Proving My Wife Wrong
The Good Things
Annie’s Homegrown
Jan 16th
As I have mentioned in other posts, I am not an “organic-only” person, although I do lean to them when it comes to our son. Also mentioned in other posts, I grew up on a small farm with a family that made meals from scratch — so for the most part, my diet was inherently organic. Apparently, by eating a vegetarian chicken raised in our front yard, without antibiotics and killed in the last 24 hours (most times within the last hour), I was eating like a socially responsible foodie (NY Times Article). Who knew that people would be willing More >
AeroBed for Kids
Aug 2nd
Ah, the AeroBed. I know there are folks far older than me that will say “You got to sleep on egg crates?, In my day we slept on the ground with a rock angled just right so that it pressed into our backs.” Well, I grew up with egg crates and sleeping bags. The AeroBed and general availability of power have made life a lot more comfortable.
Enter the AeroBed for kids. What makes it different to the delight of any parent? Raised sides.The skinny on why we like it:
1. When our son grew out of his Pack N’ Play More >
IKEA Mammut Toddler Bed
Aug 1st
After just about two and a half years and a brief stint on an Aerobed (a re view on this gem coming soon), we modified the IKEA Mammut crib into the IKEA Mammut toddler bed. As I have noted in some earlier comments, the crib/bed has held up great — but we were also lucky with the fact our son didn’t gnaw on the railing. We are still in love with this piece and the three drawer chest that is in his room.
A few things: 1. Make sure to read the instructions. Changing the crib into the bed requires More >
Give the gift of water
Nov 9th
There are so many things in life that I take for granted — with water being very high on that list. I have a hard enough time watching my son fight simple infections that I know will clear up — so I can’t even begin to imagine what it is like to watch your child suffer without something so basic as water. This is why I signed up for P&G’s Give Health Program. I know I sit the fence on the impact of big business, but this is something I see as a very worthwhile cause.
If you notice, I More >
Road Trip
Oct 5th
Not cool, I know. We took the easy way out. Rather than fly someplace exhilarating and fun for the whole family (me, Wifey and the meatball), we took the easy way out and decided to pick a place in driving distance.
So we set out on our 14 hour drive to Nashville to visit family, followed by a cross-Tennessee drive to Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains. Since I am not a travel review site, I will leave the tourist reviews out — but I can say that I have always loved Nashville and the Smoky Mountains were amazing.
Overall, it More >
They Might Be Giants
Sep 15th
If you are a dad — or soon to be a dad, then you have most likely heard the horror stories of television for children. Anything Disney produces is like crack. Once they get a taste, they want more and more until you can not only recite full episodes by memory but you can also animate an entire episode yourself with a pencil, crayon and a few sheets of paper.
But there is a diamond in this rough. Enter They Might Be Giants. I have liked these guys since I was a kid. I grew up listening to them and More >
Exergen Forehead Thermometer
Jun 22nd
I like to be precise with numbers — especially when the number I am looking for determines whether or not we need to make a trip to the emergency room (or a dispensary as my parents call it). To be precise, the rectal thermometer was the way to go when the little guy was under a year. Everything I read said it was the most accurate, and the pediatrician seemed to like the fact we used that method. Then we noticed what our pediatrician was using in the office – forehead thermometer. So, we finally broke and picked up an More >
Playskool busy ball-tivity center
Jun 17th
It’s hard to review toys since they are like beauty — all in the eye of the beholder. It is either a shoddy product or a fun toy — not a whole lot in between. This toy from Playskool I think deserves a call out. Why?
#1 The kiddo can’t get enough of it — from the time he was nine months until now (he is 14 months) he can sit and hit the start button over and over….and over…and over
#2 I think it’s cool and like to fire it up when he isn’t around
#3 Other dads that have stopped More >
The great diaper debate
May 13th
When we left the hospital with our little bundle of diapered joy, I realized a lot of things. The first was that I should have wrapped the entire car in bubble wrap and had the folks at NASCAR install a steel role cage in the car. The second was: What diaper brand should we choose? (not really, but I needed an opening)
Each diaper company vies for our attention with promises of leak protection and comfort, but for me it ultimately came down to personal preference on one item — the tabs that secure the diaper. Our own debate was More >
