I cannot believe how fast my boy is growing. We recently had to revamp his space again and are planning an even larger revamp with a wall here and new grown up art work, meaning not baby. Right now we’re still bit in the in between as mom is having a hard time parting with some of the stuff animals from the nursery days. Until he throws them at me in disgust I plan to keep them around.
Some simple ways I made changes:
Twin bed, a toddler bed can work for most young children however my kid is tall and he kept breaking his small bed. We looked at a variety of beds from the very cheap to the eco- friendly and although I wanted to go green, I decided this bed was more sensible and work within our budget, which turn out not to matter for my in laws ended up buying it for their grandson. Lucky us! The only thing with being in Brooklyn I couldn’t find the bed near by and it had to be purchased out of state and driven in by my in laws. Sounds complicated but they actually road trip here often.
T-rex- yup he’s as scary as he looks but right up my kids alley. It also brought the room up many notches to a serious boy space. T-rex is heavy and is meant for 8 and up so I place him in an area that feels safe and my son cannot reach him.
I had this Eames knock off rocking chair in the nursey and still love it. I place it by his bed so I can work while he hangs out on his bed. I took off the faux sheepskin I had on it during the nursery days, place it down as a rug and redecorated it with my old faux vest and pillows I’ve had for ages.
This hook is a fun replacement to the more nursery-ish hooks I had up and only $3.
I pulled this lucite box from the trash when the ELLE magazine team left, hey their trash is my treasure. I place plenty of padding (Ikea Faux sheepskin) around the play area as I can get over all the bruise this kid gets. I also use large tote bags I’ve had for years as storage in an effort to recycle what we already have.
My Inspiration:Kid decor pinterest page
These Jammies Prêt-à-Porter are available in an array of colors and are simply divine. Meryl and Brian Levy the brother and sister team of Jammies design these with their love of European craftsmanship. They then bottle them up in a jar which stems from their father who gifted pajamas to expectant parents back in the day. Love!
Photo, Jammies Prêt-à-Porter
Joanna Dreifus founder of Special Kids NYC provides consulting to NYC parents of children with special needs on all topics, ranging from Early Intervention to preschool & kindergarten applications. We at Motherburg had a few questions that can help parents who may be new to the in’s and out’s of providing the best care for your special needs child.
MB: Once you realize your baby/toddler may have special needs what is one of the first steps a parent should take?
Special Kids NYC: The first step you should take if you suspect your baby/toddler may have special needs or even just a delay (such as not crawling or walking, or not babbling or talking) is to talk to your pediatrician. Don’t be afraid to bring this up, no matter how young your child is, or how much well-meaning friends or family tell you “don’t worry.” Your pediatrician may be able to assure you that your child’s development is within the “typical” range (very often, it is), or may tell you that they suspect a delay, in which case they will refer you for an Early Intervention evaluation. Caveat: Even if your pediatrician tells you everything is OK, if you feel very strongly that there is still a problem (especially compared to the development of all of your child’s peers and/or older sibling(s)), you still have the right to request a referral for evaluation. It is better to listen to your gut/intuition in some cases.
MB: How as a parent can a parent deal with social environments with their child?
Special Kids NYC: Parents of *all* children—typically developing or not—are bound to have some exasperating or embarrassing moments when out in public with their toddler or preschooler (supermarket meltdowns, anyone?). But if your child has special needs such as autism spectrum disorder or sensory processing disorder, they may be “triggered” even more easily in some situations, including at music classes, birthday parties, or playgroups. If people are staring or rolling their eyes, try to ignore it. They don’t “get it”; they haven’t walked in your shoes. Also, it is normal to experience some discomfort (or even to be jealous of other parents) when your child stands out among a crowd of typically-developing children. My best pieces of advice? 1) Remember your child’s strengths, and that he/she is more than their diagnosis or “label.” Enjoy all the special moments that you can—even if they are different (or happen on a later timetable) than other children’s. 2) Try to meet other parents who have children with developmental delays (for example, in a support group). You are part of a special club, and can give each other much-needed support and friendship—not to mention a good laugh.
MB: Can you please share with us what your business/organization provides?
Special Kids NYC: Any parent who has concerns about their child’s development, and/or concerns about how to get the right help if necessary, can contact me. There are no silly questions. Sometimes parents feel embarrassed for worrying too much about a child, and aren’t sure if they should really seek help—I can help them make this determination. Or, once a child has been identified as having special needs or a developmental delay, I can help with a range of issues—from finding the best Early Intervention therapists for your child to handling the emotional stress and challenges of raising a child with these delays (such as dealing with friends & family, the stresses it puts on a marriage, how to find support/respite for yourself, etc.)
Thank you Joanna, for more info on Special Kids NYC,
click here.
The upside of dating before meeting the one is that you bring experiences to your relationship. Thus is why my husband knows Asian cuisine. From his ex-girlfriend he has taught me how to make sushi and these yummy spring rolls. They were quite hard at first, I could not quite get the wrappings soft enough to have them not break when rolling. My husband also accused me of making them like burritos when I first started, hey dude, I’m Latin, what do you want? Now I’m quite good and the rolls take minutes to make and a plus is they are delicious and healthy.
Ingredients I use:
8 Spring Roll Wrappers, I buy mine at Wholefoods for they always have the rice mixture that is gluten free.
1/2 pound of Vietnamese Rice vermicelli
15-24 medium sized cooked shrimp, I put about 3 in each role depending on size of shrimp.
6 scallions, cut thinly
Cucumbers or carrots, thinly sliced, I put about 3 in each roll
1/2 cup of basil or cilantro leaves
Peanut sauce for dipping *if your children are eatting peanuts
* I do not use lettuce leaves however most recipes call for lettuce.
Because the cooking directions can be a bit confusing when first learning to make spring rolls I think Martha Stewart’s directions are the best when first learning, once you get them down, so easy.
Photo, Motherburg
Finally my niece arrived over the weekend. She is of course precious and I had forgotten how tiny newborns are! I learned to swaddle when I was 13 with the arrival of a little sister. In my experience Latin swaddles their babies tight and when I became a mother I was afraid to use the techniques I was taught however my nurse swaddled my screaming son in minutes with an ultra tight swaddle that quickly cocooned him and put him at ease. I was never at ease swaddling him tight however I learned to do a firm hold once he started to move his arms out and was heavy enough I went onto a swaddle sleep sack which was a God send.
To Swaddle:
Start with a blanket that is meant to
swaddle.
Step 1
Start by spreading the receiving blanket out on a bed, the floor, or a couch. Fold down one corner, then lay baby diagonally on the blanket so that her head and neck are above the fold. She can be dressed in light clothing, or bare except for her diaper.
Step 2
Take one corner of the blanket across baby’s body and tuck it under her back. If she’s on a raised surface, keep one hand on top of her at all times. Though babies young enough to be swaddled aren’t agile enough to roll over, a sudden reflex could cause them to move.
Step 3
Next, take the opposite corner of the blanket and fold it over baby’s chest. Tuck some of it behind her back and some of it into the rest of the blanket. Make sure her nose and mouth are not covered.
Step 4
Finally, take the bottom triangle of the blanket and tuck it gently under baby’s chin to complete the swaddling. Be certain that baby is not wrapped too tightly. She’ll be most comfortable if she feels snug, not squeezed.
Step 5
Baby will feel most snug if her arms are tucked in at her sides. Once she falls asleep, you can lay her on her back in the crib and gently unwrap her. Undress baby down to her diaper.
I like swaddle sacks from Target and Halo Sleep Sacks are amazing. Need more postnatal tips on your newborn? Here is a useful guide from Jessica of helpful resources.
This is a great organization that accepts all types of diaper donations. Perfect if you have residual diapers. There are mothers out there who have NO money for diapers so glad there are organizations such as this, thanks Kristin! To Donate.
via missmommamindi:
One piece I always recommend to pregnant moms to be is the shirt dress. It is not only a great transitional piece that can be found in every price range it it is flattering during pregnancy and after. If you aren’t able to find one in the maternity world I suggest buying at least 2 to 3 sizes larger and wear that baby to it’s threadbare. Wear with leggings if it’s cold, boots and once it warms up throw on some chic gladiator sandal’s. Post pregnancy- belt it, wear a slim fitting blazer and if you are done being pregnant and rather not have it so billowy have it taken in at your local tailor or go thrifty like I do and pay $15 at the local dry-cleaner for a slimmer fix. Chic Mama!
Photo: Hatch (the most amazing maternity line and shirtdress available here.)
Read more
This Google Doodle was featured a few days back about the great Swiss naturalist Maria Sybilla Merian. She documented all the steps of the metamorphosis of many insects and contradicted the belief of her times that insects would spontaneously generate from mud. Maria Sybilla’s story is a great, inspiring story for all the little girls who aspire to become scientists one day. This is why Timbuktu published an amazing illustrated story about her on Timbuktu Magazine.
Here it is!
Brought to you by Timbuktu.
This is one of my favorite snacks to eat. I used to have this at Supercore at least once a week. They serve it on a toasted baguette which I will use whenever I have any loaves around however we tend not too have much bread in the kitchen. As I’ve mentioned in the past we always seem to have frozen naan from TJ’s. It’s quite delish and takes 10 minutes to make which is all the time I seem to have to myself especially on weekends.
How To:
- Toast one naan, pitta, pretty much any kind of bread you prefer.
- Mash one avocado up with a fork
- Squeeze at least half a lemon over the avocado, I tend to like things very lemon-y you may only need to squeeze a bit.
- Add salt and pepper and my favorite part S&B Nanami Togarashi chili pepper (this you may want to skip if you are giving this to the kiddos.) I buy my spice at Kims on Driggs or Bedford, most Japanese stores also carry this spice.
photo, Motherburg
