Prior to my twins being 6 months old, I found it difficult to know what to play with them. What toys should I get? What would they like? I started asking friends and seeing what their babies played with. What I found was that for this age group, they didn't need a lot of toys. There were a few choice toys that I found though that were must haves.
Playmats: Black, Red, and White mats and toys are best to start with as color vision develops. They really like the contrast when they are really little and we had these from the start. I change out the hanging toys often to give variety. I also learned that putting them on the mat diagonally and having them kick the bars was great fun. This action would rattle all of the toys.
Skwish: This toy is great when the babies are first learning about their hands. They accidentally put their hands in this toy and pick it up. They don't need a lot of fine motor skills to play with this toy. The little beaded ends are great for chewing. After they gain more fine motor skills, this toy is great for squishing and holding.
Oball: Another great toy for easy pick up. It has various sized holes and is extremely light weight.
Sophie's friends: Chan Pie Gnon Soft Chew Toys: Chan Pie Gnon is the play on words for mushroom in French. These toys are shaped like mushrooms. We have both "Chan", the blue toy and "Pie", the pink toy. Chan is the favorite for both of my twins. It's quite easy for them to hold and shove the head into their mouths. I think they like Chan because it's more bottle shaped than the others. Pie has two ears to chew on that are smaller. While they would play with Pie, they clearly preferred Chan. I don't know about the yellow one "Gnon" as I only bought the other two.
Sophie the Giraffe: This toy is an all natural rubber teether toy. Once your babies can start to hold things and shove them in their mouths, this toy is great. For some reason, our babies love to chew on her legs. All my friends seem to have this toy too and I always see their kids chewing on Sophie's legs. I saw one review where someone thought it was a glorified dog chew toy and too expensive. Yes, Sophie is expensive, but so worth the money for all the enjoyment my babies get from her. And I don't have to worry about the materials they are chewing on. I got ours at a local store and the shop keeper said they have a lot of trouble keeping Sophie in stock. She is quite popular!
Playskool Kick Start Gym: This toy is incredible. My little girl especially loved to kick, and this toy mesmerized her for hours. I was completely skeptical when it was given to me by a friend. Being a first time mom, it just didn't resonate with me. However, when we noticed our babies kicking a lot, we got it out and low and behold, it was an instant favorite.
The unfortunate thing about this toy is that it is no longer made. When I searched for it, the replacement toy is a flimsy kick toy that others reported fell on their babies. So, I definitely wouldn't get the one that folds up. But, there's usually a couple for sale on eBay and sometimes Craigslist. I bought a second one for our twins off of eBay because they liked it so much.
More Play Ideas?
Gymboree's "Baby Play" book is great for giving lots of ideas of how to play with babies. The sections are broken down by age, 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-9 months and 9-12 months. The ideas it gives are simple and fun. They also don't require you buying a lot of stuff. In the early stages, this book made me realize what "play" meant to different age groups and it was different from what I had in mind.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Places to shop for New Items
Places to shop for new items:
Outlet Stores: Look for outlet stores in your area for great deals. Children's Place has great sales racks in their outlet stores. Carter's, which makes a lot of clothes bought in regular stores, has outlet stores.
If I do have to buy something new, these are the places I start with.
- Target (toys, clothes and gear)
- Kohl's (clothes)
- Ross (kid's toys)
- Old Navy (clothes)
When I have to: Babies 'R Us. Although this is an excellent place to register.
The internet is an obvious place as well.
- Amazon.com = some great sales especially at Christmas time.
- AlbeeBaby.com = car seats, strollers and lots of other stuff.
Tip for buying new and online: watch for when an item is being sold for a great price because the next year's model is about to come out or just came out.
I got a Maclaren Twin Techno stroller off Amazon for less than 1/2 the original price because it was last year's model. If I remember correctly, it was around February when this happened. I only noticed because I had it in my cart and Amazon told me that it had gone down in price since I had put it there. I put things in my wish list now before I need them and watch to see if the price drops. I also got a Burley bike trailer for less than 1/2 the original price at REI when they were having a big sale this winter. I guess my moral here is to watch for deals all the time and know what you're going to want in the next year.
2nd Hand Clothes and Gear
I'm a big fan of second-hand clothes and gear for my kids. They just go through it too quick, I can't justify paying full price. I also don't know how we would afford it when trying to outfit two kids!
Places to shop for second hand items:
The obvious ones: eBay and Craigslist
eBay has most things you can think of but Craigslist tends to have better deals.
Children's resellers and consignment shops. I never knew how many of these there were until I started looking for them. My favorite in Redmond, WA is "Treetop" in the same parking lot as Ben Franklin Crafts. They have tons and tons of clothes, some specialty clothes, and some gear. In general, I've found consignment shops to be good for general clothes but not so good for gear.
Mothers of Multiples groups' sales. This is the place to shop for gear. Anyone can shop at these sales. The sellers are all mothers of multiples. See my post about this specifically.
I also just heard about "Just Between Friends", a children's and maternity consignment sale. This is a franchise throughout the United States. This works a lot like the Mothers of Multiples groups' sales, but selling is open to anyone. They rent out a big space, parents with stuff to sell bring it to the sale, the company takes care of setting it up and selling it, and the parent gets money for their stuff. I have not been to this sale yet, but plan to go this year to check it out.
I'm sure there are other places, and I'll add them as I find them!
Places to shop for second hand items:
The obvious ones: eBay and Craigslist
eBay has most things you can think of but Craigslist tends to have better deals.
Children's resellers and consignment shops. I never knew how many of these there were until I started looking for them. My favorite in Redmond, WA is "Treetop" in the same parking lot as Ben Franklin Crafts. They have tons and tons of clothes, some specialty clothes, and some gear. In general, I've found consignment shops to be good for general clothes but not so good for gear.
Mothers of Multiples groups' sales. This is the place to shop for gear. Anyone can shop at these sales. The sellers are all mothers of multiples. See my post about this specifically.
I also just heard about "Just Between Friends", a children's and maternity consignment sale. This is a franchise throughout the United States. This works a lot like the Mothers of Multiples groups' sales, but selling is open to anyone. They rent out a big space, parents with stuff to sell bring it to the sale, the company takes care of setting it up and selling it, and the parent gets money for their stuff. I have not been to this sale yet, but plan to go this year to check it out.
I'm sure there are other places, and I'll add them as I find them!
Sales by Mothers of Multiples Groups
Summary: Find your local mothers of multiples group and see when they have their sales.
This was a little known fact to me before I had twins. There are "Mothers of Multiples" groups all around the country. Around Seattle, I know of at least three. All of them have big sales where members sell their baby and kid clothes and gear. The group takes a small share of the profit to fund their activities throughout the year.
Now, what better place to get amazing deals on second-hand merchandise? Parents of multiples have tons of stuff. Most baby gear is only used for a short period of time, so most is in good shape. Things are generally priced to move because parents don't want to take the stuff back home. We're talking garage sale prices without having to go to 200 garages.
And the best part, these sales are open to the public. You don't have to be a mother of multiples to shop, although some groups do give their members an earlier time to start shopping. The local club I belong to works this way: members get in one hour before the general public.
Just to give you an example of how it works and what I've saved:
I belong to a local multiples club, where over 200 families sell their stuff at their twice a year sale. They rent out the gym to a local community college and the space is equivalent to two basketball courts. It is packed with clothes and gear. At 9 am, the club members are allowed in. at 10 am, the rest of the general public is allowed in. There's always a line at least an hour before the sale begins. I don't know when it first forms because I've only been there an hour early. There's a holding area for all the big stuff, so you don't have to carry it around. Otherwise, you pick what you want, go through the checkout and you've just saved a bundle of money.
What kind of deals are we talking? These are some of my best purchases from the last two sales: maternity pants for $2-$6, pack 'n plays for $40, Baby Bjorn carriers with lumbar support for $40, cribs for $100, exersaucer for $5, books for a buck a piece, 3 onesies for a $1, baby outfits for $2. I've bought clothes that are new with the tags still on and toys that are new in the box. Since members price their own things, there are a variety of prices and deals, so you have to look for the very best deals. You also can't be too picky about getting an exact brand or style, but if you're flexible, you'll find a lot of stuff that is great. All in all, you'll save a bunch. I know I've already saved well over a thousand dollars purchasing baby gear this way.
This is win-win-win : the group is funded, the parents can sell their stuff and the buyer gets amazing deals.
This was a little known fact to me before I had twins. There are "Mothers of Multiples" groups all around the country. Around Seattle, I know of at least three. All of them have big sales where members sell their baby and kid clothes and gear. The group takes a small share of the profit to fund their activities throughout the year.
Now, what better place to get amazing deals on second-hand merchandise? Parents of multiples have tons of stuff. Most baby gear is only used for a short period of time, so most is in good shape. Things are generally priced to move because parents don't want to take the stuff back home. We're talking garage sale prices without having to go to 200 garages.
And the best part, these sales are open to the public. You don't have to be a mother of multiples to shop, although some groups do give their members an earlier time to start shopping. The local club I belong to works this way: members get in one hour before the general public.
Just to give you an example of how it works and what I've saved:
I belong to a local multiples club, where over 200 families sell their stuff at their twice a year sale. They rent out the gym to a local community college and the space is equivalent to two basketball courts. It is packed with clothes and gear. At 9 am, the club members are allowed in. at 10 am, the rest of the general public is allowed in. There's always a line at least an hour before the sale begins. I don't know when it first forms because I've only been there an hour early. There's a holding area for all the big stuff, so you don't have to carry it around. Otherwise, you pick what you want, go through the checkout and you've just saved a bundle of money.
What kind of deals are we talking? These are some of my best purchases from the last two sales: maternity pants for $2-$6, pack 'n plays for $40, Baby Bjorn carriers with lumbar support for $40, cribs for $100, exersaucer for $5, books for a buck a piece, 3 onesies for a $1, baby outfits for $2. I've bought clothes that are new with the tags still on and toys that are new in the box. Since members price their own things, there are a variety of prices and deals, so you have to look for the very best deals. You also can't be too picky about getting an exact brand or style, but if you're flexible, you'll find a lot of stuff that is great. All in all, you'll save a bunch. I know I've already saved well over a thousand dollars purchasing baby gear this way.
This is win-win-win : the group is funded, the parents can sell their stuff and the buyer gets amazing deals.
ID Theft - Pay Day Loans
Here's one that most ID theft web sites don't tell you about... pay day loan companies don't check your credit report to give out loans. People who use pay day loans may already know this, but it was a big surprise to me.
So, what do they use? Most companies use Teletrack. The company using Teletrack can look you up and are given information they can use to verify your identity. Great for them, but not for you if someone stole your identity. What can you do?
You can put a freeze on your Teletrack report. After you do this, they will send you a four digit pin that you will need if you ever legitimately need a pay day loan and they need to access the teletrack system.
Step 1. Get a police report stating you are a victim of identity theft.
Step 2. Call teletrack and find out exactly the information you need to send them. I would post it, but if the information changes, I want you to know what's current.
Step 3. Send them that information through certified mail.
Step 4. Receive your pin.
This is the solution if you've already been a victim of ID theft. I do not know if you can put a freeze on your information if you are not a victim and do not have a police report.
So, what do they use? Most companies use Teletrack. The company using Teletrack can look you up and are given information they can use to verify your identity. Great for them, but not for you if someone stole your identity. What can you do?
You can put a freeze on your Teletrack report. After you do this, they will send you a four digit pin that you will need if you ever legitimately need a pay day loan and they need to access the teletrack system.
Step 1. Get a police report stating you are a victim of identity theft.
Step 2. Call teletrack and find out exactly the information you need to send them. I would post it, but if the information changes, I want you to know what's current.
Step 3. Send them that information through certified mail.
Step 4. Receive your pin.
This is the solution if you've already been a victim of ID theft. I do not know if you can put a freeze on your information if you are not a victim and do not have a police report.
Vaccines
Summary: Make smart immunization decisions for your children by reading The Vaccine Book, by Dr. Sears and his accompanying web site.
Being pregnant with twins, I had to reduce my activity and not really do much for several months. I had a lot of time to do research on the Internet and read books, so that's exactly what I did. My catalyst for looking into vaccines was seeing the schedule of vaccines my babies were going to be put through. Oh my goodness, there are a lot.
The recommended vaccine schedule can be found here. If you look at this, that's 8 immunization at their two month checkup - Hepatitus B, Rotavirus, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Hib, Pneumococcal, and Polio. And, why oh why were they getting vaccinated for Hep B in the hospital when they are just born? It's basically an STD and if the mother doesn't have Hep B, the risk is super low that the baby would get it... only a blood transfusion would do it.
I had also heard about mercury (thimerosal is the term they use in the immunization world) and how horrible it is. I learned that this is only in some forms of flu shots; the rest of the immunizations have been reformulated to not use mercury. And there's also the controversy over the MMR and autism. All of this information is enough to make any mother scared for her children. It also may lead some to the question of whether or not to vaccinate their kids. All of this led me to...
The Vaccine Book, by Dr. Sears. This book is extremely informative. It tells you what all the vaccines are for, how they are made, the pros and cons of getting them. It's actually a fascinating read if you care about this topic. Dr. Sears also gives an alternate immunization schedule which resonated with me more than the AAP schedule. For me, I believe in the value of immunizing my children, I just want it to be as safe as possible for them.
If you're wondering, I've personally decided to wait on the Hep B vaccine until my kids are teenagers, and am otherwise basically following the alternate schedule. I also read a lot on the HPV vaccine that is widely advertised on TV. Wow, now that one is so highly political and it's not even proven that it prevents cervical cancer. I don't have to decide on that one for my daughter for a lot of years and I'm glad because I don't feel the research is there at this point. What's my source for this? I started at the vaccine book site and went to many of the source articles.
Being pregnant with twins, I had to reduce my activity and not really do much for several months. I had a lot of time to do research on the Internet and read books, so that's exactly what I did. My catalyst for looking into vaccines was seeing the schedule of vaccines my babies were going to be put through. Oh my goodness, there are a lot.
The recommended vaccine schedule can be found here. If you look at this, that's 8 immunization at their two month checkup - Hepatitus B, Rotavirus, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Hib, Pneumococcal, and Polio. And, why oh why were they getting vaccinated for Hep B in the hospital when they are just born? It's basically an STD and if the mother doesn't have Hep B, the risk is super low that the baby would get it... only a blood transfusion would do it.
I had also heard about mercury (thimerosal is the term they use in the immunization world) and how horrible it is. I learned that this is only in some forms of flu shots; the rest of the immunizations have been reformulated to not use mercury. And there's also the controversy over the MMR and autism. All of this information is enough to make any mother scared for her children. It also may lead some to the question of whether or not to vaccinate their kids. All of this led me to...
The Vaccine Book, by Dr. Sears. This book is extremely informative. It tells you what all the vaccines are for, how they are made, the pros and cons of getting them. It's actually a fascinating read if you care about this topic. Dr. Sears also gives an alternate immunization schedule which resonated with me more than the AAP schedule. For me, I believe in the value of immunizing my children, I just want it to be as safe as possible for them.
If you're wondering, I've personally decided to wait on the Hep B vaccine until my kids are teenagers, and am otherwise basically following the alternate schedule. I also read a lot on the HPV vaccine that is widely advertised on TV. Wow, now that one is so highly political and it's not even proven that it prevents cervical cancer. I don't have to decide on that one for my daughter for a lot of years and I'm glad because I don't feel the research is there at this point. What's my source for this? I started at the vaccine book site and went to many of the source articles.
ID Theft - What happened to me
I was recently a victim of Identity Theft. I don't know if two people stole parts of my information or if it was all one. One problem was my credit card being used. The other was someone trying to open auto loans and pay day loans with my information.
Credit Card Stolen
The bank actually caught this one before I did, and I look at my history online all the time. Two charges were made: one was an actual purchase and the second was a $1.00 charge. The bank said that this was typical of credit card thieves to see if the card is active. We immediately cancelled our card and had them issue a new one.
What a pain though to have to cancel your card. We had several bills that went direct to our credit card and we had to contact all of those places to update our account. We were without a credit card for several days. We also lost all of our points we accrue for airline tickets and such. I'm hoping to get those back, and if I do, I'll post about that. If not, well, that was a big loss of money.
ID Theft
The more troubling issue was when auto loan people started calling. I had five of these in a span of a week saying they wanted to help me finish the online application I had started. As far as I know, all of the loan applications were stopped before any money or cars were given to this thief. Shortly after the auto loan people called, I started getting pay day loan people calling saying they wanted to help me finish my pay day loan application. This is super scary stuff.
With the car loans and new credit, they are supposed to check your credit reports. I now have a whole list of things you should do and can do to stop this. Most of it is found on various web sites, but some of it I learned as I went. Check my other blog post about all of these things you can do if you're a victim of identity theft.
The pay day loan was an even scarier proposition. They don't actually check your credit reports. I was astonished. But, I did find out the system they do check, and there's a way to block that as well. Check my other blog post about this too.
I hope you're not a victim of ID theft and are reading this out of curiousity. If you are a victim too, I feel your pain and I hope I can help.
Credit Card Stolen
The bank actually caught this one before I did, and I look at my history online all the time. Two charges were made: one was an actual purchase and the second was a $1.00 charge. The bank said that this was typical of credit card thieves to see if the card is active. We immediately cancelled our card and had them issue a new one.
What a pain though to have to cancel your card. We had several bills that went direct to our credit card and we had to contact all of those places to update our account. We were without a credit card for several days. We also lost all of our points we accrue for airline tickets and such. I'm hoping to get those back, and if I do, I'll post about that. If not, well, that was a big loss of money.
ID Theft
The more troubling issue was when auto loan people started calling. I had five of these in a span of a week saying they wanted to help me finish the online application I had started. As far as I know, all of the loan applications were stopped before any money or cars were given to this thief. Shortly after the auto loan people called, I started getting pay day loan people calling saying they wanted to help me finish my pay day loan application. This is super scary stuff.
With the car loans and new credit, they are supposed to check your credit reports. I now have a whole list of things you should do and can do to stop this. Most of it is found on various web sites, but some of it I learned as I went. Check my other blog post about all of these things you can do if you're a victim of identity theft.
The pay day loan was an even scarier proposition. They don't actually check your credit reports. I was astonished. But, I did find out the system they do check, and there's a way to block that as well. Check my other blog post about this too.
I hope you're not a victim of ID theft and are reading this out of curiousity. If you are a victim too, I feel your pain and I hope I can help.
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