Learning Spanish with Speekee TV

In this week’s baby bargainista column, Jenny shares her daughters’ experience with Speekee TV, an online Spanish-language learning program. Bargainista was approached by Speekee founder, Jim Porter, who offered us a free two-month trial.

Young kids are hungry for language acquisition. My 2-year-old is constantly pointing at objects and asking “what’s that?” and my 6-year-old has been asking for the French and Spanish words for things since she found out that I studied both languages in high school (more years ago than I care to count, but I still retain some key nouns and verbs).

Learning Spanish with Speekee TV, a series of online webisodes with optional accompanying worksheets and parent study guides, seemed like a great opportunity for me to give both girls some extra language exposure. It’s a deceptively simple setup: you log onto their website with a username and password, then view each webisode as often as you like. They’re short – about 10 minutes – and feature Speekee, a friendly purple puppet host, as well as a number of children engaged in interacting with their environment. Each webisode centers on one activity – a trip to the park, a visit to a café – and the accompanying vocabulary. The webisode dialogue is entirely in Spanish, with English and Spanish subtitles.

After a few days of watching one Speekee webisode a day, I asked my 6-year-old what she thought of the program.

“Really cool,” was the verdict, “but a little confusing. I think they should say the word in English, too.” She’s not the fastest reader, and she often found it hard to keep up with reading the subtitles to connect the Spanish words she heard spoken with the corresponding words in English.

That said, through repetition (several of the webisodes repeat key phrases such as “hello”, “how are you,” “my name is”), she has picked up some vocabulary already, and is keen to learn more!

An unexpected result was how engaged my 2-year-old was in the webisodes. She doesn’t usually sit still long enough to watch TV or online shows, but she was rapt whenever Speekee or his puppet friends were on the screen, and after one webisode she took to shouting “Hola!” (Hello!) at anyone who comes to the door!

If you’re looking for something akin to an educational TV show to teach your kids Spanish, I would recommend Speekee – with the caveat that older kids or faster readers will get the most from it. However, even youngsters as little as my toddler can absorb the simple language lessons Speekee offers!

Speekee TV offers a free two-week trial. You can also connect with Speekee on Twitter and Facebook.

Related articles by Zemanta

• baby bargainista addresses recent product recalls
• Mabel’s Labels give new meaning to lifesavers
  
• Jenny's family visits Great Wolf Lodge
  

Bargainista and friends’ holiday wish list

Behind the scenes a team of us have been busy discussing ways we can improve Bargainista in 2011, especially returning to more frequent blog posts. Have you noticed we’ve been having a busy December? We’d like to kick things off by asking some regular contributors and friends of Bargainista to share one gift she wants most this season. As for me, Hanukkah is over and I’m not expecting any gifts unless I buy them for myself but I’m going to play along.

Eden Spodek
Yes, you already know I’m a bit of an Apple fan girl and not having an iPad – touted one of the biggest game changers not only in 2010 but for years to come – seems peculiar to many of my friends and family. But money doesn’t grow on trees and you can’t have everything. I love jewelry and other pretty things but I’m also practical and a bit of a geek so yes, if I was writing a letter to Santa, an iPad would be top of my list. If you’re wondering which app I’d download first, that’s easy: Flipboard, hands down!

Rebecca Atkinson
Living in New Brunswick, I really thought that in December my biggest concerns would be snow, but apparently Mother Nature has other plans this year. With seven inches of rain falling in 24 hours (yes seven inches), the one thing I really want for Christmas this year is rather low-tech. All I want is a good raincoat. Having to walk a dog, batten the hatches during rainstorms and run to and from the car to daycare or the house – makes one see umbrellas and down-filled jackets just aren’t quite cut out for that kind of task or weather. Since we are dealing with a flooded basement, I know I won't be spending this kind of money for an occasional rain jacket anytime soon, so if the Hydroil 3 from Mountain Equipment Co-op ended up under my tree, I’d be pretty happy. Plus it comes in all kinds of fun non-yellow colours.

Jenny Bullough
I am an ebook addict. I never go anywhere without either my Kindle, my Kobo, or my Sony – sometimes all three in case the battery fails! Oh, and I also have an iPad, which does other things although I primarily use it for reading books. While I am fully on board the ebook technology train, so help me I still like the feeling of opening a cover on something rather than just picking up a tablet, and my devices need protection from the sticky, curious fingers of my 2-year-old; so Incase Convertible Book Jacket for iPad is right up my alley!

Connie Crosby
It’s a little crazy, but the thing I want the most for Christmas is a Kobo wifi ereader from Chapters•Indigo (in mauve, please!). I am feeling a bit spoiled already because I am reading ebooks on the Kobo app with my iPad which was also a gift, but I have a vacation in the sun coming up in the new year and we all know you can't read the iPad screen in the sun. I use my iPad already a lot in my work, and I like the idea of having a separate device for vacation to make it easy to carry a selection of guilty pleasure reads. Plus, since I fell in love with ebooks, I have already spent money on a number which I hope to share them friends and family. What better way than to just lend out my Kobo?

Kathryn Lagden
All I want for Christmas is an Electrolux 36" Dual-Fuel Free Standing Range. Look at the SIX burners on this baby! With one of these ensconced in my kitchen I could make a roast, boil two pots of veggies, make a gravy, simmer apples for my toddler, fry up some potatoes, and have room to spare in case a friend dropped in and I needed to heat up milk for hot chocolate. OK, perhaps a slight exaggeration, but my current stove is so old that it does not have a light in the oven and regardless of where I put the dial it only really has two settings that – on and off. In fact, when a part broke I had to call four repair companies to find someone who had even heard of it!

So I would be delighted to find this shiny new beauty under the tree on Christmas morning. Although, to be honest, finding it already installed in the kitchen would earn Santa a double serving of shortbread and milk!

Michelle Tampoya

What I want for Christmas? A pair of Frye boots – in particular, the Veronica Slouch boots in dark brown size 8! Pre-baby and pre-mortgage days, I would of had this in an instant. But the days of throwing down green for yet another pair of brown boots just isn’t within financial scope. Although, I could argue that all of my brown boots have heels making is particularly difficult to walk during 3 degree weather when ice may be possible. I could also argue that I can’t really “dress-down” my current brown boots, meaning that I don’t make good use of my casual brown jackets. Come to think of it, there are more reasons why I should have the boots than not...hmmm.

What’s on your holiday wish list this year?

Related articles

• Bargainista kicks off the holiday shopping season!
• Hanukkah miracles do happen
• Escape the Mall Challenge (for charity) - part 1

Bargainista holiday shopping guide – part 2: school-agers

The first part of Bargainista’s holiday shopping guide focused on teenagers and this installment by Jenny looks at those just a few years younger.

If you have a school-aged child, niece, or nephew, you probably already have some idea of what to get for them – or who to ask. But what to get for the school-ager on your list who you don’t know well? They may be a far-flung relative, or the child of a friend or neighbor, or a friend of your child’s – or perhaps you want to donate a suitable gift to a toy drive and are not sure what kids of this age would like.

Clothes are practical, but boring; and, books, electronic games and DVDs depend a lot on personal taste, their parents’ approval, and what they already might own.

As the parent of a young school-ager (she just finished her first term of grade 1) and aunt of many older kids under 13, I can tell you that what their parents will most appreciate is anything that can fire the imagination and keep them busy at the same time. If it engages their brains and gives me a few minutes of peace, I’m in!

1. DIY kits: There are tonne of cool do-it-yourself kits for the budding scientist at stores like Mastermind. Motion detectors, FM radios, robot bugs!

2. Crafts: Likewise, there are a tonne of crafty things available at most toy stores, like doll-making kits, beading sets, and more. My favorites are the more open-ended kits that include a few wooden items and some paints, or piece of ready-to-frame board with glue and pieces of felt, that really let a kid’s imagination take over.

3. Art Supplies: Most open-ended of all is art supplies! Any art or stationary store will have sketchbooks and colored paper, and most toy stores will have washable markers and colored pencils (very important for the younger kids still working on their fine motor control). Stores like DeSerre have a wide-range of art supplies and craft kits you may not find elsewhere. They also have instructions for lots of age-appropriate crafts on their website.

What’s your favorite way to keep kids busy, or the best gift that keeps them occupied for long periods time?

Related articles

• Bargainista holiday shopping guide - part 1: teens
  
• Bargainista kicks off the holiday shopping season!
  
• Help spread the joy with Magic Santa and you may win a Disney vacation
  

Bargainista holiday shopping guide – part 1: teens

As part of Bargainista’s holiday features this year baby bargainista columnists Jenny and Rebecca are bringing you a three-part holiday shopping guide for the kids (teens, school-aged and toddlers) in your life.

I know, they’re not babies anymore so technically not the right age range for a baby bargainista post! But for anyone who has a teen on their gift list, it can be hard to know what to get for them – especially if they’re not close relatives, but are instead the son or daughter of a friend, or a distant family member. Teens are also the most-often requested group for charity toy drives like Toy Mountain, CP24/Chum Christmas Wish, The Toronto FireFigthers Toy Drive or other ones in your community.

It’s easy enough to buy a stuffed animal or doll or noisy truck for young kids – chances are they’ll like it; but it can be a struggle to come up with a suitable gift for a teenager you don’t know well (or don’t know at all, in the case of donated gifts). The most coveted items seem likely to be expensive electronics.

So, how do you stick to a budget and still give that teen something they’ll be happy with? By giving them the gift of choice!

1. Cash. It seems impersonal, but to a teen whose only spending money may be allowance or earnings from a part-time job, a little extra cash to spend on something – or to add to their savings – can mean a lot. If you're sending gifts in the mail and don't want to send actual cash, you could try pre-paid credit cards.

2. Gift cards. If you can find out their favorite store, clothing or activity, this gives the teen the option of choosing something they really like, or putting the card amount towards a bigger purchase (like electronics). Some of those giant gift card displays even have amounts that can be put towards fun outings, spa days or entertainment packages.

3. iTunes credits. Like a gift card for music, but without the CDs (does anyone under 25 even own CDs anymore?).

4. Movie passes. Whether it’s just the cost of admission, or package covering refreshments as well, this can offer the teen on a budget the gift of a night out with friends.

Something that teenagers crave is independence and all of the above give them the ability to choose how and when they’ll use your generous gift.

Do you have any go-to gifts for the teens on your list?

Related articles

• Bargainista kicks off the holiday shopping season!
  
• Online shopping keeps getting better
• Indigo unveils new website for the holidays
  

Turn old clothes into new cash all year round

In this week’s baby bargainista column, Jenny shares how she turned her daughters’ outgrown clothing and toys into cash – and how you can too.

For a change, instead of writing about getting bargains, I’m writing about giving bargains – selling your pre-loved baby clothes and toys.

Even though I hunt out sales and used clothes whenever possible, when you add it all up I’ve spent quite a bit on clothes for Girl #1 over the last 5 years – and she’s also been gifted with many adorable outfits that were barely worn as she grew quickly into the school-ager she is today. I happily passed many of these on to #2, and now SHE’S growing out of them!

With no future babymaking plans, and no family or friends expecting in the near future, I decided it was time for these togs to find a new home – and figured I might get back a little bit of what I’ve spent while I’m at it!

When looking to sell clothes that are in good condition, you can’t go wrong with Once Upon a Child. I’ve bought many items there over the years and have raved about them in the past – and I’m happy to report that the process of selling clothes and toys to them is easy, painless, and simple. Just bring your items to the store at any time; their staff will comb through them and offer you a fair price (usually $4 for name-brand clothes, $10 and up for large toys such as bouncers) on the spot.

A few tips to keep in mind before you go:
1. If you bring a lot of items, it can take the staff up to an hour to go through them – so you might want to plan to drop off your things, go for coffee, then come back (or risk spending your time shopping in their store as I did, and end up spending as much as you made from selling!)

2. They won’t accept toys without batteries or clothes that haven’t been washed – so come prepared; do any pressing or mending beforehand.

3. They have a very high standard so you may end up taking more items back home with you than you planned. I ended up bringing home a few items that I had thought were in pristine condition – until the staff pointed out faint stains or small tears. Oops!

4. For best results, call ahead to find out what sizes and seasons they’re buying; you might get a better price if the item you’re looking to sell is in demand, or about to be (for example, August is the best time to sell back-to-school stuff like jeans, jackets, and boots).

Related articles by Zemanta

• baby bargainista addresses recent product recalls
• Mabel’s Labels give new meaning to lifesavers
  
• Jenny's family visits Great Wolf Lodge
  

Cheap and cheerful sundresses for little ones

In this baby bargainista post, Jenny shares tips for buying sundresses for little girls.

With the hot weather comes my annual search for inexpensive,
yet pretty summer sundresses for our girls. Our oldest is 5 and is deeply into wearing dresses – the frillier, the better – but they don’t always stand up well to her active, still rough-and-tumble lifestyle.

For special occasions, I splurged on a couple of beautiful dresses from Happy Wear. I love their cheerful, colorful designs and the dresses are very well-constructed in such a way that they can be easily adjusted to fit as your child grows through the season, with double-snaps at the shoulders and drawstring waists. Best of all, they are durable, and I’ve bought from them every year so I have a growing collection ready to pass along to Daughter #2! (As I tell my husband, it’s not really splurging, it’s an investment!)

But these gorgeous dresses likely wouldn’t survive a kindergarten birthday party unstained, so I also visited our local Winners and picked up a couple of marked-down frilly dresses. They’re fancy enough to keep Daughter #1 happy, but at $15-20, they’re cheap enough that I won’t mind the occasional cupcake stain.

And for school and active summer holidays, I always swear by Joe Fresh and H&M. Very simple, light cotton dresses can be found for $6-$12 at either store, and their A-line construction, while not fancy or fitted, is perfect for staying comfy and cool on hot summer days.
Top 3 tips:
1. At Joe Fresh and at Winners, stock moves quickly, so when you see something in the right size, buy it – it might not be there next week!
2. If you’re not sure about size with Joe Fresh, because they’re located in the supermarket it’s often easier to buy a couple of sizes and try them on the kids at home, then return them during your next grocery run (rather than try to wrangle cranky kids plus a full shopping cart into the fitting room!).

3. At H&M, lines at the checkout can often stretch around the store. Bring a friend to wait in line while you browse, or better yet, if the line is more than 6 people long, do a little browsing for yourself – you might find that the line has shrunk significantly when you are done (and you might discover a few bargains for yourself!).

Related articles by Zemanta

• I won't accept money for writing reviews. Period.
• baby bargainista interviews Belinda from the MOM Sale
• Jean Yee visits The Clothing Show
  

Teaching children to give back

In this week’s baby bargainista column, Jenny talks about teaching her daughter to help give back to less fortunate children.

Along with holiday-related stress, the onset of the holiday season always brings thoughts of those less fortunate than ourselves. This year we decided our 5-year-old is old enough to understand the plight of the needy, in the simplest terms of course, and to join the family in giving back to the community through support of a charity.

For the past couple of years we’ve encouraged her to go through her toy collection and fill a bin with items that are still in good condition which she no longer wants or plays with, to donate to Goodwill. (As a bonus, this helps us to clear some space in our house for the new gifts Santa is bound to bring!)

This year, we started giving her a small allowance, and with a little help with the math she determined how much to set aside each week for spending, saving, and “sharing” or charity. This week we took the total “sharing” amount to the local toy store and she chose a new, unwrapped toy to give to a toy drive that the store supports.

She really seemed to enjoy the experience of picking out a toy for another child, and to understand for the first time the value of giving and helping others. Now we’re wondering how we can expand on this next year!

How do you encourage your kids to give back to the community during the holidays? At what age do you think it’s appropriate for them to volunteer their time as well as their cash?

Related articles by Zemanta

• Jenny's family visits Great Wolf Lodge
  
• Christmas in August aka Disney Interactive's Family Fun Event
  

Jenny’s family visits Great Wolf Lodge

In this week’s baby bargainista column, Jenny shares her family’s mini-getaway experience (and great tips) at a nearby resort.

With fall upon us and summer vacation just a distant memory, my husband and I were feeling a little cabin fever and decided it was time to take the family on another “staycation.”

We decided on Great Wolf Lodge, an “indoor water park resort,” because our 5-year-old adores swimming, it’s less than a 2-hour drive (the maximum nap time our 10-month-old will sleep), and we figured if the water park got boring we could visit any of the other great attractions in the Niagara Falls area.

We needn’t have worried. We ended up spending all day, every day in the water park, except for meals and sleeping! Unlimited access to the water park is included in your stay, which is just one of the pros of staying at this family-friendly resort.

Pros
• At check-in you’re given a wristband, which functions as both the key to your room, and a charge card (only adults can charge) – infinitely convenient, as you don’t have to worry about misplacing your key or cash while in the water park, and even our 5-year-old soon became adept at scanning the band to get into our room.

• Every night at 8 p.m. there’s story time in the lobby – arrive early for this don’t-miss event to see the lobby floor packed with kids, and enjoy the theatrics from the live storyteller! (The picture above is taken during Saturday night story time)

• Towels are provided in the water park – they’re a bit small, but at least you don’t need to lug wet towels back to your room.

• The water park features lots of different pools and many sizes of waterslides for all ages, from tot to adult. Our 5-year-old enjoyed the slides in the tot pool and our 10-month-old was delighted with the waves in the wave pool.

• There’s both a snack bar, and a licensed bar in the water park for when you inevitably get peckish.

• There’s an arcade, too, which keeps older kids entertained after the water park closes in the evening.

Cons
• The single in-house restaurant’s dinner buffet is quite carb-heavy, with barely a cooked vegetable in sight, and costly for its limited selection (although kids 3 and under eat free with an adult dinner).

• Although the water park is staffed with lifeguards, there is limited actual supervision – it’s not a daycare centre, after all; you’ll want to keep a close eye on young ones.

• Lineups for the bigger waterslides can be longer than expected, especially on busy Saturdays. Expect to wait 10 minutes or more.

Tips:
• Save money by bringing your own food for breakfast and lunch – every room has a fridge and microwave and you can easily make a “picnic” meal in the galley kitchen.

• Bring more than one swimsuit so you don’t have to put on a wet bathing suit after lunch.

• Bring a robe, cover-up, or an extra-large t-shirt; and, crocs or shower shoes for walking back and forth to your room. The hallways feel chilly after the warmth of the water park!

• Hit the water park early – at or close to opening at 9 a.m. daily – to secure a table near the pool your kids are likely to use most, so you can supervise while seated.

• If you can, get a room on the first floor, the same level as the water park, for ease of travelling back and forth to your room.

We had a fantastic time and would definitely go back!

Bibs and burpers

In this week’s baby bargainista column, Jenny tells us what Toronto Girl Geek Dinners has to do with bibs and burps. Read on...

As a parent, I love sharing information with other moms and dads. Some of my best intel on bargains and useful items has come through the parenting grapevine, from chatting with other parents at playdates, birthday parties, and so on; and I enjoy passing along any tips that I can, through this blog for example! I’m also continually amazed at how solutions to parenting problems can find us in the least likely places.

I was chatting with Sarah Welsh of Nova Web Designs at a recent Toronto Girl Geek Dinner, and somehow we got on the topic of how difficult it can be to source exactly what you’re looking for when it comes to kids and babies. In particular I bemoaned my total inability to find either decent burp cloths (those handy pieces of fabric that go over your shoulder when burping baby, to save your clothing from the inevitable spit-up) or no-velcro bibs (the velcro scratches my baby’s neck, making her cranky and irritated).

Happily, Sarah had a solution! In her web design business she is working on a website for Stork Approved, a line of bibs, blankets and burp cloths currently available through Etsy. She offered me a couple of samples as the maker was looking for testers to put the product through its paces and report on quality and performance.

I used both a bib (pictured) and a burp cloth with our baby for several weeks, and fell in love with both of them! Both have a lovely fun pattern (helpful for masking stains) and a terrycloth backing for extra absorbency. After multiple uses, I can report that both the bib and burper are so solidly made as to be virtually impermeable – not once did any liquid, food, or spit-up stain baby’s clothes when using the bib, or mine when using the burp cloth. Both have become my new favorite items, especially the burp cloth, which is kept right by the nursing chair as I use it many times a day!

It all goes to show, you never know where you’ll come across a useful tip or connection that makes your parenting job easier!

What solutions or tips have you come across from unexpected sources?

Jenny’s top 5 mom must-haves

In this week’s baby bargainista column, Jenny shares her secret must-have list for making life with your baby easier.

A good friend of mine [ed. note: mine too!] had a baby recently and today was our first opportunity to get together so I could congratulate her in person and meet the little guy. (He is, of course, tiny, perfect, and adorable!) As we strolled along with our little ones we happened to pass by a local toy store, Treasure Island Toys, and stopped to check out the baby section. I suddenly found myself pressing numerous items into her hands, waxing rhapsodic about the baby products and accessories I’ve found most useful – even essential!

So I thought I’d share my favorites with you! Without further ado, here are my Top 5 Must-Haves for Moms:

1. Kushies wet bags
Ever found yourself in possession of a used diaper with no garbage can in sight, or soiled or wet baby clothes with nowhere to put them until you get home? These colorfully patterned drawstring bags will let you store the offending item(s) until you can deal with or dispose of them. I’ve even used them to tote a sopping wet bathing suit and towel back from the local splash pool, without a single leak.

2. Bebe Au Lait nursing cover
I’ve blogged in this space before about my love for these beautifully patterned, chic nursing covers. I carry one with me everywhere!

3. Ju Ju Be diaper wallet
Perfect for when you just want to carry a few essentials on a short trip, these purse-sized diaper wallets come in a variety of sizes and fun and funky patterns, and will fit a couple of diapers and a mini-pack of wipes. I love throwing one into one of my larger purses or totes, when I don’t want to carry a whole day’s worth of supplies or be weighed down by a diaper bag.

4. Sassy links
If you only buy one toy for your infant, make it these simple interlocking links. These colorful things have kept both my girls rapt attention during long car trips, waits in the pediatrician’s office, jaunts to the grocery store… and as they grow you can use them to attach larger toys and teethers to the stroller so they don’t hit the ground when they’re dropped.

5. Heinz Baby Basics Sticky Fingers disposable wipes
I don’t often use disposable face wipes – at home I find a wet facecloth works best – but when dining out with an infant who’s just learning how to handle purees or finger foods, sometimes disposables are a necessity. Of the ones I’ve tried I like these the best. Alcohol-free, they have a fruity scent (as opposed to the vaguely medicinal scent of other disposable face wipes), which means a lot less squirming and turning away when I’m trying to clean food off of baby’s face and fingers after a public meal. (Heinz is retooling their website so a link is unavailable – but they can be purchased at most grocery stores.)

What are your must-haves?

The Bargainista team is growing again...

One of the most rewarding things about having a blog is you! You make Bargainista the community that it is today.

When I first started blogging, three years ago this month, I wondered if anyone would care what I had to say. Then some friends started reading Bargainista and leaving comments. It was the motivation I needed to keep going. Soon people I hadn’t met in real life started leaving comments, subscribing to the feed or the email updates. The community started to grow.

Now almost 700 posts and three years later, we’ve had several guest blog posts and a regular column – baby bargainista – written primarily by Jenny and Rebecca, who have been doing an awesome job.

One community member in particular made herself known to me. She first came on my radar when she started leaving comments and won a giveaway soon after. We started emailing a bit and her warm, enthusiastic personality came through.

Contrary to what many people think about bloggers and their communities, many of us do meet in real life. Last June at the ChickAdvisor Recessionista Shop Crawl, we met in person. Sumaya was as sweet in real life as she was online. We introduced ourselves to each other and she gave me a warm hug.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. I was spending more time responding to emails from companies or people representing their clients than I was actually researching and writing new posts. From speaking with some of you in person, I knew many of you were wondering what happened to the volume and type of posts you used to read here. Ideas of enhancements were swirling in my head but with a full-time job and family, there was only so much time I could spend on the blog. Something had to change.

Perhaps a virtual assistant would be the answer. Only problem was, how could I justify paying an assistant when I’m not earning money from Bargainista? Even if I decided to try incorporating advertising or sponsorship to try and pay for a virtual assistant, it would take time – time that I didn’t have.

Fortunately, about a week later, Sumaya emailed me and told me she was pursuing a career in public relations – I had no idea – and she asked if I would introduce her to the principals of her favourite PR agency. I did. And then the wheels started turning.

Wouldn’t it make the most sense to create a position for a member of the community? Would she be interested in working together to create an internship/editorial assistant role whereby in exchange, she’d receive mentoring from me and the occasional product sent Bargainista’s way? So I asked her and she said “yes”!

I’m thrilled that Sumaya has agreed to join the team. Already she has done a great job of organizing Bargainista’s inbox. She’ll be helping me respond to some of the email requests I receive, post local event notices and perhaps some product reviews as a guest blogger.

Please help me welcome Sumaya to the team and stay tuned for my interview with her in an upcoming post.

Baby-friendly sightseeing in Toronto

In this week’s baby bargainista column, Jenny shares her summer staycation experience and tips for venturing out with your little ones this summer.

This summer, instead of attempting to navigate the logistics of travelling with a breastfeeding 6-month-old, we decided to save time, money, and aggravation, have a family staycation and do some sightseeing right here in Toronto.

There are so many things to do, and so many places that we’d been promising ourselves (and our 5-year-old) that we’d visit “soon”! We picked two that are great value for the money (Centreville and Ontario Place) and one VERY touristy spot that was a special request by our 5-year-old: the CN Tower. So this week, I can’t offer you any money-saving tips, but I can help you to save time and aggravation by sharing what I learned.

Our first destination was the CN Tower. If you decide to go with the kids, there are a few VERY important things you should know:

1. Go first thing in the morning, when it opens at 9am, and you won’t have to wait in line. Otherwise, you’re looking at anywhere from a half-hour to a 3-and-a-half hour lineup just to get on the elevator – never fun, even less so when you have little ones in tow!

2. Aside from the main lookout area, the Tower is not stroller-friendly. One has to take narrow stairs down to get to the outdoor lookout and the glass floor, and the Skypod observation deck can only be accessed by narrow stairs from the elevator deck. Bring a carrier or wrap and leave the stroller with security at the bottom.

3. There are no baby-changing tables in the washrooms, and no seating (except in the restaurant), making breastfeeding a challenge. Desperate times call for desperate measures: when our baby got hungry, I copped a squat in a corner of the Skypod, whipped out a blanket to cover up, and commenced the World’s Highest Breastfeeding. Be prepared to do the same if the circumstances demand it!

Our next stop was Centreville. Obviously very kid-friendly (although they really need more washrooms)! Again, a few things to know before you go:

1. Again, go early to avoid lineups at the ferry, and for the rides!

2. The ferry is very stroller-friendly, although you’ll be restricted to the enclosed lower deck; if your older kids want to check out the view from the upper deck, arrange ahead of time which adult will accompany them to avoid holding up the line on the stairs while you discuss the matter!

3. The main ticket/ride pass kiosk is right at the entrance to Centreville, and almost always has a huge lineup. Here’s a little-known tip: the Town Hall Office also sells tickets and ride passes, and the lineup, if any, is MUCH shorter as most people (ie tourists) don’t know about this alternative.

Finally, on day three we hit up Ontario Place. Also very kid-friendly and stroller-friendly! However, they need more and bigger washrooms – I could barely fit our collapsible stroller in to use the baby-changing table. And more seating around the park would be greatly appreciated – I spotted many moms with tiny infants seated here and there on the grass or concrete to feed. Again, a couple of things to know:

1. Wear your bathing suits under your clothes and bring a change of underwear, so that when the kids get hot and tired of going on rides, you don’t have to wait in the lineup for changerooms before the little ones get cooled off in the water park area.

2. When it comes time to change into drier clothes, it’s worth lining up for the only family changing room – the male/female changerooms are crowded, with wet, slippery floors and NO privacy.

What are your best tips on seeing the sights around Toronto and the GTA with kids in tow?

Seasonal sales and sundresses

In this week’s baby bargainista column, Jenny shares her shopping tips for scoring big at seasonal sales while buying sundresses for her pre-schooler.

It’s a cliché, but it’s true – kids grow up quickly, right before your eyes! When the first heat wave of summer arrived I reached into our first-born’s closet for the summer sundresses bought last year, hoping that a few of them might still fit, but it seems Girl #1 has sprouted about a foot in height, almost all of it legs. Even the sundresses bought a size larger at the end-of-season sales last year are no better than tunics now.

So, I headed out to find our beanpole some summer wear. Luckily many stores have already started marking down summer merchandise. I first went to Old Navy and H&M in the Eaton Centre; both had big SALE! signs in the windows and I rejoiced! My procrastination was about to be rewarded.

Old Navy may have had kids’ dresses, but the day I went the children’s section was a mess! Picked over, understocked, and understaffed, with many items misshelved so that it was hard to tell what was on sale and what was not. I couldn’t find anything in my daughter’s size, and when I asked a passing staffer for help, she told me it “wasn’t her section”.

Thoroughly dissatisfied, I headed a few doors down to H&M. There I had the opposite experience: sale racks and individual items were clearly marked, and despite the crowds, when I asked a passing staffer if anything else was marked down she happily directed me to another sale rack hidden in a corner. I found nearly a dozen summer dresses but eventually settled on a half-dozen, including the $10 sale item pictured above.

Bottom line? When shopping seasonal sales, remember to:
1. Ask sales staff if any other merchandise is marked down – sometimes sale items aren’t clearly marked and you might find more bargains

2. Buy up for next year – if you can’t find anything in your kid’s current size, there’s no harm in buying a size or two larger – they’ll grow into it!

Diaper bags: the most important accessory for new moms

In this week’s baby bargainista column, Jenny shares her wisdom about choosing the right diaper bag.

As a new parent, perhaps the most important accessory in your childcare arsenal is one that you will be toting for the better part of the next two years: the diaper bag. Choosing the right diaper bag for your needs is critical. The wrong bag can leave you fumbling, wailing and/or smelly-bottomed baby in hand, for that elusive diaper/wipe/soother/bottle that has slipped to the bottom of a too-large bag or that is lost in one of too many compartments.

Happily, there are a multitude of options available, and diaper bags nowadays can even come in stylish prints or classic leather. I recommend checking out the bags that other parents are toting and asking for their opinion – ideally, ask a friend who’s a parent if you can give theirs a “test drive” by carrying it for them on your next outing together. This will give you a good sense of how awkward or comfortable that particular style is for you, and how easy or hard it is to find what you’re looking for within it.

Personally, I’ve used three diaper bags, each a different brand and style, for the varying needs as my oldest went through different ages and stages.

1. California Innovations makes a sturdy yet lightweight shoulder bag that I’ve used for both my girls in their infant stage. It boasts a multitude of compartments for the multitude of necessities that I won’t go anywhere without in the first year: diapers, bottles, Tempra, gripe water, wipes, extra burp cloths, my breastfeeding cover-up, soothers, and more. There’s even a thermal compartment with an easy-access double zipper that you can stand a large bottle in! Granted, in a stain-resistant solid navy blue it’s not the most trendy – but at this stage that’s not important to me, accessing what I need when I need it is.

2. skiphop makes gorgeous bags in a huge number of stylish prints and solids. I used one when my oldest was a toddler and found that its one big central compartment was perfect for toting toys, books, whatever would keep her amused when in a store, at the doctor’s, in a restaurant. I also liked the smaller side pockets for other necessities like wipes, a couple of diapers, and extra underwear when toilet training, as well as the top zip compartments for my own personal stuff – wallet, keys, etc. Since at this stage the diaper bag became my own de facto purse, I appreciated the wide array of trendy colors available!

3. Finally, during the preschool years, a simple Roots backpack became my mainstay – perfect for hauling toys, books, extra clothes, ballet gear, gymnastics gear, whatever – and best of all, small and lightweight enough for our #1 girl to haul her own stuff for a change!

Green baby bottoms

In this week’s baby bargainista column, Jenny talks about “green” diaper options. Be forewarned, Jenny doesn’t leave much to the imagination this time around.

Like a lot of environmentally conscious parents, I suffer from “diaper guilt” – the knowledge that whether you choose cloth or disposables, the very act of diapering babies increases your carbon footprint exponentially – and I’m always looking for green alternatives that won’t break the bank.

It’s amazing how much has changed in the last four years. Between the birth of our first daughter and our second, the availability of environmentally sound or “green” options in diapering has positively blossomed! Not only are there a greater number of companies offering reusable diaper services across the GTA, but there are also green choices for those of us who occasionally or always depend on disposables.

I recently took advantage of a sale on baby items at Grassroots to try out Seventh Generation disposable diapers. I’d heard good things about them from other moms, and once our youngest was an appropriate size and weight to fit the smallest size I couldn’t wait to try them out.

I love that they are chlorine free, unbleached (after all, do we really need stark-white diapers to know when baby has wet or soiled a diaper?) and hypoallergenic. And perhaps most importantly, they work like a dream!

I’m happy to report that they are just as easy to put on, and equally absorbent as any other disposable we’ve used. Even after a marathon two-hour car trip, there were no leaks; most remarkably, the diaper even withstood our youngest’s most massive BMs (what we playfully call a “blowout”). My single complaint is that the diaper is a little stiff and not as soft as conventional diapers, which might be an issue for babies with sensitive skin.

Best of all, you can now buy them at Loblaws or at Real Canadian Superstores in the organics section, for a price comparable to that of conventional diapers! So you can have the best of both worlds – a clear, green conscience and financial peace of mind. And of course, a baby with a smaller carbon footprint as well as a dry bottom!

Nursing in fashion

In this week’s baby bargainista column, Jenny discusses fashionable dressing for breastfeeding in public.

We’re lucky to live in a day and age when public breastfeeding is both legally protected and generally accepted, eliminating any barriers to this natural act. Any nursing mother can tell you that you quickly get over any lingering sense of modesty or decorum when faced with a hungry, screaming infant in a public space. The real challenge of public breastfeeding is finding a way to incorporate the need to occasionally whip out a boob while maintaining some semblance of a fashionable wardrobe.

Happily, there are more options than ever before. Nursing bras, for example, run the gamut from sports-style elastic to lacy underwire. Maternity stores such as Thyme Maternity and websites such as Milkface offer a variety of nursing shirts designed to make access easy and discreet. In addition to a good nursing bra and a few tops, I personally find the following nursing “accessories” indispensible:

1. A friend gave me the GoGoMama nursing tank and I love it. If you are lucky enough to fit into your pre-pregnancy shirts already and you need a way to cover exposed skin (for warmth or decorum) when necessity dictates that your shirt be lifted up or unbuttoned to nurse, the GoGoMama tank is perfect. The fabric is light yet clingy so that it can be layered under a long-sleeved shirt, t-shirt, or blouse.

2. Another happy evolution is the appearance of fashionably designed nursing covers (or “hooter hiders”) with beautiful patterns. Gone are the days when your only option for covering up baby’s mealtime was a flannel blanket festooned with duckies or bunnies. When I was expecting #2 I spotted a woman breastfeeding in a park café with a gorgeous Bebe Au Lait cover; I asked her where she got it, promptly picked one up for myself and I absolutely adore it. I only wish I had a reasonable excuse for buying a second in another fun, fashionable fabric!

3. In the spring and fall, and even on chilly summer nights, a simple poncho or wrap makes a great, cuddly cover-up while breastfeeding. They’re rarely out of fashion, and if you already have a few in your closet that makes it that much easier to coordinate with your wardrobe. I’ve collected a few over the years, and find that there’s nothing so cosy as snuggling a warm baby underneath like my own little secret!

Do you have a favorite breastfeeding “accessory”?

PR: wait... I: wait... L: wait... LD: wait... I: wait... wait... Rank: wait... Traffic: wait... Price: wait... C: wait...