i promise you'll love it...

pajamas

my mother in law introduced me to Hanna Andersson pajamas.  They are made from

organic cotton and I've yet to find a better pajama that hold up as well as they are soft.  Serena and Lily has Hanna Andersson sleepers in their adorable Serena and Lily prints.  I was thrilled to find the sleeper I had been coveting on sale today!  Go buy one...they last forever since there is no feet in them!  I promise you'll love them!

coconut oil

When I was on a strict dairy and soy free diet I adored coconut oil and butter for cooking.  It was only after a random little chat with a fellow nurse who is graduating to become a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner did I discover that coconut oil is now a commonly prescribed for kiddos for multiple reasons....eczema and so forth.  Ethan has been struggling with cradle cap or seborrheic dermatitis {yes my 4 year old with tons of hair} since he was two years old.  Dermatologist prescribed various shampoos and mouse with steroids which I never was quite comfortable putting on his head.  So I dug out the coconut oil out of my pantry and dabbed a little on the spots, shampooed, and combed.  Guess whose scalp looks perfect for the first time in years!  Go a head and slather it on yours hands too....this stuff is a miracle worker!  And that is coming from a pediatric nurse...I promise you'll love it.

music

When my boys are fussy whether in the car or at home I put on kid music.  However after four years of Wee Sing I needed a change.  Thanks to Pandora I recently stumbled across Elizabeth Mitchell.  Finally something that might soothe my mind along with the kids!  I promise you'll love her!

Swaddled in Love...

February kicks off the Swaddled in Love Blanket Drive benefiting Vanderbilt Children's Hospital's NICU.  We use these blankets in place of hospital issued blankets to swaddle or place in the incubators.  This gives a sense of normalcy and peace to parents amidst the wires, ventilators, and tubing.  Also, the blankets are softer for the babies and are used in developmental care.  The donated blankets are kept at the hospital and are not taken home by the families.  We literally wear these blankets out so any donations are greatly needed and used.  Donations of new or barely used blankets, preemie clothing, and sleep sacks are needed.   The drive runs the entire month of February.  

Wanna help?  Email me about how you can help swaddle a sweet little baby in love!  

it's that time of year...

Cold and flu season that is!  It took me by surprise to say the least.  Ethan came home from school a happy boy and by 5 pm he was hot-hot-hot with a fever.  So take this nurse-mom's advice and do  yourself a favor and stock up ahead of time on a few things that make a miserable time easier...  Because you never expect your kiddo to be sick and when you do the last thing you wanna do is leave the house. 


I adore Boogie Wipes!  They are like a diper wipe moist with saline for your little one's nosie rosie.  Ethan likes the grape smell one.  I like it because they wipe the dried snot off the face and back of the toddler's hand.  They now come in big rolls like your clorox wipes. 

Always always have one bottle of Pedialyte in your pantry and the Pedialyte freezer pops in your freezer.  I can count on Ethan having a fever when he sick.  I was totally unprepared when Ethan's spiked, everyone's at work, and you are home with a sick boy who is snoozing. 

Thankfully, my friend Martha ran to walgreen and picked me up some freezer pops.  Remember, when you buy them they aren't frozen, so that is another reason why it is good to just keep in the freezer.  Ethan's temp would be 103 and I would stick him a tepid bath and give him a freezer pop to help cool him.  His fever's spike so quickly, I get nervous about febrile seizures which can happen. I love how the freezer pops hydrate the kiddos and cool at the same time.

 

Last winter I picked up this temporal scanner at Target and love it!  You can scan your kiddos head while sleeping to get a good reading without waking them up.  It does take a little practice because you have to scan above the eye and move to the temple.  If you don't scan correctly, the temp with be lower that it actually is.  Worth the $30 bucks! 

Also, I would stock up on the tylenol and motrin.  I go for the off brand dye free versions.   I have seen the brand names recalled to much lately and love the price of the off brands. 

Lastly, while shopping this holiday season, go ahead and pick up a $5 movie for your kiddo at Target.  Stash it away for a rainy or snowy sick day.  It is a nice little treat for them and possible a little relief for you!