Gadgets and Gear — Discovering Jubilee

Christmas Gift Giving and All That Entails…

December 11, 2012 By JulieBastuk 4 Comments

When I was younger, I loved Christmas….it was by far my favorite holiday of the year. While I enjoyed getting presents, I was honestly more excited about the Christmas story, how everyone seemed nicer to each other for a month, and all the bling that comes with the celebrations.

I still love Christmas, but it brings more stress each year than I care to deal with. It began with the time that I was financially capable of buying presents for loved ones. Is it just me or are some of the people in your lives SO VERY HARD to shop for? I usually hated the process so much that I would put shopping off to the very last minute. Don’t get me wrong, I love giving people gifts, I just hate alot of the expectations and drama that can come with it.

Now that I have children, the stress is worse. TV and advertisers do NOTHING to help us parents out. By the time Halloween is over, our kids have a running list in their heads of the top 200 items they want Santa to bring, and we don’t hear the end of it until Christmas morning.
(I confess…I finally broke down and explained to my almost 6 year old that Santa isn’t real. He assumes Santa will bring him everything on his list, and I have a conscience issue with telling him that Santa will bring him presents, but there are millions of children around the world that barely have food or clothing, which is why we participate in Operation Christmas Child. Obvious disconnect there in what areas of the world Santa travels to. Fortunately, X took the news pretty well, and actually seemed happy that Mommy and Daddy got his presents. He also seemed contented that it was still OK and fun to pretend about Santa.)

In the past couple of years, we have been experimenting on how to deal with the gift giving issue for our kids. Last year, we implemented the 3 gift rule….rather arbitrary, but we used the reason that when Jesus was born he received three gifts from the wise men. That seemed to satisfy our boys.

Recently in our church, another method was presented that seems pretty logical to me. Each kid gets four presents: Something they want, something they need, something they wear, and something they read. That may just be the way we go next year.

How about you? How do you approach the Christmas season with your kids, wanting to give them gifts they want yet also teaching them that they can’t have all that they want?

Seeking to fully live,

Filed Under: Christian Living, Gadgets and Gear, Kids Stuff, Parenting

Bibs Are For Girls!

January 18, 2012 By JulieBastuk 1 Comment

In my house, meal time is messy! With three boys under five, food ends up all over the table, the floor, and all over the boys themselves.

As a result of the food diaspora away from plates on our table, our kids’ clothes receive alot of attack, especially in the case of our middle son, who is almost three. Our youngest is not going to be getting many hand-me-downs from him, because his clothes are just too stained to deal with a second time around.

I’ve never seen girl be this messy. We have several sets of friends with toddler and preschool girls, and they have never made the same caliber of messes while eating that my boys have. When they do miss their mouths on occasion, a simple bib will suffice in saving their outfits. Not so with my kiddos….if anything, when the bibs are taken off there is simply a small area on the shirt’s chest area that is clean, while the collar and sleeves are spotted, smeared, and/or soaked in sauces and crumbs.

For the longest time I gave up on buying the boys white shirt and khaki or light colored pants, because it was pointless. There’s a point at which even Oxiclean can’t cut it any longer.

Then one day, I got smart and dressed my oldest in his art smock to eat. Why didn’t I think of that before? Now, his entire front, arms, and lap were covered from the would-be food assailants. The smock was light weight, durable, and washable. Only problem was, at over $10 a pop, I drug my feet in going to buy two more.

On a recent trip to IKEA, I was finally able to get what I wanted. IKEA came out with smocks almost identical to the Crayola art smock I already owned, but they were a steal at 2 for $5. You can’t get fancy bibs at Babies R Us or Buy Buy Baby for that price!

KLADD PRICKAR

Bib

$4.99/2 pack

Now, if I can just keep track of the darn things and have them handy when I need them, I’ll be doing good! :)

Seeking to fully live,

Filed Under: Gadgets and Gear, Homemaking, Kids Stuff, Uncategorized

C. Belly Belts Giveaway Winner Announced!

October 24, 2011 By JulieBastuk Leave a Comment

And the winner of the

C. Belly Belts Giveaway

is:

Leslie!

(Congratulations, you’ll be receiving an email from me shortly!)

Even if you didn’t win, I really encourage you to give these belts a try if you’re little ones can’t keep their britches up. I’m about to order another one for my oldest son. Thanks to Lynn Crist at C. Belly belts for sponsoring this great giveaway!

Seeking to fully live,

Giveaway winner chosen using random.org

Filed Under: Gadgets and Gear, Giveaways, Kids Stuff

C. belly Belts Giveaway!

October 10, 2011 By JulieBastuk 11 Comments

I’ve got three skinny boys, and keeping their pants on can be a real challenge.

I am usually reluctant to buy more expensive jeans that have the inner elastic adjustment in the waistband, and my sewing skills aren’t quite adequate enough to put them in myself. Letting my boys wear high waters that at least fit around the waist isn’t an ideal option, and stores don’t tend to make belts for toddlers. When they do, the belt buckles can really interfere with potty training and accident avoidance.

But then….a friend introduced me to C belly Belts. Problem solved! No more safety pins, rolling the waistband over, limiting myself to one brand of pants just because they always fit….

C. belly Belts were developed by Lynn Crist, a mom who was frustrated with keeping pants up where they belonged on her own kids. She designed the belts, and they were such a hit that friends and family started requesting some of their own. In 2008, Crist launched C. belly Belts for Kids.

“The belts are manufactured in the USA, made of sturdy cotton or nylon, covered with cute grosgrain ribbon, and fasten easily with Velcro. The belt secures
around the front two loops of a pair of pants, leaving the front button
uncovered and a zipper easily accessible. The design makes diaper changes
easy without the hassle of undoing a belt buckle. They are perfect for
potty training because little ones can get a pair of pants down quickly
and easily, and the belts serve as a great tool in promoting independence
in youngsters because they are so easy to use.” -C. belly Belts

My two older boys love C. belly Belts because they don’t need much help from mom to put them on, and they don’t have to mess with a difficult buckle. One of the greatest aspects of these belts is that they aren’t just limited to one size only. There is plenty of growing room with each so my kids can use the same belt for several years and then pass it down to younger siblings.

Sounds amazing for the frustrated mom, don’t they? Well………

C. belly Belts is generously offering to giveaway two belts to a Discovering Jubilee reader!

To Enter the Giveaway:

• Visit C. belly Belts and leave a comment on this post stating which two belts you are hoping to win.

For an optional additional entry, you can:

1. Become a follower of Discovering Jubilee on Google Friend Connect

Giveaway ends 10/21/11. Winner will be chosen randomly from random.org

Filed Under: Gadgets and Gear, Kids Stuff, Parenting, Uncategorized

My Newest “Favorite” Gadget

October 3, 2011 By JulieBastuk Leave a Comment

My husband just celebrated his birthday, and after days of pestering him for some ideas of good birthday presents, he finally delievered.

He sent me to Amazon to view his selection, and after seeing it, I had to get one too.

Why do I like the GOgroove FlexSMART X2 ADVANCED Wireless In-Car Bluetooth FM Transmitter with Charging, Music Control and Hands-Free Calling for ANDROID, iPhone, Blackberry and Windows Smartphones?
Other than being safer while talking on the phone through it’s hands free Bluetooth wireless transmitter, through syncing with my phone I can play (through the car speakers) music from my own collection, stream from Pandora, tune into an FM radio station, and enjoy talking while driving without looking like I have a massive cochlear implant.
(Yes, I know many people are proud of their Bluetooth ear devices, but I hate them. I could never understand my husband when he talked with one).

The second perk of this gadget is that whatever is playing through my speakers is paused when a phone call comes in.

Last, I can charge your phone or ipod or whatever device I’m using with the USB cable provided, eliminating the need for a separate car charger.

The only downside of the transmitter is that since it is routed through the radio, the radio stations need to be adjusted to get the clearest sound and least amount of static. A bit of a pain if you talking on the phone during a long drive and have to change the station mid-call.

In general, I’m not a huge gadget person, and usually get bored in about five minutes. However, this is one new shiny object that I’m not going to lose interest in any time soon. It’s making my life easier, safer, and aesthetically more appealing than a phone headset.