Guest Blogger, An Island Life: Baby’s First Birthday Party 01/24/2012

In Hawaii, a baby’s first birthday is a pretty big deal. I’m not sure how the tradition started but most families will celebrate their child’s first birthday by hosting a huge luau and invite pretty much every single person they know – family, friends, co-workers, long lost cousins.

The cost of throwing this event can get expensive so before we had kids my husband and I swore that we would not succumb to the pressures of having a big party. After all, not only will the child not remember it but he or she will probably sleep through the entire thing.

Then Kacie was born and everything changed. One look into her eyes and I knew I would want to share this bundle of joy with the world. After all, she was our first born.  So only three days after coming home from the hospital I was on the phone trying to find a place that could accommodate 200 of our closest friends. And since I’m not really an outdoor kind of gal, instead of the beach or an outdoor recreation center I opted for a more comfortable, air-conditioned environment . . . like a ballroom.

The decorations, food, favors, centerpieces, goody bags, musical entertainment, bounce house, magic show, clown show, ice cream bar . . . the to-do list went on and on.

It took one year of planning and it was over in an instant.

I remember getting up in the morning and cooking breakfast for everyone, including the in-laws. I remember trying to give Kacie a bath against her wishes. I remember my husband driving me crazy because he couldn’t decide which shirt to wear (Seriously? That was the only decision he had to make in this whole process). Everything else is pretty much a blur but I do remember saying that I would never do it again.

Then Kiana was born and of course she had to have a big party for her, too. I didn’t want her to grow up and wonder why her older sister had such a big celebration and she had a . . . . I already get enough guilt trips from my younger sister who complains that my parents have 10 albums filled with my baby pictures and only one album for her . . . with me being in almost half of her pictures. So I spent another year planning another birthday party.

Then Kaila was born and, well, you can guess what happened.

Looking back, I don’t have any regrets about hosting these events. As predicted, the girls do not have a single recollection about their parties but they constantly watch the videotapes of all their loved ones coming together to celebrate their special milestone.  However, these days birthdays are spent at Chuck E Cheese, the beach, or Grandma’s house. In fact, when Kiana turned 6 a few days ago all she wanted was to go to a local Japanese restaurant for dinner because they stick a little umbrella in the kids meals.

Big or small, every birthday is cherished when we spend it with family and friends.

Kailani is an island Mom-blogger and mom to 3 young girls. You can check out her blog at http://islandlife808.com.

Playground Chatter: Do You Have Any New Year Resolutions? 01/12/2012

It’s a New Year and time for reflecting. We recently asked our fans if they have any resolutions for 2012, for themselves or their little ones. Read all about them here and share your thoughts!

Samantha said, “Just to continue to be healthy and grow.”

Krysten noted, “Just keep with the healthy eating and making him a happy toddler.”

Callie shared, “Continue to love each other and spend as much time together!”

Amanda posted, “[take] at least one picture of the 3 of us a week.”

Charlene said, “My son will be 2 in March and got him a Cars Potty for his potty training. I have the resolution that he will be potty trained here shortly.”

Stephanie shared, “Getting ready and motivated to do homeschool preschool. My oldest isn’t even 3 yet and can count to ten, knows her alphabet, and her colors. At this rate with a real focus on teaching her, i bet she’ll be reading by this time next year!”

LucasitosMommy tweeted, “@babyeinstein To put little man in preschool #resolutions”

Diana noted, “My son turned 5… I want to enjoy the out doors with him as much as we can!”

Kassey posted, “My resolution is to get my almost 10 month old to nap without me right next to her. My new years wish, for her to sleep thru the night by the time she is 18 months old. Please baby girl! Please!”

Veronica said, “Besides just staying healthy. I can’t wait to see her crawling, walking, splashing in the pool, and then hearing her first words. This is going to be a GREAT year!!”

Tiffani resolves “To continue speaking to her in both English and Spanish so she continues to be bi-lingual ”

Courtneyking85 tweeted, “@babyeinstein start potty training in 2012.”

Jessica shared, “make us as happy and as healthy as can be while learning all the new fun things in growing big and strong!”

What do you think? Do you have any resolutions this year? If so, comment below and we wish you nothing but the best in 2012!

Holiday Guest Blogger Spotlight: Family Traditions, Past and Present by Julie of ToyXpolosion 12/22/2011

Our family of five has moved around quite a bit over the last 10 years. My husband served 9 years in the military, which took us to places such as Alaska, California, Georgia and a few other states in between. Because of this, it meant being away from family during the Holidays. Instilling Holiday traditions within our family became very important in order to make sure we all stayed connected with family, even if we couldn’t physically be together.

My kids are now 14, 12 and 7 and we recently moved back to my hometown. This is our first Christmas with my parents since my first two were toddlers. To say we are excited about this Christmas would be an understatement! We have all kinds of fun things planned to do, some of which we did when I was little. I can’t wait to share those experiences with my kids, husband, parents, brother and sister-in-law.

I also met my birth mom about 5 years ago and now have even more family to celebrate with. They live only about 45 minutes away and we’ll be spending Christmas Eve with them. It’s going to be fun to experience their Holiday traditions for the first time.

When the kids were younger, we tried to incorporate family Holiday traditions from both mine and my husband’s family. Here are a few of those traditions the kids still ask for every year.

Orange Smoothie and Coffee Cake on Christmas Morning

This is a combined Holiday tradition. My husband’s family has always had coffee cake for breakfast on Christmas morning and my family always whips up some Orange smoothies in the blender. The two together are heavenly and it’s fun and important to sit down together for breakfast after the craziness of opening the gifts.

Loading up in the Car for Christmas Lights

This is always an adventure and was definitely a little tricky when the kids were younger. It seemed that after about 5 houses, they were done for the night. Now that they’re older, we’ll usually be gone driving around for hours. The last few years we have mapped out our route to find the best, craziest and brightest houses in town.

Talking to Family on Christmas Morning

Since we were usually away from family on Christmas, we would spend quite a bit of time on the phone talking to siblings, aunts, uncles and grandparents. We thank them for the gifts, catch up on any family news, tell some funny Christmas morning stories and just enjoy chatting for a while.

One amazing thing about living in different parts of the country has been meeting new people and spending time getting to experience their Holiday traditions. I’m always looking forward to inviting new and old traditions into our Holidays that our kids will pass down to their own families one day.

Guest blogger Julie is a mother of 3 children. She loves sharing the latest and greatest new toys around. You can learn more about her at her blog, ToyXplosion.

Holiday Guest Blogger Spotlight: A Frugal Friend’s Traditions of Presents, Goodies, and Decorations 12/15/2011

Leading up to Christmas, my mom was always a big kid.  Presents, goodies, and oh, the decorations! The kitchen was full of angels, the library was full of snowmen, and the living room was Santa-themed. To say she loved Christmas is to put it mildly.

In some ways I think it’s only fitting that the very last thing I ever did with my mom was help decorate her tree.  While tears sometimes flow, the first week of December in my family is spent decorating our tree, enjoying traditions both old and new, and remembering my mom through it all.

First up is always the Christmas tree.

With its varied style and no real theme, our tree may never grace the cover of a magazine, but it tells a story.  With each ornament added to the tree, I share a bit of history with my little girl. Oh, and because of that, it does take quite a while to decorate.  Half the fun is in remembering.

With the Nutcracker ornament, she hears of the time Grandma took me to see the ballet, and how Grandpa slept through the entire performance. While adding a miniature Cinderella’s Castle, she’s told of how her Daddy and I have always collected ornaments from places we’ve traveled to. Well, almost always.

You’ll find a beautifully crafted Christopher Radko baby carriage ornament right next to a Kermit the Frog from the 1970’s.  Some might even say they don’t belong on the same tree, but I think they are perfect.

Our tree has a history.

My 4-year old gets a new ornament each and every year. All my childhood ornaments are on the tree.  Ornaments my mom made when she was first married are there too.  You’ll find hand-stitched mice, stockings and Santas created by both of my grandmothers.  You’ll even find two very special, very breakable, red antique ornaments……my great-grandmother’s.  So special, I almost hate to put them on the tree for fear that they’ll break…..but it wouldn’t be the same without them.

Christmas Pillowcases, Advent Calendars, and Story-Time too!

When I was a little girl, my mom made us Christmas pillowcases that we would use throughout the month of December.  Mine were so cute with bears, mice, rabbits, candy canes, and holly. During the last 30 or so years, those pillowcases have been used on my bed, but this year I’ve passed on the special pillowcase her Grandma made to my daughter.  She’s been smiling ever since I placed it on her bed.

Advent Calendars have gone high-tech these days with hidden toys and such, but I remember the days when I would just open a simple tab to reveal an image or a phrase.  While we still use the old calendars I’ve had since childhood, I have added a new fun twist on the advent calendar.  We have so many new Christmas books (and old ones that were mine), that I’ve wrapped them all up and numbered them 1-24.  A book is opened each night before bed.  It’s like she’s never seen the book before…..such fun!

Oh, and on Christmas Eve, I’ve carried on the tradition my parents started of reading a well used copy of “’Twas the Night Before Christmas”.  My husband and I then read the story of Jesus’ birth from the Bible.

I hope that one day my little girl will grow up and continue these traditions.  With each ornament and tradition, she’ll be reminded of great stories. She’ll be able to tell her own children stories about the Grandma she never knew.

I hope that I’ll be in the room watching.

Guest blogger, Debra is the mother of a little 4-year girl.  While you’ll find her blogging about the best deals on everything from groceries to toys, with some personal stories, she’s also a crayon enthusiast, storyteller, and kisser of boo-boo’s. You can read more about Debra on her blog, A Frugal Friend.

Guest Blogger Spotlight: Family Holiday Traditions by And Twins Makes Five 12/08/2011

Is it really December already?  Just hearing a date beginning in the 12^th month conjures up those familiar holiday sights, sounds, and smells.  December is snow, white lights, evergreens, candy canes, jingling bells, plaid pants, and oodles of fun family rituals. In our large family of 5 children we have several different family traditions around the holidays.

My favorite tradition is one that started quite by accident by my grandfather many years ago.  You see my grandfather, Poppops to us, had this pair of plaid dress pants he wore faithfully each Christmas.  He was a dapper but thrifty sort of guy and I’m certain these trousers were a very high quality fashionable purchase when he originally bought them.  Only worn once or twice a year these pants remained in perfect condition year after year.  However after a good decade or more of Christmas appearances, everyone felt it was time for Poppops to move on to something else.  I mean seriously, he’s wearing the same exact very distinct pair of pants in over a decade of our Christmas photos!

My father, not a shy man, began gently kidding his father-in-law about the plaid pants one year.  I actually think Poppops enjoyed the attention his pants were getting and so out they came the next year.  However, after a few years of us all lovingly teasing Poppops about his need for new pants, they were replaced.  Poppops took the kidding in good stride buying a new pair of dress pants for next Christmas.

Gift opening time arrived and Poppops had a special gift to present.  It was a gift addressed to my father.  My dad opened his present and revealed to all, Poppop’s plaid pants.  My dad immediately rushed upstairs to put the pants on.  It seemed impossible given the difference in their frames, but he somehow he got the clearly very stretchy plaid trousers on and came down.  Those pants were the talk of Christmas that year and no one was happier than Poppops.

The next Christmas came and unexpectedly there was again one special gift to be opened first.  This time the gift was from my dad to my uncle.  You guessed it, the gift was the pants!  He too was able to somehow get into those things and onward this tradition went year after year.  Receiving Poppop’s plaid Christmas pants became a great honor and everyone wanted their chance.  The Christmas pants went from being a huge fashion “don’t” we all wanted banished, to being the most coveted holiday apparel of each year.  Poppops passed away a several years ago (before our youngest, the twins, were even born), but the legend and tradition of those special pants of his will always live on.

Another one of our other family traditions includes making Christmas ornaments with all the kids.  We learned that even our babies can be a part of this type of tradition by lending a hand to be traced or their little foot.  We keep track of what each child asked Santa for by writing it on the back of these creations along with the year.  It’s so fun to look back on those year after year.

Christmas Cookies are another big part of our holidays.  It’s a tradition that I buy a ton of those little frosting tubes in holiday colors and let them all decorate to their hearts content.  What’s a little mess?  I even let the littlest ones join in as much as possible.  We let Daddy decide which masterpieces should be set a side for Santa.  Taking pictures of all these iced goodies is also a must.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention our Matching Holiday Pajamas tradition that my mom started when I was young. The year she declared she was starting this tradition, I admittedly thought she was a bit over the top.  We had around 15 people staying over Christmas Eve and she wanted them all to wear matching sleepwear.  However, I really embraced the idea over the years.  A large family all in matching pajamas somehow imbues a child-like state of mind in everyone.  Plus, I can’t tell you how excited my toddler twins get when they realize they match other people besides just each other.

I’ve learned over the years that the magic that is Christmas truly depends upon keeping up these traditions and their rich little details.  Plaid Pants passed around the family, ornaments made on baby’s first Christmas, a dozen people in matching pajamas, and cookies iced for Santa are the memories that my children will treasure for a lifetime.

Guest blogger Stephanie is a mother of 5 children. In addition to sharing her experiences of being a mom, she enjoys photography, party planning, shopping, decoration, cooking and writing. You can learn more about her at her blog, And Twins Make 5.

Thanksgiving Crafts 11/23/2011

It’s officially the beginning of the holiday season! And what better way to celebrate than to do some fun and crafty activities with your little ones? Do they like to finger paint? Listen to music? Or just giggle in cute outfits? We’ve rounded up some adorable undertakings for you to introduce to your babies in the name of Thanksgiving fun!

Sing the Songs of Thanksgiving:

Albuquerque Turkey (sung to the tune of “My Darlin’ Clementine”)

Albuquerque is a turkey
And he’s feathered and he’s fine
And he wobbles and he gobbles
And he’s absolutely mine!
He’s the best pet you can get yet
Better than a dog or cat
He’s my Albuquerque turkey
And I’m awfully proud of that!
And my Albuquerque turkey
Is so happy in his bed
‘Cause for our Thanksgiving Dinner
We have spaghetti instead!

- Original Author Unknown

Hello Mr. Turkey (sung to the tune of: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)

Hello, Mr. Turkey how are you?
Hello, Mr. Turkey, how are you?
His feet go wobble, wobble
And his head goes Gobble, Gobble.
Hello, Mr. Turkey, how are you?

-Original Author Unknown

Handprint Turkey:

You can create a fun memento of this stage in your baby’s life while creating a meaningful, festive decoration you’ll get to keep forever.  Cover your little one’s palm and fingers with an orange washable, non-toxic marker, using an ample amount of ink. Immediately stamp hand on paper while marker is still wet, slightly off center and diagonal.

Draw a triangular brown beak and a red wattle on the turkey’s head. Then draw 2 short brown legs at the bottom of its body. You can hang your baby’s masterpiece on the fridge, or frame it.

DIY Thanksgiving onesie for baby!

You can take the Handprint Turkey idea further by making a festive onesie for your little one to wear on Turkey Day. Buy a plain onesie, and some non-toxic fabric paint. Paint the palm of your little one’s hand and place it on the chest of the onesie and let dry. Paint on the triangular brown beak, feet, and red wattle. Once dry, you’ll have a one-of-a-kind outfit for baby’s first Thanksgiving! Get creative — the sky’s the limit!

What other kinds of fun Thanksgiving activities are you planning to enjoy with your little ones this year?

Playground Chatter: Your First Thoughts When Your Baby Was Born 11/10/2011

Having a baby can be a different experience for everyone. We recently asked our fans and followers what they first thought when their little ones entered the world. From shock and surprise to love and gratitude, there was a wide variety of responses. Check out what they had to say below.

Lenny thought, “Wow, he’s perfect!”

Sarah shared, “That 9 lb 8 oz boy just came out of ME?”

Karen commented, “He is so big!!!”

Lindsay said, “Oh my god I just gave birth to a handsome boy all natural! How did I do that?”

Caitlin noted, “Wow, he looks just like his daddy!!!”

Jessica shared, “Wow, we did it! Our daughter is amazing and finally a part of our family!”

Kimberley wrote, “Wow!! THANK YOU LORD!!! HE IS BEAUTIFUL!!!”

Angela added, “thank god she is out!!”

ShivaD19 tweeted, “Whoaaaaa!!! That’s my baby!!! Lol”

yyc_mom commented, “it was: “What? He’s out?!? I thought I still had to push!” And then it was “oh my God! I’m so in love!!!!”

corndogwalker remembered, “My first thought when my baby was born was count the fingers and toes.”

Nicole exclaimed, “Oh thank God that’s over … then I looked at him and in a choked up voice said, Hi, I’m very pleased to meet you”

Lindsay said, “The most beautiful thing I even saw, and I knew from that moment on I would worry for the rest of my life!!!!”

Cassandra added, “Finally. My little girl.”

Karla thought, “I just wanna sleep!!!”

Amrah wondered, “I gave birth to a smurf?!?”

What were your first thoughts when your baby was born? Share with us in the comments!

Guest Blogger Spotlight: Baby’s First Trip to the Pumpkin Patch 11/01/2011

This past Saturday we took a trip to the pumpkin patch! The patch we visited is about an hour away from our home and it was the first time any of us had ever been. To say that it’s a popular place in the fall would be a big understatement.

The sunflower field was our first stop. Kynlee enjoyed running through all of the flowers! They were simply gorgeous and made for a perfect photo backdrop! However, getting Kynlee to sit and “pose” with the pumpkins proved to be a much more difficult task than I had anticipated. She was too busy looking at everything else but she did stop to check them out every once in a while . She also enjoyed playing with some cotton for the first time.

At the patch, they had hundreds of pumpkins already picked, but you could also pick your own pumpkins if you wanted to! Other fun things included (several) face-in-hole setups, a huge pumpkin bounce house, a spooky trail, a painted pumpkin display & so much more. While we were there, we also got some homemade ice-cream and it was Kynlee’s first time having homemade. She was a big fan!

Watching Kynlee explore everything at the pumpkin patch was so much fun. It’s always fun to watch her discover new things and in this case there were several new things! Being a part of her “firsts” helps me to see things in the eyes of a child again – and I absolutely love it!

We had such a great *first* time at the pumpkin patch and will definitely be making this an annual trip! This really got us in the Halloween/Fall spirit!

Guest blogger Whitney Jordan is a first-time mom who enjoys chronicling her adventures in parenting. When she's not busy keeping up with her one-year-old daughter, she might be found enjoying a Starbucks Caramel Mocha Frapp or rooting for the Georgia Bulldogs. You can read more about her and her family at Keeping Up With Kynlee.

PLAYGROUND CHATTER: What Will Your Baby Be for Halloween? 10/24/2011

Halloween is just a week away! Baby’s first Halloween can be a memorable experience for parents, and few things are cuter than a baby in costume. We asked our friends and followers what their little ones would be dressing up as this year. From classic costumes to one-of-a-kind creations, here’s what they had to say.

Maria said, “My daughter will be a bumble bee.”

Kimberly added, “My 5 month old is going to be an elephant .”

Candace noted, “i have 10 month old b/g twins and we are dressing them up as a kitty and a puppy .”

Ann shared, “My 4 year old will be a Smurfette.”

Meagan said,  “my 10 month old is going to be a candy corn .”

Jill noted, “My 2 month old is gonna be a skeleton my 9 year old is going to be Mario from the Mario brothers, and my 12 year old is gonna be a cowgirl .”

Micah shared, “My daughter will be 4 months for halloween and she is going to be a peeled banana! Lol only thing we could find to fit her cause she is still in newborn size!”

Ela tweets, “We live on a lil farm, so he’s dressing up as a chicken!:).”

Tona wrote, “My 2 week old son is going to be a red hot chili pepper and of course my 4 yr old is going to be a princesa:).”

Several parents shared that they’re dressing up their little ones as wild animals, especially lions and monkeys!

New Baby, New Adjustments: Tips to Help Your Little One Adapt to a New Sibling 10/19/2011

It can be a struggle for your toddler to get used to having a new baby in the picture. How your firstborn reacts to the news can vary, depending on your little one’s age. However, there are many ways you can help your child adjust to the presence of another baby. Check out these tips to help make it a smooth and happy transition!

Start the Conversation

There’s only so much a young toddler will grasp, but if you point to your tummy and tell your child there’s a baby in there and that it will come out, they’ll most likely get it. And the bigger mom gets, the more the child understands. If you feel comfortable, let him feel when the baby kicks. You can even start transitioning your little one into new schedules and routines ahead of the baby’s arrival to get him used to what life will be like once his new brother or sister arrives.

Reassure Them

Reassuring your firstborn is key. Let your toddler come visit you and the new baby as much as he wants to reaffirm the family dynamic. Even having dad, grandparents or a close friend help fill in for mom at home helps your toddler adjust to the new routine. Emphasize his role as a big brother and that this new little person will love him. If your child is old enough, you might even want to give him a simple responsibility, so that he feels he’s helping to take care of the baby.

Get Them Talking

Encourage your toddler to talk about his new sibling, using the baby’s name so he understands that the baby is a person. Ask him to introduce his little brother or sister when friends and family meet the new baby for the first time. Preparing beforehand along with direction and support, helps toddlers get used to everything new that’s happening around them. The more your toddler knows and understands, the happier the family can be!