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Archive for the ‘Tips’ Category
15 (Insightful) Back To School Tips
Today being August 1st…Back to School is just around the proverbial corner. I thought it would be the perfect time to share some tips that might make this transition easier on all of us.
- Set your kids’ sleep schedules back to “School Time” two weeks before the first day.
- Reacquaint your kids with the calendar schedule they’ll use to manage their activities.
- Try apps like iHomework or MyHomeWork to help your kids organize assignments.
- Refresh your rules about screen time for the school year. What’s allowed and when?
- Establish a set “Family Time,” whether it’s during dinner or before bed.
- Discuss what your kids can expect on the first day so they feel more prepared.
- Visit the school with your kids so they can get familiar with their new environments.
- Get the lists of school supplies, books and technology your kids will need.
- Include your kids in back-to-school shopping by letting them pick out their items.
- Use this printable checklist to establish a regular morning routine.
- If your kids bring their own lunch, pack their lunch boxes before going to bed.
- Create an inbox for kids to leave things that need your attention, like permission slips.
- Keep a small emergency allowance in your kids’ bags, just in case.
- Remove things like mobile devices from kids’ bedrooms to focus them on sleeping.
- Talk openly with your kids about their feelings about returning to school. Make sure to hit on these 5 Back-to-School Worries.
For more tips like these - click here!
Tips courtesy of care.com
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com - by: bykst
Toddler Sleep Tips
My kids aren’t toddlers anymore but I know very well how important a good night’s sleep is, not just for your child but for you as well. I hope these tips help all of you groggy Mom’s and Dad’s out there get a better night of sleep for your child and you…
1. Waking up bright and early: “A reasonable wake-up time for a child is anywhere from 5:30-7 a.m., but some children are up before that time wide awake or their wake up time is too early for mom and dad,” says Jenn Kelner, a Certified Child Sleep Consultant who runs a business called BabyZzz.
Solution: “Room darkening shades to block out morning light, white-noise machines to block out morning street noise, a timed light 
or child alarm clock that changes color when it’s time to get up, and an earlier bedtime. It’s counter-intuitive, but the earlier a child goes to bed, the later they will sleep in.” Amen. I saw it with my own kids. Now sleep mom and dad!
2. Giving up the nap when they still need it: If your child misses a nap because of older siblings’ activities or for some other reason, it actually becomes HARDER for them to nap. Over time, this overtiredness has a cumulative effect, which may cause the child to refuse to nap altogether.
Solution: “Start an earlier bedtime to help make up that sleep deficit and make it easier to nap,” says Kelner. “Get the child outdoors in the morning for fresh air and exercise, very soothing routine before naptime, and leave the child for 60 minutes to give them the opportunity to fall asleep without stimulation. Once the nap has been re-established, bedtime can be moved a little later.”
3. Difficulties in falling asleep: “Many children have difficultly falling asleep on their own if they are used to being rocked to sleep, or if they have been falling asleep next to their parents,” Kelner says.
Solution: Make sure the bedtime routine gets the child nice and drowsy. Turn off all electronics 60 minutes before bedtime. Leave the room slowly if they need you. For instance: Day 1-3, sit by the child’s bed or crib until they fall asleep. Day 4-6, move the chair to the middle of the room. Day 7-9, move the chair to the doorway. Day 10-12, move the chair outside the doorway.
4. Getting up in the middle of the night: Waking during the night is normal, but it becomes a problem when the child cannot return to sleep unassisted, Kelner says. It’s especially hard if the child calls out for mom and dad and everyone is losing sleep.
Solution: “Have a consistent soothing routine in place to get the child nice and drowsy. Ensure the child is getting enough sleep, as over-tiredness leads to frequent night waking,” says Kelner. “Make sure the child is able to self-soothe, and implement some sleep training/coaching if necessary.”
5. Asking for mom and dad 15 times after “good night”: We all know that kid (or have that kid) who wants one more kiss, one more hug, one more snack, one more AGH! This is a classic tactic that delays bedtime, which makes the child overtired, which then makes it more difficult for the child to fall asleep the next night.
Solution: “During your soothing routine, set a kitchen timer for 15 minutes, and explain that once the timer goes off, it’s time to say a final goodnight,” says Kelner. “Ensure that before the timer goes off, you anticipate what that child may ask for — so get them a drink, take them to the bathroom, and give the child lots of hugs. If the child is still requesting extra attention, start some sleep rules with consequences, or simply ignore their requests.”
6. Inability to self-soothe: Some children have more trouble than others soothing themselves into sleep when they are upset and especially when they wake up in the middle of the night alone.
Solution: “Giving your child a special transitional object, such as a teddy bear or ‘lovie’ to snuggle and go to bed with during the bedtime routine can help them learn to use this object to help themselves get back to sleep when they wake in the middle of the night,” says Jennifer Metter of Jenni June Certified Sleep Consulting in Los Angeles.
7. You are co-sleeping without wanting to: This is me. My kids always end up in bed with us and neither my husband nor I can remember how they got there.
Solution: “Using an uneventful quick and silent return to the bed without payoff can help eliminate this behavior. Sleep consultants call this, ‘The silent return’. Consistency is key here,” says Metter. “It requires a bit of work and perfect consistency from parent for successful results, but uneventfully and silently returning your child to their bed the moment you notice they are out of it will help teach them to remain there until it is time to wake for the day. Children won’t continually do what doesn’t work for them.”
Good luck and Good night!
Image and information courtesy of thestir.cafemom.com
Swimming & Water Safety for the Upcoming Months
With Summer just about a month away and temperatures already spiking, I thought I’d address the safety issues for parents so we all hopefully have an incident-free Summer. Pools, water parks, hot tubs/spas, splash pads, and water playgrounds are great places to have fun, be active, or just relax. Having fun while you swim this summer means knowing how to stay healthy and safe while enjoying the water!
Swimming is one of the most popular sports activities in the United States. And just 2.5 hours of water-based (or other forms of) physical activity per week has health benefits, we each need to do our part to minimize the risk of illness and injury.
Make a Healthy Splash: Share the Fun, Not the Germs 
Swimmers, parents of young swimmers, aquatics and beach staff, residential pool owners, and public health officials can minimize the risk of recreational water illnesses (RWIs).
Prevent Illness
RWIs can be caused by germs spread by swallowing, breathing in mists or aerosols of, or having contact with contaminated water in swimming pools, hot tubs/spas, water playgrounds, lakes, rivers, or oceans. RWIs can be a wide variety of infections, including gastrointestinal, skin, ear, respiratory, eye, neurologic, and wound infections.
Most outbreaks linked to the water we swim, relax, and play in are outbreaks of diarrhea. These outbreaks are caused by germs like Crypto (short for Cryptosporidium), Giardia, Shigella, norovirus, and E. coli O157:H7.
These germs—sometimes millions at a time—can spread when someone who is sick has diarrhea in the water. Other people can get sick if they swallow the germy water—even just a mouthful.
Pool chemicals, like chlorine or bromine, are added to the water to kill germs. But they don’t work right away. If used properly, they can kill most germs within a few minutes. However, some germs, like Crypto can live in properly treated pool water for several days.
The job of pool chemicals is to kill germs. But when pee, poop, sweat, and dirt rinse off our bodies and into the water, the chemicals break down these other things instead of killing germs. This uses up the chemicals’ power, which means there’s less to kill germs.
Remember, we share the water—and the germs in it—with everyone. To help protect yourself, your family, and your friends from germs, follow these easy and effective steps each time you get in the water:
Keep the pee, poop, sweat, and germs out of the water!
- Stay out of the water if you have diarrhea.
- Shower before you get in the water.
- Don’t pee or poop in the water.
- Don’t swallow the water.
Every hour—everyone out!
- Take kids on bathroom breaks.
- Check diapers, and change them in a bathroom or diaper-changing area—not poolside—to keep germs away from the pool.
- Reapply sunscreen.
- Drink plenty of fluids.
Check the free chlorine level and pH before getting into the water.
- Pools: Proper free chlorine level (1–3 mg/L or parts per million [ppm]) and pH (7.2–7.8) levels maximize germ-killing power.
- Hot tubs/spas: Proper disinfectant level (chlorine [2–4 parts per million or ppm] or bromine [4–6 ppm]) and pH (7.2–7.8) maximize germ-killing power.
- Most superstores, hardware stores, and pool-supply stores sell pool test strips.
FREE Healthy and Safe Swimming Resources
- CDC Healthy Swimming brochures (available in English or en Español)
- CDC Pool Chemical Safety posters (each available in English and en Español)
- Water Quality & Health Council (WQHC)’s Healthy Pools page.
Remember: Think Healthy. Swim Healthy. Be Healthy!
References
Image and Information courtesy of www.cdc.gov/
Five FUN Outdoor Activities For Toddlers & Kids
As you know Spring has Sprung and Summer is just around the corner, us Mom’s (and Dad’s) need to keep the little ones busy. Here’s some creative and fun ideas that promise to do just that!
1. Stone Faces - Use this FREE printable to turn a collection of stones into funny stone faces. These face part stones are quick and easy to make and once made you can get creative making all kinds of funny stone faces. Toddlers and Preschoolers will love making these silly faces on stones, you can place them by your walkway, in your garden or give as gifts. Click image for step by step instructions and printable.
2. Make your own chalk paint for awesome outdoor fun! This is super easy to make, with very little ingredients. Your children and toddlers will have a blast expressing their creativity outdoors (or indoors if you’re brave). It’s also safe, nontoxic and the best part…it will wash off with a hose or the next rainy day! Click the image for step by step instructions.
3. Make Enormous Bubbles - Oh my! Science does not get much cooler than this, you have to see the size of these bubbles! You might enjoy this even more than the kids will. This is a very simple and fast mix, in no time at all you will be creating the most amazing bubbles. Click the image for instructions.
4. Alphabet Bug Spray - All you need for this fun project is a spray bottle and chalk! Draw on the sidewalk or driveway, a bug with a letter inside of it and well, it’s super easy and kids seem to love it and they forget they are learning. For game instructions click the image.
5. Magic Sidewalk squirt paint - You don’t need to purchase much for this one either. The clear plastic squirt bottles are about $1 each. The kids will love this and beg for a refill when their bottles are finally emptied. What a fun way to spend some outdoor time! Click the image for full instructions.
Ten Parent Hacks That We ALL Need!
Who doesn’t need and want to make life just a little bit easier? I know I do, even the smallest of tasks can become daunting with the monotony of the day-to-day chores and hectic schedules. So…with that being said, let’s take a look!
1. Put a “safety spot” sticker on your car to ensure an older child doesn’t wander off
while you load or unload the car.
parkingpalmagnet.com
You can improvise your own with a large, round sticker, or purchase the Parking Pal magnet here.
2. If your kids are always using new cups, give them their own designated cups with magnets to stick to the fridge.
adventuresinpinteresting2012.blogspot.com
Not only does this mean less dishwashing, but cups can be kept at kid-height instead of up-high cupboards.
3. Helichrysum is the essential oil you need for accident-prone kids.
sarahtitus.com
It’s used by dentists to stop bleeding instantly. Read more about it here.
4. A plastic cup will keep little hands safe when handling sparklers on the Fourth of July.
love2dreamdoyou.blogspot.com
5. A crib sheet will keep an outdoor baby from getting bitten up by mosquitoes.
littlebabywatson.com
Sometimes you want to keep baby outside with you while working in the yard. A crib sheet provides shade and protection from bugs.
6. Use a glue gun to prevent shoes from slipping.
Facebook: CentralCoastTeachingTots
7. Add Jell-O to your popsicles so they don’t melt into a drippy mess.
forfood.rezimo.com
Get the recipe for this slow-melt popsicle recipe here.
8. Another use for your glue gun: Plug up those holes in your bath toys so they don’t get all moldy.
welovebeingmoms.blogspot.com
9. The “You Shall Not Pass” sign provides a visual limit to how much toilet paper your child can take.
amandathevirtuouswife.com
10. And finally… this solution will SAVE YOUR LIFE (and your beds) during the potty-training phase.
Peggy Wang/BuzzFeed
A serious time and sleep saver during a challenging time.
Here’s a bonus hack …or harmless plug - Dapper Snappers…Did you know we made a BuzzFeed list? Click here!
List Courtesy of BuzzFeed. Images credited in captions.
Ten Tips For Moms of Toddlers
I’m going to go ahead and call this… “The Top Ten tips for moms of Toddlers“. These are random, yet important tips from a variety of categories…but all toddler related and much needed.
1. Do Not use flat paint on the walls in your home. Best choice would be a Satin finish. Satin is easily cleaned and can stand up to high traffic.
2. To avoid middle of the night diaper leaks, try a diaper one size up. It should absorb more and get you through to morning.
3. Going to a friends for dinner, worried you won’t hear your sleeping toddler or baby in the guest room? Download this app to your iphone: codegoo.com If your child or baby awakes, your phone will call a number you have chosen (mom’s cell).
4. Lower your standards for cleanliness and organization. This will save your sanity. When the kids are older you can regain your rule of order and cleanliness, until then, who are we kidding, our house will never be a showplace from the pages of Trendy Home magazine. Seriously.
5. Make your life easier and say no to ironing. Wrinkle releaser is great, place the clothes on a hanger, spray and pull, viola! Wrinkle free and smells great.
6. Don’t aim for perfection. Nobody’s perfect, what things seem like on the outside, are usually different on the inside. New parents who are trying to be perfect for society are more stressed. Just do your best, that’s all you need.
7. Be consistent. Between the ages of two and three toddlers are learning how their behavior impacts the people around them. If your reaction to a situation keeps changing, it’s confusing.
8. Try to do all of your errands in one day. For example, try to do all errands on Monday and all doctor appointments on Tuesday. This will make your life easier and your week more enjoyable.
9. Give yourself a bedtime. You can’t survive on five hours of sleep. Eight hours is probably not realistic for a mom of young toddlers, but you need the most sleep you can get and setting a bedtime for yourself will help you get more rest.
10. Drink water and remember you are doing the best you can do! Water is ultimately very important for you as a mom. If you are dehydrated, you can have headaches, fatigue and lack of energy. Be your best, be hydrated and keep up the good work!
Dapper Snappers are important accessories in your collection. Moms have to have them! Not only do they prevent droopy pants, they add a unique sense of fashion to the wardrobe and make an outfit more interesting. SAVE MONEY with the Dapper Snapper accessories by having the ability to adjust as your child grows through infancy and toddler years. Trending the seasons collection, patterns or solids, our family has been very creative with your toddlers in mind. By incorporating new designs, parents can celebrate a cause or a holiday, a favorite memory or a ignite a collective fashion statement. Every wardrobe needs at least one universal belt and one for personal trending.
Here are some of my personal favorites. Happy Holidays!
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My 2 Cents
I’m not one of those parents who let’s technology babysit my kids all day, but I am a mom who uses technology to my advantage. I feel like time on the iPad, iPhone, and so on, can be beneficial, especially the plethora of educational apps out there.
My kids get to hang out at the toddler belt office for a few hours after school most days and while I think this is the most magical place ever, they aren’t as impressed. They get bored and I don’t blame them, so they get tech time to entertain themselves.
Here’s the thing, though, I monitor what they are watching/playing/reading. There are apps out there that look cute and innocent, but are far from it. I know my kids are a little too young for social media, but I still try to keep up with the ones out there. The most recent one that I’ve heard of is SnapChat. Spoiler alert: Keep this app away from your kids (PS: don’t google it either without safe search activated).
So, the idea was that you can take a picture, any picture, and post it and in a few seconds it magically disappears forever! So no need to be shy or worry about being embarrassed, very few people will see it. Sound too good to be true? That’s cause it is. I read an article today (courtesy of CNN) that stated the following:
“The heart of the issue is Snapchat’s assurance that customers’ messages were safe and private. Snapchat’s whole business was built on that promise.
For instance, Snapchat photos have a self-destruct timer. But recipients could get around the auto-destruct by saving an image of what was on the screen.
The company also had said it took appropriate security measures to keep the information safe. However, “disappearing” videos don’t actually vanish. They were stored, unencrypted, on phones. That meant anyone could just plug a device into a computer and play the files.
Snapchat was also quietly collecting information about its customers. The company promised it wouldn’t track users, but it surreptitiously followed an Android phone’s every move. It also uploaded entire contact lists from iPhones without letting a customer know.
That blew up in the company’s face when hackers stole the contact information for 4.6 million Snapchat users and posted their usernames and partial phone numbers online.”
So, basically, be careful and pay attention. Little ones (even not so little ones) don’t tend to have the best judgement (or common sense for that matter), that’s what us parents are for, to protect them.
Blessings,
Gluten Free Tips
So, that’s what’s new with me… no more gluten. Super Dude, Bug and I are all going gluten-free. Fun times, I tell, ya. I mean, really, it’s all the rage, everyone is doing it, I’m about to follow them off a bridge too…
But, seriously, we are trying the whole gluten-free thing for a while for health reasons. I feel like it can’t hurt to try and if it doesn’t work, we haven’t lost anything, except maybe money. Yes, definitely money, gluten free can be expensive and quite frankly, a tad overwhelming, too, I mean not everything can be as easy as our kids belts! There are sooooooo many choices out there for gluten free products, but just because it’s gluten free doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Technically, potato chips are gluten free, but that doesn’t mean they are a health food. With all of the options out there, how do you know what to get or how to even start being gluten free?
Good question, I’m glad you asked because I’m going to give you a few tips for going gluten free!
- Get reacquainted with your kitchen. Eating out is a huge risk towards breaking your gluten free diet. There is hidden gluten in sauces and breading and so many other foods that it makes it very difficult to stay on track.
- All meals don’t have to be gourmet. You know what’s gluten free? Chicken, broccoli with cheese (even Velveeta) and homemade beans & rice (add black beans to cooked brown rice add some chopped tomatoes, onions and garlic). Meals don’t get much easier than that. Keep it simple so that you don’t overwhelm yourself. If I try to aim for the moon with every meal I cook, I know I’ll fail because that’s too much work and all the prep work… ain’t nobody got time for that!
- Stock up on good fats. Beef up your diet with heart healthy fats that will fill you up, avocados, nuts,
- Make the produce store your best friend. Enjoy all of the fresh seasonal fruits and veggies you can stomach! Throw in some starches like potatoes (white, gold, red, blue) and sweet potatoes they are also gluten free.
- Keep snacks simple and handy. Hummus and veggies are great, applesauce, almonds, homemade popcorn (not the microwaved stuff), cheese slices…
- Finally, plan. That’s right, plan your meals, including snacks and make a list. Do a little research and study up on the brands that are gluten free. Take it slow and easy…
If you are making the switch, I’d love to hear what worked for you. Share your tips and tricks!
Blessings,
Blog Reviewers Do’s & Don’ts
I love Bloggers who do reviews. I am a firm believer in the power that comes from their voices. We have done several blog review campaigns for our Dapper Snappers kids belts and I would say that I have loved about 96% of them. Some have fallen short which prompted me to write a blog about how to write a successful blog review. Generally, we only do a blog review as a campaign, and not individual random blogs. However, if a blogger takes the time to research our product and contacts us and if the blog has good traffic, then it makes sense for us.
So, as a manufacturer of a product, I thought I would put together a list of do’s and don’ts for Bloggers who are contacting companies for a review:
- DON’T use a canned email. Be personal and at the very least, mention the name of the product. For sure don’t include a line that says, “I would love to promote your company and/or product”. Really? Please be specific.
- DO include your website with a link somewhere in your email. I know that one sounds like a no brainer, but we have had some who haven’t.
- DO proofread your email. Ok, I know I am no literary scholar (is that an actual thing?) and I have typos in my blogs, but when you are pitching a company, just take the extra two minutes to make sure your email reads well and makes sense. Here is an example of a sentence that needs some work, “I am growing my blog as much as possible with followers, so with that being said I would love to review one of your products of choice or something that you had in mind vise versa.”
- DO a mini review when pitching the company. Explain why you feel the product is a good fit for your blog. “I have a tall skinny 3 year old who needs a belt, but I’m afraid that it will get in the way of potty training, so I would love to see if Dapper Snappers is the answer I’m looking for to solve this problem.” Show the company that you know about their product.
- DON’T underestimate the power of your stats. Prior to choosing a blogger, we look at site stats, Alexa rating, Facebook fans, Twitter followers, etc. Companies are in this for the exposure and they are most likely going to choose bloggers with great numbers. I know that’s not fair to newer, smaller bloggers, but we also have to get the most bang for our buck (sending samples out does actually cost us).
Good luck when pitching that company for reviews, I hope this helps!
Blessings,