Mommy Tips: Let's Be Twins!

Lately Junebug wants me to look match-y match-y to her... I have to say that most times that is a challenge and not necessarily something I'm interested in.  BUT today I found these flats online and thought maybe it is possible to be twins! Mommy in Miu Miu flats and Junebug in L'Amour... I'm in!

Mommy Tips: Best $175 spent EVER!

After June's second birthday, she was literally asking for a jumpy on a daily basis. Her Daddy got so tired of it, he went to Wal Mart and unbeknownst to him they actually exist and for not that much money. This one is made by little tikes, has it's own generator and blows up in about 45 seconds. It's been invaluable. She probably uses it on a daily basis. I have to say though, they do sell ones with a little roof on them for about $50 more which if I had to do it all over again, I would do that instead as this one can get a bit dirty. Seen here with her cousins, June having the time of their life which is of course: Priceless!

Mommy Tips: Overtired and Cranky Bubble Bath!

Last night Junie threw a major tantrum before bath time. This has become more of a frequent occurrence in the house which is quite shocking as bath time was never an issue with her before. As I started scrambling around the bathroom while my husband was holding her body down, the kicking, screaming in full swing; I came across a bottle of this California Baby bubble bath called "Overtired and Cranky" in the bathroom cabinet which someone must have given us as a gift. It's aromatherapy bubble bath which smells really calming and it also comes with a little bubble thing to blow bubbles. Voila! Magic! Within seconds of dropping some in the tub and offering the option of blowing bubbles, the tantrum came to an instant halt. I'm sorry I can't remember who gave it to me but THANKS!

Mommy Tips: Finger Paint!

This is one of the best things I ever did for my daughter... buy her some finger paint! I just threw on a little black onesie that I didn't care got ruined and let her go at it. I haven't done any research but I can only guess that this exercise is good for both her mind and soul! She got so excited when she saw her own artwork she was screaming and squealing! It was one quick trip to Michael's to find both the paint and these cute little plastic shell shaped plates where I squirted the paint; we used the left over butcher paper from her birthday party as the canvas. I highly recommend.

Mommy Tips: California Science Center

Out of all the places to go in Los Angeles, I LOVE taking June to the California Science Center. It's fun because it's interactive, the people are friendly, it's diverse in its exhibits and it's easy to get to (Exposition Park just south of downtown LA). By far June loves the aquarium the best with it's diver show... the little mini tide pools are nice too where the kids can touch starfish and sea urchins, etc. Perfect for a Sunday morning.

Mommy Tips: Sand Toys

Anytime you take sand toys out of the house; either to the beach or to the park; expect they are going to get mixed up with all the other kids' sand toys. They all look the same! My husband gave me a hard time for labeling June's sand toys but I've found that other parents appreciate it. Everyone wastes time trying to figure out who the sand toys belong to. So, don't think twice about it... it's not rude... it's polite. Grab a sharpie and label them, I do!

Spend vs. Splurge: Striped Yellow Bathing Suit

I recently spotted this genius little bathing suit at Lost and Found in Hollywood. HOWEVER, for $150 I rather just put Junebug in this $8 Circo bathing suit from Target!

Verdict: SAVE!

Mommy Tips: Battery powered Butterfly!

June's friend Ledger came over for a playdate and brought this! It's a battery powered butterfly that flies around in a plastic mason jar. It's incredible! What a great gift. June took one look at it and said "OH, WOW! Boo-Fly!" She thinks it's real... hell, even I thought it was real!!!

Mommy Tips: The Miracle Suit!

So the tag said: Look 10 pounds lighter in 10 seconds and I said where do I pay?! With Summer here and no time to lose that last little bit of baby weight that won't go away, this is the PERFECT situation. They're not cheap but they're worth it. You can find them anywhere from Nordstrom to www.zappos.com. I attached the two styles I bought here but there are a million more to chose from. I feel so much more comfortable in this suit and yes, I'm in a "mom" suit! Oh, well... it looks GOOD!

Mommy Tips: Puzzle Organization

I can't stand having puzzles around with missing pieces. It became increasingly hard to find a place to store the puzzles in a way that didn't scatter the pieces everywhere so I think I came up with a good solution. I got this canvas picnic basket from Michael's for $15, took the puzzle pieces and put them into ziplocs; labeled them with a black sharpie and done. This also makes all the puzzles mobile to any room in the house. I'm really happy with the results!

Mommy Tips: Veggies Revolt!

June became obsessed with the Sesame Street Episode called: Veggies Revolt. It's the one where the veggies go on strike and revolt because they feel downtrodden and disrespected. The one restaurant patron says something like, "What do you mean, I love vegetables" and the ringleader Broccoli with the bullhorn screams, "Oh YEAH? MR. TUNA SANDWICH, HOLD THE LETTUCE?!" It's hilarious... as a result, June loves watching this episode and eating her veggies, her favorite is "okie" (broccoli). Why is it not a surprise to me that she relates the most to the ringleader Broccoli character? She also likes "Anderson Cucumber" who's reporting on this situation for VNN (Veggie News Network).

Please note: to watch this episode just google "veggies revolt", comes right up.

Mommy Tips: Party Crafts!

Giving kids craft projects during a birthday party is the best. They stay so occupied and it's not hard to put together. I got these butterflies on a stick at Michael's as well as the paint stamps and jars of paint and markers. My mom xeroxed a ladybug image onto red construction paper and the kids were taught how to blot some black paint on each side, fold the paper in half and voila! Ladybug art! So cute. Bonus: we hung up the artwork on a grate at the park with clothes pins which looked really great at the party and Bonus 2: I've picked the best of the lot and going to frame them and put them on June's walls. Thanks for the free kids art, friends!

Mommy Tips: Ladybugs!

Boy did I luck out when my friend Lisa told me about buying Ladybugs in bulk! I had no idea you could buy 1,000 ladybugs for 6 bucks! Given the Elmo's World and bugs theme of June's party it made perfect sense to tie 'em up with a ribbon and send some real live bugs home with the kids. I found these great little plastic storage containers at the 99 cent store. It did take about 2 hours to poke holes into all 40 lids and put a tiny bit of Easter grass in there along with tying the ribbon around the containers AND of course wrangling ONE THOUSAND ladybugs was not as easy as it looked. I had ladybugs in my underwear by the time I was done but it was worth it. The kids LOVED them! (except for maybe Ledger who looked a bit perplexed by the matter) It was fun and inexpensive to pull off.

Mommy Tips: Theme B-Day Party Inspiration

So after seeing Susan's amazing Yo Gabba Gabba Party, I set out to find inspiration for Junebug's "Elmo's World" party... this is what I found. Any of these items could make an Elmo party chic and cute. I found most of this stuff on www.etsy.com. Also, the best place to get fabric for tablecloths and things is downtown LA. You can find amazing stuff for 2 bucks a yard. A nice tablecloth always changes the vibe of things, doesn't it?

Mommy Tips: Healthy Toddler Snacks!

Once I heard a story about how awful goldfish crackers are for kids so of course I became deathly paranoid of the day when June finally discovered them. Well, that day finally came... they're EVERYWHERE! So what's a Mom to do as an alternative to unhealthy snacks? Here are a few I've come up with:

1. Carr's Heart Shaped Water Crackers - low in calories, sodium, no fat = winner! (no grade)

2. Frozen blueberries - great in the summer, June loves frozen blueberries which is great because they don't go bad like fresh ones. (A)

3. Annie's Cheddar Bunnies - they looks like goldfish but are better for you. HOWEVER, look closely as there are two kinds. The good kind are the "whole wheat" (pictured here). The other ones are just as bad as the goldfish so STAY AWAY. (B)

4. Cheerios - good old cheerios... that's an easy one. (A-)

5. Graham Crackers - Health Valley Amaranth Graham have a good grade; stay away from the rest. (B)

Check out caloriecount.com for the grades as I've listed above. And instead of driving all over town for the specific crackers and bunnies I'm buying them on amazon.com