Just Pete's Blog

Highly Carbonated // drinking a soda before your sonogram

So NASA Janet and I went for our 18-week sonogram, hoping to divine the gender of our child. In preparation, we had been told to have the mom-to-be guzzle a can of caffeinated soda just before going in; the idea being that a hyper child would move around, giving the sonogrammist(?!) a better chance of seeing more of the child. The result was a little disappointing. We found on the monitor a child comfortably balled up in the fetal position with a slightly increased heart rate. The recommendatio… Continue

Added by Just Pete on May 2, 2008 at 4:32pm — 2 Comments

Intergalactic, Planetary // star wars according to a 3-year-old

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Added by Just Pete on February 27, 2008 at 1:49pm — No Comments

Shake It! // adding a little seasoning to your life

Tired of salt and pepper to liven up leftovers, I added a new shaker to our table: taco seasoning. Janet thought I was crazy, as taco seasoning is one of those flavors you cook into foods, not sprinkle on. I was tired of bland quesadillas I would make as a quick meal over lunch. I found that a little dash of taco seasoning helped bring a little zest. It's also great for reheating meats, w… Continue

Added by Just Pete on February 26, 2008 at 2:30pm — 1 Comment

Friday Five Way // 5 best childhood toys

Every Friday, we'll do a Top 5 list on a different subject. Today, the top 5 toys you had growing up as a kid. Leave your five in the comments. Continue

Added by Just Pete on February 22, 2008 at 2:00pm — 5 Comments

3D Sonograms // meet your alien baby

Janet and I have started the sonogram tracking of our child. She's not so fond of showing off the yet-blurry images of our evolving child, but I don't mind sharing photos of our shrimp-kid. The one thing we've been warned of across the board by friends and co-workers is to avoid the 3D sonogram at all costs. Apparently the technology exists to get a somewhat clear image of your u… Continue

Added by Just Pete on February 22, 2008 at 1:30pm — 5 Comments

Study // salty foods linked to soda consumption, obesity

A new British study published in an American Heart Association journal has found a significant link between salty foods and the consumption of calorie-laden soda. The study indicated that manufactured foods—which contain 80% of the average American's salt consumption—may actually cause children to reach for soda versus water, juice or other… Continue

Added by Just Pete on February 22, 2008 at 8:30am — 1 Comment

Baby's Drama Mama // celebrity baby name quiz

Celebrities are weird. And they name their kids all kinds of bizarre things. See if you can correctly identify the celebrity parents whose children bear these names: (answers in the comments) 1) Piper Maru (daughter) 2) Camera (daughter) 3) Seven Sirius (son) 4) Puma (daughter) 5) Duncan Zowie Heywood Jones (son) 6) Denim Cole (son), Diezel Ky (son) 7) S… Continue

Added by Just Pete on February 20, 2008 at 9:00am — 1 Comment

Onesie Tees // turning t-shirts into outfits

If you haven't explored Etsy.com yet, you should. It is truly a global village marketplace where crafty people sell their talents to the world. One such creative offering is the onesie tee, where sewers take their fa… Continue

Added by Just Pete on February 19, 2008 at 9:00am — 1 Comment

Get Published! // how to post a blog on Kidding

O.K., so you've surfed around the site, seen what there is to see, and commented on your friends' pages. Now you're ready to get into the game and post your own blog entries. But what to talk about? Maybe you are in the middle of an international adoption, know a thing or two about cloth diapers, have a… Continue

Added by Just Pete on February 18, 2008 at 2:00pm — No Comments

7 Ways to Compliment Your Child

The fine folks at GNMParents.com have suggested seven good ways to praise your child:

1. Stop what you’re doing to watch her latest trick.
2. Listen when he wants to tell you a story.
3. Notice how much effort she put into her latest art creation.
4. Tell him you enjoy spending time together.
5. Invite

… Continue

Added by Just Pete on February 18, 2008 at 11:00am — No Comments

Life in the Crapper // dealing with a sewer back-up

There's no polite way to put this: we've got crapwater in our basement. An apparent sewer back-up from all the rain/snow we've had lately has left us with a bit of standing water near the drain and a rank smell emanating from the downstairs. In a valiant effort, we pulled out the wet/dry vac and starting sucking sludge and dumping it outside. Still smelly, still slimy. RotoRooter has been… Continue

Added by Just Pete on February 17, 2008 at 3:30pm — 1 Comment

Mr. Coffee Cocomotion // all aboard for cocoa done right

I'm not sure what I did before the Cocomotion, but I'm pretty confident it involved boiling water, grainy chocolate packets, and lots of hand stirring. The Cocomotion by Mr. Coffee ($19.95; Wal-mart) takes your old ideas of how hot chocolate gets done and whips them up to a frothy consistency. Central to the mach… Continue

Added by Just Pete on February 15, 2008 at 3:00pm — No Comments

Cutting the Cord // getting rid of cable television

It seems like everyone bemoans the ball and chain of television. We want to be entertained—but on our terms, for limited amounts of time and at a low cost. And while the trend seems to be swinging toward hi-def, tivo, and movies by mail, another trend is emerging, too: streaming tv. No, this isn't the YouTube's lame home videos or the postage-size streaming we've… Continue

Added by Just Pete on February 15, 2008 at 11:30am — 3 Comments

Smashing Pumpkins, Bananas, and Various Other Produce // make your own baby food

At 50¢ a jar, bottled baby food can get expensive. Plus, there's additives and preservatives to contend with. About.com has provided a very concise how-to on making your own baby food:

Difficulty: Average Time Required: 10-15 minutes Here's How: 1. Thoroughly wash any fresh vegetables or fruits that you've

… Continue

Added by Just Pete on February 14, 2008 at 10:30am — 7 Comments

Rockabye Baby! // rock 'n roll lullabyes

With baby being so perceptive from inside the womb, it's important to provide creative, comforting musical stimuli outside of the womb. Some choose Mozart, others Beethoven. For me, it's classic rock. Thanks to the geniuses at Rockabye Baby (iTunes), I now h… Continue

Added by Just Pete on February 13, 2008 at 8:30am — No Comments

How to Tell if Your Kid is a Fruit

One of the amazing things about child-rearing (besides the term "child-rearing") is the development through the early weeks of the pregnancy. Parenting.com has a great development timeline with photos and descriptions of what's happening… Continue

Added by Just Pete on February 12, 2008 at 4:30pm — No Comments

Dozens of Scientists Can't Be Wrong

From talking with friends, it seems that Consumer Reports is the holy grail of product reviews. I mean, to the point of feeling guilty if I even consider purchasing something without first consulting the CR archives. I tend to agree that objective, tested product reviews are the way to go; what I balk at is the cost of subscribing to the print maga… Continue

Added by Just Pete on February 12, 2008 at 3:00pm — No Comments

Congratulations, you're having a baby! Now what?

You've done the easy part, now comes the dirty work. There are books to be read, products to be purchased and advice to be sifted through. This blog will serve as a diary, a diatribe, a devotional and perchance a destination for parents of all life stages. Plus, we don't really know what we're doing. So, help. Continue

Added by Just Pete on February 12, 2008 at 2:47pm — No Comments

Just Pete's Blog (18)