The bug that we’ve had since right after Thanksgiving shall be henceforth referred to as “the plague.” This thing has knocked us all for a loop and just when the little one was better, the plague reared its ugly head and she ended up with croup. I decided finally to take her to the doctor and she also had an ear infection which she neither complained about nor seemed bothered by despite the fact that the doctor said it was pretty bad. We’re also getting our comeuppance for complaining about our hot dry summer as we’ve been met with a cold and wet winter. I guess what I’m trying to say is that my running took a hit this week. All of my efforts have been focused on staying warm and well. Same with the wee one. So you get another gift idea post, this time focused on warmth and wellness.

Dreamland

Who doesn’t love a cozy warm bed? Yes, polar bears probably don’t but don’t be fooled by their cuteness, they are evil. Small children, they are cute and less evil so they love a cozy warm bed. These fuzzy crib sheets are so snugglerific I wish I had them for my bed.

Once my daughter outgrew swaddling as a tiny babe, I started using sleep sacks. I used a thin cotton one in the summer and heavier fleece ones for the winter. She’s pretty much outgrowing the largest traditional sleep sacks but still doesn’t consistently keep a blanket on so I was looking for a toddler version. The Blankeaze was the answer to a few problems because around the time I was on my search, my daughter started taking off her clothes and diaper at nap time. The Blankeaze sleep sack is better for mobile toddlers because instead of a traditional sleep sack design, it has legs and it’s good for nudist toddlers because it zips up the back. Even my little MacGyver can’t get out of this one!

I love Carter’s pajamas, there’s an outlet near us so I can usually score them for about $8 a pair. This year I got a few pairs of the fleece pajamas and they are great. They are soft and warm and super cute and my mom said they’ve had them recently at Costco too.

Out and about

Have you picked up on my soft and fleecy theme yet? As a child I anything scratchy drove me crazy so wool was out. I am probably projecting my issues onto my daughter but I really want her to have comfortable clothes. This pullover from Lands End is perfect, it’s super soft and warm and comes in some pretty great colors. And it’s only $11.99, heck of a deal!

This song for your holiday mix is something that reminds me of my family’s Christmas a few years ago. My brother suggested we make this “the best Christmas ever!” said in the spirit and tone of a “very special episode” of Full House or some other such show. We declared nearly everything to be a Christmas miracle right up to the point where my brother’s dog pooped on the kitchen floor. At that point my husband said “well, this holiday’s shot, let’s just try to have the best New Year’s ever.” In truth our Christmas is always good and it’s fun to be with my family and hey, presents are even better. So it seems funny to choose That Was the Worst Christmas Ever as a favorite song, but Sufjan Stevens has such a cool haunting voice, I just love it.

My big December running challenge plan has gotten sidelined by crummy weather and some bug that’s continuously circulating amongst our family unit. Just when you feel like you’re over the worst of it, the kid wakes up with a croupy cough. So we’ll shift gears instead. How about a gift list for the wee ones? Here are a few of our favorite things. I saw a blogger suggest that instead of going crazy for gifts for the kids (too late on this front) instead you get them 4 things: something they need, something they want, something to wear, and something to read. Here’s a suggestion in each category:

Need

The Sonicare for kids. Yes, $70 is pricey for a kids’ toothbrush but this thing has completely changed teeth brushing in our house. This is the before scenario: I’d ask the child to brush her teeth. She would run away, throw the toothbrush in the toilet or bathtub, and then I’d end up holding her down and doing it. On the few occasions she’d comply I’d have to finish up anyway because from what I am told, a child licking toddler toothpaste off a hello kitty toothbrush is not the pinnacle of dental hygiene. Now, I just ask her to brush her teeth and all she has to do is put the toothbrush in her mouth in the vicinity of her teeth. The brush has a little melody it plays every 30 seconds to prompt the child to move the toothbrush to a different area of their mouth and it automatically shuts off after two minutes. The $8 for brush refills is well worth the fights we avoid every day.

Want

If your child is like every single kid on the planet they want toys. I was reading a parenting book recently and the author (a child psychologist) said that many of today’s toys are created for a single purpose and that’s why kids get bored with them so quickly. We have several electronic things that are interesting for about 5 minutes and then she’s done. Toys that have an imagination element are far more interesting for kids. Like blocks. My daughter got these Haba blocks when she was a baby and she still plays with them two years later. If you have a little one or there’s one on your list, these are a great toy.

Wear

How about a cupcake shirt? Who doesn’t love a cupcake shirt? Terrorists yes, but they are evil, the rest of us, we love cupcakes. Boden has this shirt and so many other cute ones. We love their clothes, they are good quality and hold up well, definitely worth the price. Though I only buy when there’s a sale.

Read

Last year my step-father gave my daughter a book called In the Town all Year Round. This is a physically large book filled with intricate illustrations. It’s different parts of the town in each of the four seasons and it follows the same people throughout the year. It’s a great book because it can do so many things, my daughter will sit alone and look at all the pictures and when we read it together we talk about all the things we see. It’s interesting to see the things that my daughter notices and I don’t. It’s a great book for a toddler with emerging verbal skills. We love the book my daughter calls “the big book that papa gave me.”

Hannukkah starts tomorrow so here’s a little Peter, Paul, and Mary Hanukkah song for your holiday running mix.

I read a review of a leadership book recently about women in business and one of the things the book noted was that in the business world men are better than women at networking for the purpose of mutually beneficial relationships. Women tend more to develop personal relationships and are more hesitant to develop a relationship simply for the “you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours” aspect. But I think it’s precisely the way that women network that’s made online networks such a great resource for so many women. When I was struggling through infertility and didn’t know anyone in real life who was going through the same thing, I found online networks of women who were. I read their stories and gained hope and educated myself. Now that I’m a mother, I’ve found that establishing real life bonds with other mothers is a huge support but so is the online community of mothers as well. How else would I have learned that the way to deal with my toddler taking off her diaper at nap time was a few strips of handy duct tape to make the diaper impenetrable to tiny fingers?

Online resources are huge for me. From coming up with new and creative food choices for the child that defies the “feed kids a variety of healthy foods and they won’t be picky” theorem to finding a toddler friendly craft studio nearby, I’m able to find creative solutions to my mom challenges just about daily. So it’s exciting that my hometown has launched a mom focused online community called Momaha. Though I’ve been gone from Omaha for over three years, it’s still home. I’m excited to have a resource for kid stuff for our visits to the grandparents, though the kid is quite happy with Meme and Papa’s unfettered access to candy and television entertainment plan, it’s always nice to leave the house occasionally and interact with individuals of the non-animated variety.

For any of you Omaha based moms out there, check out Momaha. And for all moms, what are your favorite mom focused online resources?

For your holiday running mix, something from my brother’s friends, Eux Autres. But it’s not just because they are my brother’s friends. They are cool and talented on so many levels and Nick looks like Paul McCartney circa US invasion.