Ours and Em's Teething Favorites

Right now Baby E is teething like crazy. It hasn't been as rough as people have told us; but it's been hard. There again is parenting ever easy? For example, a lot of people kept telling us that she'll be staying up all night, crying all day, never eating, etc. Honestly, we're still sleeping at our normal times and some days we're fussy and others we're not. But hey, who isn't? I know I can be a grump some days.

Anyways, here are some of Baby E's favorite items while we enjoy this momentous time waiting for the arrival of her teeth :).

Orajel Swabs, Mam Mini Cooler & Clip, Nuby IcyBite Hard/Soft Keys

Sassy Firefly Teethers

Of course, she also enjoys chewing on her fingers and ours, as well as chewing on her bibs, and a washcloth. She's not to keen on the whole frozen washcloth, but she does like to chew on a wet one. So, she mainly gets that at bath time.  

What are your babies favorite teething items?

Baby E is GROWING Up--- We're Pulling Out All the Stops

I decided to change over my previous blog to this blog. You can still find me over at twodaisiesandanelephant.blogspot.com. However, most of my blog posts from there will be transferred over to this one. So, at times you may see the "twodaisiesandanelephant" logo going across many of the photos. No worries, it is me. I promise.

Well, over the past few weeks Baby E has COMPLETELY found the cabinet doors. She doesn't pull anything out, but she does LOVE to open and close them.

So, after I fixed the door (I seriously couldn't stand looking at a crooked door any longer)... I pulled my husband in to help me put the safety latches on. I marked where they were to go and he drilled.

It took us about an hour. Mostly because we were also entertaining a 10 month old at the same time with silly dances. We couldn't resist.

Here's the beginning with the sticky tape holding it up.

Here's the end result. 

I will say that these things are awesome! Baby E doesn't play with the cabinets as much since she can't fully open them. However, it does pull out a few dammit moments. I FORGET EVERY TIME!!! Seriously, I go to open the door and it automatically shuts. Great for babies, horrible for adults ;).

Simple Homemade Sugar Scrub

As everyone's birthdays begin to pile up and holidays are just around the corner, sometimes we just can't afford the greatest things in the world. With that, I decided that it would be a good idea to try and make a sugar scrub. These were for my mama, my brothers girlfriend, and my mother in law. They honestly didn't take long to make and everyone seemed to like them... at least that's what they all said. 

Here's what I did ~

I grabbed a package of mini mason jars at Target. They were absolutely adorable!!

                                  

I then walked around the house grabbing quite a few of body washes that had been given to me, but never used. To be honest, some of them smelled way to strong to me... but, I knew a few people would enjoy them. 

After grabbing a few, I also grabbed a bowl, some sugar, and baby oil. I then started adding everything into the bowl. I used about a half a cup of sugar and a few drops of the baby oil. Then grabbed one of the body washes and added a little under a 1/4 of a cup. 

                               

Once all of the ingredients were in the bowl, I grabbed a spoon and stirred the mixture together. 

                                  

As everything was mixed together, I grabbed the adorable little mason jars and scooped the mixture into them. 

                        

After that, I put the tops on them and labeled each of them with type of body wash that I used. 

                         

It really was the simplest of gifts to make. As I said it took barely any time to make it... maybe 30 minutes. 

Not Your Traditional Trashcan

My husband and I never really bought our daughter a trashcan. We honestly couldn't fathom the idea of buying a nearly $30 trashcan and then buy the trash bag replacements for them. This was mostly because baby E HATES being wet. The moment she pees is the moment we have to change her. Yet, unless we smelled it or listened to her grunt we would never know she pooped. She's such an unusual child.

Anyways, last year my husband brought home boxes full of stuff from around his work. The place he works at throws a lot of stuff out and he'll sometimes bring it home. However, one day in the box full of stuff that he brought home was a little green bucket. Seriously, there was nothing wrong with it; they only threw it out because it had been used as a display... such a waste!

This little green bucket had been sitting in my husbands truck for some unknown reason... I have no clue why he put it there after he brought it home, maybe he was going to put his junk of a trunk in there or it was supposed to go into our storage unit. Who knows. Well, as we were both cleaning out our vehicles he pulled it out and it was moved inside to our kitchen floor... just sitting there.

So, while I was cleaning up the other day I stood there and stared at the bucket then of course walked away. Not to long after that I had to change baby E and as we walked to the kitchen to throw her diaper away... it clicked! I could use the little green bucket for her trash can. All I needed to do was clean it up a bit (I mean it had been sitting in my husbands truck... not so lovely) and then use the plastic bags that we constantly had left over from our shopping trips for her trash bags. Completely easy and I didn't have to pay a thing.

The Bag Needs A Container

I decided to change over my previous blog to this blog. You can still find me over a at twodaisiesandanelephant.blogspot.com. However, most of my blog posts from there will be transferred over to this one. So, at times you may see the "twodaisiesandanelephant" logo going across many of the photos. No worries, it is me. I promise.

Okay, so we all have it. That moment when you open up the doors underneath the sink and every bag falls out. Of course, you may have a few words come out and then shove them back in. Talking about how you'll find something to put those bags in, then of course you never do it. Getting more and more frustrated each time. Of course, that's my husband and I.

So....

One day after perusing Pinterest, I found an easy way to kind of maintain the bags and store them in other places. You know, where they're actually needed but aren't really there. This way you don't have to walk everywhere just to grab a bag.

So, like I said while I was perusing I found this awesome way to reuse a Lysol/Clorox/Store Brand/Whatever You Use Container into a plastic bag holder.

It didn't require shoving bags into a jumbled up mess. It's so neatly organized. It's awesome.

I clicked on the picture and found this adorable little website called Infarrantly Creativewith detailed directions on how to complete this.

I grabbed all my grocery bags and threw them into the laundry hamper.

I then picked through each. Throwing away any that had random holes in it. I then flattened out the good ones on the table.

Once flattened, I would fold them in half. Smoothing them out and placing them to the side. I did this about 14 times.

 

As I finished that, I laid each on top of the end of the next one. Making a little train.

I then tightly rolled them together, pushing any air out as I went.

Grabbed my Lysol Container and placed the bags into it. With the tail sticking out.

 

Taking the tail, I pushed it through the opening of the top of the container. Sealing it.

I did leave the outside blank. This one just hangs out next to my daughters trash can. You can't see it. So it's all good.

Oh and let me just say, this has become ridiculously hand when it comes to replacing the trash bags in Baby E's trash can. Just pull, replace, and go.

Em's 6 Month Favorites

Baby E has seriously grown up! I cannot believe that she's 7 month's old now, time has seriously flown by. It feels like just yesterday we were in the hospital waiting for our turn for a c-section. Anyways, Baby E still plays quite a bit with her toys from months prior, but these items have started really stick when it comes to play time. We've even ventured into play with items around the home... you know paper (LOVES PAPER), crinkly bags (she's supervised... no worries), the dogs (poor things).... however, here are a few things that she's really started to enjoy. 

   

Cosco Beep Beep Walker, Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Remote, Fisher Price Lil' Laugh and Learn Jumperoo

I think the thing she enjoys the most besides these toys is just being outdoors in her exersaucer. We have one specifically for when we go out and she loves to play in it out in the shade. It just seems to make her day when we're able to go out and play. 

Does your 6 month old have any favorite toys or activities? Share below we'd love to hear!

Our Bath Time Favorites - For those First Few Months

When our daughter was born we were not able to give her a traditional bath for several months. For the first couple of months every other night we would give her a sponge bath over the sink. Mostly because she had a cast on one of her legs and it was easier to wash her body avoiding the cast then wrap her up to wash her hair. All over the kitchen sink.

Now, when she finally got her cast off we were able to give her a bath in her baby tub. And of course we made this into a huge bath party. My husband and I went out and bought her a new towel (we didn't have the hooded towels at that point) and a few bath toys.

After everything our little girl ABSOLUTELY loves bath time now and at times we can't even get her out of the tub without a little fuss.

So, with that here are our favorite bath items:

 

Johnson's Head To Toe Baby Wash, Munchkin Squirtin' Lake Buddies, First Years Tub, Circo Towel, Owl Scrubbie and Washcloths, Circo Washcloths

We also use the little brush that was given to us from the hospital when we wash her hair and an old cup to rinse her off. We've been looking into a faucet cover since she's become such a mover and always wants to try and stand when we're washing her. I just haven't decided on whether or not I'd like the Munchkin Elephant Spout or the Puj Elephant Spout. 

What are your bath time favorites?