Bringing Your Baby to Sporting Events

Danielle and I were approached by Fanatics, an online retailer where you can get everything and anything sports related - from MLB hats and jerseys to NFL gear, to participate in a series called, "Family Fanatics." I have actually ordered NY Giants and Mets stuff from them many times and was thrilled to be asked. I had planned on writing a blog post about how we take Makenna to sporting events with us, so this was right up my alley. 

The "Family Fanatics" series is about an instance where sports have brought your family together. There are too many instances to count where sports have brought my family together. We are an avid sports loving family. My husband played, and up until recently, coached baseball. We are also season ticket holders for the NY Giants and attend as many Mets games as we can. If we aren't at the games, they are on TV. It's just not limited to those two sports though, my husband will watch any type of sporting event and any team if his aren't playing. 

When I became pregnant with Makenna, I remember my husband making a comment on how we weren't going to be able to go to a lot of games anymore. I said, "Why not? We will just bring her with us!" That is exactly what we have done from the very start. Makenna was exactly a month old when she attended her first Giants game. It was a gorgeous October day! We tailgated and everything. People were amazed she was there with us. The Giants lost the game and Makenna lost all her hair, but we had a blast!

First Giants Game 1 month old 

As Makenna got older we continued to bring her to games with us. We always tailgate, so it can be a LONG day. She is pretty much a pro at attending football games at this point. Now that she is almost 3 and super active, I am a little nervous about bringing her to Giants games. Not because she can't handle going, but because our seats are waaaaay up top and her being up that high freaks me out. She likes to walk around by the seats and talk to everyone. We might have to wait a few years before she can start going with her Daddy again.

One of my favorite pictures of us! 

My husband has passed his love of baseball to Makenna. She asks all the time if we can go watch a baseball game or go see Mr. Met. She doesn't care if it is high school, college or professional baseball. She just loves to go to games. A few months ago we went to watch a county championship HS baseball game. We severely underestimated the amount of people attending and the amount of parking spaces. After driving around and not seeing any spaces we decided to leave. Well, Makenna was NOT having it. She threw such a fit that we actually turned around to go back. Luckily we found a parking spot this time.

Makenna's middle name is Shea, so she was pretty much born a Mets fan. Citi Field, where the Mets play, is like her second home. We also took her to a Yankee playoff game, just because my husband found a good last minute deal on tickets. For someone who is not even 3 years old yet, she has attended more games than most.

Her first Mets game and meeting Mr. Met. They have a love hate relationship :) 

 Lucky kid even got to attend a Mets spring training game in Florida.

I am so glad that we decided from the start to include Makenna in our love of sports. I couldn't imagine leaving her behind every time we wanted to attend a game or deciding to just not go at all. This is something we love to do as a family and it has given me the opportunity of making some of my favorite memories. I can't even imagine all the quality and bonding time we would have missed out on.  

Here are some tips for people wanting to take their small children to sporting events:

1. Pack LOTS of snacks and drinks.
2. A little notepad and crayons helps them stay in their seat when they are getting restless or any little dollar store toy. Even your phone games.
3. If they are getting antsy, take a walk! There are so many kid friendly areas in most sporting venues. 
4. Play I Spy with them. It will help them stay still in their seats for a little bit and they can learn about the stuff around them.   
5. Start young! The younger you take them, the easier it will be. Its like second nature to Makenna.
6. Try to get seats on the end of an aisle. It will be easier than having to ask 20 people to stand and move every time you want to get out. 

I hope this helps anyone who is on the edge about going to a sporting event as a family. When baby #2 comes this september, you can bet she will be right there with us. Makenna has no problem sleeping anytime she needs to, even with 40,000+  fans screaming around her. I swear I think this is why she will sleep through just about anything! If not for any other reason, this is why we need to get baby #2 to a game asap! :)

What are some times sports brought your family closer together? Feel free to share below and make sure you check out Fanatics for all your sporting apparel needs. They have the cutest kid stuff, which is always hard to find! p.s. I am NOT being paid to say that! 

Have a great week!

-K

Friday Favorites :)

Being a full time private nanny for ten years I have seen many gadgets, strollers, car seats, bottles, pacifiers, etc! You name it, I have either seen it or used it. I have stayed tried and true to all the products that I believe in and of course that have worked for me throughout the years.

Things come and go, and no product is the same since ten years ago. However, with all that being said I have a NEW FAVORITE to add to my list. I feel that this company has made having a baby a NO BRAINER! I am proud to say that I am a new fan of the UPPA BABY EVERYYYYTHINGGG!!! Specifically, I have used the Uppa Baby Vista Stroller and attachable seat along with the Uppa Baby Mesa Car Seat Base. I am so thankful that I have been introduced to this product!

Image found off of Uppa Baby

Image found off of Google

One of my girlfriends who has a baby girl has told me all about the Uppa Baby system and how much she loves it. I never listened! Boy, I wish I had!! I will always be a fan of the City Mini but, this stroller may be even lighter than the City Mini and a heck of a lot easier to open and fold. The car seat base is truly a no brainer. It allows for a ten second accurate install. What!? Thats my dream come true! Sometimes I have up to three car seats in my backseat (like now) and the base just allows for the best flexibility EVER!! It also has a smooth base bottom so no damage will occur to your car! I shouldn't be as excited as I am about this but I can't help it! I joked with my friend that by the time I have kids I am sure they will have the Uppa Baby Vista Cargo 15! (LOL) Clearly, children of my own are not in my near future. However, when the time comes this for sure will be number one on my baby registry list! 

For another Friday Favorite here is something that is more up my alley... ;) I am currently the Maid of Honor in my best friend's wedding. Big role, I know!! It has been my greatest pleasure and honor to plan her Bachelorette weekend. However, when planning such a big weekend sometimes it can get a bit sticky. You want to have fun and celebrate in style but you also want to avoid being tacky! I am not sure how many of you remember the store, The ICING? It has been around for forever! It is more of a grown up version of Claire's. Oh my goodness! It is the best store EVER!! They have truly upped their game. They have the cutest and most elegant accessories! From watches, bracelets, and necklaces to coverups, scarfs, fedoras and floppy hats! All at the most amazing prices. They also now carry the cutest accessories for Bachelorette parties. Their accessories are classy and stylish as opposed to tacky and raunchy. Of course there is a time and a place for raunchy but I am trying my hardest to abide by the Bride's wishes ;) 

If you have some free time over this weekend and your looking to spice up your summer outfit a bit check out The ICING! You will not regret it! I am so glad that I have been reunited with this store again! 

I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe weekend.

XOXO,

-D

Rainbow Flour Paint!

My Boss and I are always emailing back and forth with all of these different ideas to keep Thomas busy!  He is turning the big TWO! this August 19th and I am SO excited! Her and I both feel that from the age of a year and a half to two years old can be a bit awkward and sometimes the sailing isn't so easy! 

Your child is constantly growing, their minds are constantly going. They are learning to walk, climb, run, talk and express themselves. Sometimes they revert back to having sleep issues all because their brain just cannot turn off! Trust me, I know how hard it can get for all of you! This past week we have been conversing via email with different shape and motion activities as well as creative activities. During the summer my schedule gets dropped down to part time since she gets the pleasure of spending time with Thomas and doesn't need the full time help. So, while the nanny was away.. Mommy & Baby played! ;) 

Rosie decided to try out a new recipe to make edible flour paint! Keep in mind that the recipe I am about to give you came from Learn~ Play~ Imagine. Also, please note that she did not make a plethora of colors. She wanted to start out small so Thomas didn't get overwhelmed. She only made yellow and blue (when combined make green). Rosie also played around with the recipe a bit and only used a LITTLE bit of flour. Just enough to introduce the art of painting to Thomas and to leave an easy cleanup for herself. 

How to Make Rainbow Flour Paint:

Supplies:

• Water
• Flour
• Food Coloring
• Cooking Oil
• Whisk
• Paint Brushes
• Butcher Paper

Directions:

• Roughly 1/4 Cup Flour
• Add food coloring and a squirt of water and mix the paint with a whisk
• Since this recipe has a flour base you will need a good amount of color. If you think the paint is too thick, add more water. Hopefully not too much! 
• Once your happy with the consistency of each batch then add about a teaspoon of vegetable oil. The oil is OPTIONAL. It gives the paint a glossier look. 
• Give your child the batches you make and enjoy painting without a hassle! They can eat it if they wish (I don't think it will taste good!) However, as a parent, NO WORRIES!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as Rosie and Thomas did! What an awesome activity to do!

XOXO,

-D

Getting Ready For Baby #2

I feel like the weeks are just flying by now! I can't believe next week is the beginning of July already! The count down is officially on till we bring home baby #2. 

I have started pulling out all Makenna's old clothes and organizing them. I took out all the newborn and  0-3 month sizes and can't believe we'll have a little baby to wear them all soon! I love looking back and remembering when Makenna wore each item. She was holding them up to herself and saying, "We can give these to Gummy Bear. They no fit me anymore." As I was going through all the clothes, I noticed yellow stains on a lot of the newborn stuff. I remembered seeing something on Pinterest a while ago about getting stains out of baby clothes. I went back on and did some research. I decided to take a few peoples suggestions and combine them. I was amazed at how well it worked! Almost all the stains are gone or hardly noticeable anymore! I'm sorry I never took before and after pics! Blogger fail! But here is the recipe I used to get the stains out. 

• OxyClean powder detergent
• Hydrogen peroxide 
• Gain dish soap
• Hot water
• A small spray bottle

1. I combined about 3 tablespoons of OxyClean and about 3-4 tablespoons of hot water.   
2. Added 2 1/2 tablespoons of Hydrogen peroxide
3. Added a good sized squirt of Gain dish soap, a tablespoon maybe
4. Shook it al up and let all the bubbles settle so I could put the lid on the spray bottle.
5. I laid out all the clothes with stains and sprayed them all generously rubbing the solution in with my fingers. 
6. I let them all sit for around 20 mins
7. Put them all in the washing machine set on the stain wash setting and used OxyClean detergent 
8. When the cycle was done I laid them all outside to dry in the sun

The results were pretty amazing. There were some heavily stained onesies and now they look brand new! Some still have really faint stains and if I really cared I would probably just redo the process on them. But they don't bother me since baby #2 will be adding her own stains in no time. I'm kicking myself for not taking before and after pictures so I could show you how well this really worked.

Now I just need to find somewhere to put all these clean clothes. My husband and I decided that although we have a third bedroom, we want the girls to share a room for as long as possible. Makenna has been really great saying she's going to share her stuff with her baby sister. As soon as I mentioned sharing her room she looked at me like I was crazy and said, "But this is MY room." She's finally coming around to the idea when I showed her some cool bunk beds they can get eventually. Baby will be in our room for the first year anyway since I plan of breast feeding and it will be easier to have her right next to me.

I feel like I have so much I need to do to get myself organized. If you are a parent of 2 or more and have any good advice for me, feel free to share!!

-K 

Book Review Tuesday!

It is always such a hard decision for me to choose the children's book that I want to showcase for Book Review Tuesday. Since my little guy Thomas has been working hard on using his words I thought it would be appropriate to talk about the wonderful book entitled, "Go! Go! Go! Stop!" by Charise Mericle Harper.

Image found off of Google.

This story is adorable! It is about a cute little guy named Go! He rolls into town one day and yells the only word he knows. GOOOOOO! It helps to give the town order and speed. "Go!" allows for all the construction trucks and cars to move about town. However, "Go!" gives the town a little too much speed. How will they ever be able to stop?! That is when a cute little red circle rolls into town. The red circle goes by the name, "Stop!"

This book is so much fun, especially for little boys. It is filled with so many bright colors. It showcases all of the construction sites including all the trucks and tractors that capture the attention of your little ones. The underlying theme of this story is teamwork. "Go!" learns how to work together with "Slow!" and "Stop!" in order for the town to run at a normal pace. The language in this book is perfect for ECRR (Every child ready to read) talk. The labeling that is used for lifting, mixing and carrying is great! As well as the catchy vocabulary! "Tow truck towed terrifically," "carried carefully," "dumped dependably," etc. After a few times of reading it to Thomas he began to yell the word, "GO!" as well as whisper it too. It is filled with so many shapes. Instead of calling the green dot well, a green dot... you can refer to it as a green circle. That way you can work on colors and shapes with your toddler! There are so many fun options when reading this story. "Go! Go! Go! Stop!" is truly wonderful and jam packed with skills to work on with your children. Another sure fire hit to add to your child's library! You can order it offline or go check it out at your local library. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed showcasing it for you! 

-D

Friday Favorites

Yay for Friday!! I can't believe that tomorrow is the official first day of Summer!!! After the crazy cold and snowy winter the North East had, I have never been SO ready for some sunshine. It also means we are getting that much closer to baby # 2 making her grand entrance into the world. I'm going to try my hardest to enjoy this summer and not just wishing it was September already. 

One of my favorite things about Summer is all the carnivals, fairs and festivals there are to attend. It seems like every weekend there is something fun to go to. The kids love going and exploring every thing. Especially if it includes bounce houses and pony rides! Just do a Google search and check your local stores bulletin boards to find out what is going on in your area. 

Have you all heard of Hello Apparel? I am in love with everything they sell. Makenna has a few of their shirts and a pair of the leggings. I have one of the Hello sweatshirts and wear it all the time. I'm thinking I need to invest in a few other there new items! 

Family Tees, I'm not tired onesie , I'm so tired tee

I found out about The Matthew Freeman Project via Facebook this week. The mother of a fallen solider transforms uniforms into Teddy Bears for the children of fallen soldiers families. They also are "Dedicated to supporting education of people in order to promote communities of promise, prosperity and peace throughout the US and the World." -Via their website mission statement. Everyone should check out their website and see what they have going on! What a wonderful thing these people are doing for these families. 

image via Google

I hope you all have a great weekend!! We'll see you back here on Monday!

xoxo -K

A Great Summer Recipe

I feel like this week just flew by! Maybe it's because we have been super busy. So when I saw this recipe for a veggie pasta salad from Better Homes & Garden, I knew it would be a fast and yummy addition to our dinner. I changed the recipe up a bit so I'll write it out for all of you. 

My husband went to dish up some and I yelled "STOP! I need to take a picture first!" lol

Grilled Veggie Pasta Salad

You need:

• 1 zucchini
• 1 red sweet pepper 
• 1 small red onion
• 1/2 pound of asparagus
• a can of halved artichoke hearts 
• 3 Tbs of olive oil
• 3-4 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• 4 cups of cooked pasta (I used zucchini & spinach pasta by Barilla)
• salt 
• pepper
• garlic powder

Directions:

1. Cut up all veggies and mix with 1tbs of the olive oil. Add a little bit of salt, pepper and garlic powder
2. Grill veggies ( I used this QVC grilling sheet! AMAZING!! The absolute best way to cook veggies on the grill) 
3. Cook until veggies are tender
4. Add cooked pasta and veggies into a bowl with the remaining 2tbs of olive oil and balsamic vinegar
5. Salt and pepper to taste

It was SO good! The original recipe only called for 1tbs of balsamic vinegar. I added 2tbs and my husband and I both agree it could have used more. So play around with how much vinegar you like. I also added the artichoke hearts and left out the fresh oregano. I'm just not a fan of oregano in pasta salads, but I'm sure most other people are. 

This would be a great recipe for parents that use baby lead weening. Just make sure pieces are cut big enough for baby to hold and chomp on. I would cut veggies into large strips instead of chunks. I'll get more into baby lead weening for those who don't know what it is in another post soon. I swear though, baby lead weening is why Makenna will eat ANYTHING you put in front of her.  

So there you have it! A fast and delicious recipe for those busy summer nights. What recipes are you all loving?? Feel free to share below! 

-K