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Growing up in a world of adventure.

creating a car-loving baby

With all these wonderful baby adventures, baby must make friends with the car.  Not every place is walkable unfortunately.  We never thought we’d have a baby that didn’t like the car.  In fact, for the first 6 weeks or so, baby B loved the car.  He was either content back their checking out the toys hanging from his car seat or just dozed off and took a nice snooze.  But some where along the line he decided the car seat was not for him, and he began to scream as soon as he was strapped in.

Being such active, adventurous people, we were very disheartened.  Every outing became a production and a wee bit frustrating.  In response to B’s car hatred, we scrambled for ideas.  Some we found in books, some from other moms and dads, internet searches, baby classes…you name it. Some we also just came upon by accident.  Here are our tricks to creating a car-loving baby:

  • Keep the car moving.  Do whatever you can to keep going.  Is there a route you know of that has just a few lights? Take it.  I will go out of my way sometimes because I know I will get a nice long stretch of road without any lights.  If you encounter a red light and have to stop, give yourself some room between you and the car/crosswalk.  Then you can inch forward, and keep the car moving.  Pumping the brakes also helps.
  • Dance music.  I don’t know why, but baby B loves him some ridiculous dance music.  There is a high school run radio station here in Seattle that plays music almost continuously.  It seems they never have commercials.  Perfect.
  • Static.  Find a point in between stations that makes that beautiful shushing sound.  It reminds babies of being in the womb with all the fluid rushing around.  Very soothing.
  • Toys.  Hang fun toys from rings on the car seat handle.  Baby B loves toys that crinkle. Toys with a mirror can also be quite facinating.
  • Pacifier.  I know these aren’t for everyone, but apparently they work really well for some babies.  Baby B? Not so much.  He never took to the pacifier much to our dismay.  I’ve seen some really fussy babies become quite calm with the insertion of this tool.
  • Photographs.  We found this idea  in one of Slaed’s dad books (Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads by Gary Greenberg).  Take a towel or blanket and tape photographs of familiar people (parents, grandparents, siblings, the baby, pets, etc.).  Then place your masterpiece on the seat back that the baby faces. How could they be sad looking at their loved ones?
  • Baby Mum Mums. This is for an older baby starting at around 4 or 5 months.  Baby Mum Mums are delicious little rice crackers made just for babies.  They are a type of teething biscuit, and practically dissolve in the baby’s mouth the instant you put them in. Since baby B isn’t fond of the pacifier, we’ve found these help him get through those rough patches in the car.  This is of course easier if you have 2 adults traveling in the car: one to drive, one to feed mum mums.
  • Travel Sleep Sheep. This is along the same lines as the static.  We received this wonderful invention as a gift when baby B was first born. It has been a life saver.  It’s a little sheep that hangs from his car seat that plays various types of white noise.  A babbling brook, rain, mother’s heart beat, etc.  The sounds seem to calm Baby B and help him stay asleep.  It’s very soothing for me too!
  • Temperature.  Make sure your baby isn’t too hot or too cold.

What car tricks do you have?

Good luck on your adventures.  Here’s to many happy, car-loving babies!

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10 free baby outings

When your goal is to get out of the house with the baby there are times when you want to do something, but you might not want to add another expense. Expenses are already adding up with the addition of this new little person. So here are some ideas where money can’t be an excuse to get going! Full Disclosure: I’m a huge nerd, so you may not enjoy or get a kick out of some of these things as much as I do!

1. Take a walk or drive to your nearest Trader Joe’s. You don’t need to buy groceries, but of course it is a grocery store, so that may happen. Either way, what I love about Trader Joe’s besides the great food and prices, is the daily demonstration cooking! I look forward to the special treat each time I visit, and as a bonus, they have fresh brewed coffee to go along with your tasty sample.

2. Visit the library. Libraries allow you to check out a ton a books! I know, I know, the last place you may want to take your baby is a quiet library, but it’ll be fine. You just have to time it a bit. Check your local library for programs too. Our library has a weekly baby story time (free!).

3. Check out local art walks in your community. These are great because if baby gets fussy in one location, you can leave, regroup, and move on to another shop. Not only do you get to check out and support the work of local artists, but many provide complimentary drinks and snacks!

4. While my husband and I (and the baby, of course) were out grocery shopping on a Saturday night and feeling sorry for ourselves, we stumbled upon a wine tasting! It was so easy and pressure free. Apparently, this occurs every Friday and Saturday night at the larger QFC’s in our area. Do a search for tastings in your neck of the woods.

5. You don’t have to go furniture shopping. You can go furniture looking. Awhile back we discovered a very special thing about one particular furniture store. In the middle of this HUGE furniture store (it’s 1/4 of a mile around), there is a complimentary snack bar including cookies, popcorn, and pop. If you live in Washington, it’s Mor Furniture, but there are other locations in California, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, and New Mexico. If you don’t live close to a Mor Furniture, there may be other furniture stores that do this same thing. Feeling like you filled up too much on popcorn and cookies? Take 4 laps around the store, and you’ve walked a mile!

6. Go to the farmer’s markets in your area. You don’t have to feel obligated to buy anything, though it’s a great thing to do. Everyone wants to sell their product, so they are willing to give away tons of free samples. Peruse the stalls and enjoy what your local community has to offer.

7. Just last weekend, we borrowed a friend’s Costco card to see whether or not it would be worth it to join. We decided it wasn’t for us, but I realized it’s another great free baby outing! Go around lunch time, and fill up on all the samples they have of their products. We were there on a Saturday, and in 30 minutes tasted at least 10 different things from drinks to veggie burgers,to chicken noodle soup.

8. Find a mom (or dad!) and baby exercise class. There are lots of options including yoga, stroller strides, and baby boot camps. Many of these classes offer a free introductory class allowing you to see if the program is the right fit for you. Take advantage!

9. Take a hike! Or a walk or run. Your neighborhood, city, and state are waiting to be explored. This is also a great time for baby to take a nap. My little guy sleeps so well in the stroller and carrier.

10. Visit a chocolate factory! On a walk around the Fremont neighborhood in Seattle, we came across the home of Theo Chocolates, a local Seattle chocolate company.  We were able to sample nearly every chocolate they had for sale, and that’s a lot of chocolate! And…you guessed…all for FREE.

Here’s little B on some of our free outings:

Golden Gardens Park

Wine tasting…

Fisherman’s Terminal

Volunteer Park Conservatory

Kubota Garden

Theo Chocolate Factory

That’s all for now. What other outings have YOU discovered?

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baby adventure: Soccer Game

When I finally came out of a fully sleep deprived state (note: I can in no way claim I am getting tons of sleep, just more than the first weeks with baby B.), I wondered often…”What can I do with this little person…” or “What can I get away with doing with this little person“.  I plan to share many more of our “adventures”, but here is one of our first “big” outings:Seattle

Sounders Soccer game

We have the MLS here, and are huge fans of the Sounders. We didn’t want to be stopped from enjoying one of our favorite sports, so we packed Baby B up, and headed off the game.  We found it best to start with a day game (1pm on a Saturday to be exact).

We made sure to bring all the usual supplies for a newborn including a back-up bottle in the case that the usual methods did not work smoothly. We found that the easiest way to tote the baby around is with our Ergo carrier using the infant insert.  Also, just to be on the safe side, we purchased baby headphones to protect Baby B’s ears from the wild cheers, chants, and most importantly, the fireworks.  These were not exactly necessary, but a good precautionary item to have on hand.

We had a blast at the game, and were even able to meet up with friends during half-time.  You can do this too!  No Major League Soccer teams in your area? Check for club teams, development leagues, and don’t forget women’s teams.

We were very lucky to have B born during such beautiful weather.

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Beef Rice Mexicali

Prepare to be amazed.  This dish is delicious.  It’s also very easy.  It’s not exactly homemade.  Maybe homemade-ish? My husband has been making this dish since he was about 13 years old, and it’s quite a tradition in his family.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
  • 3 cups Instant Rice
  • 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
  • 1 3/4 cup water
  • 1 (12 oz) can corn (drained)
  • 2-3 teaspoons chile powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons onion salt
  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

In a large pot, brown the beef or turkey.  If you are using turkey, be sure to break up the pieces into smaller bits.  Drain meat.  Stir in rice, tomato sauce, water, corn, chile powder, and onion salt.  Bring contents to a boil.  Cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.  Uncover, and sprinkle cheese on top. Allow the cheese to melt. For those who like more spice,  a few shakes of Tabasco sauce can be added during the last minute of simmering. Yum!

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