Sleeping Sound?

I just received a request from a friend to ask about sleep. You may recall a while back I did a post about how much sleep our kids getting (Up With the Birds) but this is an inquiry into how much sleep YOU are getting.
"How much sleep are we getting? Not how much is necessary from a medical standpoint, but how much are we really getting? And are we functioning well with the amount we are getting? I am just curious - because with kiddies getting up in the night, we often don't get ideal sleep - and it would just be interesting to know what other people are getting out there and how that is working out for them. Maybe if we have a bad night and we know others survive with little sleep too, it will give us some motivation! Or maybe people can share tips for having energy when they have gotten little sleep."

I also have done a post about how to get more energy (But...yawn...I'm too tired) if you want to check it out.
But mostly PLEASE drop us a comment and let us know about your sleep and how you deal with it!

'Tis The Season - Tips For Airplane Travel With Kids

Is anyone traveling on an airplane with small children in the next few months? Not only is traveling with kids so physically exhausting, (walking forever with too much stuff in you hands, waiting forever at security, taking all the coats, shoes, and belts off of everyone only to put them all back on again, etc.) it also takes its toll on your nerves! I don't know about you but I hate walking down the airplane aisle with my kids and everyone's eyes narrow and they give you "the look". You know, the one that says, "You brought kids on this flight? They better be quiet and I hope you aren't sitting near me." Its nice to be so welcome :) I always hope to sit by a nice grandma or that rare understanding soul. Most of us have been through this before and have picked up a few tricks and tips, I'm sure. As requested by a good friend, lets try to share what we know so that this travel season can go that much smoother for everyone.

My tips:

• Make sure your kids aren't too hungry or tired. This is the perfect recipe for motion sickness. And you want to do everything you can to avoid a barfing child on a plane. Always listen if they tell you their tummy hurts. Just get the barf bag ready because you will want to make sure you contain it! (I know this from experience!) 

• It does not hurt to travel with a little roll of those bags you put dirty diapers in. They are good for both dirty diapers and barf.

• Pack what you think are more diapers and wipes than you could ever use and then double that amount. You don't want to run out of either! You never know how long you might have to sit on that tarmac. Once we were delayed so long on the tarmac that Tyson pooped in his diaper three times before the plane even took off!  Ooh, that reminds me-also do the same if you have a baby on formula.You do not want to run out of that stuff on a delayed flight.

• I like to be on the aisle if I can. I hate having to climb over people to take my kids to the bathroom all the time. If someone else is on the aisle you can politely ask if they would like to switch with you because you would hate to disturb them when you and your kids will inevitably be crawling over them several times during the flight.
  

OK, those are a few things that I have learned over the last few years. Please leave a comment and share what you have learned and what works for you!

Water Conservation

I actually wanted to post something about this for a while but I was anxious to get my water bill so I could have some quantifiable results to share. I just got the bill and felt victorious! Here is why:
When I got my first water bill after moving into this house (built in 1985) I cringed-100 bucks for ONE month of water. Ouch. It wasn't just the money that made me unhappy, it was the large quantity of water we had used (or wasted!) Soooo, I consulted my local water authority website and discovered they offer many water conservation services. I drove to their office and they gave me new showerheads, faucet aerators, and water displacement bags for the toilet all for FREE! (The toilet bags go in the tank of the toilet and displace water so less is used every time you flush.) After a month of using the FREE devices, my water bill was....are you ready for this....50 bucks! Cut my water bill in half and used almost half the water.
They also offer $100 rebate for each pre-1992 toilet you replace in your home. Nothing like a free toilet. (depending on what kind of toilet you buy.)
You might want to see what programs your local water authority offers, especially if you live in an older house. Could save you money and water.
Here is a list of water saving tips.  Here is how to test if you have any water leaks. And if you have nothing to do you can go Here to play the game that teaches you about saving water.Have fun with it :)
Next to tackle-the electricity bill!

Thanksgiving? Already?

Is anyone out there like me and cannot even believe Thanksgiving is next week?! Ahh! It seems like Halloween was yesterday.  I used to think Thanksgiving was my favorite holiday when my mom cooked the meal. Just lots of food and lazing around. What could be better? Of course, only now do I realize how hard my poor mom worked. Now that I'm too far from my family and I make the meal, I still love Thanksgiving but in a totally different way. I love the challenge of roasting the perfect bird and making the mashed potatoes creamy. I will admit, I do get into it. Anyway, if you've never made the turkey before or if you want to try a new recipe, here is the one I use. Its Martha Stewart's Perfect Roast Turkey and its never failed me. And maybe instead of opening a can of cranberry sauce you could try this cranberry chutney recipe. I made it last year and it was yummy. Too bad I still don't know how to make gravy! Do you have any Thanksgiving recipes you can't live without?

Reading to the Kids

Sometimes I get tired of reading the same books to my kids at night. And I can't believe how many books we bring home from the library are just awful to read and not written well (in my opinion). Just because it rhymes and has a bunny for a main character doesn't make it a good book!
Do you have children's book favorites that I can look for next time I go to the library?

Baby Whine or Baby Sign?

I just got a question from my sister, Amy, about her little girl (16 months, I believe)
"Right now Natalie only knows a few words but she wants to say so much more. She is always crying at me for things but I know she would not if she could ask me for them. I know this is the perfect time to teach her just a little sign language. How do you go about doing this and what few would you recommend."
I took a baby sign class a few years ago and used it with both my children and found it EXTREMELY useful. Here are a few tips I learned from my class:

• Just start out with a few signs at first. Try the words that might interest your child the most and that you will run across frequently. I always started with milk, eat, and more.  But if your child LOVES dogs or crackers or candy or anything else you could start with one of those.(Be sure not to introduce more than a few until they grasp the idea. Don't overwhelm them!)
• Make sure to do the sign right in front of your own face. That is where they will be looking. If you do it down or off to the side they might not notice it as much.
  
• ALWAYS emphasize the spoken word as you sign. Even when they use the sign a lot, you must always say the word aloud. (This reinforces the word and will help them learn to speak it as well. If you do not say the word aloud as you sign, they might not learn how to say the word.)
  
• Don't give up. It takes a while for them to get the concept and it might seem very tedious, but be persistent! (Unless, of course, they learn to say the word. Then you can move on.)
• You can start signing to them as early as you want. In my class they said start at about six months but I got a little bored of it when I was teaching my first because it was a long time before he could sign back. I started a little later on my second child. They also said some kids as young as 8 or 9 months learn to make some signs themselves but I never had any luck until they were closer to a year. You can start when they are a little older too and can already say some words. It will expand their vocab until they are ready to verbalize the words. 
• Watch their hands closely. Sometimes their sign won't look exactly like your sign, but they still might be trying to reproduce it.
  

I know some people worry that teaching babies to sign delays their speech but I don't think this is the case. We all teach our children how to wave good-bye and the still learn to say the word. We shake our head yes and no and they learn those words as well. As long as you emphasize the word as you sign it, I don't think they will have any trouble.
As far as learning the signs here are some places you can look:

• Books, books and books. If you don't want to buy them go to the library. This is a great, free option!
• YouTube has some great videos.
• I have flashcards from Sign Babies that I really like.
• Signing Time makes some baby sign videos but they are a bit spendy. (Again check to see what your library has.)
• Here is a chart online that I found.

Any questions? Did I leave out anything really important? Anyone have any experiences with baby sign that they would like to share? 
Good luck!

Shopping Rules

 Linsy left this as a comment and I think it deserves its own post. If you are lucky enough to know her, you know she always looks great. Thank you Linsy!!!

"I consider myself a bit of a professional shopper and I pride myself on finding excellent clothing for excellent deals. Here are my rules for purchasing clothes:
1
If you don’t love it, don’t buy it. You may like something, but if its not true love, its not worth the investment (no matter how cheap). Why? Because we choose clothes to make us feel fabulous, confident, unique, comfortable – to make us feel our best selves. If you love something, you will feel all these things when you wear it. If you don’t love it, you may wear it for a bit, but chances are it will end up on a hanger toward the back of your closet, never seeing the light of day.   
2
In choosing clothes, personal style is more important than trends. Defining your own personal style is key. What do you love? Vintage. Edgy. Classic. Sporty. Preppy. Natural. Bling. Polished. Bohemian. Sleek. There are endless style mantras, go with what you are drawn too. This does not mean you need to stay within a defined genre. Experiment, go for trends, mix it up – but in the process, always be true to yourself.
3
The next key ingredient is fit. Is it flattering to your body type? If no, don’t get it. (A word on skinny jeans and leggings. I agree with a prior post that they are often very unflattering. However, if worn correctly, very cute. Make sure to pair with flats or boots (not sneakers, loafers, other casual shoes. Also, if you are pear shaped at all, wear with a long shirt.))
4
After fit, consider fabric quality and color. Do you like the feel of the fabric? Does it drape well on your body? Does it require ironing (I personally do not purchase clothing that needs to be ironed because I won’t do it – therefore, I won’t ever end up wearing it.)
5
Make an investment in good jeans and a nice jacket.
6
I purchase high quality clothes on sale. Always hit the sale rack first and find pieces that meet your criteria. If you love something that is full price, inquire when it will go on sale and follow up. Never sacrifice quality.
7
My favorite stores: JCrew, Nordstrom Rack, Target. That said, I have found pieces all over – from GAP to Saturday’s Markets. Do not be limited by brand – limit your purchases according to what you love.
8
Consider your life, daily activities and purchase accordingly. As a mom, comfort has moved up on my list. If I can’t run in it, bend down in it modestly, or expose it to spit-up – then it doesn’t make the cut. At various stages of life we are at various places on the form vs. function continuum. Examine where you are and purchase accordingly.
9
Keep it simple. Don’t overwhelm yourself with endless choices. A few well-made, well fitting, fabulous pieces are much better than several so-so average ones.

10

Accessorize.

11

Have fun and enjoy fashion. Magnify your own personal groove!"

Fashion Follow Up

 Just as a follow up to Cassie's question in the last post:
I found this blog that I thought is really fun-Sensibly Styled.Check it out for ideas. (If you know of any other sites like this, please share!)
And Cassie, if I were you I would try to arrange to go shopping without the kids.  You might also want to bring a friend with you-someone whose style you admire. Its always nice to have another opinion. :)