Welcome to the world baby Emily

This past Easter baby Emily came into this world like a comet. Well her birth was long awaited and when the time came for her birth it was over almost before it began. And now my sisters family has added another girl to the family roster. Welcome Emily, wishing you a wonderful life blessed with love and fun!

I had to knit something for little Emily, so this time I opted for a blanket. From my experience with the girls, I made a baby blanket larger than the usual baby size. I went for more junior size,  the blanket ended up being around 80x100cm in size. I like the idea that the blanket can be used beyond the baby days/years.

I used a cloth pattern by Bitta Mikkelborg called Tusenfryd as a starting point. Did some calculations and ended up with this blanket. Did you know that tusenfryd is Norwegian for daisy?

a field of daisies

I have already started on another blanket, this time for another baby coming very soon. Pictures will be posted when it is given to the recipient..

-how did you spend your Easter?

Lately…

I haven’t been my usuall productive self. My head has been full of thoughts regarding my upcoming Singapore trip. With two toddlers and all of my extended family, there are lots of thing to remember and an equal amount of questions. Four weeks in wonderful Singapore…

This past weekend I started packing for the girls…I’m very happy with our decision to rent an apartment that has an in-house washer-dryer machine. This way I don’t have to pack four weeks worth of clothes. I look forward to spending four weeks @8 on Claymore…

- a few sets of summer clothes, from top to bottom
- swimming clothes (well UV suits)
- toiletries
- diapers for BabyL (lesson from my last Singapore trip – diapers are very expensive compared to the prices in Norway)
- shoes for hot weather (there is still about half a meter of snow outside our house)
problably a whole lot more..but still have a few more days to mull it over.

Travelling with two toddlers, it was time to buy a suitcase for the girls. We have been very happy with our old, trusty Samsonite hard case suitcases. So we looked into getting a similar one for the girls. A visit to a local store that sells Samsonite, we landed on a Samsonite S’cure. SweetieS chose the color, a very girly dark blue (not what I had expected when we gave her the options). So far SweetieS enjoyed pushing the empty suitcase from the store to the parking lot, not sure she will enjoy it quite as much when it is fully loaded. I’ll try to post our experience with this model when we get back.

In between preparing for our trip, we have had time to enjoy all the snow

hard at work building a snow castle in our back yard

Our previous attempt at building a snow man got buried in all the snow that has fallen lately…so we also had to make a new one…

No new knitting projects lately..but I have finished the knitted gift for a baby that’s right around the corner. Not to reveal too much…

a little teaser

I’ll post a picture of the finished project when it has been delivered to its intended recipient.

- how do you prepare for an overseas trip?
- how are you enjoying the Winter?

New project in the works

With my best friend Hoaneypoos announcement of a new family addition I have started planning my next knitting project.

 

Something for the new baby perhaps?

I was looking at past baby gifts and came over a dress I had knitted for baby Tilde earlier this year that I see now that I postponed posting about, and than consequently forgot...

 

Well better late than never...

ready for a playdate

This dress is knitted using a Drops pattern called Playmate, you can find it here. I used Drops Merion Extra Fine in the colors 01- natur and 25- rosa (I think it was…)

Off to do some more surfing on patterns…

- what are you knitting on these days?

Vitacost vs. iHerb

A colleague joked about my posts about stuff related to my kids. Sorry here it yet another on kinda related to my kids, so “Thomas” you can stop reading now.

vs

Some time ago I posted about my positive experiences with ordering organic smoothie pouches from the US-based company iHerb (my posts here). BabyL is now big enough to consume atleast a pouch a day, so  I thought I would replenish my stocks. To my dismay iHerb has changed their shipping rates. Going from a flat international rate (sponsored) to actual shipping costs. They sent out information about this when customers complained about the jump in shipping costs. Needless to say, I no longer order from iHerb due to the high postage costs, as stuff I order are pretty heavy. Even with VIP-status and shipping discounts when the order exceeds certain amounts, shipping is still too expensive. See that there are groups on Facebook that are as unhappy with the change in international shipping rates as I am. Hopefully iHerb will take it to heart, and reinstate the flat rate international shipping option.

Rant over, back to the point. As I lost iHerb as a reasonable option to order organic smoothies in pouches from, I was tipped about another site. Vitacost offers flat rate shipping, though the rate is higher than what iHerb offered (iHerbs 4 USD vs. Vitacost 7.99 USD)

Their selection is very similar to what I found on iHerb. Much of what I have ordered earlier from iHerb is available and at similar pricing. So far I have made one order to Vitacost and my experience is so far good. They pack and ship orders reasonably fast. I like that they have Paypal as a payment options, adds a level of security.

Not sure what more I should write about, so let me know if you have questions.

As I’m still very new to Vitacost I don’t know all the ins and outs. But I have made a note that all new referrals can get a 10 USD discount on their initial order over 30USD(before discounts, shipping etc.) by using this link: http://goo.gl/nm5D50

That’s it for now.

- what are your experiences with Vitacost?

Better late than never

I've finally taken the time to take pictures and write a few words about my knitted sleeve for BabyLs strollerbag. The one I wrote I was gonna make here and here
Sorry for the late post. This knitted sleeve has been finished for months and used frequently now that the days have become cold, wet and windy. How I envy BabyL when she's sleeping nicely snuggled up in the stroller with me pushing her up the "mountain" we call home. Don't get me wrong...love our little outings no matter the weather (atleast most of the time). It just looks so warm and cozy in the stroller...compared to the outside...

There is no pattern for this sleeve. Just out of my head after a lot of inspiration on Pintrest and Google. Contact me/leave a comment if you want my notes on how I made this sleeve…I feel I can’t call it a stroller bag as this is made to fit outside an old stroller bag I had.
It’s knitted using Drops Alaska in brown (color code 23) I bought during the last Drops yarn sale. Alaska is a 100% wool yarn, but feels nice and soft.  Did you know that Drops is having a sale lasting until December 31^st 2014? On all their alpaca yarn, more info here.
As Christmas is right around the corner I’m off. Have planned a few knitted Christmas gifts and if I’m to finish them in time I need to put in as much knitting time as I can….
- have you knitted anything for your stroller?

A trip to the library

A while back my good friend Lexipo told me about the option of lending knitting books at the library. So with this new information at hand I did a little research and found that the Deichman library has a ton! of books on knitting.
There has been a few books I’ve been drooling over, and these where available at the library!
When my friend Cl8 told me she was pregnant with a girl I knew a few patterns I wanted to knit for her little girl. BabyL has more than enough clothes, both inherited from her sister and gifts from family and friends. So I felt knitting clothes for her first months just would disappear in the mountain of clothes. But will be knitting more for her as she grows bigger.
Well my latest two knitting projects are gifts for Cl8 baby girl.
Note: this post was written and put up for a scheduled publish – so Cl8 didn’t see her gifts before she got them, so sorry if the past/present-timing is a little off  
My two gifts are both knitted bodies. One is from the knitting book Myk Start: strikk til babyen (author: May B. Langhelle) and is called Fuglemammas omslagsbody. I love these wrap bodies – and have a ton of these. Great for small babies – when you feel the baby is so small and fragile a warp around body makes dressing those small little bodies so much easier.

a book available at my local library (picture borrowed from Gyldendal)

en fuglemamma

This body is knitted with a yarn I found on Ebay (shocker!) It is a bamboo and cotton blend and SOOO soft. At times the yarn was so soft I had a hard time holding the yarn while knitting. It just melted in my hands…The yarn is in the color 941 – with white as the main color with pink dashes of color. Here is a listing for the same yarn. I used about 2 skeins for this body. I used both heart shaped wood buttons and snap buttons for this body.
The second body is from the newest collection by Drops for babies. Found in the catalog Drops Baby 25. The body is called First impression. The pattern is free at the Garnstudio/Drops website, link to the body here. I made a few personal touches to this body. I used snap buttons instead of the pearl of mother pearls in the pattern. I love the bodies by Lilleba. Especially how their bodies are made to fit two sizes, due to an extra row of buttons. So I thought I would try this on this body. I dropped the knitted edge – mostly because I didn’t like the edge..Lastly I knitted with very broad stripes instead of the thin stripes the pattern suggests.

first impression by Drops (picture borrowed from Drops)

first impression

This body is knitted in Viking Babyull yarn, in the colors 307 – light brown – and 302 – offwhite. Didn’t keep count, but think I used about 1 skein of each color. On this body I also used snap buttons, in baby pink. Bought from this Ebayer.
- have you knitted these bodies?
- do you visit and borrow books at your local library?

For a baby boy

I’ve been trying to be consistent when it comes to gifts for my soon-to-be parents-friends. I think I’ve managed so far…

Well today I meet up with my friend that has just had her third baby. As the first of my friends having a third child I had to go into the think tank and find something fun and creative. I turned to my newly found love, Pintrest for inspiration. It had to be something that I could make/buy while BabyL is sleeping or I can bring her along. I found this cool diaper motorcycle! I just had to give it a try….

Drum roll please…

On top of the motorcycle is Elly the bashful elephant by Jellycat. (the recipient of this motorcycle asked for Elly for her newborn) These stuffed toys are super soft and cuddy. SweetieS loves her bashful lion, while BabyL has a bunny for when she is in need of a cuddly buddy.

Instead of using a baby bottle for the headlights, I used a package of nipples for when her baby starts drinking “velling” (a type of watery porridge – very popular in Sweden) that I know her boys love.

Hope she likes this gift…

- what do you give to your friends when they become parents?

I love these

crib bumpers by Smallstuff! The traditional crib bumpers that you get in Noreay is no match for SweetieS weight. Before she moved to a bigger bed she would stand along the sides of the bumper and push together the bumper, leaving a pile of “stuff” along the crib sides. I came across Smallstuff crib lines about two years ago, at a storage sale. So I bought this nifty crib bumper for just 250kr! which is cheap for this type of bumper I now know – because I wanted to get one for BabyL, as the one for SweetieS has moved with her to her big bed. The cheapest one I found was at www.lekmer.no or www.cdon.no (portals to lekmer). And with a few gift certificates I had @cdon and lekmers Summersale, I only paid for S&H (shipping and handling).

Here is SweetieS bumper on a IKEA Hemnes Daybed. I don’t think this one is available anymore. But it is lavender colored with white stars on one side, and the reverse on the other side – the side that is pictured below.

And here is BabyLs bumper on her “inherited” IKEA Gulliver crib. It is almost the same design as SweetieS, just that the stars are multicolored.

What I love about these bumpers is that there is no need to tie them onto the crib. The bumper is 4cm thick and can stand on its own as it is filled with foam and not fabric. They are 30cm high and 360cm long, thus fitting perfect along three of three side in SweetieS bigger bed. Can’t recommend these enough. Just love them!

- What is your crib lined with?
- Did you know that Smallstuff also have other wonderful products?

I’m back

It’s been a few full weeks here at CasaR. With BabyS taking a few weeks Summer vacation from kindergarten I’ve had my hands full with BabyS and BabyL. The plan was for DaddyO to take a few weeks off from work simultaneously, but had to change his plans when there was some lousy vacation planning on his colleagues part. So DaddyO had to “work from home” while BabyS was home. In other words, hectic days.

On the plus side…we have been blessed with super fantastic weather here in Oslo, Norway. With temperature well into the thirties. No need to travel anywhere for Mediterranean forecasts.Sunny days and poolside lounging, no complaints here.

Now that BabyS is back in kindergarten I get naptime back so I might even have time to do some blogging again. Though I have to admit…I have had time to do some Ebaying lately. After joining the Facebook group Ebay Baby & Barn I get many great tips on stuff to buy for my two sweeties.

The arrival of BabyL on BabyS 2 year birthday hasn’t given me time to reflect over the fact that my “little BabyS” is becoming a big girl. Just a few weeks ago she “moved” from her cot over to a full size bed – after a diaper mishap we used as an excuse to move the cot out of her room. The cot is now in “quarantine” before moving in to BabyLs room – so that BabyS doesn’t feel she’s loosing her bed to her baby sister. These last weeks I’ve noticed her growing personality, and her temper... her vocabulary is growing and how talkative she is several times a day. The other day I realized that I have to talk more Cantonese to her, if I want her to master the art of Chinese…So note to self – say everything in both Cantonese and Norwegian. It’s fun to see how she loves to try things out herself now. Think it’s time to give BabyS a new nick on my blog – how does “SweetieS” sound?

- have you given your children cyber nicknames?
- how has your Summer been so far?

Hello world

The phrase reminds me of my university days...when I wrote my first lines of C++ code.

cout << "Hello world" ; to be exact...haven't had much use of my programming skills lately. 

No, the use of this phrase is in reference to the arrival of baby Lily (from now on called BabyL in this blog). Tomorrow BabyL is already two weeks old. Believe it or not, both BabyS and BabyL are born on the same day! So May 25th will never be the same @CasaR.

Catching up

The pregnancy has taken its toll on the joints of my fingers. So haven’t been sitting much in front of the computer lately.

Just dropping by to do some catching up…both on “reading” and blogging.

The other day I got a little gift from my sweet friends Lexipo…as a thanx for “washer time” – as their washer have been on the fritz and fixing it took forever. With two kids in kindergarten you CAN’T live without a washer.

the bake-it easy set by Porsgrund

Love this baking pan! You bake, cook, store and serve all in one pan. What’s not to love? You can read more about/buy it here.

Unwrapped and started using it today….my first baking project with this new pan? An apple cake for BabyS to bring to kindergarten tomorrow…thank you Lexipo for the great tasting receipt.

Yes! BabyS is turning TWO this weekend! It feels like yesterday I was holding her in my arms for the first time. Have been trying to catch up on some scrapping since I started my maternity leave. Looking back at pictures from the last two years, how much BabyS has grown and evolved into a little person with her own unique personality.

With the new baby arriving any day now I feel I should do some prep-work. With wardrobe, nursery, baby stuff covered I do feel like I’m ready for the new babys arrival. BabyS got lots of knitted blankets during my previous maternity leave…as I have had to sit a lot with my legs raised lately I started on a knitted blanket for the new baby. One he/she can call their own, not one that BabyS has had first…

this time around, diamonds…

Speaking of blankets…Now that this blanket has been given to it’s rightful owner, I can post a picture of it! A reversible stars and stripes blanket for a little prince.

have a feeling I’ve posted a picture before…

Now off to watch a YouTube video I’ve posted before (here)….that worked well for me!

Have a wonderful Friday!

Heads-up! Yarn sale right around the corner

In a knitting mood these days. So thought I would let my readers know of the sale Drops announced over the weekend. 35% off all wool yarns. So go get your projects in a row and start hoarding come May.

26 types of yarns to choose from – wohoo!

After finally finishing up the stroller bag I gave away to Hoaneypoos baby boy (here), I’ve taken on another project…a “sleeve” for the stroller bag I already have. The stroller bag I have is a little dated…as it was bought when my big sister was born…33 years(!) ago. Thanks Mummy for hanging on to it for so long! Well with it’s  red Scottish pattern I feel it’s time to update it…

here’s a picture of it as it has been the last few decades…

I don’t intend on making a stroller bag like the one I made for Hoaneypoo….just a lined sleeve for a stroller bag I already have. The above mentioned bag works just fine, just needs a little updating. This way I have less work ahead and might even finish before my due date. Spring has come to Oslo and great for evenings outside knitting…
I’ve seen there’s a trend starting with other knittable bloggers posting pictures of their knitted stroller bags. Guess RisaRosa had to get some competition sooner or later. How can you not fall in love with their bags?
Here are some of the ones I’ve come across, I just had to share their beautiful creations:
(Sorry to my International readers, these posts are in Norwegian – but they are for inspirational purposes only, please respect the copyrights attatched)
- Hestvold (with pattern – though in Norwegian)
- Mamma Solveig
- Speiltvillingene
This time I’m giving Drops Alaska a go (bought @Drops previous yarn sale). I’ve never knitted with this yarn before, but so far things are looking good.
Again I’ve drawn inspiration from RisaRosa, Drops and my creative self. Will post pictures as soon as I’m done.
- do you have a favorite Drops wool yarn?
- have you started knitting a stroller bag?

Knitted stroller bag

I’ve been drooling over the stroller bags made by RisaRosa. Who wouldn’t??? But at 3000NOK I couldn’t bring myself to order one.

down bags with cable knit by RisaRosa

But I have been contemplating making my own…after A LOT of planning and surfing the web after tips on how to make a stroller bag, I felt I had a good starting point. With 20 skeins of Lana Grossa yarn called ‘Ragazza Lei’ in a grey color (color code 031) I started my own version of a stroller bag. But as I was starting to finish up I realized that a grey stroller bag wasn't very coordinated with my brown/cream stroller…what was I thinking when I bought grey wool yarn???
With my best friend Hoaneypoo just giving birth to a baby boy, I asked if she wanted the finished bag. And she was super happy with the bag.
I did my bag with a mix of cable knit and moss stitch…
- ever knit a stroller bag?

Some baby tips from me

With friends having their first baby left and right, I‘ve been asked for tips of baby must haves. These are just my tips from my experiences with BabyS…all babies are different and some things works better than others.

Dry wipes:

BabyS bottom didn’t like the “chemicals” in wet wipes, so we changed to dry wipes to use with plain tap water. Even with dry wipes there are tons to choose from…from normal priced to very cheap…

Brand	Mesoft	Vidi	Dermica	Unik Sensitiv
Picture
Comment	Available also abroad…just ask for non-woven swabs	Vitus apotek have offers on this brand often: 5 for 100 NOK	Bought these 50% off,haven’t had a chance to use them yet.	Tried these at a friends house, just like the Vidi ones.
Approx. pricing	30 NOK	29 NOK	28 NOK	18 NOK
Available @	Most pharmacies	Vitus apotek	Apotek 1	Kiwi grocery stores

All these come in 100 wipes per package and measure 10 x 10cm. Also great for using with baby oil.

The above dry wipes I used while BabyS  was very sensitive to everything that come in contact with her skin. As she got more “sturdy” we changed to a more coarse dry wipe. Mostly because these were better to use when her poo was harder to wipe away.

Brand/Name	Smart 365	Softstar	Coop X-tra
Picture
Comment	(Couldn’t find picture of the packaging – so here is the logo)	Been ages since I bough a packet, after hoarding “3 for 2 offer”	Like these better, as the have “grooves” – better to wipe off food left overs.
Approx. pricing	40 NOK	35 NOK	20 SEK
Available @	ICA grocery stores	Rimi grocery stores	Coop stores in Sweden

The packages come in 250 wipes per package with a guesstimated size of 15 x 17 cm. Please note that these wipes have a more coarse surface…so not suitable for a newborns sensitive skin.

“Personal care”:

Diaper cream/ Zinc cream: After using different brands, we prefere “Dr. Greve Pharma sinksalve”. Just the right consistency for us.

Diaper cream: Bepanthen ointment by Beyer. Great for a serious rash.

Foam soaps wash out faster than regular soaps. Great when you have a impatient baby waiting.

Medela Purelan – lanolin ointment for mommy's’ soar nipples (from breast feeding). I bought the smallest tube and had more than enough for my usage.

Liquid bile soap: natural and can be used on the most delicate clothes. Worked wonders on our wool and bamboo clothes.

Clothes – for baby:

- Bodies that can be wrapped instead of pulled over the head was great for first timers like us. A newborns body sometimes feel like jelly, and placing a baby on top of the body and just wrapping around…And when your baby does a poo-volcano (poo is everywhere!…from the diaper, up the back, all the way up to the neck) it’s very relieving not having to pull the crap over baby’s head. Or like my colleagues tip, using scissors to cut of the body.

Of course what clothes to put on your baby depends on the season/weather. Always dress your baby accordingly.

- Mittens…Babies have the smallest nails and easily bruise their sensitive skin. Socks can also be used in a pinch  

For mommies:

A while back I posted about my newfound love for Pierre Roberts wool tops. Great when nursing and keeps the chest nice and warm, at least when the temperature in Norway start dropping below 10°C.

Large gauze towels. Super absorbent and multi use. We used our to cover up when feeding, washing, wiping, as bibs, padding, blankets….pretty much everything. We bought our super cheap @Jysk, but they discontinued this line since we bought ours. I bought a new batch when I was in Singapore. I have later also found them on Ebay, just search for ‘gauze towels’ or “gauze diapers”. Just remember to check the size. Ours were pretty large, measuring a 72 x 72 cm.

Water bottles – filled and stored in the fridge. Important to replenish when breast feeding.

Some tips to start with.
- what would be you tip about?

Updated free stuff

With a new baby coming along in June this year I thought I would take the liberty and get me some free stuff. Using my trust blog and a previous post, I thought I would save some time. But my list/post of free baby stuff is obviously alittle dated (being over 2 years old – or “lightyears in www-time”). So I thought I would put together an updated list – for myself and for you.

If you are intrested, you can find my previous post here.

Sorry to my international readers, shipping/pick-up is in Norway only.

This time I’m getting these:

• Rimi barnepakke
• Vitus apotek babypakke Babybaby
• Apotek1 babypakke Babybox
• Libero startboks (you need to register for the Libero club, but in return you get a starter package, @6months  you get an Up&Go starter package and @12months a birthday package)
• Goboken welcome package
• MAM pacifier (sign up is through Facebook, so you need a FB account) Available to recipients in Sweden and Denmark in addition to Sweden!
• Weleda Baby – this one is new to me so not sure what exactly a membership in “Weleda Baby” will result in.

And these I for some reason don’t need ...

• Svangerskapsboken 2013 (I picked up my copy at the clinic where I had a sonogram done. BTW can recommend Majorstuaklinikken the staff there take great care of you)
• Babyshop Sangenic nappy disposal system (you have to register in a Babyshop store as website registration is no longer available, or you can register via Facebook)
• Barnas Hus Angel Care nappy disposal system – though after trying both Babyshop and Barnas Hus I prefere the Babyshop one: not so big and bulky thus stands more sturdy on the floor – and when you run out of the refill thingies, just use a garbage bag)
• Babyglede, just because I’m cheap and don’t want to pay 129NOK i S&H
• Bambino baby spoon (sign up is through Facebook, so you need a FB account)
• Nestle samples (sign up is through Facebook, so you need a FB account) These are samples for babys 6 months +, so no rush in ordering this one yet.
• Sylvanian family. (you need to join the fanclub) I remember these from my childhood, not sure how babyfriendly these are though.
• Lifeline Care Gravid – a 5 day sample of a complete vitamin supplement, dedicated to the first trimester of a pregnancy - just a little too late for me.

No longer available

• BAM trial package
• Life baby package (I never got this one, but as this one consists of alternative brands I hope they bring this one back)

Think that is it from me for this time. Now off to send this blog link to a few pregnant friends

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Finally done!

Well I did finish it last week…
But it’s finally done! The knitting project I started over a year ago…a jacket for BabyS. Based on this (Babydrops 20-11) knitting pattern from Drops/Garnstudio. I used a wool yarn called Fabel Spray Print in color 711 – a pinkish-brown color. Drum roll please…

What took forever, was getting the buttons on. It took forever to receive the ones I ordered on Ebay…and when they finally did arrive (only took two reorders before I ordered from another seller)…It took me forever attaching them to the coat. But now I am finally done and the jacket still fits BabyS.
The buttons are a cute heart shaped wooden one, bought from this Ebayer.

a close-up of the buttons

- Have you any unfinished projects laying around?
Update:
Drops is having a Sockalicious offer again, and the Fabel yarn is one of the discounted yarns. 25% off! Offer is valid until Febuary 28^th 2014 in all Drops stores/webstores.

Babyfriendly Singapore?

As I mentioned in my previous post, we spent our Christmas and New Years in Singapore. Being BabyS’ first trip abroad and travelling so far I was expecting the worst. Everything from a screaming baby from Oslo to Singapore to BabyS not handling the heat. As they say, “Hope for the best, expect the worst”. The long flight went beyond expectation and BabyS slept most of the flight, wohoo!

Arriving safely at our destination we went to a department store to stock up and get an idea of what was available. Especially stuff we have never bought in Singapore before, like diapers and babyfriendly food. Along came our first shock….diapers in Singapore are expensive! I know that the “war” between department stores here in Norway has left us spoiled with diapers costing next to nothing. But wasn’t prepared for such a big leap. I had been warned that BabyS size might be hard to find, especially in countries where potty training starts early. Size not a problem….especially since BabyS is quite small for her age.

An issue we had to find a solution for, was a stroller. Do we bring our own? Rent? Borrow – from whom? With a well-stocked cousin I got to borrow a stroller for BabyS. Thank you Janet! After a few days use I did notice a few things when it comes to use of strollers in Singapore.

- There are elevatores everywhere, just expect to wait for your turn. The elevator is always full up! Escalators are a good option.

- Public buses require you to fold up your stroller before boarding. (So not used to that from Norway! In Norway you can just roll onto the bus, provided there is room – which is up to the driver) Having money for a taxi is an option as taxis are cheap and always available.

- Most eating places we went to had high chairs for toddlers. (You know, the cheapest one from IKEA –  called “Antilop”) If they didn’t have a high chair they could stack chairs to provide the hight needed – but not a very safe option if you have kids that don’t sit still while eating . We have a Sack’n Seat – but we didn’t always remember to bring it with us.

This is turning out to be a longer post than I initially thought….so I think I will bring to a halt here – or I’ll never get this post out. Let me know if there is anything you want to know about my experience with bringing a 19 month old to Singapore. After fire weeks I think we covered the basics.

- How do you prepare for a long haul vacation?
- Have any experiences you wish to share?

Not forgotten

I know I haven’t been very good at posting lately…but I have a good excuse! I’ve been taking time off from work to take care of BabyS. Next week she starts kindergarten…and I’m back to work. With BabyS being so mobile, I’ve had my hands full.

I do have to admit I’m looking forward to BabyS beginning in kindergarten, and getting an outlet for all that energy she has. At the same time I’m gonna miss spending the days with her. It’s scary leaving your little baby with others. And possibly missing all the sweet/cute/quirky/strange things she does. Not being able to experience that, just being told what happened by someone else. You can say I have mixed feelings with BabyS beginning in kindergarten…Maybe that’s why I have put off sitting down and putting nametags on everything BabyS is to bring to her kindergarten?

In preparation for BabyS time in kindergarten I have done some shopping. One of the things is several pairs of soft leather shoes. And they come is SO many cute styles! I’ve bought mine from a store on Ebay. Very happy with the quality of the leather and the service is impeccable. If you are looking into getting your hold of a few of these, here’s the Ebay store I’ve used. Did I mention they’re dirt cheap too?

aren’t these cute??? (pictures borrowed from the Ebay listing)

Another thing on the shopping list lately has been name labels. And I got labels with supercool Stitch – from the Disney movie Lilo and Stitch. Hopefully there aren’t other kids with the same label…At NordicPrint you can upload pictures and design your own labels, and in color! How cool is that??? If you don’t want to create your own design, they have some cool designs to choose from.

here are mine…

A tip I got from my wonderful sister-in-law is to get a mix of the sticker labels and the iron-on ones. With a hair straightener is should be a breeze to “iron on”. For that occasion I bought a mini straightener! I bought mine from Tinydeal.

it’s so cute…

Another tip I got - online - with iron-on labels, when ironing on use greased food paper between the iron and label. Makes the labeling easier. To help remove iron-on labels use “sandwich paper”.

In the evenings we have been planning our holiday for the year. A trip to Singapore! Can’t wait to travel to the heat in the middle of the Norwegian winter. It’s gonna be a trip for firsts…BabyS first trip to Singapore, BabyS first long haul, our first time traveling with children, first time travelling with my sister and her boyfriend to mention a few….

The evenings have also gone to knitting. I finally finished my first garment for BabyS! But I’m still waiting for the buttons I ordered. So holding of posting pictures until I get them…

Well enough procrastinating and off to labels some stuff for kindergarten…

- how did you deal with your baby starting kindergarten?
- how have you spent your summer?