Guest post written by Jennifer Silverman
I’ve always loved animals. I even thought about being a vet before I realized how long you have to spend in school to be one. But that hasn’t stopped me from helping out animals. I volunteer at a local shelter pretty often and love helping the animals find homes. But it can be tough, especially when a lot of people, like me, are struggling financially. So I’ve been doing my best to help animals find homes and even though I can’t adopt one, I wanted to help out another way.
I’ve been looking into fostering dogs. It’s a great way to free up space in the shelter and make dogs more adoptable without taking on all the financial burdens of actually owning a dog. When I was online reading through some materials on puppy fostering and testimonials of it, I found a lot of information on debt counseling too. That’s part of the reason I can’t adopt a dog and want to get in a financial place where I can.
For now, I’m going to concentrate on puppy fostering and helping those pups find great homes. Then once I’m out of debt I’ll be able to afford a puppy of my own!
Last Christmas, my little daughter received three kinds of toddler hats from her aunt and older cousins. One was a knitted bonnet, another is a pink and white checkered hat and the last one is a cotton pull-down cap. She just loves them all!
As a mother, I believe that baby hat is a practical gift for babies. I am glad that her aunt and cousins gave my little toddler those gifts because as a fast-growing toddler, it seems that she’ll outgrow most of her hats in the next few months.
Why are hats practical gifts? Well, aside from the fact that hats give protection from the cold during winter and the heat during summer, they can serve as great accessories too. Babies look cuter when they wear cutey hats.
It seems that my little one knows that fact. At her young age, my daughter already loves wearing hats. It started when she keeps on receiving compliments when she’s wearing her summer hat earlier this year. Now, she makes it a point to always wear a hat when she leaves the house. I even remember her Sunday school teacher mentioning that she doesn’t want to remove her hat even inside the classroom. Now that she received new hats, for sure it’s gonna be a “hat-ty” winter for her.
Christmas is just around the corner. While most gifts children receive at Christmas usually come from “Santa Claus,” it’s still imperative for “Santa Claus” to give the gift that your child will love and enjoy.
I have a little daughter who is of pre-school age. If you are looking for gift ideas for girls aged two to five years old, let me share with you these christmas gift ideas for pre-school girls:
- Clothing – clothing for girls is probably one of the more practical gifts to give your little one. Be sure to consider your child’s growth rate, quality of the clothes, comfort and style.
- Dolls and toys – little girls love dolls and toys. It’s something they can share with their friends, it can be their “companion and friend,” and a way to keep them busy. It would be nice to give them educational toys and ones that will help them explore their creativity and other passions or interests. Examples of these are educational toys and gadgets and playhouses.
- Books – some little girls (like my sweetie) show love for reading even when they’re still young. This is a good hobby and interest and giving them books that they will love will continue to nourish their passion to read and learn.
- Shoes – little girls loves colorful shoes and boots. When you buy her shoes or boots, be sure to take into consideration her current wardrobe (be sure that there’s something that will match it).
Do you have other suggestions? Feel free to share them in the commments section. I would love to hear from you.
I have a friend who’s expected to give birth next month. If someone you know or you are also giving birth soon, here are some tips that I’d like to share with you about what to bring to the hospital during the big day.
First, make sure that you prepare your bag in advance. Packing the things that you’ll need during the big day (of you giving birth to your baby) is a no-no because with those painful contractions, it’s more likely that you’ll forget a lot of things.
Here are some stuff that you should consider preparing before-hand:
- Clothing for your baby including socks and mittens
- Insurance card
- “Who to Call” list
- Camera and video camera
- A baby book for recording important details
- A favorite pillow
- A hair clip or scrunchie
- Sugarless candies or lollipops to keep your mouth moist
- Snacks for your husband so that he doesn’t have to leave your side to find something to eat
- Toothbrush, toothpast and mouthwash
- Hair comb, brush and hair dryer
- Makeup and other beauty supplies
- Extra absorbent maxi pads
- A nursing bra
- Nightgown or PJs, socks and slippers
- Comfortable going home outfit
- Going-home outfit for baby including a receiving blanket
- Rear-facing infant car seat (installed in advance)
Have a safe delivery.
