  This didn't leave me much room to nap with Mar-Mar.  Mar-Mar would go down for her nap, and it would be me and C-Man, taking on the world.

I thought with school starting, nap time would once again become this grand party.  Mar-Mar goes to sleep for a nap, and I follow her shortly.  Alas, we are now in the nap time fight.

Try as I may, Mar-Mar is adamant that she is done with nap time.  She runs around her playroom and the house as if nothing will deplete her energy.  Where do these kids get their energy from?!?!?

As we fast forward through each day, me struggling to get Mar-Mar to take just a small nap...come on Mar-Mar, Momster could even go for 30 minutes, even 1 hour...to no avail, we finally reach the time where we must leave to pick C-Man up from school.

C-Man's school is a 30 minute drive from our house.  And so when we get ready to leave, I pack Mar-Mar up in the car, give her a snack in her little bowl and a drink, start a movie in the DVD player, and off we head to pick up C-Man.  Not even 5 minutes into the drive, I look in the mirror and Mar-Mar is passed out.  Of course, it's not that she doesn't want to take a nap, it's that she doesn't want me to have the opportunity to take a nap.

What nap time struggles do you face?  Are naps being phased out by the little ones?  Or have you noticed that the struggle is, like my own nap time struggle, to ensure you do not get a nap in for yourself?

First Hair Cuts

There comes a time in a mother's life when she realizes that her child needs a haircut.  No!!!!!  I hate the inevitable first haircut.  It's further proof that the baby you wish you could keep little forever is getting bigger.

Want more proof that your children become little adults with this milestone, take a picture before and after.

So, this weekend, I came to the conclusion that I needed to get Mar-Mar her first haircut.  It was a hard pill for me to swallow.  Pac-Man had been bugging me to take her to get her hair cut for months, but I just couldn't.  So, I resigned myself to putting her hair up in cute little pigtails.  The issue than was that Mar-Mar was constantly pulling out these pigtails, rendering my feeble attempts at arguing that she didn't need her haircut useless.

As cute as she is, it was clear that she needed her hair cut.  Poor girl couldn't even see.

I figured that C-Man needed his hair cut as well, so I would just take Mar-Mar for hers at the same time.  I get to school to pick up C-Man and off to the barber we head.

C-Man has decided that he wants to have his hair cut short.  Pull on my heart now, I am brokenhearted afterwards.  Forget the fact that this is not C-Man's first hair cut, but each time I take him he goes from this innocent cute little boy...

And he instantly becomes this little man and it ages him a few years.  

So, I'm here, at the barber shop, almost in tears after C-Man's transformation, and it's now Mar-Mar's turn to hop into the chair.

It is this instant that I become a blubbering mess.  Mar-Mar has these curls in the back of her hair.  I instantly start having a mom panic attack and I'm a stuttering mess.  I beg the barber, please, please, please don't cut the back of her hair.  I don't think I could bear to lose her curls yet.  I know the instant those curls get cut, they will be lost forever.

After a few minutes of listening to me drivel along about how traumatic this haircut would be, not for me, but for Mar-Mar, we finally agree that just the bangs will be cut.

Contrary to my plea that this will be traumatic, Mar-Mar starts laughing and clapping as her bangs are being cut out of her face.  She has to constantly look up at me with this melt your heart smile to let me know this hair cutting business is fun.  Please, where did my baby girl go?!?!?!?

The transformation was dramatic as C-Man's.  Unfortunately, I decided to wait until after Mar-Mar got up after a nap for her after haircut photo op. She wasn't feeling particularly camera friendly.

The result was, curls are still intact in the back, and Mar-Mar can now see...

What was your traumatic firsts with your child(ren)?