Mommy FTW

When Cameron notices that it’s raining he immediately wants to go outside and run around.  While I’m happy he enjoys the wet weather, I don’t really like him getting soaked  So, I went looking for a rain coat and umbrella for him.

I was able to find him a little windbreaker / rain coat (I’m not sure it’s water proof… but it certainly is water resistant) at Target for only $9.99.  It’s the perfect weight for spring / fall weather.  While I don’t see the exact style I got him on the Target website, they do have several other affordable options.

I also got him a cute little Totes Bubble Umbrella from Amazon in blue.  The reviews of this umbrella were a bit all over the map – but I didn’t really see any others that seemed like better options.  And, at under $15 (the pink one seems to be $10… no idea why) it seemed like the price was right, even if the quality wasn’t stellar.

Cameron works on his umbrella holding technique

Well, Cameron really loves both his umbrella and his coat – although he is still working on holding the umbrella above his head at this point.  I’m sure soon enough he will be ready to do some serious puddle stomping!

FYI, as a birthday present Cameron also got some Western Chief rain boots that I had registered for.  The reviews of these boots on Amazon were great, but after our most recent puddle stomping adventure they were full of water – like I literally dumped out an inch of water out of each of them.  I am not sure if they leaked, or if water came in from over the top.  But, I can’t say I recommend them because of this.   Maybe we just got a dud pair?

Posted from New York, New York, United States.

We’ve all seen the plastic Halloween costumes at the drug store and thought “My kid is going to wear something way cuter than that!” But, when it comes down to it – who has the time to make something cute, original, and quality?  Not this mom!  But thankfully, there’s Etsy.  I did a little searching to see what was out there for toddlers and found some nice options.

I love this little Where the Wild Things Are costume.  It’s as fun for mom and dad as it is for junior.  The Etsy seller is PaulaAndErika – check out their shop for more info.

Giddy up!  If your little one is into the wild wild west, this one might be right up their alley.  The costume is just the vest and chaps – you supply the shirt and jeans.  The seller is Saltwaterkids – check out their shop for more info.

Roar!  This costume reminds me of one that I made for myself when I was younger… but in a much more finished and professional way.  I think this one is my favorite!  The Etsy seller is amysewsit.  Check out the shop for more info.

This fine feathered costume is the least expensive of all the Etsy options I found.  It’s also super cute!  The seller is DIPdesigns.  Check out the shop for more info.

If these options are a little more money than you’d like to spend, I suggest check out Target’s website.  They’ve got lots of options at reasonable prices.  Also think about putting together your own costume – you don’t necessarily have to sew anything!  I think Cameron will be Bob the Builder.  He’s already got a checkered shirt and overalls, all I need to find is a hard hat and we are set to go!  Anyone else have any creative Halloween ideas?

Our vacation is less a week away (!!) so I’ve been asking my fellow moms for advice when it comes to entertaining a toddler on a plane.  None of these are exactly groundbreaking ideas, but maybe some of these them will be helpful to you.

Stickers – lots and lots of stickers! – Cameron is really into stickers lately, so this idea made perfect sense to me.  We’ve been getting them after our weekly visits to Trader Joe’s and Cameron will spend the whole walk back sticking and unsticking them to his pants and anything around him.  I went to Target and picked up a bunch in the Stationary and Scrapbooking sections (on the first floor near the greeting cards).  We went for the truck and farm stickers, but there’s a big assortment.  I also ordered some Melissa and Doug stickers off of Amazon.  I got a pad of paper (also from Target) so that the stickers hopefully end up there instead of all over the plane.  I also plan to bring crayons.

Cameron picks out some stickers at Target

A new toy – I’m going for something blinky that involves batteries.  I haven’t quite picked out something yet, but I’ll keep you posted as to what I end up with.  But, I plan to keep it totally secret until we get on the plane, that way it will be all the more exciting.

Videos – I ordered a Yo Gabba Gabba DVD – It is Cameron’s favorite so I am hoping it will buy me at least an hour or so.  I went for the Dancey Dance Bunch, but I’m pretty sure any of them would do.  Cameron doesn’t seem to mind watching them over and over again.  I also have some Baby Einstein.  Cameron loves Baby Wordsworth, and Neighborhood Animals.

iPhone – Peekaboo Barn is still Cameron’s favorite iPhone App, but he also loves just flipping through the photos (most of them are of him) and pressing the buttons in general.

Snacks – lots and lots of snacks.  I think we all know that there isn’t much food on airplanes anymore, so don’t forget to pack an arsenal.  It was also suggested to me to try lollipops.  This isn’t something I would normally give Cameron, but when it comes to keeping a toddler quiet on a plane, I’ll go for pretty much anything.

Non-Refrigerated Milk (yes, they make that!) – I actually plan to bring this for not just the plane, but the vacation in general.  You can get it on Fresh Direct (it’s called Farmland Lil’ Milk Stay Fresh Whole Milk).  By the way, they also have 1% and 2% if your little one is no longer on Whole Milk.

Other Passengers – Cameron loves to make friends.  Hopefully some of my fellow passengers will be interested in making friends back!  If so, I plan to use them for as much entertainment as possible.

Books and Puzzles – Just like his videos, Cameron can play with his puzzles and books over and over and not get bored of them.  He also really likes his touch and feel flash cards.  I think I’ll stick with his most favorite ones (tractor, firetruck, dog, cat, ball).

Any of you mommies out there have other ideas to share with everyone?  I can use all the help I can get!

The fact that there is a Target in Brooklyn certainly isn’t news to anyone, but I often forget to check it out when it comes to Cameron. I went recently and was happy with all of the great stuff I found.

Bubbles, sidewalk chalk, and more!

On the second floor in the toy area, there is practically an entire aisle of bubbles. The ones I ended up are a real hit at the playground – children follow me around like the pied piper, and parents ask me where I got them. You can also pick up sidewalk chalk (50 pieces for $3.99!)

I was also able to find some great sandals and summer shoes for around 10$ each. Cameron loves them so much he refuses to wear any other shoes – so I bought him a pair in the next size up as well. The toddler / baby shoes are on the first floor with the rest of the shoes. There is a “boy” and “girl” isle – I didn’t realize this at first, and I kept wondering why there were only girls shoes!  It was a blond moment!

Currently in the kids department there are also swimming trunks, sun hats, and protective sun shirts (rash guards).  I got Cameron his swimming gear for our upcoming vacation at a great price.

So if you are in need of summer supplies, drop into Target and pick up a few things.

Posted from New York, New York, United States.