Reviews

Recently we have moved to a two-bedroom apartment which meant Emily finally got her own room, so we had to do some changes regarding her sleeping arrangements. Before we would settle her on our bed, give her a bottle and soon she would fall asleep while holding our hand. Then we would just transfer her to her cot and she would continue until the morning. Perfect, right? But as she was getting bigger and heavier it was getting harder and harder to transfer her to the bed, especially when you are short as I am. You don’t want to know how many times I almost ended up in her bed with her. Even if we wanted to continue with the process it would be impossible to transfer her from one room to another without her waking up.

This is why we decided to create a new routine. As an avid book reader, I couldn’t allow not to include books in our bedtime process. What I didn’t know yet was that Emily will become as crazy about books as I am. She will touch all the books she owns, take one, change her mind, take another one, change her mind and then choose the perfect one which she will then proudly hand to me.

Best bedtime stories for toddlers

In her expert two-year old opinion these are the best bedtime stories for toddlers ranked from the best to almost the best.

1. “Say Goodnight to the Sleepy Animals” by Ian Whybrow

Why did it deserve number one position? Story is about cute ginger cat that goes to say goodnight to other animals like the dog, fox or bunnies and other. The main reason she likes it is because on every page there are soft to touch animals she can pet while I read her the rhymes.

• “Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes” by Mem Fox and Helen Oxenbury

This book teaches them that babies all over the world might look different and live in various circumstances but they still have things in common, like having ten little adorable fingers and ten little toes. Her favourite part of course is when the books tells about the baby that is “mine all mine” and she gets “three little kisses on top of her nose”.

• “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown.

I think this book is a staple of bedtime stories all over the world. It is a story about tiny mouse going to bed and saying goodnight to all of things in his room. She really likes the rhymes and of course saying goodnight to all the things in her room after we finish the book.

• “Room on the Broom” by Julia Donaldson

This is a story about the kind witch and her cat who after losing hat, bow and wand not only get some help but also companions on their broomstick and the adventures they have. She loves the illustrations in this book and laughs on every page while watching witches’ adventures.

• “I Love My Mummy” by Kelman, Marcy

If I am honest, this might be my favourite. It is a story about little squirrel that lists all the reason she loves her mummy and we like it because it says about all the things parents do for their children during the day, and it just makes me warm around my heart.

Which bedtime stories your toddler prefers?

I love to travel. Alone. With my husband. With my friends. When it comes to travel – I am up for anything. The only thing I was really afraid of was traveling with a kid. That sounded like a terrible idea to me. Oh boy, I was so wrong.

A few months ago we decided to go on a family trip to Budapest. It was the first time we are going out of the country with our 4-year-old daughter. And guess what? It wasn’t so terrible after all. It was fun. She was having a great time. After that positive experience, I decided to take her everywhere – so we booked a cruise for November.

Since I want to prepare as much as I can, I read all the tips on travelling with young kids. I also decided to get few books on family travel. Travel With Kids from Edward Cox is one of those great books with lots of great tips. This book provides in-depth information on how to travel as a family. It includes information on how to pick the right destination and the right mode of travel, how to apply for passports and visas, and how to deal with culture shock on arrival and on re- entry. It also has special sections on how to travel with infants, toddlers, and teenagers.

My favorite part of the book is chapter ‘Surviving Re-entry’. It was always the hardest thing for me when it comes to traveling and it took me weeks to get back to my routine. So, imagine how hard will that be for the kids.

– The idea for this book has been rattling around in my head since my first child was born and most people that we knew assumed that we’d stop traveling. Traveling and living overseas was too hard with kids. I disagree. I want families to see that international travel with kids is not impossible, not too expensive, and definitely worth it – said Edward, the author and travel blogger on Nomadic Dragon.

You can find this great book on Amazon.

Edward told us he also has several more books sketched out. Two are young adult fiction and two are non-fiction travel writing about the places that he, his wife and two sons traveled to so far. I am really looking forward to reading those!

Did you know that after water, tea is the most widely consumed drink in the world? In America alone, it is reported that more than 80% of households have tea at their homes.

But not all tea is created equal, so if you want the best kind, you need to know how to evaluate. If you are still a beginner when it comes to tea, check out the tips below that you can follow so that you are sure to purchase the high-quality kind.

1. Check if they are full of stalks – if you will be checking the tea you will be drinking, you might see that it contains stalks. You might think that this is just common, but tea experts will tell you that the higher quality tea should actually be free from stalks. They say that the more stalks there are in the tea, it means that the manufacturers have resorted to extended plucking instead of fine plucking.
2. The leaves must be well-rolled – one of the most important processes that tea leaves will have to go through is the rolling process. This is the manufacturing process where the leaves are rolled into a standard. Tea leaves that have been rolled properly are called wiry. If you see that some of the leaves are wiry but others are not, that means it has undergone a uniform rolling process. This means that the flavor of your tea will not be balanced and the tea is not of high quality.
3. Look for lots of tippy tea leaves – if you are not familiar with the term tippy teas, it just means that they are teas that have leaves full of tips, which are silver or gold in color. When these are present in your tea leaves, you can be assured that you will have delivered flavor as the tips have more caffeine. The more tips you find in your, the better the flavor will be.
4. It needs to be free from flakes – aside from being free from stalks, to be considered high-quality tea, it also needs to be free from flakes. Flakes are those brittle leaves that you see on your tea. This is another indication that the leaves were not finely plucked. When you brew the tea leaves, it should open and look like they were just harvested. The presence of brittle leaves or flakes means that the tea is not of high quality.
5. Choose whether you want the loose leaf variety or tea bags – – now there are many people who debate over these. You can just factor in the convenience. Many would argue that loose leaf tea tastes better than the latter, but it would also require more equipment and time. Tea bags meanwhile, are very convenient, and you can bring them with you wherever you go, so you can satisfy your tea fix very easily. Bear in mind that you also need to evaluate the tea bags you will buy. 

Whether or not the tooth fairy is real is not the point. The point is that I recently happened upon an article that talked about the wonders of Baltic Amber and how teething necklaces are basically magic. If you’re a mom then you’ve been through the dreaded teething stage that inevitably moves into your household, making itself comfy for several months and driving everyone else in the nearest vicinity insane. If you’re a new mom, then I will pray for you and offer up four words of advice… Baltic Amber Teething Necklaces.

What Exactly Is Baltic Amber?

Baltic Amber is named after the region it’s found in. This particular amber is harvested from forests near the Baltic Sea, which are known for the conifer trees that reside there. These trees produce sap that contain an oil called succinic acid and are notorious for having the highest contents of this compound, coming in between 8-10%, which is up to 4% higher than the average amounts found in other amber sources.

Due to the location that this amber is found in, European and Asian countries have coveted and utilized this substance for medicinal purposes for centuries. Teething is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to amber’s benefits. Succinic acid is revered for its mood boosting effects, it’s anti-inflammatory properties, and the abundance of antioxidants that are directly responsible for boosting your immunity.

Shamans and homeopathic doctors have used amber with patients who suffer from stiff joints and arthritis, migraine sufferers, people with autoimmune disorders, teething infants, patients that suffer from seasonal depression, pregnancy and many other ailments. With all it’s benefits, why wouldn’t you add amber to your medicine cabinet?

Is There a Difference Between Raw Baltic Amber vs Polished Amber? Does Color Matter?

At first, purchasing something that is foreign to you may seem overwhelming. When you initially search “natural baltic amber baby teething necklace,” you’ll find that they come in different lengths, colors, and even raw vs polished. How do you know which one will work best for you? It all depends on what it is you’ll be using it for.

Each color has the same healing properties, as each contain succinic acid. The color changes due to how much oil containing the component is found in there. The lighter colors, such as your yellows and light ambers are your most potent, so to speak, while your darker variations such as your honeys and cognac colors contain less succinic acid.

Raw beads are much too harsh for infants due to the coarse texture. Raw amber is very porous, which is great because it allows the oils that contain the medicinal benefits to seep through the bead and into your skin, thus producing the healing effects. Raw amber is great for adults who are looking to purchase an amber necklace for whatever reason, and since it’s raw the color hardly matters.

For your teething infant, however, I would suggest going with a lighter bead due to the fact that you will need to purchase a polished amber, as not to irritate your baby’s delicate skin. As stated previously, your lemons and light ambers contain the highest traces of succinic acid. If you’re purchasing for a younger infant, I would suggest getting a shorter to mid-range length necklace and wrapping it around your baby’s ankle. This way there’s less chance of it being a choking hazard.

My Sanity Restored!

Sometimes foreign things can seem to good to be true and often like overly hyped myths. In the case of Baltic Amber, though, centuries of history has proven itself worthy of it’s notorious healing properties. My household sanity was restored after purchasing our first teething necklace, and after months of no sleep and many shed tears, I wish I had jumped on the bandwagon sooner. Grab an amber teething necklace for you and yours and test it out for yourself!

This awesome feeding set has been great for my little girl. She was a picky eater, so we had a problem when we started feeding her solid food. We tried different approaches, but she just didn’t want to eat. We wanted to make her feeding time more fun, so we decided to buy a set of bright colors. And that was it! Our daughter just loved the cute graphics and the bright colors.

We have used them for about a year now. I microwave food on them a lot and put them in the dishwasher all the time and they still look like new. The bowls are deep which helps as when she is eating things like yogurt or applesauce. It’s definitely worth the money (and it’s quite cheap!).

Munchkin Feeding Set, 15 Pack

Click Here if you want to read what other buyers think…

The plates are large enough that you can fit an entire meal on them but small enough for your young child to hold and to use. The bowls work perfect for pasta, chicken pots, fish and everything else, but they are also perfect for snacks. This feeding set has 15 parts and all the parts are really useful. Maybe a little bit too much for just one child, but we used everything.

The only downside to this set that I can think of is that the cups are getting a little small for our daughter. Also, they don’t have a spill guard which was a problem when she just started using it.

We also recommended this feeding set to our friends, and everyone was quite satisfied. That is why I decided to make a review, so that everyone who is looking for a perfect feeding set for their kids can know that this one is great.

Click Here if you want to buy Munchkin Feeding Set…

If you’re interested in other things we love, check out our reviews.

*And just for full disclosure, there are affiliate links in this posts. That means that I’m sharing something that I think is helpful, and if you make a purchase through the link, I earn a little bit back. No extra cost to you, and just a little help for me to pay for the blog expenses.

The festive season is one meant to bring not only joy but also a delight to everyone, more so, to kids who reverie every single festivity detail. The need to ensure that the built up anticipation, eagerness, and excitement for Christmas is not ruined by disappointed hearts is exceptionally high. Worry not, below is a top-five list of the best tech gadgets for this season.

Anki Cozmo

Nothing fascinates and captures the desires and imaginations of the young ones as owning an interactive and intelligent robot. This is one of the smartest robots, which although tiny has a lot to offer both educative and fun. Its ability to recognize faces, learn and play games while interacting with the player is a bonus. What makes Cozmo an endearing reality for exploration is its personality. Kids are going to love his charisma, his energy as well as intelligence. Moreover, he can be purchased at any tech store or even in online stores at very affordable prices.

Bloxels Video Game Builder

Are you worried that your children are spending too much time on TV as well as playing video games? Then worry not like the opportunity to help your children grow intellectually and individually knocks on your door this festive season. Using the Bloxels Video Game Builder, your kids can design locations, characters, and objects with various colors as a representation of in-game elements like water and coins. This tech gadget comes with a free companion app which digitizes them with less fuss and uploads them into the Video Game Builder as ready to use. Its limit on imagination is limitless.

Lego Boost Creative Toolbox

Have you ever desired a gadget that will offer you unlimited fun while still being involved in the action? Well, look no more! The Lego boost creative toolbox will do all that and more. Open your mind to the infinite world of imagination and think more in the directions of encoded motors, Bluetooth blocks, and buttons for an opportunity to create ingenious creations through your tablet. The age limit of this toolbox is nada. Both kids and adults can use it, which is a plus. Its modular is impressive and offers opportunities to build many models. Its educative coding nature guarantees both fun and learning.

Smartwatch and three/ VTech Kidizoom

In today’s world technology keeps rebirthing, developing, growing stronger and broader with each passing day. Kids today are more familiar with technology than anything else thus they will always know when their toy smartphone is inadequate as compared to their mum’s iPhone. This creates a dire need for you the parent to ensure that you get your child something whose level of innovation captures a broader range of original features and where else better to look than Vtech smartwatches and Kidizoom cameras? The Kidizoom Duo Camera offers more than just a camera. It includes games that the kids can enjoy at their convenience.

As the festive season nears, what better way to spread the joy of Christmas than to offer your children the best gadgets that will meet their tech-savvy minds with uniqueness and a broad variety of options and opportunities? As you shop for gifts, think multi-purpose gifts, think innovation, think limitless imagination.