Mommy FTW

The other day I was hosting a playgroup at my house and one of the moms broke out some Snapea Crisps.  The babies were in a frenzy!  Cameron was double fisting them!  I knew I had to find these Snapea Crisps, and fast.  Fresh Direct came to my rescue, as usual.  I ordered 2 bags right off the bat!

Yummy Yummy in Cameron's Tummy

Now, I know these aren’t the healthiest snacks on the planet (I think the Fig Newtons are a lot better) although the first ingredient is “peas.”  But, sometimes it’s good to have a sure fire winner in your arsenal.

I know mommy always thinks she knows best, but sometimes the gifts you get from other people that you wouldn’t have bought yourself turn out to be the best ones.  These toys have consistently Cameron’s favorites, and are also extremely popular at playgroup.

Playskool Busy Ball-Tivity Center

Cameron got this “Activity Center” from one of Matt’s Co-workers when he was about 1 month old.  We kept it in the closet until he was about 6 months old.  When we finally broke it out, I was very unimpressed with it.  It didn’t seem to do much at all, and I found the music it played to be annoying.  Well, shows what I know – this has been, and still is, one of Cameron’s favorite toys.  He loves the music, loves the spinning balls, loves everything about this toy!  And so do the other kids at playgroup.  There is generally a crowd around it.

CAT 3-in-1 Ride-On Dump Truck

When this gigantic ride on truck showed up in the mail, I thought, “What am I going to do with this huge thing?!”  It also arrived when Cameron was very young, like the activity center.  Once he was crawling we took it out of the box, and he immediately began pushing it around the apartment.  It also honks and makes noises when you press the buttons – exciting stuff!  Now, Cameron is using it as a walker.  It is also a ride on if you lift up the back part.  All of the kids at playgroup are immediately drawn to this toy.  So if you’ve got room for a big, ugly, dump truck in your living room… go for it!  Your baby will love you for it.

Recently a mom told me that her daughter loved to snack on fig newtons and that that her pediatrician had recommended them as a healthy snack.  I went on Fresh Direct looking for them, and I was happy to find that they had 100% whole grain Fig Newton Minis.  They come in little packages, which I keep in my diaper bag.  Cameron really loves them!  I did a little research on figs, and I learned that they are indeed good for you.

A tasty treat mom approves of

Here’s some of what I found out:
The mineral content of figs closely resembles that of human milk

Figs are rich in both vitamins A, B1, B2 and calcium, iron, phosphorus, manganese, sodium potassium and chlorine

Figs are high in vitamin B, that is essential in the intestine regulation, the fig has a similar function in our bodies as cereals do;

Dried figs are rich in fibre, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron

The fig is oxidant, laxative, diuretic, digestible and a blood cleanser

Figs excellent for the liver

Sounds good to me!  Snack on, Cameron – snack on!

The creators of BKLYN Yard Kids clothes wrote me recently to ask if I would do a little write up on their items.  After looking over their adorable clothes and learning more about them I was more than happy to do so.

Brooklynites Michelle Zuluaf and Nicole Keating have created their own Brooklyn inspired clothing line, and are donating some of the proceeds of the sales to charity.  This season they have decided to donate 10% of sales to H.E.L.P (Haitian Education & Leadership  Program,) An organization providing scholarships to top high school graduates that could never afford an education.  BKLYN Yard has also donated to the American Cancer Society during the 2009 holiday season and to DonorsChoose.org

So, that’s the “feel good” stuff… now on to the “look good” stuff.  These clothes are super cute!  Here are a few of my favorites from their Etsy shop – click on the image to take you to its page on Etsy:

Swipe for Me

They have a onesie version of this design for the little ones.  It’s called “Catch you on the train.”  This one is totally my favorite…. Cameron loves to take the subway – doesn’t matter where!

I Bike Breukelen Hoodie

For the little bike messengers out there, this hoodie will keep them cozy.

Spread Love It's The Brooklyn Way

Sometimes I wish I had a little girl… the fashions are just so adorable. Love, love, love this sweatshirt.

Breukelen Long Sleeve onesie

And a cute long sleeve onesie, so even the littlest Brooklynites can represent!

Take a look at the rest of the BKLYN Yard shop on Etsy, visit their website, and check their blog to learn and see more.

Today I decided to make some banana bread because I had lots of super-ripe bananas, and I didn’t think Cameron would get to them all before it was too late.  I searched online for banana bread recipes and I found one that used apple sauce too (I happened to have some that I bought at the Fort Greene farmer’s market). Here’s the recipe I used, which I adapted a little bit from this one I originally found on Cooks.com (I reduced the amount of sugar, added more banana, a few spics, and omitted the nuts).

Banana Applesauce Bread
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of salt
2 c. flour
4 ripe bananas (mashed)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. applesauce

Cream sugar and oil. Add eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and beat well. Add in the mashed bananas and applesauce. Add flour and baking soda, and mix until just combined. Bake in greased loaf pan, 350 degrees, 1 hour. Or if you want to use small loaf pans, or muffin tins, just bake it for less time – when a knife inserted into the bread comes out clean, it is done. Also, you will notice it pulling away from the edges of the pan slightly.

FYI – you could probably use whole wheat flour, although I would recommend doing a 1/2 and 1/2 with whole wheat and regular flour.  Using 100% whole wheat flour might make the bread crumbly and hard for baby to pick up.

I hope your baby (and you) enjoy it!

Thanks to the help of my hubby, Mommy For the Win now has a fan page on facebook.

So, become a fan!  And tell your friends!

While we were in Washington, DC recently Cameron and I (and Grandma) went back to the Wilson Aquatic Center for some winter time swimming. This time the water was much warmer and it was almost empty!  Here’s a few more tips that I picked up on my recent visit, as well as a few pictures of the family locker room (hey, it’s no spa, but it’s clean with plenty of space).

Let's go swimming already!

1) All the times I’ve gone the water for the shower in the family locker rooms was cold. You are required to shower before going into the pool, so Cameron and I braved the cold for a few seconds out of necessity.  This time my mom was with me in the family locker room and she said that the showers in the women’s locker rooms was much warmer. So if you go to the family locker room and the shower is freezing, duck into the other locker room with your baby. It’s much more comfortable!

If this shower is cold, try the other locker rooms.

2)The men’s and women’s locker rooms also have swim suit dryers.  The family locker room doesn’t have one.  But, there are diaper changing tables in the family room, which is really helpful.

I've got my swim diaper on and I am ready to go!

3)The lockers in the locker rooms don’t have locks on them. If you are really worried about this you can bring your own lock to use.

Plenty of lockers, but bring your own lock.

4)If you a not a resident of Washington DC you have to pay a small fee to get in. They don’t take Cash – so bring some plastic! Also, bring your ID. They will check it!

5)I’ve never had a problem parking on the street, even though the Wilson Aquatic Center is right by the Tenlytown metro station.  Just be sure you bring lots of quarters for the parking meters!  There is a clock prominently displayed on the wall in the pool area, so it’s easy to tell how long you’ve been there so you don’t run out of meter time.

Need more info on the Wilson Aquatic Center?  Check out their official website.  Here you can find info about hours or operation, admission requirements, amenities, and costs.

Have fun swimming!  You can bet Cameron and I will be back next time we are in DC!

Today Only – if you become a fan of Babies R Us on Facebook you get a $5 eCard.  Sounds like a good deal to me!

Now through January 31st you can get 15% off a single item at Diapers.com with the coupon code 15PCTTY !  Get your shop on!  Remember, Diapers.com has free overnight shipping (even on Saturdays here in Fort Greene!)

Shop now and save!

Support Mommy For the Win and click through my Diapers.com link when you shop.  Thanks!!

My daily Diaper Rash cream for Cameron is Kiehls Diaper Rash Ointment, but when he has a little “situation” going on “down there” I get out the big guns – Triple Paste.  One of the things that makes Triple Paste so good is that it is really thick and stays in place…. but this also makes it hard to apply.

Triple Paste - Pasty, But Good!

A trick I use to loose it up and make it easier on myself (and baby’s butt) is to put the jar in a sink filled with hot water for a few minutes.  This makes the Triple Paste a little easier to smooth on, and, obviously, warm…. which Cameron seems to like better.  Remember when they put that cold goop on your tummy for the ultrasound?  Yeah, no one likes that feeling!  Give it a try – it works wonders!