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Katie’s Second Halloween

Katie’s second Halloween was a wonderful evening filled with friends and fun. Our cuddly puppy dog loved every moment! Even though we were only out and about for two hours, it was such a treat for Katie who loved taking in all the sights.

We started the festivities in Cobble Hill Park where we met a few friends and watched as more than a thousand people gathered for the parade through the streets of Cobble Hill. There were some incredible, creative costumes but the row homes near the park were what really had us in awe! Just look at the decorations on these homes!

 

We meandered through the streets from Cobble Hill back to our apartment stoop. Katie walked six blocks, while holding Bo’s hand – a new record. We stopped to admire the decorations and say hello at a few of our favorite shops as they each had employees stationed on the sidewalk giving out candy.

Once we arrived at our apartment, our group of friends and children gathered on the stoop to enjoy beer, wine and appetizers while one person stood near the gate giving out candy. We opted to keep the gate closed so the kids could play and weren’t overwhelmed by the chaos. Similar to last year, we went through more than 450 pieces of candy in just 90 minutes! It was such a great way to catch up with friends while the kids enjoyed playing with ice, watching the costumes and pushing Katie’s toy stroller.

Katie didn’t want to miss out on the fun, so we took her to seven of our neighbors, where she was able to collect candy and say hello. Hopefully next year she’ll be able to say trick-or-treat but this year, a quick “woof” or “hi” was what the neighbors received instead.  Our little trickster kept trying to grab the candy from her older friend’s pumpkin and by the end of the evening, a few bites of candy made their way into her mouth.

We candy stash ran out at 6:30 which coincided perfectly with the time everyone needed to head home for the bath and bedtime routine. It was a wonderful evening and I can only imagine how magical it’ll be next year, when Katie is a little bit older.

Tell me: What was the best costume you saw last night? What did you or your family dress up as if you celebrated Halloween? 

 

 

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ashleyd /

A Gift That Kids Won’t Outgrow

I can’t believe that Christmas is in just 59 days. It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating Katie’s first birthday and sweltering in New York’s long, hot summer. Now we’rebraving a nor’easter and wearing coats.

Earlier today, my sister-in-law sent me a text sharing that with a huge sigh of relief she’d just finished wrapping the last of her Christmas gifts. Come again? With 59 days left until Christmas, Becca has already purchased and wrapped all her gifts. This not only made me feel 100% behind, but also made me realize that Bo and I have to sit down and finalize Katie’s wish list. Making a Christmas list for Katie is especially hard since we live in New York City. Our family of three lives in a 1,500 square foot apartment. Up until recently, our place felt spacious. But, recently, it’s feels more like a tornado of chaos than a spacious, Brooklyn brownstone apartment.

In fact, as soon as Katie goes down for a nap or to sleep at night, Bo and I both take five minutes to put away all of her toys and restore order. At sixteen months of age, Katie loves nothing more than dragging her favorite toy of the hour into every room or dumping her blocks all over. Needless to say, while we’ve started to introduce the concept of putting our toys away, she definitely hasn’t mastered cleaning up after herself.

Even though today during a fun play date with friends, Katie played with multiple toys that she doesn’t have, it’s hard for us to imagine adding more things to our space. While we will of course ask for a few gifts, we are hoping to put more gifts towards something she won’t outgrow – a NY-529. Thanks to Momtrends and Vanguard, I had the opportunity to learn more about the NY 529 plan. Since we’ve only discovered 529 plans recently, I figured this was something you guys would appreciate as well.

NY 529 facts

Here are a few facts about 529 plans, so you can figure out whether this is something you need or if you want to ask family members to donate money to it in lieu of gifts this holiday season.

  • What the heck is a 529 plan? 
    • A 529 is an investment account that people can use for higher-education savings. They are often sponsored by states and some, like New York, provide tax benefits. Your earnings grow federally tax-deferred and qualified withdrawals are tax-free*.  The money in the 529 can be used for multiple types of higher education including college, graduate school, vocational school and anything that is school related, beyond tuition.  In New York the tax is deferred and New York State taxpayers benefit from a tax deduction.
  • How do people contribute to a 529? 
    • You can either directly deposit their checks or cash to the 529 or you can give them a gift code. There some websites and companies that provide gift coupons or links that help people easily donate or gift contributions during the holiday season.
  • What is the minimum amount of money needed to open a 529? 
    • Unlike certain savings accounts, you only need $1 to open a 529. In addition, there are no monthly or yearly contribution requirements. In fact, you can contribute as little or, nearly, as much as you’d like over the lifetime of the 529.  In fact, in New York, the contribution limit, in aggregate to one person’s 529 account is $520,000.
  • Can my child have more than one? 
    • Yup, your child can have countless 529 accounts if that’s what you want. They just need to be registered under his or her legal name.

NY 529 Facts

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. Compensation was provided by NY529 via Momtrends.  As always, all words and opinions are my own. 

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One Thing We’re Doing to Help Keep Katie Healthy This Flu Season

Most mornings, while Katie is eating breakfast, I sip my coffee and take a few supplements and vitamins, before eating my own breakfast. During cold and flu season, I try to make a more conscious effort to remember my vitamins as I swear it helps keep me healthy, or is a darn good placebo.  The combination of a prenatal vitamin, fiber supplement and a probiotic helps me have the energy I need to keep up with Katie, work and the demands of life. While my vitamin habit started 30 years ago or so, when I chewed a Flintstones vitamin daily, I only added a probiotic to my regimen earlier this year. After a tough cold and flu season last year, due in part to my travel schedule and the germs that Katie brings home each day, I saw my doctor way too often. A few weeks ago, when I visited her for my annual checkup, she recommended a few changes, including the probiotic, to help me stay healthier this year – especially with an upcoming trip to China.

 

Even though I’ve become familiar with probiotics over the past few months, until last week’s Mom’s Night Out event,  I had no idea that there are probiotics specially designed for babies and toddlers. It makes sense that similar to her mom, Katie’s immune and digestive systems can benefit from probiotics.  Based on your feedback after last week’s Instagram story, it turns out that many of you not only know about child probiotics, but also swear by them as a way to help your children stay health. Am I the only one who has been living under a rock? Did you know about child probiotics?  

microbiome infographic

Similar to other aisles in our local drugstore, I find the healthcare aisle, especially the child health aisle, to be confusing and overwhelming.  It’s hard to tell the difference between products and understand what is homeopathic, appropriate dosing and age recommendations. Luckily, since Culturelle® Baby Probiotics is the #1 pediatrican recommended brand, it is easy to navigate. They offer a comprehensive line of probiotic products designed to help build a strong foundation for your baby’s healthy growth and development, regardless their age. During last week’s event I had the chance to learn a great deal about their baby items, which are designed specifically for children 0-24 months old.

Culturelle Baby Probiotics

  • Culturelle Baby Calm + Comfort Probiotic + Chamomile Drops is designed for babies ages 0-12 months and helps reduce fussiness and crying due to upset digestive tracts.   The probiotic, LactobacilliusGG, restores the natural balance of good bacteria in babies digestive tract.  I love that the probiotic can be dispensed directly into a bottle of formula or breastmilk, in case you have a hard time getting your baby to swallow medicine.  If your baby has a lot of fussiness during these early months, make sure to talk to your pediatrician. When Katie was young, we had to burp a number of times and use Dr. Brown bottles to help with her stomach issues.
  • Culturelle Baby Grow + Thrive Probiotics + Vitamin D Drops is designed for both babies 0-12 months and toddlers 12-24 months. After talking with our pediatrician on Monday, during Katie’s flu shot visit, this is the probiotic that we’ve started giving her.  The packets help support digestion and nutrient absorption as she enjoys new foods and helps keeps her immune system strong as she interacts with children at the playground and around the neighborhood on a daily basis. If you’ve ever watched toddlers play together, you know that they spread SO many germs! Heck, just today I tried to explain to Katie why she can’t use another child’s pacifier when she sees it in their stroller! Luckily, the packet is easily mixed in her daily yogurt or milk, which makes it easy to give her without any extra fuss.

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Culturelle but, as always, all opinions are my own. Please make sure to consult your pediatrician or doctor before making any supplement changes. 

 

† Based on a 2016 survey among pediatricians recommending a kids probiotic brand

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease

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