June is Potty Training Month!

The potty training journey is an emotional one for everyone involved. Little ones are eager to become a big kid, but can get frustrated with the process involved. Parents look forward to getting rid of diapers, but it can be a tough realization that you don’t have a little baby anymore.

There are tons of methods people use to reach the end goal, and reading all of the articles could leave you confused and back at the beginning. While we won’t tell you that one is best, we can say that to make the process a bit easier, you’ll want to have the right gear. Here are some of our favorite Bumkins products that have come in handy while we’ve helped our little ones down the sometimes-bumpy road of potty training:

Wet/Dry Bag: Accidents will happen, so it’s best to be prepared. Keep a clean, dry change of clothes handy, and have a place to store the wet, messy clothes with a Wet/Dry Bag. The waterproof back pocket is perfect for clothes, and the front pocket can hold wipes to clean up any messes, toilet seat covers, or any other potty accessories.

Large Snack Bag: As little ones progress, accidents get less frequent and smaller, so you may not need to bring a full change of clothes. Keep extra underpants in a Large Snack Bag, which can then be used to carry the wet ones after changing.

Small Snack Bag: Rewards can be the key in motivating some of the more stubborn children. Whatever forms of currency/bribery you use – M&Ms, lollipops, cookies, stickers – keep a stash at the ready in a Small Snack Bag.

Splat Mat: Sometimes, little ones are so involved in whatever they are playing/watching/reading, they’ll wait too long to make a trip to the potty and an accident can occur. Have them sit on a Splat Mat while they’re focused on their fun and you’ll keep furniture and floors clean and dry.

While some kids take to potty-training quickly, it can take a while for others. Don’t be discouraged! It can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when you’re in the stall of a public restroom waiting for what seems like forever as your kid does anything but go potty, but know that you will, one day, be able to ditch the diaper bag and enjoy the freedom of a toilet-trained kiddo.

Packing for a Trip with Kids

By Tammy of Musing of a Working Mom

I’ve traveled quite a bit with my oldest daughter, who is almost 5, but a couple weeks ago we had the chance to take a trip – just the two of us – for the first time since her little sister was born. We flew from Phoenix to Reno for a wedding at Lake Tahoe.

Packing for a three-day-weekend with a soon-to-be kindergartener is much lighter than packing for a trip with a baby or a toddler, but there are still some essentials I packed into her backpack (which, of course, I ended up carrying most of the time).

For my kid, who loves to draw and practice writing, this is what I packed in her carry-on:

• Favorite stuffed animals and favorite blanket
• New travel coloring books (some she picked out and one I surprised her with)
• Notepad and pencils/crayons
• Headphones to watch a movie on the plane
• Books (not pictured)
• Change of clothes
• Sweatshirt
• Water bottle (empty before going through security)
• Snacks
• Wet bag (if you need to change clothes, you will likely need the wet bag)

My own carry-on list was a bit different. Using the three-pack set of clear travel bags from Bumkins, I packed the small bag with toiletry items: unscented lotion, lip balm, hair ties, etc. The medium bag I used for electronics: phone chargers, headphones, etc. The large bag I used for snacks – it’s large enough to pack a few snack bars as well as some small Bumkins Snack Bags filled with other treats such as almonds and trail mix.

Other items in my carry-on included:

Water bottle

Travel coffee mug

Sweater

Laptop and DVDs

Since it was a short trip, we shared a suitcase. At the last minute, we actually had to downsize the suitcase because there was a back-up with checked luggage at the airport and we had to carry everything on. The smaller suitcase meant I had to downsize my toiletry bag, so I pulled out just the inside insert and slipped it into a Bumkins Wet Bag in case any liquid items leaked on the flight. (Tip: Don't completely fill any containers with liquid items; leave room for expansion.) We luckily had no leaks and used the wet bag as a laundry bag for the remainder of the trip.

The trip was quick one, but we had a great time visiting family and going to the wedding. My daughter enjoyed splashing around in Lake Tahoe just before we left for the airport, so the change of clothes and wet bag in her backpack worked out perfectly!

Spring Activities for the Whole Family!

By Tammy of Musing of a Working Mom

For the past few years, our Easter routine has been: have breakfast, open Easter baskets, go to church, then head over to my in-laws for Easter dinner. This year, however, my dad and stepmom will be in town, so we are hosting Easter dinner for 10 at our house. And, other than a sign we hang on the front door and some egg cups, it turns out we have no Easter décor.

Spring letters

I thought a fun project Pumpkin, my 4-year-old, and I could do together would be to create the word “Spring” with wooden block letters and personalize them using scrapbook pages featuring her favorite Disney princesses.

Pumpkin selected which pattern would be used for each letter. Following the instructions from a tutorial I found online, the first step was to trace the letters onto the paper, placing the letter face down on the back of the scrapbook page). After cutting out the shape with scissors, I then lined the paper up with the block letter and trimmed the excess with an Xacto knife. Once this was done, Pumpkin used a sponge brush to coat Modge Podge onto the front of the letters. The Modge Podge was dripped all over the Minnie Mouse splat mat, but easily peeled off once dry. After each letter was coated, I placed the paper on top and smoothed it out. After watching me do it a couple times, Pumpkin asked if she could place the paper, too.

After she went to bed, I smoothed out the edges of the paper with fine sandpaper, and then added an extra coat of the Modge Podge and left it to dry overnight. Once they were ready, I placed them on a cabinet in our dining area, and added Easter eggs, grass and some of the girls’ princess dolls. The girls love it, and it makes our dining room much more festive!

Pink eggs

Both Peanut, 2, and Pumpkin were able to participate in our next activity. For the past couple of years, we have dyed our Easter eggs using beets (pink), purple cabbage (blue), and turmeric (yellow). For our princess-theme, we did some just with beets.

First, I peeled and chopped the beets then boiled them until they were soft. I strained the beets and saved the liquid, adding a couple tablespoons of vinegar. (I saved the beets to make myself a salad with goat cheese and chopped nuts. Yum!)

Now it was time to dye our hard-boiled eggs! First, I handed the girls princess bibs to keep the mess at bay. I honestly don’t remember the last time Pumpkin wore a bib (she tends to resist the “baby” things her little sister does) but she couldn’t wait to put one on once I showed her it had Belle on it.

This is the first year Peanut was able to participate, and she had a lot of fun. At one point, when I wasn’t looking, she put as many as she could in one cup. We dyed most of the eggs for just a few minutes each, but put a couple in the liquid in the refrigerator for a few more hours so they could see how much deeper the color would get.

For the eggs that didn’t sit in the dye, we used temporary tattoos to add their favorite characters. I used a damp washcloth to apply them to the eggs, just like I would if the girls were wearing them. The transfer wasn’t quite as easy as doing it on skin, and I had to peel parts of them and stick them with my fingers (tweezers might have come in handy) but it worked and the girls were so excited about it – they pouted when it was time to crack them to eat!

Once we were all done, the splat mat went straight from the table to the washing machine, making clean up a breeze. The girls will be so excited to show off their creations for the rest of the family!

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Welcome (back) to Bumkins’ blog! We’ve taken a bit of a break, but are excited to return to the blogging world. Make sure to check back in for posts about a variety of topics including nutrition, cloth diapering, family issues, Bumkins news and more!