Surviving Winter with a Toddler

Mommy wearing:

Fur hat  //  Coat  //  Fleece Lined Leggings  //  Bearpaw boots  

Nicky wearing:

Ralph Lauren Snowsuit  //  Sorel snow boots  //  Hat is a gift, scroll below for similar ones!

Stroller is Kolcraft

How cold did it get in the last few days!!! Nevertheless, I got Nicky all dressed up in his head-to-toe winter gear and took him outside. But he wouldn't have it! He stood on the porch for a few minutes, then turned around and headed back for the house!!! After much convincing, he finally agreed to get in the stroller and go for a little walk. A few minutes of pushing the stroller later, I realized I forgot my gloves and, as my hands started to slowly turn blue, I thought of all the things I still need to get to make it through the winter with a toddler.

Here is a few things you will need this winter:

Bath Time: Best Mold Free Bath Toys

Nicky's favorite time of the day is bath time. Since he was three weeks old, I put him in water and let him float, swim, dive and splash around. It has helped him greatly in developing neck control and balance, learning to crawl and stand up, as well as hold his breath under water and respond to commands. I've even posted a video of him diving on his own when he was six months old.

One thing we've struggled with, however, is finding the right toys for our bath.

One day, I noticed black stuff coming out of his squirt toys. Upon looking closer, I realized, with much disgust, that his favorite toys were full of mold!!! Since then, we stopped buying any type of squirt toys (with a hole on the bottom). Here are some fun toys we've discovered that are mold-free:

Николай обожает купаться. Его хлебом не корми, только дай в ванной поплескаться. Мы начали с ним плавать с трех недель и нырять после месяца. Это очень помогло ему в развитии - он быстро научился держать голову, садиться, вставать, а так же следовать командам и задерживать дыхание. Я даже выкладывала видео, как он сам ныряет когда ему было пол годика. Но вот одна трудность у нас была - найти хорошие игрушки для купания. Однажды, я заметила какую-то черную гадость в ванной - оказалось, что в его любимых игрушках образовалась плесень т.к. в них набиралась вода. С тех пор, игрушки для купания мы тщательно выбираем и покупаем только те, что без дырочек. Наверху я выложила несколько из тех, что нам нравятся больше всего.

Holiday Spirit

EN: It's my favorite time of the year!!! Every other car passing by has a Christmas tree on its roof. Stores are full of holiday decorations. Houses in the neighborhood light up at night. Pine candles are making the house smell divine. I'm dressing Nicky up in a Santa hat and my cat is wearing antlers. Holiday spirit is in the air!

It's time to send out season's greetings and I received ours just in time from Minted.com. I love their design and craftsmanship and of course, I love how cute Nicky looks in his hat! Minted offers not only cards, but also a huge selection of customized products that make lovely season's gifts and stocking stuffers. So, if you are running behind on your holiday prep, definitely check out their website as well as the gift guides I came up with below.

P.S. Use code WINTER15 to get 15% off your Minted.com order ;)

Nicky is wearing:

Cotton Santa Hat, Fur trim jacket, Jeans, Boots

How to get kids to play in their room - Holiday Toy Guide

EN: From time to time, I catch Nicky going very quiet... I would be in the kitchen prepping dinner, and then, all of a sudden - silence! Any mom knows silence means trouble!!! So I'd start calling his name, looking for him, preparing to see a giant mess, only to find him in his room, totally preoccupied. He'd give me one of his signature "I am busy, you may go now" looks and I would back away into the kitchen, feeling dumbfounded. Because he's only One! Does he know he's only one?! What can he possibly be doing in there that is keeping him so busy?

RU: Иногда я готовлю ужин и понимаю что в доме вдруг стало очень тихо. Любая мама знает - если тихо - беда! Я начинаю звать Николая, искать, ожидая увидеть очередной беспорядок, а вместо этого нахожу это чудо в его комнате, занятого игрушками. При этом он смотрит на меня выразительно, мол "иди, мам, по своим делам, не мешай", и я ухожу, в шоке от того, что он самостоятельно занят!!! Ведь ему всего годик!

Best Daddy Ever!

EN: Today is my best friend's birthday. He is also my husband, my son's father and a fun, kind and hardworking guy. Tomorrow will be three years since we've been married and this year it has been ten years since we met. We had our good and our bad and it wasn't always a walk in the park. But every day, I watch my son stop whatever he's doing and run to the door to greet his dad as soon as he hears the key in the lock. I am so grateful to be able to see that sweet face light up when he sees his father and to watch the two of them melt into each other. That is the best feeling in the world.
So Happy Birthday, my love! Thank you for everything you do for us!

RU: Сегодня день рождения у моего лучшего друга. Он же - мой муж и отец моего ребенка. Дружим мы уже больше 10 лет, и из них - три в браке. Он - моя опора, хоть у нас и не всегда все было гладко. За последний год я поняла важную вещь. Не самое главное, сколько зарабатывает твой любимый, какая у него машина и сколько раз в год вы ездите отдыхать. Самое важное - это когда маленькие ручки бросают игрушки, а маленькие ножки бегут к двери как только папа приходит домой. И когда они друг друга обнимают - это и есть истинное счастье. С днем рождения, любимый! Спасибо за то, что ты у нас есть!