Hooking on those sippy cups...

In the March 2008 issue of Parents magazine, a reader gave kudos to the Bottlelink. Basically, they are links to attach to a bottle/cup and then a chair, etc. so that they don't fall to the ground.

Connor is infamous for dropping his cups while in the van. And then they roll and I can't reach them while driving. I'd seen the Bottlelink, but haven't purchased them.

Here's my attempt at the same thing:
We already have the Inchbug Labels that wrap around the cups. See here for that post. I'm thinking I'm going to use those as well as the Bright Starts Lots of Links to connect the cups to the boys' car seats. Now, I know that the links come apart, so it's not fool-proof, but, it's materials I already have. Worth a shot.

A coworker mentioned these, which she has only found at Walgreen's. They are the No Throw straps; a 2-pack is $5.99. Might have to go buy those before our Thanksgiving travels...

Simply Adorable Thanksgiving Crafts

The November 2009 issue of Parents magazine featured some super-cute table decorations. The Parents website has the full article here, but here's a sampling of my favorites.


A Stylish Centerpiece


What You'll Need
16" to 18" sticks
Acrylic paint
Paper grocery bags
White paper
Glue
Colored pencils
Tall drinking glasses
Beans
Lentils or split peas

Make It
1. Paint sticks different colors and let dry.
2. Cut 5" circles from grocery bags and cut 3-1/2" circles from white paper. Mount white circles on top of brown ones with glue and let dry. Write letters on each of the white circles to write a Thanksgiving sentiment (we spelled out "Give Thanks").
3. Glue each circle to a painted stick and anchor in a glass full of beans, lentils, or split peas. Display down the center of your dining table or along a buffet.

Branching Out Muslin Placemats: These hand-stamped muslin placemats can be used year after year.



Ring Around the Napkin
Pop off the nut portion of an acorn and glue a pom-pom in its place. Trim to create a conical shape, then tie string to the stem.

Cool Turkey Place Card Craft

This was featured in the November 2007 issue of Parents magazine. It's so darn cute!

"It's a Bird! It's a Turkey! It's a napkin? Yup. Here's a super-simple way to dress up your holiday dinner table, from event designer David Stark. Just pick up a colorful gourd at the store, trim the stem into a "beak", and use cloves to make the eyes. Go to parentsmag.com for easy to follow directions on how to make the fan fold. From the book Napkins with a Twist, $20."

Traveling With Kids Tips

As the holiday season is approaching, many of us will be traveling with our kids - and maybe it's your first time traveling with them.

Mike and I took the boys to see some of his family last March and we took them to the lake (once!) this summer. Traveling with infants is rough!

Here's an article I found in one of my magazine piles:
The Ultimate Guide to Traveling with Kids: Road Trips: Surviving the Ride

Best Kid-Tested Toys

This article was featured in the November 2008 issue of American Baby magazine. I liked it because there was a "tester" in each age group, and then it gave the parent's review as well. You might get some gift ideas... :)

Best Kid-Tested Toys of 2008

This article was in the November 2008 issue of Parenting magazine.

Mom-Tested! Toys of the Year 2008

Making Toy-Purchasing Decisions...

This was written in the November 2008 issue of American Baby magazine:
"Spotlight: FatBrainToys.com: Mark and Karen Carson, Nebraskan parents of three, started this website (out of their garage!) to help parents make more informed toy-purchasing decisions. They pick toys carefully, write long descriptions, and post where toys are made. Tons of reviews round out the site."

I'm big on reading reviews before making a big purchase - off the top of my head, this year I've searched for a garmet rack, a sewing machine, a play kitchen (for the boys, of course!), etc. I don't want to buy something and then hate it...so I plan ahead.

I frequently read Amazon, but this website seems like it would also be helpful for kids' stuff. I checked it out - they don't appear to have reviews for everything on their site, and you can also purchase off the site. Wasn't exactly what I expected, but seems good!

Floret Dolls - look at the fabric!

Since today is November 1st, I decided to search for magazine pages from past years' November for this month's posts. I found this in the November 2008 issue of American Baby magazine...

the doll is cute and all, but that isn't what drew me to the picture in the magazine. I couldn't find "the picture" from the magazine online, but I found what was in the picture:

This probably doesn't mean anything to you.

But, take a look at these pictures of the boys' 1st birthday shirts:

Connor (above)

Logan (above)

So, do you see it? It's the same fabric! Now, some may know that I searched high and low for "the fabric" (because I made their shirts - with assistance). I had a vision in my head, and went to several stores before finding the right fabric. How exciting to see it on a doll that was featured in a magazine. I know, I'm a bit corny, but I think it's cool.

Here's the information on the doll, written in the November 2008 issue of American Baby magazine:

"Foreign Friends: Simone Kaplan was born in Brazil, designed costumes in California, studied tapestry in Portugal, and is now raising two songs in Brooklyn. Their drawings inspire her creations, such as these dolls. floretnyc.com" -Janeen Koban