Just about every mom I know complains that they can’t find socks that stay on their babies. I’m glad to know it’s not just me; my chunky monkey has cute little fat rolls where most of us have ankles. I assume that’s why socks don’t stay up. Thank goodness for Zutano‘s booties. They snap around his ankle, with two different snap settings (adjustable to fit your puddin’ pop’s foot). And they STAY ON! Doesn’t matter how long he jumps in his Jumperoo, his booties stay put. Try that with socks!

I know I’ve blogged about Zutano before because I love their bold, graphic prints, but I neglected to mention the practical aspects of their line. The booties are on the pricey side, but they last a long time and mix and match well with their clothes. I’ve often found them on sale online and stocked up then. Regardless of whether or not you find them on sale, they’re worth it!

You can find Zutano at local children’s boutiques. I’ve bought them online at the following retailers:

BabySuperMall

BambinoMountain

ComfyKid

This is part of the Works for Me Wednesday series, hosted by We Are THAT Family. Great tips there!

Ah, the multi-functional, multi-purpose exercise ball. You know the one they told you at birthing class you could bring to the hospital and use as a birthing ball if you wanted to? (Like that was going to fit in the back with the car seat and the serious over-packing we did!) Well, that’s one use for it. I use mine as a chair to wheel around my baby’s gear. I can roll around his activity center, hang out and play, without having to get up and down from the floor (I’ve got old knees). Ditto for his jumperoo. I just plop my big ‘ol butt on the ball and jump along with him. He loves it! And I love that I can just roll around from one of his activity areas to the other.

Of course, he thinks it’s just one giant new ball for him to play with. Some day, I’ll show him how I used to use it for stomach crunches, “BB” (Before Baby).

This post is part of the Works for Me Wednesday series, hosted at WeAreThatFamily. Great tips there every Wednesday!

I try to buy healthy, organic produce whenever I can, but there are some items, like avocados and onions, that most experts agree are o.k. to buy non-organic. Trouble is, whenever I’m at the grocery, I can’t seem to remember beyond “avocados: good; apples: bad.” (By “bad,” I mean conventional apples have too much gunk and I should be buying those organic.)

So I took the “dirty dozen” from the Environmental Working Group Guide (and their “clean 15″) and put them in a note in my phone.  Now when I’m standing in the grocery aisle talking to myself, I can whip out my phone and look up the list.

The guide is available as a PDF file, which may be more work than it’s worth to get in your phone. So here’s the list in plain text, straight from my phone to yours:

The “Dirty Dozen” (starting with the worst)
Peach
Apple
Bell Pepper
Celery
Nectarine
Strawberries
Cherries
Kale
Lettuce
Grapes (Imported)
Carrot
Pear

The “Cleanest 15″ (starting with the best)
Onion
Avocado
Sweet Corn
Pineapple
Mango
Asparagus
Sweet Peas
Kiwi
Cabbage
Eggplant
Papaya
Watermelon
Broccoli
Tomato
Sweet Potato

I did the same thing when I was pregnant and couldn’t remember which foods were on the “DO NOT EAT OR ELSE” list, which for those of you who haven’t been pregnant recently, now includes DELI MEAT. How I would have killed for a cold turkey sandwich in August last year when I was 7 months pregnant . . .

Anyhow, cheat sheets in my phone. It’s what works for me!