In my prior post about Child Care Can Be Controversial, I mentioned several alternatives if staying home with your baby is not a feasible option. To follow-up on that post, I provided a table below that compares the benefits vs. disadvantages of three (Nanny, Au Pair and Day Care) options side-by-side. Good luck with choosing your child care. Please stay tune for follow-up post on How to Find a Nanny and/or an Au Pair and the cost analysis between the two. [ws_table id=”1″] Disclaimer: I don’t work in child care services at all. I am a mom that likes to share my experiences and those of others in hopes it makes your child care decision making process more...

With baby shower seasons  just around the corner it is only appropriate to talk about one of the best baby shower gift a new mom could receive. Yes, generally speaking the expecting couple registers at stores that are specific for babies or have a large baby selection (Buy Buy Baby, Babies R’Us, Target, etc.) or online retailers (Amazon, Diapers.com, etc.) and friends and families usually purchase their gifts off the couple’s registries. However, one of the best gifts I received at my baby shower was a basket full of everyday items that mom and baby need after the baby is born; usually items that mom and dad are not thinking about until the baby arrives. To help prepare the new family for their arrival, consider putting a gift basket together of the following items with a note that says, “All the things you need, but don’t know yet.” The new mom and baby will greatly appreciate the gift. Butt Paste – Awesome diaper rash cream. Price  is approximately $7.19 for a 4 oz. tube. Gripe Water – Completely natural product which is great for curing hiccups and relieving gas pains in newborns. C2 had hiccups starting at one week old. Price is approximately $7.00 per bottle. Baby hair brush and/or comb – Price is approximately $4.99 per set. Baby Nail clippers – Babies nails grow so quickly, we were cutting C2 nails once a week, so he would not scratch up his face.  Price is approximately $2.29 per set. Baby Wipes – Always in need of these. Boogie Wipes – Developed by moms tired of chasing runny noses, Boogie Wipes® are the latest innovation in a moist wipe product. Price is approximately $3.79 per box. Aquaphor – Fragrance-free, preservative-free formula for baby skin care...

With the summer right around the corner, parents are starting to think about summer child care options especially for parents of young babies and toddlers.  There are so many options available, but they all come with a price. Although, child care is truly a decision between two parents, it is amazing to me what a hot and controversial topic child care is. People from all walks of life like to chime in and tell you what are the best child care option for you and your family. Some people say, “Be a stay at home mom and it will solve your child care issues.” I can go on and on about why this is not feasible for all; in addition to, pros and cons to almost every child care option (family care, day care, nanny, nanny shares, Au Pair, in home day care, and etc). But this is not what the post is about; it is just a few of my thoughts on child care options and what we found works best for our family. Being a stay at home mom/dad is not necessarily financially feasible option for every family or is not the best for “you” as the parent mentally. I use the word “mentally” meaning that some people (both mom’s and dad’s) are better parents if they work or have another purpose other than being “mom” and or “wife” (whether that be in the home or not).  People might disagree, but I believe a lot of women do not take this into account or factor this into their decision of being a Stay at Home Mom (SAHM); therefore – for some – their self worth tends to suffer and overspills into other areas (e.g., relationship with your spouse). I did extensive research...

The Crane Frog Humidifier is not only cute, but extremely quite.  It does not require filter replacement or daily cleaning.  You can find this humidifier from anywhere from $31.99 – $43.99 all depending on the store you purchase it from. The only down fall is you still need to purchase distilled water, which we now purchase gallon jugs.  This humidifier comes in other cute animals, so if you are not into frogs you have other options.  Here are some of the Crane collection. Why a humidifier? Are they necessary for a new born?  No, I don’t think that they are necessary, but boy they can help when your child gets a cold.  When C2 got his first head cold, we were told by our advice nurse to purchase a cool mist humidifier. Apparently a cool mist humidifier helps relieve congestion, which it did for C2.   Of course, like any parent would after work I headed over to Buy Buy Baby to purchase one.  There are so many different brands of humidifier, plus you can choose between a cool or hot humidifier.  I thought I made a great purchase; I walked out with a Vicks Cool Mist Humidifier. I never had a humidifier before, so I was not quite sure what to expect.  It cost about $30, which I thought was reasonable.  We used it for about 6 months before purchasing the Crane Frog Humidifier.  The reason we switched is four fold. 1)      It required filters that are $15 a piece and they need to be replaced every three months. 2)      The humidifier needs to be cleaned out daily or else pink bacteria would grow, which defeats the purpose of purified air.  Cleaning out the filter was not easy because it has nooks and crannies...

I am wondering if I am the only one; as I have gotten older Valentine’s Day has become increasing less important to me. When I was a teenager and in college, I had expectations like most girls that it would be great to receive something from my boyfriend like red roses and be taken out for a “romantic” dinner. Unfortunately for most guys and sometimes girls, Valentine’s Day is an unfortunate holiday.  Of course, the stores and commercial enterprises don’t do anything to help the situation.  We are barraged with Valentines decorations, red hearts, and Valentine’s candy soon after the Christmas decorations come down. The holiday in my opinion is one specifically designed to set up men for failure. Most girls/women hope and hint that they want a “romantic” surprised filled night. But, the problem is those women don’t verbally discuss this with their guy and unfortunately, the majority of the time someone in the relationship ends up extremely disappointed on the coveted day of February 14th. Yes, I have been on both sides of the fence the disappointed and the disappointee. As I have matured – and perhaps comfortable and confident in my relationship – my view on Valentine’s Day is; it is only one day of the year. Don’t get me wrong my husband is extremely romantic and he has sent me flowers at work on Valentine’s Day and we have on occasion gone to dinner on or around Valentine’s Day and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.  But, what is most important to me is that he is able to express his love daily and not just on one special day of the year. With all that being said, my advice to any young couple, don’t put too much pressure on your...