Toddler Eating with Re-Play Recycled + Giveaway!

17 Friday Mar 2017

Posted by Planning for Paris in Daily Happenings, Good Eats, Life's Loves, Uncategorized

Tags

advice, eating, giveaway, holiday, mealtime, milestones, Re-play Recycled, st. patricks day, style, toddler

Good Morning!! Happy St.Patrick’s Day and a very happy Friday!! Today I am so excited to be teaming up with Re-Play Recylced to chat a little bit about toddler eating! Plus, one of you will have the chance to win a feeding set for your little one at the end of this post!!

Here are some of the tips that have helped to make eating with your little one a little easier!

1. Cute tableware. This sounds ridiculous, but honestly it gets me excited to prepare meals for E which is NOT my thing. Any new mom who asks me if a certain splurge is worth it, like a blanket they love or a certain outfit or stuffed animal…my answer is always: if it brightens your day at the mere thought of your baby using it and it is within reason, why not? Sometimes, when your child is tossing their peas across the room and screaming because they really just want to eat the sticker that they spotted 100 miles away, a brightly colored pink plate might just get you through it. The great news is that these recycled goodies are actually some of the cutest, but cheapest sets out there! Bonus!
2. Give utensils at every meal. Eleanor is already an “I wanna do it by myself” toddler. If you are finding that your baby/toddler is having a hard time with meals, give them some control where you can. One way we do this is by letting her feed herself with a utensil even if it means a total mess.
3. Speaking of control, a question I get asked a lot is how we keep Eleanor from tossing her plate. When she starts to pick up her plate, bowl, etc…we just ask…”all done?” and start to take it away without worrying about how much she ate or didn’t eat. If she continues to push it away or doesn’t want any bites we try to give her off of the plate, we remove it and let her be done. Often times, we will say it and she will immediately point back at the plate and we set it back down. After a few times of removing it before she was really done, she has learned that when we take it, the meal is over–it becomes less of a game and more a way of her communicating her needs with us.
4. Giving each item of food a part of the plate. The nice thing about divided plates is that it makes it easy for her to communicate what she wants more of by pointing to the area where the food was.
5. Try to have fun with meals. There have been many nights where meals have ended in tears for both E and me because I was afraid she wasn’t eating enough, or she screamed the whole time, etc… and she was frustrated by XYZ. It is hard when your child won’t eat, no matter how old they are. It goes against my momstinct to let her go without eating, but sometimes by dinner she just isn’t hungry or she just doesn’t feel good (that’s usually our first sign she’s getting sick!). We offer a variety of solids and soft foods (sometimes when her teeth hurt she refuses solid foods so if she flat out refuses everything we do try an applesauce or yogurt just to be sure it isn’t the teeth) and then I just try to let the stress go and try to make it fun by making shapes, playing music during the meal, or throwing a lemon on there and watching the expression on her face!
6. Eat together. E loves when I sit down at her table with her and we practice our “cheers!” We also try to eat the same thing as her when we can!

All this being said, I am not going to lie and say mealtimes are always easy. I would love to hear your tips because like all things parenting, it’s always changing and what works one day might need to be adjusted the next. It’s an adventure for sure!

Also these sippy cups are the stuff of miracles because this is the first one E was able to use with a hard top (it has a skinnier lip)–no more transition cups! Wahoo!!

And now for the fun part!! Re-Play has offered one of you lucky ducks a feeding set in your color choice for your little one! All you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter below! I will announce the winner next Friday!! They have also offered all of you an exclusive coupon code for 15% off your order of $20 or more on their site using code: Planning4Paris2017 (Expires 3/24)

You can also find their products at Amazon, Target, and tons of other retailers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck, friends!!
Erin

*This post was sponsored by Re-Play Recycled, but all opinions, as always, are my own!

Toddler Sleep Transition with Dockatot!

13 Monday Mar 2017

Posted by Planning for Paris in Daily Happenings, Life's Loves, Uncategorized

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

advice, baby, crib, dockatot, learning, Life, lifestyle, sleep, sleeping, style, toddler, transition, two under two

FLUX0838
Good morning! Today I am so excited to share with you part of E’s big girl room! Her room is still a work in progress, but one of the things that we wanted to establish before baby sister arrives is that this is Eleanor’s room. If you ask Eleanor to show you her room, she walks and points to this one. So as far as goals go, check! We are absolutely not going to push her sleeping in this room until she is absolutely ready (and we really don’t need the crib until around August). But, today I wanted to share our thoughts on transitioning her to her new room!

1.We decided to go with an adjustable twin bed and mattress (can make it shorter than even a regular twin) versus a second transitional crib because it will grow with her for longer and we will not have to transition twice. Eleanor so far has been a pretty adaptable child. So, knowing her personality, we thought we would give this a shot before assuming she wouldn’t be ready. Worst case scenario, we go get a crib and save this bed for later.
2. Next, we wanted to have her see and help with the building/creation of the room well before baby arrives. She helped us get the bed out of the box and “helped” put it together. She mostly just moved cardboard from one side of the room to the other and hid the instructions, but all in all, super helpful.
3. We are so excited about using the Dockatot Grand (9-36 months) to ease her sleep transition in bed. It’s not only super comfortable, but is also breathable so it’s safe for sleep. They also have an infant option for 0-8 months! We wanted something that would help her feel “confined” like in her crib, but not so permanent so this fits the bill perfectly!
4. We are still going to use the same sound machine and heater (we are purchasing both again for baby) to help the room sound and feel the same.
5. We have at this point cut down on most “baby” nighttime rituals. She is off of bottles and other than brushing her teeth and turning on all of her machines, she just lays down and goes to bed. The only thing I would really like to kick before baby is the pacifier habit. Right now she has a “bink box” that she gets to choose pacis from before bed. There are about 25 we keep in there and she gets to choose about four before bed…it is funny to watch her root around for the ‘good’ ones and change her mind and put one back. It is actually helping to have so many in bed with her because she really doesn’t cry out at night for them anymore, she just roots around until she finds one! Buuuuuuuuut…ugh I hate the look of pacis and just really want to be done with them.
6. And we picked out a big girl comforter and pillow that were simple enough that we could build a room around–nothing so ‘loud’ that it dictated the entire decor of the room.

All in all, we are really just trying to make it as stress free as possible for everyone, but mostly E. We have tried to stay flexible and adjust when needed on most things parenting and so far it has kept us sane. She has already taken one nap in it and didn’t freak out or try to climb out of her Dockatot, she just started playing with her binks and making noise when she woke up like normal so we took that as a good sign!

For more information on the Dockatot and a $10 off coupon, head here!

What transition tips do you all have? What made the move easier for your littles?
Hope you all have a great week!
Erin

Ps. Stay tuned on Friday for a post all about toddler eating with an exciting giveaway!!

*This post was sponsored by Dockatot, but all opinions, as always, are my own!

Easter Basket for the Littles!

10 Friday Mar 2017

Posted by Planning for Paris in Daily Happenings, Life's Loves

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

baby, basket, creative, easter, Easter Basket, Eco safe, Finn + Emma, fun, gift, holiday, Organic, summer, toddler

Good morning!! Ah, I could just squeal!! I love love love holidays if you can’t tell. I have had these baskets ready pretty much since Valentine’s day. The holidays are such a point of tradition for me. I grew up with every single holiday being a big deal and I can’t wait to start traditions with our girls. Eleanor already gets so excited about the littlest things and it is just so fun to watch. Makes my mama heart explode. All of these factors sends this mama into overdrive for all things holiday (St. Patrick’s day post coming next Friday with a pretty sweet giveaway so stay tuned for that!!).
So, today I’ve paired up with Finn + Emma to share some ideas to fill up those baskets for the littles this year! I absolutely love the look of the pieces that Finn + Emma make. The bicycle and hedgehog are going to be perfect on baby sister’s stroller this summer! Plus, they are organically made and eco safe! The pieces could not be more perfect for spring/Easter!

Eleanor’s Basket (found basket at Target for $1):
Dreamcatcher Pajamas from Finn + Emma
Chick and Bunny Socks
$1 Target bubbles
$3 Beauty Kit from Target Dollar Spot
Filled another bag I found at Target for $3 with Books and stickers (from Target dollar spot):
Stuck
Hooray for Hat
The Tiny Seed
Happy Easter, Mouse!
Found the Eggs at Target and will fill those with:
Toddler Fruit Snacks
Cheddar Bunnies
Other ideas for toddler basket:
Sidewalk Chalk
Hair Accessories
Pouches

Little Sister’s Basket (found basket at Target for $1):
Mini Rattle from Finn + Emma
Bicycle from Finn + Emma
Hedgehog Stroller Set from Finn + Emma
P is for Peter Book

I am so excited about all of the pieces from Finn + Emma. They are such nice quality! And bonus! If you click through this link you will see a coupon code for 15% off a purchase of $50 or more!

Now I just have to patiently wait to give all of these things to Eleanor for another month or so. Hmm…

Hope you all have a great weekend!
Erin

Ps. you can also check out last year’s basket for E for more ideas!

*This post was sponsored by Finn + Emma, but all opinions, as always, are my own!

Lessons at Goldfish Swim School {2}!

06 Monday Mar 2017

Posted by Planning for Paris in Daily Happenings, Life's Loves

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

baby, Goldfish Swim School, learning, lifestyle, skills, sports, summer, swim, swimming, toddler

Good Morning! We have now had six swim lessons and E is loving the water. I apologize that some of the pictures are a little blurry…I sit behind the glass at the lessons and try my very hardest not to be seen. When she is with Matt and she is well-rested she is ok seeing me at a distance, but when Matt’s mom took her, she was having a blast until she saw me behind the glass. Holy yikes. I am also already that mom behind the glass, so I am choosing to spare Eleanor’s (Matt’s) embarrassment at coming in and taking pictures poolside. Pooltime has become a daddy/daughter thing and it is the sweetest ever.

Some of the skills E has mastered since her first lesson:
Climbing up out of the pool with just a bit of assistance
Jumping back into the pool with confidence
Going underwater without freaking out
Kicking while holding onto the barbell raft thing
Splashing on the raft
Kicking her feet to move to get the balls or the ducks

Her instructor, Deon, is absolutely phenomenal. He kept his distance when he knew she was uneasy and now Eleanor is as happy as a clam around him. He sings with the kids, smiles the entire time, and has just the right amount of energy for this age group.
The way that the class is structured is also a huge part of the reason E stays calm. The activity that the class is working on changes every minute or so. She never has too much time to go looking for what’s behind the glass. Bam: quack quacks are out and now we are climbing out of the pool and now we are jumping back in! And now get on the raft! The whole class goes by really fast and every single baby is happy and learning. That is skill right there!

We honestly look forward to her swim lessons–hands down the best part of the weekend! With summer approaching we are so glad that E will be excited about the water and have the basics of swimming down!
Thank you so much Goldfish for creating such a positive experience for the whole family!

Hope you all have a great start to the week!
Erin

Also: In case you need some swimwear ideas, I posted several great options here!

*This post was written in partnership with Goldfish Swim School, but all opinions, as always, are my own!

Life Lately…

03 Friday Mar 2017

Posted by Planning for Paris in Daily Happenings, Life's Loves, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

baby, eating, explore, fun, learning, Life, play, pregnancy, toddler, update

The weather in Ohio has been crazy so we’ve been exploring lots of indoor places! First up was Cosi Science Museum! She had a blast! She could do way more than I thought she’d be able to!

…and the sickness continues. She had GI/flu issues all of December and into January and then a double ear infection/double pink eye. Oh, and about five molars came in. She still has a lingering runny nose and cough. Thankfully, she is back to sleeping and eating regularly.

She is obsessed with this car. She makes car noises and points to the door almost every day. Now she says car car. Still waiting on her to say mama. The girl has her priorities in language.

Aunt Nennie came to visit and it was actually decent weather out–as in, not totally freeze your face off weather.

E started Swim lessons and we have our 6th class tomorrow so there will be an update next week!

E now knows where baby sister is and if you ask her, even in public, where her baby sister is, she will lift up my shirt and blow raspberries. Kills me.

I attended a super informative event on peanut butter allergies at Alchemy. The event was put on by Crazy Richard’s Peanut Butter and they talked about the new recommendation about serving peanut butter to babies between the ages of 4-6 months to decrease the prevalence of peanut allergies. They make a peanut butter powder that you can add to any baby foods! Genius! Way better option that just dishing up a spoonful which is what we did with E!

Eleanor got her first pets! She knows right where they are and gets so excited when we ask if she wants to go feed her fish!

Oh. My. Gosh. She points at the T.V. and asks for Bar. Then she sits and demands crackers–which she can also say. (so if you are keeping track, she can say baby, baba for milk, b for her pacifier, bar, car car, and cracker–no mama). Priorities.

We finally got her this table and chairs so she loves to sit and eat at the table. A full post coming soon on toddler eating!

Ah, sunshine.

She finally got out and got her car cleaned. It was really becoming an eye sore.

We had a girl date at Piada and then snagged up some scoops at Jeni’s!

When my dad was in town last week, in addition to getting the big stuff set up in E’s room (full posts on that coming soon!), we hit up our favorite Pistacia Vera and E got to try her first macaron!

We then headed out to Franklin Park Conservatory because they were having a bring your American Girl Doll event! The activity was a little old for her, but she loved being able to take her baby out on the town. I just love watching her explore and take in the things around her! And she was able to pick out a few things for her fairy garden this summer!

And just like that we are almost in the home stretch! I am 27 weeks with baby sister today and E has been super lovey dovey lately. Especially about mommy, daddy, and babies. She is ready to be a big sister!