Tuesday Top Ten: Love

Posted on by May 21, 2011

Love, love, love. Love, love, love. Love, love, love.

There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done.
Nothing you can sing that can’t be sung.
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game
It’s easy.

There’s nothing you can make that can’t be made.
No one you can save that can’t be saved.
Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time
It’s easy.

All you need is love
All you need is love,
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need.

All you need is love
All you need is love,
All you need is love.
Love is all you need.

There’s nothing you can know that isn’t known.
Nothing you can see that isn’t shown.
Nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be.
It’s easy.

All you need is love
All you need is love,
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need.

All you need is love
All together now!
All you need is love
Everybody!
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need.


In times like these it can sometimes be hard to stay optimistic, to stay positive. I truly do believe in the power of love, and what is better than the love you show your baby!

Top 10 Ways To Give Your Baby Love:

  1. Hugs
  2. Snuggles
  3. Kisses
  4. Play peek-a-boo
  5. Read a book (or two or three!)
  6. Sing
  7. Talk, about anything and everything
  8. Fly baby like an airplane
  9. Tickle toes
  10. More hugs. More kisses.

It is not hard to give a baby love. It can be hard to do these things with distractions like dishes, older children, spouses, jobs, Facebook, etc. I am going to challenge you all to do everything on this list today, fully, without distraction, and then come up with your own list. Come back and share your top ten ways to show your baby love!

Tuesday Top Ten: 10 Reusable Baby Products

Posted on by February 29, 2012

you need to try! One of the best choices you can make when trying to go green, especially with babies and kids, is to choose reusable over disposable. The amount of disposable products out there is just mind boggling. Honestly, it may be a little more difficult at first. But once you get going, you really will get used to it and you may even like it better!

10 reusable products you should be using (or at least trying):

  1. Diapers. Cloth diapers save you money in the long run, especially if you use them for multiple children. Compared to disposables: They save trees and plastic consumption. They reduce the amount of untreated waste going into our landfills. And they don’t expose baby’s skin to unnecessary and toxic chemicals that can be found in conventional disposable diapers.
  2. Swim Diapers. Durable, they work great, and I have found that they aren’t any harder to use than the disposable ones. The place my son took baby swim lessons actually required them since they were better for the filtration system they used. Plus the reusable swim diapers are so much cuter!
  3. Wet Bags. There are wet bags made specifically for use with cloth diapers, but any waterproof bag will do. Wet bags are wonderful for cloth diapers, but also can be used for wet/dirty clothes, swimsuits, dirty bibs, anything you can think of that you wouldn’t want touching all the nice clean things in your diaper bag. Skip the plastic bags!
  4. Bibs. There really is no need for disposable bibs at home. Even if you are going out to a restaurant or a friend’s house, take along a cloth bib or two and your wet bag to put the dirty one in after use.
  5. Changing Table Pad. I have yet to see a diaper bag that does not come with a changing pad (be sure to avoid Microban which contains the pesticide Triclosan). You can also buy so many different types of quick change sets that allow you to store a diaper, wipes, diaper balm in a nice little compact set. Why buy, or use, the disposable ones?
  6. Wipes. I know this change can be a little harder to make, but it isn’t all that much harder than the cloth diapers! Just keep a little spray bottle handy, filled with water or special cloth wipe solution, to wet the wipe before using. Your baby will appreciate the softness of a cloth wipe on her skin and you’ll appreciate the cost savings and knowing there are no unnecessary or toxic chemicals touching baby’s skin.
  7. Reusable nursing pads. Well these are more for mama than baby, but still important. They are made out of some great materials, organic cotton, wool, organic cotton/hemp blends, wool/cashmere blends to name a few. There a lot of benefits to you, not just the environment, by choosing reusable nursing pads. They provide good air flow, reducing the risks of infection. They keep your breasts warm helping with circulation and milk supply. They don’t contain toxic chemicals that can irritate the skin, and are just not healthy for you, your baby, or the environment.
  8. Cloth Napkins. For wiping dirty faces and hands, boogie noses, or any other messes or spills, cloth napkins are easy to use and easy to wash. Using these doesn’t make anything really harder, it’s just doing it, making the change.
  9. Baby Food Containers. We’ve talked about our love of glass bottles and making your own baby food, but we haven’t said much about the containers to store breastmilk and/or homemade baby food. I believe that glass is better than plastic, and some plastics are better than others, but reusable containers of any material is by far the better choice. Take care with freezing, as some things should not be placed in glass in the freezer.
  10. Reusable Shopping Bags. I know this one seems like a no-brainer as every grocery store and “go-green” article tells us that we need to use our reusable bags when shopping. So many people are still not doing it and not using it everywhere they could. Anytime you are going to be purchasing something that ordinarily goes into a bag, clothes, toys, groceries, take your reusable bag!

Any other tips for reusable baby products? Which do you use and why or why not?

Tuesday Top Ten: 10 Activities for Grandparents To Do With Their Grandbabies

Posted on by February 29, 2012

Grandparents have it great, or so I’m told! They can enjoy their grandkids, but without all the drama and responsibility that goes with being a parent. Grandparents can be more relaxed, they can take the time to just focus on the kids without worrying about the loads of laundry that need to be done or the dirty dishes in the sink, and they can just be fun! Do all the things the parents can’t (within reason of course!), spoil them with sweets and treats, but remember your attention is what little ones need the most.

Top 10 Activities Grandparents Can Do With Their Grandbabies (that parents will love you for):

  1. Sing. Sing a song. This is one of the first ways you can bond with a new baby. Singing while rocking, bouncing, walking, and snuggling will all help you become a familiar and loved person to your grandbaby. If you don’t live nearby, you can have mom or dad let baby listen to you sing over the phone, web cam, or a recording of you singing.
  2. Take her for a walk. Whether you can be the hip grandparent that babywears or pushes the stroller, however you can get outside it will be good for you both. Babies love to be outside and love for you to tell her all about her world. As she grows, walking to the park and doing the swings and slides will be great fun!
  3. Take photos. Take photos of you, your life, your grandbaby, anything and everything. One thing that my kids’ Grammy and Granpa have been sure to do is take pictures with me in them! Usually I am the one behind the camera, so it’s nice having some record of me with my babies.
  4. Make something with the photos. When my oldest was about 18 months, we had photo magnets made of all the families of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. Having those reminders of his family, some which are far away, was so helpful to him feeling connected to them. Photo albums are great too, especially if there is someone to tell stories about all the people in the pictures as you look at it.
  5. Read. Reading to babies can begin as early as you want. By the time he turns one, your grandbaby will have heard all the sounds they need to be able to talk. The more beautiful language they are exposed to the better. Recording your voice reading some favorite books (babies also love repetition!) or reading with them on the web cam or phone is a great option for long-distance grandparents.
  6. Make her smile, make her laugh. There are so many ways to make a baby giggle and I am sure you have a few tricks up your sleeve yourself! Sharing a laugh can be the best bond two people can have, even if one of those people is just a wee one.
  7. Play. Simple play for newborns into more interactive play as they grow. Old favorites like “Pat-a-Cake” and “This Little Piggy” are always a hit. If you’re entertaining at your home, be sure to have a few simple, safe toys on hand. Really your grandbaby is going to benefit from any interactions you have.
  8. Write letters. On special occasions or anytime, write a letter to your grandbaby. Be serious, be silly, be simple, be poetic, be yourself. Then you can either send them along or keep them and give them once you think your grandchild is old enough for them.
  9. Let them be messy! Especially if you are also in charge of the clean-up. Take them out stomping in mud puddles, let them finger paint, let her try the spoon or cup by herself, let her play in the water or sandbox. She will love you for it!
  10. Start a tradition. Traditions are something that your grandbaby won’t understand just yet, but keep it up and he will grow to look forward to them year after year. Think of something new based on your interests or think back to traditions you might have had growing up.

Please leave any comments with ideas of activities you love to do with your grandkids or that you would love to see your baby’s grandparents do!