greendragonflytx's Profile

I'm six foot, my hubby is 6' 2"... We bought a hand made cedar rocker from a local artisan in Alabama. It's a bit like the rockers at Cracker Barrel... If you're interested, I could give you his contact info. Anyways, it's taller than most, which is why we loved it so much, and only $150. My MIL made cushions to go on it, too.

That said, I rarely used it in the baby room until after she turned one - to put her to bed with. I rarely used it to nurse in because her bedroom was boring to be in ALL DAY LONG. I nursed in our recliner in the living room with the pretty TV. :)

So, maybe you don't "need" a rocker in the baby room until later on... I love my cedar chair but just didn't use it as much as I thought I would.

I'm sorry - but has the sin tax on cigarettes and alcohol actually resulted in any reduction in consumption of these items? Most likely not - if I want a beer, it's just part of what I have to pay. And, where does the tax money go from these sin taxes...?

If we create a sin tax on junk food, the affect will most likely be the same. Addictions (and junk food is both an addiction and a cultural behavior) are not resolved by making them more expensive!

If the government was serious about getting all people to eat more healthfully, they would have made school lunches more nutritious a long time ago. Kids learn at school as much as a home on food choices - and yet school lunches have been a dumping ground for government surplus garbage for years.

I have intercystial cystitus... a lovely bladder disease that requires low acid foods. (Fortunately, I have a very mild version of this.) Cold brew coffee is the only version of coffee that I can have ... and I'm excited to learn how to make the cold brew, tea, too!

My 3 year old is not a good napper... but would frequently fall asleep in the car on the way home from the grocery store. I rarely was able to move her from the car seat to the recliner (gotta learn to pick those battles) where she normally naps... And yet, more than once, I was able to move her asleep from the car to the shopping cart at Walmart. She would stay asleep laying sideways in the cart, using my purse as a pillow, the entire time. But wouldn't do the same at home. Got lots of laughs at the store and a frustrated mama at home!

I love my Serif! If I have to buy software, it is less than $100 and very easy to use. And, they have a downloadable version for us netbook users. That said, before Serif, I loved picnik and tell non-techy friends about it all of the time.

I've tried to take our Bob on hiking trails... and it really didn't do so well. Jogging on rough roads, not smooth walking trails... LOVE it. Hiking trails? The back pack is a much better option, especially if you kid isn't super big. My 3 year old is at the 90th percentile and so wouldn't so so well... or should I say, I wouldn't do so well. But, places like REI have some really great kid carrying back packs that make it feel like your just carrying a normal pack (OK, one that kicks and puts cracker crumbs in your hair) - that would be what I would do. Ergo is more for around the house stuff... not the trail.

A friend of mine was living in Japan and sent me 2 of these a few years ago... It's cute and I'm saving them for when my 3 year old heads to school in a few years. for now, while it would be fun, I don't want to get it where I HAVE to do it just to get her to eat an egg. Special treat is one thing, every day...well, personally she'll either eat or starve and ...

Do you know a new mom? Ask her what she got that wasn't on her registry but that she totally loved. It's a good way to find out something useful that the new parents might not have thought of. After all, as first time parents, we all have a lot to learn and don't know what we really need/want until after the fact!

My favorites... a small hand knit blanket that fit nicely over the car seat and sleeping infant. She still uses it 3 years later, for herself and her dolls. LOVE it.

What I didn't like was the 3 sets of Beatrice Potter dishes from both of the grandparents. I know that they were both of ours as kids, but what use does an infant or toddler have of them? Eventually, I will sell them and use the money for college.

Books are OK (I know, bucking the trend), but infants dont' need books! And, I've never looked at my childhood books - I'm not sure that they even survived all 3 of us kids. Maybe in a year or two books as gifts would be nice... A nice CD of bed time music though...

My favorite idea is a gift certificate to Etsy. Let the mom pick out something fabulous and handmade and that fits her tastes. There's also lots of vintage artwork on Etsy for kids rooms - so you can do art and vintage at the same time.

Another great gift would be a year of weekly house cleaning by a service... (or a few months or even just once!), homemade meals, gift certificate for organic babyfood, diaper service, anything that can help give the new parents a break. No matter their financial status, leaving the little one will still be hard and they're going to be exhausted!

Really, heirlooms are just stuff that you have to keep. I will keep a few things from my daughter's early years, but a silver cup or spoon or anything else that can't be USED is pointless to me. Etsy and other new moms are your best bet for an off registry and welcomed gift.

OK, so I have a girl, but I agree with teaching them to use any potty no matter where we are. When I'm in Target, I don't want to have to run out to the car to do something that can be done in the public restroom. I'm working on getting her to use a regular seat, no training seat, but for now, I carry a ring seat in the diaper bag... Yes, it's resulted in a few tears in public bathrooms as she's learned to get over the fear of doing what needs to be done in a potty that is not "hers" - but it's one of those life skills that must be learned! And, the earlier she figures it out, the easier my life, and hers, will be. Kids are capable of far more than we give them credit for - they all can and will figure this out.

Hello helicopter parenting...