CraftyRachel's Profile

I second the Duralex suggestion. They're *the* all-purpose glass used in France and at 2.5x the strength of regular glass, they have never broken, in my experience. They come in a variety of sizes and we have been using the 8 3/4-oz size for our 3-year-old. We ordered them on amazon.

The only time we ever take cabs or car services in NYC is for long trips, like to the airport, and that means bringing the Britax Roundabout. I can't imagine needing a cab around the city, with the subway and busses and our own feet. In the nicer weather, we will even forgo the subway and walk as far as Houston Street to Columbus Circle.

Just be sure you have a map if you're not familiar with the streets/distances/subway stations, and a stroller or backpack, and you can avoid the issue all together. That's what we do with our 20-month old.

I second the doorway johnny jump-up suggestion. That was really entertaining to our son, and crazy compact!

Reading many of the comments, I am reminded that "1-bedroom" doesn't mean much. It's all about square footage. We lived in 350 square feet until our son was 9 months old. Had we had the good fortune to find and afford something closer to 800 square feet in our beloved old neighborhood, we wouldn't have moved to our modest-sized (2 beds, 1200 sq ft) house up the Hudson.

We still follow our small-space habits, though: everything in its place, dresser-as-changing-table, small wooden highchair that isn't an eyesore, no huge plastic playhouses in the yard, and a daily walk to the park for swings, slides, and neighborhood socializing.

The iPad isn't a phone, and as it is out now is connected via wireless internet - it is not a transmitting device at all. More in the computer or TV category (which comes with different risks).

After seeing this video and app my husband downloaded it and our 18-month-old is surprisingly adept as well! It'll be great for plane trips. Now back outside to the nice weather!

We actually used a dogbed (brand new of course!) and several pillows to create our floor play space. It's perfect for snuggly reading and also fun for our toddler to stack the pillows and throw them around.

Oh my gosh, hilarious! My granny made one of these for me when I was a baby and we found it when we were going through family baby stuff to use for my own baby (now toddler). We love it in all its owl-decorated kitchiness, but I haven't actually tried to use it on a real baby. It has always seemed like it wasn't too useful, as it holds the baby to the back of the chair and doesn't elevate him, which is the real advantage of a highchair.

Editing questions aside, the actual content of the article could be very valuable for a handy parent or grandparent with the space to tackle this. It could be useful for years of shared cooking and baking experiences. Thanks to Kate for sharing with us!

I love this idea! The style of photo and card layout are perfect.

I've been doing something similar (although not to replace a thank-you card) by taking a photo of my son in an outfit or playing with a toy that someone gave him and then immediately e-mailing it to the giver. I use an iPhone, but I'm sure this would work with any camera phone. I also think it adds a personal touch to show people that their gift was appreciated and actually enjoyed too!

We live in a 2nd floor walk-up and did a lot of stroller research before our baby was born last September. We wanted a rugged stroller à la Uppa Baby/Bugaboo/Quinny, and ended up with the Bugaboo because it is still the lightest-weight stroller (by 3 lb ) that also met our other criteria (front and back facing, big wheels, etc.)

Nevertheless, I still carry the baby up and down in a front pack and take the stroller separately (or use the Maclaren Volo when I'm alone and won't be out for a really long walk).

I was told that the Stokke is specifically designed to bump easily up and down stairs, although the official word is you are not supposed to do that with the baby in the stroller. In general, the big wheels of any of these strollers should help you up a few stairs.

Thanks for your nice comments!