A few posts back, I wondered aloud if anyone had tried these crib sheets and finally had to just see for myself.

I was so tired of having to wrestle with the laborious task of changing my daughter’s crib sheet. And I don’t know about you, but changing a crib sheet is not always just “oh, come to think of it, it’s time to change the bedding.” For me, it’s usually a case of interrupted sleep due to spit up or some other bodily function that requires a so-called “quick change,” which I’m sorry, simply does not exist when dealing with all those slats and bumper ties.

Quick Zip to the rescue! An invention by two moms, what these sheets do is nothing short of brilliant. First there is the Zipper Base – a sort of fitted sheet that goes under the mattress which reveals a plastic zipper track on the top. Next, you just zip the flat zipper sheet to the zipper base. The sheet has a flap that covers the zipper so that you don’t see it, and your baby doesn’t feel it.

You never need to change out the base, and I’ve timed myself on the swapping out of the top sheet – less than a minute!

If you’ve got a baby, this is a must have; and if you know a mommy or mommy-to-be, I can’t think of a better gift.

*Tips – buy an extra top sheet so that you’ve got it handy come changing time.

Sweet dreams!

Visit www.cloudsandstars.com to learn more.

  

We cosleep with our son Henry, for a variety of reasons – the bed is big, the marriage is strong, and it helps him feel confident and safe, especially since we just moved across the country. But he is interested in having his own bed, and we wanted to get him something that wasn’t just an Ikea toddler crib.

Our solution? One regular-sized kids mattress and the Great Plains Indians Teepee, which we set up in the corner of his room. Since we erected it, it’s been the center of his play life – he goes inside to read books and to play with puzzles, and when it’s time for a nap we walk him over, lay him down, give him a quick cuddle and he’s out. Sure, it’s not textbook parenting, but it works for us.

 

P.S. Don’t forget to enter to win our new Lullaby Renditions of Queen CD!

As a parent, I’m always basically making it up as I go along. But every once in a while, I come up with a solution to a problem that is so obvious I slap myself in the big dumb face for not realizing it sooner.

Most recently, it was with my son’s sippy cup. Henry never really took to the bottle, so he has been drinking from a cup from some time. But every time I went to clean one out, I got so grossed out by the slimy black mold that aggregated in the nozzles of the thing. And there didn’t seem to be any way to get it out.

I tried soaking them, boiling them, trying to angle a sponge up in there, using an old toothbrush, to no avail. And then one day –eureka! I popped a Q-tip up through the nozzle, swiped it around, and all that ooze just came right off.

What stupid solutions to annoying problems eluded you for too long?