What My 2 Year Old Loves (at the moment)

I'm not sure what your 2-year-old is into these days, but here is what my little lady is obsessing over:

Frozen veggies - You're either gonna think I'm a genius or a bad, bad parent: I've convinced my daughter to eat (and love) frozen veggies. Straight out of the freezer, in their tasteless, frozen state. The story goes that I was making chicken pot pie a few weeks ago and I was behind schedule. My daughter was ready for dinner a good half hour before completion. To tide her over, I gave her a bowl of frozen veggies I had used in the pie. Something new and different tends to be a winner, so (in desperation) I gave it a whirl. She loved them. Frozen peas, frozen corn, frozen green beans, frozen carrots. It was just a generic brand bag from WholeFoods (they were the organic kind...I confess). She actually asks for frozen veggies now. So strange and awesome.

I get the mixed veggie pack, but I'm sure she'd love straight up peas.  Don't judge me.
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Plastic crayola scissors - Loves them. I got a three-pack this summer (very randomly...most people don't buy scissors for their 18 month olds) because I found them on clearance for almost free. In the last few weeks she's noticed them and decided she wants to cut things all day long. And she can because they're plastic and completely safe. It's like magic - they are dull to the touch but actually cut paper. Her favorite scissor game (probably not a term I should use and encourage) is using the green pair that cuts a jagged line to make "french fries".

This is the exact pack I nabbed. You can see how the green scissors would make great crinkle cut fries.
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National Geographic Magazine for Little Kids - My BFF got her a subscription to Nat Geo for her 2nd birthday and she's obsessed. It's a treat to get something in the mail just for her. They're the perfect size for her little hands to flip through the pages and they're all about wild animals, which is another thing she loves at the moment (see below: polar bears).  She also loves telling people that she reads magazines. Adorable.

What a great birthday gift - keep this one in your back pocket.
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Polar Bears - Any kinds and all kinds. Photos of them. My amateur drawings of them (which look like big guinea pigs). Stories about them. Stuffed animals, big and small. I made her "polar bear art" for her bedroom and it's a huge hit. I'll try to pull together a tutorial post if you're interested in trying it for your little one's room...or your room...or your bathroom.

She got this guy for her birthday and named him Duke.
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Cardigans - She seriously loves cardigans, which is no doubt my influence. But, really, cardigans are very lovable. She loves wearing them. She loves saying the word. Cardigan, cardigan, cardigan. She just loves them.

This is very close to the cardigan we just added to her collection. Hers is cream, but it was nowhere to be found on GAP.com. It must be sold out after all those hot pre-Christmas deals. This one's pretty cute though...
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What is your 2-year-old into these days? I'd love to hear about it - the good, the unusual, the highly unusual.

I Dig That Tom Guy From Maine

First, a disclaimer: I was given a free tube of toddler training toothpaste (say that 3 times fast) from Tom's of Maine. With that being said, everything you're about to read is my own opinion.

Typically I don't accept free stuff in exchange for posts or reviews or any sort of advertisement. Next Stop Baby has never been about me getting rich quick...or getting rich at all. So, I've turned down many a handout in an effort to stick to that general idea. Don't mean to brag. Too late. I have made a few exceptions over the years and this offer from Tom's of Maine seemed like an obvious one to add to the list for two reasons: 1) I love Tom's of Maine products. I use them in my home on a daily basis. 2) It was a tube of toothpaste being offered, not a bucket of cash. So, I accepted the offer with no strings attached. Meaning, I didn't promise to write this post. But, I feel a bit of a moral obligation to give this training toothpaste a shoutout anyway because I genuinely like the stuff. Or, more accurately, my daughter does.

Toddler tooth brushing has not been an urgent issue in my house. My daughter is quickly approaching two years of age and she has only eight teeth. A few more have finally broke through her gums, but they're barely visible. I know a couple two year olds who are working with a full set plus molars. So, with only eight teeth to her name, my husband and I didn't worry too much about jumping on the tooth brushing train in a real way. Sure, we got her a cute mini toothbrush and we talked about how to use it and persistently showed her how we brushed our teeth, but that was that. For a while.

Eventually, she started "using" her toothbrush with water. Using = sucking on. I've tried to teach the concept of spitting a few times, but it has not worked. Though, as my mother says, I'm sure she'll figure it out sometime before college. My mother consoles me frequently with the phrase "she'll figure it out sometime before college". After a couple months of water brushing sucking under her belt, I got the email from Tom's of Maine and accepted. The tube arrived in my mailbox shortly thereafter:

I initially worried about my failed spitting lessons, until realizing that it didn't matter because this toothpaste is "training toothpaste" and can be swallowed by the gallon, though I don't believe that's recommended. My daughter has used it for about a month and the biggest positive affect has been her improved interest in tooth brushing. In general, it's been a great addition to our tooth brushing routine. We've made no progress on the spitting front, but (again) with only eight teeth, time is on our side.

Now, I should probably give a bit more detail as to why I like this training toothpaste:

• Like all Tom's of Maine products, it's made with their stewardship model (natural, sustainable and responsible) in mind
• It's preservative free and artificial flavor and color free
• The flavor is "mild fruit" and is genuinely mild flavor. I'm not interested in my daughter brushing with something that tastes like a lollipop.
• The tube is a "no mess" dispenser so there's not gooey paste everywhere

A downer that should be noted: it costs $3.99 per tube. Not wildly cheap. But, each brushing uses such a minimal amount of toothpaste that I can see this tube lasting us quite a while. And, most naturally derived toddler toothpastes don't come wildly cheap. I did a quick Amazon.com search and found some reputable brands going for $10 for the same size tube. Wowza.

Final thought: I'm so glad it's fall. Bring on the cool weather and apple pie.

My Favorite Toddler Books

Including A Sick Day for Amos McGee in a recent(ish) post got me thinking about all the wonderful toddler books that my daughter has introduced to me. Technically, I've introduced her to them...but without her there would have been no introductions whatsoever, so she gets the credit. Reading is our favorite activity. She is absolutely insatiable when it comes to books. Some days she wants to read the same book over and over...and over...and over. Other days, we would get through her entire mini bookshelf, if I had the stamina.

With this in mind, here are four of my favorite toddler books that didn't exist (or I didn't know of) when I was a wee one.

Walter the Farting Dog by William Kotzwinkle and Glenn Murray - My daughter doesn't get the potty humor yet...probably because she doesn't use a potty yet...but I do. And it's fabulous.

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt - Another excellent comedy. And full of teaching moments as in "what color is this?".

A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead - This is total sweetness. It's about Amos and his best buds from the zoo.

Ladybug Girl by David Soman and Jacky Davis - This is a girl-power book. There's a nice message and it manages to avoid the hokiness that one would expect based on the title.

UPDATE (7/18/14): How could I have forgotten Otis? 

Otis by Loren Long - My daughter loves, loves, loves Otis and his friend the calf. This is another sweet one about friendship.

Most of these books were gifts. I guess other moms know what's up. Where do they find these gems? How do they get the inside scoop? How about you and your toddler - what do you love reading? What new books have you discovered together? I would love some suggestions, there's always a room for one more on the bookshelf...

A Gift of Wine and Animal Crackers

A couple weeks ago I shared my anxiety uncertainty about attending a first birthday party (post here).  I've never been to a first birthday party before (other than my own), so I wasn't quite sure what to bring by way of drink, food and gift.  I threw out a couple gift ideas and got some great feedback.  More to come on what I ended up choosing later in the week.

My instincts on the food and drink front pointed to apple juice and animal crackers, but before committing I consulted a friend with a two and a half year old.   I figured that after going through a first and a second birthday party she would have some practical advice.  And, she did:

Me - "Usually I would bring a bottle of wine to a house party, but this is a party for a one-year-old.  What do I bring?" 

My Friend - "A bottle of wine." 

Me - "Huh?"

Apparently adults who attend one-year-old's birthday parties still like drinking wine.  And, apparently, drinking wine is allowed if you're an adult guest.  Fantastic.  In fact, bringing apple juice to a one-year-old's birthday party could end up being an it's-the-thought-that-counts gift because it will go to waste unless there's a bunch of toddler aged guests.

Orange Juice + Champagne = delicious
Photo from Taste Spotting (cute blog). 

Then, my astute friend asked what time the party started.  I told her 11 am.  The record came to a scratching halt.  We both agreed that throwing back a couple glasses of wine at 11 am isn't standard good time behavior.  Keeping with the idea that alcoholic drinks are allowed at baby birthday parties, I asked whether mimosas, bellinis or bloody marys would be acceptable alternatives.  She suggested I go with mimosas - the orange juice could be enjoyed by guests of all ages and mimosas themselves are simple and celebratory.

The moral of the conversation is that the rules aren't all that different when it comes to baby parties and grown up parties.  The gift caters to the birthday girl/boy and the food and drink cater to the guests.  The difference is that common sense and moderation play a role at the baby parties, where as at some grown up parties...they don't.  A bloody mary while singing Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes is totally allowed, but a few tequila shots before pin the tail on the donkey would probably be inappropriate.

The following version of Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes would be inappropriate at a baby party or grown up party.  Watch at your own risk.