ML Interest Tag: night-owl

Night Ninjas: 4 Local Sleep Trainers

by Phebe Wahl

Let’s be real. Whoever coined the phrase “sleeping like a baby” never spent any time around our babies. Maybe it’s the heat. Maybe it’s the humidity. But here in Hotlanta, our wee ones like to party all night. Whether it is for a colicky newborn or a toddler known for their bedtime coups, the following sleep trainers can get your night owl on a sanity-saving sleep schedule. Trust us—it can be the difference between night and day.

Healthy Happy Sleep
This operation is run by two mothers with backgrounds in education and pediatric nutrition, and they offer a range of services from a simple phone consultation with a certified child sleep specialist to an in-home sleep training sleepover, with various other service options in between. Not sure you’re ready for a sleep consultation but want to see how your nights compare to the norm for your kiddo’s age? Check out their online sleep guides for useful information and a general framework of sleeping habits at different stages. 

Atlanta’s Sleep Coach
If you’re looking for a kinder, gentler sleep coach, Kate Gardes is your gal. A mother of two herself, and also a trained Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Kate spent the first year of her daughter’s life sleep deprived because she wasn’t comfortable with the “cry it out” model for sleep training. With various packages that all include a phone consultation, a personalized sleep plan, and follow-up calls, you’ll be sleeping like a baby in no time.

Dream Team Baby
Dream Team is major league in the infant sleep arena. Based in New York, they offer telephone “teach me” packages, out of town “stay with me” packages, and individual hourly telephone consultations that all begin with an intensive sleep assessment and ends with customized coaching and follow-up. With testimonials that claim that the Dream Team “changed our lives,” “got my toddler to go to sleep willingly,” and “performed a miracle,” you can bet you’ll get what you pay for.

Moms on Call
If you’ve had a baby in Atlanta during the last ten years, you’ve heard of them. Moms on Call is the local authority on infant care and sleep, and they’ve now grown to include toddlers in their repertoire. Founded by two pediatric nurses, Moms on Call provides each client with an in-home visit where they show you the ropes of infant care (how to properly suction a nose, and how to properly swaddle a baby, among other things), and by the time they leave, you’ve got a peacefully napping baby and an arsenal of tricks up your sleeve for taking care of that screamer. Not sure you’ll remember everything they tell you? No worries. The consultation comes with your own copy of the Moms on Call book, and they also have a nifty app you can download to your computer or smartphone. Or, if you want to bypass the in-home visit, you can also take one of their online courses.

 

Need a no-strings-attached one night stand (of sleeping)? Check out these awesome Atlanta area night nurses.

—Shelley Massey

Photos courtesy of CarbonNYC via Flickr Creative Commons, t r e v y via Flickr Creative Commons,  tokyosucks via Flickr Creative Commons, pmeidinger and footloosiety via Flickr Creative Commons

 

 

 

 

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5 Easy Ways to Make The Cat in the Hat

by Gabby Cullen

Is it too cold to play outside today? Do you like to cut, glue and scribble away? We’d like to think this might be a little diddy Dr. Suess might say! In honor of the author’s birthday we’ve dug deep in our hats and pulled out the most awesome ways to make that loveable (but oh so troublesome!) rainy day visitor. Scroll down to see five different and easy ideas for crafting the Cat in the Hat.

photo: Kimberly via A Night Owl

1. Paper Plate Cat Hats
Parents, you’ll love watching your kids prance and dance like that mischievous feline. Mama Kimberly of A Night Owl offers up an easy way to explore The Cat in the Hat with (what else?) mile-high cat hats. Paper plates, red and white paint, glue and eager Seuss fans are all you’ll need, as well as the complete tutorial over at A Night Owl.

photo: Wendy Piersall via Woo Jr.

2. Cat in the Hat Puppet
Grab your red, white and black pipe cleaners, googly eyes and glue–hot glue works best but Elmer’s will do the trick–and get to creating a Cat puppet. It’s the perfect prop for re-creating that rainy day tome. Got a few extra minutes? Hope over to Woo Jr, where blogger mama Wendy overs up the how-to for not only the Cat in the Hat but his partners in crime, Thing 1 and 2.

photo: Vic Saley via Obseussed

3. Cat in the Hat Pencil Cup
Vic Saley is Obseussed, as you can clearly see with a quick click over to her blog. We are obsessed with her adorable Cat in the Hat pencil cans. A Seuss worthy project, it’s also a great way to reuse old cans—the Lorax would approve! Have the kids color the cat’s hat, then work with other materials including felt, glue and marke pens. For the whole she-bang, hop over to Obseussed.

photo: via The Stuff We Do

4. Cat in the Hat Foot Prints
Footprint art anything is always a hit and we love how blogger/teacher Sherry transformed little toes into a liking of the classic Seuss character. Grab some construction paper, red and green paint, googly eyes and get steppin. For more about how to create this craft, head over to The Stuff We Do.

 photo: Melissa Coleman via This Girl’s Life

5. Classic Cat in the Hat
A fine design, oh what a find! We are loving this classic Cat in the Hat paper plate craft (those whiskers!) Melissa Coleman offers up a tutorial using those go-to supplies all kids can use, including markers or paint (pick one!), pipe cleaners, googly eyes, paper and of course, paper plates. We love the extra bowtie added for a little pizzazz. Find out how it’s done over at This Girl’s Life.

What is your favorite way to make The Cat in the Hat? Share with us in the Comments!

–Gabby Cullen

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8 Tricks for a Sleep-Friendly Nursery

by Ayren Jackson-Cannady

After welcoming a newborn, it doesn’t take long for you to realize that the mantra “sleep like a baby” is one big myth. Still, there are products and hacks that can help! From bedtime rituals to noise making apps, here’s how to help baby (and yourself) get some serious zzz’s.

1. Learn to swaddle (or faux swaddle).
Soon after baby is born, a nurse whisks her away and wraps her perfectly and snuggly in a blanket like a burrito. Once you’re home, re-swaddling a Houdini baby in two seconds flat (like the nurse) at 3 a.m. is not easy. Enter Swaddle Strap, a swaddle blanket that velcroes around baby’s arms. No folding, tucking or tightening needed.

Photo: Anna & Eve via Facebook

2. Hang blackout shades.
Those block-out-all-semblance-of-daytime curtains worked for you in college when you were trying to take a disco nap. And it will work again for your sleepless babe. Look for something that is lined with black polyester, like these cordless roman shades from Pottery Barn Kids. Word to the wise: Don’t hang all-black curtains, lest you want the nursery to resemble a vampire lair.

Photo: Pottery Barn Kids

3. Add a humidifier.
For nights when kiddo is sick, a humidifier is a must-have (though you really can use them whenever). How it works: A humidifier boosts a room’s humidity, which can relieve congestion, chapped lips, and dry skin — all reasons your cherub wakes up in a panic. One that’s freakin’ adorable with high humidity output is this one by Sunpentown.

Photo: Sunpentown

4. Give baby a massage. 
The proof is in the pudding. Research says that infant massage promotes better sleep. If you’ve never given your bambino a pre-slumber rub down, start with an “I Love U” tummy massage. Simply trace the letter I down your baby’s left side. Then trace an L, starting under her arm on the right side and going across the belly along the base of her ribs from her right side to her left. Next trace a U, stroking from high on the baby’s right side, down and around the navel, and up the left side.

Photo: valentinapowers via Flickr

5. Download an app.
Rain, Rain is a free iPhone app that comes with 25 different rain sounds, including “downpour” and “rain on a tent.” Warning: You might fall asleep before baby! If one baby sleep app isn’t enough, add the Sleep Pillow Baby app to the mix. The new parent fave features some of the most out there lullabies and ambient sounds (think: hypnotic Frère Jacques remixes and soothing night owl hoots).

Photo: Rain, Rain App

6. Get a lovey.
If lights out sends baby into a tizzy, Cloud B’s Twilight Turtle might do the trick. This plush toy’s shell transforms a dark room from scary to starry, by projecting real constellations onto bedroom ceilings and walls. Talk about sleeping under the stars!

Photo: Cloud B via Facebook

7. Paint (or repaint) walls. 
Check the shade of the nursery’s walls. Reds, oranges and yellows are stimulating and can keep baby up. Chillaxing shades include blues, green and neutrals.

Photo: The Farmer’s Nest

8. Warm those wipes! 
It may seem like one of those vanity items you gratuitously add to your registry, but a wipe warmer (like this space-saving variety) can actually make a difference between baby falling back to sleep after a diaper change and, well, not. Let’s put it in perspective, wouldn’t you be wide awake if you wiped your tush in the middle of the night with a cold, wet wipe?

Photo: Dex Baby

How do you maximize your baby’s sleep time? Share your secrets in the Comments section below.

— Ayren Jackson-Cannady

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Best Seasonal Beers for Fall

by Erin Lem

Autumn is a season of unmistakable change, as the days grow shorter and the sun moves south. It’s time to set aside the refreshing, playful beers of summer and explore more contemplative beers with greater character and substance. Our local brewers provide plenty of options to help you prepare for the longer nights and colder days; you can ease your way into the season with a crisp, traditional German-style Oktoberfest beer, or jump in with both feet and grab a bold, bodacious stout or rich and luscious brown ale. More and more brewers are experimenting with fresh pumpkin, discovering ways to infuse their beer with the meat of the gourd along with a variety of spices. This is also hops harvest season, so do not be afraid of beers with intense hop character. Here, we offer some beer recommendations for the fall of 2012.

Night Owl Pumpkin Ale
Elysian Brewing Company
Dick Cantwell, the brewmaster at Elysian Brewing Company, is obsessed with pumpkins. Each fall, Cantwell’s brew crew creates as many as 12 different pumpkin beers for Elysian’s annual Great Pumpkin Beer Festival (see page 49). The festival features dozens of locally produced pumpkin beers, along with beers from as far away as Norway. This style of beer is usually brewed using pumpkin meat along with the grains and hops normally used for brewing. Pumpkin beers frequently include spices that conjure visions of pumpkin pie, such as clove, cinnamon and nutmeg; tinges of ginger and allspice taste right for the season. Of all of Cantwell’s gourd-inspired creations, some of which border on the bizarre, Night Owl Pumpkin Ale is the most approachable. The beer pours in a beautiful shade of deep reddish orange and weighs in at 5.9 percent alcohol by volume. Night Owl Pumpkin Ale is widely available from August through October, so look for it now at most grocery stores or bottle shops in 12- and 22-ounce bottles. You can get it on tap at any of Elysian’s three Seattle brewpubs, but I recommend visiting the company’s flagship location on Capitol Hill (Seattle, 1221 E Pike St.; 206.860.1920; elysianbrewing.com)

Brave American Brown Ale
American Brewing Company
This beloved beer has just been rereleased after a discouraging dry spell. In the summer of 2011, American Brewing created an original brown ale to serve at the Brave Horse Tavern: Brave American Brown Ale. Those who enjoyed it at the tavern were not surprised when the beer brought home a coveted bronze medal from the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado, in September 2011. Soon thereafter, American Brewing Company suspended production of the beer. (Always leave them wanting more!) To commemorate the first anniversary of the victory, the brewery released a special version of the award-winning beer. This interpretation of traditional English brown ale with hop influences from the Northwest weighs in at 6.5 percent alcohol by volume and features rich, toasty caramel overtones balanced perfectly with a subtle hint of citrus as the beer finishes dry on the palate. The best place to enjoy Brave American Brown Ale on tap is at the Brave Horse Tavern, where it will be pouring through the end of October, or enjoy it straight from the source at the American Brewing taproom (Edmonds, 180 W Dayton St.; 425.774.1717; americanbrewing.com).

To read more about the best seasonal beers for fall, click here for the full story.

This is our weekly guest post from our friends at Seattle Magazine, which keeps readers on the pulse of restaurants, personalities, arts, entertainment and culture that reflect the tapestry of our dynamic landscape. We’ve teamed up for an exciting partnership to bring you a weekly dose of fantastic Date Night ideas throughout greater Seattle.

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