7 MUST-HAVE Products for New Mothers
* Scoop bath toys out of the bath simply and after each use
* Reduces mould and mildew
* Holds bottles and loofahs in addition to toys
* Includes adhesive strips for mounting
* When mounted with suction cups Frog Pod can hold up to 2.25kg
* When mounted with adhesive strips Frog Pod can hold up to 4.5kg
* When mounted with screws the Frog Pod will hold up to 9kg
My Note: I’ve had mine up with suctions caps for 6 months and it has not fallen off. Gone are the days of fishing out furry toys from of a mildew mesh bag.
I give it ***** (5) stars
Don’t hesitate….. JUST BUY IT!
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2. BOON SQUIRT FOOD DISPENSER
The Boon Squirt Food Dispenser is a novel product that actually works ($15).
Features:
* Dispense baby food one bite at a time
* Convenient one-handed feeding
* Large easy-to-clean bulb holds up to 90 ml of baby food
* Protective cover keeps spoon clean between feedings
* Dishwasher-safe
* BPA-free
* Phthalate-free
* PVC-free
* Excellent support for your baby’s back
Features:
* Place directly on top of the bottom sheet
* Nappy change on the go
5. WHO LOVES BABY?
* Holds 4in.x6in. photos
* Ages 6 months to 2 years
* Vinyl sleeves protect photos
* Develops Interaction and Feeling
The BubbaMat is a practical, functional, and versatile baby and children’s play mat ($100-$400).
The Sassy Toy Box combines intuitive and functional design (approx $80).
* Protect children from bumps and bruises while playing
* Front panel of the toy organizer opens to reveal a colorful activity mat for toddlers
* Side mesh pockets offer more storage space for small toys and books
Competition – Book Craft
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Dear Tooth Fairy by Alan Durant
Can you guess what we made?
If you and your child would like to make a pretty fairy like we did, below is a list of items you need. I purchased them from Bargain City.
- Wooden pegs
- Butterfly wings
- Rosettes
- Pipe Cleaners
- Card making dress
- Craft Glue
This little fairy enjoyed the experience 
Thanks Cradle Fables and SquiggleMum for the great idea!
NOTE: The craft cost about $3 AUD (per Fairy)
Mummy Makeup
I love make up, I love dressing up and I LOVE SHOES! In a world where physical beauty is a priority, it can be hard to find the balance between inner beauty and outer beauty. I love this verse from the bible:Charm can be deceiving,
and beauty fades away,
but a woman
who honors the LORD
deserves to be praised.
Proverbs 31:30 CEV
I think it is important to take care of how you look without it becoming your main focus. Below I have 2 Mummy Makeup ideas that are quick and simple to do. One for day outings and one for going out at night. This make up is designed by a Mother, for a Mother. The emphasis is making it quick, easy and effective.
NOTE: You will have to forgive my narration in the videos, it is pretty hopeless… hehe, but I think you will get the drift.
Before
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Mummy Outing Make Up
Stylish and Natural Eyes
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Mummy Evening Make-up
The Eyes Have It
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List of Make-up used
Outing Make-up
Face – YoungBlood Natural Mineral Foundation
Eye Lid – Youngblood Pressed Mineral Eyeshadow Quad YB – Cashmere
Eye Crease – Youngblood Pressed Mineral Eyeshadow Quad YB – Golden Beryl
Eye – Estee Lauder Eye Liner – Black
Eye – Avon Shock Mascara
Cheek – YoungBlood Splendor Mineral Radiance
Eyebrow – Coral Colours Clear Mascara
Lips – Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick – Ginger Rose
Lips – Revlon Lip Liner – Pinks/Roses
Evening Make-up
Face – YoungBlood Natural Mineral Foundation
Lid – Covergirl Quad Stormy Lites – Cloudburst
Over Liner – Covergirl Quad Stormy Lites – Night Sky
Eye Crease – Covergirl Quad Stormy Lites – Sterling Blue
Under Eyebrow – Covergirl Quad Stromy Lites – Lightning
Eye – Estee Lauder Eye Liner – Black
Eye – Avon Shock Mascara
Cheek – YoungBlood Splendor Mineral Radiance
Eyebrow – Coral Colours Clear Mascara
Lips – Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick – Ginger Rose
Lips – Revlon Lip Liner – Pinks/Roses
My Best Beauty Tips for Busy Mums
- Get a tinted moisturiser with SPF
- Buy a good foundation – trust me it will last 3 times as long so you end up paying the same in the long run
- ALWAYS have lip gloss in your hand bag and nappy bag
- Drink lots of water
- Eat Well
- I’m not going to say get plenty of sleep…. cause, that ain’t going to happen
Great Links
- If you are not sure of what colour lipstick suits you best, Revlon has this great tool for you to use. CLICK HERE and HERE
- Thinking of changing your hairstyle? Upload your picture and try the virtual HairStlyer HERE
- Try make up colour combinations on your photo HERE
This is an example of me using the tool to see what I would look like with super blue eyes and red hair. Ah, I don’t think so….
Cot Time – Happy Hour Solution
Happy Hour (sarcastically) at my place tends to creep in around 4.00pm and lasts until I finally manage to get all the children in bed around 7:30pm.Cot Time Guidelines
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When it is time I say in a happy voice “It is time for Cot Time!”. I place my children in their beds with a range of interesting age appropriate books (but toys can be used instead).
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30-40 minutes duration (you may need to break the child into this routine by doing 10 min a day until you are up to about 30 min). My children enjoy this time now. So does Mum
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Don’t OVER use ‘Cot Time’ – it will backfire on you.
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When Cot Time is over (usually when I have dinner ready on the table) I say “YAY! Cot time is finished…. time for dinner!”.
Talking Children’s Books
For the last couple of years I have run a small book business with Total Learning, selling educational books to parents in a personal way. The main reason I do this is to provide my children with a home library our family can enjoy. Reading not only teaches children about pattens in language and word/letter recognition but is a loving way to interact with them.
This morning I enjoyed talking children books with a great bunch of Mothers. I always get excited when I talk to Mums about books; it is something I am passionate about.
Some interesting facts:
o In Reading Magic, Mem Fox assert children need to hear at least 1000 stories before they become readers themselves. Read 1-3 books a day.
o New Brain Development Research: A Wonderful Window of Opportunity to Build Public Support for Early Childhood Education is a brilliant article every parent should read. The first 3 years of life are very important because the brain is able to make the most connections. I love this quote from the article “Particularly in the first three years of life, brain connections develop quickly in response to outside stimulation. Thus, when we snuggle a baby or talk to him in a singsong, undulating rhythm, we are contributing to the growth of his brain”. Reading a favourite book to your child is a great way to achieve this.
o According to the 2000 University of Michigan study How American Children Spend Their Time, children under the age of 13 spend most of their waking hours (about 80%) with their parents, not their teachers, so parents must assume most of the responsibility for their children’s learning, including helping them learn to read.
o SquiggleMum’s Blog Post Book-Loving Boys has some great tips on reading to your child.
If you are just starting a home library here is a list of some of my top books to get you started.
Age 0-3 years
DK Baby and Toddler’s Big Book of Everything
Age 3-6 years
Are you My Mother? by PD Eastman
Because You’re You! by Sarah East (Aussie Author)
Dig Dig Digging by Margaret Mayo
Peepo! by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
Where is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox
Age 6-9 years
Are we There Yet? by Alison Lester (Aussie Author)
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems
Down the Back of the Chair by Margaret Mahy (NZ Author)
The Story about Ping by Marjorie Flack
What Do People Do All Day? by Richard Scarry
Age 9+ years
Mandie Series by Lois Gladys Leppard
The Famous Five Series by Enid Blighton
The Power of One: Young Readers Edition byBryce Courtenay
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate Dicamillo
Reference
DK Illustrated Family Encyclopedia
Reading to your children from birth is important. It’s an act of love that sets them up for success.
Love books and your child will love them too!
Emergency Dinner
Has it come to 5 O’clock and you realise you haven’t organised anything for dinner? The fear of ravenous children is enough to scare any Mum to take away. I’ll share with you my life saver meal.
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.
2 tablespoons butter
Cook diced onion in butter until translucent. Break up BBQ chicken into strips and add to onion. Add corn and peas and stir for 3 minutes. In a bowl, add curry powder, flour, salt and chicken stock powder and mix with a little water to make a paste. Pour milk over chicken mixture and allow to boil. Add paste and stir until thick. Sprinkle parsley on top. Serve with rice, pasta or noodles.
How easy is that? All you need to do it pick up a BBQ chicken and the rest you should have in the pantry and freezer. This meal freezes well so make a big batch and stick it in the freezer for rainy day.
Cherie’s Chicken Curry Recipe Sheet (click for PDF)
What’s for Afternoon Tea?
What you need
Milk
Instant Pudding – chocolate, strawberry or vanilla
small serving bowls
I would recommend investing in some sweet plastic bowls. I bought the pictured bowls from Coles for about $4 (for a set of 4). Choosing a bowl makes eating even more fun for children. You can also use the bowls for Jelly.
Instant Pudding is a fun yummy afternoon tea that’s a great source of calcium.
HINT: Add banana or strawberries on top to increase the nutritional value – great idea Karen
Take a Little Holiday Everyday
Take a little holiday everyday is something my Mum taught me. She died 3 years ago so I treasure every little thing she said. I am a busy Mum of four children aged two, three, five and seven. With a husband working 12 hours a day and many weekends I am left to most of the hard yakka myself. People often ask me how I cope without much of a break. One of my secrets is taking little holidays everyday.
A ‘little holiday’ is a short break in the day that takes 5-10 minutes. The secret for me is finding something that I enjoy that does not consume my time. Let me elaborate, I love reading, but if I am engrossed in a book I don’t like to be interrupted and I tend to get lost in that world. Reading a novel is great when I am by myself but reading for me is not a ‘little holiday’. On the other hand, stopping for a cup of tea or flicking through the latest junk mail catalogue helps me to regroup myself without taking me away from my children. Also, I find that reading a short devotional from the Bible is a wonderful way to be refreshed. At the moment I am reading Mothers of the Bible by Dena Dyer. It is very encouraging to read a page a day about Mothers in the Bible (and it was only $2.95 BONUS). For you a ‘little holiday’ may be taking a nanna nap, reading a magazine, surfing the web or doing a little jig. A little holiday is doing an activity that does not become all consuming, multiple times everyday to regroup yourself.
Every Mum should take little holidays everyday. If you are like me and say “I’M TOO BUSY TO STOP” take heart…. I have found I am more productive if I make myself take a ‘little holiday’ everyday.
School Holiday Ideas – In the Sink
All you need is:
- a bathroom sink
- bubble bath (if you have some)
- animal figurines
- toy boat
Then just let the kids stand at the sink filled with water and play an elaborate game. Trust me, they will have a ball.
NOTE: Kids tend to get wet down the front of their clothes.
The Craft Box – Girls Enjoy Craft
I think most girls enjoy craft. Some parents may be reluctant to do craft with their children because they think it takes too much time to organise and tends to be messy. It does not have to be so and I will tell you how.
I have all three of my girls home for school holidays at the moment. I always have the ‘craft box’ stocked up especially around this time. Here are some ideas on how to make craft time a happy time for all.
Establish some rules:
- Children must ask before using the craft box – I am pretty flexible about this and let them use the box often as long as I am not just about to go out or right before dinner.
- If the child uses the craft box they will pack up when finished – if the child does not do this then they can’t use the craft box- it’s as simple as that. The child misses out for a while until they can show they are responsible.
- Once a craft item is made, older crafts get thrown out or recycled -unless it is an extra special item.
NOTE: Don’t be afraid to enforce the rules, children learn really quickly if you are consistent and they KNOW they will miss out if they chose not to follow them.
Craft Box Ideas:
Don’t spend a fortune on craft items. Most discount stores like Crazy Clarks, Two Dollar Shop and Ebay have a huge range of cheap craft items you can buy:
List:
- Stamp pads and foam stamps
- Craft glue
- Glitter glue
- Paper
- Recycled boxes
- Gel pens (you will be surprised how much fun girls can have with a variety of gel pens)
- Highlighters
- Pencils
- Wooden pegs
- Small wood cubes
- Pipe cleaners
- Cotton wool balls
- Straws
- Toilet rolls
Children aged 5+ do not need to be directly supervised as long as you have fixed rules in place. They will spend hours creating and enjoying the ‘craft box’.
Beats TV!
