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Living a green lifestyle doesn’t end when the snow starts to fall. The winter months can make it difficult to continue your eco-friendly habits. Keep on the green track by the following tips below.
Seal Doors and Windows
When you let the winter chills into your home you also let your precious heat escape. If you do not know how to check for leaky doors and windows, seek professional help. Having a well-sealed house decreases your heating bill and saves energy.
Layer
Wearing a sweater and slippers around your house allows you to turn down your heat a few degrees. This slight temperature decreases also does wonders on you heating bill and energy consumption.
Green Fun
Encourage your family to sled, ski and build snowmen. If you can accomplish any of these in your back yard you can save on fuel. These activities not only create great family memories, but they also reduce you carbon footprint. Finding ways to occupy your time with something that doesn’t use fuel or electricity is the greenest solution.
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For so many of us, our first “babies” were our pets! They encompassed our lives before children and often were the center of attention. When you throw a new baby into the mix, things can sometimes get a little complicated. Here are a few things that we did that helped the transition with a brand new baby.
Keeping pets out of your bedroom and the baby’s room
When I was about five or six months pregnant we started closing the doors to our bedroom at night and the baby's room all day. Why? We have two cats and I did not want them laying in the crib, bassinet, or on the changing table. Now, this may not be an issue for you, but I wanted to keep my brand new baby's surroundings as hair free as possible!
We also had been sleeping with our bedroom door open at night which gave the cats the opportunity to come and go as they pleased. I had a fear that they may try to jump into the bassinet with the baby one night.
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During the summer and the holidays, many families travel to visit relatives or explore new places. Traveling doesn't have to stop when you have a baby. It can be challenging, but with the following tips, traveling with your baby can be an enjoyable experience.
Stick to routines
Often times, babies will get very fussy when in new places. Why does this happen? Babies are accustomed to routines in their lives, which give them comfort. Sleeping in the same place, at the same times, with the same conditions around them are all part of baby's routines. What happens to baby when you're in a new home and the noise level is high or there is constant chaos surrounding your little one? Your baby will react and probably become quite fussy.
Sticking to routines can bring comfort to your baby and help him feel safe. When traveling try to keep feeding and bedtimes at the same time. Also, try to replicate the environment with which your baby is accustomed. This will help keep your baby happy when traveling.
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I have three boys and am amazed by how quickly they are growing. As they grow, I want them to get all the nutrients their little bodies need. It can become challenging when they go through the “picky eating” stages, especially with foods that are healthy. So, how do you encourage young children to eat healthy foods?
Offer healthy snacks
When your child gets hungry, he will look to you for food. It is much easier to encourage your child to eat healthy foods if you have them readily available. Offer fresh fruits and vegetables in the place of fruit snacks or Wheat Thins in the place of potato chips. Be sure to pack healthy snacks in your diaper bag or purse to prevent emergency stops at fast food restaurants.
Limit sweets to dessert time
What child wouldn't want dessert before dinner? Offering dessert as a treat after dinner can often encourage your child to eat the healthy foods before her. It will serve as a reward for finishing her meal.
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Father's Day is here, the one day a year when we celebrate the fathers in our lives! With little ones, you may be trying to think of a way to help your kids show their dad how much they love and care about him. Here are some fun, last minute ways in which you can help your kids celebrate Father's Day!
Make a scrapbook
Set aside some pictures that your child can look through for his Father's Day scrapbook. You can use a photo album or staple construction paper together to form a scrapbook. Pull out the glue sticks, glitter, scissors, and crayons and get to work. Let your child cut out fun shapes to put on the pages. You may consider adding fun stickers based on the hobbies in her father's (or grandfather's) life - whether it be golfing, fishing, sports, hunting, you name it! Provide washable crayons and markers to your child to write messages or draw pictures in the scrapbook. A child's drawings and messages will mean the world to her dad! Wrap it up in a box with wrapping paper or place in a masculine colored gift bag with matching tissue paper.
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Summer usually means heading out on vacations. Although, with the economy the way it has been lately, I predict that there will be less vacations taken by families this year. If you have a baby there are several things that you can do this summer that can be cheap or even free!
Try your local library or bookstore for summer fun
We have really relied upon our local library from the time Graham was about 4 months old. They provide a story time that is meant just for babies ages 4 months to 18 months. It was a wonderful way to introduce books as well as new games and rhymes that were geared specifically for that age group. Graham even followed through the program as he grew older. We also relied upon the local bookstore for story times and entertainment on rainy days.
Making bubbles with baby
Bubbles are very easy to make. All you need is some water and dish soap. Use string or a slotted spoon or spatula to create bubbles. You can also buy bubbles for a dollar or less from most stores. Watch your baby light up as you blow bubbles, pop, and catch them!
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The past few weeks have been filled with travel for us. We love to go on trips, but it is definitely a balancing act when you add babies and toddlers to the mix! Gone are the days of just throwing a few clothes in a bag and hitting the road. Here are a few tips that we use:
Plan your days
Take the time to think about your trip and possibly right down the itinerary. Make sure you think about the trip to your destination. How long will it take? How many stops will you need to make? How many meals and/or snacks will you need to have on hand while in route?
If you are breastfeeding, make sure you take into consideration the number of feedings your baby will need and how much time that may add on to your trip. If you are driving it could easily add a couple of hours onto your original time.
Think about how many days you will be gone and the amounts of snacks, juices, formula, bottles, cups, etc you are going to need. If you are staying in a location with a kitchen you may need less than if you are in a hotel room.
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What did you do with all of that baby gear as baby number one started to outgrow it? If you are like me, you immediately put it in storage or in a spare closet. I tried to keep things not needed out of the way because it seemed like there was always something new to go in its place! We lost the infant swing to gain an activity center and so on. Well, now that baby number two is on the way, we have been pulling things out of storage and getting them ready. This has proven to be great for our son, Graham, as well.
By getting the baby gear out early, you child will be able to ask questions about what everything is before the hustle and bustle of a new baby starts to take over. Take the time to explain to him what an infant swing is and why you will use it. It is also a great time to start talking about the fact that these things are only for the new baby, much like his big boy toys are only for him right now. This could save you a few headaches later on down the road. Using simple terms, make sure your child knows why it would be unsafe for them to be in the swing, bouncy seat, etc.
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