Our Favorite Activities for Easy Baby Play!

*Disclaimer* This post contains affiliate links.

As someone who has spent the bulk of my adult life playing with kids it's hard to admit that it was tough to come up with easy and fun ways to play with the babies, especially when they were brand new. I believe play should unfold naturally with appropriate choices and the ability to explore the world in which children are living. But how exactly do you do this with non-mobile babies or into-everything infants and toddlers?

One of my favorite resources since early on has been Rachel Coley over at CanDo Kiddo. As a pediatric Occupational Therapist, Coley knows first hand how important early experiences are for development. As she says on her blog, "What babies do, shapes how they grow." Even the youngest of babies can benefit from the right kinds of tactile, visual and auditory experiences. And the best part is that you don't have to do much to help your baby play every day! It's all about encouraging babies to use their bodies and senses to learn about the world around them.

Coley has written two wonderful books full of great ideas to get your baby moving, exploring and learning. Begin With A Blanket: Creative Play for Infants, is full of easy and fun ideas for even the tiniest of humans - starting at just 1 week old!  Plus, Coley walks you through each activity and explains how they work and the benefits for baby.

As the girls are getting older and more mobile Coley's book Simple Play: Easy Fun For Babies, has been such a great tool. I refer to it all the time, especially when I need something quick and easy to offer them to explore. It is full of opportunities for play babies from birth to 2 years and is even categorized by ability (sitting, standing, crawling, walking) so you can be sure what you're doing is developmentally appropriate. It also includes ways to facilitate and develop skills without forcing them. I promise after reading these books you will feel like an expert in child's play!

I have loved watching the girls grow and learn through simple, self directed play activities that are so easy to set-up at any time, often requiring nothing more than things I already have! Not to mention many of these ideas helped me stay sane in the last year! Here are some of our favorites!

Mirror Play

Who knew a $5 mirror from Wal-Mart would be one of the best purchases I ever made in terms of baby play! Everyone knows tummy time is great for the development of those little muscles and helping to prevent problems like plagiocephaly (flattening of the head). Using a mirror adds a whole new dimension (literally!) and keeps it more interesting. We had a mirror set up from day one and my girls loved to stare at themselves and the world around them. As they got older I watched them reach out for their reflections, notice each other and start to roll towards the mirror. And it's not just great for tummy time, we still use it every day!

Bonus Tummy Time tip for twin moms: put babies on pillows facing each other! So much fun!

Hanging Toys

 

We did a lot of tummy time but I always followed their lead and they spent plenty of time on their backs as well. I tried to encourage them to look around and reach for things from a young age by introducing a new object or two at a time for them to check out. One of the biggest hits was around 3 months when I hung a few jingle bells and beaded necklaces over or near their heads. They also liked looking at hanging mirrors, ribbon, streamers and glow-in-the-dark bracelets. Soon enough they were swatting, grasping and pulling.

Naked Tummy Time

When they were about 2 months old I saw an excerpt from an old baby book from the 1940s that someone posted on Facebook. The mom wrote that she "permitted baby to lay in the nude" every morning on her bed (presumably while she got ready?). We hadn't let them go naked yet (they peed every single time we took the diaper off - we were scared!) but we started a new routine that included naked tummy time in their cribs during diaper changes. I still always put a few prefold cloth diapers under them because they would still always pee! But they loved it! I sang to them and put a stuffed animal or toy for them to look at and reach for.

Tissue Paper Kicking and Tissue Paper Wiggle

 

I saw this on CanDo Kiddo's Facebook page and had to try it right away. Just tape some tissue paper under the couch cushion and lay baby in front of it. It was perfect because we had so much tissue paper in the house during Christmas and I knew there was some way to use it! They loved the sound and feeling of it on their feet. I would also ball it up and let them pull it apart, lay it down and put them on their tummies to look at and touch it and I now use it in their discovery boxes until they start to eat it.

Side to Side Rolling

We did this every day as part of our "exercises" (we also did gentle pulling up, limb stretches and tummy time). They loved it and I even got one of their first giggles when rolling them like this. I even sang a song I made up while we did it (to the tune of Frere Jacques):

"Roly poly, roly poly (slowly roll side to side)
{Jules} can roll, {Viv} can roll,
Rolling to the left (roll all the way to the left side)
Rolling to the right (roll all the way to the right side)
all the way over (gently roll on to belly)
all the way over (gently roll on to back)"
 

While play time gets crazier and more active as they're getting older, it doesn't have to be harder to set up or enjoy! Now I'm able to set up invitations to explore and play for them to revisit throughout the day. Here are some of our favorites:

Ball Play

We have a variety of balls - small plastic ones, bouncy ones, textured ones and soft ones too. One of our favorite exploration bins is just filling them up with a bunch of different ones and some nesting cups and rings and they go to town! Now that they're older we roll them down the slide, roll them to each other and they're really getting into tossing them all over the place! I leave a few out all day every day and have a big basket of them ready to go on a shelf in the playroom.

Water Play

I love love love water tables and have one waiting to be opened that we're not quite ready for. But just because they can't stand and play at one yet doesn't mean they have to miss out on the fun. We use our sensory bins or baby pool, fill them up halfway with sink water and head out to the backyard for some splash time! I give them cups, spoons, straws, different objects that will sink or float and whatever else I can find to throw in. They love it all!

Tunnel Play

So much fun and so easy to do. Now that they crawl through it I can just open it up and let have at it!  We have the Giga Hide and Seek Tunnel.  Simple Play has so many fantastic ideas to get you outside the box of just going through the tunnel too! We love using it as a ramp to drop things down and playing peek-a-boo with it!

Pillow Crawl

Can't get much easier than this - just take some pillows and toss them on the floor! The girls will not only crawl over them but sit on them and practice getting "down", pick them up and hold them, touch and lay on them and just last week they started stacking them on top of each other. I got even more creative and used my Snoogle pillow and nursing pillow to both climb over and crawl under like a bridge! We also love to combine pillow crawling with the tunnel and create an awesome obstacle course!

Anything Sensory

Coley talks about a few different sensory activities in her books. We call them exploration bins here and I love just filling a box with random items and letting them have at it. We are just starting out but we have loved using balls, fake flowers, letter blocks, bowls, glow in the dark stars, carrot peels and beaded necklaces. As they get older I can't wait to create real sensory bins with rice, beans, pasta, snow and more. I also created a discovery box with a hole in the top for them to reach in, touch and pull things out of. Super easy and super fun!

Loose Parts

One of the keys to good, engaging and yet simple baby play is having the right tools. This is where my love for loose parts and inability to throw anything away comes in! It's definitely paid off! The theory of loose parts is the idea that you use simple objects that can be moved, manipulated, carried and combined with no set way to play. Anything can be a loose part. Unlike a baby toy that has buttons to push or makes noise, loose parts allow the child to use their imagination, to create whatever experience they want.

I have a variety of baby friendly loose parts that get the most use in our house:

clean containers and their lids - yogurt and cottage cheese cups, wipes boxes, water bottles, egg cartons, puffs containers, cardboard boxes, plastic coffee containers, etc.
cups or bowls - especially if they're "nesting"
spoons - wooden, metal, measuring, etc.
large bottle caps and tops
family pictures in albums, on the walls, behind puzzle openings
large refrigerator magnets
blankets, towels, washcloths, bibs
baskets, buckets and small bins
scarves, hats, purses, handkerchiefs, gloves, etc.

I also have a huge stash of things they're not ready for yet including almost every paper towel roll we've used in the last year, cookie cutters, pipe cleaners, straws, yarn, small bells, stones, marbles, beads and more. The best part about this theory is that everything can be a toy! And it's so much fun too! I love browsing everywhere for new baby "toys"! The only issue I've run into is where to store them in between uses! More on my love for loose parts coming soon!

It's amazing how even the littlest of ones can learn so much about themselves and the world around them when you offer just a few easy to put together options for play and exploration. While we do have plenty of "baby toys" we do our best to create opportunities that are open-ended and child directed. Our mantra here is: Keep it simple and fun and watch the magic happen!

Make sure you check out CanDo Kiddo and pick up her books Begin With a Blanket and Simple Play on Amazon for more fantastic ideas. You can get both right now for just $35.95!


What are your favorite things to do with your little ones?

Xo,
Maigen

What We Learned On Our First Family Road Trip (with 1 Year Old Twins)!

We had two extended family gatherings this week! Papa T's Birthday and 4th of July at Grandma's which is 2.5 hours away. While neither of these were as hard as our extended trip will be in 2 weeks, it was great practice for me!

In just these two experiences I have learned so much about accommodating 1 year old twins when they are out of routine and on extended car rides. I also realized how it differs from when they were newborns like last summer. In case you were wondering - it's harder. I miss when I could just set them somewhere and not worry about them taking off or when they would actually want to go to "strangers"(ie: family they just haven't seen yet this week), so I could eat or get a drink or pee.

Happy Birthday Papa T!

Here's what I learned:

 

Plan to leave the house 1.5 hours before you actually need to leave. Don't forget add in time to stop and feed them if you need to - especially if you still feed on demand!

I thought I had timed it perfectly so they would eat when we got there. We planned to leave at 930 but didn't absolutely have to leave until 11. We left at 1035. It was perfect until they woke up early and got hungry when we were 15 minutes from Grandma's. Obviously you should not nurse in a moving car so we were glad we gave ourselves a little extra time.

 

Bring Portable Chairs for Them to Eat In

Most people don't just have extra have high chairs in their homes. It seems like no big deal, the kids can just eat on your lap, right? Wrong. First, have you ever tried to get two wild toddlers to sit on your lap at a table and eat? Maybe while you're trying to eat too? It's actually impossible. So lay a blanket on the floor or grass, you say. Nope, yet again. I've tried this several times since we started eating solids and the ratio of food offered to food eaten is like 100 to 5.  Especially when there are so many cool new things to see and people to talk to. The last thing these kids want to do is sit and eat their BBQ chicken or corn on the cob. Until we strap them in their chairs and they have no choice. We registered for and are in love with these Boppy Chairs (affiliate link). They fold up and travel well, are super easy to keep clean and have plenty of room to grow.

When you bring their portable high chairs make sure you bring the trays too.

Especially when you know you'll be eating outside (hello, it's a BBQ). This lovely lunch I packed for them ended up all over the blanket and living room floor because we grabbed the chairs but not the trays. Impromptu picnics are awesome, sometimes. This time it was a huge mess but worse they were starving on the way home because most of their food got sat on or thrown away. We will never forget those damn trays again!

You will forget something. Don't try to avoid it. 

I made lists. I counted everything and double checked. It was our first road trip, I was determined. We were good! See above.

Bring novel, open-ended toys that will keep their attention for when you want to eat. 

I actually did this one right finally and I'm glad I put some thought into it. They ate as soon as we got there so they weren't hungry by the time my food was ready. I put letters and tops in the puffs containers for them to find after they shook and rolled them. Once they got them open and dumped I gave them buckets to fill and empty. I put parchment paper and blocks in a wipes box but they didn't even get to those. They were occupied and happy for a while and I was able to eat quickly before they started crawling up me again.

Ask people if they want to hold your kids and don't forget to take pictures.

Once they relaxed a bit I was able to pass them off to some very eager relatives.  I got a lot of great pictures with their GG and cousins who we don't see very often. If they are happy, I take some pics then sneak away for some grown up conversation. I learned to take advantage of these crazy family parties where everyone just wants to love on the babies to capture memories and also have a little more fun myself! Bonus because it seems to be helping them get used to other people when they spend every single moment of their lives with mom.

If your kids are creatures of habit plan on being home before bedtime, staying the night or learning how to help them cope with a late(r) night. 

This was a rookie mistake I made at both family events this week. Nights are crazy if they don't sleep well during the day or miss their bedtime. We knew this and planned accordingly but things happen and again, we did not count on having to stop and feed them on the way home. Aside from trying to make sure we're home by 7:30 all summer I'm learning ways to handle it because I don't want them to be up all night when we can't control being home late.

Definitely try to not get home the exact moment when there's a billion fireworks going off on your street. 

Happy 4th everyone! I love fireworks. It was awesome to see them on the way home. It was less awesome to come home to every person on our block outside putting on their own personal show. Just getting into the house was like walking through a war zone with two overtired and hungry babies. Vivienne was absolutely losing her mind and CJ went into a rage over it and almost killed the neighbors (instead he cleaned the house while I got the girls "settled" - he is awesome). It was a rough hour or so but they're finally sleeping!

All in all it was a great week full of laughs and new memories. I'm so glad my girls are old enough to really enjoy their first real summer! And I'm super happy for the road trip trial run before our trip next weekend to the Pocono's! Here's hoping it all goes smoothly! I hope you all had a great 4th of July!

Xo,
Maigen

The Five Most Common Parenting Fails

Viv is making an escape. Jules thinks she's a cat. I'm a good mom.

I had a moment today where I was sure I was the worst mother in the world. I looked up from switching laundry to see Viv had knocked over the gate, was climbing over it and halfway to the cat food bowl. Jules was a few feet behind her just munching away on a cat toy. It was such a great mom fail moment that I just had to take a picture. Everyone was fine of course but that didn't stop me from feeling like crap for not paying closer attention. Until I remembered: these fails happen - to everyone! And our kids are (almost) always fine!

Maybe it just means that Viv has a future in hurdles? As for Jules, she is clearly mimicking someone, so good for her!

Here are some of the most common parenting fails I've seen (and possibly done) plus how they make us feel vs. what really happens:

You chopped off the top of baby's finger while cutting her nails

What it feels like: 

You have mortally injured your child and she will never trust you again. Her first memory will be of you as the first person to ever intentionally inflict pain on her. You will never again cut her nails, vowing to endure every searing scratch and pinch as an act of contrition for scarring her. She'll probably even have a lifelong fear of having her hand held. Bonus points if it just won't stop bleeding.

What actually happens: 

Baby felt a slight pinch, cried for a bit and moved on almost immediately. You really are too terrified to cut her nails so you don't until the scratching hurts too much and then you will spend three hours trying to cut just one nail because you keep chickening out at the last second. You finally resort to biting them when she gives you one particularly deep scratch a centimeter from your (or her) eyeball.

You dropped your phone on baby's head

What it feels like: 

You die inside as baby cries like she got hit with a brick and stares at you with a look that just screams "Why have you forsaken me for this piece of plastic!?" You try to calm her and all of a sudden realize that you spend way too much time on your phone while feeding/playing with her so you immediately throw it down and promise to be more present while silently hating yourself for destroying the bond you had with her.

What actually happens: 

Baby has no idea what hit her and was probably just startled. She forgets as soon as you put a nipple in her mouth or she gets distracted. Which is about the moment you forget your vow and pick your phone back up to check Facebook or go back to your game.

Baby rolled off the couch/changing table/bed/your lap/whatever.

What it feels like: 

You are clearly unequipped for this job as you don't possess the ability to foresee when your child will decide to start rolling (like a ninja). You foolishly trusted that she would stay where you put her so you are clearly not meant to be a parent.. Baby will no longer be allowed on surfaces higher than 1 inch off the ground unless you are wearing or otherwise attached to her to break her fall.

What actually happens:  

After you're sure she doesn't have a serious brain injury you scold yourself for making such a rookie mistake and vow to never leave her alone in a high place again. You have a hand on her at all times for about a day. The next morning you lay her in the exact same spot and go about the exact same thing just like every other day only this time you make sure to stay close enough so you can catch her before she hits the floor.

The monitor died in the middle of the night or you forgot to turn it on before bed:

What it feels like: 

On the edges of sleep you think you hear a baby crying and reach for the monitor but hear silence. No crying but no whooshing or lullabies either. You shoot out of bed and race to her room to find her either passed out or, if you're super lucky like me, screaming bloody murder. You cry. You know you have broken her. Even if she's sleeping you know that she knew you were completely ignoring her and she now hates you. You vow to co-sleep for the next 12 years.

What actually happens: 

You feel like crap for a few minutes until baby falls back asleep, then you turn the monitor on and go back to sleep yourself. You make sure to double check the monitor every night from now on, or for at least a week. As far as baby is concerned you were in the bathroom or just took the long way to her room or she has no idea anything ever happened because babies don't get the concept of time. You repeat this when it happens again a few months later.

Baby swallowed soap/a rock/orajel/vinegar/paper/a bead/poop/a pill/detergent/eye drops/and the list goes on and on.

What it feels like: 

That's it. You've killed her. All because you had to switch the laundry or get some coffee and you forgot that a baby is like a human bloodhound, able to sniff out the tastiest treats and choking hazards that you carelessly left out or swear you put away (they're ninjas I tell you). You will never take your eyes off her again and from now on you will scrutinize every square inch of your everywhere for such hazards before you even think about putting her down to play.

What actually happens:

Assuming it's not true poison or a pair of scissors baby swallowed you call poison control or the Doctor and give them their laugh for the day. They assure you that all is well and before you've even hung up the phone baby is shoving a leaf down her throat.  You shake your head and swat it down and wonder how the hell she found the one leaf that got into your house. Then you just give up and tell yourself that it's good for her immune system.



There are so many more - ever given baby a bottle of what might be spoiled milk or formula? How about over or under dosed medicine? Knocked her head into a wall in the dark? Ran bath water too hot or too cold? Gotten sunscreen or lotion in her eyes? Closed her fingers in a door? What's yours?

I don't care if you're the most perfect, smartest, most patient parent in the world - stuff happens. Not only that but you're sure you're the only parent who has ever been this stupid. You're definitely not. Parenting is a dangerous game and it seems like life threatening hazards are waiting around every corner. But we all make the same mistakes and most of the time they'll be just fine. There's a reason why people say "Babies bounce!"

Because if they didn't we all would have died out a hell of a long time ago!

What was your biggest parenting fail?

Xo,
Maigen

The Ultimate Cloth Diaper Resource List From First Fluff to Final Sale

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Ever since starting cloth diapering, even when I was just thinking about it, I have used the internet to get all of my information and answers. Not one person I know uses cloth or has in 30 years. So any advice or information I need is found online. The problem is it's all scattered about the interwebs! Rather than write my own posts about all these things I've compiled a list of the best resources I've found for everything cloth diaper related. This is how I learned everything I know! Stay tuned for updates as I find new information!

Start Here!  

 

Making the Decision to Use Cloth

Why Cloth Diaper? - Diaper Wrecker
5 Things You Should Know Before Choosing Cloth Diapers - What To Expect
Why Use Cloth Diapers? - Diaper Jungle
Why We Cloth Diaper - Wellness Mama
Are Cloth Diapers Right For Me? - The Natural Baby Company
Why Should You Cloth Diaper? - Christian Mommy Blogger
9 Common Cloth Diapering Mistakes - This West Coast Mommy
Why Cloth Diaper? - Kelly's Closet
7 Things I Wish I knew About Cloth Diapers - All About Cloth Diapers

Get Support Through Facebook Cloth Communities

The Cloth Diaper Experiment
Cloth Diaper Support Group (Kelly's Closet) 
Fluff Love & CD Science 
Cotton Babies: The Cloth Diaper Flash Mob

 

 

What Does it All Mean? 

 

Breakdowns of Styles and Types

4 Cloth Diapering Choices Defined - The Art of Simple
Cloth Diaper Terms and Abbreviations - Kelly's Closet
Types of Cloth Diapers - Kelly's Closet
The Cloth Diaper Debate: Aplix vs. Snaps - So Easy Being Green
Cloth Diapering 101 - BabyList 

The Different Types of Cloth Diapers - The Humbled Homemaker
What's The Easiest Cloth Diaper To Use Compared to Disposables - Dirty Diaper Laundry
Modern Cloth Diapering {All You Need To Know} A Complete Guide - Jornie.com 

Cloth Diaper Tips From the Pros - SheKnows
Cloth Diaper Chart - PeaPods
Need Sizing Help? - Kelly's Closet
Everything You Need to Know about Cloth Diapers - The Eco Friendly Family

Cloth Diaper Brands

Cloth Diaper Reviews - Baby Gear Lab
Cloth Diaper Brand Index - Fluff Love University
23 Brands! Comprehensive Cloth Diaper Review - Katie Kimball on YouTube 
Best Cloth Diapers - Parenting 
Cloth Diaper Review - What's The Best For You? - Kitchen Stewardship

Building Your Stash

 

How to Buy Cloth Diapers

Guide To Buying Used Cloth Diapers - The Mommy Goods
How To Get Cloth Diapers Free or Cheap - Six Figures Under
What Do I Need To Get Started Cloth Diapering - Kelly's Closet
Guide to Cheap Cloth Diapering - Little House Living

Where To Buy Cloth Diapers 

Kelly's Closet

Diaper Junction
Jillian's Drawers
Nickis Diapers
Amazon 
Cotton Babies 
Find Cloth Diapers Local - Dirty Diaper Laundry 
eBay
Check your local Craigslist
Buy direct from the brand website
Check Facebook for General or Brand Specific Buy/Sell/Trade groups

Renting Cloth Diapers/Trial Packages 

Kissed By The Moon
Jillian's Drawers
Sweet Bottoms Baby
Diaper Junction
 

Ok, Let's Do This!

 

How To Use Cloth Diapers  

How To Use Cloth Diapers - Want What You Have
Everything You Need To Know About Prefold Cloth Diapers - Family Life in LV
Prefold Picture Tutorial - The Eco Friendly Family 
Types of Cloth Diapers and How to Use Them - Plus1Please on YouTube
Cloth Diapering Full Time With Daycare - Cloth Diaper Revival
How To Make Homemade Cloth Diaper Safe Diaper Cream - All Things Mamma
DIY Prefold with Snaps Conversion - Diaper Junction

Newborn Diaper Info 

Reviews of 38 Newborn Cloth Diapers - Zephyr Hill
Cloth Diapering a Newborn - The Eco Friendly Family
Newborn Cloth Diapering - Dirty Diaper Laundry
Cloth Diapering a Newborn - Keeper of the Home
Cloth Diapering a Newborn - Fluff Love University
Cloth Diapering a Newborn Without Breaking The Bank - Dirty Diaper Laundry
Cloth Diapering a Newborn - Nurse Loves Farmer

Prepping Cloth Diapers 

How Do You Prep Cloth Diapers? - Viva Veltoro
How To Prep and Wash Your Cloth Diapers - Kelly's Closet
Prepping New Cloth Diapers and the Dreaded HE Machines - Alpha Mom
Prepping Cloth Diapers - So Easy Being Green
 

Night Time CDing  

5 Tips to Successfully Cloth Diaper At Night - The Eco Chic
Cloth Diapering At Night - Baby Blythe Blog
Night Time Cloth Diapering Solutions - Teressa Jane
Cloth Diapers at Night Part 3: Budget Edition - All About Cloth Diapers

 

Clean Diaper Storage

How Do You Store Your Diapers? - The Eco Friendly Family
Pinteresting Cloth Diaper Storage Ideas - The Anti June Cleaver
Stash Storage - The Beehive Buzz
Cloth Diaper Storage - Fluff Love University 
Cloth Diaper Storage Solutions - Making My Stead 
Everything Has Its Place - The Cloth Diaper Whisperer 

There's Poop in My Pretty Cloth Diaper! Now What? 

 

Dirty Diaper Storage 

Diaper Pails Vs. Hanging Wet Bags - Dirty Diaper Laundry
Storing Dirty Cloth Diapers - Cloth Diaper Addicts
Storing Dirty Cloth Diapers Until Wash Day - Kelly Wels
How To Store Cloth Diapers Until Wash Day - Thinking About Cloth Diapers
The top 3 Best Cloth Diaper Pails - Best Cloth Diapers

Cleaning and Washing Diapers  

Freshman Year - The Basics - Fluff Love University 
How To Properly Clean Your Diapers (Non-HE Machine) - Fluff Love University 
How To Properly Clean Your Cloth Diapers (HE Machine) - Fluff Love University 
A Review of the Spray Pal - Padded Tush Stats 
What To Do With Poo {+DIY Diaper Sprayer} - So Easy Being Green
DIY Fleece Diaper Liners - Learning By Trial and Error
Poop Avoidance Devices for Cloth Diapers - Dirty Diaper Laundry on YouTube
The Scoop on Poop: Cleaning Cloth Diapers - Little Tree Hugger on YouTube 
You What?! Handwashing Cloth Diapers Full Time - The Whys and Hows - Dirty Diaper Laundry 
Handwashing Cloth Diapers - Fluff Love University

Take Care and Make 'Em Last!

 

Troubleshoot 

Junior Year - Troubleshooting - Fluff Love University
10 Reasons Your Cloth Diapers Might Be Leaking or Smelling and How To Fix Them - Cloth Diaper Geek
Cloth Diaper Problems and Troubleshooting - Alpha Mom
Troubleshooting Leaking Cloth Diapers - Everything Cloth
Troubleshooting Index - Cloth Diaper Whisperer
Help! My Cloth Diapers Stink - Padded Tush Stats
Time To Strip Your Diapers? - Cloth Diaper Addicts

Maintain 

How Should You Dry Your Cloth Diapers? - All About Cloth Diapers
How To Tighten BumGenius 4.0 Elastics - Britney Aube on YouTube
10 Things You Should Never Do to Cloth Diapers - The Eco Chic
10 Ways To Ruin Cloth Diapers - The Healthy Honeys
Upgrade Your Absorbency - Thinking About Cloth Diapers
Forego Microfiber - Natural Fibers for the Cloth Diapering Win! - Lo-Wren

Time to Find a New Obsession!

 

Toilet Training  

Cloth Training Pants - Dirty Diaper Laundry
Potty Training in Cloth - Pinstripes and Polkadots
Cloth Training Pants: The Best and the Worst - Cloth Diaper Revival

Selling Your Cloth Diapers 

DiaperSwappers

Cloth Diaper Trader
Sell Your Cloth Diapers for Top Dollars - Mama in the Now
How To Price Used Cloth Diapers - Over The Moon Diapers
How To Sell Used Cloth Diapers - Diaper Wrecker
Buying and Selling Cloth Diapers - All About Cloth Diapers
Check Facebook for General or Brand Specific Buy/Sell/Trade groups 

Ok, But How Do I Do it With TWO?

CDing with Twins 

Diapers for Twins - About.com

Cloth Diapering 101 For Twins - A Tale of Two Babies
What I Learned from Clot Diapering Twins - A Day In The Life
Cloth Diapering Twins: The First Month - Crazy Cass Life 
Cloth Diaper Stash for Twins - Kyle and Jess P on YouTube 
Double Doody: Cloth Diapering Multiples - The Cloth Diaper Whisperer 

It's My Baby and I'll CD if I Want To!

 

I debated adding this section because I hate that I have to but, well, if you're like most of the CD population you will have to justify or explain your decision to someone. Husbands, doctors, parents and grandparents, even friends and prefect strangers - you never know who will think you're crazy or weird or gross so here's some stats and info to throw their way:

General Fact Checking and Myth Busting 

10 Benefits To Using Cloth Diapers
The Many Dangers of Disposables - Small Footprint Family
Cloth Diaper Myths Debunked - The Cloth Diaper Connection
Cloth Diapers vs. Disposables - MamaGiraffe
Cloth Diaper Washing Myth Busters - C, G & Mr. B
Diaper Facts - Real Diaper Association 

"It's dirty and so gross."

Three Reasons Cloth Diapering Isn't As Gross As You Might Expect - FridaBaby
Getting Over The Ewww Factor: Cloth Diapers are Not Gross - Chron
Aren't Cloth Diapers Gross? - EcoBabySteps 

"It's more expensive."

Price Check: Are cloth diapers worth it? - Squawkfox

Are Cloth Diapers Worth It? - Man Vs. Debt
Cloth Diapers vs. Disposables - Clark Howard 

"Your child will have rashes (or yeast, bowlegs, won't learn to walk right or will be hard to potty train)."

Rashes Happen! - The Cloth Diaper Whisperer
Diapers and Development - Alpha Mom
Do Cloth Diapers Delay Walking In Infants? - Dirty Diaper Laundry
Cloth Diapers Are a Plus in Potty Training - Kelly Wels

"You will never stick to it."

The only advice I have for this one is to ignore the haters, do your best and sit back and say, "Oh no? Well, just watch me!"

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So there you have it! I hope you enjoy your CD journey and let me know how it goes!

Have a great cloth diaper resource I missed? E-mail it to me and I'll add it!

Xo,
Maigen

How to Find The Perfect Baby Name(s)!

I have had a love for baby names ever since I was practically a baby myself. I suppose it all started with how much I disliked my own name growing up. I know Maigen (btw, it's said may-gen, not Megan or Meegan or Mygen) is a beautiful name but I quickly realized it was hard for people to pronounce correctly, no one knew how to spell it and it drew unwanted attention to me as a shy child. I dreamed of having a simple name like Annie, Emily or Katie, like my sister.

I finally embraced my name in college and started following baby name blogs to build a nice cache of choices long before I even dreamed of having kids of my own. I have a great ability to predict what will eventually become popular names.  I fell in love with Emma, Olivia, Sophia, Ava and Ella long before they were common (there's a reason for that though, read more about the 100 year rule). I obviously like classic, pretty, flowy names and after watching every name I loved reach higher popularity I knew I was going to have to dig deeper when it came to naming my own.

We knew we didn't want anything too common but not too out there either. There's nothing wrong with a popular name but  having grown up with a "made-up" name I can tell you that's no picnic either. There is something to be said for originality though and for not having your child be one of four girls with the same name in her class. In 9th grade I had a Jessica F., Jessica B., Jessica C., Jessica I., Jessica N., and Jessica S. and they were just the ones I had classes with. We also had numerous Carrie/Kari/Kerries, Amandas, Katies and, of course, Jennifers. They envied me and I envied them. I knew I needed to avoid this so that meant some of my favorites (Ella, Ava, Madelyn and Olivia) were off our list before we even started.

Nowadays it's easier to give your baby a unique name that's not popular and you don't have to go all the way to the other end of the spectrum and make up a name or modify an existing one to do so. That said, the hard part is finding a name that both you and Dad like, that you can see your child grow into and that is easy enough for the rest of the world to pronounce and spell. We had the added fun of trying to come up with two names that fit the bill. So how exactly do you do it?

Baby Name Books

The old school way that is quickly going the way of other paper products what with so many resources on the interwebs. While looking I did refer to a few that I've had for years (again, I was obsessed long before I even met CJ). My favorites were Cool Names by Pamela Redmond Satran and Linda Rosenkrantz which is chock full of great ideas and 20,001 Names for Baby which gives pretty detailed information on name meanings and usage. I also bought a copy of The Baby Name Wizard by Laura Wattenberg when we got desperate. This is a great combo of the above books with great ideas including name "snapshots", sibling suggestions, tips and tricks for choosing a name and a pronunciation guide. She also included a a look at baby name trends and a great breakdown of names by any type or style you could imagine such as Bell Tones, New Classics, Nickname-Proof and Short and Sweet.

Baby Name Websites

Modern baby naming is almost more difficult with the number of naming sites cropping up everywhere. It's almost like when you go to a diner and sit down to order from a menu that is 12 pages long. There is so much to choose from that it's hard to narrow down a few choices let alone pick just one. That said the ability to find just about any name ever used is pretty awesome.

Baby Name Wizard - This site, run by Laura Wattenberg, the Baby Name Lady herself, is full of great ideas and tools including the Name Mapper (currently under construction) which tells you where names are the most popular, the Name Voyager which explores baby name trends through time and the NamiPedia which gives a more detailed look at a name as well as personal anecdotes from people who have or who used the name.

Nymbler - Another amazing resource from Laura Wattenberg, Nymbler allows you to input your choices and then generates similar names based on sound, style and spelling. It's where we found the Juliette to our Vivienne!

Nameberry - This UK based website is full of information. They break names down into really fun lists like Angel names, Geek-Chic names, Nature names and Video Game names. The forums are very busy and a great resource for more ideas. Although many of the names they cover have yet to cross the sea into popular usage over here if you're wanting to be really unique you will likely find your dream name here!

Apellation Mountain  - Abby believes that every name has a story and she's here to help you learn all about them. Her Name of the Day series spotlights newer gems and classics and covers the history, etymology and cultural usage of a name. I love reading her descriptions of names and can spend hours just scrolling through her site.

What A Lovely Name  - A lovely little interactive site where you can choose which qualities you would like in a name and they generate a list for you! I didn't discover this one until writing this blog but I wish I had found it while still pregnant!

Social Security Administration - Weird right? Who would think the government would be a good place to find a baby name. This is one of the best though as it can tell you a lot about the popularity of a name over time. Every year they list the most popular names in the country for that year but it also goes all the way back to 1879 so you can definitely use it for some ideas. Once you've chosen a name you can also go and find out it's ranking throughout history.

I came across our short list the other day and was surprised to see some names that I'd forgotten all about. CJ really liked Penny (think James Bond) and Hazel and I was in love with Eleanor and Lila. We settled on boys names pretty early on and were going to use Miles Thomas and Eli Charles. Vivienne was picked after my cousin mentioned it was one of her favorites. It was kind of like that scene on Friends where Rachel steals Monica's baby name (Emma!). As soon as she said it something just clicked and I knew that was one of my girls' names. I felt awful for taking it but she swears she doesn't mind.

Juliette came and went and came and went on our list. We liked it after Nymbler suggested it but weren't sure how much we did until one of our last ultrasounds when the tech pointed out that we could do J for baby A and V for baby B. I loved that and the fact that they go together without being too matchy. Of course now they go by Jules and Viv (or Hooles and Lion) most of the time! I do take pride in the fact that I chose a beautiful "sib-set" and that my name choices are admired in the baby name community!

How did you pick your baby names?

Xo,
Maigen

My Best Tips for a Happy and Healthy {Twin} Pregnancy

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

The hardest parts about being pregnant with twins (aside from the initial shock and figuring out how you'll afford it) are making sure that you eat and drink enough, stay active and get enough rest. Some days, even in the beginning, the exhaustion and pain were so bad that I could barely sweep the floor after lunch at the daycare without needing to sit down. I was constantly starving and thirsty which led to feeling nauseous even though I didn't really have morning sickness. Growing two babies almost literally took everything I had and it was a full time job just keeping myself as healthy possible and staying sane at the same time.

So, how exactly do you take the best care of yourself and your babies? Read on to find out.

Eat. Eat Everything (good for you) and All The Time:

Everyone knows that pregnant women eat a lot but when you're carrying two it's insane how much and how often you need to eat. My body was giving everything to my babies and no matter how much I ate I still struggled to gain enough weight, at least according to Dr. Luke and the book When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets or Quads. While I love this book there were times where I felt like no matter how much I did I could not keep up with how much I should have been eating. The overwhelming message of this book though is truth - Eat. Eat. Eat! As long as you're eating healthily (read: do not live on soda, chips or other crap, you will feel like crap) majority of the time you cannot eat too much. Do not give one second of thought to the people or even doctors who warn you about gaining too much weight. As Dr. Luke points out - you cannot gain too much with twins - every pound is building stronger, healthier babies!

I needed to eat every two hours or nausea would set in. Once that happened I could only stomach crackers until it passed. I couldn't just eat anything either, I craved protein, dairy and carbs like crazy.

Here's What I Ate:

Every morning I would have oatmeal or eggs, sausage or bacon, a bagel or toast and a banana plus one of my protein packed smoothies (find the recipe here).

Two hours later I would have a "snack" that usually consisted of trail mix, a cheese stick, peppers or carrots and an apple or grapes.

Lunch would be a tuna, egg, pb&j or grilled cheese sandwich or a chicken and veggie quesadilla or burrito with a huge salad, a protein shake and berries or a banana.

Two hours later another snack of a granola bar, yogurt, cheese and crackers or whatever the kids at daycare were having.

Dinner was grown man portions of chicken, fish, pasta or whatever we were having with lots of steamed veggies and always a few pieces of bread and butter.

Two hours later another snack although it was more of a dessert with either ice cream or fruit and yogurt or a bowl of cereal.

You're probably thinking how the hell did she eat that much. I did, and then some. And, despite eating all this I still found myself snacking again around 11pm and waking up starving at 7am. I kept crackers in my nightstand my entire pregnancy for the middle of the night and early morning hunger so the nausea wouldn't hit before I got a chance to eat something real.

When I developed gestational diabetes it was harder to eat as much while watching my carb intake but I just swapped out the cereal, juice, some of the fruit and bread for more yogurt, cheese, veggies and protein. I started eating beans which I had always hated. I limited myself to just one slice of pizza and left the crust but followed it with a salad. My numbers stayed low but I still felt full and satisfied. Contrary to what a lot of women (including myself) think at first, GD is not the end of the world.

The bottom line is to eat, eat, eat. Even when you don't feel like you could or should eat anymore - eat. You are feeding three people and your body is taking everything good from you to give to your babies so give it what it needs!

Drink. Like Water is Going Out of Style:

Years before I was pregnant a friend of mine was hospitalized while pregnant for dehydration. She got really sick and needed to be monitored constantly afterwards. This terrified me as every time I had seen her she had her water bottle with her. I worried so much about remembering to drink enough water but when it came down to it I didn't really have to force it. I was so thirsty all the time and felt like I could never quench it. I drank over 200 oz. of water a day. So much that my LifeFactory Glass Water Bottle became my little side kick and the kids at the daycare would drop everything and rush it over to me if I forgot it somewhere.

I would wake up in the middle of the night to pee and feel so parched I'd down a full 8 oz. knowing full well I would be needing to pee again in an hour. It didn't matter though, I knew that this was one of the most important things I could do . They're not kidding when they say water is one of the most important parts of a healthy pregnancy. According to What To Expect drinking enough water helps your body absorb all the vital nutrients, bulks up the amniotic fluid and keeps the pipes running clean, which is ever so important when you digestive tract slows down and things start to get uncomfortable. Even many of those dreaded pregnancy symptoms - headaches, nausea, overheating and fatigue can be helped by drinking enough water. You don't have to give up your morning coffee and you can have a juice or a soda a day if you really need it but it is absolutely vital that you drink water all day, every day. I swear my constant consumption of H2O is one of the reasons my pregnancy wasn't an absolute nightmare. So drink, drink, drink your weight in water! And when you feel like you can't possibly drink anymore, drink some more. Your baby and your body will thank you, even though your bladder might not!

Move. Stay Active as Often and as Long as You Can:

Ok, this one was tough for me. I am not huge into fitness as it is so when I found out that I should be "working out" at least 3 times a week while pregnant I felt a little anxious. Some days I was too tired to move, how was I supposed to get up and work out? Well, the sad truth is I never really did. But, I did stay as active as I could. I worked in daycare so I was up and down and moving all around right up until I left my job at 6 months. Unless you've done it you can't possibly know how physically demanding it can be caring for 12 munchkins. I was more than active enough to feel like I didn't really need to do scheduled work outs. Same goes if you've got older kids at home!

When I left work I made it a point to do stretches, yoga and walking every day, even if just for 10 minutes. It was a struggle towards the end but I really did feel better when I was moving around. Also, even just a five minute walk around the block helped manage the diabetes and keep my numbers low. I was honest with my Doctors and they understood my limitations but encouraged me to do as much as I could. I downloaded prenatal yoga sessions and would use those to unwind after a long day. I stretched every morning before work which helped with back and muscle aches. When it all became too much I considered walking from the couch to the fridge a work out because carrying around the added 35 lbs. certainly made it feel like one! Do what you can,but don't feel too bad if it's not much!

Rest. Again, as Often and as Much as You Can:

It's a sad truth that enough sleep is tough to attain while pregnant despite the fact that you face many months of sleep deprivation after baby arrives. Even very early on hormonal changes make your body go crazy causing some lovely sleep disruptions like nausea, heartburn, back aches and needing to pee every hour. Add to this the strain of a growing belly in the later months and it can be almost impossible to fall and stay asleep. I invested very early on in a pregnancy pillow that I still consider to be a lifesaver. Sure, you could just use a regular pillow or a body pillow but I swear by the Snoogle Total Body Pillow by Leachco. It was absolutely perfect for me. It cradled my belly, supported my back and head and ensured I woke up well rested all the way through the end.

Night sleep isn't all that matters either. It is vital that you are physically resting your body during the day too. I had the luxury of having a job that not only kept me active enough but also allowed me to rest. Oh, rest time, one of the true joys of working daycare. Every day from 12-3 the babes went to sleep and I was lucky enough to have a boss and assistant who understood how important it was for me to rest so I took a cat-nap while the kiddies slept and they kept watch. The parents all knew, several of them walked in on me snuggling my niece or another child and no one ever complained - they knew I was growing two people!

If you don't have a job where you can really take a nap, talk to your boss about how important it is to rest and see about just laying down on a couch for 15 minutes or going to your car to recharge in the middle of a busy day. Getting enough rest is just as important as eating, drinking and exercising enough, especially towards the end when just walking up a flight of stairs is enough to wipe you out!  Catch a few zzzs whenever and wherever you can and do not ever feel guilty if the most you can do is walk from the bed to the couch, especially in those later months.

Bonus Tip: Take Your Vitamins!

One more thing just for good measure: Take a good prenatal. I found that the ones prescribed by my Doctor made me nauseous and I hated taking them until I discovered the wonder of a food based vitamin called Rainbow Light Prental One Multivitamin. I swear they gave me more energy, helped keep the nausea at bay and kept me feeling good! I still take them as often as I can remember to help get the girls all their essential vitamins and nutrients while we nurse.

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Carrying twins can sometimes feel like a never ending uphill battle where your own needs constantly take a back seat to theirs. But if you eat, drink, move and rest enough I promise you that not only will your babies be stronger and healthier, but you too will feel better and hopefully have an easier pregnancy. Well, as easy as carrying two could possibly be!

What are some of your tips for a happy healthy pregnancy?

Xo,

Maigen