Little P Baby Store

10 Things I’ve Stopped Saying Now That I Have a Kid…

2011-09-23T10:27:00.000-07:00

10 Things I’ve Stopped Saying Now That I Have a Kid…

March Break Guide-Suggestions from Yummy Mummy Club

2011-03-08T08:02:00.000-08:00

We design a theme for each day - "Fun in the Sun" day where we go swimming at the Y and have a picnic indoors; "Party Day" where we plan a party with the kids' friends| etc!
Suzi in Stratford| ON

For Working Moms| this week can be super stressful. You're not the only Mom facing the same challenge| so let's work together to make a playdate plan for a couple of days during the week! Enlisting the help of Friends| stay home Moms who are ultimately facing the same challenges of trying to keep their kids busy| would love the opportunity to help out by having some pre-planned Playdates! You'll be amazed at how great this can work out and everyone....kids and Moms alike.... can enjoy some pre-planned playdate fun!
Sara in Winnipeg| MB

Plan lots of fun day trips to places like the Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara| the Sugar Bush for Maple Syrup festivals| the Zoo| indoor pools| etc. You could also do an overnight trip to a place like the Great Wolf Lodge or any hotel with a pool.
Brenda in Etobicoke| ON

Create a jar with things to do (make sure you want to do them as well!). Then every day they can pick from the jar. i.e arts and craft day| movie day| building snow fort day| trying new food day...you get the idea. March break is not about spending money - it's about enjoying time together and getting creative.
Julianna in Toronto| ON

Take your kids to the dollar store and give them a $5.00 limit. Tell them to create something (a centerpiece| gift for grandma| etc.) with their own hands. This should free up some time for you and keep the little ones busy creating something handmade to keep for years to come.
Sheila in North York| ON

Get together with your girlfriends who have little ones the same age and take turns at each others houses during the week. Then you're out of the house for 4 of the 5 days. Then organise a "Daddy day" on the Saturday - so you can relax and recuperate....and on Sunday is a Family day at the Zoo! Et Voila!
Charlotte in Oshawa| ON

This year we will be travelling to New York for the latter part of the March Break. For the plane ride| my survival kit includes a portable DVD| crayons| coloring/activity books| a hand held leapfrog and of course my daughters' favorite thing - Robert Munsch books. I am not completely sure what it is exactly| but she loves almost any book written by him and reading his books to her keeps her entertained for hours.
Mary in Markham| ON

Crafts!!! I always have backup crafts and supplies ready for days off with my daughter. She enjoys it| and I get to do something constructive with her without chasing myself in circles!
Harmony in North Vancouver| ON

Give up on housework and concentrate on having fun with your kids.
Jaime in Maple Ridge| BC

For the parents of preschoolers - hire the young teen babysitters who are bored and on holidays. Good for everyone; mommy of preschooler|preschooler| teenager| mommy of teenager. Everyone wins!
Judi in Vancouver| BC

I keep tons of glue and sparkles around because here in BC it is still the rainy season! When we run out of stuff to do| I just open up old books and magazines and let the kids go sparkle crazy! Recipes look really amazing covered in silver glitter! It's a good way to use up old magazines and the kids rooms look so fancy!
Marisa in Coquitlam| BC

Have your children help make up a daily calendar so they'll have something fun to look forward to every day of the break!
Natasha in Toronto| ON

Have a day-long scavenger hunt| with a task for each hour--at breakfast| get the first task; 9 am| change into your day-jammies and get the next task in your pajama drawer; 10 am| raid the fridge for lunch ideas and find the next task under the milk jug| etc.
Faye in Kingston| ON

Plan daytrips| but either go early to the popular places like museums or go 2 hours before closing when the lines are shorter| still giving the kids enough time to get excited and tired!
Etsuko in Toronto| ON

Figure out a calender of ideas to do each day. The kids look forward to the next day| plus there is the added incentive to be co-operative!!!
Susan in Richmond Hill| ON

Enlist the help of dad. Have him take a day off work if possible to spend with the kids| so you can spend a day yourself. Or see if the grandparents will take the kids for a fun filled day. A sleepover party is a must! Taking turns each night will give you a break| and the other parents too! Each slumber night can have a theme with all day activities based on that theme.
Diane in Oakville| ON

Just to be a kid. To play in the snow| smell the Kraft Dinner and drink the hot chocolate. To be free and to understand that it is thier break as well.
Nancy in North Bay| ON

Besides myself| there are at least two other moms from my daughter's class that take time off from work during March Break. Last year| the three of us took turns watching each other's daughters for the day. That way| the girls had playdates at different houses ("new" toys at each friend's house) and each of us moms had a vacation day off.
Daniela in Cambridge| ON

Remember that one day when they are grown and gone and the house is quiet...these are the days you'll wish you had had more of.
Shawna in Winnipeg

I make sure I take 1/2 an hour a day for me. A run on the treadmill before wake up time or extra bubbles in the bath before bed! A happy yummy mummy makes for a great March Break!
Christine in Mississauga

I like to have colouring pages printed from the internet to occupy time in the car.
Robyne in Flin Flon| MB

I start planning for the March Break about a month early. Knowing activity costs ahead of time helps us stick to our budget| and helps prevent impulse "boredom" spending.
Rachel in Barrie| ON

Schedule time for you and the kids to do things together but also APART! Yes they are your children and you love them| but a whole week of loving| family togetherness is a dream! So give it up and make sure you carve out a few chunks of time for them to go off with friends or another adult while you relax| read a book| shop| whatever.
Andrea in Toronto| ON

I keep frozen cookie dough and cake mixes in the cupboard. When it is too cold outside| then we make treats for Daddy inside. We all get covered in icing and have fun| then we all get a sweets afterwards.
Lisa in Angus| ON

Always keep one or two bins of toys put away. On long breaks or holidays pull them out. It is like having all new toys.
Charissa in Fox Valley| SASK

If you can afford it| take a Disney cruise with the kids! We are going back this year - they have activity clubs on board for the kids. Disney gives the parents a pager in case one of the little darlins jumps overboard (they won't) and then you can go to the spa| or get some QT with your hubby!
Sheila in Orleans| ON

Just repeat this mantra "one day at a time". It always works...LOL!
Vicky in Toronto| ON

We take a trip to the dollar store and each child gets to pick out 3 or 4 items that will be fun activities for the break! We do it like a hunt and try to find the items that will keep us busy the longest and that everyone will be able to do.
Lisa in Caronport| SASK

I take the kids up to the local ski hills with our toboggans. There is usually a free access hill and just enough of a slant for the little kids to get a kick out of sliding down the mountain. For the older kids right beside this little hill at Cypress is the Tube park. We have a great day| drink hot chocolate and everyone is exhausted for bed.
Deena in Surrey| BC

Collect some easy baking recipes and bake away with you kids. Playdough is always a favourite. Add plates| play cutlery and let them cook for each other.
Karina in Brampton| ON

Get yourself to the gym each morning for alone time and work off some stress and gain energy!
Jolaine in Abbotsford| BC

I get the kids to help me make cookies and we go to a nursing home and give them to the residents. This is something they love and the residents love seeing the kids. Keeps them busy and teaches them to help others.
Rhonda in Port Moody| BC

Just enjoy March break with your child| because pretty soon he will not need you to be a part of his week. You will be replaced by friends and Playstation and the internet.
Mimi in Ottawa| ON

Do some menu planning with your kids. Let them pick recipes they love for the week. Take them grocery shopping and get them to help buy the ingredients| and then of course help prepare (and cleanup!) the meals they have chosen!
Penny in London| ON

This is a great time to visit your local science or natural history museum. These museums tend to be kid-friendly| and have exhibits that can be touched and often even climbed on. You can't get the kids outside| but maybe they'll burn some of that energy off---and they might learn something in the process
Colleen in Harper Woods| MI

Beading!!....no matter age or sex| winter or summer| they all love to bead. Have a huge tin/container full of funky beads and accessories and grab them to illuminate the chaos. Collect new and used through the year to keep up stock and interest!!
Karen in Summerland| BC

I will survive March Break by sending the kids to their dad's for the entire week of ME time!! Long overdue that's for sure!
Tamara in Guelph| ON

Springtime in the bathtub! Break out the swimsuits - put 'em on - get out paints and bath crayons and go nuts in the tub. Color the walls| the floor| everything. Make a nice spring scene and gear up for summer! The kids will love it and clean up is a breeze!
Jenny in Menomonee Falls| WI

Appreciate every minute of it. Don't get caught up in trying to do it all| the time lines will stress you out. Enjoy every moment as it comes| everything happens for a reason.
Roz in Maynooth| ON

My plan is already in motion| so to speak. The mums have all gotten together and set up play dates for the majority of spring break with fun activities for all the girls. One mum will take the girls to the children's museum. One will have a pj movie party one da . Then the third mum will take the girls for a pool fun day. That covers most of the holiday's and helps out with daycare costs| and the kids are entertained.
Trish in Winnipeg| MB

I have 3 children| so to help the march break go by| I ask each child to plan a dinner for the week. They look forward to their day to cook and I have fun teaching them. I take each child seperately to get their ingredients at the supermarket....they enjoy the alone time with mom.
Lori in Woodlsee| ON

Get together with 4 moms and arrange to have all the kids at one home for a day. One mom brings the lunch| one the crafts or activities| and the other has a day to herself. Alternate so each mom does each activity. The kids seem to be better behaved when they are together and no one gets bored. 3 Moms are at each home so there is lots of help and a chance to socialize for you and the kids. Each Mom has a day to enjoy herself at the spa or to just read a book and relax.
Dianne in Calgary| AB

Network with 4 other mothers so each family has all the kids each of the 5 days. You only have one day of craziness and FOUR days of peace!
Heather in Halifax| NS

Get a package of construction paper and spend the day making flowers to decorate the walls to bring spring faster
Rosemarie in Yarmouth| NS

Go to the dollar store and stock up on craft supplies and games. Put the supplies in a basket and let them create| invent a game or play.
Cecile in Grand Falls| NB

For several months I save all sorts of odds and ends and the kids (I babysit also) make crafts. Then we have a little craft sale and then I bring the kids to a Dollar Store and they can by themselves or their parents something. My daughter and the kids I babysit get very excited about the project.
Debbie is St. Hubert| Que

Don't expect to get all your usual things done It's ok for the house to be more of a mess for a week! Enjoy the kids!

Stage 1 feeding (6-8 months)

2010-11-11T10:20:00.000-08:00

There are many reasons to wait until your baby is 6 months old to start feeding but if you decide to start feeding earlier please check with your pediatrician.

When looking at foods to start here is a list of commonly offered stage 1 Baby Foods:

Stage 1 Fruits:

Apples

Avocados

Apricots

Bananas

Mango

Peaches

Papaya

Pears

Plums

Prunes

Pumpkin

Stage 1 Veggies:

Beans (Green)

Carrots

Peas

Sweet Potatoe

Squash

Stage 1 Grains:

Rice

Oatmeal

Barley

Have fun with first foods. Don't be scared, your child will definitely let you know if they are not ready or don't like something.

Happy Parenting.

Quinoa- 6-9 months and beyond

2010-11-03T18:59:00.000-07:00

Quinoa was something I knew nothing about but I have been told to increase my son's intake of this grain to increase his protein. I found this recipe and enjoy it for myself as well.

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water

Warm a saucepan over medium heat then add quinoa to toast, stirring constantly until golden. About 4 min. Add water and boil. Cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Set aside to steep until quinoa is soft and water is absorbed, another 15 min. Let cool and serve to baby or transfer to airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. What ever you have for left over, mix a little olive oil, garlic, carrots and parmesan cheese for yourself. Yumm

These are great also as a toddler snack. Just toast and then let them eat as finger foods. Please be careful if your child is still prone to chocking.

How To Make Your Own First Cereals

2010-11-03T18:41:00.000-07:00

Oat Cereals and Rice Cereals are usually the first to try. These are great starters and staples because you can use these to mix with any other fruit or vegetable puree.

Oat Cereal
Best to use a steel-cut blade of a food processor or a blender in small batches if necessary.
I used old style, no salt or sugar added slow cooking oats. I was concerned about sodium content so I bought any brands that had the least amount of sodium. I blended in a food processor in batches until the desired consistency. Initially I blended until oats were a very fine powder, about 4 minutes.

To cook
1/4 cup of Oats (blended to desired consistency)
1 cup of water

In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Whisk oats into water and continue to cook, mixing constantly until mixture is thick, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool until warm to the touch. These oats can be served immediately or transfer to an airtight container and refridgerate for up to 3 days.

I found that if I didn't use all the first day I could add a bit of warm milk, water or puree the next two days if too thick.

Rice Cereal
Best if using brown rice for nutritional value.
Long-grain brown rice can be blended or food processed, in batches if necessary and pulsed until desired consistency about 3-5 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

To cook
3/4 cups Brown Rice Cereal
5 cups water

In a saucepan, bring water to a boil over medium heat. Whisk rice cereal into water, stirring constantly. Cook, whisking constantly, until liquid turns brown and thickens, about 10 min. Remove from heat and let sit for 1 hour. Whisk occasionally as it cools. Serve immediately or store for up to 3 days.

I found that if you needed to reheat the next couple days you will need to add some milk, water or puree.

Happy cooking first foods!!

My Top 3 Favourite Baby Recipe Books

2010-11-03T17:55:00.000-07:00

I always loved cooking, even as a little girl. I think one of the first things I asked for was an easy bake oven. Other than 'Chatty Cathy, Batteries not included' as that is what I thought it was called. I don't remember that I ever got an easy bake oven but my mom and dad were very kind and let me help in the kitchen often. I even blew the power in the house one time and fried the microwave by sticking a fork in the door frame and turning it on so I could see how it works. I remind myself often not to tell my son that storey!

So with all that being said, when I had my son it was without a doubt that I wanted to make all his food. I searched many online books, books at our local chapters and also asked many people what they did.

There are 3 books that I fell in love with;

Top 100 Baby Purees by Annabel Karmel
The Healthy Baby Meal Planner, by Annabel Karmel
Easy Gourmet Baby Food, by Chef Jordan Wagman and Jill Hillhouse

If you can find them pick them up, my son is 2 1/2 and I am still using these books.

Our Trip to the Barrie Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-29T11:47:00.000-07:00

Preston and I had a great trip to Toronto with lots of successes. Sick Kids Hospital was incredible and very friendly. Everyone made up feel very comfortable. The Delta Chelsea on Gerrard St was also extremely wonderful. They provided us with a great tray of snacks and beverages for our return from the hospital.

After all the business of the hospital was done we went to Barrie to visit some friends and they took us to a pumpkin patch. Here are some pictures of our trip.

How do I know if my baby is ready to start food?

2010-08-24T09:15:00.000-07:00

There is no defining age in which a baby should start eating. Every child develops at a different rate. Keep in mind that your babies digestive system is simply not developed enough to process foods until he is closer to his half-birthday. The Canadian Paediatric Society and The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding or formula feeding until your baby is 6 months old. Waiting until six months of age to introduce solid foods will help to minimize the risks of developing adverse reactions to foods and allergies. Here are some cues to look for when looking for readiness to start introducing foods.

Can your baby support his or her own head? Your baby needs to be able to keep his head in a steady, upright position.
Is your baby's tongue-thrust reflex (Extrusion reflex) gone or diminished? To keep solid food in his mouth and then swallow it, your baby needs to stop using his tongue to push food out of his mouth.
Sitting well when supported. Even if he's not quite ready for a highchair, your baby needs to be able to sit upright to swallow well.
Chewing motions. Your baby's mouth and tongue develop in sync with his digestive system. To start solids, he should be able to move food to the back of his mouth and swallow. As he learns to swallow efficiently, you may notice less drooling — though if your baby's teething, you might still see a lot of drool.
Significant weight gain. Most babies are ready to eat solids when they've doubled their birth weight (or weigh about 15 pounds) and are at least 5 months old.
Growing appetite. He seems hungry — even with eight to ten feedings of breast milk or formula a day.
Is your baby interested in food? A 6-month-old baby who stares and grabs at your food at dinnertime is clearly ready for some variety in the food department.

If your baby has all or most of these cues than check with your doctor about intrducing solid foods. If your baby seems frustrated or uninterested as you begin, try waiting a few days or weeks before trying again. Remember that solids are an add-on to the nutrition your child will get from breastmilk or formula so don't be concerned about rushing your baby. Remember you and your baby will get messy so keep extra wash cloths and bibs close by.

babyclothdiapers

Welcome to Little P Baby Store Blog

2010-08-17T17:52:00.001-07:00

This blog is to help every new and old parent, grand parent and caregiver figure out what and when to feed their baby. Many parents are baffled by the options they have and don't realize they have simple options in their own cupboards tho start feeding. Also many parents begin to feed their babies to early or too late. I hope to simplify the first stages of feeding and also to help know the signs of readiness.