10 ideas for Father's Day gifts

Father's day is right around the corner! Well, for some of you it is, anyway. For me... not so much. Here it was a long time ago (many months!), but I remember how much I worried then and how much I scrambled trying to find the perfect gift. 

I did not have any idea what to gift Partner: buy something? make something? make Oath make something? (because, lets be honest, he wasn't going to do any gift by himself, at 9 months old!) pretend I forgot?

In the end, this is what we ended up doing, but in the process of searching the perfect thing, I came up with some of these ideas:

1. Photos. Be it a big print of the two (or more!) of them or a series of pics of the baby holding letters that spell "dad", it's the easiest way to remind him of his kid and all the good times they have spent (and will spend!) together.
2. Write a little story about how great a dad he is, and illustrate it with some picture of him with your little one. If you are good at being sneaky (I am so not!), you can take the pictures specially for this without him knowing it, like a little secret photo shoot of just the two of them.
3. Handprints / Footprints. Dip your little one's feet and hands in water soluble, non toxic paint and use a sturdy watercolor paper: you can use the dad's favorite team colors if you want to make it extra especial. Or, if you are a little afraid of the mess you can make with the paint, press the kid's hand and feet on a layer of modelling clay.
4. If it is possible, let him sleep in and, when he wakes up, bring a favorite breakfast to bed. This will be specially nice for him if you co-sleep and the baby is an early riser, or if he is the one to get up for night / early morning feedings.
5. Cook his favorite foods and add a little extra: a nice dinner with a special dessert, buy some of his favorite beverage of choice..
6. Pack your bags, put the baby in the stroller or the carrier, and go somewhere you used to go before the baby's birth. Do what you used to do, but with your new addition: go watch a sports match, have a picnic, hike an easy trail... as a family!
7.  How long it's been since the two of you, dad and mom, were alone? Leave the kid with a babysitter and go out for dinner. Then go dancing, or star gazing, or to the movies... do something he enjoys like you would have before having your child: we all know how easy it is for kids to take over the spotlight... let dad be the one there for a day!
8. Buy (or make) the baby something daddy related. A hat of dad's favorite movie character (R2D2, anyone? I know Partner would love it!), a onesie with a funny quote ("I listen to Dire Straits like my daddy", or the more common "I love Dad")... or maybe some matching shirts for baby and dad!
9. Buy (or make) him something non-baby related. He's a dad, yes, but he's also the same person he was before! Go with something you'd gift him any other day.
10. Ask him what he wants, if you have no idea. It's not perfect, and some fathers might not like it, but at least it shows that you care and that you want to do something he really enjoys. His answer might surprise you!

The best thing? You can do a couple of those, as many of them aren't really expensive. What about dressing your kid up as Luke Skywalker while dad sleeps in and bringing him breakfast to bed on a tray where a card with your baby's hand and footprints says "Happy Father's Day, Daddy!". I bet he'd love it!

Oath's mom

Oath's Birthday

Some days ago my little boy turned one. I had expected it to be an emotional moment, or that at least I'd spend the evening thinking about all the feelings and pain and nerves that I went through one year ago. But nothing of this happened. I didn't even notice it when 07:07pm (the minute he was laid on my chest for the first time) went by. It was when we were coming back home, near 10pm, when I looked at him, so peaceful in his car seat, looking at the sunset and smiling at the trees, that I thought that he had been by my side for longer than a year.

So hard to believe, and yet so easy!

I had never cared about birthdays before, they just seemed like an excuse to celebrate and eat cake. Not that eating cake is bad, but... well, it wasn't something I looked forward to. Even my last birthday I felt like this. But with Oath's... Suddenly everything made sense. This is why we celebrate them! The joy of having lived a whole Sun revolution by the side of such an amazing human being was too big to not be celebrated.
And so I did.

I had wanted to host a party at our flat, and started preparing for it: I planned a cake, some party favors, invitations, some bunting to hang and under which to take a family photo... Things never go exactly as planned, though, so we ended up at my in-laws. Part of the reason was that my mom and my sisters were visiting, and our apartment is too small.

I had already done the crocheted bunting, which is now hanging on our bedroom's window, waiting patiently for the day Oath's room will be ready. Hopefully, that will be soon and he'll have a place full of color to play in (and our living room will have less toys on the floor!)

I also made the cake, and oh, was it good! It was just a striped yogurt and chocolate cake, with Nutella, straight from the jar, as frosting/glue (so yummy!). While decorating, I discovered that fondant is easier to work with than I expected, though it is extremely sweet.

And a batch of cookies following this recipe, but there are no photos: we ate them fast! I did not use vanilla (I don't like it, so I skip it in many recipes), and they tasted like pure cocoa, not too sweet. Perfect after the extra-sweet cake!

Everything else did not get done, but I don't mind much. Close family does not need an invitation, and I can still do the photo book with the best of this past year's photos. What is important is the joy, the celebration of the time spent together, the renewal of that mother's oath (which I may re-write soon, because life changes and grows and so do my promises to my little boy).

I love you, Oath. Happy birthday, my son.

Oath's mom

April 15th Menu Plan + Baby menu plan!

It's been nearly a month since the last time I menu planned, which means I am really out of shape doing it now!

Back to basics, as I always do when I am feeling stressed (which is too often, sadly).

For me (and, sometimes, Partner):

Monday

• Lunch: Onion soup chicken drums
• Dinner: Puff-pastry roll

Tuesday

• Lunch: Chicken strogonoff + rice
• Dinner: Scrambled eggs with mushrooms

Wednesday

• Lunch: Broccoli and cauliflower with white sauce
• Dinner: Hake fillets with caramelized onions

Thursday

• Lunch: Ground beef fajitas
• Dinner: Homemade pizza

Friday

• Lunch: Pasta with tuna.
• Dinner: Roasted peppers and eggplant salad with tuna.

Saturday

• Lunch: Vegetable soup (zucchini, carrots, onion, cabbage and potato)
• Dinner: Fried rice with shrimps.

Sunday

• Lunch: Pasta with bacon and cream.
• Dinner: Ramen or Leftovers, if any.

Possible breakfasts in no particular order

• 3 minute chocolate cake-in-a-cup
• Fried banana with chocolate ice-cream and drizzled raw honey
• Mixed berries and strawberry yoghurt smoothie.
• Chocolate and strawberry muffins
• Yoghurt with diced fruit
• Chocolate milk with cookies
• Puff pastry roll leftovers

For Oath (baby menu plan):

Monday

• Mid-morning: Baked apple.
• Lunch: Chicken pieces and bread crust.
• Mid-afternoon: Baked apple, again.

Tuesday

• Mid-morning: Cereals with breastmilk
• Lunch: Chicken, onion and carrot soup with rice.
• Mid-afternoon: Pear.

Wednesday

• Mid-morning: Orange
• Lunch: Steamed broccoli and cauliflower.
• Mid-afternoon: Hake.

Thursday

• Mid-morning: Cereals with breastmilk
• Lunch: Beef, peppers, carrot, onion. Cut in small bits.
• Mid-afternoon: Apple.

Friday

• Mid-morning: Cereals with breastmilk
• Lunch: Pizza.
• Mid-afternoon: Pear.

Saturday

• Mid-morning: Cereals with breastmilk
• Lunch: Vegetable soup, without salt.
• Mid-afternoon: Banana.

Sunday

• Mid-morning: Cereals with breastmilk
• Lunch: Fish, peas and zucchini, pureed.
• Mid-afternoon: Baked apple.

Linking up at I'm an Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday and at Erin Branscom's Menu Monday!

Oath's Mom

Traveling alone with a baby: 10 things to make it easier

I'll be honest: traveling with a baby is harder than traveling without. When there's two (or more!) adults, things are bearable, but when there's only one? Then things get real. I can't imagine how it'd be to travel one adult with more than one baby... or a baby and a toddler. But that's not what I know about, so lets get back to the one adult-one baby traveling, shall we?

As you know, I am able to visit my family often (and they are coming to see Oath quite often, too, so I've seen them a lot this past year! This is strange, but nice). Oath is getting to know them despite living so far away, and I am really happy for it. I know I am blessed to be able to do it, though, as not every parent who lives far from home can, so I take every opportunity to go now. Nobody knows when things are going to change, right? 

Partner, on the other hand, can't come with us every time. Because, thankfully, he has a job to keep: a job that pays, and that pay feeds us. And food always goes first (well, not really, but you know what I mean).

This means that I and Oath travel alone. Since we cross the security check one one airport until we get out of the door of the other airport, we're on our own. One (petite and skinny) girl and her (stubborn and vocal) little boy.

I arrive exhausted, but I've been learning some tricks that make it easier for everyone (Oath, me, the other passengers...):

1. Dress to walk, not to impress. This one is quite obvious, but I've seen some people at the airport that just make me wonder what they're there for. No stiletto heels, tight mini skirts, clothes too big they threaten to fall down... Tennis shoes, jeans and a polar fleece jacket (it can get chilly on the plane!) are my go-to clothes for traveling: simple and comfortable.
2. Dress the baby in easy to change clothes, too. Chances are there won't be any messy accidents, but if there are you'll be glad you didn't dress her in that cute dress that's so hard to button, or those jeans that fit him so well that they do not come out easily.
3. The less luggage, the better. Both checked-in and cabin. You'll probably have to carry a child most of the time, there's no need to burden yourself with even more weight!
4. Backpacks are your friends. I put everything I'll need in a backpack, and this way my two hands are always free. Or they would be if I didn't have a baby!
5. Put one change of clothing for the baby on the backpack... and one for you! There's no need to have some extra jeans in there, but a t-shirt is always welcome when that burp was a bit more than just a burp (it happens to the best of us, right?).
6. Forget the pram, use a baby carrier. If possible, a wrap, because they have no metal in them and so you can pass through the control arc with your baby strapped on you. I wouldn't trust a ring sling or another kind of carrier to not set the alarms off, but I believe that it is much easier to navigate through an airport with as few things as possible... and a pram is a pretty big thing! (also, I know I wouldn't be able to fold it to pass it through the X-rays... and there's so many people there I can't trust there'll be a security guard to help me!)
7. Bring some snacks for you and for baby if you are weaning. There's nothing that upset Oath more than having to wait in line at a cafe for me to get a sub or any other food, I don't know why. I try to bring some dry snacks (nuts, crackers, a sandwich...) and this way I can buy a bottle of water from vending machines (which Oath has nothing against).
8. Bring one special toy. I have one that Oath only plays with while we're traveling. He loves it, and never gets bored of it because it's always new to him. Something small, that you can pop easily in your bag, it's best (ours is a rattle, and while I am sure some other passengers do not like me much because of it, I know they would like us less if Oath started his "I am bored, I want to go somewhere!" screaming!)
9. Go with extra time, always. If you think you need one hour, plan for one and a half, and then add some. You'll end up waiting because you've been early, but that's much better than having to run because you are too late!
10. And, last but not least, do not be ashamed to ask for help. This can be hard for some of us: if you are like me, you feel that if you have to ask for help you are a failure as a mom. But no, you are not. You just know your limits. Getting your backpack from the overhead storage can be tricky with a baby in your arms or in a carrier, and so can be many other things. If you need help, ask for it. There'll be many people glad to help you!
11. And a bonus one: feed your baby at take-off and landing. It'll help with ear pain and, with a bit of luck, he'll fall asleep after and will sleep through part of the flight!

I have many more, but most of them might not work for other people: for instance, I always dress him with his cow socks, so when he kicks the bells in the cow heads jingle and he gets amused; or I let him have a pacifier, even though he does not use it, because he likes to chew it and play with it (it's like and extra special toy!) and it is hard to loose, what with being clasped to his clothes.

Any of you travel with babies often, too? What are your tips and tricks?

Oath's mom

10 activities you can do with your baby

So, you are a motivated parent that want to help your baby learn... but you don't really know how. That little being is so little! There are many doubts that can come to your mind, but the most usual one is a literal "What can I do?". This is not a school aged kid that you can teach the science behind baking some muffins, nor a toddler who you can play ball with. No maths, no reading, no running or walking or even crawling (some rolling, maybe), no talking. What can you do, educationally talking, with a kid that age? There doesn't look like there's much, does it?

But the truth is that train of thought is wrong. 

You can do everything. With minds that young, everything is an educational experience. Breathing, eating, listening, watching... all those things they've never experienced before are things your baby learns from. It will never be so easy to plan an educative activity for your little one.

Want some ideas?

1. Give her different foods to eat. Even something so simple as a sip of water can be mindblowing for a newborn and, lets be honest, we're probably talking more about 6 months olds than newborns here, so no need to stick only to water. Of course, follow always your doctor's advice, but some drops of clear, pure water (boiled or bottled, so there are no nasty bugs at all) won't do any harm.
2. Help him smell flowers, herbs, a perfume... No need to go all fancy here either: when you are cooking pass the oregano close to his nose, let him smell a rose when you come close to one, wear a soft perfume while cuddling him... anything will do. If you want to plan it a bit more, search contrasting smells: minty, sweet, flowery, spicy, soft and strong, good and bad: you can let him smell a clove of garlic first and then a lavender sachet, and see if he reacts differently.
3. Tickles! Soft feathery tickles for the younger ones, closer to a massage than anything else; giggle inducing tickles for an older baby. Kiss the palms of her hands, gently scratch the soles of his feet, pass a lock of your hair through her face. Oath loves it when I try to eat his chin!
4. Sing songs, and not only nursery rhymes: your favorite song, some mindless humming, a childhood favorite... the more varied the better. Sing some loud and others whispering, some more monotonous and others in full tune. And do not be afraid to get it wrong! Your baby loves your voice and it's different inflections, and doesn't care if you miss a note or got the words wrong.
5. While we're talking about music, we shouldn't forget dancing. Dance in front of your baby, so he can see you, and dance with your baby. Different tunes, so he gets to experience the simpler rhythm of a vals and the not so rhythmic bouncing around you do when you're just being silly.
6. Show her some simple colorful figures or things. A red ball, a yellow flower, a striped jacket... look for bold colors in big blocks at first (red, black and white are a good starting point) and get her attention to subtler things when she's older. Extra points if you tell her out loud what she's looking at (lots of "Look! There's a lamplight down there, Oath, isn't it pretty? And the green of all those leaves makes you happy, doesn't it?" have been heard a lot around here while looking through the window)
7. Sensory books are a whole world worth's experiencing. You get the whole package with many of them: colors, shapes, sounds, textures... even smells! And a book is a great toy to get your baby used to.
8. Lap games, as in games you play with the baby sitting (or laying) on your lap. Bouncing him up and down are the most common ones, but there are many others, popular in different countries. The one Oath loves more is to grab my hands, lean close to my face and then throw himself back until he's upside down, giggling.
9. And, of course, reading! We covered that in another post, already, so you can go here for more details.
10. Last but not least, a complete sensory experience that many kids love: bathtime. The warm water, the trickling sounds, splashing, soap bubbles and soap smell... and all the cute toys you can toss in the bathtub to play with!

Those are only 10 of the many that have come to my mind today. I'm sure you can find many more that you are already doing with your little one! Remember, anything can be a learning experience for them, so do not be afraid to show them new things!

 Oath's mom

10 things you can do to teach your baby to read

What do you say? That babies do not read?

Well, then. You are right. Not even the most intelligent babies can read, just the same as they can't perfectly understand cultural customs or follow pedestrian laws.

But babies can learn to want to read. And that, my friends, is the biggest step towards learning to read. But how do you make a baby want to read? With older kids and toddlers, it seems difficult (even though it doesn't have to be), but doable. But a baby? Isn't it too soon to try to teach them.

The answer is yes (it's an age to learn, not to be taught) and no (but babies learn through imitation, and it is never too soon to introduce them to good behaviors, like reading). You can kindle your kid's curiosity towards reading as soon as he starts getting interested in things. How? Try these:

1. Read. Who does your baby look up to to learn new things? He learns to smile when you react to his smile smiling back; she learns to talk when you respond to his babble. The things you eat, he wants to try... the books you read, she wants to read too. Let your baby see you read: maybe a novel, a magazine, a letter... Let it become part of what he usually sees you doing, and soon he'll want to do it too.
2. Read to him/her. Even when she doesn't show much interest, read her aloud one short baby book, some fragment of what you are reading, some verses of the Bible/Quran/your religious book of choice (if you are religious). Maybe just sit with a picture book and explain her what she can see on every page. It doesn't need to be for long.
3. Have books on display. While it isn't as important as #1 or #2, seeing books around will help your kid see them as something normal, usual, a part of daily life.
4. Let her/him play with books. Of course, keep the most fragile ones, the ones you want to keep perfect away from his grasp, but let him play with the others. He will bite them, try to tear the pages, drool all over the covers... Gently stop him breaking them, show him how to turn the pages (even if he won't learn for a long time), how to treat with respect the written words. And do not worry if he keeps trying to eat them: it's his way to show he's interested!
5. Set a book-reading time. With Oath, we read before bedtime. After the bath, I put him in his crib and sit on the bed by his side. I give him one or two of his baby books for him to explore and I grab a book for me (a novel, or one of my university text books if an exam is coming up). I read while he plays, and every once in a while I help him turn a page, read a bit to him or show him the colorful pictures. When it's clear he's tired of it, he nurses and goes to sleep, but every day we have our reading time together, and he seems to like it more and more every time.
6. Go to the library or the bookstore, let her "choose" some books to read. At first she will be drawn only to the colors, but as she grows older your baby will learn new ways to choose: big books or small ones, books with animals on the cover or books with real photos... Also, she will get used to going there, and you can forge a habit that will last for life.
7. Change things up in his baby library. Have different kinds of books (albums, photo books, plastic inflatable ones for the bathtub, cloth ones...) and rotate from the beginning, so your baby does not get tired of always seeing the same, or overwhelmed because he has too many to choose from. Bringing back an old favorite, or adding a new one, can spark his curiosity again.
8. Show him older siblings/cousins/friends reading. Kids like to copy other kids, so if there's an older sibling reading the baby is more likely to want to try it.
9. Read some more. Because you can never read too much around a child and it's the way of sparkling their interest. And it's also good for you!
10. Never force reading, or a book, on him/her. Does that one need explaining? Babies are stubborn, and they change their minds a lot. What they love today, they won't want to have anything to do with tomorrow, so breathe deep and go with the flow.

Have I missed something? What would you do to encourage your baby to love books?

Oath's mom

The rainbow basket

After writing my post about the treasure basket, I headed out to buy some yarn. Multicolored, rainbowy yarn. I went for some cheap acrylic, as I knew that if I bought nice yarn for a crochet basket I'd end up feeling too guilty, and the basket would never be crocheted. I hadn't much hopes to find enough colors, as my previous experience is that the shop where I was going does not have many shads. But oh, was I proved wrong! The only one I could not find was navy blue, but that precious minty teal made up for it. And the orange... such a vibrant, lovely orange!

I started crocheting as soon as I arrived home, while Oath played with the basket. The first rows went by so fast! The circle was growing, and growing, and I was smiling more and more. It's amazing how colors can change our mood so much, isn't it?

I found out too late, though, that in my excitement I had made a mistake. Or, rather, a couple of them. The yarn band says it is a "sport grossa", what I (in my little experience) would call DK. I was working with a 7mm hook in US dc / UK trebles. And I was crocheting a basket. I am sure some of you can go where this is going, right?

It was floppy. The sides would not stay up at all, and fell in a very blankety fashion. Which would be very nice if it was a blanket, or a pillow, or something drapey. But not a basket. But I wasn't going to go back. It's work is containing all the little toys, not being really stiff, and I can live with falling basket walls. So, it is floppy still. Want to see?

And doing it was so simple! The most difficult thing was the border, and I'm not calling it difficult seriously. I remembered Lucy's (from Attic24) "Spot-on" border (at least, I think that's how she called it...), and tried to replicate it without searching again for the tutorial. It doesn't look quite the same, but I think it's pretty. And it's not going to be seen much, anyway, as I have to roll down the border in order to make the basket stand!

Ah, I love looking at it. It makes me so happy, now that winter feels long already but spring isn't here yet. Don't colors make you happy at this time of year?

Oath's Mom

Oath's first treasure basket

Do you remember my last (and completely unrelated to anything) 10 things... list? I managed to achieve 5 out of 10 (numbers 1, 2, 6, 8 and 10), so it wasn't that bad, but not a huge success either. But I'm not here today to talk about this. I am here to talk about number 1. Do you remember number 1?

1. Start a treasure basket for Oath.

A treasure basket is a basket (duh!) or other open container full of baby-safe things, interesting for their colors, textures, materials, sizes... They can have an ongoing theme (nature baskets, made only with things directly out of nature, like rocks, leaves, shells, pinecones... for example) or not, and depending on the items they are suitable for babies up to 2 years old (or more, as everything, it depends on the kid!). As soon as they can sit unassisted they are ready for treasure baskets.

Oath has been sitting unassisted for a while now, but Christmas and the exams period got in my way and I didn't start the basket until late January. But once I started, it was so fast! First, I got the basket:

I plan on changing it as soon as I get my hands on some multicolored balls of chunky yarn. This one if wooden and not of the best quality, so I am afraid it can break if Oath gets rough, and don't want to risk it. For now it works, with the cloth lining and under my constant supervision, but I hope I can crochet a new, rainbow-y basket, soon and change it.

All the things I put in I already had around. There is:

• A natural sponge
• A plasticky fake lottery ticket
• A black small bag
• One of his spoons
• A wooden spoon
• A button bracelet
• A red crocheted bin
• A plastic telephone with a bell inside
• Two metallic jar lids, one yellow, one red (the red isn't in the pic because he was playing with it at the time)
• Comb
• Two big corks (one plastic, one real cork)
• Felt ball with a jingle bell inside
• A crocheted brown arm-warmer (it appears as black, though)
• A plastic Nutella lid
• Two sheer fabric bags
• A train-shaped teether
• A crochet owl
• A wooden blue E letter
• A baby brush
• A plastic measuring spoon
• A wooden articulated snake/crocodile
• A small mirror (the unbreakable kind, of course)
• A small Tupperware glass/cup/measuring thingie.
• A maraca.
• A crocheted gecko bookmark like this one (not pictured because he was playing with it.)

There's a lot of space still left, and I'll keep my eyes open looking for new things, but for now I am glad to say it is kind of "finished". And such a success! He loves sitting there taking things out and (at times) putting them back in, biting, looking, touching, hitting, throwing them around. Win!

Oath's Mom