Summertime Essentials for Toddlers

 

Summer is in full swing now, and with the longer, hotter days us mamas have to get creative with keeping the tots busy. Water and cold treats are almost always the answer in our house! Here are my "must haves" for getting through summer with a toddler:

1. Swimsuits. I did a blog post here about my favorite swimsuits for girls this year, but I'm loving this flamingo one-piece as well! We can't forget the boys either! These whale trunks and rash guard and these crab print trunks are making me wish I had a little boy!

2. Flip-flops. These flip-flops from Carter's are the best. They're made out of foam so they can get wet, and they have a back strap for the kiddos who haven't quite figured out walking in flip-flops yet. 

3. Babyganics Sunscreen. My true favorite sunscreen for babies and toddlers is Coppertone Water Babies, but it makes Baylee get a rash. So, I've been in the market for a new sunscreen that still works but is gentle on her sensitive skin, and so far this one from Babyganics is the best. (But comment if you have other suggestions!)

4. Puddle Jumper Life Jacket. This is the perfect floatie life jacket for beggining swimmers. (I like this one for the little guys!) I can't get Baylee to go back in the pool quite yet (she tried to walk off the step and went under the water for a second and was traumatized...we're working on easing her back) but I have friends who use this life jacket on their kids and love it!

5. Mini Popsicles. These mini popsicles are perfect for little hands and tiny tummies. Baylee would never finish a normal sized popsicle, so I was so happy when I found these. They have a long stick so her hands don't get cold, and she can eat a whole one before it starts to melt!

6. Kids' Adirondack Chair. These kid-sized adirondack chairs are only $8.00, and are perfect for snacking after some water play. They come in multiple colors, so you can even find one that matches if you have a set of adult-sized chairs.

7. Kiddie Pool. We have tried the blow up pools in the past, and I love them, but this summer we decided to try out the classic plastic kiddie pool and I think I love it more! Last summer, I had to keep adding air to the blow-up one because it would deflate a little from the heat. It was kind of a pain, so the plastic one has been nice to have because it's ready to go at any time. I will say to get a blow up one for beach trips, though! We blow up Baylee's and fill it with ocean water, and she can splash up by where we have all our stuff set up.

8. Water Table. This has been the best life saver for the summer. Baylee never gets bored of splashing and playing with her toys in the water table, and you can add any bath toys to it to make it fun and different every time. Baylee has this one at our house and this one at my grandparents' house and she loves them both!

Hope this list helps you get ready for some summer fun! Summer solstice is Monday, and we are expecting a week-long heat wave of temps from 102-110! I think Baylee and I may need to have a margarita and a Frozen pop permanently in hand on the daily! Cheers to staying cool! :)

 

Potty Training Pep Talk

I stare at the Minnie Mouse potty chair in the corner of the bathroom collecting dust and cringe. Have I been one of those Mommy slackers? We have had said potty set up in our bathroom since last July, and Baylee has only "used" it a hand full of times. (Though it makes a great step stool for hand washing and watching me do my makeup!) I create excuses in my head for all the reasons why we haven't given potty training a solid effort yet, and then realize the truth of the matter: Mommy doesn't know how to be ready.

I can't believe that my baby is 23 months old, and the thought of potty training her and not needing to change her diaper anymore terrifies me. I know, this sounds so crazy...but she's growing up so fast, and my heart can't take it! The other truth of the matter is that even with all the advice I've received and articles I've read, the whole concept of potty training blows right over my head. I have no idea where to even start.

The times that Baylee did go on the potty, she was about 18 months old and had just started to tell me whenever she pooped or peed. So, I took her cues and about once a day for a solid week or so she would use the potty. Then, she suddenly got the runs, and it lasted for two weeks. (Turned out to be a food allergy.) This put an end to any progress we made. So, for the next few months I would suggest using the potty now and then, but she never showed much interest. 

Fast forward to last Wednesday, it occurred to me that we had an entire week coming up with no plans. As much as it killed me, I went out and bought some Pull-Ups (Target brand of course!) and decided that we would give this potty training thing a go. Newsflash...my child suddenly hates potty training. Meh.

Every 20 minutes or so I would ask her if she wanted to use the potty. The first few times she would say "Yes!" and go sit on it. But she would get bored after about 3 minutes and run bare butt back to her toys. By the 5th or 6th time of me asking, she was annoyed and wouldn't even acknowledge me. So, we put a diaper on for her nap and I explained to her that when she woke up we would try again. She woke up with a diaper so full of pee that it was about to burst. The poor kid had been holding it all morning just so she wouldn't have to use the potty. I tried to put her Pull-Ups on her again and she cried "No, Mama, bi-per, no mama, bi-per." Too exhausted to make it a battle, I put a diaper on her and we never looked back. I had finally mustered up the courage, and it all went to hell. This is my cry for help...

I need a potty training pep talk. 

Until next time! XoXoXo

 

 

 

Today With Bay!

7:00 Morning Bay!

7:05 "Brusha teef!" 

 

We've gotten Baylee in the habit of brushing her teeth in the morning and every night before bed. I have to say, she's getting really good at it!

7:15 Breakfast 

 

"Baylee, do you want oatmeal or pancakes?" 

"E-mail!!!" 

7:20 Mama's breakfast

 

7:35 First boo boo of the day. :(

 

As usual, she got hurt doing something she's not supposed to be doing! She bumped her cheek being a crazy monkey on the couch. My child... 

7:45 Cartoons & cup hoarding.

 

8:00 Little People princesses take a nap.

 

Baylee has taken to sorting all her toys lately and I think it's the cutest thing.

 

8:30 Coloring

 

While Mama gets ready for the day! 

9:00 We love OshKosh!

 

They sent us a gift card to thank us for sharing the love and being such big fans! This means a mini shopping spree for my girl! :) 

9:05 Let's go, Mama!

 

9:07 The best little copilot.

 

9:30 Target...of course! 

 

10:00 OshKosh and Carter's time!

 

10:30 Checkin' out the new swag!

 

11:00 Home and exhausted

 

Time for paci and a movie...and maybe some milk.

11:15 Mama's lunch 

 

I have to take advantage during quiet time! 

11:30 Baylee naps...Mama reads!

1:35 She's awake!

 

1:45 "Rocka lion"

 

2:00 Mess maker, make me a mess!

 

I've been giving Bay some independence and letting her play in her room by herself for a while every day. She loves it, and I love hearing her talk to all her toys on the monitor...it's adorable! 

2:45 Outside play!

 

Baylee had some leftover hamburger and sweet potato tots for lunch, and then we took some peach tea (and cut up peaches for Bay of course) outside. She played with her water table and in the kiddie pool...this is the best part of summer for sure! 

3:00 My diva in her new swimsuit!

 

4:00 Back inside!

  
It got too hot out, so we brought the fun inside and played with her tent and tunnel.
 
4:30 Coloring Part II

 

5:00 Dinner prep

 

We ate chicken and veggie stir fry with brown rice. So delicious and so easy! 

6:00 Back out!

 

After dinner we played with some chalk outside per Baylee's request. I figured she might as well get dirty right before her bath! 

6:30 Scrubby tubby time!

 

6:45 A little light reading.

 

7:00 Daddy's home...finally!!!

 

Time to mooch some of his dinner! ;) 

7:30 Movie time!

 

Tonight we watched "Bug movie!" aka "A Bug's Life" 

8:20 Books with Daddy.

 

8:30 Night night, Bay.

 

Until next time! XoXoXo

Love List!

Now that it's June, I'm really feeling the summer vibes in full force! Anyone else have the urge to drop everything and go float in a pool for a week, or is it just me? ;) Well, since that's not an option (at least in my case) here's a summery love list for you!

 

First off, this little beach babe is totally in her element with the warm weather! I have a summer baby without a doubt! I'm loving being able to take her outside to play with her splash pool and water table. Plus, the clothes she gets to wear now are the best! How cute is she in her summer romper from June & January?!

If you have Sirius XM, you need to listen to Kenny Chesney's new station, "No Shoes Radio" (Ch. 62) I've been listening to it all week and it's a great mix of country, classic rock, and reggae. Totally perfect for summertime! 

Speaking of floating in the pool, I'm obsessed with all the $20 pool floats that Target has this year. There's a pizza slice, donuts with a bite taken out of them, a pineapple, and more. My favorite, though, is this flamingo inner tube. I need it in my life a.s.a.p!  

I was so excited when found this recipe on Pinterest for Mermaid Water. I haven't tried it yet, but it seems like a perfect summer time beverage. It's a simple recipe that sounds yummy, and turns the prettiest shades of aqua and blue.

Baylee has already been having a blast outside in the nice weather with her bubble machine. I love it because I don't have to sit there giving myself an asthma attack blowing bubbles through a stupid stick for her! :) This one is what we have, and it's the best! Oh, and I just found out today that Target sells huge jugs of bubble solution in store for only $5.  

I don't know how it is that I am newbie to the Babyganics brand, but I finally tried the bubble bath and I am officially in love. I can't wait to try the body wash and shampoo, and I am super curious about the wool dryer balls too! Has anyone tried any products from this brand that they highly recommend?

Since it's been so hot here already, we've been in the market for some summer jammies for Bay. These seahorse ones are my favorite, but I'm also loving the flamingos and the oranges! Cooler jams are a must for the triple digit days here in the desert when our AC fights to get any cooler than 80. (Not necessarily looking forward to that.) 

If you want to keep up with Baylee's summer fun, make sure you follow us on Instagram! @mrs_tibbetts

Until next time! XoXoXo

Our Weekend!

Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! We are in need of some lazy days and naps over here after all the "go go go" this weekend, but we had a blast. :)

On Saturday, we held a luau graduation party for my youngest sister, Gina, who just graduated from high school. We set it up in our grandparents' back yard which is basically a mini Hawaii already, so it was perfect! It was so fun to get the whole family dressed up in luau clothes and to listen to Hawiian music and reggae. 

 For food, we had pulled pork and pulled chicken with Hawaiian sweet rolls, and of course all the good sides like macaroni salad and baked beans. We broke out the margarita machine and used it to make yummy pina coladas and strawberry daquiris. Rum and summer just go together, don't they? We also had a gorgeous cake and cupcakes that were pina colada and rasperry mojito flavored.

It ended up being a great evening filled with family and friends. We ate to our hearts content, played a few rounds of corn hole, and then ended the night chatting around the outdoor fireplace. I can't think of a better way to kick off summer! (And Gina was so happy and appreciative...congrats, my girl!)

 

 

  

We spent most of Sunday recovering and running our usual weekend errands, because we knew Monday was going to be another long day at Disneyland. Every year, for the past 4 years now, Brian and I have made it a tradition to go to the Disneyland Flag Retreat Ceremony on Memorial Day. Sometimes they have the USMC band playing, which is really cool, but this year they had the Disneyland marching band. They play patriotic music and call all the Veterans and enlisted military to come up to the flag pole while they sing the national anthem and retreat the flag for the day. It's a beautiful way to honor the memory of our fallen, and to show appreciation that we live in a country where we are free because of all the brave men and women willing to defend it. I love seeing all the Veterans, young and old, up there still so proud to have served. Brian took Baylee up on his shoulders when they called up the U.S. Marine Corps and it made me one proud wifey. I am so blessed to have a brave patriot for a husband. 

We will definitely continue the tradition and go every year. This year, we brought my Papa and both him and Brian were given buttons that said "Thank you for your service." on it. (Papa was in the Army.) Just anther reason why I hold Disney so close to my heart...they never forget our military!

 

And now...let summer begin! We already have triple digit weather predicted for this week. You better believe it's pool time!

Until next time! XoXoXo