Friends and readers,
As you've likely noticed, a good deal of what I do over here is talk about things and products that I like and that I find helpful. Usually these are baby/child related items, but not always. More than once, you've probably also heard (read) me singing my praises of Amazon. This is a genuine affinity for the site, but it turns out there's also a way for me to get some perks for that. God bless America.
For a short trial period, I've signed up to become an Amazon Associate. Any time a blog reader ("you") buys anything on Amazon via a link from this blog, the blogess ("I") get a (very small) percentage cut. I am trying this out for a little bit to see if it generates anything meaningful for me. As "maternity leave" has slowly but surely morphed into "unemployment," it made sense to me to see if I could monetize something I am already doing anyway. So that I can use the proceeds to fund my Amazon habit. Ah, there's the rub.
For right now, nothing over here should really change, but I thought it was the ethical thing to do to disclose the new setup. Here's how it works:
When I write my posts where I mention products (such as the "favorite things" posts), the links will point to Amazon if the product is available on Amazon. If it's not, I'll link to wherever it is. You can click through the Amazon link, which has a magic code embedded in it that lets Amazon know that you came to their site from my blog. If you purchase something--ANYTHING--I get a percentage of that.
Good things to know:
My content won't change.
I do not get compensated to review any specific items, nor to recommend them. I get paid whether you buy the item I've linked to or any other item on the entire site. So there is no incentive for me to recommend one item over any other.
Anything I mention will be a genuine mention of a product I have found on my own, heard about, or tried. It will be just like things have been up until now in terms of what I'm writing about. Especially when it comes to buying products for my baby, I do a lot of research--online and off--before I choose an item. Sometimes I make the right call, and sometimes I don't. You can benefit from that legwork. Or you can just use my link to a baby toy to purchase a lawnmower or whatever and I'll be like "great!".
In other words, there's no pay for play. I'm not nearly that influential. I'm also not going to suddenly start writing a lot of product-heavy posts. We'll still be mostly all about pictures of babies, first birthday parties, and my neurotic fear of creepy crawly house pests.
What you see won't change.
I don't want to put banners or ads on the blog, mostly because I think that is tacky and looks bad. It's not like I'm trying to make this an actual income stream. And let's be honest: I think I only have like 20 readers. So I'm well aware of the scale here.
All it means is that I have to put my links up in a special way so they have the magic code embedded in them. You'll still see them the same way: as text or image links. If I didn't tell you I was doing this, you'd probably never know.
So there you have it. To review:
1. You click a product link in a post I've written (from the 5 Month Faves post forward. As of now, I'm not going to go back and change all the links in past posts. I am lazy like that).
2. If it takes you to Amazon, hooray!
3. Buy anything you want on Amazon. It can be the product to which I linked, or not.
4. I get $
5. I like you more
Let me know if you have questions or encounter problems. It may be that this isn't worth it in the end and I shut it down, or it might also be a nice little rewards program. We shall see.
xo
Boots
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
July Citrus Lane
I think this month's theme was "travel season." Useful!
From top to bottom:
On-the-Go snack stacker from Zoli
C isn't eating these sorts of snacks yet, but I can see this being useful in the near future. Because Cheerios.
A better picture (click for link):
or at www.zolibaby.com
NurturMeals
This is a powdered mix--just add milk, formula, or water to make a puree. Again, not there yet and not the route we'll be going with food most of the time, but I can see how it would be really handy to have when traveling or in a pinch.
Use code 15OFFNMCITRUS for 15% off at nurturme.com
California Baby Travel Set
travel size body wash and lotion
Jittering Giraffe from Tiny Love
Clip it to the car seat or stroller, and it vibrates/jingles when baby pulls the giraffe. He hasn't quite gotten the hang of it yet, but it seems like it should be fun.
Use code 20now for 20% off through 8/31/13 at tinylove.com
Little Buddy Wipes from Me4Kidz
Man, these would have been REALLY useful while traveling. They're antibacterial wipes but don't contain alcohol. I would have loved to be able to wipe off his toys or even hands in the airport.
shop.me4kidz.com or
Little Buddy Antibacterial Wipes on Amazon
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Vacation Wrap-Up
We're home now, and it's very sad and I don't want to talk about it. On the bright side, the weather here is gorgeous. It's basically room temperature outside, which is obviously unheard of for late July. We went on a walk last night and, while it's lovely, the scenery just isn't the same.
But before we left...
But before we left...
Jules had a birthday. She's 21!
Everyone was glad I'd opted for the stroller with plenty of beer room in the cargo hold
(we will miss our Whale's Tale Pale Ale and Sankaty Light Lager)
More lobster outfits and a favorite great aunt
Three cheers for old Nantucket!
Another one in the books. Thanks for underwriting our final night, Uncle Brad and Arlan!
Southwestern Stuffed Peppers
I poached this recipe from my sister's Pinterest, but when I clicked on the link, it went nowhere. There was one recipe in the picture's caption, but it appeared the picture was taken from another site with another recipe. This kind of internet black hole is increasingly common on Pinterest, and it irks me. But that's not really the point here. The point is that I made something with quinoa in it.
Since there wasn't really a recipe, I just sort of made it up based on some snippets and what was around.
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked quinoa
chicken broth
garlic
---
1 lb lean ground turkey
4 red bell peppers
frozen corn
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 4-oz can diced green chiles
onion powder
1/2 cup shredded cheese
Combine the quinoa, 2 cups chicken broth, and garlic (I used about 1 tsp minced but any form will do). You can also cook the quinoa in water, but I was trying to add a little extra flavor. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the quinoa has absorbed all the liquid and the little quinoas have exploded open or whatever they do.
Meanwhile, cook the turkey in a large pan until it is no longer pink. Add the green chiles, tomato paste, corn, onion powder, and whatever else sounds good to you. Mix well. Stir in the cheese.
Cut the tops off the bell peppers and remove the ribs and seeds from the insides. Scoop the filling into the peppers and stand them in a baking dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
These turned out pretty well (sorry, no pic). I would probably make them a little spicier if I made them again, and you definitely need to add salt and pepper. Some black beans in the stuffing and maybe avocado on the side would be fun. Other than that, not much could improve upon them other than handfuls of cheese and other delicious things that would pretty much cancel out the health points you get for making something with quinoa.
Since there wasn't really a recipe, I just sort of made it up based on some snippets and what was around.
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked quinoa
chicken broth
garlic
---
1 lb lean ground turkey
4 red bell peppers
frozen corn
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 4-oz can diced green chiles
onion powder
1/2 cup shredded cheese
Combine the quinoa, 2 cups chicken broth, and garlic (I used about 1 tsp minced but any form will do). You can also cook the quinoa in water, but I was trying to add a little extra flavor. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the quinoa has absorbed all the liquid and the little quinoas have exploded open or whatever they do.
Meanwhile, cook the turkey in a large pan until it is no longer pink. Add the green chiles, tomato paste, corn, onion powder, and whatever else sounds good to you. Mix well. Stir in the cheese.
Cut the tops off the bell peppers and remove the ribs and seeds from the insides. Scoop the filling into the peppers and stand them in a baking dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
These turned out pretty well (sorry, no pic). I would probably make them a little spicier if I made them again, and you definitely need to add salt and pepper. Some black beans in the stuffing and maybe avocado on the side would be fun. Other than that, not much could improve upon them other than handfuls of cheese and other delicious things that would pretty much cancel out the health points you get for making something with quinoa.
Monday, July 29, 2013
5 Month Faves
de la Boutique Target
So, yes, it's a onesie fiesta 'round these parts, and I know I have a new one in basically every post. But as I keep getting better at this, I feel like I should share. The last ones I'd found were the Leveret bodysuits, but I grabbed these at Target about a month ago (it's a 5-pack, so we can wear one every day!). I actually don't love getting baby clothes at Target, because--while they carry good brands--the actual items they choose to carry tend to be WAAAAY over-gendered for my liking. And also heavy on the "cute" sayings, like "Mommy's handsome devil you should see my daddy prince of everything" and then I barf in aisle 9. But I digress. These were pretty middle-of-the-road, if not exactly neutral. I like them better than the Leveret because 1) the sleeves are finished, so they look slightly less raggedy-baby and 2) a little color and pattern jazzes things up. Perfect with a little chambray short (don't call them jorts). They only go up to 3-6 month size, and he's almost too long for them. I'll be sad when they don't fit anymore.
BioGaia probiotics
This is another essential item that I've been using from almost the beginning, but realized I have never mentioned. So I am telling you now. When C was fresh home from the hospital, we had some nighttime tummy issues that I think were uncomfortable for him and kept him (and me) awake. I mentioned this at his 2-week checkup, and his pediatrician suggested probiotics. Once firmly out on the crunchy-hippie-woo-woo end of the spectrum, probiotics are gaining serious empirical support as a solution to all things that ail us.
Read this for science. (NYTimes article)
He takes these (almost) every day on a spoon, and--while I can't prove that life would be terrible without them--they certainly don't hurt. The only down side is price, but it's worth it for us.
NOTE: BioGaia must have recently done a big ol' corporate deal, because these are now sold as Gerber "colic drops." Old packaging on left; new packaging on right.
I think this name is vague at best and misleading or dangerous at worst and I might write them a little email about it, but so it goes. You can still see the BioGaia label rendered tiny at the top of the new box, and I've compared the ingredient lists--they're exactly the same. Just know that your store might have the old or new box. I have found these only at Walgreens; they're best not ordered through Amazon because the good bacteria are killed if they are exposed to high temperatures, so I don't want the box sitting out on my porch.
Read this for science. (NYTimes article)
He takes these (almost) every day on a spoon, and--while I can't prove that life would be terrible without them--they certainly don't hurt. The only down side is price, but it's worth it for us.
NOTE: BioGaia must have recently done a big ol' corporate deal, because these are now sold as Gerber "colic drops." Old packaging on left; new packaging on right.
I think this name is vague at best and misleading or dangerous at worst and I might write them a little email about it, but so it goes. You can still see the BioGaia label rendered tiny at the top of the new box, and I've compared the ingredient lists--they're exactly the same. Just know that your store might have the old or new box. I have found these only at Walgreens; they're best not ordered through Amazon because the good bacteria are killed if they are exposed to high temperatures, so I don't want the box sitting out on my porch.
available at Vulli online store, Amazon, Nordstrom, or any baby store
Ah, Sophie. Staple of baby showers everywhere. Even if you get multiples, keep them. You'll likely want one in several locations (diaper bag, home, grandparents' house) and/or backups once your baby gets hooked. It must be something about the shape that's easy to hold and multiple options for gnawing (e.g., nubby head, legs). I am not saying I understand, I'm just saying get you some.
Also, before C was really dextrous enough for big Sophie, we started with the smaller travel Sophie. Also a fave.
If you're so inclined, you can also check out the books with Sophie and her French friends.
Aden + Anais dribble bibs
for your little drooler. Soft and absorbent like all their items, but it's the side snap that makes them a winner.
Freddie's got a lot going on. But this makes him pretty interesting...crinkle, mirrors, rings, garish colors...C loves it all. Also attaches to the car seat, stroller, or links. Which brings me to...
Lots of Links
I wrote about these once before in this post, but I can now vouch for my past self first-hand. He plays with them on their own (single links and chains), and I hang them from the stroller or car seat. I also use them to attach other toys (e.g., Freddie) to the exersaucer or swing or whatever. And maybe I've also been known to put a link leash on some toys that roll after I get tired of fetching them for the hundredth time. I'm not saying I have, but I'm not saying I haven't. At least I've never used them to hold on to the baby. Yet.
Obligatory Beach Day
So, these ain't no Florida beaches...the water is pretty chilly and rough, and getting to the beach involves a very steep cliff descent (made even steeper by the friendly visit of Hurricane Sandy last fall). But it seemed silly to go all that way and not make it to the actual beach, so we did an epic schlep toward the end of the trip. Mr C played in the sand and dipped his toes in the ocean, so the beach baptism is complete.
He stayed under his fancy pop-up beach tent the whole time, shielded from the sun, except for this brief photo op. So quit yer silent judging.
mostly he was just sort of bewildered
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Good Morning Everyone!
(This was supposed to have posted already, but service has been spotty. My apologies)
Friday, July 12, 2013
Gone Lobsterin'!
Friends, we're outta here.
(If you are a bad guy, we have people with dogs and probably guns watching the house, so don't get any ideas.)
There's no room in the enormous diaper bag for the ol' laptop, but I will do some mobile posts from my phone while we're there. They'll probably be less frequent--there isn't great reception--and pretty janky-looking, but you'll at least be able to follow along.
We will accept your advice, good vibes, and well wishes for C's first foray into air travel.
xo
(If you are a bad guy, we have people with dogs and probably guns watching the house, so don't get any ideas.)
There's no room in the enormous diaper bag for the ol' laptop, but I will do some mobile posts from my phone while we're there. They'll probably be less frequent--there isn't great reception--and pretty janky-looking, but you'll at least be able to follow along.
We will accept your advice, good vibes, and well wishes for C's first foray into air travel.
xo
Photo Stream Friday
Naturally, we always put him to bed in full view of the camera. By about 2 am, I can usually only see one tiny hand at the bottom of the monitor.
Swimming at Gramsey's will really take it out of you.
Went to a doctor's appointment. Found America's number 1 fan.
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