CheapTweet Blog

In this edition of the Happy Hatchling, Heather  – mom and CheapTweet guest blogger – shares some of her favorite springtime kid activities. Be sure to follow Heather on Twitter!

The good weather is here! After being cooped up for the winter, my tot and I are spending a lot more time outside. Here are some ideas and inspiration for getting the most out of springtime with your kids!

1) Visit Your Local Farmer’s Market

This is the perfect time of year to put on that Baby Bjorn (pictured) and go check out your local farmers market. Even if you don’t feel like shopping, it is great entertainment for your little one. There are lots of people and dogs to watch, live music, and tons of colors and scents to enjoy.

For the heavy produce shopper, opt for taking the stroller and attaching these inexpensive stroller hooks to free up your hands.

2) Tour a Botanical Garden

Enjoy the flowers… go take a walk in a botanical garden. If you have a tots or older children, let them help water plants in your yard with their own watering can (pictured).

You can also look up flower craft projects to do at home. Here are some fun craft ideas by @momtriedit for Everything Mom.

3) Go to the Zoo

This time of the year animals at the zoo are very active (they love the good weather as much as we do). I also like going to zoos and museums for the gift shops to find new toys and books. The San Diego Zoo’s gift shop actually has some of their items online for those of you who don’t live near a zoo.

And, here are a few zoo-themed puzzles and books your kids will love:

• Melissa & Doug Touch and Feel Zoo Puzzle
• Books with wonderful illustrations and stories
  • Goodnight Zoo
  • Dear Zoo
  • Goodnight Gorilla
  • All the Ways I Love You

4) Play Outside at Home

Hang up a baby swing. This works for younger babies and older tots. While outside have your kid point out birds, bugs, and flowers.

Walk or ride with the Stride to Ride Lion. I love this toy because it converts from a walker to a sit-and-ride toy so it can grow with your kid. This toy can work indoors as well as outdoors.

Go play ball with this adorable ladybug kickball.

What are your favorite springtime outdoor activities to do with your kids? Please share your ideas in the comments!

This week, Heather – mom and our Happy Hatchling guest blogger – shares tips for the soon-to-be breastfeeding mom. Here, she discusses items that will make the first couple of months breastfeeding easier on mom. You can also follow Heather on Twitter.

1) Medela Tender Care HydroGel Nipple Pad
This product is a must for first-time moms. I did not know how sore and painful the first few weeks of breastfeeding could be. A friend of mine gave me a pack of the HydroGel nipple pads to take to the hospital, and I was so happy to have them. Now I give them to all my pregnant friends that plan on breastfeeding. The pads can be worn for 24 hours (I wore them for 48 hours), and when rinsed in cold water they feel so soothing. Lansinoh breast cream is also a common product for sore nipples, but I found that the cream was so hard that spreading the cream was also painful. The HydroGel nipple pad was so easy to stick on and provided instantaneous relief without the mess.

2) Aimee’s Nursing Nightgown – pictured
These nightgowns are unbelievably comfortable and makes nursing at night easy and accessible. I also loved the pajama tops and wore it with my regular pajama bottoms.

3) Mother’s Milk Tea
Every nursing mom goes through moments of concern that she’s not producing enough milk. Although there’s probably nothing to worry about, it is always good to be proactive. Mother’s Milk Tea has ingredients that have been traditionally used to increase milk production, and it tastes yummy.

4) Lilypadz Nursing Pads
Lilypadz are a great alternative to the standard disposable and washable nipple pads that soak up leaking milk. Lilypadz stop leakage by keeping a constant pressure on your breast. They are made from a flexible silicon that conforms to your shape. They are comfortable and unlike other nipple pads you’ll never have the uncomfortable soaked pad feeling.

Do you have any recommendations for a mom who is breastfeeding for the first time? Share them in the comments!

Today, we’re starting a new regular feature here on the CheapTweet blog: The Happy Hatchling, a monthly post about shopping for and saving on items for children.  We’ve enlisted mom and guest blogger Heather Ishak to share her experiences keeping her baby and her budget in line.

For this edition of the Happy Hatchling, Heather made a list of the top five items that help keep her baby happy and healthy when they leave the house.

Happy Hatchling Vol. 1: Taking Baby Out

1) Kiddopotamus Tiny Diner Placemat – comes in several colors (pictured)

YES! This product is the best! It is a must have if you enjoy taking your baby out to eat. You don’t have to clean the table surface or worry about what germs you baby is eating off of. Just plop it down and the suction cups keep it locked in place. It even has a roll that extends beyond the table to nicely collect food that falls off or is dropped. I don’t even worry about cleaning it at the restaurant I just roll it up and wash it at home.

2) JJ Cole Essentials Pacifier Pod – Cocoa Tree

You need one or two of these.  I always keep one on the car seat and one on the diaper bag and never leave the house without them filled. I like this one in particular because it has a Velcro opening that allows for easy one-handed access versus zippered holders, which require two hands to open.

3) The First Years BPA Free Suction Blue Bowl with Lid

Suction cups are a good thing.  Unfortunately, these bowls do not work with the Kiddopotamus, but we still use them all the time. We use them to pack snacks in the diaper bag and when visiting friends who don’t have high chairs we just suction the bowl to coffee tables, kitchen tables, floors, etc…

4) Floppy Seat Shopping Cart Cover (pictured)

We use this everywhere on shopping carts and over high chairs when eating out. Soft and plush, it has rings for a toy attachment and folds up into an easy carry-on bag. My baby is so comfortable in it that she often takes a nap on the extra-long shopping excursions. The black giraffe cover is $10 more than the blue or pink floppy seat because it folds into a more elegant looking purse.

5) Go Baby Outmat

This is an outdoor water-resistant blanket that folds into a bag that you can just keep stored in the trunk of your car.  I don’t have one, but I want one. Great for playtime outdoors or, in my case, Dad’s sporting events and football tailgating.

So, these are Heather’s top five must-haves for taking her baby out of the house. What are yours? We’d love to hear your opinion! Please share your thoughts in the comments. And if you’re shopping for your children – or someone else’s – be sure check out the great deals in the Toys R Us and Babies R Us CheapTweet Store.

A number of my good friends are having children soon, so I’m in serious baby gift buying mode.  In an attempt to choose appropriate gifts, I asked our Twitter followers for recommendations. Here are their amazing baby gift ideas. Feel free to add your own recommendations in the comments.

Babies “R” Us gift cards (recommended by @Jemjoop)

Baby Buds 3 Piece Crib Set from @dealtaker

Baby fashion for future film fans from @bfmwear

Big Belly Banks (recommended by @thesilverbarn)

Boise Baby Beanies from @BoiseBeanieCo

The Bumbo Seat (recommended by @oklahomapoet)

Childhood Clothing (recommended by @nostalgialife)

Cloud B Sleep Aheep (recommended by @bitofmomsense and @Dyhar)

Crystal’s Baby Blankets (also recommended by @nostalgialife)

Custom CDs from @renagades

Diaper Cakes on Bonanzle, which can also be found on Etsy (recommended by @Paceset999)

Digi Time Capsule from @DigiTimeCapsule

Doctorx Me Book (recommended by @LauraHullVA)

Flip Mino HD camcorder (recommended by @bnl771)

Handmade baby gifts from @boutiquegirl2

Handmade cat hat from Etsy (recommended by@littlefluffycat). I also found the cutest knit monkey hats from Cite Fuzz.

Moby Wrap (recommended by @reecesmommy)

Nursing and new mom items from A Mother’s Boutique (recommended by MommyNews)

Pedro Sprout’s baby booties (recommended by @BlackMustard)

Teddy bear Limoges box (recommended by @LaFrancais)

WrenWillow’s baby shirts and onsies (recommended by @daisycakessoap)

A year’s supply of diapers (recommended by @MilaXX)