5 Pet Products You Can Use for Babies

06/28/2014 R.C. Liley 3 Comments

We have a full blown crawler on the loose! Geez, once they catch on to something, they waste no time doing that something for-ev-ER!

I know we asked for it, but of course we weren’t actually prepared. Avery is crawling everywhere and anywhere she can.

Before, we could set her on a blanket after changing her diaper as we go wash our hands in the bathroom next to the nursery, now she just crawls to us while in the bathroom!

Guess I’ll be vacuuming and mopping a lot more now!

Yep, I love watching our little girl being so proud to move around more, but that means I really have to watch her. It used to be fairly easy when all she could do was roll and maybe thrust, but now if I take my eyes off of her for a second, she might be across the room or climbing something dangerous.

The other day I was vacuuming in another room while she was on her blanket playing in the living room when all of the sudden the vacuum just turned off. I went back in the living room to see she had crawled and yanked on the cord. She was nowhere near the socket (thankfully!), but needless to say, no more cords around when she’s down!

We have a gate for babies ordered and on the way, but I’ve been wanting something else that’s portable to bring into the garage for when I work out or when we go to G-Ma’s. In my search, I kept seeing pet playpens show up, and at first I just waived them off, but then I started thinking; maybe that would work for babies too!

This mode of thought led me on a search for other pet products that could double as baby products too. The only downside might be that you’ll have a jealous pup to deal with. Here are my top 5 “baby” items that might have you heading to your nearest pet store.

1. Pet Gate – I know, this one is obvious, and most are even marketed with “for baby/pet” wording, but it’s in pet stores and is highly recommended for both baby and/or pet. I’m sure many use these gates to keep their babies and pets separate…..for their pets’ safety!

2. Chew Toys – Teething baby? No problem! Of course, make sure the material is safe and not coated in anything toxic to babies. Here’s a great rope chew toy made with all natural materials and dyes, and the product description even mentions it’s great for teething puppies. Hey, puppies are babies too! Plus, your child is sure to love having a cute snowman to chew on.

3. Portable Pet Playpen – The reason I started looking for other baby products posing as pet items, some of these look and transport better than ones specifically for babies.

This one on Amazon costs about $45 after shipping, but the Summer Infant Portable Playard is $99.95.

Both have carrying cases and setup in seconds, but the pet playpen weights less than half of the Summer Infant one. Just saying…

4. Toy Ball – Every baby should have a toy ball; they’re great for developing motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Why not a ball made for dogs? This one I found online from Only Natural Pet is eco-friendly with all recyclable materials, mint-scented, and easily washes clean. Plus, there is a glow-in-the-dark option which I think a baby would enjoy more than a pet and it’s made in the U-S of A!

5. Pet Beds – C’mon, you can’t say you’ve never looked at those cozy beds with plush side bolsters and seriously considered trying to curl up in one. How cool would this be for your baby and/or toddler? They would love it! This one from Only Natural Pet is eco-friendly, resistant to liquid, dirt, and oil, and reduces the spread of bacteria and allergens. I think it’s better than our mattress!

Of course there are other pet items that might work for babies like leashes and harnesses, but I’m not sure how safe that would be.

So, next time you’re looking to get something for your growing baby, consider perusing the aisles of the nearest PetSmart before heading to Toys ‘R Us. If you have a pet and what you buy doesn’t work out for your baby, at least you know it won’t go to waste.

Have you ever let your baby play with or use a pet product?

If not, would you ever consider doing so?

Going Reviews

Grow With Me Tee: A Fun Way to Photo Journal Your Baby’s Growth

06/27/2014 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

On average, a baby born at full-term will most likely double their birth weight at 4 months, and triple it by the time they reach 1 year old. Most babies have about 5 growth spurts within their first year which is when most of their growing will take place. If it seems like one day your baby fits perfectly in their onesie and the next day it can’t go over their head, that’s because most of their growth occurs in very short, intense bursts.

What does all of this mean? It means we need to savor every second, minute, hour, day, etc. that we have with our constantly growing babies before they grow right out of our arms! And don’t forget the only way to keep them from growing is by capturing them in pictures and on video. So while your baby may continue growing, you will always be able to relive their “tiny moments” whenever you want.

As new parents, Going Mom and I have no problem taking pictures and recording videos of Avery every day. 7 months into it and I’m pretty sure we have enough media of our daughter to fill a hard drive! Okay, not one of those monster drives, but we have A LOT!

We have been capturing Avery’s growth month-by-month by sitting her beside a stuffed teddy bear to take a picture, but she’s not always cooperative…

This was our 7 month session.... — This was our 7 month session….

Thankfully, the two moms behind Grow With Me Tee, sent us their “age ruler” tee to help our photo-journaling efforts.

They give you a fabric marker to color in the ruler with each birthday and half birthday to record how much they’ve grown each time.

As you can see, Avery still doesn’t make it easy, but I guess that’s just the age.

Eeeks! I'm getting old!! — Eeeks! I’m getting old!!

I love having this tee as we will be able to watch her grow into and out of it as time goes by. Like most things with your growing baby, it’s bittersweet to see how much they grow!

Grow With Me Tee also offers a onesie with an “age clock” for your baby’s first year, as well as a customizable collegiate-style tee to document your kid’s growth from pre-school all the way to high school. This will be the next shirt we get after Avery’s 5 year ruler is all colored in. Oh geez, that’s scary to think about; we’ll be half-way to 40 years old!!

These Grow With Me Tee’s are such a great idea and a perfect gift for anyone expecting or who recently had a baby. They are inexpensive but will provide priceless memories for years down the road.

As a bonus for being a Going Dad reader, the “Chief Moms” behind Grow With Me Tee, Nicole and Bethany, have agreed to give you 15% off of their products! Just use coupon code GOINGDAD15 after shopping for your favorite tee on their website and the discount will be applied. This code will be valid through the end of July 2014.

How sweet is that?! Get something that literally will last for years and can be enjoyed by you and your loved ones. What are you waiting for, get to shopping now!

Make sure to show Grow With Me Tee some love and check them out Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! When you snap a photo of your little one in their tee, they’d love to see and showcase the pic on their pages!

Do you enjoy photo-journaling your baby/toddler/adolescent to document their growth?

Which style of tee do you like most from Grow With Me Tee?

Life

Less Than a Year to Live: What Would You Do?

06/26/2014 R.C. Liley 1 Comment

It’s a question no one wants to face, let alone answer, but the harsh reality is that many of us do every day. Oren Miller, the founder of a lively Facebook group for dad bloggers, is now faced with answering such a question.

Almost a month ago, Oren went to the hospital when he had severe back pain from what he thought was a muscle spasm. It turned out to be much worse; stage 4 lung cancer that has now spread to his lymph nodes, kidneys, liver, and brain. He wrote about his diagnosis on his blog, A Blogger and a Father, in a post he titled “Cancer”. After reading his touching story, I could hardly swallow from the giant lump in my throat.

I never met Oren, but since becoming part of the Dad Bloggers Facebook group that he founded, I am forever grateful for everything he’s done. There are over 800 members of the group today, and I share thoughts, stories, and rants on a daily basis with all of them. These guys have helped me as a father, husband, and with my small blog by sharing lessons they’ve learned along the way, and I am a better person and blogger/writer as a result.

I haven’t met any of them in person, but I consider these dads my friends as all have something in common and always help each other out. I’ve even connected with a few local dads who I will be meeting soon. All of this, because of one man who is also a loving husband and father to two children.

As I stood looking down at Avery playing with a “new” activity board I just made for her, Oren’s situation was weighing on my mind. What if I were told I had less than a year on this planet?

That giant lump returned as I looked at my precious little girl smiling at the board I made her as I thought the unthinkable. I don’t cry very often, but I felt that the slightest thing could’ve opened my floodgates right then.

Never, ever, would I want anyone to face a situation like this. Being a relative “newb” to the Facebook group, I was moved at how fast all of the dad bloggers were to respond upon hearing Oren’s news. Automatically, my respect for this guy grew like Jack’s beanstalk.

Within days, a fundraising page was created with the goal to raise enough money to send Oren and his family on lovely vacation. The original goal of $5,000 was quickly met and is now nearing $30,000!This truly will be the vacation of a lifetime.

The donations have been overwhelming, and I’m happy to have contributed what little I could, but now I’m asking YOU for help. With cancer treatments and medical expenses quickly adding up, it is evident that additional funds will be needed to help cover these as well. Not to mention help Beth, Oren’s wife, provide for their children.

Seeing how many people have already flooded Oren and his family with support and donations, it’s easy for us to fall into the “Bystander Effect“. This occurs when others do not offer help to someone in need if there are others (bystanders) already around.

We see others around and think “What else can I do besides offer kind words?” Well, each and every one of us can help by making a donation we are comfortable with, be it 5 or 5,000 dollars, and know that together we make something huge!

Please help by going to Oren’s Fundraising Page and giving whatever you can.

I am a firm believer in the power of mind, and would like to think I could remain optimistic like Oren should the news ever befall me. If you believe you will fail at something, you inevitably will fail, but if you tell yourself you WILL succeed, then you can overcome any obstacle.

The more donations and words of encouragement given on his page, the more power we give to Oren and his family to remain optimistic and fight this obstical!

An at-home dad on a mission to keep it real when it comes to food, fun, and raising a healthy, happy family.