Pro Tip

Blankets in Bed



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(Cute baby...but not mine)

As most of you can probably relate, I am still terrified of SIDS and/or suffocation when the girlies are sleeping. However, another SIDS factor is poor air circulation, so I like to keep the fan on. Well, during the day that causes their little arms and legs to get cold. I just can't win!

Well, my brother-in-law recently recommended we start the girls out with crocheted blankets. There are holes all over the place and it's almost impossible for them to get tangled up enough to the point of being in harms way. Perfection! I still only allow blankets in their cribs during naps (day time when I'm awake and keeping an eye on them via the Foscam monitor.)

The crocheted blankets have been AWESOME! They're substantial enough to keep their skin warm but light enough that I don't have to worry about anything bad happening. And let's be real, this is Texas! We don't need anything too crazy for warmth right now.

For the Smiles

Shout Out!

Question of the Week Results

How long did you pump/nurse?



Seasonal Considerations

Guide to Fruits and Vegetables

Here's a one page guide showing which fruits and vegetables are in season throughout the year. Try to plan your solids introduction around what will be fresh and readily available.

And here's a quick preview:

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OXO Customer Service

Fabulous!

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OXO is a brand I've written about previously. I purchase a lot of their products, and specific to baby items, I love their OXO Tot Baby Block Set, which I mentioned previously.

I pulled a set out of the freezer the other day to discover one of the 2-oz containers had a crack running all down the side. It was completely ruined and I had to throw it away. I purchased these from amazon.com, but sent a letter directly to OXO customer service. In less than a week, I had a response in my inbox and a free replacement piece in the mail headed my way - no questions asked - no receipt needed, no picture of the damaged product, nothing.

On a scale of 1-10, how likely am I to praise this company and recommend them to others? 20!! They're amazing. Customer service is so important to me and this experience was top notch.

What companies have you had good experiences with? Bad experiences? Share in the comments!

For the Smiles

The Epitome of Sleep Deprivation

...or is it just mommy brain?

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Trend Alert

Fanicures

They're the next big thing! The ombre hair is long gone - traded in for a 'mom' haircut - but now it's time to break out the nail polish and get to work on my fanicure!

Wut? A fanicure is nail art that celebrates sports. It's football season, baby!

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What team(s) are you rooting for this season?

I'm a Red Raider through and through. Get your guns up!

Question of the Week Results

Did you drink caffeinated coffee during your pregnancy?

Be sure to check out the current Question of the Week in the right-hand column!

Make It

Baby Food Edition

Zucchini

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Yields: 12 ounces

Le Zucchini

 

Chop off ends

Optional: Peel skins - this is a good idea for younger infants (4-6 month olds or to ease digestion issues)

Chop and steam

Blend and add liquid (milk, formula, or water)

Get more baby food ideas on the recipe tab!

Make It

Baby Food Edition

Butternut Squash

Prep time: 1 - 1.5 hours
Yields: approximately 30 ounces

Butternut squash - found in the produce section of your grocery store... just in case you didn't know ;)

Rinse and cut off the ends.

Cut the sqush in half. Be very careful -- butternut squash is difficult to cut before it's cooked.

Cut the halves into half again. You'll now how four pieces.

Remove the seeds with a spoon.

Place face down on a baking sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees for about an hour or until squash is soft.

Here's what you get after an hour in the oven!

Blend, add milk, and serve!

Side note: Yes - a lot of these pictures were taken in my girls' play room. I was majorly multi tasking this weekend! So if you're not making your own baby food, there truly are no excuses!

Get more baby food ideas on the recipe tab!

Announcement

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Ad-Free

Babies and Babbles is now Ad-Free!

We like ads as much as we like tv commercials, so we got rid of them!

Thank you to all of our loyal subscribers and followers. We hope you enjoy our postings from here on ad-free.

...and Happy Hump Day!

Websites I Love

Wholesome Baby Food

Wholesomebabyfood.com is your one-stop-shop for infant food recommendations. I like it because it's very conservative in nature, so I trust they're not trying to force me to feed my infant food before they'll be ready.

This chart is awesome for infant meal planning! I have a copy hanging on my refrigerator and refer to it each week when we go grocery shopping.

Pros:

• Printable materials (like the chart linked above)
• Tons of information and answers to all of my questions - so far!

Cons:

• Quite a few advertisements on the page
• Some conflicting advice (peaches - whether to remove skin or not)
• Not very many pictures to go along with the recipes - you can find those on my site!

Question of the Week Results

How old was your baby the first time you left them with a babysitter?

Be sure to check out the current Question of the Week in the right-hand column!