Wonderwear Cloth Diaper Service Review & GIVEAWAY!

I love cloth diapers, but I have to admit that the more kids you have the less ideal washing your own cloth diapers becomes. Especially when you're trying to run a home, a few businesses, and perhaps stay sane in the process. So this spring when we faced the diaper dilemma with the pending arrival of our daughter Penny we debated Cloth vs Disposable once again, but this time we added the option of a service into the discussion.

There are so many incredible benefits of cloth diapers for the environment, our finances, and our baby's health (More Info), but the laundry involved can be daunting. I had never been keen on a service because they often bleach the diapers with harsh chemicals and some wash their diapers at facilities that also launder adult diapers for longterm care homes. As a health care provider and mother, this doesn't sit well with me.

So I was just a tad excited to learn about Wonderwear Modern Diaper Service, a weekly cloth diaper delivery service that provides cloth diapers and wipes as well as a host of amazing products for sale to their clients in and around the GTA (Service Areas). Wonderwear asked me to spread the word about their diaper service to my clients, but I needed to try them out myself before being able to review their quality. After 4 months of use I can say that we LOVE Wonderwear! Penny gets all the benefits of cloth diapers, and I don't have to do all the work! 

The Best Parts:

• Super Easy - Remove the wet diaper, wipe baby's bum, and toss the diaper and cloth wipe into the wet diaper bag provided. No rinsing, scraping, soaking etc. Put a fresh diaper and cover on baby and you're ready to go! Weekly delivery times are set by Wonderwear's neighbourhood schedule, but everything can be done from your doorstep without you needing to be there.
• Amazing Diapers - Super soft, fluffy and breathable, but also adsorbent because they are made of a combination of micro fibre & cotton. This means less leaks and rashes!
• Fit Like a Glove - 10 sizes (including nighttime heavy wetters and inserts) means they always fit properly, decreasing the risk of leaks. Simply send a quick email if you need to change your size, request more or less diapers, or pause the service for a vacation. 
• You Save $$ - I will admit that washing your own cloth diapers at home is the most economical you can go, but Wonderwear still ends up being cheaper than disposable diapers and wipes, especially when you consider that most cloth diapered children potty train earlier. 
• All Natural - No Bleach or chlorine is used in laundering Wonderwear diapers, just super hot water. This means the diapers always arrive smelling fresh and clean and don't cause irritation or rashes from built up detergent residue in the fibres. Plus they help reduce the huge impact diapers have on our landfills.

Enter now, by commenting below with your name and email address, for a chance to WIN a $50 Gift Certificate for Wonderwear Modern Diaper Service. *Plus make sure to check out our Facebook page & Instagram feed for 2 more chances to enter! Contest closes Friday Oct 14th 11pm EST and winner will be chosen at random and announced within 24 hours. *Prize must be redeemed for services and products delivered in the GTA (currently: North to Barrie, West to Hamilton, East to Oshawa) 

Good Luck!

- Care

*This is a sponsored post which means I was provided compensation and/or product for this post. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

DIY Baby Bum Balm Recipe

If you've ever battled a bad diaper rash with you little one, you know how difficult it can be to clear them up. After having a few with our kids over the years, and not loving any of the creams I bought, I decided to start making my own. This DIY bum balm makes a great thick barrier for sore bottoms and will help clear up even the worst diaper rash. It was adapted from a recipe handed down to me from my aunt, who makes it for her grandkids, and has healed more sore bottoms and cracked hands than I can count. I whipped some up over the weekend to help with Lucy's sore bum and within 12 hours it had worked its magic. It's that good!

This recipe is made up of a few simple ingredients and only takes minutes to make. I buy all my bulk ingredients at Anarres Natural Health right here in Toronto, but most can be found at your local health food store. The only issue making it, is that your handheld blender will be a mess after. Make sure to wipe off as much cream with a paper towel before attempting to wash it with soap and water. 

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp Shea Butter
• 2 tsp Zinc Oxide Powder *Please be cautious adding your Zinc Oxide powder, as it is dangerous if inhaled. Putting wet ingredients on top of the powder before mixing helps to decrease the risk. 
• 1 Tbsp Coconut oil 
• 1/2 tsp Calendula Oil
• 1/2 tsp Liquid Vitamin E

*Makes 1 small mason jar of cream

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a small bowl and mix well with immersion blender. You can add more Coconut Oil if you would like to make it slightly runnier, or more Shea Butter if you would like it thicker. Scrape out bowl with spatula and store in a small mason jar or any other small jar with a tight fitting lid.

Apply to Baby’s diaper area when red or irritated, or use regularly as a preventative cream. Please always remember to use a diaper liner for cloth diapers when using any diaper cream with Zinc Oxide. 

Hope this helps your family as much as it has helped ours.

- Care

The Bump to Baby Show

Join me on Sunday May 15th for a FREE Family Friendly Community Event, The Bump to Baby Show at the Wychwood Barns. As long as my baby stays on the inside (39 weeks on the 15th!) I’ll be speaking about “Pregnancy & Labour Prep: The Natural Way” with Rachel Schwartzman N.D & Silvia Kwon D.C at 12pm.

What to Expect:

• Shop, eat & learn in the market place from the best health-conscious businesses the city has to offer
• Participate in fun activities with your kids
• Enjoy live music
• Join us for free yoga sessions
• Enjoy free swag and a chance to win some amazing prizes
• Join us for informative question and answer sessions with leading experts in children’s education and alternative services
• Mingle with other expectant and new parents

Check out The Bump To Baby Show for a full list of vendors and to see some of the amazing swag & prizes that will be featured at the event. Plus, did we forget to mention it’s FREE! 

Hope to see you there!

Holiday Gift Guide for Babies, Toddlers & Preschoolers

When the holiday sales start to roll out it can be tempting to buy everything you see, but do you really need it? We try very hard to remind our children how fortunate we are, and focus on keeping gift giving small and on things that we truly need.

I love to make DIY gifts for the kids and our friends and family, but also always pick a few special gifts to buy for our little ones. We stick to the rule of “Something you Want, Something you Need, Something to Wear & Something to Read”. This year we added a new category “Something to Give”, and are making sure that we think of little ways we can help our community locally or globally every day.

Here are a few of my favourite gifts to give for little ones. Most items included are locally made or sourced from small local stores so that we can reduce our impact this holiday season, and support our local community. Hope you enjoy!  

*Use Promo Code: Withcare for 10% off purchases at Diaper-eez this holiday season

Something You Want: 

There are so many amazing toys available around the holidays, but I love to focus on buying presents that will be enjoyed over the winter months. A Sled is a perfect gift for kiddos of any age. Canadian Tire and many local hardware stores have excellent selections of beautiful Canadian made wooden sleds. From basic to fancy, single to triple occupancy, you can choose what’s right for your family and your budget.

Something You Need: 

With our frigid Canadian winters kid’s need quality winter gear. Here are a few ideas for necessary items that can double as Christmas gifts. 

My absolute favourite snow suit for little ones are the Mountain Equipment Co-op Toaster Suit. Toasty warm as the name implies, these snow suits are made to last through a few kids and never disappoint. Purchase online or locally at Mountain Equipment Co-op. 

For keeping those little hands warm my new favourite is locally made Mimitens. These brilliant mitts have fabric that extends up your little ones forearm to keep them warm and more importantly to keep them ON! If you have a constant mitt taker offer, you know how frustrating it is. Invest in a pair of these and ditch the daily fight. Purchase online or locally at Diaper-eez.  

A warm toque is always needed and my favourite this year is the Je T’aime toque by Whistle & Flute. Made on the West Coast these adorable hats are available locally from Amelie & Max and come in kid and adult sizes. Perfect for twinning! Purchase online from Amelie & Max and choose shipping or local Toronto pickup. 

Something To Wear: 

Little ones need warm feet whether they are lounging at home, out in the car, in the stroller or while babywearing. Padraig Cottage are by far my favourite Canadian made booties. They are soft, cozy, warm and don’t fall off like most other booties. Great for little ones of all ages and the perfect gift. Purchase online or locally at Diaper-eez. 

Something To Read:

Books are one of my all time favourite things to give as gifts. Reading and interacting with babies from a young age has been shown to be very beneficial for brain development.

For little ones who love to put stuff in their mouths and tear at paper, board books are ideal.  One of my absolute favourites is “On the Night You Were Born” by Nancy Tillman. An instant tear jerker for most parents. 

As your kiddos get older and want longer stories I love anything and everything by the super talented Oliver Jeffers. 

For this category also consider thinking outside of the box. Baby Sign Language Flash Cards and board games can be a great way to practice language development.

 
Something To Give:

If you haven’t heard of Cuddle + Kind yet, you need to check them out. These beautiful dolls are part of an incredible campaign to help decrease child hunger worldwide, as each doll purchased provides 10 meals to children in need. It’s too late to order them to arrive in time for this holiday season. Sorry! You’re probably wondering why I included them if their holiday orders were done a few months ago. The truth is I wanted to share them because I think they’re a great gift year round and knew I would have your attention. So get ordering for your 2016 birthday gift list!

Some other great ways to give back include purchasing a food hamper for a family in need in your community, supporting The Stop Community Food Centre which does amazing work in our city, and supporting local Syrian refugee aid groups like the Lakeshore Syrian Connection.

Hope you got some great ideas for your little ones and stay tuned for Part 2 of our Holiday Gift Guide tomorrow with great gift ideas for Expectant & New Moms! 

Don’t forget to use Promo Code: Withcare for 10% off purchases at Diaper-eez this holiday season

- Care

Top 3 Myths About Wills and Estate Planning – Guest Post by Laroux Peoples LLB

Please welcome guest blogger Laroux Peoples LLB, who is here to give us the ins and outs on wills and estate planning for young parents. Laroux is a local mom and lawyer whose practice focusses on wills and estates. She offers in home services, which are ideal for young families, plus a special perk of 20% off for Fifty-Seven’s clients & readers. If you need any help or advice please don’t hesitate to reach out to Laroux at Peoples Law.

Top 3 Myths About Wills and Estate Planning

Have you been avoiding getting your will done? You are not alone. Many Canadians procrastinate on this one. Young parents often think that it’s not important to get a will at this stage of life. To this, here are the top 3 myths about wills for young parents:

Myth #1: Wills only deal with money, and I don’t have much so why bother?
The most important part of a will has nothing to do with money, it’s about who would care for your child or children should something happen to both parents. This is called the Guardianship clause and allows you as parents to decide who would care for your child or children should something happen to both of you and they were under 18 years of age.

Myth #2: If I don’t have a will, my friends and family will know what to do.
Unfortunately, friends and family can’t make decisions on your behalf if you pass away without a will. Without a will explaining your interest, the Court gets to unilaterally decide who will take care of your children. In addition, if you pass away without a will, the government decides who gets your money.

Myth #3: Estate planning is only necessary as you get older.
Not true! A lawyer can help you determine who would be best suited to manage your finances or deal with your health care if you were in hospitalized and left incapable of makings these important decisions for yourself.

If you have any questions or want to discuss what it takes to get started planning your estate, please feel free to contact Laroux at 416-994-3474 or laroux@peopleslaw.ca and don’t forget to mention us to receive 20% off!
 
*Laroux will be one of the guest speakers at our special Bloor West Holiday Cafe on Tuesday December 8th at Diaper-eez. Stay tuned for exciting details in the coming days!

My 7 Tips & Tricks For Camping With Kids – Part 2 of 2

Thanks to everyone who read Part 1 of My Camping with Kids Series My 6 Top Must Haves For Camping With Kids.  Today in Part 2, I’m sharing My 7 Tips & Tricks for Camping with Kids. 

With a few decades of camping trips under my belt, and a couple of years now with kiddos in tow, I have managed to come up with a few things that I hope help you on your next camping adventure.

My 7 Tips & Tricks for Camping With Kids
 
1. Pack in Ziploc Bags: Although we try to minimize how many plastic bags we use at home on a daily basis, ziploc bags are great for packing for camping. They keep things clean and dry and can be reused after the trip. Pack a bag for each category eg. a bag for toilet paper (plus an extra emergency roll); a bag for sunscreen & bugspray; a bag for books & cards etc.

*Please Note: Anything valuable eg. Cell Phone, Camera, GPS, should be kept in something that is guaranteed to be waterproof like a Pelican case. 

2. Freeze Water, Wine & Juice: When you’re camping with kids a cooler of some type is usually necessary. To save space and weight, freeze your water bottles, tetra packs of wine and juice boxes, and use them as freezer packs to keep your dairy, meat and produce cold for a few days. Works like a charm. 

3. Make Baggie Pancakes: We love to make banana blueberry pancakes while camping. To keep it simple I pack the mix (homemade or store bought) into a large ziploc freezer bag and write how much water to add on the outside of the bag. When it’s time to make breakfast I add the water directly into the bag, toss in a ripe peeled banana, zip it up, and have fun mushing it all around. When mixed and ready, I cut a hole in the corner of the bag and squeeze out the mixture onto a hot greased pan. I recommend adding the blueberries by hand, as they tend to block the hole, and if the hole is made too big your mix will pour out too fast.

Cook over the fire or on a camping stove & watch your kids devour them.

4. Pack Clothes You Don’t Mind Getting Dirty: Camping is really really messy. Way messier than you think. Plus campfire smell is pretty strong and can stay in fibres for a long time, even after being laundered. In order to embrace the mess that comes with camping, you need to ditch your kid’s favourite fancy duds at home and bring breathable, comfortable, dark coloured clothes that your kids can have fun in.

5. If You Don’t Have The Gear, Borrow It Or Rent It: If you’re lacking a specific piece of equipment and can’t afford to invest in it right away, reach out and see if any friends or family can loan it to you. Another amazing option is the MEC Equipment Rental. For only a few dollars a day you can rent tents, sleeping bags & food barrels, as well as additional gear for water sports, climbing, snow sports etc. It’s a great option for those needing a short term piece of gear.

6. Keep Snacks Accessible At All Times: Kid’s get hangry (hungry + angry), especially when you’re on the go. Make sure to keep some protein rich snacks and water close at hand, so you can feed them at all times. It’s no fun listening to a kid scream for an entire paddle, portage or hike cause they’re suddenly STARVING!!! Everyone on the lake will thank you for this one.

7. Be Prepared for Emergencies: Minor bumps, bruises, cuts and burns are bound to happen when you’re out exploring the wilderness. Being prepared with a proper 1st Aid Kit is important, but it’s also essential that you know how to deal with some of the more life threatening emergencies that can come up. As a Heart & Stroke Foundation Instructor I highly recommend taking a 1st Aid & CPR Course from an accredited group every few years. Shameless Plug: Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you would like to register for one of my scheduled workshops, or are interested in having me come to teach a workshop for a group in your space (email care@with-care.ca). I offer live and virtual CPR & safety workshops for families, the general public, employees & health care providers. 

I hope My 7 Tips & Tricks For Camping With Kids help you and your little ones have fun & stay safe on your next family adventure. Check out my Complete Family Camping List to help you pack for your next big adventure. Happy Camping!

– Care

My Top 6 Must Haves For Camping With Kids - Part 1 of 2

My hubby and I both grew up loving camping, and have been camping together since we started dating 10 years ago. We have now successfully completed canoe trips while 34 weeks pregnant with a toddler in tow, and recently this July with our 2 little ones, ages 4 years and 21 months. I recognize that camping is not for everyone, but for those of us who love it, there is nothing better than introducing your kids to the great outdoors through a fun family camping trip.

Camping is always a messy adventure, but one we would never trade. Heading into the backcountry gives us a much needed break from technology and work. Time to slow down, enjoy nature, and spend a few days connecting with our kids & the simple pleasures of life. Some of our best family memories have been made camping, and it's amazing to hear our little guy already counting down the days to next summer's trip. He's a camper at heart and it makes his daddy and I so proud.

In order to enjoy camping it's important to prepare in advance and pack well. There are lots of camping packing lists available online (I promise to share mine one day soon), but I want to focus instead on a few key pieces of equipment that I believe can make your family camping experience a great one.

My Top 6 Must Haves for Camping with Kids:

1. Family Size Mattress - Sleep is central to having fun with kids, no matter where you are, so don't forget this key piece of equipment. Last summer we upgraded and purchased the MEC Super Reactor Double Size Mattress and we LOVE it! No more rolling off of our single sized mattresses onto the floor of the tent and no more cold drafts. Plus it rolls up and stores relatively small for a family size mattress (red cylindrical bag in photo) and offers excellent comfort. So worth it!

2. Baby Carrier - Tossing your kiddo up onto your front or back (depending on age, carrier, skill etc) can be a great way to keep them safe while walking a portage, around water or to keep them away from fire or sharps at mealtime prep. If your little one is used to being rocked to sleep at night, walking along the water with the sounds of the waves is a great way to lull them to sleep before transferring them into your tent. *Please make sure to wear supportive shoes while babywearing, especially on uneven ground, to avoid falls.

3. Bug Shelter - Ontario summers are pretty buggy and little ones can have a terrible reaction to bug bites (as we found out this summer with our little Lucy). In order to enjoy our meals and have a place to escape the bugs we always bring our MEC Hootenanny Bug Shelter. It was a big purchase initially, but one that has definitely been worth it on our recent trips. I can't even imagine how many bites Lucy would have had without it!

4. Headlamps - It's freaking dark in the wilderness at night (unless you happen to go camping during a full moon), so be prepared with some good lighting. Headlamps make everything easier, especially when you're dealing with messy kids. Having handsfree while changing a dirty diaper in the dark, or trekking out to the bathroom with a little one at night is so essential. Plus kids LOVE them! *Make sure to check your batteries before each trip and pack a few extras just in case.

5. Booster Seat - Feeding little ones can be a difficult task while camping, so to make it easier bring along a collapsable booster seat. They clip easily onto picnic tables found at most camp sites and mean you can keep baby off your lap while eating so you can enjoy your meal too! Lucy loved it on last years trip.

6. Rainy Day Activities - Although you hope to get perfect weather while camping it can't be guaranteed, so make sure to pack some fun rainy day activities. MEC has some amazing resources on their Camp Big site for families, including some great colouring & activity pages you can print and bring along. Some other great activities that we like to pack include travel board games, cards, board books, play doh and a few toy cars packed in the car caddy I made Ben years ago. You don't need to go overboard but definitely want to be prepared.

I hope my Top 6 Must Haves for Camping With Kids help you in your camping adventures this summer! 

Check out Part 2 of this series My 7 Tips & Tricks For Camping With Kids, plus get my Complete Family Camping List & my Downloadable Family 1st Aid Kit List

- Care

Family Photo Session GIVEAWAY!!

Want a chance to WIN a Professional Family Photo Session? Check it out!

Last fall our family had a lovely photo session in Toronto's Parkdale neighbourhood with Sara Elisabeth Photography. Our session was quick and fun (so ESSENTIAL with 2 young kids!) and produced some absolutely incredible memories. I've been meaning to share the photos for months, but what better time than with a GIVEAWAY!

Sara has generously offered my readers a chance to WIN a Complimentary Family Photo Session & 8x10 Print *$345 value!!

To Enter: Simply follow Fifty-Seven & Sara Elisabeth Photography on Facebook and comment on the contest Facebook Post with your name, and tag up to 2 other local Toronto families that you think deserve a photo session. If you're chosen, all 3 families will receive a Complimentary Session & Print! Winners will be announced Saturday July 25th.

Check out our family photos and Sara's beautiful work. I know you won't be able to resist entering. 

Don't forget to enter for a chance to WIN! 

Good luck!

- Care

*There will be another draw held via Instagram so feel free to enter both.