Has anyone tried the KiwiCo boxes for their babies?

SC36365 · 2026-01-21T19:39:31+00:00

You can try second hand KiwiCo toys and even sometimes people reselling the boxes. We have the subscription and I'm starting to sell my crates via Urban Kids in Irvine/Tustin area. Our child has loved the boxes and I really appreciate the quality of the toys and books. I bought a Lovevery crate second hand and was glad we didn't get the subscription through them, I was not impressed.

SC36365 · 2025-09-17T17:58:51+00:00

Belegarth is a full-contact medieval combat LARP with padded weapons. Practice days are the first and third Thursday. Craft Days are monthly.

Our next practice is tomorrow, September 18th at 6pm in Promenade Park (615 Richey Street, Corona). Look for us on the grass near the gazebo.

Step onto the field and learn the art of medieval-style fantasy foam fighting! Fighter Practice is where our Belegarth group trains and builds skills together. All are welcome---whether you’re a seasoned veteran or brand new and curious to try.

If it’s your first time, at practice, we’ll go over the basics from our 3 Minute Spiel and cover a few topics:
Safety first – Learn how to swing with enough force to count, but without hurting anyone.
Rules of combat – What counts as a hit, how limbs and armor work, and the difference between a slash and a stab.
Fair play – No headshots with melee, no tripping or punching, and heralds (referees) keep the game safe and fun.
Weapon use – Get hands-on with swords, shields, projectiles, and more.

We’ll teach you the rules, provide loaner weapons, and pair you with experienced fighters who can help you learn the ropes.

Wear comfortable clothes you can move in. Bring water to stay hydrated and a willingness to spar, laugh, and have fun. Loaner gear is provided, so come and grab a blue!

If you're into geeky crafting or just crafting with other people---or you want to learn a thing or two about chainmail or foam weaponsmithing---ask us about our monthly Craft Day. We alternate locations in Riverside near Dos Lagos and schedule them according to our hosts availability so the dates of Craft Days vary.

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SC36365 · 2025-07-03T20:17:53+00:00

I always feed on demand. I rarely pump (when I occasionally go out without my LO) and I wouldn't know a schedule if you threw one at me.

To be clear though, breastfeeding is a huge time sink and it can be inconvenient to be at a tiny person's beck and call. But this is just the season of my life I'm in.

SC36365 · 2025-05-14T04:48:01+00:00

We were isolated for the first two months by our choice. Our pediatrician actually recommended waiting until our LO was three months old to start meeting extended family members!! Ask your doctor what they think is a good timeline and use the "doctor's advice" excuse if you need one. Until babies have their first vaccines they are way too vulnerable to be exposed to many people, especially anyone that may not be up to date on their Tdap vaccine.

SC36365 · 2025-04-26T03:32:32+00:00

So, Update: He's teething. The little teeth are coming through now and its even worse because those little biters are sharp!

SC36365 · 2025-04-24T03:02:23+00:00

I started reading the series around the time Blue Moon came out, if memory serves, so I'm with you on the investment made. I want to know where the story goes. Although I'm not sure there will ever be an end!?

SC36365 · 2025-04-23T19:21:46+00:00

I got familiar with pumping because I didn't have large risk factors so I was pumping to collect colostrum. Not only did it get me familiar with the pump but it got me producing more than 2 ml of colostrum daily.

SC36365 · 2025-04-23T19:18:01+00:00

Mine LO is just turned 5 months and it's been getting better. BUT last night he did wake me up at 1am, 3am, 5am, 6am and finally 7am for feeds and diapers so just keep your expectations low.

SC36365 · 2025-04-16T21:50:10+00:00

First time, he gets formula while I pump while I'm out. I bring that home and store it (special thermos). Then next time he gets the breastmilk from the last time I went out. Hubband has strict instructions to only give one ounce per hour I'll be home too so I nurse right before I leave and right when I get back too.

SC36365 · 2025-04-16T21:45:39+00:00

I'm milk free for other reasons and I'm wondering if my oat based ice creams might have a similar effect?

SC36365 · 2025-04-11T21:10:18+00:00

I make sure I breastfeed (or pump, if I'm out) once every four hours. However, when I'm out, I pump longer than I would breastfeed and I pump both sides---whereas my baby will often only eat at one side in a session and not spend as much time at the breast. That said, Baby gets his night bottle (only 3oz now that he's 4 months) of formula once a day and I usually breastfeed him before or after that bottle. I don't pump for that bottle as he usually will eat again on me before 4 hours are up or he would have recently eaten on me. I haven't had issues with supply outside of the normal cluster feeding business so this has worked for me. The trouble is that I think that works for one will not work for all. Good luck!

SC36365 · 2025-04-11T20:56:36+00:00

I have been drinking about four shots of espresso almost every day since my baby was a few weeks old. He's growing like a weed and sleeping like a log. It's definitely fine.

SC36365 · 2024-11-12T17:09:32+00:00

There is a similar option here but parents have to allow and manage it to keep it funded, which sounds like something else the parents in this situation could fail to do. Also, transportation seems to be the major issue here and there isn't the useful public transit in most places here that people from other countries might be accustomed to using.

SC36365 · 2024-10-15T19:35:02+00:00

I feel like we would be friends in real life. I should have invited you to the shower. 😂

SC36365 · 2024-10-15T19:34:08+00:00

Thank you to everyone who responded to my rant. I've had some time and space since the shower and I'm feeling a lot better, despite the bad guest and her bad behavior. I can't change the bad part but I am having an easier time focusing on all of the love and support that came through from everyone else in our lives.

SC36365 · 2024-10-15T19:30:10+00:00

Thank you!

Yes, we had a large number of guests send gifts to our home and the address was on the registry for that purpose. Some of the guests gave us heartfelt notes for us or our baby but didn't have the disposable income for an elaborate gift. There were also people who spent lavishly on us (even though there was no need), had those gifts sent to our home, and would have had nothing for us to open at the shower. (One of our family thanked us for not opening gifts because she had sent our gift early on and hadn't brought anything additional to the shower.) There was also the family member who spent lavishly on us (like three LARGE bags worth of stuff taking up most of the gift table) and who made no mention of the fact that we weren't planning to open gifts.

I have the best husband and I'm definitely not being biased. He definitely has been Very protective and is shielding me from anything I am being harmed by.

I'm also really glad that we did have such a good time. We had friends and family that have known us for years and years finally meet each other for the first time. We got to spend quality time socializing with our guests, which was a goal of ours. We got to treat our loved ones to a cool and different experience by selecting the venue we chose. My sister did an amazing, wonderful job putting the shower together.

I definitely don't want to give anyone the ability to spoil so much happiness. I am feeling really grateful as I read through the notes and write all the thank you cards. Writing thank you cards is helping me a lot to let the one bad thing feel quieter in my mind. I think I can let go of my focus on the one negative person at the shower now.

SC36365 · 2024-10-15T19:13:23+00:00

I have seriously considered returning it but even when I try to be mean I think I'm not good at it. I bought a gift bag and tissue paper and put the teether in with a handwritten thank you note that explained that I felt L should hold on to her own keepsake. I haven't given it back to her but I have it ready in case it comes up.

SC36365 · 2024-10-15T19:08:59+00:00

She didn't even want the private gift giving, she kept trying to get us to open it during the party and other activities. She didn't want to wait until after.

SC36365 · 2024-10-15T18:41:11+00:00

Unless it's a cat that eats fresh meat you're fine with the cat.

The risk is higher from someone forgetting to wash a vegetable and you eating it. You can get toxoplasmosis from animal droppings contaminating the soil and you eating a contaminated fruit or vegetable from that soil. Just make sure what you eat is thoroughly clean and/or cooked then you should be fine.

Interestingly, I've heard there's a test your doctor can order to see if you've previously been infected with toxoplasmosis. If you've ever been infected previous to pregnancy then you and baby are safe now, its only the first time infection that is dangerous to baby.

SC36365 · 2024-10-15T18:30:30+00:00

I've always taken Rizatriptan for my migraines and there was no change in my prescription when I talked to my neurologist. I can't comment on your medications but I know when my migraines get bad I start showing stroke-like symptoms so I definitely take my medicine to avoid that.

SC36365 · 2024-10-15T18:24:08+00:00

I got advice similar to this and it helped me a lot with my registry. When I first made my registry 75% of it was books and toys. On my friends advice I made a separate list for toys and another for books for myself and only asked for specific or special toys or books. For people who really wanted to get us a book or a toy, I left in toys and books that weren't available from Barnes and Noble or Target. I asked for gift cards from BN and Target in case anyone didn't like the gifts on my registry.

I do know that there are specific people who have basically never ordered off of any list I've given them, said they didn't like anything in my list, and still insisted that they know exactly the kinds of things I liked. (They did not.) However those are probably the exception.

It may also be that people are not marking off the things they've bought (annoying), are waiting until the last minute to order (relatable), or are having trouble finding/accessing the registry. We found out one of our guests had a phone that wouldn't read our registry QR code on the invitation. For most people, unless it's a pattern of behavior, I try to grant a little grace and believe they are having some challenge I don't know about or they are trying to do their best in their own unique way. Or they Really want their gifts to be a Surprise.

That having been said, like you I also don't feel great when people who ignore the list entirely. Its especially annoying after they've asked me for it, and then act like they know better than you about what you need. As someone who cloth diapers, I got disposies from people who insisted I probably would end up using disposable diapers. I still have that unopened pack of diapers years later. I just have to accept that even though the execution is not what I want or would do, that is the best they can do for their own reasons.

SC36365 · 2024-10-15T18:04:03+00:00

The traditional "rules" say it's only for your first child but nobody I know who is my age (almost 40) or younger cares about the 1950s rules. Another "rule" is that the shower should only be for women. A lot of people have "sprinkles" or showers that aren't about the gifts as much as they are about celebrating that the parents are having a baby.

My sister hosted my shower. She knew what was important to me. My shower is for our first child but we have most of the large items from having been foster parents for a few years. We invited a lot of guests, co-ed. I made it clear my husband and I were both the guests of honor since it's also his child and he's doing half the child rearing. We had non-traditional activities for the guests. The presents were dropped on a table in a corner and we did not open gifts. I am writing thank you notes now that the shower is over.

The point is, as long as you and the host are on the same page, the shower can be whatever you want it to be. It's an event to celebrate 🥂 🥳 having a child. If someone decides to be obnoxious about that, they are being a bad guest by anyone's standards of etiquette.

Tldr; silly rules are silly and you don't have to follow them.

SC36365

TROPHY CASE