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Time to Play Holiday Showcase 10/1/09

The holiday season is coming. The holiday season is coming.
Though I've just removed the swim diapers and sprinkler toys from the bottom of my stroller,and only last week dropped my 3 year old off for his first year at school,  it seems that it's time to jump headfirst into the Fall and Winter holidays. Sheesh.
In exciting news, I have been lucky enough to be invited to take part in the Time to Play Holiday Showcase --the toy industry's shindig to mark the beginning of the holiday toy shopping season.  Time to Play will be holding a press conference announcing the Time to Play Most Wanted - the 16 toys that they predict will cause the most consumer swarming.  Following the press conference, I'll also get a chance to  checking out some of the latest and greatest new toys.
Mom's in place to pick up my 3 year old from preschool.  Now will someone please explain to my 5 month old, who will be my date at the event, that she is expected to comport herself in an appropriate and business-like manner?!

Tylenol Recall--a Blessing in Disguise?

My 5 month old has been running an extremely low-grade fever today.  Because I assume that her fever is teething related, and because she has been pretty fussy and irritable, I would have generally given her a dose or two of Tylenol today to make everyone's life a little bit easier.

Had my daughter been running a 'real' fever, I would have called the doctor for guidance. But, since it was clearly no big deal, and because of the recent recalls, I hung back, held and cuddled her a little bit extra, offered a drink of water, nursed her a bit more than usual and gave her a cool bath or two.  Chances are, the Tylenol, though it might have made my day a little bit easier, would not have made that much difference to my daughter.  Since Tylenol is one of the only pharmaceutical options available to the parents of an infant, I (and many others that I know) often use it as a catch-all fix-it solution to whatever ails our babies. I even have a friend whose doctor suggested that she use it regularly to help her non-sleeping baby get to sleep!

Perhaps this is a good time to take a step back and look at all of the other ways that we can comfort our kids without resorting immediately to meds.

Control the Clutter with the Baby Bib Holder (Review & Giveaway)

Funny thing about bibs, they are supposed to keep your kid neat and tidy while eating...but they do seem to multiply and create a terrible mess all their own!
Unless you are a dedicated bib washer and folder (not on my own personal high priority list!), you may be like me--with a rinsed bib or two hanging on the shower rod and a mangled pile of bibs stuffed into a drawer.
Enter the Baby Bib Holder!
This cute hand elephant (available in pink or blue) is hand-poured and handmade in the US, and is completely non toxic and lead & phthalate free. Their website says that it holds up to 10 lbs, but I can't even imagine what 10 lbs of bibs would look like (nor do I think the trunk hold that many!)--in my estimation, It holds about 10 full-size wipe-able toddler bibs on its trunk.  It also has Velcro on the back of it's head so that you can hang it up in a convenient spot for you and your children. After I rinse my son's bibs, I hang them right on the elephant's trunk to drip dry (a great time saver, provided you haven't affixed it to a wall over a wooden floor!)
Though the people at Baby Bib Holders say that this product was designed to utilize the space on the back of a high chair, I couldn't imagine wanting to give myself and my kids something else to bang into...so a wall in the kitchen works just fine for me.  The best part? How excited my son is at mealtime to run to his elephant and choose his own bib!

To win your very own Elephant Bib Holder, leave a comment by September 29th telling me whether you prefer the pink or the blue and what other color you think would suit this cute little elephant.

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Winner will be chosen using random.org.

A peek Into My Kitchen for Labor Day: 10 Minute Ice Cream in a Baggie!

Even though I don't know anyone who doesn't love ice cream all year round (and, in fact, some of my best ice cream memories took place in the dead of winter), ice cream is an integral part of the summer experience.  Summer just isn't summer without...well, you get the point. And, since Labor day bids farewell to the Summer holiday, I figured that an ice cream recipe was an appropriate send-off.
This is not only a super cool way to keep your toddler amused for 10-15 minutes but it also makes a pretty good end product--more like ice milk than ice cream, but yummy nevertheless. (Save this one in your recipe file--it also makes a pretty great science project for when your kid is a bit older!)

10 Minute Ice Cream in a Baggie!
makes enough for 2 small servings
What you'll need:
2 zipper topped plastic bags--1 gallon-size, 1 quart-size
Enough ice to fill the gallon-sized baggie halfway
6 Tbsp Kosher Salt
1 c Whole Milk or Half & Half
2 Tbsp Sugar (The quick melting kind will give you smoother ice cream, but plain sugar will do just fine)
1 tsp vanilla extract (or substitute another flavoring of your choice)
Optional: a handful or two of mini chocolate chips, nuts, sprinkles, or any other fun add-in
Directions:
Fill your gallon-sized baggie halfway with ice and add 6 Tbsp Kosher Salt.
Pour milk, sugar, vanilla extract and add-in of your choice into the quart-sized bag and seal well. (You can also opt to double bag to be extra careful!)
Place the smaller bag into the larger bag (the one with the ice) and seal.
Set a timer for 10 minutes and begin shaking vigorously. (For extra fun, you can play a cold game of catch with the baggie!)
After 10 minutes are up, take the small bag out of the larger one, pour the ice cream into two bowls and eat. This ice cream melts pretty quickly, so eat up!!