Tofu is an Awesome Snack Food

My two toddlers don't like meat very much so in order to get them more protein in their diet I tried tofu. EXTRA FIRM is the best choice as just firm is still quite silken and they may not like that.
You take the tofu and just cut it up into sugar cube size squares and you have a healthy and pretty clean snack. It isn't greasy or smelly so baby can play with it and eat it and you have minimal clean up. my kids loved it when they were babies and they still do. It is alway great to find a healthy finger food.
Another example of a reason to add tofu to your baby's diet. Maybe you have a baby who just eats and eats....... this gives him more food and it is quality food and it will free up your hands for at least 10 minutes.
Babies and toddlers will eat it cold or warm and plain.
If your baby already eats tofu great and if you have never tried to give it to them I highly recommend it, they will love it.
("EXTRA" FIRM)

Breaking the Bottle

My baby was just about 2 1/2 when we decided it was finally time to take the bottles away. We started thinking about it when she turned two and then always thought of reasons to put it off. For example she was sick, it was Christmas, or we were putting her in her toddler bed. When we finally took the plunge we were really nervous because she was so attached to them and felt it would really be hard. She had no other security item.

Well, we used bottles with liners so our approach was I told my daughter when this batch of liners was gone "they" were going to take the bottles away for babies who needed them. So as we went through them I counted them down and kept telling her how many we had and about how many days they should last. Finally it was the last one, I said this is the last bottle liner, tomorrow the bottle will be gone and we will get you a special cup that you can use all the time.

When my daughter woke up she went an hr. or more after breakfast and then said, "I want my special cup." Normally by this time she was moaning for her second bottle. She did ask for a bottle at nap time and I showed her the place they were and it was empty. I talked to her at nap time and she went to sleep just fine. That evening my daughter told her daddy, "They took the bottles away and now I have a cup." She had a couple of times at night she needed a sippy cup of milk to go to sleep but that wore off really fast. That sippy was just not the same thing.

She knew where they were kept so I really think talking to her and telling her they were going to be gone soon and then telling her they were going to be gone the next day and showing her that they were gone helped her prepare and then deal with the loss.

If you are about to go through "breaking the bottle" with your little one it won't be as hard as you think for either of you.

Remove the Ball Point Pen Ink from the Furniture

Okay, this is a tip I have experience with. .

I took a moment to type an email and turned away from my daughter who was two at the time. Apparently she retrieved a pen from the table and quietly started her artwork. It didn't take long before I thought, it is too quiet. I turned to see what she was up to and the crème brule colored, micro fiber glider ottoman was covered with pretty hard ball point pen scribbles.

It stayed there for a month or more before I tried to clean it because I didn't want to mess it up any worse.

Anyway, I was chatting with some ladies one day and mentioned it while talking about our kids. One woman said, "aerosol hairspray." Aerosol hairspray should lift it out. Okay I thought it sounded familiar so I couldn't wait to get to work on it.

That evening I gathered my hairspray up and put together a Tupperware with a cup of warm water and a couple tablespoons of laundry soap (liquid all), a dry rag and a trash toothbrush. Then I did my test spot. Sprayed the ink with the hairspray and let it sit a minute dabbed at it and nothing. (Frown) Then I took the toothbrush and kind of used it sideways to lift as I brushed and it seemed to come out pretty easily (on the spot with the hairspray) The I tried to do the toothbrush soap and water to the non-hairspray ink, and no go! The hairspray actually made it easier to get it up but didn't get it up by itself.
It really had a lot of ink on it. It was a little more concentrated where there was, like a tuck in the fabric. Well, I thought I would never get it out and the ottoman turned out to look cleaner that when I started. It is important to then wipe down the entire piece so you do not get water spots and always start out small to really get a feel for how to do it.

So when my daughter, same one, @ 2 1/2 took to the same ottoman and the chair cushion with a pink scented marker I was upset but I knew I could take care of it. You would never know the chair has been through so much.

Hope this one helps.



AK