My grandmother bought Haven these Uncle Goose blocks and I love them. They are larger than the standard blocks out there and are so much prettier to look at than any of the other regular blocks I have seen at the store.
The blocks are a little pricier, but are made in the USA. While I still think these blocks are GORGEOUS, I think I’d have a hard time letting Haven play with them.
Since Haven started eating solids we have made a conscious effort to eat more organic foods. While Haven’s diet is definitely more organic than ours, I’m trying to learn what foods are at a higher risk of chemicals and toxins and which foods are less of a risk. I’m posting the Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides because I am constantly referring to them and I know some of you might find the information helpful. Or, you can download the iPhone application instead.
I was selected to be a product tester for the new Puj Baby tub (http://babybathtubs.com) and last week Katherine brought over her five week old daughter, Mara, and the Puj tub was christened. Check out the Puj Tub for yourself at Puj’s new website for baby bath tubs!
A few things we liked about the tub. It’s lightweight, nicely padded and easy to put together. Plus it looks cool and stores neatly since it folds flat.
What we didn’t like: Because of the drainage holes, it doesn’t hold a lot of water so we couldn’t fully submerge Mara in the water. This was disappointing to everyone involved. Speaking of drainage holes, they were actually above the sink, so water spilled over the sink, which isn’t a big deal, because you do get wet when bathing a baby, but it could be a safety issue Also, it was difficult to wash and rinse Mara’s back and behind, due to how close she was to the faucet. If you have a faucet that swings, this wouldn’t be a problem, but since most bathroom sinks don’t have moveable faucets, this definitely was a nuisance.
Also, some packaging complaints.
Although this picture doesn’t show it clearly, right above the baby’s head on the package the photo was digitally altered and you can tell that someone used an eraser tool.
Another photo editing faux pas. They used an image of a hook, but it was enlarged so that the image is blurry.
Misspelled words. A big pet peeve of mine.
I was disappointed overall with the Puj tub and would probably not recommend it to others. With a steep price tag and the lacking in functionality, although it stores nicely, isn’t worth it. Also, if the recipient lacked having a suitable sink, the bathtub cannot be used, nor could it be used in other sinks (or countertops) in the house.
After a great weekend, which included a DATE DAY! while Haven stayed with grandma and grandpa, I’m gearing up for another great weekend: GIRLS WEEKEND 2010! I have a list a mile long of errands to run, things to do, items to pack, places to go and people to see before leaving the hubby for the Outer Banks. It’s so good to see the ocean and go a little crazy with the girls for a weekend and stay up way past our bedtimes.
Elizabeth from my childbirth class showed me the Learning Tower, a cool way for kids to help out in the kitchen. I think the idea is fabulous, but logistically fitting the thing in the kitchen may be somewhat difficult.
The platform is large enough for two kids and even comes with an easel attachment for art time.
With a hefty price tag of around $190, the price is a little steep, but I have found some DIY instructions online here and here.
…walking around our neighborhood.
…picking up a book I had on hold was (finally) in at the library.
…scoring some board books to try and a couple of interesting looking DVDs.
…chatting with a mom I know.
…stopping at the bank.
…dropping mail off at the library.
…picking up mail.
…finding ourselves alone at the park.
…swinging high and low.
…getting dirty.
…walking home through the alley.
…stomping our feet in puddles.
…Haven walking three blocks home.
…putting on clean clothes.
…soup for lunch.
…snuggles before naptime.
…spending naptime on the computer.
…watching hockey.
Laundry can wait. We can figure out dinner later. The house can stay dirty. I’m going to get a cup of hot tea.
The midwife that delivered Haven (I talked about Wendy before) is heading back to Haiti working with Midwives for Haiti. Here’s a video about her efforts, where you can see Wendy in action. Want to help? A donation of $250-$300 can pay for a midwife’s salary for a MONTH.
Late Friday morning the snow started, but it wasn’t until the middle of the afternoon that it really started to stick.
Saturday was a different story. The snow began to taper late in the afternoon, so we went to shovel the sidewalks, dig the truck out of the snow, clear off the camper and dust the snow off the Leland Cypresses while Haven was sleeping.
Sunday afternoon we headed out with the dogs and Haven. We chatted with the neighbors while hanging out in the middle of the streets. Even after a busted lip, Haven really seemed to enjoy herself. While Matt dug the car out, Haven explored up and down the sidewalks. With the snow as high as it is, we really didn’t have to worry about her heading into the street…snow makes great baby gates! Before heading inside we built a snowman and named him Herbert. While Haven was napping we watched as this nut in a Toyota Prius tried to navigate through the snow. Lucky for him some neighbors with shovels came to the rescue.
This morning we checked on Herbert. Looks like he might have celebrated too much after the Superbowl, because he’s looking a little tipsy. We had no idea he was a Saints fan! Early this afternoon Haven and I headed out to the post office to mail a package. I headed for the main drag, hoping for cleared sidewalks, but many weren’t cleared or had a path too narrow to fit the wagon. The wagon surprised me and was fairly easy to navigate through the snow, ice, slush and puddles.
And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We’re captive on the carousel of time
We can’t return we can only look
Behind from where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game
The Circle Game, by Joni Mitchell
The circle game. The highs, the lows, the ups, the downs, the good, the bad. We are all players, but it’s different when it’s your turn to be on the sidelines watch the game from the bench.
Last night Matt’s great aunt died…This week my cousin became an aunt for the first time…Yesterday I found out a friend is pregnant (adding to the list of a million babies I know being born in 2010)…One relationship is flailing…Another relationships is thriving…A friend must decide whether or not to take a once-in-a-lifetime job, which will mean making personal sacrifices as well as family sacrifices.
It’s not easy, going through this circle game of life. We can only huddle together, choose defense or offense, help each other determine what’s the next play, only to get knocked back down again, then we pick ourselves up, dust each other off and do it all over again. Play after play after play. And, every now and then we give each other pats on the back and revel in the moment. Which makes it all worth playing.
As seen on Tangled and True. Wedding by Amorology Weddings. Photography by Jamie Hammond. I suggest checking out all of the pictures from this wedding!
Hello faithful readers (Hi, Nana!). Welcome to my FIFTH year of sporadic blogging. I wish I had something new and exciting to talk about, but I don’t. But, many of you are wondering what’s going on, so here’s a recap.
Christmas was great. We rang in the New Year. We went to Vegas. We came home. Veni, Vidi, Vici!
And, then reality hit. We learned of the earthquake in Haiti. Alarm clocks started going off. Laundry piled up while the plumber didn’t show up. Snotty noses and sore throats appeared. Cold, wet rainy weather was the forecast. We were being conquered.
But, look on the bright side! Spring is just around the corner (or so I keep telling myself so that I don’t fall into a deep depression). The days are getting longer. Plumbers are scheduled. As far as that other stuff, we are just mucking through it as best we know how.
But, before we depart, I must admit I have some cool things on the horizon, including tidbits about Las Vegas and exciting lists! I just know you can’t take the suspense!