Taylor Basilio – Page 2 – Mommy's Hangout/Atlanta Mommy Blogger/Jen Williams

5 Low-Key Play Date Ideas for Moms and Kids

May 5, 2015 by Taylor Basilio

While staying home is nice, I also really love and enjoy having play dates with other moms and kids. However, many of my mom friends are as busy during the day as I am, so when we get together, we really want to make it count. This had me thinking about different ideas and ways to spend our time together. Below are my top five favorite play date ideas that I hope to partake in very soon!

1. Visit the zoo. We are lucky enough to have a local zoo that not only costs less but also is more hands-on. When our daughter was six months old, we visited one day in the summer and she got to feed a giraffe! She probably didn’t appreciate this as much as I did, but I think zoos are the perfect place for a play date. They often have fun playgrounds to get energy out, kids can see exotic animals, and you get a little exercise in with all the walking.

2. Local parks. This is, hands down, our favorite way to spend a day with friends. Isla is just getting to the age where she can appreciate a playground (especially the slides!) and play a bit with her friends. Look for parks with an age-appropriate playground, lots of space to run, and maybe some ducks to feed. Also, be sure to look for picnic tables or space to lay down a blanket. You, your friend, and your kids can enjoy a picnic lunch after playing the morning away.

3. Indoor play places. Rainy days are good for play dates, too! We have several local indoor play places (like Monkey Joe’s, Chuck E. Cheese, and more) that are perfect for some pre-nap play. Moms can have fun playing, too!

4.Visit the pools. Summer months are wonderful for spending time outside, and a pool is the perfect way to cool off. You and your mom friends can enjoy each other’s company while letting your kids experience swimming and the joys of summer. Be sure to always use floaties or other safety devices for your kids.

5.Go for a walk. Whether the kids walk next to you or ride along in a stroller or wagon, a walk is an awesome way to get some exercise, catch up with your friends, and let your kids relax and enjoy the outdoors. Just don’t forget the sunscreen!

What are your favorite play dates?

4 Romantic Spring Date Night Ideas

April 30, 2015 by Taylor Basilio

While it can be difficult to get a night away with my husband, date nights are one of my favorite times with my husband. We try to switch it up every now and then from the usual dinner and a movie, but with limited time, it can be easiest to stick to our norm. However, with the temperatures warming up and the outdoors starting to get more and more beautiful, it’s about time to take advantage of spring! Without further ado, here are my four favorite spring date night ideas:

1. Go to a baseball game. There’s something so fun and so perfectly spring about baseball, beer, and ballpark franks. We are big Yankees fans and would travel to New York to visit them if we had unlimited time and money, but we don’t, so local teams it is. Regardless of whether you attend a major or minor league game, the fun, casual atmosphere is a great way to spend your night out.

2. Attend a local festival. The location we live in tends to have several different festivals—from music to beer to art—that are a great way to spend a few hours on a Friday night. Grab a beer or a glass of wine, look around at what the festival has to offer, and grab some late-night dessert before you head home. Outdoor festivals aren’t around all year, so take advantage of the ones spring and summer holds!

3.Have a staycation. If you have trusted overnight care, a staycation is an incredible way to rekindle the romance and enjoy each other’s company. Look for a local hotel or bed and breakfast (something within an hour or so from home) and enjoy a child-free night. You can also check out Airbnb for a more unique stay. Cook dinner together or visit a local restaurant and sleep in the next morning. It’s like dating again!

4.Find a drive-in. These are far and few nowadays, but if you can find one nearby, they are worth going to. This is even something you can bring the kids to, as many drive-ins often show a kids movie first and a more adult movie second. Bring some snacks and curl up together on a blanket in the grass, or in your car.

With kids, busy lives, and plenty on our to do lists, it can be difficult to take some time away for just you and your significant other. However, it’s incredibly important for your relationship. With just one night out, it can leave you both feeling happy, refreshed, and more in love than ever!

Now in the comments below tell me what you like to do for date night!

Review: Lulujo is the Perfect Eco-Friendly, Organic Washcloth for Your Kids

April 29, 2015 by Taylor Basilio

At our house, we love bath time. After all, there’s nothing better than a clean, squishy toddler in soft pajamas reading a bedtime story in your lap. Bath time, however, uses a lot of products. Between bubbles, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and following all of these up with lotion and eczema cream, I always want to be sure I’m using the best, safest products on my sweet girl’s sensitive skin. However, there’s one thing I often forget about: the washcloth.

During our baby shower when I was 30 weeks pregnant, I received some thin baby washcloths my husband and I had registered for. These have served their purpose, but they aren’t the softest washcloths we would be using, and nor do they work that well. They are too thin to hold much body wash, and it seems to leave the washcloth before we even get a chance to use it to scrub our daughter clean.

When Lulujo contacted me to review their organic cotton facecloths, I was really excited, but I didn’t think that there was much of a difference between washcloths. Boy, was I wrong.

First of all, these washcloths are eco-friendly and made from natural, organic cotton. We are all about organic and eco-friendly in this house, so that immediately set them apart from the washcloths we already own. They came beautifully and simply packaged, and I could immediately tell how soft and thick they were. Upon bath time, I was convinced. These washcloths hold however much product you pair them with, and they are SO soft. Also important is that they clean really well (which is, of course, exactly what you want a washcloth to do).

Overall, I couldn’t be happier with these washcloths. One of my best friends is having a baby this summer and cares about organic, eco-friendly products as much as we do, so I’ll definitely be getting her some of these—they are that amazing!

Buy now:

Purchase these organic cotton facecloths at Lulujo for $9.99 for a 4 pack or on Amazon for $10.49 and free shipping with Prime.

Stay Connected:

For all the latest news and updates be sure to follow Lulujo on these social networks: Facebook|Twitter|Instagram

Review: Babyganics Has Made Me a Believer!

April 28, 2015 by Taylor Basilio

As the mother of an almost-16-month-old daughter, I’m constantly on the lookout for newer, better products. However, the issue nowadays is that so many of the products we use each and every day are ridden with harmful chemicals—chemicals in diapers that give my sweet daughter a rash, in hand sanitizer that she can’t even use because it could be harmful or drying, and in diaper rash cream that makes her skin bleed. And when you think about it, if we can help it, who would ever want to put their child in the way of any harmful substances whatsoever? Not me, that’s for sure.

So when I had the opportunity to review Babyganics products, I jumped at the chance. I’ve used products advertised as baby-safe before, but somehow Babyganics never made its way to my list. Thankfully, that changed.

Babyganics creates products that are free of toxins, endocrine disruptors, parabens, phthalates, carcinogens, and more. They test their products to prove they are non-toxic, non-allergenic, non-irritating, and safe for kids. Sounds great to me!

In the package I received from Babyganics were the following items, and below are my reviews of each:

Ultra Absorbent Diapers, size 5
- First off, these diapers are AMAZING. Absolutely amazing. I usually use Pampers Cruisers, and my daughter can definitely fill a diaper at night (she sleeps really long stretches). I love that these are lightweight (they seemed less bulky than Pampers, etc., even when dry) and the same thickness from front-to-back. But my favorite thing about them? Overnight with her old diapers, she would wake up with terrible diaper rash. With these, she NEVER gets diaper rash—even if they are wet for longer periods of time than normal. It’s incredible!

Face, Hand, & Baby Wipes
- I think the diapers sold me, but these wipes also helped. I love that I can use them on basically any part of her body, and unlike other wipes, they don’t seem like they’ll fall apart. They’re super soft, clean well, and gentle on her skin. The only downside? I wish I got more of them.

Toy & Highchair Cleaner, Fragrance Free
- If I had to pick a favorite product from the bunch, this would be it. I’m allergic to most cleaners, so I’m always weary of trying new products (I usually wind up with a sinus infection). This stuff, however, is the best. Not only does it never bother my sinuses, but also it cleans like a boss. There could be old spaghetti from days before covering her highchair (…not that we let this happen), and sometimes those red-tinted stains just stubbornly refuse to come out. But not with this stuff. It cleans everything, hands down. I love it!

Diaper Rash Cream
- Yet another miracle product. As stated above, diaper rash creams do NOT work well with our daughter. They dry out her skin so badly that it actually bleeds (it’s happened with every product we’ve tried). I was hesitant to try this because of that, but we gave it a go. And guess what? No diaper rash. This stuff is awesome, and it also stays on for super long periods of time. No worries that it will harm her skin or rub off prematurely.

Mineral-Based Sunscreen—Broad Spectrum SPF 50+
- Easy application (though I have to say, I wish it was a spray), stays on for as long as it advertises (80 minutes), and is thick enough that I know it’s protected her delicate skin. Perfect for those sunny pool and beach days we have coming up!

Eczema Care Skin Protectant Cream
- Our daughter suffers from not-so-great eczema on her face. It’s not all the time—usually just when she somehow gets milk all over her face or is outside for too long and gets sweaty—but it happens. Overnight, this stuff takes care of it. We usually use the Honest Company’s Healing Balm, but that stuff tends to be a little watery, and Babyganics’ isn’t at all!

Shampoo + Body Wash, Chamomile Verbena
- Gentle, smells great, and cleans well. Absolutely nothing bad to say about this stuff! I also love the pump bottle.

Alcohol-Free Foaming Hand Sanitizer, Fragrance Free
- I love that this is alcohol-free. It’s usually so much easier to use hand sanitizer than washing a 16 month old’s hands (I know—I should probably do it anyway), and this stuff gets the job done. Though I have to be honest, I hate the smell. I’m sure the fragrance sanitizer smells great though! The only other downside is that it takes a really long time to dry. Otherwise, it’s great and so nice to have a sanitizer on hand that I know is safe for my daughter’s skin.

Bubble Bath, Chamomile Verbena
- Yet another amazing-smelling product. Also, this produces GIANT bubbles that she loves to play in. We don’t take bubble baths every night, so she finds this a real treat. I also love that we’ve had no issues with her skin and any rashes of any kind.

Foaming Dish & Bottle Soap
- I absolutely love these pump bottles and foaming products by Babyganics. We keep this soap right on our sink, and I love that it’s safe for our dishes, pots, etc. AND her bottles and sippy cups. It cleans great, and while I haven’t noticed anything one way or another about it’s scent, I would say that’s a good thing.

Overall, I think Babyganics has made me a believer, and we won’t be switching from their products any time soon. If you haven’t tried their products yet, start with the toy & highchair cleaner, diapers, or baby rash cream. These were my favorites! It’s worth every penny, and you’ll sleep great at night knowing you’ve used products safe for your sweet little one’s delicate, sensitive skin.

Where to buy:

To buy Babyganics, visit babyganics.com/retailers today to find a retailer near you!

Stay connected:

Be sure to follow Babyganics on these social networks to keep up with all the latest news and updates!

Twitter|Facebook|Pinterest

6 Tips and Tricks to Help Your Kids Nap

April 23, 2015 by Taylor Basilio

If you’re anything like me, you’ll admit it: You really, really love naptime. As a stay-at-home mom who is also a work-from-home mom, naptimes are when I clock in, take care of business, and earn my income. It’s incredibly important for me to have this time, just as it’s incredibly important for my 15-month-old daughter to take naps and be well rested. But what about those days where she just doesn’t feel like napping? Well, that’s where these tricks come in handy.

1. If they refuse to nap, it’s still important to give them some quiet time. My husband and I often laugh over what he jokingly likes to call “Baby Reflection Time,” but we’re pretty serious about it. Our daughter isn’t one of those kids who functions well with just one nap a day (trust me, we’ve tried), but she sometimes struggled with going down for her second nap of the day. But every day for roughly an hour in the late afternoons, we put her in her room for “Baby Reflection Time.” Sometimes she just relaxes in bed with a couple books, but most of the time this quiet hour ends up with her passed out and us waking her up when it’s time. In addition to resting from the busy day’s activities, you have an hour to clean up, unwind, prepare dinner, get some work done, or whatever else you may need done.

2. Keep it consistent and stick to a schedule. Like many moms, I’ve noticed that on the days where our schedule is crazy or activities are moved around, our daughter’s nap suffers from it. For example, if we have a busy morning and push her long, morning nap back to become a long, late afternoon nap, it doesn’t work out. When she sleeps for a long period of time, it’s in the mornings. When we keep our schedule consistent and she’s laid down roughly around the same time each day, her nap times really show it.

3. Be firm. As your child’s parent, you know best, so be firm and consistent (there’s that word again) when letting your child know it’s time for bed. It may take a few (or several) days of this for your child to get the hang of it, but their mood will reflect having had rested, and your sanity will, too.

4. Create a relaxing environment. Whether with white noise or soothing music, there are many different ways to help your child fall asleep during the day (and these tips work at night, too!). Our daughter, for example, always loved rain sounds; one of my friend’s sons loves a white noise app that sounds like a vacuum cleaner running. Also be sure the limit the room’s brightness and turn off the TV, etc. Doing this in whatever space you’re playing in for roughly 15 minutes before a nap can help too! Find what works for your child and make it happen!

5. Lower the sugar. Cutting back on sugary drinks and snacks will help your child become calmer and get ready for bed. Another idea? Waiting for a small period of time before laying your child down right before eating. Give their bodies time to digest their food.

6. Don’t forget a comfort object. Our daughter loves her little Bobcat stuffed animal (we are Ohio University alumni—Go Bobcats!) and a small blankie. When I was little, I had a stuffed dog I carried everywhere (who I still have today!). Find what your child thinks is special and make sure it’s with them during nap time.

Any tips you use that we didn’t mention? Share them with others in the comments!