DIY Baby Wipes

There could be advantages to creating your own baby wipes at home ... you'd avoid using harsh, over-drying chemicals on your baby's soft skin; it would save you a lot of money each month; maybe you'd use less if you have to "make them" yourself. Here's how you do it: Cut a roll of paper towels in half (I'd imagine you'd use a plush, quality brand!) and toss the cardboard insert.

Mix together, but don't shake, 2 cups of water, 2 tablespoons baby oil, and 2 tablespoons baby wash in an airtight container or gallon zipper bag. Pour the mixture over the paper towels and let sit for an hour so the liquid absorbs.

Week by Week

This week LBT is the size of a big bell pepper at 5 inches long. A growth spurt is right around the corner and in the next few weeks, he or she will double his or her weight. Some mamas can even feel fluttering and other baby movements beginning this week. If not, then very soon! This is the sort of fun information I look forward to week by week! I always read my updates to Aidan and Doug.

I mentioned BabyCenter.com before but today I discovered PlanningFamily.com. Not only can you follow your pregnancy week by week (how the baby is growing and how you might be feeling), but you can follow your child's weekly development once baby is born! There's more ... expert advice and articles, baby names, interactive tools, parent blogs, and FREE baby stuff to name a few. Of course I signed up for coupons for formula, diapers and baby food! Who wouldn't?

No Backseat Spills

Do your kids drink bottles of milk or juice in the car? Try this to minimize spills: First, keep the lid on screwed on. Using a 1/4-inch metal punch (available at hardware stores), make a hole in the center of the lid. This metal punch looks like a pencil. A straw will fit perfectly through the hole in the lid! No messes!

Cravings

My friends have craved processed cheese (Cheez Whiz anyone?!?!), kimchee, and Pine Sol. Yes, the cleaner. Really. I'm not kidding about that one. Fortunately for me, a turtle sundae works just fine. (Note, the photo Doug took of me the other day!) Mom gave me a gift card for United Dairy Farmers and the way I calculate it, I can have 7 turtle sundaes with it. Here's a good article on food cravings, what they mean, and what to do about them!

Chinese Gender Predictor

According to this fun predictor tool on PlanningFamily.com, we'll be having a baby ____! I entered my birthday and the estimated date of conception and ... it's a girl! This Chinese Gender Chart is rumored to be over 90% accurate. We'll see tomorrow, on May 11th. I'll let you know ...

Win Diapers (and a Diaper Clutch)!

Think thin. Think sleek. Think soft and dry. Think better for the environment. More than likely, you are NOT thinking about diapers. But you should be!

Thanks to a new product, Pampers Swaddlers & Cruisers with Dry Max, gone are the days of big, bulky and soggy diapers that weigh down baby and fill up all the diaper bag space!

Why am I excited about diapers? Well, come October I have no choice! Not only have diapers come a long way since I had Aidan 8 years ago, this is the biggest innovation in 25 years for Pampers. They're 20% thinner than competitive brands; they're created for moms by moms; and they're thinner, sleeker and two times drier than ever before. (Yay!) Most importantly, they help you reduce your impact on the environment. If every Pampers mom switches to Swaddlers or Cruisers with Dry Max, together they could save approximately 20 million pounds of trash every year. That's as heavy as 600 conventional school buses. (Double Yay!)

In celebration of LBT on his (or her) way, and What Really Matters on VickyandJen.com, Pampers is giving away 5 JUMBO packs of diapers with Dry Max AND 5 Liz Lange diaper clutches to tote them around in. A clutch? Yes, so thin and sleek it looks like a purse. (I would have loved a fashionable "diaper bag" like this years ago!)

Want to win some for yourself? All you have to do is:

1. Email us at pampers@vickyandjen.com.

2. Include your full name and email address.

3. Tell us what recent product (or innovation) has made parenting easier for you. (Vicky needs a "refresher" - all the help she can get with a new baby!)

That's it! Then you'll be entered in our Pampers Give-a-Way! Hurry, our contest ends on May 26th at midnight EST. We can't wait to hear your ideas! Tell a friend too ...

Baby Wearing

I am finding PregTASTIC to be a fanTASTIC resource! This online radio show, and their pregnant hosts, celebrate all things pregnancy. Through their fun and casual chats and interviews, they provide the most helpful information about the pregnancy journey, even if you're going through it a second time like me!

Recently, I listened to: Baby Carriers on finding the perfect baby carrier. With all the craziness on the market today I needed a refresher. Is my sling still "safe" from 8 years ago? Will I use the same baby sling, a wrap, or a pouch? Will I consider the Maya, Moby, Baby Bjorn, Ergo or Peanut Shell? Should I wear LBT on my hip, front or back? Will Doug use the carrier too? Yikes! Thank goodness for PregTASTIC, and especially for their new video version so I could actually see the carriers and watch the moms put them on, then take them off.