Stinkerpants

Favorite Things: What to Add to your Baby Registry

November 29, 2010 in I Freakin' Love This Thing! • I Freakin' Love this Baby Stuff

A thought occurred to me the other day that made me feel really stupid.  I haven’t been updating you guys with my latest projects because it takes a lot of time and effort to photograph each project.  I have a big pile of projects to photograph and not enough time to blog, let alone take the photos.  As I was laying in bed one night, I thought to myself, “why not just post the drawings, not the finished projects?”  After all, you guys can use your imagination - it’s not that hard to picture a drawing on a one-sided flat card.  ;)  So you’ll be seeing more of my drawings in the future, including some that I did a very long time ago and still haven't photographed!

In the meantime, I want to share a monster “favorite things” post, full of the items I registered for and love for the baby.  A good friend of mine is pregnant and will need to register soon, and I thought to myself, “I need to get this post together before her child goes to college.”  So here you have it: the stuff you need and really want, the stuff you need but don’t want to spend money on, and the stuff I spent money on and don’t need.

But before I begin, here are a few things I didn’t know before Charlie was born:

• My baby was apparently VERY small at 6 lbs 5oz. “newborn” size clothes did NOT fit her.  The only clothes that would actually fit her were “preemie” in most brands, or the newborn size in Gerber and Carter’s.  If your kid isn’t born at 8+ pounds, they won’t fit into most newborn clothes.  So if you anticipate having a small baby, you might want to get a few tiny onesies.
• You have to keep your baby warm in the first couple of weeks because they can’t regulate their own temperature.  As a result, you’ll need:
  • Hats that fit a tiny head!  All of the hats we were given were too big.
  • Long-sleeved onesies. Short-sleeved onesies are cute, but generally pointless.

Okay, now on to the products we registered for or bought that I can’t do without, plus some tips on crap you might be told you need, but you shouldn’t buy.  This is in addition to the general stuff like a car seat system and a baby bath, which are totally up to your personal preference (although I do like mine).

Nursing:

• My Brest Friend. Far superior to Boppy because it’s more like a soft table. She doesn’t roll off it and it provides a lot of support. Also make sure to get a spare cover. As my friend K says, “because poop and spit-up happen.”  Charlie likes to hang out on the Brest Friend and chat.  Plus, it’s great for napping.
• Baby Connect app for iPhone and iPad. I use this item more than anything else. It’s $4.99 and worth every cent and more - you can track every part of baby’s day, plus their growth and other important stuff.
• Tender care lanolin. You’ll want this in the early days of breastfeeding when your nipples are tender.  The other stuff (regular lanolin) is so thick it hurts to put on.
• Mistake: the Itzbeen. We’re using Baby Connect instead.  I don’t care how long it’s been since I changed her diaper! I want to know how many poops and pees she’s had today, and so does her doctor. I used it for a nightlight to check on her until I realized I could use my iPhone for that, too.
• Mistake: breast pump. You might not actually need/want to pump, or you might be one of many women who have a hard time breastfeeding and switch to formula - you never know. I didn’t buy this, but would regret it if I did. It’s a lot of money; I’d recommend renting one from your hospital until you know if you want to invest in it.  Also, people don’t buy this off of your registry (who wants to buy that?!), so you’d have to shell out the dough for it anyway.

Keeping Baby Quiet:

• Wubbanub.  Initially I would have said “pacifier,” but the Wubbanub is a pacifier on steroids as far as the fuss-factor goes.  Basically, it’s the pacifier attached to a little stuffed animal.  You can prop the stuffed animal in such a way that the pacifier doesn’t keep falling out.  When your baby is a few weeks old and is able to hold onto things a bit better, the stuffed animal is the perfect size for them to hold onto. Charlie has the giraffe, but there are all sorts of animals.  If you’re not using the soothie pacifier, try Paci Plushies, which are compatible with different types of pacifiers.  I’d also recommend getting a few regular Soothie pacifiers (they gave us one at the hospital and it’s the only kind she’ll take), which are good for situations where the Wubbanub is too bulky (like when you’re wearing her).

• A swing that goes front to back and side to side. Charlie hated the swing in the first couple of weeks, but soon started to spend a significant amount of time napping in it.  Now she sleeps in it.  We got the “Nature’s Touch” swing, but any Fisher-Price swing has the dual-swinging function.  Bonus if it plugs in instead of relying on batteries, but DEFINITELY get one with a “papasan” chair.  They’re more padded and comfy than the regular chair.
• Exercise ball - used it to bounce her up and down to calm her.  This is one of those things that was necessary to get us through the first month, and then took up space. Bonus if you actually have the gumption to use it for exercise after you’re done using it for baby.  I personally gave mine to my father-in-law.
• Colic Calm (this brand SPECIFICALLY, sold at CVS if you’re in a pinch). K’s husband referred to this as “Jesus Christ in a bottle.”  It has charcoal in it which is a MIRACLE for settling a gassy tummy.  Charlie is a colicky baby and has a lot of tummy troubles, and this stuff has helped immensely.
• Little Tummies - Charlie had such bad gas!  We were told to give her a dose 30 minutes after each meal to break up the bubbles.
• Happiest Baby on the Block DVD - Screw the book, who feels like reading at a time like this?! The best things for Charlie were putting her on her side and swinging.

Dealing with Poop and Spitup:

• Cooshee changing pad. I bought this myself after Charlie peed all over our changing pad cover for the 8,675th time.  It’s expensive for a changing pad ($60) but is one of my favorite things and is totally worth the price.  Cleaning stuff up is easy peasy.

• Reusable wipes. So easy, not gross at all, and saves a ton of money/waste.  We use gerber washcloths (note - these are different than our fancy bathtime washcloths so they don’t get mixed up) and a squirt bottle filled with a mixture of water, a couple of drops of tea tree oil, baby shampoo and almond oil.  I bought three packs of 12 washcloths in a variety of colors.
• Birdseye foldable diapers. These are not diapers (seriously, who thought these were good diapers?) but make great burp cloths.

• Mistake: buying cloth diapers too soon. You never know the body type of the babe. We use gDiapers now and I love them.  The all-in-ones I bought are in the closet.  Shoot.
• Mistake: diaper wipe warmer. This was a must-have in the very beginning (and probably for longer if your baby is born in the winter months) but now we’re using reusable wipes and can’t use it.  Plus, Charlie is now less of a wimp when it comes to cold.

Misc Baby Items:

• Edited to add: BabyComfyNose Nasal Aspirator. The blue bulbs they give you to suck out snot at the hospital are WORTHLESS.  This thing is amazing. I know what you're thinking - EW. You have to suck snot out of your baby's nose?! But yes, you do. And this one is powered by your mouth instead of your hand, so it sucks a lot more. Don't worry, no boogies get anywhere near your mouth.
• Hooded towel and washcloths. This hooded towel is a splurge (a gift from my parents with matching washcloths) but one of my favorite things.
• Snap ‘n go stroller - lightweight and easy to deal with. Not cute or fun, but so, so useful - that car seat is heavy!  I use it every day and is one of the best items we have.
• Mistake: huge stroller/car seat system.  I know people who have the Chicco system and felt like the stroller part was too big and bulky. If you want a stroller, get one later when the baby is old enough to use it without the car seat and you know what your needs are.  I bought the uppababy vista with a carseat attachment. I like the stroller, but rarely use it. It’s too heavy for using with the car seat, and kind of bulky for shopping in the little stores in our neighborhood. It’s really good for walks around the lake or in the park, but I usually take her in the Ergo baby carrier because I don’t feel like dealing with a stroller. If I had it to do again, I’d just get the Snap ‘n go stroller in the beginning.  I know that I'll probably want a stroller when she's heavy, so I'm planning to get another stroller later, once I figure out where I'll be using it (ie, shopping, hikes, etc).
• Tiny socks. We have thick white ones for inside her PJs at night-time, and three sets of Trumpette socks for daytime. No outfit is complete with out a pair of socks that look like shoes, I say.
• Little mitts so they don’t scratch their faces before you clip their nails. The First Years make the best ones - they don’t fall off.
• Receiving/swaddle blankets. We don’t swaddle Charlie (she hated it after the first couple of weeks) but use them to keep her toasty in her carseat, swing, bassinet, etc.  If you do swaddle, I’ve heard good things about Aden & Anais swaddling blankets.
• Moby wrap or Baby K’tan AND ergo baby carrier (withOUT the heart2heart insert). Charlie fell asleep immediately in the moby wrap, and it’s great for use at home.  She hated it for awhile but doesn’t mind it now that her legs can hang out the bottom.  Baby K’tan is the “Moby Wrap for Dummies” according to my friend Sarah. The Ergo is easier on my back if we’re going for a walk. We didn’t have much luck with the heart2heart insert - it’s very thick, so Charlie got really hot. The gals in my Baby & Me group recommended shoving a rolled up receiving blanket under her butt instead, and that worked fine.
• Tuffo outdoor blanket.  This thing is awesome for taking to the park and laying on the grass.  One side is soft, and the other side is waterproof.  It folds into a nice thing with handles. Love.

Sleeping Stuff:

• the First Years swaddle blanket. This is the only one small enough to use on her in the early weeks. Like I mentioned earlier, if you’re going to swaddle after that, I’ve heard great things about the Aden & Anais swaddling blankets.

• iPod and speakers. We downloaded white noise like vaccuum and hair dryer, then leave it on all night.  This helps with a routine to teach her the difference between night and day.
• Bassinet. She spent every night in this before we started sticking her in the swing (she seems to have problems with reflux while laying flat). Another thing that’s not very cute, but so, so useful.  We’re going to switch to a co-sleeper soon (she outgrew the bassinet), then move her to her crib.  You could start out with a co-sleeper and skip the bassinet all together if you want.
• Long-sleeved onesies in newborn and 0-3 months. Gerber and Carter’s are best.  These are great for jammies underneath the swaddling blanket.
• Sleep sacks. I absolutely love these from Swaddle Designs. Toasty and so, so soft.  It took her awhile to grow into these, but now she sleeps in them every night.
• Video Monitor - We love watching her on this thing and it’s nice to see what she’s doing to know if she needs assistance. I am really thankful that we got the video monitor, not just a regular monitor.

Other thoughts:

• The single most helpful thing to this day is that my mother-in-law takes our laundry, does it at her house, and brings it back clean and folded.  I never take this for granted as it makes my life SO MUCH EASIER.  I wash the baby stuff myself because it needs to be done so often and doesn’t wrinkle, so it’s way easier. If you can send your laundry out to a wash n’ fold or have a very generous family member take care of it, DO IT.
• If you can stand to cook while you're pregnant, making meals ahead of time and freezing them is totally helpful.  I didn't do this (cooking made me nauseous), but I wish I had.

Okay, I think that’s it!  Anyone got anything else to add?

Glass Water Bottles

November 17, 2009 in I Freakin' Love This Thing! • I Freakin' Love this Household & Every day Stuff!

My husband and friends all seem to think I’m a total freak of nature, just because of my slightly abnormal water receptacle.  Yes, it’s true: it’s not your average water bottle, but it is superior in so many ways, people.  Seriously.

So here’s the deal: I have a tendency to be a bit of a klutz.   I am constantly knocking things over, which is why it’s good for me to drink out of a water bottle–otherwise, I end up with water all over my desk, the couch, or myself.

I used to use a Nalgene or simply refill old bottles.  Bad idea–we’ve all heard about the risks of BPA (although Nalgene now makes BPA-free bottles).  Because Y is pretty aware of environmental and health risks associated with chemicals (we’re both hippies, but he also happens to frequent digg.com), he knew a long time ago that we shouldn’t be using plastic bottles.

So he ran out and bought us some BPA-free metal bottles from Klean Kanteen.  I hated them, though.  I know I’m going to sound like a lazy SOB, but I hate how long it takes to unscrew the cap!  Plus, I am convinced that the water tastes kind of like tin (Y insists that I made that up, but what does he know?!  He adds three drops of mint extract to his water, which would mask the tin taste anyway!).

My solution was to find a glass water bottle.  Glass is safe to drink out of, and I’m absolutely convinced that water tastes better out of glass than any other type of container.  So I did some research.

I fell in love with these beautiful glass water bottles, made by an Italian company.  They look plastic, but they’re actually glass!

Unfortunately, I’ve seen these in person, and the glass is pretty thin.  I was paranoid that I’d break it–after all, these ain’t cheap.

Then I discovered the Love Bottle, made here in San Francisco.  At first I wasn’t too wild about these because they aren’t exactly my style, but they’ve been coming out with more styles recently.  They also have plain bottles.

I found the bottle of my dreams, though, in a surprising place: Ikea!  These glass water bottles are big (meaning I don’t have to refill it five times a day) and they’re thick (meaning I’m more likely to break the tile in the kitchen than the bottle itself–not that I’ve tried it).  And on top of that, they are cheap.  At $2.99 each, I bought four, just in case one of my family members wanted one.

Unfortunately they all think I’m crazy.  They claim my bottle is “too heavy” and “breakable.”  I say they’re jealous.  My water tastes way better than theirs.

Favorite Things: Dyson’s “the Animal”

November 2, 2009 in I Freakin' Love This Thing! • I Freakin' Love this Household & Every day Stuff!

Prior to our wedding, Y and I had two vacuums: one was a 20 year old hand-me-down canister from his parents, and the other was a cheap upright vacuum from Target that I bought and loved.  I am the vacuumer (is that a word?  If not, it totally should be!) in our family, and I refused to use the canister because it was such a pain in the neck and it spit dust out the back.  I’d heard wonderful things about the Dyson, but I wasn’t about to give up my vacuum.  It was two years old and perfectly fine, thankyouverymuch.

Until it broke.

Well, technically, it caught on fire and I was terrified to plug it in again, so I’m not entirely sure it was broken.

In any event, I wanted a new vacuum.  We did some research and added Dyson’s “the Animal” to our wedding registry, hoping someone would get it for us in the next week (with four cats and a dog, I have to vacuum a lot).  Obviously, no one wanted to buy us a $400 vacuum 6 months before our wedding (or ever, as it turned out).  So we bought it ourselves, hoping some super rich member of our extended family would take pity on us and eventually get it for us.

This vacuum is so much better than I ever thought it would be.

It. is. amazing.

It seriously sucks up a TON of dust and cat hair.  The dust is actually what amazes me most, because most vacuums can clean up cat hair.  After I vacuum each week, there’s about an inch of dust at the bottom of the canister thing.  It’s both fabulous and disgusting.  Here I am with my vacuum on our first day together:

The vacuum is also really easy to empty: I just take it right outside, hold it over the garbage can, and push one button.

I love it.  It’s definitely one of my favorite things!

Favorite Things: Every Day Food

June 9, 2009 in I Freakin' Love This Thing! • I Freakin' Love this Kitchen Stuff!

Whoo, it’s been awhile since I did a “Favorite Things,” hasn’t it?!  Well, here is another one of my favorite things, courtesy (once again) of my friend Sarah.

When I first started cooking, Sarah told me about this magazine and let me borrow a few of her old copies.  HOLY MOLY.  The recipes in here are fantabulous.  Furthermore, every issue teaches you about a different type of food and a different type of kitchenware.  I feel my brains expanding everytime I read one, let me tell you.  Most of the recipes are healthy (with the exception of the dessert section), and I haven’t had one yet that was less than 90% tasty.

I got a free subscription for reviewing a few of my vendors on WeddingWire (which I happily would have done anyway!), but I will definitely renew my subscription when the free one ends.  Highly recommended!

I’m Home! And I have a new friend!

March 23, 2009 in I Freakin' Love This Thing!

What?  You didn’t know I was gone?  That’s because I packed in a frenzy and didn’t have time to blog.  I was so busy before I left!

Where did I go?  I went to Oregon for five days.

Why did I go to Oregon?  I went to Oregon because I bought this:

(photo source)

It goes without saying that this is my new Favorite Thing.

In theory, I didn’t need to go to Oregon to buy the brand-spanking-new Mac Pro with a 27″ Dell monitor.  However, I sold my old computer to my dad, so it made the most sense to transfer data at their house and not spend an arm and a leg shipping everything.  Plus, I got to see my parents!

So, about my new computer.

I. am. thrilled.  This computer goes above and beyond anything I could have hoped for.  And I can’t even tell you how much easier my life is now that I have 27″ to spread my work across, versus the 20″ iMac I was using before.  Love. It.

The only thing I had a problem with was the monitor.  I can’t afford an Apple cinema display (I paid $544 for the Dell monitor, which was a major deal Y found on slickdeals.net).  A comparable cinema display (30″) would be $1799.  Uh, yeah.  No.

I have been a Mac girl since birth, basically (at least, if they’d had them when I was born, I totally would have had one).  My family’s first computer was the Mac LCII.  In high school I got a used Mac Classic (ie, the first Mac ever born).  We replaced the LCII with a Quadra 604.  Since then I’ve had three iMacs, an iBook, a Powerbook and a Macbook.  Needless to say, I am faithful to Apple.

So when I decided to buy the Dell monitor, I felt like kind of a traitor.  Especially when I set it up and saw a big, unfriendly black monitor staring back at me.  And the Dell logo?  Don’t even get me started.  It was just so…unhappy!  I’m used to staring at this all day:

Crisp, clean, and…happy.

So I decided to do something about my unfriendly monitor.  I created a frame for it using plexiglass and patterned paper.  So now, this is what I look at all day:

Happy, right?!  And thus, I am happy.