S'mores Life

I caved. You know those Gymboree/My Gym/Rollie Pollies type places? I was all, I'm a SAHM. We're on a limited income. I don't need that for my toddler - we're Alaskans, I take her to the park in 20 degree weather and get death stares from other moms in parkas. Oh wait, no other moms are there - it's too cold, and the parkas come out at 45 degrees. Or, I thought - I can come up with ideas to do at home from pinterest or facebook or something. I was lying to myself. Do you know what toddlers do? Toddlers RUN. A lot. Do I look like I run, a lot? Don't answer that. The point is, C NEEDS Gymboree like I need chocolate chip cookies, which is obviously a lot. My elastic waist pants agree. Because after five seconds of painting the sidewalk with water and tearing all the books off the bookshelf (not found on pinterest, that was a self-discovered activity = gold star) and forty-seven thousand hours of pinning toddler activities on pinterest that made me feel...

Title is pretty self-explanatory, right? ;) Here is a link to the first part of this "series" - The First Six Months: Baby Gear I Could Not Have Lived Without . I am not doing to do a "gear I COULD have live without" for 6-12 months, because I think parents are a lot more likely to buy gear they may not use the first six months (at least I was.) The Ergo Carrier - Yes, again. This is so carrier is so fabulous that it makes both lists. It's good for newborns (needs a newborn insert or do the cheap solution I wish I had done, roll up a blanket until they are big enough to go without it) and older babies. It's good for hiking. Traveling. Chores around the house. Comfortable  for the adult and safe and comfortable  for the baby, unlike a lot of the crotch danglers you see around. I have the ergo sport because I am really athletic, if you haven't already gotten that vibe from my blog. Jokes, I have the ergo sport because it's made of a lighter weight...

I recently discovered the Play-at-Home-Mom's blog , and I am in luuuurvvve. There are so many great ideas on that site and I'm excited to try some more as Clara gets older. Alaskan Water Bed This one is inspired by the Redneck Water Bed , since it uses so much duct tape but I am partial to the name Alaskan Water Bed...I believe Alaskans are rednecks at heart (and I say this with love!) and will use duct tape to fix anything. This is actually the smaller version that I was inspired to try. Maybe I can't call myself a true redneck or Alaskan (gasp! never), but I think I was a little too conservative with the duct tape. It broke in a matter of minutes. The fear of that happening is why I didn't add food coloring or a ton of water for this "test run". When it gets hotter out (you know, 95 instead of 80) I will try the larger version in our yard and see how Clara likes it. Sensory Board This project was a much bigger success. And I'm prou...