springing forward

Bye bye winter.  Hello daylight at 8pm.  So hard to put the girls to bed when it's flippin' bright out.  Enter Eclipse Thermaweave curtains. I bought mine at Target for about $25 for two panels.  And they work great!  Not only do these triple weave construction window coverings help keep your babies napping and slobbering longer, you will save 25% on your home heating and cooling costs.  Gotta love saving a lil cheddar.  Read more at www.eclipsecurtains.com. 

Move that body!

Just 30-60 minutes a day. I take the girls to the park or somewhere to get some EXERCISE every day. Living in Washington State with the most finicky weather doesn't help. To keep it exciting for me, we go to a new park each time or a new play area. I always pack a lunch and after they play for awhile, we eat at the picnic table and then they play some more. The girls play so much, that the afternoon doze off hits them when they get strapped in their car seats. If the oldest Janae won't sleep, I inform her that it's officially quiet time. No talking. As you may know, kid's who exercise have stronger bones, lower blood pressure an are less likely to be overweight. Here's more info on the kiddie movement.

Sleeping Wonders

My girls have been hitting the pillow around 10pm, driving me further into unconsciousness. I emailed our parent group at work and got some fabulous tips. Here's what working for me: I put a sheet on the window to block out the light, sticking to a schedule of putting on pj’s at 7:30pm, last call for food – my 2.5 year old calls this her “goodnight snack”, brushing teeth around 8pm, reading a few books, send the older one to her room while I get the youngest to sleep and lights out…I put the 14 month old to sleep in 10 minutes last night! Two important tips - separate the kids and remain calm while they fuss, just hold them tight with love.

Stroller Sleepin'

My 14 month old takes her day naps best while moving. Yesterday we had a nice 70 degree day so as she rubbed her eyes and whined, I packed her up in her pink stroller and took a slow mile long walk. 5 minutes in, she was fast asleep. Sometimes we do the car ride naps but with the price of gas, this has become an unreasonable expense. I left her in her sleeping in the stroller for another hour while I ate my lunch.