Tiffany95's Profile

One follow-up to my post on the Aerobed for kids- it does come with the fleece cover. We do use that, but as a bottom layer (prevents the kinda-sqeaky sound from the vinyl) and put a set of regular sheets on top. He sleeps sounder without getting sweaty from the fleece, and is sleeping on sheets just like at home (albeit we have "special" sheets for the "fun travel bed"). It also takes up very little room overall- obviously easier to carry in the car, but we just took a larger suitcase when we flew to grandma's and put the whole shebang in the suitcase along with his clothes.

We actually went ahead a bought a toddler bed- a very nice one for under 150$ for our son when he was around 3, after several attempts to climb out of the crib. Not because he didn't want to sleep in the crib, but because he wanted to get something (dropped car...) The difference is we actually found a toddler bed that has a low rail ALL THE WAY AROUND- just what he wanted. Even at 3, he was still sleeping all smushed into the corner of his crib, because he likes being right against the rail. When we went to the store to decide on beds, this is the one he loved. And it's fine- considering he was in the crib till 3, he'll be in this until we move again right before he turns 6. As for space- he's fine (even though he's actually very tall). The biggest consideration is HOW your child sleeps- my son loves to be surrounded- he wanted the rails all around and sleeps comfortably that way. Just putting a small temporary rail on a big bed was not the answer. This was. While I wouldn't spend 500 on a toddler bed, what we spent was fine, considering we hadn't bought a super-expensive crib, either.

Hi there- lived in Japan 3 times already- and my son was born there! We're back in the States now, but a few more ideas-
I completely agree with "Don't bring the big Graco stroller". Japan does not have an equivalent of the ADA- there are very few (or NO) elevators in train stations, and local stations usually don't even have an escalator- I had a small Combi that tri-folded and had a sling over the shoulder. The Maclaren Volo is another good, reasonably priced choice for a lightweight stroller. Personally, if your 3 year old is a pretty good walker, just don't take one. Take a good carrier for the baby- that's what the Japanese use.
Japan is VERY expensive. So while I highly recommend being judicious in your parking, take what you think you'll need (non-disposable of course). Disposable items like diapers, wipes, etc, just buy there- it's first world country, you'll be able to get whatever you need and it's not worth the bulk packing it.
Food- unless your little one is already acquainted with sushi, maybe not the best time to introduce it. Rice is great, they have chicken, pork, and plenty of other great things that he should eat without any problems.
Grocery stores are usually more expensive than local shops- the Japanese still primary buy the fruits and veggies at the produce stand, their fish at the fish stand, bread at the bakery, etc. Speaking of bakery- best place in Japan to grab a quick meal. Everything from bread to pastry to hot dog type things in bread (again, winner for small children).
I totally agree with the sturdy good walking shoes. Unless you're from Manhattan, you're probably not used to just how much walking you will do- make sure they're comfortable! Including your 3 year old- cheap Target shoes may not make all the walking :)
And remember, the Japanese are incredibly polite, many speak English (especially in the Tokyo area), and love children. Terrible generalization here, but for those of us living there, it was pretty much commonly accepted that if you stood in the middle of the train station looking utterly lost someone (or many someones) would try to help you. And if you drop your wallet, your biggest danger is being tackled by someone trying to return it.
So enjoy your trip, and get out and sightsee- I loved living there!

Anyone who thinks wall decals are "over" obviously never moves. If you have to move, nothing beats decals- way more affordable than fancy art your kid will outgrow (or hate) in a few years anyway, and you're not out a ton of money in 2 years when you get transferred and peel/paint over what's on the wall (as opposed to an expensive mural!). And some of the Etsy artists are making truly cool decals.

Pretty organic- we buy almost all organic produce and milk, most meats, and don't really eat much in the way of packaged foods. However, I think that good ol' Dr Greene's experiment is pretty darn unrealistic for those of us living in the real world. If I had a few million bucks and lived in a big city (where frankly a lot more is available than here in Omaha, Nebraska- decent size city, not very "green") then sure I'd like to be all-organic too. The best we can do is be as organic as possible within our budgets and the "reasonable" factor (there is a Whole Foods in town- almost 45 minutes from where I live. There are many many good grocery stores 5-10 minutes from where I live with a pretty good selection of organic food. Why waste a tank of gas driving across town so I can buy just a few more organic items? Tradeoff doesn't work).

I love the rice idea! Especially good for where I live (Omaha in winter gets loooong). And we use only Crayola color wonder markers in the house- crayons are for outside! That way my 2.5 year old son can color all he wants and I don't have to worry at all- I LOVE color wonder!

Dr. Bronner's BabyMild soap for bathtime, Method Baby lotion and diaper cream (not quite out of pull-ups yet, so once in while we need it...), Crest kids toothpaste. Oh, and a package of Cars band-aids and Johnson & Johnson's First Aid cream for the inevitable skinned knees and banged fingers (son is two and half- lots of these going on...)

If the eggs aren't cooked, this doesn't seem like a great idea. Regular buttercream doesn't risk salmonella...

Re. the round shapes of modern pyrex containers- I've recently bought some vintage ones from the 50s that are nice and square or rectangular on ebay. Price really isn't much more than new ones, and they're actually cooler (red, blue, yellow). They also have glass lids (again, no plastic), and because they're pretty much rectangular they store in the fridge a lot easier, and since they're glass I don't worry about putting still-hot food in them. The throwaway plastic containers folks are using should be checked for their recycling codes if they're using them for foods for kids- even the FDA is acknowledging that maybe BPA wasn't such a great idea (Canada is way ahead of us on this one).

For years growing up my mom made me the doll cake. And you know, I did appreciate it even then... my mom didn't really love cooking (unlike me), and since she worked full-time as a teacher, didn't spend much of her time baking, either. But she did make that cake for me, every year, for years. And you know, I still love it! Thanks mom!