Beating those winter blues

To help beat those winter blues 

(especially when the skies are cloudy and grey)

remember to eat well, sleep well, get some exercise and take Vitamin D 

(for both you and your baby)!

Vitamin-D (the sunshine vitamin)

Check with your Doctor for the recommended dose

Winters can be long, and I am always so pleased when we reach the shortest day and evenings start to get a little brighter and the sun sets a little later than 4.30pm in the afternoon.

To keep your spirit's up during those bleak winter weeks try to get outdoors as often as you can, especially with a little one in tow.

Here are some great activities for you and your TOT in winter ...

• Joey's favourite activity is a sled ride round down the street when it is snowing
• Visit your local library (remember to take off your layers, as they are toasty warm places) and bring home a book and dvd
• Sing and dance together ...  Click to order mainly music favourites for children
• Take a trip to your local acquarium and discover the underwater world
• Phone a friend for a play-date
• Join a daycare (garderie) for half a day per month
• Find a playgroup/community activity for you and your child (at least twice per month)

the view from our home office in winter

Sons of Canadian remember their Mum ...

Early this morning I was deeply moved hearing two grown men (with families of their own) pay tribute to their Mother, Yvonne Martin.  They spoke of a woman who touched the hearts and lives of many around her - a servant to all (trained as a Nurse) - she gave up her life while serving in Haiti.

In her retirement this wonderful woman was making it her mission to travel each year to Haiti to love and serve the people there.

This morning she was honoured in the most beautiful way, by her two boys.  What an amazing legacy.

We remember.

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20100115/yvonne_martin_100115/20100115?hub=Toronto

Toys Babies and Toddlers will LOVE

Are you having difficulty deciding what good toys to buy for your baby or toddler?

Before our son was born I was invited to the home of a friends' daughter to help clear out her garage packed with toys.  Her children were no longer toddlers and hubby was wanting the garage space.

I chose some wonderful toys that have blessed my son with many hours of happy playing.

Below are some great ideas for toys that my son has grown to love ... still available today NEW at Walmart or Toys R Us and online at Amazon.com

Here are a selection of toys suitable for 6 to 12 months.

 Our son has two toys that are similar to this one combination (a toy he can ride and one he can walk behind).

Here's another model where they learn to stand from a sitting position.

Blocks and puzzle shapes are a MUST HAVE.

LAMAZE toys are bright and fun (they keep little ones entertained using touch and feel, and sounds) ... great for the stroller or  riding in the car.


I know of Mums who swear by Sophie as a teether.  

Our son has a much older version of this model toy where they push or turn buttons to see the pals POP UP!  The model we have is also numbered with each colour.

If you are living in Quebec-city then Reno-Jouets is a great place to shop for toys too.  It is a second-hand toy store located in a warehouse not so far from Costco on Avenue Watt, in the St Foy region.

http://www.reno-jouets.ca

Board Books Babies will LOVE ...

My son LOVES books!

I started reading to him from around 4 weeks of age, and now each morning we sit down and read at least FIVE lovely stories from his book bag (books for older children), and then I leave him to read his very own board books throughout the day.

Here are some wonderful board books that Master J has grown to love:

• Brown Bear, Brown Bear (Slide and Find), by Eric Carle
• Giraffes Can't Dance, by Giles Andreae, Guy Parker-Rees
• Hairy Maclary and Zachary Quack, by Lynley Dodd
• I am a Train (Scholastic)
• Spot at the Fair, by Eric Hill
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle

Child car-seat Safety ... keep them REAR FACING for AS LONG AS POSSIBLE!

During the Christmas and New Year period I was reminded of the importance of travelling safely with young children in the car.  Many of us travel long distances in rough wintery conditions in North America.

My husband and I researched models of car seats for our young son as he had began to outgrow his infant baby carrier car-seat.  By the time he had reached the age of 7 months (he was in the 85 percentile range for both height and weight) and we needed to upgrade his car-seat. 

We agreed to keep our young son rear-facing for as long as possible, and purchased a Britax Boulevard.  We are very happy with the side impact protection feature.  It is a sturdy child safety seat and can be used both rear-facing, and front-facing (up to 60lbs).  The seat does take up a lot of space (we have a 1800cc Toyota Corolla 4 door sedan), but we believe it is worth it.

Check out this video clip ... Child car seat safety - The Importance of a Rear-facing Child car seat

And a true story of a crash with a child front facing ... Joel at 18 months of age and just after the crash

We also invested in a Baby Bjorn travel crib that doubles as a play pen, at home, when needed.  We have taken the travel crib on several short holidays (as it packs down the size of a small weekend suitcase), and to friends' homes when we are invited for meals.  J happily goes down for a nap or to sleep in the evenings.