CheapTweet Blog

In this edition of Happy Hatchling, Heather – mom and CheapTweet blogger – shares some of the lessons she learned from a recent family beach vacation with her toddler. Be sure to follow Heather on Twitter!

1. Diaper wipes do not effectively remove sand. The only thing that removes sand from your baby’s bum is a shower. Period.

2. One-piece suits are a pain if you need to change a diaper and you aren’t near a hotel room. I found that the two-piece UV bathing suits are great for a diaper change on the go.

3. Go get a shaved ice and save the cup. It makes for a great pool/beach play item.

4. If you bring your own toys to the kiddy pool, expect them to be communal items and don’t get upset if you lose them.

5. A bucket and shovel set is cheap and will provide many hours of entertainment.

6. Use the kiddie pool to find out the kid friendly restaurants and hang outs from other mom’s.

7. Look for a restaurant with a patio deck on the beach… preferably with your table on the sand, so your little one can play in the sand before and after mealtime, which means you can relax!

8. Also look for spots with live entertainment. This is great for happy hour or restaurants because it again gives your kiddo another source of entertainment, so you can eat and drink in peace.

9. If your tot uses utensils, bring your own kid friendly silverware. Restaurant forks are often larger than normal and too heavy for easy tot use.

10. Umbrellas that come with fruity cocktails or smoothie drinks look like fun to your kid, but are dangerous toys. Ask the waiter to leave them out of your drink to avoid a tantrum or poked-out eye.

11. Ask for a side item other than french fries. Suggest fruit, beans or rice even if it is not routinely offered on the kids’ menu. (Otherwise, fries may be all your tot consumes for the whole vacation.)

12. Enjoy spending time with your baby/tot. Use this time to introduce them to new things and experiences.

Ever taken your kids to the beach? What lessons did you learn? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

In this edition of the Happy Hatchling, Heather – mom and CheapTweet guest blogger – shares a list of swim essentials. Be sure to follow Heather on Twitter!

Planning on taking a summer vacation? Do you plan on spending time at the pool? Don’t go unprepared!  Here is a list of the essential items you need for going to the pool with your baby. Make sure you purchase these items before you go on vacation, because finding an infant float and swimming diaper can be difficult in a vacation spot or you’ll pay too much money (I know from experience)! Be safe and have fun!!!

1) Huggies Little Swimmers

The best way to stay welcome at the pool with your little one is to provide them with the correct swimwear (i.e., no one wants poop in the pool). These diapers were designed specifically for taking your kid swimming.  If you take your kid swimming in his/her regular Huggies, they will fill to capacity with water.  The Little Swimmers fit under your kid’s swimsuit and are disposable, which is great on vacation where you don’t have easy access to a washing machine. Washable swim diapers are also available and good for the pool close to home. Whether you have disposable or washable diapers, they all absorb some water so change your kid into a fresh diaper when she is done swimming to avoid diaper rash or chafing.

2) Sunscreen

Protect your child’s skin by always applying sunscreen. Look for sunscreen that has a high SPF (>30), and is waterproof and hypoallergenic.

3) An adorable bathing suit or a UV protective suit

Little kid swimsuits can be super cute so I have a hard time purchasing just one.  The UV suits are not as fashionable, but they provide excellent sun protection and they have more coverage for the active infants or toddlers that like to play on the ground.

4) Swimming Pool Float

I’ve tried many swim floats with my daughter and the Swim School Baby and Me Combo Float (pictured) was my favorite because gives you a place to comfortably float alongside your kid. With this feature you can easily venture into the deep end and not struggle to stay next to your baby float.  The only downside is that it does not come with an attached shade like the SwimWays Baby Spring Float with Sun Canopy.

Finally, if you want some reading material on introducing your kid to the water, check out this book: “Learn to Swim: Step-by-Step Water Confidence and Safety Skills for Babies and Young Children”.

What are some of your favorite pool or beach accessories for kids?

This week, Heather – our Happy Hatchling guest blogger and mom – has her top pacifier recommendations.

Pacifier, binky, soother, or whatever you call it, if your child uses pacifiers then you need a lot of them!  Three near the crib, two in the car, two in the diaper bag, one in your purse, and three or four at daycare… the list goes on. A family friend with twins used to joke that the only way to keep her multiples happy was to have six pacifiers (one in each mouth and one in each hand) because if one of the twins had a free hand she was always stealing her sibling’s binky.

Luckily, parents and companies have spent loads of time perfecting the pacifier – making it easier to find in the dark, more accessible, and even better for teething. Now, if only companies would sell them in economy-sized packs instead of the standard two-pack!

Here is a list of smart pacifier options.

1) Avent Night Time Pacifier (pictured)

Why these are awesome: the handles glow in the dark so they are easier to find during nighttime crying spells. Furthermore, they don’t cost more than the average pacifier. My biggest problem with this product is that many Avent pacifiers are clear and utterly impossible to find in the dark. Why they would not make them all glow in the dark is beyond me.

2) WubbaNub Pacifier (pictured)

A genius and exhausted mother created the WubbaNub. It’s a pacifier that is literally attached to a stuffed animal (and there are lots of animals to choose from).  The stuffed animal provides additional cuddling and makes locating a missing pacifier much easier. It’s also machine washable and was featured in the Academy Awards giveaway bags.

3) Personalized Pacifiers from Cool Pacifiers and My Pacifier

Personalized pacifiers are fantastic, especially if your child goes to daycare, if you have multiples, or you want a unique and memorable baby shower gift.  It also allows for some creative freedom (up to 20 characters) for fun expressions like “plug it up”, “little princess”, and “mute button”.  The only bummer is if your baby’s name is Huntington Sullivan III, you might have to abbreviate it or resort to using a nickname.

4) RaZbaby Razberry teether (pictured)

For those babies, like my own, who never really loved their pacifier for anything more than an object to chew on during times of teething, this is the product for you. Put it in the freezer for additional teething relief.

Finally, here are two not-so smart pacifier options: Little Vampire Baby Pacifier and Pacifier Bronzing.

For more pacifiers and all the other things you need for your baby, check out the Babies”R”Us and drugstore.com CheapTweet Stores.

This week we talked to Sarah Reidy, owner of The Austin Parenting Coach.

Sarah is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. After graduating with her Master’s Degree in Social Work, she has worked in a variety of places, including the court system, a domestic violence shelter, and several non-profits doing counseling with children and families. You can find her on The Austin Parenting Coach website, as well as on Twitter and Facebook.

What is The Austin Parenting Coach?

It is my private practice, which focuses on in-home parent coaching and consulting in Austin, Texas.

What kinds of services do you specialize in?

I go to the family home to work with the parents in order to help them make the changes in their children’s behavior, rather than have them bring their children to me.  I have found that this is easier on the parents, has longer lasting results, and feels more natural than bringing their child to counseling.  I primarily see babies and children under the age of ten, but also do family therapy with families of teenagers.

Many of the families that I work with are families in transition (divorce, new baby, death in the family, a big move) but I also see many families where the parents are at the point that they don’t know what else to do about their children’s behavior. I have been called “The Austin Supernanny” before, as my services are similar to hers and everyone seems familiar with the show.

Tell us a little bit about your experience. How did The Austin Parenting Coach get started?

Due to the nature of the agencies that I have worked in (domestic and sexual violence non-profits) I was usually unable to work with both parents.  However, many of the children that I work with will continue to see both parents, even if one is abusive, and it began to feel frustrating to not be able to work with both. If the parent’s behavior doesn’t change, it will be difficult for the child’s behavior to change.  I also found that it wasn’t very empowering for a parent to bring their child to me to “fix” and leave them unable to do anything in the future. So I shifted my approach and began to to parent coaching as a part of my therapeutic intervention with parents. My hope is that with private practice, I can work with families to prevent them from experiencing the trauma that my previous clients had. I can also empower the parent to make the changes in their family, not do it for them.

How do you market or promote your business?

I have a Facebook page and I Twitter as well. I also do speaking engagements for parent groups, pediatricians, day cares, and family law attorneys.

What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced with The Austin Parenting Coach?

The economy! It has easily been my biggest challenge.  Our society is much more reactive, rather than preventative. Although I can and do work with many families who are calling because of an issue, I’ve had many people express interest, then not be able to follow through because of finances.  However, if they don’t take care of the issue now, it can end up causing bigger issues later in the child’s life that may be more costly. But when money is tight, it’s hard to keep that in mind.

What about the biggest successes?

The biggest successes have been seeing the immediate and simple changes in families that made huge differences in the family’s functioning. It is so rewarding to see a parent feel proud about their parenting and their children.

Just keep trying!