Aug 28, 2015 | Staying Organized with Babies & Kids
At Baby Smiles Labels, we know how stressful parenting can be. The sleepless nights, endless activities, mini (and not so mini) meltdowns, and parade of play dates can make any parent feel tired, stressed, and burned out. While we can’t promise that parenting will ever be easy, better organization can help in dealing with the demands of parenting. For this blog, we’re going to detail five tips that can make being a parent just a little bit easier.
- 1. Keep the Doors Clear: The entryways to your home are a huge part of how long things take. Try to keep your doorways as smooth and efficient as possible – keep a clean rack or shelf unit for shoes, a key bowl, and low hanging hooks for your child’s backpacks and jackets.
- 2. Keep a Cheat-Sheet: This one is easy to make and can be a great help. Make a laminated cheat sheet with important info like doctor’s numbers, Mom & Dad’s contact info, neighbors’ contact info, allergy information, and emergency numbers for police and fire. This can be a big help to you or a sitter when it’s needed.
- 3. Stock Your Car: The family car can be our best friend or our worst enemy – while we all love day trips, those long car rides can make for some unhappy children. To counteract this, try to keep a supply of snacks, games, coloring books, and other distractions for your kids on long rides.
- 4. Prepare for your Morning at Night: We all know how rushed a morning can be, so help take the load off by making any necessary preparations the before you go to bed. Lay out backpacks, assemble tomorrow’s school lunches, and prepare anything else that will help make getting out the door tomorrow smooth and easy.
- 5. Don’t Do It All Yourself: Although it’s less true when they’re young, your kids are capable of more than you think. Make things easier on yourself by giving them age-appropriate chores. This will take a load off of you and help teach them responsibility – you can even reward them with a small allowance for doing an extra good job!
- 6. Label It All: Finally, don’t forget your labels! Household, waterproof, and clothing labels make it easy to keep track of odds and ends and find out whom it belongs to. This can be a big help with siblings or during play dates.
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Have more questions about parenting or keeping organized? We’re here to help. Feel free to reach out to us at our contact page with any questions, and don’t forget to check back to this blog periodically for more tips and updates on all things parenting. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Aug 28, 2015 | Staying Organized with Babies & Kids
At Baby Smiles Labels, we want to every part of being a parent easier. And while a lot of that has to do with making it easier to organize and keep track of your child’s precious belongings, sometimes we get to do the really fun stuff – like designing a nursery! For this blog, we’re going to talk about five great theme ideas for your child’s nursery.
Vintage Vibes
You can truly never go wrong with the classics. Using muted tones of white, cream, and very pale colors combined with antique, wooden furniture can lend a soft, comforting, and inviting air to your child’s room.
Modern Style
Who said your baby couldn’t have a little sophistication? Soft modern elements can take a beautiful nursery and bring it into the 21st century. Children love stimulation, so don’t be afraid of contrasting dark and white colors and big, bold lines and shapes. If you live in a city, for example, why not paint the city skyline onto your wall? This will keep your child’s dreams trained on the horizon for the rest of their lives!
Keeping it Natural
Another favorite everywhere, a nature-themed nursery is a great way to instill a child with a love for the outdoors. Pastel images of trees, plants, and wildlife can create fun, familiar faces for your child – and don’t be afraid to get a little whimsical with them, too!
To Infinity & Beyond!
This is a classic for boys, but we’re firm believers that girls will love this too! While you may or may not opt for a specifically Buzz Lightyear-themed look, the motif of science, space, and even aliens can be a great one for a baby’s room. After all, who wouldn’t want to grow up under images of our magnificent cosmos?
Writing on the Walls
This is less a theme in its own right than it is a concept that you can make use of, but writing or drawing on the walls can be whimsical and adorable. Why not a full-sized mural of your child’s favorite bedtime story, or a favorite quote from Dr. Seuss? This can lend a nice touch to any nursery.
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And of course, don’t forget to label all of your child’s favorite toys in the nursery! Take a look at our full line of household and waterproof labels, and feel free to reach out to us at our contact page with any questions you have. We look forward to hearing from you, and we’ll see you back at this blog for more tips on making all aspects of parenting a little bit easier.
Jul 20, 2015 | Staying Organized with Babies & Kids
At Baby Smiles Labels, we’re always looking for ways to make every aspect of parenting a little easier on you. And while our waterproof labels are a great way to keep track of things, there’s much more to parenting than looking after sippy-cups. For this blog, we’re going to talk about an important and often-overlooked aspect of caring for children – managing allergies, and why watching out for allergic symptoms getting your child tested for them can be such a crucial step.
More Than Just the Sniffles
Allergies are, at their core, an overreaction of the immune system to foreign irritants (called allergens) – anything from peanuts to pet dander. They’re extremely common, and it’s estimated that upwards of 50 million Americans, millions of those children, have allergies of some form or another. To most, it’s just a harmless case of hay fever – but for same children, allergies take a much more sinister form.
Allergies happen when the body releases chemicals known as histamines into the bloodstream to “defend” against the allergen. The problem is that often, the histamines cause more problems than the allergens. In extreme reactions, known as anaphylaxis, the release of these chemicals can lead to serious and potentially life-threatening symptoms like difficulty breathing and swallowing.
Thankfully, anaphylaxis is a fairly rare condition, but it’s still important to be careful. Allergies are often hereditary, so if you have a family history of allergies, be especially watchful of your child. If your child gets a “cold” for a week or more around the same time every year, that can be another indicator. If you suspect your child has allergies, you can talk to their doctor and receive a skin test for the allergen, or they can receive a series of blood tests (known as a mini-screen or mini-panel) to check for allergies. For many children this won’t be necessary, but it’s important to know the signs and be mindful of them.
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If you have more questions about allergies or parenting, we’re always here for you. Feel free to reach out to us at our contact page or browse our extensive line of quality, waterproof labels. Don’t forget to check back to this blog periodically for more tips and info on raising children, and we look forward to hearing from you!
Jul 20, 2015 | Staying Organized with Babies & Kids
At Baby Smiles Labels, we want to take some of the stress out of parenting for you. While we hope our labels do that by making it easier to keep track of all your child’s beloved possessions, we know there’s so much more that you have to deal with – and while we can’t fix everything for you, maybe coffee can. For this blog, we’re going to detail three delicious coffee drinks to help you keep up with those energetic kids.
Fuel in a Cup
Here are three drinks that are delicious, easy, and sure to give you the extra push you need to make it ‘til bedtime:
Brazilian Coffee
Start with 1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa, a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of cinnamon, a 14-oz can of condensed milk, 4 and a half cups of water, and one fresh brewed cup of coffee. Add everything but the water and coffee into a saucepan and mix it up, then slowly stir in the coffee and water over medium heat. Be sure not to use too much heat though – you’ll scorch the milk!
Marshmallow Cream Coffee
This one is simple but undeniably delicious. Simply put 1/4 cup of marshmallow cream into your mug, then pour in hot coffee on top. Stir and enjoy!
Pour Over Black Coffee
Reader warning: this one is complicated, but if you’re willing to spend a little more on coffee and you’re looking for the buzz without the calories, this is worth a shot. You’ll need a ceramic coffee dripper (we suggest the Hario v60), unbleached cone coffee filters, a pouring mechanism, and if you really want to do it right, a ceramic burr hand grinder. And, of course, high quality whole bean coffee – preferably roasted within the past two weeks. A lot of specifications, we know, but trust us: this is what coffee is supposed to taste like.
To start, boil more water than you’ll need. While the water heats, grind your coffee beans – you’ll want about a 1:14 ratio of water to coffee by weight. Place your filter into your coffee dripper, wet it with warm water, and add the coffee grounds. Give the water 20 seconds or so off the boil, then pour in enough to saturate the grounds. Wait 30 seconds – this lets the grounds release all the pent up CO2 they’re carrying. Now, slowly pour in your water – pour in just enough at a time to keep the water level just about the grounds. Aim for a brew time of 3-3 ½ minutes. We know it’s complicated, but if you want to really try black coffee, this is the best way.
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Have more questions about coffee, parenting, or keeping your kid’s stuff together? We’re here for you! Feel free to reach out to us at our contact page with any questions, browse our waterproof and clothing labels, or read our testimonials to see what people say about us. Don’t forget to check back to this blog periodically for more helpful tips on living with children!
Jun 23, 2015 | Staying Organized with Babies & Kids
At Baby Smiles Labels, we want to make every aspect of parenting simpler, easier, and more fun for you and your child. Traveling with a toddler can be a hugely frustrating experience, and as much as we may not like it, it’s true – you can’t always hire a sitter. That’s why for this blog, we’re going to look at a few tips that can make traveling with your child a fun, exciting event instead of a traumatic one.
Tips for Traveling with a Child
- Nothing beats a time cushion: What’s the one thing you can take on a trip that will have the biggest positive impact on the health, happiness, and well being of your whole family? No, it’s not a book – it’s time. Kids are naturally inquisitive and not wild about the tight schedules of traveling, so planning your trip with as much time cushion as possible can make a big difference in how everyone feels at the end of the day.
- Make them the photographer: This is one of our favorite ideas, as it both pacifies them and encourages their artistic side – give them a durable, child-friendly camera for the trip and let them be your vacation photographer! This will let them explore their surroundings and provide a source of fun for the whole family.
- Label everything: Nothing can kill the mood of a trip like losing a favorite toy, gadget, or suitcase, so be sure to label all of your belongings! A rugged, durable label can help items get returned to you and can solidify your claim at lost and found, so be sure to stick a personalized label on all of your possessions – include your name and phone number so people know how to give it back to you.
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Have more questions about traveling with kids or making your own personalized, durable labels? We’re here for you! Feel free to reach out to us at our contact page or browse our full lines of waterproof labels, clothing labels, or bag tags to prepare for your next trip. Don’t forget to check back to this blog periodically for more tips on raising kids, and until next time, happy traveling!
