Three of my favorite baby products

Let's face it, babies need stuff. They come into the world naked and alone, but man they collect stuff like hoarder! 

I thought I would share three baby products we use daily at this house. And I love them all. 

Note: These are my honest opinions. I wrote this post on my own without sponsorship. However, this post does contain affiliate links and you can read my disclosure policy here. 

Seven Generation baby lotion.  I've been using this lotion on Little Bit. He has sensitive skin and this is a mild lotion that is hypo allergenic. It does have a smell that requires some getting used to- you know what I mean that "natural product smell." But I love the lasting moisture. I even us it on myself. 

Weleda Daipaer Ointment.  I have had to use this on Little R for months now. It is kind of pricey, but man it works. It is the only thing that has cleared his monster diaper rash. 

Aguaphor Healing Ointment. I am convinced this stuff is pure magic!!! Little Bit has gotten some irritation between the folds in the skin on his neck. I have tried and tried to help him. Then I accosted a lady with an infant on the baby aisle of Publix. 

"Try this," she said and handed me the tube right off the shelf. I just so happened to have some samples of it at home so I could try it before I bought it. One night! That's all it took to clear it up. I put some on baby's neck and the next day the irritation was gone!!

I thought I would also share some update photos of the boys. 

Sweet brothers!

Too cool for Sam's Club. 

Our family photos!

A couple weeks ago a friend of mine came and took a few photos of our family now that we are a family of four. I thought I would share them with you. 

My sweet bunny! 

And someone is excited to be a big brother. 

(All Photos taken by Candid Photography)

Super Gentle, Reusable Baby Wipes

Both my babies have really sensitive skin. That's one of the reasons I chose to cloth diaper my older son. And when Little Bit gets to be about two- three months old I will start cloth diapering him too. 

But right now he seems to have a MAJOR sensitivity to baby wipes. Even the hypo allergenic, unscented baby wipes. He just screams and screams when I clean his little hiney. It's sad. 

So I scoured the internet for a gentle baby wipe solution. The problem is, a lot of the baby wipe "recipes" call for baby wash, which can be irritating when a baby already has sensitive skin. 

Then I found one I liked, tweeked it a bit and decided to use something resuable- baby wash cloths. 

So far, so good. Little Bit doesn't complain too much. 

What you'll need:

About a dozen baby wash cloths

1-2 cups filtered or distilled water

1 TBSP Castille Soap - I used Dr. Bronner's Baby Mild  (Note: This is an affiliate link. Read my disclosure policy HERE.)

3-4 Drops Lavender

An old baby wipe container or a plastic container with a lid.

I started by cutting my wash cloths in half. 

I mixed my water, soap and lavender in a bowl. 

Next I placed my wash cloths in the plastic container and poured the solution over the wash rags. Then I gave them all a good shake. 

The oil in the castile soap is soothing to baby's bottom and the scent is pleasant. Plus you can throw them in the washing machine and pop them back in the container and mix up a little more solution. 

5 ways to play with ice

Hi! I'm Sarah from Spoon Fed Baby! I blog about homemade baby food, play time ideas, and surviving motherhood. I am thrilled to be guesting for Lydia as she welcomes her new sweet baby!

Heelllooooo summer!!!! I am over the top in love with summer (especially with a toddler in the house) because it means that we can get out of these four walls! Here in MI spring flirted with us for quite a while and it seemed to be taking forever to get here. So yeah, I'm ready for warm, sunny, summer-y days!

I have a almost 2 year old that is a bouncy, curious, giggly boy that we call P-buddy over at my blog. We have done the whole spectrum of inside winter activities from sink sensory bins too cool whip bath times, that it is finally time to take our play outside!! One thing that I am excited to bring into our play this summer is ice! It's the perfect sensory experience for little hands AND it's a great way to keep cool in the heat.

5 Ways to Play With Ice!

To make the perfect size ice cubes for little hands I have found that plastic baby food containers work wonderfully! They stack up nice and neat in the freezer and are bigger than a standard ice cube tray. I only needed 1 drop of color for each ice cube. If I added too many drops they all started looking black!

• Ice and water. So simple! Not too much explanation here obviously! A bin outside on the grass is a great way for toddlers (or infants!) to explore with the ice. Add some scoopers, bowls, and cups in and you are set to go!
• Salt and ice. Sprinkling some salt on top of the ice cubes creates a fun crackling sound that the kids will enjoy listening to and watching! A salt shaker at the Dollar store is perfect, or for something bigger you can try a Parmesan shaker.
• Theme ice bins. The Dollar Tree (I'm a bit obsessed - our bath toys come from there!!) always has cute seasonal ice cube trays that you can use to make a theme ice play bin. An example might be some frog ice cubes, green water (cold so the cubes don't melt as fast), craft foam lily pads, leaves, and rocks. You will have a perfect frog pond sensory experience! Great for learning new vocabulary also!
• Ice balloons. Take a balloon and fill it with colored water and freeze. Peel the balloon off and you have very cool looking ice balls! Throw them, hammer them, or drip warm water on them to melt them. Lots of possibilities!
• Ice treasures. In a bigger container put some trinkets or mini treasures with the water and freeze. After they are frozen give your child some tools to start digging away at the ice to get to the treasures!

Have fun outside this summer and keep cool!! Thanks for reading! You can find me here: Spoon Fed Baby, facebook, pinterest, google+

Beautiful Boy

We have a new, sweet baby boy. He is absolutely gorgeous and I am so happy that our family of three is now a family of four. We are now a multitude of Senns. 

Little Bit, as I will be calling him here, was born on May 27 at 5:49 p.m. He weighed in at a whopping 9 lbs 2 oz. But when I hold him he doesn't seem that big. I guess I am so used to toting around a 29 pound 18-month-old. (Yes, I know I have BIG babies.)

A little about our new boy:

He has red hair. 

He was born 9 days past his "due date."

He is a big eater and like all newborns his favorite activity is cuddling. 

Our sweet "big baby," R, is getting used to being a brother. 

But I don't doubt he will be the best big brother he can be. As my mother has reminded me, this new baby is as much a part of God's plan for R's life as he is for mine and Jason's lives. 

It's been interesting so far to have two under two. I was really frightened the first day Jason went back to work after only a week off. But I held it together nicely. Everyone was clean, fed and still somewhat happy when Daddy got home. 

But I have a feeling that in a few more months these boys are going to gang up on me with their cuteness. 

For now I leave you with a verse I picked out for I.

You have been helped by Me before you were born and carried since you were born. ⁴ Even when you are old I will be the same. And even when your hair turns white, I will help you. I will take care of what I have made. I will carry you, and will save you.

Isaiah 46:3b-4

Five Nursery Organizing Ideas I love (and stole from Pinterest)

Some people fantasize about exotic locations. I dream of being organized. It's something I am working on but a slow process. 

So here are five things I found on Pinterest. Five Nursery Organizing Ideas I Love.

Organized drawers from My Sweetnest. This nursery is enviable. 

I am acutually doing this in baby I's room. I have extra diapers, wipes and creams in a drawer under his changing pad. 

Under Crib Storage. A Lovely Lark has this idea. I LOVE IT! 

Boots & Tooty has this adorable storage idea! Look at it, an old Farmer’s Market Epergne. Clever, clever. 

These buckets from Pottery Barn are really precious. 

RNL Musings has this great idea for organizing baby clothes. It's like shopping in the closet!

Today I am linked to The Baby Shower. 

Nursery Reveal: Our Little Farmer's Room

Our new little boy will be here any day now. I can't wait to meet him, hold him and kiss his little face. But until then we have busied ourselves with preparation.

Little "I's" room is a farm and truck theme (although right now it's more farm than truck) and I would say it's about 90 percent complete. I just need a rug. But I thought I would give you a brief tour.

Here is a before and after shot. Before it was sort of a catch all for our junk.

 

We moved in a dresser that used to be at my Grandmother's house. This will be I's dresser as he gets older and for now it makes a really good changing table. (I honestly don't see the point in buying a changing table. Why have a piece of furniture that takes up space like that with limited function?)

This old house has walls made of stucco, so it is really hard to dress them up. They are bland and ugly. But I did make photo display "stick" on the wall (You can barely see it sticking out at the top of the photo). Here is a how to.

This is our quiet, soothing corner. The rocking chair belonged to Jason's grandmother and the side table belonged to my great aunt. You can click here to see how I recovered the chair.

The opposite wall of the rocking chair is the crib. It's pretty boring looking right now with no bumper pad and nothing hanging above it. But I am stickler for the rules when it comes to infant safety. Even the blanket will be removed. It's just for decoration.

The crib is made by Delta, it's the 3-in-1 Cherry bed, and I am thrilled with the way it looks. (This is an affiliate link, please read my disclosure policy.)

 

We got these basic room darkening curtains at the Home Depot. They are made by Martha Stewart. However, I think they use the word "darkening" pretty loosely.

The fabric drape was leftover from the rocking chair renovation project and was purchased at a locally owned fabric store.

Here are some friends waiting for Little I to get here. 

There are two closets in I's room. One contains clothes for both boys (sizes newborn through 3T). The other contains lots and lots and lots of diapers. I have been purchasing diapers on sale since I found out I was pregnant. We're good for a while. And when he gets a little bigger I plan to cloth diaper the new baby.

So it seems we're pretty ready for this baby to get here!

If you want to see some really creative ideas hop on over to Romance on a Dime for Take it On Tuesday.

Baby Beach Gear and Ideas

It's officially beach season down here in South Alabama. Well, it's been beach season for a couple months. But before you get jealous remember we have EPIC humidity. 

I have a little water baby. He has loved the few times we've gone to the beach. He LOVES playing in the sand and I am happy to report that even as a little, little fella he never ate it. 

He even loves the pool. 

But I've learned over the past year there are a few things a baby needs when going to the beach or the pool. 

1. Swim Diapers. When going to the beach we just use a shell from our cloth diapers. But our YMCA requires a swim diaper and when I say require I mean they will fine you! So we use Little Swimmers. (This is an affiliate link, please read my disclosure policy.)

Here is my trick. I put a cloth liner under his Little Swimmer. Then I just ring out the swim diaper and reuse it. I just hate waste! 

2. SPF. I am a stickler for SPF. I put on a 30 SPF everyday and when we are taking our little buy to the beach or just outside to play I slather him down.

I like this stick by Neutrogena. 

 

3. A hat. Seriously, how cute is that boy in that hat. He loves it. He wears it all the time and I am so happy about that. I actually got it a Gymboree for only $1.48! How breat is that? 

4. Beach Toys! My Mother-in-Law found these cute shovels and things at Hobby Lobby. Our boy loves them so much. We play with them in the yard, the garden and the beach. He is serisoulsy attached. I have seen some really cute shovel and bucket sets at The Dollar Tree as well. 

5. Baby Powder. Baby Powder? Yes. You sprinkle a little on the baby's feet and the sand falls right off. 

6. Bath Sheet. Nope. Not a towel. If you're going to visit the beach often invest in some bath sheets. Utopia has some cute bath sheets for around $15. 

7. A picnic. Don't hit up the local McDonalds. Pack your own snacks. You can pack water with little drink packets, fruit and sandwiches in a cooler and save a lot of money. But don't forget to bring a trash bag. We don't want to litter on the beach. 

What's your favorite thing to bring to the beach? 

This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. 

Today I am linked to The Baby Shower. 

Bedtime Book Favorites

For as long as my son has been on this planet we have been reading to him. My mother read to him in our hospital room the morning after he was born and we've been reading to him day and night since. 

It's important. I believe that a child learning to read is one of the single most important things that can happen to them. Think, what is more life changing than reading? 

So I thought I'd share some of our reading favorites. 

 (These are affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.) 

Good Night Moon.  This one is a classic and we have been reading it to sweet baby boy since the day we brought him home. Good night room, good night moon... 

The Going to Bed Book.  We heart Susan Boykin at this house. But The Going To Bed Book is our favorite. My sister gave it to me as a shower present and it might be time to buy a new copy. 

The Begginers Bible.  Each night we read the baby a bible story and a book or two. This one was really good for basic stories. However, my husband did find himself trying to explain some of the inaccuracies to our toddler. 

If you Give a Mouse a Cookie.  This is officially the first book that our boy has gotten attached to. I read it six or seven times a day. I am not even kidding a couple weeks ago I hid it just to give us a break from that mouse and his cookie. I think I recite it in my sleep. 

Guess How Much I love You.  Jason bought this one for our boy right after he was born. It's so sweet and I love listening to him read it to the baby. 

There is a Monster at The End of This Book.  We love Grover. Elmo is seriously over-rated. This is another book Jason bought the boy and I remember this one from my childhoo. I think the boy loves it as much as I do. 

The Little Blue Truck. This is one of our favorites. We loved this one so much we have made it the new baby's nursery theme. I love the friendly little blue truck and all his farm animal friends. 

Do you have a bedtime book favorite? 

This post contains affiliate links. 

Today I am linked to The Baby Shower. 

Tools I love for toddler feeding

Feeding a baby can be a challenge as they get older. That sense of independence kicks in and I know for my son, he wants to do it all himself. It gets to be a battle. 

So I wanted to share with you a few things I've found to make toddler feeding a little easier. 

A sippy cup with a straw. These Toss and Go cups with straws have been a lifesaver. 

Clearly my sweet boy loves a straw. Here he is swiping my drink. So I got him his own cup and he drinks way more water out of it than a traditional sippy cup.

But when I need sweet boy to take a traditional sippy cup I really like these cups from USA Kids. They are made right her in Alabama. They are BPA free and they absolutely do not leak. But they are hard to find. 

These Munchkin spoons are great because the spoon part is deep enough to hold onto food that might get flung off otherwise. 

And you can see that sweet boy likes to wear his yogurt. 

But I LOVE this spoon and fork set from Green Toys. They are made out of recycled milk jugs and are the perfect size for little, chubby hands. 

Those baby food pouches are convenient. But they are expensive and leave a lot of waste to be tossed out and not reused. I love these SqeezEms pouches. I fill them with yogurt or homemade foods and my sweet boy loves them. 

Do you have a favorite feeding item?

This post contains affiliate links, but these are not paid endorsements. 

Today I am hopping at the Baby Shower.