Dressing Babies for the Cold

When it comes to winter clothes I never seem to be ahead of the game. I think I have it figured out and then it becomes so obvious that I don't when I look out the window and finally see snow.
I have indoor wear all covered, from sleep clothing to walk-around clothing to meal add-ons, along with sturdy footwear for the special moments when the child begins to walk. I have all the necessary outfits to slap on when it's time for a walk in the stroller. However it seems that winter always catches me off guard. Sooner or later it will be time to dress your baby for winter.
It's important to keep your baby cozy and warm but when are you going overboard when it comes to swaddling your kids clothing. So when is it too warm? When is it not enough and when is it too cold?
The bottom line is your baby will be feeling the same things you do. I dress my baby like I would dress to go outside and then add a thin layer more. I always check the temperature on the radio of television or the Net and you try to look ahead for possible changes (this is especially important to remember if you live in a wildly fluctuating weather zone, as exists in Colorado or parts of western Canada). Then you dress accordingly…
It is probably a good idea to avoid swaddling the kid in too much clothing. A baby that is too hot can get just a sick as one that is too cold. The baby can be compared to an engine that is overheating
The key to all of this is layering. I put a t-shirt on the baby, then another thinner shirt, then a sweatshirt and then a fleecy shirt. I also have an extra wool blanket on hand just in case it really gets cold. I also make sure that the baby's head is covered as like adults, babies lose heat through their heads. The same goes for his or her little fingers. The toes should also be swaddle up nicely. If the baby is too young for boots make sure that he or she is wearing an extra pair of warm socks.
If you're traveling in the car through snow, a good thing to keep in mind is that perhaps you dressed down a bit because you know you're not going to be in the cold for long before you're in a warm car. Good, then dress the child down as well. If you're really worried about it, bring along extra clothing but don't use it just yet. Wait until you get a clear signal from the child that it's too cold, and then start piling on the extra layers!

Parenting Tips
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Lunch Time and Recycling

Do you or your kids take their lunch to school or work? If so than these simple steps will help save money and also benefit the environment.
This article is about creating lunch with no waste. That means less trash filling up our public waste baskets. The challenge is to create a lunch in which every item included can be eaten or reused. In other words the take out meal that you create must be a masterpiece of recycling. Your goal is to create a lunch that cannot be disposed of in any way.
First off, no more plastic or paper bags allowed to be taken to school or work! You can reuse this lunch pail or lunch sack. You can carry a reusable lunch pail all year. The same lunch pail can also be handed down from kid to kid so you do not have to buy any more plastic. A reusable ice pack can help keep their foods cold and fresh.
There are also two products on the market that are really useful for keeping the amount of plastic we put in landfills down. These are Snack Taxi and Wrap-N-Mat. These are reusable sandwich and snack bags. They are easy to use and really cheap. Just think how much money you would save if you would finally have the chance to stop buying plastic baggies. Zip Lock bags are really expensive!
You can also invest in reusable plastic water bottles…By refilling a child's reusable water bottle in their lunch; you can save $0.50 to $1.00 a day because you don't have to buy pouch drinks or water bottles! For me that means saving about thirty bucks a month per child. So I am saving $120 a month because I have four kids.
To store your child's lunch items during the day, you can buy bulk products to reduce your packaging and expenses. There is no need any more for the individually packaged items that create a large amount of waste and are usually much more expensive. I use plastic reusable containers whenever possible. I train my kids to make sure they bring the container complete with lid home.
Creating environmentally friendly lunches are easier than you think. Teach your children about why they are using the items that they have and explain how saving the environment by eliminating their trash is going to help the planet. Usually it becomes a conversation piece at the lunch table and other children become quite engaged in the topic. The more we educate the children, the more we have made a difference. This is all part of raising more conscientious individuals who are aware of the effect of all of their actions on the environment.

Parenting Tips
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