Organic cotton...

A friend asked me to look for some organic cotton sheets for her son. OH MY, talk about pricey! Does it really cost that much more to grow things organically or is a seller's market?

I found some that are "reasonably priced," a term I use loosely, at Maharishi Ayurveda Products. They're actually made in India and ate 15" deep.

Much to my dismay, Walmart has it's own line. I know, I know, who cares if they're organic if they're made in a sweatshop.

Target has an organic line also.

Bed Bath & Beyond have some on clearance.

I also found some on Overstock.

Flying with a Toddler

Five weeks from yesterday, but who's counting, E. and I fly to the mainland. My heart is filled with dread. I've heard horror stories about flying with toddlers. I'm looking for entertainment ideas. So far we have...

1) DVD player with some Disney movies (desperate times, desperate measures)
2) Zoo backpack
3) Stickers
4) New stuffed animal
5) My Little Pony (as stated, desperate times...)
6) Crayons
7) PlayFoam

Does anyone have any brilliant suggestions? I've heard that wrapping the toys up in tissue paper makes them more exciting. Are there any other ideas. The hubby suggested I crate her and put her with the checked luggage. Someone else suggested lots of alcohol, for me, not her.

Children and Cursing

National Public Radio did a segment called Why Kids Curse. It seems quite relevant since E. has THREE curse words under her belt, thanks GramGi, Daddy, and Dave.

Children's Place Sale

The Outlet at The Children's Place is having a great sale with $5 flat rate shipping. They have PJs for as low as $4.99, t-shirts for $1.99, and shoes for $4.99. I found a coupon code for 15% off, S1A48. Supposedly, if you sign up with them, they'll send you coupons regularly.

Sand and Water

Yes, I live on an island but I was thinking about bringing a bit of the beach to our backyard. I was thinking of a Sand and Water Table. We can put it under the porch and not worry about too much sun in the middle of the day. Ella is starting to get interested in dirt and rocks so this would be a bit of a cleaner alternative.

I found a cool Waterwheel Play Table at Kaplan.

Step 2 has a Sand and Water Activity Center that comes with bridges, ramps, cups and boats. It's partially made in the USA and isn't prohibitively expensive.

For those of you with a larger budget than mine, Community Playthings has some great tables.

Anemia...

I've talked to a couple of people who have babies and toddlers with anemia so I did a bit of research looking iron-rich foods that are toddler friendly. I found this great site by Healthtouch. I know, I know, I won't be feeding E. sardines but there are quite a few things that she'll eat. Actually, she'd probably eat the sardines. I'll be shocked if you don't find, at least, one thing for your little one.

And I thought it was Placenta Brain...

It appears that it's called "momnesia." The Today Show did a segment on it.

In search of the perfect puppet

E. LOVES puppets, stuffed animals, and cats. Our cat frequently frustrates her by standing just out of reach so I'm on the hunt for the most realistic looking cat puppet. I found this one by Folkmanis. It will give E. a chance to pull a cat's tail without getting scratched.

For those on the mainland...

KidSurplus has $7.95 flat rate shipping for all orders over $75. They have a great selection of books and some adorable rain boots.

For those of not on the mainland, at least they now ship to Hawaii and Alaska.

Psychotherapy? For an infant?

According Elizabeth Bernstein's article, titled Baby psychotherapy gaining approval among parents, it's the new thing. Realize that the article was written in '06 so at least some of you with an infant should have them in psychotherapy. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Can I assume that that's a resounding "NO!"

The article is actually pretty interesting and has some great resources at the end.

Wondering if your child is having some developmental issues? Who doesn't?

Hawaii has a free information and referral source called H-KISS. They can arrange for a keiki evaluation and will refer you to services as needed.
Here's their flier. They have a list of provided services as well.

My child's a caveman?

According to Dr. Harvey Karp, author of "The Happiest Baby on the Block," she is. After watching her throw a fit because I wouldn't let her give her doll a bath in the toilet I have NO doubt he's right.

Dr. Karp has come with a revised version of his book, "The Happiest Toddler on the Block." The New York Times has a great article about it that includes tips on how to deal with tantrums. It's called Coping With the Caveman in the Crib .

Super Garage Sale and Craft- March 1st

The MWR Super Garage Sale and Craft Fair scheduled for March 1st.

Location:
Richardson Field (across from Aloha Stadium and next to the Arizona Memorial)
Kamehameha Hwy
Honolulu, HI 96800

Time:
0800-1200

Keen Sandals

Keen actually makes shoes for the outdoor infant and toddler. They're rather obscenely priced but I did find them in select colors on sale at Sierra Trading Post.

Fun in the Sun

Lands' End has the funniest Swim Critter Diaper Covers. Just click on the pink to see my personal favorite.

Shoes (for J and L)

Target currently has free shipping with a $50 minimum purchase on select items. They have some great toddler and prewalker shoes.

The Circo Prewalkers were my favorite because they were easy to put on, could be worn with or without socks and didn't squeeze E's plump feet like leather slipper/booties with elastic.

Speech and Language Milestones

I had a conversation with a friend of mine about the different things I've worried about as E had gotten older. Now that we're through the SIDS fears I've moved onto worries about speech and language development. I found a few great site...
http://www.comeunity.com/disability/speech/milestones.html

I would imagine that my next worry will be Autism. First Signs has some great links.

To go with that convertible car seat...

Before E and I traveled to Florida last year I went on the search for a car seat bag with wheels for the airport. Instead I found the gogo Kidz Travelmate. It was AWESOME! It was really easy to install. E actually slept from the plane to our next gate without me taking her out of her seat. I just put the wheels on when we landed, placed the seat in the aisle, and wheeled her right off the plane.

Car seats for bigger toddlers

For those of you who haven't moved up to a convertible car seat...

The Baby Center store has their Britax products at 15% off with free shipping.

Amazon also has some of their Britax seats on sale with free shipping.

There may be places where the seats are less money but I was looking for companies that ship free to Hawaii.

We love our Roundabout! It's one of the top ranked seats by Consumer Reports.

BPA (a.k.a. something else to worry about)

Over the last year there's been all this bad press about BPA (bisphenol A). It's a molecule used in some hard plastics. According to the FDA and, of course, the plastic industry, it's harmless but others blame it on a myriad of problems ranging from diabetes to ADHD.

Being the freaky parent that I am, I'm on the hunt for BPA-free sippy cups. There are quite a few out there. The hip newer ones start at $7.99 a cup. Ridiculous! I don't spend that much on my glasses and they're used for years. I figured there had to be cheaper alternatives out there and there are. It seem that the plastic to avoid is #7. It contains BPA. Plastics #1, #2, #4, and #5 are OK. I have no idea about the other ones but according to one group all others should be avoided because they have other BAD things. UGH!!!!!!!

Z Recommends has some great reviews of various cups and bottles.

starting out...

Today I attended one of my playgroups and came away with a list of things I needed to research and forward for various people. It appears that I'm still suffering from placenta brain, an as of yet, undocumented medical condition. When I sat down at my computer I couldn't remember who wanted what. I figured this blog would be my answer. That way I'm not sending things to people that they have no interest in.