Toddler Activites - Nesting and Stacking

1) When choosing nesting and stacking toys for your toddlers, look for those that have only a few pieces. Toys with too many pieces to figure out can frustrate toddlers.

2) Make a nesting game for your children by collectintog paper cups in three or four different sizes. Place the cups, right side up, on a table. Show the children how to place the cups inside one another, starting with the largest cup. A set of measuring cups also works well.

3) Boxes make a nice nesting game. Set out three or four boxes in different sizes for your children to nest together.

4) Purchase plastic eggs in small, medium, and large sizes. Put one of each size together to make a fun nesting toy for spring.

5) A nesting set of pots makes a great toy. Your toddlers will love experimenting with them to find out just how they can nest together.

6) Toddlers especially enjoy stacking rings. You can purchase commercially make stacking rings or you can make your own. A small bathroom plunger and some shower curtain rings or large metal canning jar rings make a fun game.

7) You can also make a stacking rings game out of a wooden bottle-drying rack and some old napkin rings. Have your children put the rings on the dowels of the rack.

8) Make a different kind of stacking toy by cutting the tops and bottoms off plastic 2-liter bottles to make cylinders. Cover the cylinders with self-stick paper, if you wish. Show your children how to stack the cylinders on top of each other.

9) Collect several small plastic containers that are all the same size. Let your children stack and unstack them.

10) For an unusual stacking game, collect plastic cups and saucers. Show your children how to stack them by alternating saucers and cups, then let them try to make a two or three cup tower.

Indoor Safari Trail

Yes - I sure did!! I bought a "family" of each different animal - one family per step!! And of COURSE I have a little tiny baby of each animal - to add to our wall when we adopt our daughter!! Anyway - Meer wasn't too impressed with it at first, but now he points to each different type of animal as we go up the stairs - like a safari!! Naturally his favorite are still the fish! But it's good. He wants to hear the names of each animal, so it is a good learning experience... I figure, anyway! ha ha ha!! And YES - they are from www.ocramgirap.com ...except we shop at the store, not online! ;-D

Chess Challenge

So on Sunday we bought THE cutest chess set for Meer – made by Ocram Girap. It has the jungle animals as the chess pieces, and is SUPER CUTE!! Kush is quite the chess player, so he offered to play me a game… WHAT a SLAUGHTER. Not joking. And Kush being Kush – well – safe to say teaching isn’t his forte. So I looked online for some place that could teach me…

I found this super neat site – chess playing for kids, basically! It is at www.chesskids.com and has a FULL resource section of Downloadable and printable BOOKS – lesson plans, really – for you to learn step by step!! They ask for donations, but you can also print out the books for free! By clicking on the title of this post, it will take you to the page where the free downloads are…

Exchange Rates and Money Info

Our Kenyan Shilling is worth about:

67ksh per USD

56ksh per Canadian dollar

88ksh per Euro

I know it says different rates on the internet and at your bank - but here it is pretty much constant. Also - bring large bills with you - like $100's. "Smaller Bills" (less than $50's) get a crappier exchange rate. Not joking!

The easiest way to convert it in your head (if you are Canadian), is to double the shilling amount (so if it is 200ksh - make it 400), and then move the decimal place over two places (so 200ksh would be $4.00).

The largest note we have here is 1000ksh - which is about $20.00 Canadian.

Also good to know: bank machines work well here for withdrawing cash from overseas accounts, and the fee is about... $3.00!! There is a maximum daily limit of whatever it is - $500, or something. Bank machines are available in all normal shopping complexes - easy as pie.

You will require $50USD cash at the airport to pay for your visitors visa. And bringing some cash with you is always a good idea - until you get yourself sorted out and know where bank machines are, etc.

;-D

Local Shopping - Infant Formula

Here is what the baby food isle looks like at our local Nakumatt store... sorry the one of all the formulas is blurry! (darn!) The best type of formula looks to be this SMA Gold - it's new. For cereals, it's Cow and Gate... for about 485ksh per box.

If you have any other questions - just let me know! ;-D

Toddler Activites - Ice Cream Colors

This is the most hilarious thing ever! It is a free print out thingy from a site called www.first-school.ws/ . (By clicking on the title of this post you will be taken directly to the ice cream page!!) Anyway - I made a set and used that bluetac stuff to stick it onto the wall, but Meer LOVED ripping them off SO much, I glue-gunned them on the wall with velcro! (a big tall strip vertically, and then horizontal strips on the backs of each scoop and cone) It is just hilarious to watch him be "destructive" - he just loves it!! Hope you enjoy it too...

;-D

Toddler Activites - Bottle Toys

LARGE SODA BOTTLES

Toddlers love to shake and roll rounded objects. Take advantage of this natural curiosity and fill large soda bottles with interesting things to observe. Be sure to secure the top of the bottles, perhaps even gluing them shut, or wrapping them with tape.

BOUNCY BEANS – Put various large dried beans in a bottle for your child to shake and roll around, listening to the sound it makes.

RAIN BOTTLES – Put some rice in a bottle and make your child a rain bottle as they tilt the bottle up and down.

POP CORN POPPER – Put some popped corn in the bottle and encourage your child to roll in around the room, popping the corn.

FLOATING OCTOPUS – Blow up two very small balloons and tie. Place them in the bottle and then fill the bottle ¾ with water. The balloons will bob around and look like baby whales.

MINI TOYS – Look for mini cars, animals, balls, dice, etc. to place in a bottle.

BEACH SCENE – Place ½ cup sand in the bottle, along with some mini shells. Pour in some water, tinted with blue food coloring.

BUBBLES GALORE – Pour in some water, tinted with blue food coloring and some dish soap or some bubble bath. Shake up the bottle to make bubbles.

GLITTER BOTTLES – Drop in some glitter, sequins, metallic confetti, glass jewels. Fill ¾’s with water and shake.

FEATHER BOTTLES – Fill the bottle with ten or twenty small feathers.

BOWLING PINS - Empty soda bottle make great bowling pins for toddlers.
Set up three to ten soda bottles.
Have your child stand back and roll a ball towards the bottles.
How many did he knock down?

Tile Wall Transformation

Well - THIS is what we have done with our new patch of off white tiles in the kitchen! Not TOO bad, hey?? We have a cup of white board crayola markers hanging on the wall - incase our little Picasso gets inspired! Although so far he is only interested in tossing the markers on the floor, and then putting them back in the cup! ;-D

Toddler Activites - Wall Cups

So this is actually my own brilliant idea!! I saw our plastic cups in the cupboard, and was like - OH YA!!! So I taped them up on the wall, and Meer just LOVES emptying and filling them with various things - keeps him busy, that's for sure! In the same breath, I am also sure he will get sick of it soon, but if it amuses him for a week or so - I will be thrilled!

The Big N.O.

So yes - it has HAPPENED. Meer runs around the house saying, "Nah! Nah!". I ASSUME it is him saying NO!!!!! (gasp) Yup. But I really did enjoy the week that he only said, "Yeah"... ha ha ha!!!

Local Shopping - Wooden Kid Stuff

Well - there is THE coolest store at Village Market - they sell handmade wooden kid stuff. It is called Ocram Girap, and it is FABULOUS!~ Clic on the title of this post to check out their site - it has pictures of all the stuff they sell, etc... Enjoy!!

Flash Card Mania - The Dolch Words

I know I know - but when you have the laminator out - you might as well get the most use out of it... right?? ha ha ha!! Well - Best to be prepared, I say. In all my digging around, there seems to be a thing about these 220 words that have to be learned by sight - they cannot be sounded out. (who knew??) So here is a nice site that has them printed out in two different sizes (I like the large size!) Here is the link to the free ones...

http://www.theschoolbell.com/Links/Dolch/Directions/flashcards.html

Flash Card Mania - the Technique

I download the pdf files, print out 2 copies, cut out each flash card (4 print out on one page), and then glue it dead-center onto a slightly larger pretty paper – I was SHOCKED to find holographic foil paper at our local stationary shop – imagine! 25 sheets for about $5 !! How amazing is that?? I trim down the top and side by about 1cm, and then cut the pages in quarters. Anyway – then I laminate 2 cards inside a A5 pouch, and cut them apart, trim the sharp corners, and Wah-lah!!! A finished flashcard that looks absolutely professional and... how handy!!! ;-D

Flash Card Mania – Shapes

I did these with my publishing software. I like them, and everything, but there is also a nice set available from Jan Brett! The link to the ones I found online is here…

http://www.janbrett.com/pdf/jan_brett_geometric_shapes.pdf

Flash Card Mania - Colors

Here is the link to the flash cards for learning the colors! Also quite pretty…

http://www.janbrett.com/pdf/colors_flash_cards.pdf

Flash Card Mania - Matching Animals Game

Now HERE is a really sweet version of the game – Concentration! It is SUPER CUTE and well drawn pictures of different animals – two of each – for our little ones to learn matching! Just adorable. There are 12 different animals to match up. Here is the direct link…

http://www.janbrett.com/games/matching_animals_game_main.htm

Flash Card Mania - Matching Numbers Game

There is also a GREAT number matching game too - one card has the number - one card has the picture. Then it is a matter of matching up the correct ones! VERY nice looking... I am working on that this week! (Yes - I ran out of laminating pouches and holographic card stock! Not to worry - I replenished my supply first thing this morning!! ;-D) Anyway - this is the link to the number matching printables...

http://www.janbrett.com/games/matching_numbers_game_main_page.htm

Flash Card Mania - Numbers

These are the numbers by Jan Brett. They are super neat too. Same thing – clic on the link below, and open up each page as a pdf file – 4 numbers per page.

http://www.janbrett.com/numbers/numbers_flash_cards_main.htm

Flash Card Mania - Pretty Ones

These are from an absolutely FABULOUS site I found – AMAZING artwork, and super pretty, etc. There is a TONNE of stuff to choose from – everything from gift cards, to flash cards, to preschool lessons, to classroom supplies, etc. Just amazing! If you clic on the title of this post, it will take you to her index page. Scroll down, and do a search for what you are looking for – you will be SHOCKED to see how much is available – and YES – all for free! I printed out 2 sets of alphabet flashcards – one in hand writing, and one in printing – so Meer can (one day) match up the written letters with the printed letters, etc. And the artwork is SO pretty…

This is the main page where you can search for what you are looking for:

http://www.janbrett.com/index.html

This is the link to the Traditional Alphabet Flash Cards:

http://www.janbrett.com/alphabet/flash_card_alphabet_traditional_main_page.htm

This is the link to the Modern Alphabet Flash Cards:

http://www.janbrett.com/alphabet/flash_card_alphabet_modern_main_page.htm

This is the link to the Cursive (handwritting) Alphabet Flash Cards:

http://www.janbrett.com/alphabet/flash_card_alphabet_cursive_main_page.htm

Flash Card Mania - the Beginning

So I went a bit nuts over the weekend with my laminator!! Found a GREAT site for flashcards – well, 2 sites, actually. These are the ones I found first – a full set of the alphabet – I made two sets, so we can play matching later, etc. Here are the links to the flashcards – you can print them out yourself – yes – for free!!! Right clic each of the links below, and choose "open in new window" - it will open up a pdf file with 4 letters on each page - one for each link... Hope you like them too!

http://www.first-school.ws/t/alpha_flash1ad.htm

http://www.first-school.ws/t/alpha_flash1eh.htm

http://www.first-school.ws/t/alpha_flash1il.htm

http://www.first-school.ws/t/alpha_flash1mp.htm

http://www.first-school.ws/t/alpha_flash1qt.htm

http://www.first-school.ws/t/alpha_flash1ux.htm

http://www.first-school.ws/t/alpha_flash1yz.htm

Drive-by Munching

This is Meer munching down on his puffed wheat! He eats like a champion since I filled his bilibo with cereal – he eats by the handful! Who knew! I tried butting him in a big bucket, and poured the cereal around him, but he thought that was just weird and wanted to get out immediately!! There are a few cups inside for filling and pouring – he just loves it! Apparently you let the kids play with it for a few days, and then give the remaining cereal to the birds…

Toddler Activites - Filling Up Fun

FILLING UP FUN
These are great small muscle activities for young children.

STUFF THE TURKEY
You need some brown grocery sacks for this activity. Take one of the sacks and roll the sides down until they are approximately 5-6 inches from the bottom. Take the other sacks and cut them into 6” x 6” squares. Show your child how to crunch up the squares. Tell your child that the rolled down bag is the turkey and the crunched up papers are the dressing. Have your child fill their turkey with dressing.

TOOTHBRUSH HOLDER
Children love filling up the holes in a toothbrush holder.
Set out a toothbrush holder and the appropriate number of toothbrushes.
Encourage your child to put one toothbrush in each hole.

CANDLEHOLDER
Set out a candleholder that holds more than one candle.
Set out the appropriate number of candles.
Encourage your child to put one candle in each holder.

WOODEN PUZZLES
Set out a knobbed puzzle with large easy pieces.
Encourage your child to place each piece in its correct hole.

COOKIE CUTTER PUZZLE
You will need a sturdy box lid.
Lay the lid on the table.
Set some simple cookie cutters on top and draw around the cutters.
Cut out the cutter shapes in the box lid.
Set out the box lid and the cookie cutters.
Have your children place the cookie cutters into their holes.

TENNIS BALL TUBE
Set out a tennis ball tube filled with tennis balls.
Let your child dump out the balls, then carefully place them all back in the tube.

CRAFT STICK GARDEN
You will need a sturdy shoe box for this activity.
Put the lid on the box and cut two rows of four 1” slits.
Set out eight large craft sticks and let your children fill each slit with a craft stick.

FILL THE POT
Set out a pan of water, a measuring cup and a medium sized plastic bowl.
Show your child how to dip the measuring cup into the water and then transfer a cup from the pan into the bowl.
Let your child continue doing this until the bowl is full.

Picture of the day

Meer was drinking milk from his doidy cup and eating peas...

Snap Crackle and POP!

Our landlord is just a dick-face. Basically. And I am pretty sure that isn’t a swear!! Ha ha ha! Anyway – Kush had another rowe with him last night, and came back in the house insisting we move – ASAP. SO – this is the house we are going to look at this afternoon… it’s new, and on half an acre. Not too crazy about the location – it might be on a busier road than I would prefer… just have to wait and see! Anyway – we have paid rent here for the next 3 months, so it’s not THAT urgent… but better to see what is available, than to be “forced” to move when there is nothing on the market! Ugh… BUT – I am actually looking forward to it – especially since it is a bit bigger than this house – so I might get my craft room back, and more than one bath tub in the house is also a big fat bonus! I’ll keep you posted…

Nope. That just SUCKED! How depressing. Built just horribly, and full of quirky arcitecture and MDF. Gasp. And then the view from teh second floor, is of all the tin roofs of a SLUM! Yup. Back to the drawing board...

Ego is a bitch...

So the tile guys seemed to have difficulty fitting the border tiles back together – had it all messed up, and then left to go for lunch. So, me being me, I ripped out the ones that were in the wrong place, and got it all sorted out – ended up that in all reality, they would not fit back together without being cut… but in the process of seeing how much I had to chip off, a tile FELL and broke into… say… 15 pieces. NOT joking. Anyway – then I decided to just go for it – nothing to be lost now! So one tile has a bit of a “mosaic” effect – but I say who cares – the darn thing wasn’t going to fit, anyway!

The tile guys came back a couple hours later to find their work completed – OOPS! And they are ONLY replacing the tiles that had fallen off – so we are left with a white square, instead of butchering the entire kitchen. (phew). I figure I will let Meer loose with a dozen or so permanent markers – make it into an art wall! Ha ha ha!!

Anyway – my hands are actually PRUNED. I even put lotion on 3 times so far – IMAGINE. Had to cut my nails to get the dirt out from under them too! :-O

Flickr Pictures

PHEW! I have found a way of uploading pictures - even at my super-slow connection speed! I re-sized them - some small, some medium, and today I am REALLY going out on a limb and uploading in size LARGE!! Imagine the courage!~ha ha ha! Anyway - there is a heap of them. Now that uploading is do-able within a reasonable time frame (aka: same day!) I didn't edit them- it's the full range! If I haven't sent you a link, please email me, and I will add you to the invitation list - the pictures aren't public, so you will have to be invited, and then sign in with your yahoo id. BUT - naturally it is all worth it!! ;-D

Last Week's Projie

Our dining room chairs had been bothering me for… a good 4 years! I had been waiting for a budget to go and buy some fantastic red brocade, or something equally magnificent to recover them in. They had been a funny shade of green for far too long – which matched the dishes that you can see in the pictures. Anyway – last Monday I walked past the dining room one too many times, and decided that I MUST have SOMETHING in my fabric cupboards that would be better than staring at green for one more day! So off I went to dig through the piles…

Found this dark purple – in the same fabric that the green was – so I knew it would upholster and wear well. NOT that purple is my thing…but I just snapped, and it was the best option I had! Within a few hours the dining room was looking better, and I used the remaining scrap of purple fabric to make a table runner. All in all – I am quite pleased with it! Should have done it years ago!! ;-D

Slum Lord Report

So the munchie potato (my version of the more fitting and colorful experlitives that describe him more accurately) has actually sent guys to repair the gaping hole we have in our kitchen wall! About 50 of the tiles on one wall have come loose – a patch of about 12 actually buckled with the house settling, and popped off! Anyway – we have lived with it for seven long months… and NOW, Monday morning, two men have arrived to fix it. Not only that – but the other 38 tiles that are just hanging on by their grout lines! AND – to make the day just perfect – not only are they smashing the sh*t out of the wall above where Meer SLEEPS, but have brought off-white tiles to replace the PEACH tiles that have fallen off. So basically, the kitchen wall is going to look like a… patchwork. Basically. I had to come back upstairs just to tell you all! How purdy. Like – considering the house actually BELONGS to someone – would you not INSIST on matching tiles? I mean – seriously. Or maybe it is just me. Crazy old me. Well – anyway – good luck renting it out for the top money we are paying after we leave! Jokers. No brains.

OH! AND – I thought our septic tank needed to be pumped, so I called and asked the landlord to send a truck to do it – they actually called back to say that maintenance of the septic tank is up to the TENANTS. So like – for price of one month’s rent, we can let their house actually FILL UP with SH*T. NOT JOKING!! And like – septic pump trucks are how much? $100?? Probably less. But – NO – don’t pay for that YOURSELF!! Goodness. I swear. If there was ANY decent house available for rent, we would have moved already. As painful as it is. The guy is just a true dick.

ANYWAY – gotta go play with Meer somewhere where we can hear ourselves THINK…

OH. Icing on the cake - one of the guys went to use Kasimbi's toilet (without asking, of course) - and BROKE IT! Yes. Poor kasimbi has gushing toilet water all over his house, and no working toilet. How NICE... :-(

Budding Vocabulary

So Meer is really beginning to talk – it’s just a matter of us adults understanding which words he is saying! The first word he said was LIGHT – his favorite thing at the time. And then he said THIS, and then THAT. His recognizable vocabulary includes:

Light
This
That
Mama
Dada
Danger
Flower
Dog
Tortoise
Yes

Sawa (Swahili for ok)

Good

Nice

Two

Out

Shoes

I am just THRILLED to hear him say YES before learning the word NO! For some reason it is all important to me to minimize the amount of times he hears "no". Apparently it is shocking how often we hear it as children. NOT that I don't direct his behavior, but luckily with Meer, he is sensitive enough to be guided with facial expressions and little grunts! Well - that is me for you - all weird!! Anyway - he is really beginning to speak up a storm - it is SO enjoyable to hear! ;-D

Baby Gear - Wheely Bugs

These are neat! Made by the same clever company that came up the the Hipseat Carrier I keep going on and on about - www.hippychick.com . Anyway - these are super fun, and super well made. They have a few different ones - cow, bee, ladybug, etc. This is the one Meer has. It has "omni directional wheels", meaning it can bomb around in any direction and turn around on the spot - how fun!! They are really well made - totally solid and fabulous, basically! Hope you like them too! Yes - clic on the link to see them... ;-D

Baby Gear - FunPod

Now this is something that is still on my wish-list! It is a narrow wooden box (basically) that you can put your toddler in while you are busy working in the kitchen! It is adjustable, so you can find the right hieght for your little one to be able to stand beside you and "work" on the counter! When you are not using it with your child, it has a wooden chopping block cover - so it isn't a waste of space. It comes in 4 different colors, and is available in London at a fab store called www.lullabys.co.uk . Clic on the title of this post to check it out - they even have a little video clip so you can see it in action! I think it is just a brilliant idea!!

Baby Gear - Laundry Soap

I also recommend this laundry detergent – especially if you are coming to Kenya to adopt a baby! It rinses out of the fabric 100% so it is perfect for sensitive baby skin, and is super concentrated – one 5.5lb box washes 50 loads of laundry (about 1 tbsp per load) – so it lasts really a long time! There is a link to the site if you want to read the actual details about it – just clic on the title of this post. I have been washing Meer's clothes in it for one year now, and have just busted into my second box... about a month ago! Imagine. BRILLIANT stuff.

Baby Gear - Time Out Pad

Now check THIS out: It is a new product I saw at my favorite online shop in London – it is a pressure sensitive time-out-pad, that has a timer (1 minute per age of your child) and beeps if your child gets up before the time-out is over! How neat!! I mean – hopefully you never have to use it, but... seriously. NEAT! Clic on the title of this post to read more about it...

Baby Gear - Baby Bjorn Dishes

Now these food dishes and cutlery are pretty great too. They SAY that they are hard for little cuties to pick up and toss – not really the case. Meer can pick them up just fine! But they ARE super easy to scoop food up onto the spoon, and the spoon has a little notch on the underside, so it rests on the edge of the bowl without slipping inside. AND if they DO get tossed – they are next to impossible to break. The bottom edge has a gummy rubber ring, so they don’t slip around, etc. All in all – a real winner. Clic on the title of the post to read more, etc.

Baby Gear - Hotslings

These cute slings are just the best. And trust me – I have bought and tried just about every single one on the market!! The ONLY thing these one’s are NOT the best for, is breastfeeding. Then you will need the good old fashioned Maya Sling. But the Hotslings are PERFECT for everything else – and no need to adjust it…. Ever!! You just slide it over your head and one arm, and off you go. Perfect for newborns and toddlers. ( when they are bigger, they sit straddling your hip with the hotsling under their butt like a seat – tres handy!!) To be honest… after about 1 year, I only use the hipseat carrier. But you can purchase one hotsling, and then make your own using it as the pattern. SUPER EASY. I made about 6 different ones – to match my outfits!! All you need is about 1.8m of stretch cotton, and some hollow fiber to pad the one rim. Easy peasey!! But for those of you who don’t sew – just buy a couple – you will LOVE THEM!! I suggest at least two – since the edge seems to catch a LOT of drool, so you will want a fresh one handy. Yes – clicking on the title of this post will take you to www.hotslings.com!! Enjoy.

Baby Gear - Magnetic Door Locks

"Hidden Locks for Modern Kitchens" - These are THE coolest door locks …. EVER!! They are magnetic and completely hidden inside the cupboard or drawer – so you never see them! To unlock them, you pass a magnet “key” over the front of the door, and it releases the magnet on the inside - releasing the lock. HOW neat! Not cheap, mind you, and you DO have to drill a little hole on the inside of the cabinet or drawer to countersink in a little magnet… but who cares! Beats wrestling with plastic clips for YEARS!! Check out the link in the title of this post – they are amazing! And I mean - heck - how hilarious would they be for April fools???? PERFECT! ha ha ha!!!

Baby Gear - Bilibo

These are super neat… things! They have no real purpose, other than sparking the imagination in our little ones! They were developed by the Children’s Hospital in Switzerland, of all places! They come in the large size (bigger than a basket ball), or the smaller size – which make great scoops, etc. Basically they can be used inside, outside, in the water, sand, snow, etc. And two stack together to form a complete circle – kinda cool! Also available in a heap of colors, and you can see them by clicking on the title of this post.

Baby Gear - Doidy Cups

This is a super cool cup for your little one to learn to drink from. They are cheap, and the extra angle means it is easier for you little one to learn to tip the cup himself… it’s GREAT! Seriously – like the third day I busted it out, I came into the kitchen to see Meer pick it up by the handle, take a sip, and set it back down!! I was like – HUH??? Seriously. NOT that there wasn’t a trail of milk down his chin, but definitely cleaner than trying from a normal cup! Give them a try. Clic on the title of this post to view them properly… but you may want to do a local search to find them near you – we had to get them from London, at a super cool store called http://www.bumpto3.co.uk/ . (You can also clic on that and do a search for doidy cups...)

Baby Gear - Hipseat Carrier

FABULOUS! It’s like an ugly old fanny-pack, but with a hard plastic insert inside the zipper pouch, so it forms a firm seat for you baby/toddler without using your shoulders or back for support. BRILLIANT. Everyone needs one – safe to say! Clic on the title of this post to view it properly on the hippy chick website...

Baby Gear - Quinny Zap

This is a super lightweight stroller that folds down into a little bag and can be put in the overhead luggage compartment on an airplane. It has NO suspension, and NO shopping basket. But it DOES have a super great sun canopy, and a perfectly fitted and easy to use rain cover! Meer LOVES going out in his Quinny when it is raining! Super fun. Not the best for posture – minimal back support, non adjustable, etc, but if you travel a lot, it’s pretty neat. Oh - and the Maxicozi baby seat fits onto the frame as well... which it also does to the Bugaboo frame as well. (incase you are looking for a travel system - both work easily!)

Baby Gear - Bugaboo Cameleon

Best stroller available by far. (this is the color combo we chose for Meer... LOVE IT!) It is SO GREAT I cannot even rant enough to convey it. Imagine! It comes in a multitude of color combinations, and is super easy to clean, has phenomenal suspension, and is SO comfortable for your child – it’s worth every red cent… which is quite a few of them, considering it is kinda pricey! We got our in Dubai for about $1200 usd including all the accessories, travel bag, etc. The ONLY hassle is that to put it in the car, it comes apart in two pieces – super easy, and stuff, but it is a bit more effort than the old graco-collapse-with-one-hand variety… but again – you get what you pay for – incomparable in every other way… it’s like a Bentley or a Hyundai. Basically! And not ot be snotty – I know it is a crazy price and every penny counts, but if there is ANY way you can swing it – I fully encourage you to do so! Yes - clic on the title to go to the bugaboo website - then look at the CAMELEON... beautiful.

Baby Gear - Bumbo Baby Seat

This is a squishy molded foam seat that gives you a secure place to “plunk” your baby from about 4 months (or when she can hold up her own head) onwards to … 9 months? Around 9 months was when Meer figured out how to get out of it – and so ended the days of immobility! But we used it SO MUCH before then. Even now he likes to figure out how to sit in it by himself – it’s pretty funny. It comes in a bunch of colors… just not in a adult size. DARN!!! There is also one called the Bebepod – which is exactly the same, but not squishy – it’s hard plastic. Oviously squishy is the way to go! The link in the title of this post takes you to where you can by it from the mothercare site... but you can also buy it in lots of other places - check out the color selection - each store has their own "available in two colors".

Baby Gear - Table High Chair

This is a really good thing to have. We got the exact one in the link above… it is well worth it. The seat is really padded nicely, and it comes off the frame to be washed in the machine – which it does BEAUTIFULLY!! I read one of the reviews on the mothercare site, and a person was saying it wasn’t washable… NOT THE CASE! Wrestle it off the steel frame, and toss it in the machine with a towel. Comes out a treat. Also wipes clean and dries in a SNAP. It is super strong, and super great. Yes - CLIC ON THE LINK TO SEE THE CHAIR AS LISTED ON THE MOTHERCARE WEBSITE...