Tips & Tricks
A few ideas I came up with, some are from my friends. Email me with your ideas and I’ll post them here.
Bottles with stuff in it
Filling up plastic bottles with feathers, beads or even baby oil and glitter can make some really fun toys that trigger your child's imagination and stimulate thier senses. Just make sure to glue those tops on - no one want's baby oil all over the floor.
How I make fomula
I used a scale to weigh the formula to make Poppy's bottles. It turns out to be more accurate and a lot easier than measuring with the scoop provided with each can of formula.
Fun in the Shower
Poppy loves the shower. At first I was a little worried that the noise and rushing water might scare her, but she loved it. As it turns out it's a lot easier to confront some of these issues with water and noise earlier on in life rather than wait until they are older when it might be more of an issue. Use a washcloth mit to make it easier to hold on to your slippery little one.
Pimp your stroller
Take some of the branding off of the toys and baby equipment and customize it with your child's name. My husband and I bought some cheap transfer letters from the dollar store and customized Poppys push cart, we called it the Poppy Racer. Here is an example of what we did to her stroller, just a few beads and some glue and now we have a cool custom stroller.
Toilet paper and paper towel rolls make great toys
Another simple toy that engages the imagination. I often catch my husband blowing through these pretending he is a trumpet player, "Announcing Poppy, doo doo ta doo". Look around your house. There are so many things that you can use as a toy, all it takes is some imagination. It's cheaper and a lot better for the environment if we look to reuse some of the packaging we all collect every week.
A few more ideas..
- Homemade wipes - Cheap and reusable. Lets try and save the environment while we can.
- Ziplock ice packs
- Rubber bands on high chair tray - Fun guitar practice.
- Applesauce instead of baby food - Why not buy a big jar of organic Apple Sauce it's cheaper than baby food.. Just make sure it has no sugar added.
- Glo sticks - "Use the force Poppy". Dad and Poppy play Star Wars in the dark with these fun toys.
- Bandana as bib - These make great bibs and they are very stylish. We bought ours at the trusty Dollar store.