As most of you know, Briley's second birthday is coming up! We stated on her party invitations that gifts are not necessary, but we knew there would be a few of you who still wanted to get her something. And that's fine! A couple of you have even asked if we would be offended if you brought a gift....let me explain where we're coming from on this. We do not mind in the least if you want to get her something, but we didn't want everyone to be expected to bring a gift, like most birthday parties. The gifts are the least of our concerns and being that we are an one income family, we know how it is to feel obligated to bring a gift when we could use the money elsewhere.
Here's our thinking: gas and food prices are ridiculous so not buying a gift is one less thing to worry about for you all, I've never thought birthday parties should be all about the presents, she's too young to care either way, we only have two hours at the museum and I'd rather have all the kids playing rather than sitting there watching her open presents, our house cannot hold much more, and there have been too many toy recalls for me to have that many suggestions on what to get her. We have stayed away from most plastic toys and anything made in China, so when you eliminate both of those, there's really just not that much to choose from. I haven't bought her a toy since last Christmas and have actually had to get rid of a few because they were some of the ones made with the chemicals in the plastic and/or lead paint. Let's just say she'll be getting lots of wooden stuff for Christmas this year. It's too bad you can't just go to the store anymore and pick something out without worrying what's in it that may hurt your child.
But I digress.....it's a-okay with us if you want to get her something and whatever it is, we will appreciate it. We just wanted everyone to know why we requested no gifts and that if you want to honor our request, we will appreciate that just as much as a gift, for sure!
Friday, August 29, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Random Pics.....
Here are some random pictures of Briley from the past couple of weeks. Enjoy! (I've added some captions below each picture.)
Here she is shutting the door. She is really into this right now. Don't know why, but shutting doors is apparently great fun for her.
This is what happens when I tell her to smile :o)
And here she is with a very unbecoming facial expression attempting to attack me with the dreaded flower hand mitt. This is supposed to be used in the tub, but she uses it as a hand puppet/weapon.
Here she is shutting the door. She is really into this right now. Don't know why, but shutting doors is apparently great fun for her.
This is what happens when I tell her to smile :o)
She loooves going "side" (outside). She does freak out over the bugs (hey, she comes by it honestly!) but she will pick up worms. Although she usually pinches them in two pieces by accident. Oh well.
Dress up time! She gets all sorts of stuff out of her closet and asks for "hep" putting it on. Here she is in a raincoat with about 500 hairbows in her hair. Such a girl.
Reading books. One of her very favorite things to do. I hope this hobby lasts a long, long time.
And here she is with a very unbecoming facial expression attempting to attack me with the dreaded flower hand mitt. This is supposed to be used in the tub, but she uses it as a hand puppet/weapon.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Tomorrow is.........
........my first day of nursing school! WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
I might need to tone the excitement down a notch in order to not scare anyone off tomorrow.
I'm going to make this update short and sweet because I seriously need to hit the sheets......
Briley did great Saturday and now we have her picture and fingerprints in this little book thing. The place was packed, so apparently I wasn't the only mom who thought this was a good idea. Although, I'm pretty sure I WAS the only mom whose child decided it was a superb idea to get in the middle of the whole thing (it was set up in one big circle) and dance to the music from 102.1. Too bad I didn't have my camera on me for that. She put on quite the performance.
Also, I had my second nursing orientation last Friday and it went very well. I know it's going to be hard, but I it will definitely be worth it. Roane State's nursing program has a 97% first time pass rate for the state boards and 100% job placement for all graduates before they even graduate! So that means I most likely won't fail my test to get my license and I will definitely have a job. Yipeee! But the best part of orientation was free food. I'm kidding. Ok, maybe not. I've never been one to turn down food, especially if it's free and Parkwest, Fort Sanders, Methodist, etc. had McAllister's cater the event. I can't argue with that. Oh, and I made a couple of friends, although no one close to my age. I know you're thinking that since I'm 22 and just now starting this program that everyone must be younger, right?? WRONG! I'm one of the youngest in the whole group. Weird. But it's pretty cool that all of these people are going back to school for this.
And finally, we decided to hit up Dollywood today one last time before school starts. We will definitely be back since we have season passes, but we won't be able to go as much as we used to. Plus, we hadn't been since June, due to my surgery and the fact that I wouldn't be able to ride the roller coasters. Boring! Briley actually enjoyed the carousel and is such a big girl now because she rides the pigs all by herself. :o( The flying elephants are still terrifying, though. I'm sure she's having nightmares of Dumbo right now. I didn't get many pics of the trip because the place was packed, we were hot, I didn't feel good and we have about 10,000 pictures of the same old stuff from Dollywood since we go so often. But I might get around to posting a few of them here in a couple of days.
Ok, I must go to bed now.....tomorrow is a big day!
I might need to tone the excitement down a notch in order to not scare anyone off tomorrow.
I'm going to make this update short and sweet because I seriously need to hit the sheets......
Briley did great Saturday and now we have her picture and fingerprints in this little book thing. The place was packed, so apparently I wasn't the only mom who thought this was a good idea. Although, I'm pretty sure I WAS the only mom whose child decided it was a superb idea to get in the middle of the whole thing (it was set up in one big circle) and dance to the music from 102.1. Too bad I didn't have my camera on me for that. She put on quite the performance.
Also, I had my second nursing orientation last Friday and it went very well. I know it's going to be hard, but I it will definitely be worth it. Roane State's nursing program has a 97% first time pass rate for the state boards and 100% job placement for all graduates before they even graduate! So that means I most likely won't fail my test to get my license and I will definitely have a job. Yipeee! But the best part of orientation was free food. I'm kidding. Ok, maybe not. I've never been one to turn down food, especially if it's free and Parkwest, Fort Sanders, Methodist, etc. had McAllister's cater the event. I can't argue with that. Oh, and I made a couple of friends, although no one close to my age. I know you're thinking that since I'm 22 and just now starting this program that everyone must be younger, right?? WRONG! I'm one of the youngest in the whole group. Weird. But it's pretty cool that all of these people are going back to school for this.
And finally, we decided to hit up Dollywood today one last time before school starts. We will definitely be back since we have season passes, but we won't be able to go as much as we used to. Plus, we hadn't been since June, due to my surgery and the fact that I wouldn't be able to ride the roller coasters. Boring! Briley actually enjoyed the carousel and is such a big girl now because she rides the pigs all by herself. :o( The flying elephants are still terrifying, though. I'm sure she's having nightmares of Dumbo right now. I didn't get many pics of the trip because the place was packed, we were hot, I didn't feel good and we have about 10,000 pictures of the same old stuff from Dollywood since we go so often. But I might get around to posting a few of them here in a couple of days.
Ok, I must go to bed now.....tomorrow is a big day!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Couple of Things Going On
I meant to post this earlier in the week, but I forgot about it - of course. Shoney's is sponsoring a KidCare Photo ID Program where your kids can get their pictures and fingerprints put onto a card (in case your child goes missing) for FREE. Most of you know what this is because it has been around for awhile. Adam and I both remember having ours done back in the day. Today they are having it at West Town and tomorrow they are having it at Foothills Mall. I'm taking Briley in a few minutes because this is the only chance younger kids have to get these made since they usually have to wait until elementary school to do this.
Also, Old Navy has certain jeans for kids and babies on sale for $7 and some for adults for $12. I don't think I've ever spent $7 on Briley a pair of jeans because I'm pretty thrifty, but this still isn't a bad price. We aren't buying any because I always try to buy ahead when I find a good deal and I found her Old Navy jeans on clearance and some used Gap jeans ($2.99 and a couple more pair for $4.99!) a while back. Just wanted to throw that out there, though, because you probably won't find them much cheaper unless they are on an extreme clearance later on in the year.
There are a couple of other things I wanted to post, but those will have to wait until later because Briley and I are fixing to head out to the mall! She hasn't been much of one for having her picture made here lately, so it will be interesting to see how she cooperates for this!
Also, Old Navy has certain jeans for kids and babies on sale for $7 and some for adults for $12. I don't think I've ever spent $7 on Briley a pair of jeans because I'm pretty thrifty, but this still isn't a bad price. We aren't buying any because I always try to buy ahead when I find a good deal and I found her Old Navy jeans on clearance and some used Gap jeans ($2.99 and a couple more pair for $4.99!) a while back. Just wanted to throw that out there, though, because you probably won't find them much cheaper unless they are on an extreme clearance later on in the year.
There are a couple of other things I wanted to post, but those will have to wait until later because Briley and I are fixing to head out to the mall! She hasn't been much of one for having her picture made here lately, so it will be interesting to see how she cooperates for this!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Mmm mmm good.....
I had some slight reservations about cooking back when Adam and I started living together. It wasn't that I don't enjoy it - because I do. And it wasn't that I had no idea where to start - I'd made a few edible things back in the day. But I have this weird frustration with cooking - if I make something that's a flop, it makes me sooooo mad! I wasted all those ingredients and my time and dirtied all those dishes for nothing! Ugh! It makes me irritated just thinking about it. (Ask Adam - I'm still ticked off about my baked spaghetti fiasco.) But surprisingly I have only made a couple of things so far that haven't been winners. I'm not embarassed to admit it, either - not everything is going to be perfect. Trial and error, I say!
But anyhow, whenever we try something new (which is pretty often because I'm not much for using the same recipes over and over), I always ask Adam if it's a keeper. We both have to agree for me to keep the recipe in my file.
And one of the best things I've made are these turkey burgers! They're really easy and so much better for you than hamburgers. We don't eat too much red meat around here because we try to eat pretty healthily. Adam actually eats better than I do, for the most part (I'm guilty of the occasional sweet tooth) and he has said over and over that he likes these better than hamburgers. That means a lot because this guy likes his meat! Here's the recipe:
1 pound ground turkey
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon seasoned bread crumbs
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon finely diced onion
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1/3 clove garlic - peeled and minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Then just mix it all together, form your patties and fire up the grill! (Or cook in a skillet over medium heat). Internal temperature should be 180 degrees. My mom bought Adam a meat thermometer that we use ALL the time because Adam tends to cook our meat on the rare side when he's using the grill - and it's not on purpose! :o) Some people may enjoy their steak a little on the rare side, but I don't know ANYONE who likes biting into a undercooked piece of chicken! Ha!
By the way, I got this recipe off of allrecipes.com. I love this website - you can search by the ingredients, of course, but all of the recipes are rated by people who've made them before. Lots of people even leave comments letting others know how they improved the recipe. Very helpful!
But anyhow, whenever we try something new (which is pretty often because I'm not much for using the same recipes over and over), I always ask Adam if it's a keeper. We both have to agree for me to keep the recipe in my file.
And one of the best things I've made are these turkey burgers! They're really easy and so much better for you than hamburgers. We don't eat too much red meat around here because we try to eat pretty healthily. Adam actually eats better than I do, for the most part (I'm guilty of the occasional sweet tooth) and he has said over and over that he likes these better than hamburgers. That means a lot because this guy likes his meat! Here's the recipe:
1 pound ground turkey
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon seasoned bread crumbs
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon finely diced onion
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1/3 clove garlic - peeled and minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Then just mix it all together, form your patties and fire up the grill! (Or cook in a skillet over medium heat). Internal temperature should be 180 degrees. My mom bought Adam a meat thermometer that we use ALL the time because Adam tends to cook our meat on the rare side when he's using the grill - and it's not on purpose! :o) Some people may enjoy their steak a little on the rare side, but I don't know ANYONE who likes biting into a undercooked piece of chicken! Ha!
By the way, I got this recipe off of allrecipes.com. I love this website - you can search by the ingredients, of course, but all of the recipes are rated by people who've made them before. Lots of people even leave comments letting others know how they improved the recipe. Very helpful!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Briley vs. Daddy
Adam is a wonderful father. Don't get me wrong about that. And I am very thankful and fortunate that Adam believes that taking care of Briley, cleaning, cooking, bill paying, appointment making, and errand running, all while going to school, is much harder than him being at work all day. (Although I am more than appreciative and respectful of his hard work and long hours, for sure.) But man oh man - bless his heart when it comes to watching Briley on his own. He rarely has to keep her by himself (much to his relief) and it had been since June that the two were left to their own devices. Until this morning.
People, he was alone with her for FOUR hours and you would have thought I'd went on a weeklong vacation. The house was a complete disaster (I'm talking food on the floor, dishes stacked up, toys everywhere) and he said, "I don't know what got into her or why she only does this with me, but she wouldn't listen to anything I said! And she won't keep her hands off of anything. And she's like a leach on me. All she does is yell 'Dadadadadada'. And sometimes when I told her 'no', she wouldn't even listen to me and did what I told her not to ON PURPOSE! Can you believe that?! And the reason everything is a mess is because there was just NO WAY I could clean up anything with her around. She was into EVERYTHING."
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I could have just rolled on the floor laughing. He thought that Briley just acted that way with him - like she was taking advantage of him since he doesn't watch her often. Ummm, I guess she's just a perfect angel when he's gone, right?! Only in my wildest dreams.
Even though it isn't always smooth sailing, I think alone time for the two of them is important, though. Dads need to know how to take care of their kids, too! And he said that overall, he enjoyed his time with her. But I'm sure he's also thankful that these bonding sessions are few and far between. :o)
People, he was alone with her for FOUR hours and you would have thought I'd went on a weeklong vacation. The house was a complete disaster (I'm talking food on the floor, dishes stacked up, toys everywhere) and he said, "I don't know what got into her or why she only does this with me, but she wouldn't listen to anything I said! And she won't keep her hands off of anything. And she's like a leach on me. All she does is yell 'Dadadadadada'. And sometimes when I told her 'no', she wouldn't even listen to me and did what I told her not to ON PURPOSE! Can you believe that?! And the reason everything is a mess is because there was just NO WAY I could clean up anything with her around. She was into EVERYTHING."
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I could have just rolled on the floor laughing. He thought that Briley just acted that way with him - like she was taking advantage of him since he doesn't watch her often. Ummm, I guess she's just a perfect angel when he's gone, right?! Only in my wildest dreams.
Even though it isn't always smooth sailing, I think alone time for the two of them is important, though. Dads need to know how to take care of their kids, too! And he said that overall, he enjoyed his time with her. But I'm sure he's also thankful that these bonding sessions are few and far between. :o)
Monday, August 18, 2008
Telling Stories....
Briley went through that dreaded "No!" phase for quite a while. Every question I had for her always returned the same answer - NO. And while she still favors this answer above any other, she has been known to toss a few yes's in the mix - especially here lately. Here's a conversation from last week while we were driving home from daycare:
Me: So, did you have a good day at school today?
BEK: No!
Me: You didn't? Well, did you play with any of your friends today?
BEK: No!
Me: Not even Lana?
BEK: No!
Me: Did you go outside and play today?
BEK: No!
Me: Did you take a nap today?
BEK: No!
Me: Hmm....did you eat anything today?
BEK: No!
Me: Oh no! Well, did they change your diaper at all today?
BEK: No!
Me: Are you lying about all of this?
BEK: Yes!
And there you have it, folks.
Me: So, did you have a good day at school today?
BEK: No!
Me: You didn't? Well, did you play with any of your friends today?
BEK: No!
Me: Not even Lana?
BEK: No!
Me: Did you go outside and play today?
BEK: No!
Me: Did you take a nap today?
BEK: No!
Me: Hmm....did you eat anything today?
BEK: No!
Me: Oh no! Well, did they change your diaper at all today?
BEK: No!
Me: Are you lying about all of this?
BEK: Yes!
And there you have it, folks.
Me and My Girl
In the excitement of our busy weekend, I never had time to post any pictures.
I had lunch with my good friend Danielle, who I haven't seen in almost a year, and Briley and I got to spend some time hanging out with our friends Kara and Lily. We haven't seen them in awhile either (since January) so both of these visits were looong overdue. Lily is two months younger than Briley and they are just too funny when they get together. Briley calls her "Eee-Eee". So cute. And then I spent the rest of the weekend doing what everyone loves to do on a day off. Cleaning. I also made a cleaning chart so I can keep up with everything and not get overwhelmed once school starts. Yes, I am that nerdy. I made a cleaning chart - so sue me. I will not deny my love of organization and schedules!
Anyhow, here are some of the pictures I promised. I love this kid and all her facial expressions.
I had lunch with my good friend Danielle, who I haven't seen in almost a year, and Briley and I got to spend some time hanging out with our friends Kara and Lily. We haven't seen them in awhile either (since January) so both of these visits were looong overdue. Lily is two months younger than Briley and they are just too funny when they get together. Briley calls her "Eee-Eee". So cute. And then I spent the rest of the weekend doing what everyone loves to do on a day off. Cleaning. I also made a cleaning chart so I can keep up with everything and not get overwhelmed once school starts. Yes, I am that nerdy. I made a cleaning chart - so sue me. I will not deny my love of organization and schedules!
Anyhow, here are some of the pictures I promised. I love this kid and all her facial expressions.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Busy Busy Busy
Sorry for no updates, but I feel like my head is about to explode with all the stuff I've been trying to get done and all the stuff I have yet to do. Plus, I have what I refer to as "mommy brain" - I believe this is where you lose any kind of short term memory once you have given birth. I had such a great memory before Briley was born and now....well, let's just say it leaves much to be desired. I'm liable to forget Briley - oh wait, yeah right....that kid is a like a leach on mommy's leg. I can remember what I wore on the first day of school EVERY SINGLE YEAR, but I cannot remember simple, everyday things (like updating this blog). It's absurd.
Anyhow, I've been busy trying to do a MAJOR cleaning of the whole house. And I'm not just talking about the everyday chores.....I mean, we're getting down to the nitty gritty here. Ok, maybe I am stretching it by saying WE, but I have been cleaning out everything, getting rid of stuff, etc, etc. Tonight I started working on scrubbing down all the baseboards. I am doing all this in the hope that it will make nursing school less stressful. I have heard the horror stories about nursing school consuming your life (and this is from people that do not have kids) and I'm already worried. So I figure if my house if good to go, then that will ease the stress at least a little bit.
Also, Briley's birthday is coming up. Enough said, right there. I'm a very detail-oriented person and I take forever planning this kind of stuff. I do enjoy it, though. We have also decided to take her to Chattanooga on her birthday and possibly spend the night, so there's some more things to be taken care of. Last year we took her to the Knox zoo and this year we're going to take her to the aquarium and children's museum down in Chatt. Don't even ask what we've got up our sleeve for next year - we already have it planned and she's going to love it. Eventually, these birthday trips will cease to exist because we won't be able to take a trip for every kid's birthday! But we're enjoying her being our one and only while it lasts (don't worry, it will last for a while longer!) and so we spoil her accordingly. :o) (In a good way, of course!)
Plus, I've needed Adam's help with a few tasks and he hasn't been able to because he's been working ALL the time. He worked on his day off this week and this Sunday is also his turn to work (they alternate Sundays). No fun! What really saddens me, though, is that we're not going to have much time together as a family from here on out. Next week, I have some nursing stuff on his day off, so we'll only have Sunday together. Then the next week, I start school and go all day during his day off and he'll work that Sunday - so NO days together on those weeks. It ends up that we're only getting 2 full days a MONTH together while I'm in school. This really stinks. Guess we'll just have to make the most of those 2 days! And it's just something we'll have to deal with for the next couple of years.....
Ok, so that's a little (or a lot) about what's been going on with us this past week. Tune in tommorrow for new pics of Little Bit :o)
Anyhow, I've been busy trying to do a MAJOR cleaning of the whole house. And I'm not just talking about the everyday chores.....I mean, we're getting down to the nitty gritty here. Ok, maybe I am stretching it by saying WE, but I have been cleaning out everything, getting rid of stuff, etc, etc. Tonight I started working on scrubbing down all the baseboards. I am doing all this in the hope that it will make nursing school less stressful. I have heard the horror stories about nursing school consuming your life (and this is from people that do not have kids) and I'm already worried. So I figure if my house if good to go, then that will ease the stress at least a little bit.
Also, Briley's birthday is coming up. Enough said, right there. I'm a very detail-oriented person and I take forever planning this kind of stuff. I do enjoy it, though. We have also decided to take her to Chattanooga on her birthday and possibly spend the night, so there's some more things to be taken care of. Last year we took her to the Knox zoo and this year we're going to take her to the aquarium and children's museum down in Chatt. Don't even ask what we've got up our sleeve for next year - we already have it planned and she's going to love it. Eventually, these birthday trips will cease to exist because we won't be able to take a trip for every kid's birthday! But we're enjoying her being our one and only while it lasts (don't worry, it will last for a while longer!) and so we spoil her accordingly. :o) (In a good way, of course!)
Plus, I've needed Adam's help with a few tasks and he hasn't been able to because he's been working ALL the time. He worked on his day off this week and this Sunday is also his turn to work (they alternate Sundays). No fun! What really saddens me, though, is that we're not going to have much time together as a family from here on out. Next week, I have some nursing stuff on his day off, so we'll only have Sunday together. Then the next week, I start school and go all day during his day off and he'll work that Sunday - so NO days together on those weeks. It ends up that we're only getting 2 full days a MONTH together while I'm in school. This really stinks. Guess we'll just have to make the most of those 2 days! And it's just something we'll have to deal with for the next couple of years.....
Ok, so that's a little (or a lot) about what's been going on with us this past week. Tune in tommorrow for new pics of Little Bit :o)
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Briley's Favorite Animal
Ok, so I really have no idea what Briley's favorite animal is. But I do know that she calls most animals ducks. She is getting better about calling other animals by their correct names, but for the most part.....they are ALL are still ducks. That dog running past our house? Uh, that would be a duck, according to Briley. That cat in her book? Once again - a duck. You get the idea. Anyhow, we've went and fed the ducks at the lake once before, but it was a couple of months ago, so we went again today. Briley really gets into this - she literally screams "Hi!" at them, waves wildly and then tries to chase after them. They always scramble away in fear and she acts like she cannot fathom why they would be terrified of her. Today she even went into the lake up to her knees and Adam and I had to drag her out because she would have went all the way in, had we let her. We do have to be careful at these duck feedings, though - those things get crazy and just go nuts when it comes to food. Moldy bread is apparently very enticing. We've heard that they have tried to attack people before, so we always park close and leave the doors unlocked in case we need to jump in quickly. Ok - I know you all are laughing now, but seriously! Today they started approaching us and hissing when Adam couldn't get the bread out of the bag fast enough! Anyway, I took a few pictures of our outing, so enjoy!
All Better Now
Praise the Lord! Briley is back to her old self. I guess it was a virus, after all. I'm so thankful. She gets sick so often and I just hate it for her - I'm so glad that it didn't last long this time. Plus, she still doesn't have health insurance, so that makes everything even more worrisome for us when she is feeling bad. Of course, my first concern is her, but I do fear that if she gets bad we will have to rush her to the emergency room and that will cost a pretty penny. Anyhow, I have to go for now - today is Adam's day off and we are going to go do a couple of things since Little Bit is feeling better. Just wanted to let everyone know she is as good as new!
Monday, August 4, 2008
Safe Sippy Cups
I first started reading about this sippy cup issue back in January. And I was behind on it, even then! Some of this info had been out for awhile, but I had not come across it in any of my research. (Yes, some people may make fun, but I research EVERYTHING. Let me repeat that - EVERYTHING.) Many of the people I know with kids are informed on the topic by now, but I figure I'll put this out there just in case because I know there are still quite a few that have not heard of this yet. This has been on the news and there are many, many articles on the subject so you can always google it if you want even more info. (I will also have some links at the bottom for you.)
I'm going to try and make a long story short. In many of the sippy cups and bottles produced, there is a chemical in the plastic called BPA (Bisphenol A). There have been many studies that show that even low doses of the chemical cause many problems in animals, so we can only assume what they must do to humans. There have also been a couple of studies that actually do include humans and the results from those have not been positive, either. Breast cancer, prostate cancer, miscarriages, neurological issues and obesity are just a few of the concerns that are associated with BPA. It's just the tip of the iceberg, so to say. There is already legislation going on to hopefully completely ban the use of the chemical, but in the meantime, it's important that we pay attention to what we buy to make sure it is BPA-free. Especially when it comes to things that we buy for our kids. There are many countries that are ahead of us on this - for example, Canada officially declared BPA "toxic" back in April of this year and a ban on it should be issued in the coming months. Also, it's important to remember that while I'm focusing on sippy cups and bottles, there are many, many things that have BPA in them. We are in the process of switching our plastic dishes (especially those containers used for leftovers) to glass.
There is a vast selection of BPA-free sippies and bottles and there are products to fit every budget. When we first started throwing out Briley's old cups and buying new ones, there weren't that many options and her cups were very expensive. Over the past few months, though, this has become a huge deal and there are now more affordable BPA-free cups and bottles. Of course, you do get what you pay for, so the more expensive ones are nicer and more durable.
Here is a link that has more info on BPA (it also has some links that will direct you to even MORE info, if you are that interested) and also gives some ideas for safe sippies and bottles.
Info on BPA and Safe Sippy/Bottle Ideas
Also, something to note: some of the plastic sippies and bottles listed on some sites are only BPA-free if they are the newest versions. So, say you have a Gerber sippy cup from 2007 - sorry, but it may contain BPA. Unless your plastic cups have been purchased very recently, I'd be super careful about trusting that they are BPA-free. Some manufacturers only made their products BPA-free when they started getting lots of bad press, so just because they are now advertising their stuff as BPA-free doesn't mean it was always so.
Here are our favorite cups:
Thermos Foogo
Sigg Sippy
Take and Toss - We use these for mealtime because they are easier to wash than the others, but the downside is that they are NOT "no-spill" so we have to be extra careful.
Alright, I guess that's about it for now. If I come up with anything else, I'll let ya know! :o)
I'm going to try and make a long story short. In many of the sippy cups and bottles produced, there is a chemical in the plastic called BPA (Bisphenol A). There have been many studies that show that even low doses of the chemical cause many problems in animals, so we can only assume what they must do to humans. There have also been a couple of studies that actually do include humans and the results from those have not been positive, either. Breast cancer, prostate cancer, miscarriages, neurological issues and obesity are just a few of the concerns that are associated with BPA. It's just the tip of the iceberg, so to say. There is already legislation going on to hopefully completely ban the use of the chemical, but in the meantime, it's important that we pay attention to what we buy to make sure it is BPA-free. Especially when it comes to things that we buy for our kids. There are many countries that are ahead of us on this - for example, Canada officially declared BPA "toxic" back in April of this year and a ban on it should be issued in the coming months. Also, it's important to remember that while I'm focusing on sippy cups and bottles, there are many, many things that have BPA in them. We are in the process of switching our plastic dishes (especially those containers used for leftovers) to glass.
There is a vast selection of BPA-free sippies and bottles and there are products to fit every budget. When we first started throwing out Briley's old cups and buying new ones, there weren't that many options and her cups were very expensive. Over the past few months, though, this has become a huge deal and there are now more affordable BPA-free cups and bottles. Of course, you do get what you pay for, so the more expensive ones are nicer and more durable.
Here is a link that has more info on BPA (it also has some links that will direct you to even MORE info, if you are that interested) and also gives some ideas for safe sippies and bottles.
Info on BPA and Safe Sippy/Bottle Ideas
Also, something to note: some of the plastic sippies and bottles listed on some sites are only BPA-free if they are the newest versions. So, say you have a Gerber sippy cup from 2007 - sorry, but it may contain BPA. Unless your plastic cups have been purchased very recently, I'd be super careful about trusting that they are BPA-free. Some manufacturers only made their products BPA-free when they started getting lots of bad press, so just because they are now advertising their stuff as BPA-free doesn't mean it was always so.
Here are our favorite cups:
Thermos Foogo
Sigg Sippy
Take and Toss - We use these for mealtime because they are easier to wash than the others, but the downside is that they are NOT "no-spill" so we have to be extra careful.
Alright, I guess that's about it for now. If I come up with anything else, I'll let ya know! :o)
Pictures soon - I promise!
I'm blaming the lack of pictures on Briley. She was crazy this weekend so I never got around to posting some. The "terrible twos" must be getting a head-start or something! Just kidding - she wasn't bad at all, she just wanted to test me on everything. The best is yet to come, huh?
On top of all that, she started coming down with something last night. She's had some congestion for the past couple of weeks, but that's nothing new for her. Then around 2:00 this morning she woke up full-blown sick. I had a doctor's appointment today that could not be re-scheduled, so she had to come with me, but she did surprisingly well. We just laid around the rest of the day because she felt horrible - her fever rose to a little over 103 and Motrin didn't even touch it. I'm pretty sure it's just a virus this time around, though. It's nothing like the pneumonia from a couple of months ago - thank goodness.
I've got to locate the cord for the camera in order to post some pictures and that may take a day or two because I've hid it and I can't remember where. Why did I hide it, you ask? Because Briley thinks the ends of the cord belong in her ears - like headphones. Haha. In the meantime, I am going to post a couple of things that I find very interesting. If you don't agree, you don't have to read it. :o)
On top of all that, she started coming down with something last night. She's had some congestion for the past couple of weeks, but that's nothing new for her. Then around 2:00 this morning she woke up full-blown sick. I had a doctor's appointment today that could not be re-scheduled, so she had to come with me, but she did surprisingly well. We just laid around the rest of the day because she felt horrible - her fever rose to a little over 103 and Motrin didn't even touch it. I'm pretty sure it's just a virus this time around, though. It's nothing like the pneumonia from a couple of months ago - thank goodness.
I've got to locate the cord for the camera in order to post some pictures and that may take a day or two because I've hid it and I can't remember where. Why did I hide it, you ask? Because Briley thinks the ends of the cord belong in her ears - like headphones. Haha. In the meantime, I am going to post a couple of things that I find very interesting. If you don't agree, you don't have to read it. :o)
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