Sanity Saver: Toy Rotation

Sometime last year, I had enough of my daughters' toys. I mean, you can only pick up little pieces of plastic so many times before you lose it. It was time to get organized.

Minnie's bedroom is where we keep most of the toys and it has two narrow closets. The one in the corner is for more long term storage and our book rotation. In the easier to access one, I have a toy rotation system that helps keep our house a bit less cluttered and means clean up time is much quicker.

The girls' favorite toys, such as the princess castle and dress up supplies, stay out all the time. The rest has been divided into 6 groups. 5 bins are stored in the closet and the other set is out for play. Even if they drag it all out, the smaller quantity of toys at any one time keeps me calmer since I know it won't be a huge project to put away.

It works best when I swap out for a new bin every week but I don't always get around to it. The girls love getting "new" toys and it is fun for me to see the new ways they play with things they haven't seen in a while.

We have a bunch of Fisher-Price sets and those are one set per bin. I also try to put together toys with a similar theme, for instance, most of the instruments are in one box.

If you're crafty, you could label the bins but I don't. When I put away this week's toys, the bin goes to the bottom of the stack. Without labels, I can dump them all out and re-sort after a birthday or Christmas.

When I'm on my game, I'll pull out toys they've outgrown while I'm switching them out, but that doesn't always happen either.

In the top of the closet, I have books I'm saving for when the girls are older and toys require some sort of supervision or parental help. The Potato Heads are up there because I don't want those small pieces all over the house. I get that box out when I need a little more time to finish up dinner and the girls will play nearby but not right underfoot while I'm cooking.

Hope this idea helps you and if you already do this, I'd love to hear your tips to make it work even better!
-Amy

Ignore the Mom Bloggers and Buy the Light-Up Toy

Planning blogs, including this one, will tell you to look for light-up toys, glow sticks, etc at home where you can often stock up for very little cash.  The idea is to save money buy passing on the expensive toys that appear all around Walt Disney World as soon as the sun begins to dip.  

Well, I did that and had glow bracelets in my backpack and a stash of other glowing treats at home.  My husband, however, just knew that Tink wanted a Minnie Mouse with a skirt that spins and lights up and he bought it on the first night of our recent vacation.  I laughed and told him he was fired but I couldn't be too upset when our oldest daughter was running around Epcot with such joy. 

This turned out to be Tink's main souvenir from this vacation and Minnie went everywhere with us during the week.  She (the doll) met Mickey and princesses, went on attractions, and visited restaurants.    It's even safe for our Baby Minnie (17 months) and she has enjoyed playing with the toy as well.

So as with all rules, sometimes you just have to break them and occasionally you win big.

Minnie joined Tink on the bus to Magic Kingdom

Minnie helped Tink be a part of the show at Enchanted Tales with Belle

Ariel loved Tink's treasure from the human world

Of course, Mickey loved this particular toy

Even Princesses loved Minnie

~Amy

Disney and Fisher-Price Toys

I had a rare chance to go shopping alone this evening.  I went to my local big box store to get the usual: milk, bread, princess stuff.  What? You don't buy bread?  Kidding.  I don't really know what drew me to the toy section.  Seriously, I just cleaned out toys this week and now have a fabulous rotation system.  Thanks to this project I know that my girls own 6 Little People sets: dollhouse, Noah's ark, school, airplane, princess building kit, and fairy house, as well as a few assorted individual people and animals. And this Christmas, I am pretty sure I will finally break down and buy the nativity set too.  So, we're big fans. I was very excited to see that our favorite princesses were now available in their F-P Little People version.  Are these cute or what? 

I can definitely see some of these joining our collection.  I'll be flying alone with the girls in January.  A couple of sets may be surprise gifts once we are onboard, probably Belle & Beast and Rapunzel & Tiana.

The dolls interact with the castle playset.  Unfortunately you have to buy the castle to get Snow White at all or Cinderella in her ballgown.

If you'd like Ariel in her mermaid form, then this is the set for you.

LOVE these for the younger kiddos!

Also from Disney Baby, cute bath toys.

And no, I didn't get a thing for this.  Just wanted to share.  Goodnight!

View from the Back Seat

It's road trip time again and, while I am riding shotgun now, earlier I had to sit between the two car seats. I thought I'd share a few of the things we love on the road.




Baby Minnie, heading to her first birthday party




I got a two-pack of Tommy Tippee insulated straw cups at Target. We hauled them all around Walt Disney World and they worked well. Finally cups that don't leak! I had to watch the instructional video from the company in order to put them together correctly but once I learned the trick, they became my favorites.




This is an Avent formula dispenser. Mine is from Amazon but I've seen them at brick and mortar stores too. I don't really care for it for formula but it is terrific for small snacks. Mine currently holds Cheerios, baby goldfish and yogurt puffs. I've mentioned the dispenser here before and my dad posted a picture of Tink using it to share her snacks with Mulch, Sweat and Shears at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The inner divided bowlcomes out and on occasion I've given Tink the "big bowl" and kept the food to share between both kids.




We don't keep the DVD player in the van all of the time but it's a lifesaver for long trips. When we moved from Oklahoma to North Carolina, we drove for four days. Tink watched Mary Poppins over and over but she was happy. And at home, I hadn't realized the beauty of Fast Play on Disney DVDs. Now I love it since I don't have to wait for the disk to load for us to be able to hit the road.




It doesn't show up very well in this photo but the navy blue is a lap tray for the car seat. It was about $20 from Amazon. I purchased it before our Hilton Head trip in January. It is great for holding snacks, books, toys, etc. Tink isn't quite big enough to use the mesh pockets that are on either side but I can see those being handy in the future. The tray itself wipes clean easily and is firm enough for the items I mentioned but it is mostly foam so I would think it would be safe if we had an accident.




Tink was too busy watching Pooh to smile for me.




And this is completely random but it passed while I was taking the other pictures... Are those the biggest tires ever or what?

I hope you have a fun and safe Memorial Day weekend. Many, many thanks to all who have served this great nation.
--Amy

Glowing Toys for Nights at Disney Parks

Throughout the year, keep an eye out for glow in the dark or light up toys while you are shopping. I've found glow wands for $1 each in the past. This week I ran across the collection below at Target in the kids party section. While you can find cheaper toys from time to time, they have a fun selection of products which are convenient and still far less expensive than the items sold in the parks.  These are party packs and include 4-10 of each item.

When choosing toys, keep in mind that you don't want anything too bright.  A standard flashlight would be distracting for other guests.  Glow sticks, bracelets, etc and toys with a dim light are best.

Photo Flashback! I Might Be Seeing Things

Tink and I were playing with her Fisher Price Noah's Ark set recently. Is it just me or does that ladybug look like a little like an ear hat?







I think I'm having Disney withdrawal!

-Amy

Guest Post--Travel Tips from Nine, Part 2

First Family Vacation with Teeny Tiny Tinkerbell, Part 2

This is part 2 of Janine's lessons learned traveling from England to France with her 6 month-old daughter, Felicity.  Click here for part 1.

4.  Feeding your baby on holiday is obviously a very important issue.  Amy has written a comprehensive article regarding formula versus milk but I’d like to touch on nursing (breastfeeding) versus introducing formula.  I have nursed F since day one and it has been a very rewarding but very time consuming activity.  As she would be 6 months when we took our first trip, it gave me the chance to consider switching her over to formula or at least combine, to make it easier when going out and enabling others to feed her.  As it stood F never really liked the bottle that much and her evening formula became a bit of a battle.  Add her first tooth into the mix and I decided the best way forward would be to resume to exclusive nursing.  This actually worked out really well for us.  The French are a baby loving nation and no one blinks an eye at a nursing mother.  I was able to do it everywhere, in restaurants, cafes, park benches and had no issues (asides from F being very nosey!)  I am very discreet and always wear a nursing cover to hide my modesty and it doubles up as an extra sun cover for F!  I also found in a lot of places that there would not have been the facilities to heat up a bottle either so it really did seem the best way for us.  I would also have done this is if we had have gone to WDW.  There are plenty of mother and baby places in Disney for both nursing mothers and places to warm bottles and food.


5.  I would also like in include a small bit on changing stations.  I am certain that the previously mentioned mother and baby areas in WDW are fantastic and that there are plenty of restrooms to do an emergency diaper change.  However, I can not say the same for France.  So please make sure wherever you go somewhere new, you have plenty of disposal changing mats in your diaper bag!  Thank goodness I did as F is now at the rolling about on the floor instead of cooperating stage.  I changed her in the car a few times but on the occasion I had to change her in the restroom, I was mightily grateful for the soft Pampers pads.  One time however I refused to change her on the floor as there was just not enough room.  Of course changing her stood up whilst my mother-in-law changed her would have always ended up with the same outcome … yes, she peed on me.

6.  So just to round things up, what has this vacation taught me to take with you on a day trip?  As mentioned, make sure you have a fully stocked diaper bag (again, Amy has already written an excellent blog regarding this) which is extra especially important when abroad.  I have no doubt I could get the Pampers diapers and wipes I use in the UK in the US but I was unsure about France.  Turns out I could get them, for literally double the price!  Definitely make sure you have any preferred or prescription creams (F has a special cream for her bottom as she is prone to nappy rash) and as number 1 states, any sunscreen and hat/rain cover/poncho/sweater etc.  I tend to use a backpack as a change bag when we’re out for the whole day so that anyone can carry it and any purchases can go in the bottom of the buggy. That reminds me, consider your buggy carefully too. We have a huge Graco travel system for use at home, but we ended up buying a second more lightweight stroller to take away with us.  It folded up much smaller in the car and was lighter to carry.  Make sure you have a favourite toy/book and for goodness sake make sure it is tied onto the buggy!!!  I take a whole load of cleaning wipes with me too in case a toy does fall on the floor, these also are used to wipe off any table I sit at before Fs hands are all over it.  I know some germs are good for kids but hey I like to be careful.  A must have for me was my nursing shawl, but equally ensure you have the correct bottles/formula/food.  And bear in mind if you’re abroad, it may not always be as easy to warm it, maybe a thermos flask of hot water could be the answer?  And of course, you’re bound to have your trusty iPhone/iPod with you anyways for some travelling entertainment.  That and babies favourite Playhouse Disney CD of course!!!

Contributed by Janine Pipe from Swindon, England.  She is a proud wife and mommy to almost 7 month old Felicity.  You can follow her on Twitter, @Disneynine.

Guest Post--Travel Tips from Nine, Part 1

First Family Vacation with Teeny Tiny Tinkerbell, Part 1

I haven’t always been obsessed with Disney.  In fact I didn’t go to Walt Disney World until I was 21 years old.  I realise this would be unheard of for some people, even with the excuse of living in the UK.

I won’t be making the same mistake with my daughter, Felicity (F), whom we are hoping to take to WDW by the time she is 4.  I tend to call her Tink but that would just cause confusion with the original Tink on this page!!!  She is now almost 7 months and something of a handful.  However she is already a big fan of all things Disney I am pleased to say.

Although we won’t be taking her to WDW for a few years yet, we have just returned from our first family vacation to France.

Here are some of my observations and tips from Felicity’s first trip abroad (and may be relevant for anyone wishing to go to Disneyland Paris!)

1.  Work out exactly which clothes you wish to take for your child and bear in mind whether you have laundry facilities or not and then … half it!!!  I was warned that I would take too much especially as we were staying with family and therefore could wash anything that was dirty but I still packed a whole case just for Felicity!  And of course as it was her first trip, we ended up buying stuff for her too so there really was not the need for a lot of what I took.  However, I would always recommend an item of warmer/cooler clothing.  Although it was forecast for 30 degrees in France I still took a sweater and waterproof for Felicity and was glad I did as the evenings could be a little cool and it certainly rained a couple of days.  Always make sure you have plenty of sunscreen, hats and a parasol too.  F was roasting in the midday sun on the days we ventured out and she was always smothered in sunscreen.  I'd recommend bringing it with you as you don’t always know if you can get the same make abroad.  If your child’s skin is used to a certain make, then I wouldn’t want to try out a new one on holiday! This is all applicable to a trip to Disney, that’s for sure! The boiling midday sun, the rain and the cool evenings are typical of Florida, not just Europe! And for UK travelers I would still advise taking skin care products just in case.

2.  Make sure you have plenty of entertainment if you have a long drive/plane ride.  I had already read a blog post by Amy suggesting iPhone/iPod applications so I decided to download some for the almost 12 hour drive across to France.  Typing babies into the app store search engine threw up a load of lite options which mean that they are free.  Since I didn’t know whether F would be interested I decided to get these options.  I installed Play Phone, Baby Piano, Toddler Counting and Baby Flashcards.  I should have also considered the fact I wouldn’t have access to cable or wifi for 2 weeks and bought an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse from iTunes.  For our next trip this will be a must have item as well as a Playhouse Disney DVD!  We are also hoping to have an iPad for the journey next year which will keep F entertained as she’ll be 18 months by then.  Anyway back to the apps.  F loves the phone and the piano. They’re fairly easy to use and would suit from a young baby just becoming interested in things up to toddlers who like to grab things for themselves.  The phone app tended to freeze when F tried to push too many buttons at once but the piano was great fun.  The baby counting was ok but the flash cards were great and the noises kept F entertained for ages!  Just for fun I also downloaded the Disney Fairies Tinker bell game, which F is far too young to play with, but she enjoys watching me play and seeing Tink flying about.  Again I just got the lite free version.

3.  Always make sure you have plenty of toys.  We have a huge play box full of toys but chose just to take Fs favourites with us due to space.  We brought – plush Minnie and teddy who sleep in her cot, Emily doll, singing Fisher Price teapot and a soft book.  She barely looked at the teapot though as the grandparents had brought a ton of stuff for her and bought her goodness knows how much new stuff while we were there.  Her complete and utter favourite by a long shot was Sophie the teething giraffe.  I was recommended this by Amy and when I googled it before we went on holiday I discovered that it was French.  So we bought F a whole set of Sophi toys and a spare one while we were there and she absolutely loves it!  3 weeks later with her second tooth coming through it barely leaves her mouth.  I realise that it can be very expensive treating your children to new toys just to add to the hundreds of ones they already have.  It would be even worse going to WDW and being surrounded by all those plushes!  However if they do find something they love i.e. Sophie, definitely buy 2 just in case one goes missing.

Check back this afternoon for part 2 of this article and more great tips from Janine.

Contributed by Janine Pipe from Swindon, England.  She is a proud wife and mommy to almost 7 month old Felicity.  You can follow her on Twitter, @Disneynine.

Airline Lessons Learned

We flew with Tink right before and after her first birthday.  I am thankful I wasn't flying alone with her on the first voyage but I am ready to take on the challenge this fall.  Tink is a very active, curious, and social little girl.  Expecting her not to be this way on a plane full of new people to wave at would have been wrong.  As usual, Andy and I overprepared and overworried.  I had enough toys and snacks for Tink's whole playgroup.  When it came down to it, she didn't need much.  We gave her a bottle during each takeoff to help with pressure in her ears.  Thankfully our flights were all fairly close to a mealtime, so that helped her keep some sort of a schedule.  I had a cup with juice & water for her as well.  Be aware that the Nuby spout cup doesn't handle the pressure of flight well.  It's a great cup on land but not the best for flight day.  She didn't want to eat much on travel days so the apple crisps, yogurt drops, and raisins were lifesavers.  We gate checked Tink's stroller in each city.  It was great to have a safe place for her to be while we were gathering luggage and paperwork and she even napped in the stroller during one of our layovers in Houston.  As far as toys and books, a couple of small toys and one book would have been enough.  We didn't let Tink play with the safety instruction card until our last flight when a flight attendant gave her one.  She said they have many of them on the plane.  It turned out to be more entertaining than the SkyMall catalogs Tink had been destroying.  We didn't spring for an official seat for Tink but were thrilled that we ended up with an extra seat on our row 3 of 4 flights.  That extra space where she could wiggle and play peek-a-boo with the people behind us was wonderful.  And if you have an iPod Touch or iPhone, that's the secret weapon.  Toddler Phone is Tink's favorite app and even Fisher-Price has apps available.  Remember when See and Say was huge?  Now it is an app and in the palm of your hand.  The best things I can tell you to pack for travel with a baby or toddler are your sense of humor and lots of patience.  Even if it goes bad, you'll be at your destination soon and you probably won't see those people again.

What tips and tricks do you have to share?  We came up with a great plan for having an empty seat on our row with Southwest, but you'll have to email me for that one.