Beautiful Blankets

Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Monday, May 24, 2010

One of the most practical (but also exceptionally lovely) gifts I’ve received for sweet baby Isabel is a set of muslin blankets.

The swaddle wraps, given to me by my sister-in-law, are from a company called Aden+Anais. They are light-weight but a generous size—they swaddle well and keep the baby warm and nicely covered without being too heavy. Perfect for babies born this time of year!

I realize the... READ MORE 

Temperatures Rising

Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Wednesday, November 18, 2009

I hope everyone in your household is healthy right now, but if they aren’t here’s a little product I want to share with you:

The Vicks SpeedRead Thermometer. A friend of mine mentioned (with glee) that she had recently discovered this thermometer and it was amazing because a) it was FAST! and b) it lit up in corresponding colors: red = hot, green = not.

I had been using a very old thermometer that took sooooo long to read a temp. The next morning, when two of my boys woke up with fevers, I decided to treat myself to this thermometer. I am so glad I did. Now I’m taking everyone’s temps left and right—it’s so fast, even two-year-old Henry can tolerate an under-the-tongue reading.

Two words: I recommend!

We Dig It!

Posted by Rachel Balducci in Reviews on Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Henry got this very cute truck for his birthday this summer, and when we were out playing in the yard today I thought “I need to tell somebody how great this thing is!”

Dear reader, this thing is great!

The toy is called the Sprig Toys Hollow DuneBug’s Sand Truck Playset. It’s touted as being green and environmentally friendly and that is wonderful. But what attracted me to this gem is that it’s more than just a truck—it’s a shovel, rake, and bucket too! These pieces all come together to form the truck and can easily transform from one thing into the others.

I recommend putting this on your favorite toddler’s Christmas list. Two thumbs up!

Tote Couture

Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Thursday, June 18, 2009

For years, I would eye longingly those classic tote bags when my L.L. Bean catalog came in the mail. I’d give long and serious thought to buying one, and for whatever reason I never did. I’d notice people who had the totes, note that the bag seemed useful and classic—and then promptly do nothing about getting one.

What put a stop to this behavior was my frustration with having a whole host of other... READ MORE 

A Sweet Treat

Posted by Rachel Balducci in Reviews on Sunday, March 15, 2009

At the bookstore recently, I came across this book by one of my favorite children’s authors, Margaret Wise Brown.

I’m sure you’ve heard of Ms. Brown’s most famous offering, Goodnight Moon. Like mothers the world over, I can recite that one by heart. This book, Bunny’s Noisy Book, I had never heard of. I picked it up to add to Henry’s Easter basket, but ended up reading it to him one recent afternoon.

How delightful!  Bunny’s Noisy Book is perfect for the child who is beginning to mimic sounds and gestures. It offers opportunities to get baby to “sneeze” and “yawn” and make sweet little animal sounds. My older boys especially love watching the baby get so excited.

I highly recommend you pick this up for all the sweet little babies in your world. I’m so glad I stumbled upon it.

Popcorn!

Posted by Rachel Balducci in Reviews on Monday, August 25, 2008

A few months ago, I noticed two things – one, that microwavable popcorn was always on my grocery list, and two, that microwavable popcorn isn’t cheap.

So I started doing a little research and decided we’d start popping corn on our own. I was so pleased to buy the five-dollar bag of kernels that I was confident I’d left the world of nuked popcorn behind. We would now have unlimited bowls of popcorn,... READ MORE 

Safe Sippies

Posted by Rachel Balducci in Reviews on Friday, July 11, 2008

Have you gotten caught up in the latest BPA/leaching frenzy? I kind of did—meaning, I did not get rid of all my plastic, but I did seize the opportunity to try something new.

The truth is, I was in the market for a new sippy cup. The news about moving away from certain kinds of plastics came right around the time I was moving Henry towards drinking out of a cup. I did some research and asked friends... READ MORE 

Found: The Perfect Shoe

Posted by Rachel Balducci in Reviews on Monday, June 30, 2008

I’d like to give a brief shout-out to the much-appreciated birthday gift my husband got me this year – a pair of these amazing shoes: Chacos sandals!

I know, I know. Can shoes really be that amazing? Yes, they CAN.

I love these shoes for a variety of reasons, but since I’m guessing a good number of you may already have a glazed over look from these first few sentences, I’ll keep this brief.

Here goes:... READ MORE 

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