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Friday, August 26, 2011

Flat Irons and Dog Beds

I am always on the hunt for tip and tricks to make life easier, while still looking great and trying to squeeze a few more hours out of the day.  Here is a list of some of my favorite tricks from friends, family and colleagues. 

  • Use your flatiron to quickly iron wrinkles out of baby clothes.  Flatirons are small, so they can easily take care of tiny outfits.   Brilliant!
  • A stapler can be a quick temporary fix for a snapped slingback on a high heal.  Same goes for a pant hem that falls out in the middle of the day.
  • Take a hint from the cast of Jersey Shore and wear the shirt before the shirt while feeding your baby or toddler in the morning before heading to work.  That way stains and spit-up won't slow you down.  
  • A new plush dog bed makes the perfect rest spot for a toddler to snuggle in and relax.  I kid you not!  I bought Piper a pink fluffy dog bed and she loves curling up there to read her books.  It's the perfect size for her.   
  • Always carry ziploc bags in your diaper bag for wet icky clothes or waste.
  • Indulge yourself with a mink coat...for your lashes.  When your favorite mascara is on sale, buy a tube in brown and a tube in black.  Apply the brown, let it dry, and then tip just the ends of your lashed with the black.  I promise your lashes will look super long.  Don't believe me?  Try it and see for yourself.
  • Hit up garage sales in ritzy communities.  You can score practically new toys and clothes for a fraction of store cost.  I bought Piper brand-new Ralph Lauren dresses for $1 a piece.
  • Keep an eye out for sales at Ann Taylor, LOFT and Gap.  You can get classic basics for a great price and also some funky blouses that will spice up a basic suit and/or jeans.  Don't be afraid of color!  I bought a brightly colored watercolor-type sleeveless blouse from LOFT early in the summer and have worn it a ton, with suits to jeans to capris.

What tips and tricks are in your arsenal?

Monday, August 15, 2011

The Green Bean Bandit Strikes Again

Instead of a mask she wears a smile and instead of a cape she wears a pink tutu.  Her blue eyes are laser focused on the piles of green...that's green beans, of course.  According to her teachers, Piper is already infamous at daycare as the Green Bean Bandit.

As I've mentioned before, Piper is a veggie freak.  She loves anything green and green beans are her veggie of choice.  So much so that at lunch she devours her green beans and then starts quietly stealing from the plates of the other kiddies.  Not that they seem to mind much.  Chicken nuggets, pizza, ravioli and all other kiddie yummies sit untouched on her plate.  

Piper doesn't discriminate against veggies other than green beans.  She'll steal peas, tomatoes, lima beans, broccoli and cauliflower too.  Fair warning to all other veggie loving toddlers - guard your plate if the Green Bean Bandit is around.   She'll charm you with her smile and swipe your veggies before you can say the words "nap time."
  

Friday, August 5, 2011

Diaper Rash From Hell

Nothing breaks your heart more than when you're baby is sick or hurt.  Poor Sweet P got hit by a nasty rotovirus resulting in a diaper rash from hell.

On Tuesday I was working from home and had Piper with me.  As you all know, Piper is a big pooper, so a day with three or four dirty diaper isn't out of the norm.  However, I started to question things when we got to crazy explosive diaper number five and it was only 1:00 pm.  By the time I changed her diaper again, around 2:30 pm, I noticed her little tushy was bright fire-engine red.

Over the next few hours the stomach issues worsened and so did the diaper rash.  She screamed bloody murder during every diaper change and it made me cry seeing her in so much pain.  The next day the diaper rash was still pretty bad, but Piper seemed to be doing okay, so I took her to daycare.  This is where being a wommy gets really hard.

I wish I could have stayed home and cuddled with her all day, but I had a slate full of meetings and projects at work.  Talk about feeling like a horrible mother as I left her at daycare.  On Wednesday and Thursday her teachers said she ate okay, but was still having numerous crazy diapers throughout the day.    

My wommy group at work gave me a lot of great diaper rash advice.  One of the best tips was to not use wipes and instead clean her little bum with baby oil soaked cotton balls, which really helped.  The rash started to improve.

However, today, on the way to daycare, I heard Piper fussing in the backseat, which isn't unusual on our commute.  However, when I went to get her out of the car, I saw that she had a horrible poonami.  Both she and the car seat were covered in poop.  It was probably one of the grossest things I've ever experienced.

As I was my best to clean her and the car seat enough to head back home and to the pediatrician, I was in tears.  My poor little nugget was sick (and probably had been sicker than I thought for the past few days) and yet I was still taking her to daycare and heading to work.  Talk about wommy guilt.

I called my boss to tell her I wouldn't be in today and headed home to take care of Sweet P.   It turns out she has Rotovirus.  My peanut also lost half a pound that she can't afford to lost.   As we spend the weekend trying to get Piper to eat and drink, I will cuddle and hug her as much as possible.

On the upside, dealing with so many explosive diapers has helped to jump start my diet.  Talk about an appetite killer.