Printable labels for storing kids' clothes

Do you store your kids' clothes as they outgrow them?  I put all Alissa's clothes away for Ashley as she outgrows them or as the season changes.  I keep each size in a tub, to make it easier for me to pull out when I need them.

I've just made my own labels for the outside, but the labels are simply handprinted and (in my opinion) plain and ugly.  This website has downloadable, premade tags for both boys and girls clothes.  Cute!

Visit http://getbuttonedup.com/2010/08/tool-free-printable-up-out-labels/ to get the labels in a .doc format.

Teaching Independence: Clothing

I have a confession: I do too much for my children.  

I know, I know, that's what we're supposed to do as parents, right?  Sure.  But we're also supposed to foster independence and self-sufficiency in our kids by teaching them how to do things for themselves. 

And on this point, I've been a bit behind the curve with my three-year-old.  

It's a natural tendency, especially for first-time mothers.  We don't always know what things our children should be able to do for themselves at what ages.  We have a natural instinct to help our children and make things easy for them.  And sometimes, just doing it ourselves requires a lot less time and patience than waiting for our children to accomplish something (like getting dressed or putting on their shoes) on their own.  

I've come to realize, though, that teaching my children how to do things for themselves actually does make my life easier.  It may require some time and effort invested upfront, but in the long run the payoff will be great.  

Lately I've been working with Alissa, my three-year-old, on getting herself through her morning routine - getting dressed, brushing teeth, making her bed, getting breakfast.  The first part of this routine - getting dressed - has required some reorganizing and rethinking on my part.  Here are some things I've done to make it easier for her:

1.  Put clothes away as outfits.  When Alissa was a baby, many of her little dresses came with bloomers - matching underpants to cover up her diaper.  I went to Target and bought plastic clips in the laundry section, and used a plastic clip to hang up the bloomers with the dress.  This way I didn't have to dig through drawers, searching for the bloomers.  

Now that she picks out her own outfit, I use those same clips to hang up pants or skirts with tops.  Now all she has to do is go to her closet, pick out what she wants to wear, and pull the entire outfit out.  It saves time and I know she's color-coordinated, at least until she dons her first princess costume of the day.

2.  Hang clothes where they can reach them.  My daughter's closet has two rods to hang clothes on: a high one and a low one.  Hanging them down low mean Alissa can reach in and pick things out.  It also means she can help me put the clean outfits away.  

3.  Arrange dresser drawers for easy reach.  This was such an easy thing, yet it hadn't occurred to me until recently.  If your child has a tall dresser, put the items they frequently need - underwear, jammies, etc. - in the lower drawers.  

4.  Use hooks for jackets, coats, and backpacks.  Hangers can be tricky for little hands.  (Heck, I even have problems with them from time to time!)   Put hooks in a bedroom, backside of a closet door, or in a mudroom for easy on, easy off.  

Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the daily routine and not realize our kids are ready to take a step towards independence.  However, teaching our kids to be self-sufficient may mean we can make more time for ourselves.  Maybe you can even enjoy an extra cup of coffee in the morning while your child gets dressed! 

Recall: Pottery Barn Madeline Bunk Beds

Date announced: August 3, 2010
ITEM: Pottery Barn Madeline Bunk Beds

This recall involves Madeline bunk beds. The bed is white and is made of wood and medium-density fiberboard. It has guardrails on either side of the top bunk and a ladder that attaches to the side of the beds.


The end structure of the bunk bed can pose an entrapment hazard to young children, a violation of the Safety Standard for Entrapment Hazards in Bunk Beds, 16 C.F.R. Part 1513. Children can get their necks caught in the opening between the post and the decorative molding.


Consumersshould immediately stop using the bed and contact Pottery Barn Kids to schedule installation of a free repair kit.  For additional information, contact Pottery Barn Kids toll-free at (888) 779-8692 between 7 a.m. and midnight PT seven days a week or visit the company's website at www.potterybarnkids.com.


Source: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10312.html

Recall: Levana Wireless Video Monitors

Date announced: August 12, 2010
ITEM: Levana Wireless Video Monitors

This recall involves Levana wireless baby monitors with model number LV-TW300. The receiver front is white and green with six round buttons and the printed word "Levana". It is 7 inches tall and includes a stand/base. The camera is all white, about 5 inches tall and is attached to a 3 1/2 inch long white base. The camera can rotate and swivel in various directions. The camera and receiver each has its own A/C adapter.

Wiring in the baby monitor camera can overheat and emit smoke, posing a burn hazard to consumers.

Consumers should immediately stop using and return the baby monitor directly to CWD for a refund or replacement with a different model. When returning, please include the entire product, your complete name, mailing address and phone number in the package and mail to Circus World Displays Ltd, Attention: Adam Crysler, Dealer Returns Specialist, 60 Industrial Parkway Suite Z64, Cheektowaga, NY 14227.

Source: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10318.html

And we're back!

You may have noticed that I've taken a short hiatus from Blankies & Booboos.  It's partly been because I've been working on some things "behind the scenes" with the blog.  


But I'll be honest - part of the reason that I've been gone is because my brain has been on meltdown the past few weeks.  This heat has taken a toll.  Kansas (the entire midwest, really) has experienced a record-setting heat wave over the past few weeks.  My girls and I have been hunkered down, just waiting for it to get cooler.  Hopefully lower temps are in store for us soon! 


But I'm back to the blog, and hope to bring you some fun things soon!  Stay tuned! 

Music Monday

It's our first Music Monday!  Each Monday we'll feature a music-related craft or activity.

This week: we're making tambourines!

Things you'll need:

• 2 paper plates per child
• Crayons, paints, stickers, markers - whatever you want to use to decorate the paints
• Tambourine "filler" - rice or beans (I used pearl barley; it was languishing in the pantry) 
• Stapler or tape
• Ribbon (optional) 

Have the child decorate the outside of the plate.  Alissa chose to use paints.  This activity by itself could last for hours; Alissa loves anything involving paints.

Even Ashley got in on the coloring fun, when she wasn't trying to eat the crayons.

After the paint / marker / whatever is dry (or the child has tired of decorating!), staple or tape the two paper plates together about 2/3 of the way around, leaving an opening in the top. 

Pour the beans or rice in the top opening.  Staple or tape the plates the rest of the way shut.

Staple or tape two ribbons to the bottom of the plate.  Easy tambourines!  

  

Alissa's "painting" looks like a Rohrshach test.  I think it looks like a heart with an arrow in it.

Note: paper crown is optional, but highly coveted by many female tambourinists.  

B&B is now on Facebook!

Blankies & Booboos is now on Facebook!
Click here to "Like" on Facebook.

Oh, and by the way...please recommend the blog to your friends.  The more people we get, the more opportunities we might have for giveaways, free stuff, etc.!

Big deals at Old Navy!

Get 30% off new arrivals at Old Navy.  Time to start thinking about fall clothes...


Use promo code ONNEW30.


PLUS: Fundamentals sale (T's, shorts, etc.) runs through 7/22, and clearance item are from $3.99.

Lands End Summer Sale ends tomorrow!

Lands End has cute clothes for kids.  Their summer sale ends tomorrow (Tuesday, 7/19) and includes 60% off and free shipping! 

Visit their site.

Picky, picky, picky people

Every family has a child that won't eat. My little brother had not eaten voluntarily in over three years. ~Ralphie, A Christmas Story

Meal times are a battle in my house.

Alissa, my three-year-old, is an incredibly picky eater. She won't eat hamburger. She thinks cheese is a major food group. Alissa only likes chicken if it's followed by the phrase “and fries” and comes from the Wendy's across the street from our church. Green vegetables? Limited to celery, but only because the Wonder Pets eat it. She has about ten foods she likes on heavy rotation, and God bless the mother (me) who tries to introduce her to new ones.

As a result, we have tried a variety of methods to get her to eat more variety. Make her stay in her seat until she eats what I deem an acceptable amount. Take a no-thank-you bite. Reverse psychology. Mostly, I end up caving and giving things out that I know she'll eat.

I know she's not going to starve. After all, she's in the 75^th percentile for weight in her age group; she's obviously not withering away for lack of food. But her goal is to live on Cheez-its and animal crackers; my goal is to get her to eat a mostly nutritional diet.

I've been doing some reading about getting picky eaters to – well – eat. And here are the top 5 tips I've found:

• Hors d'oeuvres, anyone? Little kids are snackers. I thought this was just a genetic tendency handed down to Alissa from my husband, who never met a snack he didn't like. Turns out most kids are like this. And kids love cute names. So serve up apple moons, broccoli trees, carrot swords, and cheese building blocks.
• Dip it, spread it, top it. Serve veggies with ranch dressing. Top apples and crackers with peanut or almond butter. Use cream cheese, guacamole, tomato sauce, or applesauce to top a variety of foods. Bonus points if you let your child spread it. Which leads us to:
• Let the child help prepare the menu. Odds are that your child will be more likely to eat what they helped make. Toddlers can stir things together or pour liquids into a recipe. Preschoolers can help “chop” softer vegetables with a small crinkle cutter, which is safe for little hands. Get them involved and they'll take pride in eating what they make.
• Make healthy snacks accessible and reachable. Alissa is much more likely to snack on an apple or yogurt if she can get it out of the refrigerator herself. Not only does it foster independence for her, but it relieves me of a daily task! (And face it, you've got enough tasks on your list already.) Put healthy choices down low, where kids can easily get to them.
• Remember – they don't eat as much as we do. When I started really looking at Alissa's portion sizes, I realized I was giving her too much to eat. Thing is, kids have tiny tummies and they generally know when they've had enough. I could take a few cues from my child on how to only eat as much as I need.

Most importantly, relax. For all of us – even kids – it's about moderation. Take a cue from Sesame Street and teach kids about “every day foods” (fruits, veggies) and “sometime” foods (sweets, processed stuff, sugary drinks). Helping them to make good choices now will help them make lasting benefits far into the future.

Source: http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/t030800.asp