u/ThemeNew3432

Okay so my baby is almost 6mnths and we are about to start solids and I am kinda veryy nervous. Like I have been reading about BLW for weeks and I feel like reading about it makes me more confused. The ironic part is I already have a BLW dinerpal highchair and a baby brezza foodmaker (got both of these on my baby shower but I am clueless as to how I use them) I jst dont know the basics, like how I start, and how much food I give? How many times a day? Do I start with purees first or just go straight to BLW? And the choking thing scares me sooo much. Like how is my baby supposed to go from only drinking milk to suddenly knowing how to swallow solid food? Every time I watch a BLW video the babies eatng a whole piece of avocado and I am super confused. Also what about allergens do I introduce them one at a time or all together? I feel like every source says something different. Someone please just tell me what you did because I am overthinking this and I need help.

We just got back from ten days in Florida with our 7month old daughter, and I'm still recoverng. Not from the vacation itself, but from all the things I got wrong during the first few days before I finally figured out what worked. Thought I'd share a few things in case anyone else is planning a beach trip with a baby.

Sand and strollers do not mix
I dont know why I thought this wouldnt be an issue. We brought our changego stroller with us, and trying to push it through actual beach sand was miserable. Its literally fine on sidewalks and boardwalks, but feels completely useless on loose sand. I got a workout every time I tried. So If you're heading to the beach, leave the stroller on the paved paths and use a carrier once you hit the sand.

The sun is way more exhausting than the beach itself
We quickly learned that our daughter was happiest early in the morning and later in the afternoon. The middle of the day was rough, even when she seemed fine at first. By the second day we stopped trying to stay out for long stretches and just planned around the hottest hours. Everyone was in a better mood.

The baby powder trick works
I thought this sounded ridiculous when someone told me about it. But rubbing a little cornstarch-based baby powder on sandy feet and legs really does help the sand come off. Without it, I felt like I was bringing half the beach back to the hotel every day.

Vacation naps are not regular naps.
I spent the first few days trying to make every nap happen exactly the way it does at home. Dark room. Was using sound machine. Ensured perfect timing. It didnt work at all. On day three we loosened up a little. Some naps happened in the carrier. Some happened during walks. One happened while we sat under an umbrella watching the waves. I stopped fighting reality, and so trip kinda got a lot more enjoyable.

Anyway, thats what I learned the hard way.
please keep adding to the list for clueless parents like us

I got this Changego stroller as a baby shower gift and overall its good like its easy to push and smooth in folding... I love it for our daily walks. But I took it to Costco yesterday and the basket situation was a joke. It looks huge, but it's such a pain to reach and load when I have it in double mode. To be fair, most strollers I checked out have even more tight access when they're fully expanded. Apparently they sell a separate shopping basket attachment for it, but it’s like 90 bucks and I really don't want to spend on this thing.

For parents who use their baby strollers for actual errands, how do you handle storage? Do I just suck it up and buy the extra basket separately, or do you guys have some good hacks for getting stuff in and out of the basket when you're in double mode?

I am really careful with buying baby products. Last time, we got so much stuff that I ended up regretting alot because most of those things were kinda either for aesthetics or just impulse purchases and were almost never used. Now I am buying things for 2nd one (expecting in July) and most of the things we will be using same of my first baby. Since they are almost new and still useable.

And while making list I thought we already have a stroller and so don't need it. but than my husband reminded that the stroller is still being used by our toddler. So we will need another. So obviously we will get a double stroller and will try to sell this one. But I am not sure if we will be using it or not. My husband is convinced we will need it. Because handling our hyperactive toddler otherwise would be hard. He even decided that we should have tandem style because he thinks side by side will be too bulky for our everyday use.

But I dont know if my toddler will even sit in the stroller. Because obviously there still are 2 months till the baby arrives and then we wont just go on walks and groceries instantly. So I think in around 5 to 6 months he might not sit in stroller.

My son is 3 and my daughter just turned 7 months. We have this changego set up with the toddler seat in the front and the bassinet in the back. I initially used it as a single stroller and converted to double setup after baby#2 came. It works well mechanically. My son can see everything, my daughter naps in the bassinet, and pushability is fine even with both of them in it. The problem is that before the baby came, my son was walking most of our outings. Now that he sees a seat available, he will not walk. He sees the stroller and his legs apparently stop working. I've tried telling him it's the baby's stroller. He does not accept this framing. I am a little confused if I should stop using the double setup and convert it to a single one or should I keep the double configuration and let him take the ride. But I also don't want to raise a child who refuses to use his legs until he's 7.

Did anyone else go through this phase where having a double stroller for newborn and toddler kind of backfired? Need tips on how to keep my son walking.

I’m looking for somee buying advice on a 20" hardshell carry on. My travel schedule has picked up a lot recently, and I’m constantly travelling between different cities.

Since I'm living out of a suitcase more than my own apartment right now, I’ve completely given up on overcrowded transit lounges. I usually just find an empty gate to wait out long layovers. Because of all the back to back transit, I need a bag that is tough, lightweight, and can handle terminal mileage without the wheels sticking or the zippers giving out.

I’m currently trying to choose between few models: the level8 voyageur, monos carry on pro, the travelpro platinum elite hardside, and samsonite Freeform. which one of these would you guys actually recommend, and how do they hold up over time?

We often think that luxury travel is all about the fanciest hotels and like super expensive meals. But after a 10 day trip to Portugal, I found real luxury is moving around without waiting.

Here is exactly how that $3k was spent to buy back my time.

Route: Lisbon (4 days) to Sintra (2 days) to Lagos/Algarve (4 days)

Budget breakdown:

Flights (NYC-LIS-FAO-NYC): $840

Accommodation: $1,350 (I chose guesthouses like patio do tijolo specifically for the private terraces and hidden locals only vibes)

Food & Wine: $600 (Focusing on michelin recommended seafood and private wine tastings)

Transport: $160 (Mostly Ubers to avoid the tourist trams and the 100° inclines)

Activities: $150 (The luxury here was paying for early-entry tickets and private kayak guides to beat the crowds)

What I packed:

2 Aritzia midi dresses, 1 Realisation Par silk skirt, 3 Skims tees

1 Patagonia Nano Puff (The Atlantic wind at Cabo da Roca is brutal)

Birkenstock sandals + New Balance 550s

Sony XM5s + Kindle

A carry on

INIU power bank (the 45W slim one)

Biggest travel fail:

I tried to go with the flow in Sintra and didn't book Pena Palace in advance. I ended up standing in the heat for two hours. Learn from my mistake, book your time slots 3 weeks out!