kids organic: healthier ideas for frozen meals

www.kidsorganic.com

it's the end of a long day. you've built block buildings and knocked them over. you've pushed toy cars all over the house. you've been to the park - twice. you've sung "the wheels on the bus" no less than 700 times.

now all you have to do is make it through dinner and you're home free! what to do when you're exhausted but you still want to feed your child a healthy, well-balanced, organic meal?

shopping at whole foods the other week i stumbled upon kids organic frozen meals. kids organic meals are healthy, well-rounded meals for your tiny tot that provide all the nutrition your children need - with none of the work.

made from locally produced ingredients and served in go-green packaging, kids organic helps ensure that even tired mommies can give their children what they want. each meal is made of all natural and organic ingredients - no translation needed when reading the ingredient list. they're even nutritionally balanced according to the fda's latest food pyramid.

meals are chock full of fiber, minimally processed and come in a variety of kid-friendly options, including macaroni & cheese and baked chicken stars. each entree is accompanied by a fresh vegetable medley and a "dessert" of organic fruit, brown sugar and oatmeal.

kids organic frozen meals microwave in a mere 3 minutes using their revolutionary steam cooking process. let cool for two minutes and voilà! from freezer to table in five minutes flat.

not only are they easy, they're tasty, too. the baked chicken stars got my son to eat chicken - for the first time ever. if that's not an endorsement, i don't know what is. their environmentally-friendly minimal packaging is a huge plus as well. kids organic meals are also healthy enough so that you don't have to feel guilty when snacking on your child's leftovers. not that you would do that, of course.

boobie tuesday! kellymom.com - breastfeeding and parenting support

www.kellymom.com

did you know they have breastfeeding classes? until i was pregnant, neither did i. but at 8 months pregnant, i dragged my husband to day one and made him sit in on a breastfeeding class with me. think it's intuitive? i've got news for you: it's not.

when i had questions and couldn't get a hold of the ten million people i called (lactation consultant, obgyn, my son's pedatrician, new mom friends, anyone with a pulse) i would resolve myself to looking up information online. and that's when i found kellymom.com.

kellymom was founded by kelly bonyata, an international board certified lactation consultant and member of the international lactation consultant association. she has been helping mothers and babies breastfeed for over ten years and keeps up-to-date with the latest research and studies so that you have as much information as possible.

website sections cover basics from getting started to common breastfeeding concerns to nursing a preemie to supply and let-down issues. kellymom also touches on everyone's favorite "is this safe when breastfeeding?" so that you can figure out everything from caffeine to alcohol to (finally) dyeing your hair.

there's even additional information on mom & baby nutrition, parenting, postpartum depression, starting solids, fussy babies and finding local breastfeeding support.

kellymom.com is a "must" for new moms who now have help only a click away. there's a reason they've been around for ten years! tell a friend - kellymom will become your new favorite site. make that second favorite.

puppy pacifier clips by north american bear co.

www.hunkydoryonline.com

ah, pacifiers. a mother's best friend and worst enemy. when cole was a colicky baby, i remember pulling his pediatrician aside and asking in a whispered panic, "how soon can we give him the pacifier?"

then, of course, after a few months of that, i started thinking, "crap - now i'm going to have a 5 year old with a pacifier." for the record, we went off it cold turkey at 6 months and never looked back. but while we had it, man, was it a lifesaver.

the worst part about the necessary evil of the "paci" was how often it would end up thrown on the floor, in the dirt, at the dog or in a mud puddle - you name it. which would leave me or my husband scrambling to find a clean one buried at the bottom of the diaper bag. better yet, i'd be driving in the car on a long journey only to have my son spit out the paci into the depths of the car seat. now how am i supposed to find it with one hand while stopped at a stop sign?

north american bear company, maker of many snuggly soft toys for wee ones, brings us these great puppy pacifier clips. they have brought their popular ollie dachshund (obviously a favorite in our home) and turned him into baby's best friend. in four adorable styles - golden lab, grey schnauzer, brown & white terrier and, of course, ollie dachshund - north american bear company will make sure that your pacifier's not going anywhere.

each baby-safe plush pooch has a sturdy clip on the side to attach securely to baby's clothes while the other end of the gingham check ribbon loops around the pacifier with a strong velcro closure. the puppy is soft and lightweight enough to not bother baby and even gives him a friend to hang out with... or munch on. besides, why settle for an ugly plastic pacifier clip when you can have a loyal and trusted friend guard it for you?

mustela high sun protection lotion spf 50

www.mustelausa.com

it's hot. so hot, in fact, that it's actually cooler outside than it is in my house. time to pack up my son and head to the park!

my 11-month-old son has been blessed with my husband's good looks and my casper-the-ghost white skin. as a consequence, he will now be subjected to me slathering him in sunscreen every time we leave the house.

but not any sun lotion will do! mustela, the brand known for their excellent baby and mommy skin products, has a wonderful sun protection lotion that comes in a casper-friendly spf 50.

formulated specifically for babies over 6 months, mustela's high sun protection lotion comes in both a hand-lotion sized package and a convenient lip gloss sized tube, which can be easily slipped into your pocket as you head out the door. their water- and sweat-resistant formula glides on easily without leaving a sticky feeling behind.

mustela's sun protection lotion contains both titanium and zinc oxide for maximum protection against those harmful summer rays but is still fragrance-free and delicate enough to use on baby's sweet face. just make sure you smooth the lotion in, or it's whiteness will really leave your child looking like a friendly ghost.

you can even use it on your own sensitive skin! just make sure you leave a little for baby.

consumer product safety commission e-mail list

https://www.cpsc.gov/

every night on the news it seems that there's a new and terrifying product recall that i've been blissfully unaware of. things like "caution! your baby's food is made of asbestos!" or "in the news today: bag o' broken glass deemed unsafe for toddlers."

yikes. how do people find out about all these things? i feel like i'm always a week too late and find out that the Baby Jackhammer at Home Kit™ (not for sale in stores) will put my son's eye out only after i've let him play with it already.

my cousin turned me on to the consumer product safety commission's e-mail list for baby products. you can get up to date information in one easy daily e-mail. simply click on the link above, enter your e-mail address and scroll down to select "only those recalls involving infant/child products (list name: child)" so that you don't get unwanted information. you'll receive updates on recalled products the minute it's available.

the cpsc has a strict privacy policy and promises not to give out your e-mail address, so there's no reason not to sign up. after all, if you can get the daily digest about what stupid thing speidi's doing today, you can help keep your little dictator safe.

vivian sonnenberg, sleep consultant

www.viviansonnenberg.com

before i was pregnant, i had never heard the term "sleep consultant." then as my due date approached, i thought, "what kind of a moron hires a sleep consultant?"

answer: me.

my beautiful baby boy was a joy in the hospital. "see?" my husband and i would whisper gleefully to each other, "he's only 5 hours old and he's already the best sleeper ever! we are so lucky!" then we got home.

by the time he was 5 months old, my wonderful little man decided he only wanted to sleep for 90 minutes at a time. always. every night. and after about a month of these 1 1/2 hour "sleep" spurts, with my husband and i officially members of the living dead, we decided to hire our first (yes, first) sleep consultant. and after 6 weeks of working with her and having our only accomplishment be one four-hour stretch at the beginning of the night, we gave up and called vivian sonnenberg.

i had heard vivian's name passed around in mommy circles like some secret password and wondered why all these parents were so enamored of her. people warned, "your baby will have to cry!" and others sang "she saved my life!" and for us, both were true.

after hearing vivian's name for months, i finally gave up and called her. she paid us a house call and that night, cole only woke up ONCE. i think she drugged him. okay, probably not, but she does seem to have the magic baby touch. vivian sonnenberg has almost 20 years of experience working with babies and infants. trained as a nurse in argentina, vivian has been working with little ones of all ages to help them finally sleep and be happier, healthier babies..... not to mention with happier, healthier parents.

vivian's fee includes an initial meeting as well as two solid months of phone follow up, where she will call you almost every day to check in with you and offer periodic advice and support. she is based out of mill valley and will travel within the sf bay area. does she do phone consultations for people out of the area? unfortunately, i'm not sure. but i do know that she was worth every penny that we spent on her.

i play baby wear - sun & swim gear for baby

www.iplaybabywear.com

it's officially summer, and by my estimation, it has been no less than 700° here in san francisco lately. damn global warming.

we took cole for his first "swim" at my folks' place a few weeks ago during the last heat wave and realized a few things. firstly, he needed a swimsuit. secondly, he inherited his mother's glow-in-the-dark pale skin and would need some serious sun protection.

i play baby wear makes just what you need for baby's summer outings. their hats come in many different styles and are made of UPF 50+ sun protective fabric, perfect for protecting baby's delicate face and neck. the hats are lightweight and water-resistant and come in a number of prints, just in case the one you happened to pick out has been deemed "dorky" by your husband.

i play baby wear also makes one- and two-piece "sunsuits" to protect your baby during a day out at the beach. made of i play's UPF 50+ nylon/spandex material, the sunsuits help save your baby with sensitive skin from the sun's harmful rays.

we also got cole i play's "ultimate swim diaper" for when daddy helped him zip around in the pool. with the ultimate swim diaper, no other diaper is necessary. it looks like a little speedo, but has a waterproof layer to prevent leakage and a patent pending design that helps contain, um, "accidents" both in and out of the pool. no more worrying about baby at the beach! the ultimate swim diaper is built into i play's entire basic swimwear line, including trunks, board shorts, sunsuits, bikinis tanksuits and even little baby tankinis.

thanks to i play, now your little one can be stylish and safe during those 3 martini playdates by the pool. welcome to summer!

kidco adhesive mount magnetic lock - no longer recommended!

www.amazon.com: Kidco Starter Lock Set

* updated!*

we've now had these locks for almost a month, and have to admit defeat. first i managed to misplace the "key" (and am still hearing crap about it, thank you very much), then a few of them broke. i can no longer endorse them as-is. the locks may work better once they are screwed in, but we're currently down to 3 out of 5 still functioning. just fyi!

my mom came over the other day to visit, and as she watched my now 10 1/2 month old son crawl after my dog at the speed of light, she turned to me and remarked, "he's going to be a bandit."

thanks, mom.

the worst part? i think she's right. i turned away this morning for what i swear was one millisecond and he was across the room and throwing miscellaneous tchotchkes off the third shelf of my bookcase. time to lock the drawers!

what to use..... something ugly? something i'll have to screw in to my nice cabinets? something that will pinch little fingers trying to reach inside? a ha.... found it! kidco, one of the leading makers of child safety products, has created these ingenious cabinet locks that install without using a single tool. with kidco's adhesive mount magnetic locks, there are no unsightly tell-tale locks on the outside of your kitchen doors - also known as the parental equivalent of the visible panty line.

using a sturdy adhesive, one half of the lock sticks securely to the door frame and the other to the inside of the cabinet - invisible to the naked eye. a strong magnet "key" is held up to the cabinet door to unlock. sounds too good to be true? nope - it actually works and is surprisingly strong. not only can my son pull himself up on the cabinet door (not that i'm advocating this) without it budging, but it also seemed pretty supportive of me giving it a few strong tugs - and although i hate to admit it, i weigh a good deal more than my son.

the only downside to kidco's adhesive mount magnetic locks? making sure you don't misplace the magnet key. we stick ours to the refrigerator after every use to make sure we still have full access to the tupperware cabinet. you know, to get out our baby's "toys."

philips LCD DECT digital baby monitor

Philips LCD DECT Digital Baby Monitor

if, like me, your baby's room is on another floor in the house, you're going to need a good baby monitor.

if, like me, you've stupidly chosen the Coldest Room in the Entire House for your baby's room, then it would be nice to know that your baby's not freezing at night.

and lastly, if, like me, you and your husband switch off on monitor duty and when it's your night you don't want to hear every teensy tiny itty bitty sighing noise that your baby makes - but still want the option to do so - then you need to get philips LCD digital baby monitor.

recommended to me by my neighbors, who carefully vet all their baby products, the philips baby monitor is excellent. the base in baby's room is not only highly sensitive, but can accurately measure the temperature. the handset allows you to remotely turn on music, talk to baby (if you dare) and display the temperature. you can adjust the sensitivity on the handset from "i want to hear every breath you take" to "i really only want to hear you if you're standing up in your crib and banging against the wall with your binky."

the philips baby monitor is amazing. you can turn the volume off, but set an alert to beep at you if baby gets too loud for comfort. you can set a temperature alarm, letting the monitor beep at you if baby's room gets too hot or cold according to temperatures you choose. it's crystal clear with a guaranteed no interference. and best of all, the range is up to 900 feet (yep, that's right!) or as i like to put it, far enough to put the monitor in your pocket and still walk your weiner dog halfway up the street. so go ahead! enjoy your (limited) freedom!

teensygreen - think outside your playroom

www.teensygreen.com

okay, you're a mom. and you worry about the earth and too many chemicals and what the world's going to be like when your little one grows up, but you're not exactly ready to start wearing birkenstocks or make your child's toys out of dirt and leaves. welcome to teensygreen!

we love teensygreen! teensygreen was started by a mom like you and me who was looking for a greener alternative to all the plastics and waste that finds its way into our family's daily lives. (fortunately for me, stefani, the creator of teensygreen, still likes little dictators..... i think.)

teensygreen strives to bring eco-friendly products and services to help parents make greener decisions for their kids. want info on eco-educational outings like san francisco's own ferry plaza farmer's market? need to know what eco-friendly products you should take on your next trip to the beach? how about where to find organic baby clothes and slings? teensygreen's the site to point you in the right direction.

teensygreen is a great resource for moms looking to "greenify" their lives and make earth-friendly decisions for their kids. as stefani says, think outside your playroom! visit teensygreen!

little noses stuffy nose kit

www.walgreens.com

bad news: it's not too late in the season for your baby to catch his or her first cold. we managed to make it 6 months cold-free, and then the sniffles arrived. i blame it on cole's doctor (a doctor!) who swore he was "no longer contagious." bastard.

we've managed to make it most of cole's almost-10-months without any major illnesses, but the sniffles are once again rearing their ugly head. and, naturally, since my son likes to stick his fingers in my mouth and fishhook me, i've got them, too.

so the only thing to do now is wait, drink tea (for me) and use little noses (for him). little noses saline drops and aspirator kit is the easy way to help your snuffy little baby feel better. the saline drops help loosen up stuffy little noses and the nasal aspirator will help suck out any yuckies, assuming your baby lets you get close enough to do so.

the little noses stuffy nose kit also came in particularly handy when we came home from the hospital and paid $9.99 to the emergency help line to report that our newborn sounded stuffy, only to have them tell us "newborns are stuffy." um, thanks.

mommy's helper Safe-Plate™

www.amazon.com

it's so exciting when your little one starts to crawl! one day they're just sitting quietly, the next they're zooming across the floor. and trying to pull up on things. and discovering outlets.

before you run out and spend $1,500 for a baby proofer to come to your house (oh yeah, they'll charge you that much), get a few basics down pat. put cords out of sight, move that sharp-edged coffee table and get new outlet covers.

mommy's helper makes the safe-plate, an electric outlet plate that screws into place easily with just one screw. spring loaded sliding doors mean it's easy for you to plug something in, but snap shut when not in use. the safe-plate outlets stay closed tight when you don't need them and keep prying fingers safe.

make this one thing you can cross off of your baby proofing list - pick up a batch of safe-plates and get to installing!

aden + anais muslin baby wraps

www.adenandanais.com

i don't know about where you live, but here in foggy san francisco it has been uncharacteristically, scorchingly, stiflingly hot. (okay, it's all relative, but trust me: in a city with no air conditioning, it's pretty effing hot.)

it's this type of heat that causes me to call every mom friend i know and have the following conversation:

me: it's so hot.
mom friend: blaaaargh. i'm melting my baby.
me: me too. what is your baby wearing to sleep?
mf: i have NO idea. it's soooooo haaaaaaawwwt.
me: ugh. my baby is going to melt in the middle of the night. haaaaaawt.

and so on.

aden + anais baby wraps are made of lightweight cotton muslin. their unique fabric is both light and stretchy, snuggly and soft. aden + anais wraps are also large enough to actually swaddle your baby when they're bigger than 4 days old, unlike some other swaddle blankets.

aden + anais' wide assortment of wraps and blankets provide moms with something for every occasion - a summer coverup for babies on the go, a breathable summer swaddle, an airy sunshade for tykes in their strollers.....it's the perfect addition to your overflowing "on-the-go" kit for warm weather outings.

thanks to debbie and little asher for the heads up!

alphabet 'n numbers foam puzzle mat

www.rightstart.org

dear alphabet 'n numbers foam puzzle mat,

i owe you a serious apology. i'm so sorry i knocked you in that post i put up last week. i may have mentioned you weren't as cute as some other foam mats. i also may have said something about never wanting you in my house. i'll admit it out loud for everyone to hear: i was wrong.

forgive me, baby. i didn't realize how affordable you were. i didn't appreciate your a-z alphabet letters and 0-9 multicolored numbers. i didn't realize that you were so soft and squishy. you proved me wrong.

you're generously sized and cover up to 36 square feet. you fit perfectly in my living room, much to my simultaneous delight and chagrin. your bright colors are endearing. my husband likes you better than "that other one - why is it so expensive, anyway?" and my dog is oddly drawn to you.

so why don't you let me make it up to you and take you out to a nice dinner, alphabet'n numbers foam puzzle mat. you know i love you.

travels with baby!

www.thetravelingbabyco.com
www.babysaway.com

spring is in the air! the weather's getting warm and your thoughts turn to vacation.

then you remember you have a baby and have three boatloads of baby crap to schlep with you wherever you go.

luckily, there are companies out there who want you to travel with your child! my friend danielle has thoughtfully test driven two of them for you.

the traveling baby company is based out of l.a. and has locations in colorado, new mexico, washington, washington d.c. and throughout california. they specialize in top-rated gear and will deliver you a crib with fresh, clean linens on it - you can even specify your child's gender for bedding. according to danielle, they were "AMAZING" and had "top-of-the-line stuff."

traveling baby company will deliver cribs, high chairs, toys and more straight to your door. they've even thoughtfully designed packages from basic (stroller, high chair, car seat, exersaucer) to deluxe (basket of toys, monitor, crib with linens and more).

baby's away, another option, has locations in 29 states from virginia to hawaii. they can loan you the basics and even beach equipment such as umbrellas, wagons and beach toys. danielle test drove them in hawaii and said they were "not sparkling clean, but just fine for what we needed." they do carry a large inventory which is safety checked, cleaned and sanitized.

baby's away will set up all equipment for you at your destination, too, making set up one less thing you'll have to worry about.

now all you have to figure out is exactly what imaginary disposable income you're going to use to take that vacation with baby....i wish you luck!

skip hop playspot: interlocking foam tiles

www.skiphop.com

now that cole is crawling, i realize all furniture in my house might as well be made of barbed wire. things i never realized were hazardous before i suddenly realize are Really! Dangerous! for Babies!

even our hardwood floor doesn't seem as innocuous as it did last week. baby trying to pull himself up on furniture = baby almost guaranteed to fall down and bonk his head on the ground.

i'd seen a few of these foam playmats around in stores and at friends' houses, but boy, were they ugly. nothing i'd want in my living room, that was for sure. then i discovered skip hop playspot - interlocking foam tiles.

skip hop playspot comes in three different colors to match your decor - brown & pink (shown), blue & gold and brights. easy to put together, attractive AND affordable? sign me up!

sophie the giraffe!

www.amazon.com

have you seen 4-, 5- and 6-month-olds everywhere you go clutching a tiny squeaky giraffe? i have. i couldn't figure out what this weird giraffe cult was and why everyone seemed to be in it but me. then i met sophie.

sophie has been around since 1961 and is a favorite of new moms and tiny babies. she's the cutest teether you'll ever see, with a soft plastic head and bendy legs for teething babies to nibble and drool on. she also has a squeaker that you can use to inadvertently drive your dog crazy.

over 600,000 sophies are sold each year in france, so sophie must be doing something right. (or the french - they did invent french fries.) join the cult of sophie! you know you want to.

play not spray!

www.playnotspray.org

did you know san francisco will be aerially sprayed for the light brown apple moth with an untested bio-pesticide starting august 1st? and that the spray could be repeated every 30-90 days for the next few years?

i don't know about you, but i really don't feel like taking my son to the park in a hamster ball.

so what can you do about this? play not spray!

1. get informed! visit playnotspray.org and stopthespray.org for more information.

2. meet other concerned moms at a pacific heights community meeting!

thursday, april 24, 6:15pm
town school for boys, 2750 jackson St. (at scott)

3. join the "play-in" at sf city hall!

you can bring your little ones to a peaceful protest with state sen. migden
monday, april 28th, 10:00am
polk street steps of sf city hall

got questions? visit play not spray at playnotspray.org for more answers!

earth's best organic baby food

www.earthsbest.com

when we starting feeding cole "real" food, i was so excited! i was also an idiot. when his doctor told me that he should start with rice cereal, i actually asked her if she meant "...like rice crispies?" (leave me alone. i've never done this before.)

then, of course, i decided that i was going to make my own baby food! all the time! i would practically grow the vegetables myself! it would be great! yeah, that wasn't going to happen. don't get me wrong - i'm perfectly capable of mashing a banana up with a fork, but half the time i don't prepare things on time or don't have anything in the house other than a mostly-eaten box of fig newtons.

enter earth's best. they make organic baby food that's affordable and easy. their rice cereal is whole grain, so even if your dinner consists of two spoonfuls of frosting and some leftover chinese food (um, hypothetically speaking, of course), your baby can have healthy delicious meals.

jarred baby food is organic as well, and categorized into three stages for different textures and food combinations suitable for babies of every age. earth's best can be found almost everywhere, from whole foods to safeway, so you have no excuse not to stock up. now, where's that frosting...

wholesome baby food

www.wholesomebabyfood.com

you're finally ready to start your baby on solids! hooray! now what the frack are you supposed to do?!?!

wholesomebabyfood.com is a great website with guides and helpful, easy-to-read charts on what foods to start your baby on and when. there's a lot of information out there, but this is online and searchable - no scouring a huge book to figure out what to do.

there are also answers to your top questions, like "do i have to start with cereal?" "how much should my baby eat?" and "how do i clean mashed avocado out of onesies?" (okay, maybe not the last one. but the rest and more are there.)