Mommy FTW

Recently I was talking to a friend who is 7 months pregnant and I asked her what she was using on her baby belly to prevent stretch marks.  She said she had just run out of what she was using, and was thinking of trying something else.  That reminded me of an amazing product I used when I was pregnant with Cameron which another mom friend had recommended to me – L’Occitane Shea Butter.

This product, while not specifically marketed as “stretch mark cream” is, I think, the best thing out there for the job.  Most stretch mark creams have shea butter in them, but this stuff is 100% pure shea butter!

I knew from my own experience this stuff really works(I didn’t get a single one *knock on wood* for next time) but I wondered why shea butter actually helps prevent stretch marks so I asked my friend Google!  Here’s what I found out:

Because of its high concentration of non-saponifiable fatty acids, shea butter has a moisturizing and healing effect on the skin. The lipids contained in the butter are highly beneficial to the cells found in the epidermis and promote skin healing and improvement. Shea butter works well to improve the skin’s elasticity, thus enabling it to stretch with greater ease.

Sounds good to me!  You can buy this cream on Amazon.com, on the Sephora website, in Sephora stores, or at L’Occitane stores. It is a little pricey, but I would say that not getting stretch marks is worth it! One 4.9 oz tin will most likely get you through the whole pregnancy.

Posted from New York, New York, United States.

Today I was excited to see that Cameron’s favorite sleepwear (Tea Collection) was on sale at the Mini Social.  I just snapped up 4 sets at various sizes… some for now, some for later.  Tea Collection jammies are soft, super comfortable, and cute!  Check out the Mini Social to get some at a great price!  Usually these PJs sell for $35, but you can get them for $17.50!

Tea Collection at the Mini Social

If you haven’t heard, the Mini Social is a site that does online sample sales for babies and kids.  They feature designer quality brands at great prices.  Sign up and get their daily emails about what is on sale.  They often have brands like Melissa and Doug, Plan Toys, Robeez, See Kai Run, and more.

Posted from New York, New York, United States.

For many people, summer time means lots of travel.  When we travel with Cameron, we always take along our Baby Bjorn Travel Crib.  We bought it last summer, and used it many times – it’s super light, easy to set up, and folds up into it’s own neat little suitcase.  I was worried that this summer Cameron would have grown out of it – but he hasn’t!  In fact, he seems to really love sleeping in his own personal pup tent.

Let's go!

This crib is a litle on the pricey side, but I think it is WAY better than any other Pack N Play I’ve ever seen – and the convenience factor makes it totally worth it for me and my little guy.  By the way, don’t bother buying a specific sheet for this crib, just use a regular crib sheet and tuck in the extra sheet around the edge.

I wrote a write up on the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib last year – check out my review here.

Posted from New York, New York, United States.

Today I stopped in at the Home and U store on at 394 Myrtle Avenue between Clermont and Vanderbuilt.  I found some really great items there for Cameron (at LOW prices) so I wanted to share so it was on your radar!

In the back by the cash registers I stumbled upon the most amazing Truck book (it’s called My First Truck Book).  Apparently the version I got isn’t made anymore (which I am guessing is why it ended up at Home and U).  But honestly, I don’t care if it’s a few years out of date – since the book itself was still brand new!  Anyways, I paid $2.99 – on Amazon a newer version is over $7, and is smaller in size.  Not too shabby!

And, picked up a small Elmo doll which Cameron immediately fell in love with.  At $1.99 it was worth every penny.

They also have lots of spray bottles to choose from – which are great fun at the sprinklers and playgrounds.  And plenty of other odds and ends toys for summer fun.

And, don’t forget I got Cameron’s little watering can there, which he uses to help me water the plants in the garden.

I will certainly be back to dig for more items.  The store can seem a little cramped and disorganized, but if you take a look you can find some low cost treasures.

Posted from New York, New York, United States.

Cameron’s favorite books are always changing as he grows – but I wanted to let you all in on his current favorites (FYI – he is 20 months old).

Cameron is obsessed with Cars (which for some reason he calls “choo choo”) and Trucks (“tuck”)  He also loves Cats (“tat”) since we have two of them.  So, his favorite books revolve around these items:

My Car – Byron Barton – This is a book about a man named Sam who loves his car and drives a bus.  There are lots of pictures of all kids of vehicles.  Sam also wears a hat and shoes which Cameron likes to point out and say on every page.  It is required that this book is read at least once before bed time.  This book has thick pages, but is a step below a board book in terms of durability.

Find the Kitten – Find it Board Books – Each page of this book has a picture of a kitten and Cameron loves to point it out on every page.  There’s also other things to point out to help build vocabulary.  As you might have guessed, this book is a board book.

Trucks Roll! – Richard Jackson Books – I’ve been reading this book to Cameron since he was born, but he loves it more and more every day.  It’s got so many pictures of semi trucks in it, Cameron is in heaven.  He always pulls it off the shelf for me to read every morning.  This book is more of a “big kid book” as the pages are not cardboard or thick.

Goodnight Moon – Margaret Wise Brown – If you didn’t get at least one copy of this book as a gift, I would be shocked!  Did you ever notice how many kittens are pictured in it?  Well Cameron did, and he points them out on every page.  A classic goodnight story.  We have the large “Lap Edition” and a smaller travel size both of which are board books.

Toes, Ears, Nose – Karen Katz – This is one of many “Lift the Flap Books” by Karen Katz, all of which Cameron enjoys (we find them at Clinton Hill Library) but I really like this one because it helps Cameron learn his body parts.  Unfortunately, some of the flaps have been removed due to all the tough love that Cameron has shown this book.

Also, check out my post about Bath Books Cameron Loves – I wrote in in September 2009 (almost a year ago!) but Cameron still loves all these books, and they are still a big part of bath time.

Posted from New York, New York, United States.

I know, I know – the idea of reusing a swim diaper might sound a little gross, but – it seems to work well!  Last summer a friend of mine came up with the idea, and gave it a try.  She left her daugter’s swim diaper out overnight to let it dry.  The next day there was no odor, and it seemed perfectly fine to use again.  After all, usually kids are only wearing these diapers for a few minutes, and most of the time there’s no #2 involved (I’ve yet to have Cameron unleash a poo in the pool *knock on wood*)

Save some cash, and make less trash!

So if you want to save a little cash, or you are low on swim diapers, and haven’t had a chance to order more yet, try drying them out and using them again the next day!

Posted from New York, New York, United States.

Soap.com (sister site to Diapers.com) has finally launched! Use the coupon code SOAPISHERE to get 20% off (up to $20) expires 7/22/10.

I think all us moms realize that Diapers.com is a lifesaver when it comes to getting your baby supplies FAST!  Well, now when you shop you can shop both Diapers.com and Soap.com at the same time with 1 shopping cart and 1 checkout.  With EVERY order over $49 shipping is FREE.

Here are a few other highlights:
Overnight delivery to 70% of the country, 2-day shipping to everyone else – just like with Diapers.com
HUGE selection – 25,000 health and beauty products today, 40,000 by the end of the year, 100,000 by end of 2011
Savings of up to 25% off drugstore prices on your favorite products, and a best online price guarantee

So check out Soap.com today! And enjoy the 20% off!!

Posted from New York, New York, United States.

I’ve mentioned before that Triple Paste is my go to diaper rash cream when Cameron is having a little “situation” down there.”  But, as many of you know, that quality doesn’t come cheap!  Recently I decided to use a creative approach to get the last little bits out that my fingers couldn’t quite scoop…. A rubber spatula from the kitchen worked miracles!  I was able to get every last ounce out of the jar with no problem.

Triple Paste is expensive - so don't waste any!

By the way, check out my article about making Triple Paste easier to deal with (a little heat goes a long way), and if you need some coupons for Triple Paste, then call them at 1 800-533-7546 and request some coupons to be mailed to you!

Posted from New York, New York, United States.

Last year we were visiting Cameron’s Great Grand Parents in Chicago and he fell in love with this little rocking chair they had which belonged to another Great Grand Child.

This chair is just right...

When we got home, I looked it up on Amazon and bought it for his first Birthday.  7 months later, he is still loving it (and so do all his friends that come over!)  If you are looking for a simple and affordable chair for your little one that is just the right size, then check it out!

Posted from New York, New York, United States.

On a recent trip to Trader Joe’s I picked up some “party size” (mini) meatballs from the freezer section.  They are made with both pork and beef – and they are super tasty!  And most importantly, Cameron likes them.  They are precooked, so all you have to do is heat up a few at a time (I do this in the microwave).

So many choices - but all tasty!

By the way, Trader Joe’s has several kinds of meatballs, if you aren’t into the pork and beef combo.  I found this blog post on Noshtopia with the nutrition breakdown for the party size meatballs, and their other kinds – beef, turkey, italian, and meatless.