Teething has turned your sweet baby into a drooling, clingy, cranky mess, and none of your go-to remedies seem to be working. You’re giving them all the extra cuddles (the best treatment for most baby drama), extra boob or bottles, you panic-ordered the iconic banana teether toothbrush, and you’re now best friends with Sophie La Girafe, but your little one is still a disaster. Luckily, there are so many other ways to help soothe a teething baby. Try these teething tips to ease your babe’s discomfort fast—and don’t forget to keep wiping that waterfall of drool pouring out of their mouths! (The last thing you need is irritated skin on top of teething pain.)
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1. Rub baby’s gums. After washing your hands, give your baby a gentle gum massage. The pressure from your fingers will counter the pressure of the teeth breaking through. It will feel good and offer your little one some relief from sore, swollen gums.
2. Refrigerate a pacifier. Chilling a pacifier makes it even more soothing by lightly numbing gums to dull the pain.
3. Wear baby-safe teething necklaces. Teething necklaces (jewelry for mom with chewable silicone pieces) give your child an easy-to-grab item to gnaw on when you're holding them. Just don't put any jewelry (e.g. amber necklaces) on your baby—these are choking and strangulation hazards.
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4. Try a mesh feeder. Freezing some fruits in a mesh feeder can be a lifesaver for cranky kids and their equally cranky parents. Not only does it chill and soothe sore gums, but your baby or toddler will be occupied for a solid chunk of time before they get through all that frozen goodness.
5. Make milk/formula popsicles. Some babies and toddlers refuse to eat while teething, mostly out of discomfort. Popsicles keep your little one fed and hydrated while soothing those gums. Use silicone popsicle forms to make them, and fill with breastmilk or formula. When eating, slip a bib on your babe or place them on a washable towel or blanket since popsicles can get messy.
6. Wear your baby as much as possible. Strap your clingy child into a structured carrier or wrap, facing inward. They'll feel comfort from being close to you, and you can still get things done. Win-win.
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7. Freeze a wet, textured washcloth. Moisten a textured washcloth, wring it dry, and place in the freezer before giving it to your baby. Terrycloth or a ribbed texture will offer added relief by creating friction as baby gnaws on it.
8. Refrigerate a small spoon. A spoon is something your child can hold on their own, chew on, push against their gums, and even play with to distract themselves from teething pain. Keep a few spoons in the fridge so you always have one at the ready. Those new teeth can really sneak up on you.
9. Serve chilled purees. Chill pureed foods prior to feeding your baby so the food is cool on their gums. It will feel nice and may encourage your child to eat more.
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10. Become a chew toy. Wash your hands in cold water and then offer a chilled pinky for your child to gum on. You can also show your child how to gum on their own fingers, to help them self-soothe.
11. Give your child a foot massage. Studies in reflexology have identified connections between toes and the head and teeth. Gently massage your child’s toes for comfort and a distraction from their pain.
Make sure to capture all the pics of those adorable new teeth—and share them with your family and friends near and far—with the Tinybeans app. The secure platform puts parents in total control of who sees and interacts with photos and videos of their kids.
What did the angry pepperoni say? What museums do NY comedians love?
Kids and jokes are a match made in heaven. (We find the sillier, cornier, and punnier, the better.) Take your family’s joking up a notch with these NYC-centric goofs that hopefully won’t make you gag! (See what we did there?)
1. What's a New Yorker's favorite storm?
A Cyclone.
2. How do the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges communicate?
In span-ish.
3. Why was the bagel store robbed?
The lox were broken.
4. What did the angry pepperoni say?
You wanna pizza me?
5. Where do New York chefs get their broth?
The Stock Exchange.
6. What do you call a barber in the Bronx?
A Yankee Clipper.
7. What did the Atlantic Ocean say to the sand?
Nothing, it just waved.
8. Where’s the best place to charge your phone in NYC?
Battery Park.
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9. Where did the rooster live?
In a co-op.
10. How do New Yorkers show affection?
They’ll give you a hug and a knish.
11. How did the sailor get around the city?
He took Ocean Parkway.
12. What’s the best street for moving trucks?
Broadway.
13. What is the landscaper’s favorite museum?
Mow-Ma.
14. Where do the Rolling Stones love to perform?
Rock Center.
15. What museum do comedians love?
The Wit-ney
16. What’s the coziest spot in New York?
Snug Harbor
17. Where did the math teacher like to hang out?
Times Square
18. Who do kids in Chelsea hang out with?
Their piers.
19. Can a kid jump higher than the Statue of Liberty?
Of course, silly. The Statue of Liberty can't jump!
The synthesized pop music. The colorful neon clothes. The totally tubular language adults needed a key to—like—decipher. We love everything about the ’80s, especially ’80s food and candy. Take a trip down memory lane with some of our gastronomical favorites from the most rad decade you ever lived through.
The only thing better than watching the Smurfiest show around on Saturday mornings was sitting down to do it with a bowl of Smurf-Berry Crunch in your lap. Total kid bliss.
Your kids enjoy theirs with every topping under the sun. But when FroYo debuted on the scene the flavors were the main (and only) feature, and TCBY was where you went to get it.
Pizza in the morning, pizza in the evening ... you remember it. While Bagel Bites were largely popular well into the '90s, they had their birth in the good ole '80s, and we're darn proud of that. There was nothing quite rushing home, popping some Bagel Bites in the oven, and subsequently burning the roof of your mouth with piping hot cheese.
There was no shortage of sugary drinks in the '80s, but none so exciting as Hi-C's repackage of their Citrus Cooler into Ecto Cooler. You could watch your fave episodes of The Real Ghostbusters and sip the drink in all its glory.
You could never quite figure out what this guy was and why he wasn’t the star of one of your favorite video games. These are just a few of many deep kid thoughts you had over bowl after bowl of this crunchy corn cereal.
The original packing for this popular '80s candy looked like it walked right off the set of Saved by the Bell. But you liked it because the cool checkerboard wrapping matched your Vans.
You probably passed by this one when you were rummaging through the freezer on the hunt for popsicles. But this diet food fad of the ’80s wasn’t lost on moms.
They may not have looked like much, but Fruit Wrinkles were a pretty tasty snack for the '80s. A sister product to the famed Fruit Roll-Up, the bite-sized bits were supposed to look like wrinkly fruit.
A true cross-marketing colossus, Pac-Man cereal fed '80s kids’ Pac-Man fever—literally. Between the cereal, the song and the game, kids could eat, sleep and breathe Pac-Man… for a few years anyway.
As if pudding wasn’t awesome enough already, the marketing gurus over at Jell-O made it into a popsicle in the ’80s. Rich, creamy and touted as healthy, these were a go-to fave any time of year.
Squeezeits made lunch and snack time worth it. The plastic, juice-filled bottles came in tons of flavors and were guaranteed to stain your mouth, all while giving you a sugar high.
Everyone's favorite salad dressing that became a drench-everything-in-it dip became a tortilla chip. Ad spokesman Jay Leno encouraged our obsession with the tagline: "Crunch all you want, we'll make more."
A lunchbox staple and must-have, we folded, twisted and tucked the sticky, chewy fruit roll-ups into the right size to stick it to the roof of our mouth for hours after lunch ended. It really did make fruit fun.
No soda machine? No problem! One bite into a Dr. Pepper piece of bubble gum sent a burst of the spicy cola out of the gum's liquid center to quench your thirst.
So what if they turned your fingers bright orange and left a cheesy residue all over your hands––Planters Cheez Balls were an easy, airy snack and they came in giant canisters which meant no fighting with your siblings over who got to eat the most.
Your unassuming toaster oven became an instant bakery when you popped in a frozen Toaster Strudel and out came a flaky pastry filled with warm fruit goodness that you got to top with sugary icing. Breakfast was served indeed.
Move over candy cigarettes, kids of the '80s got more than a mouthful pretending Big League Chew was tobacco. How many of you actually packed an entire bag of the shredded gum into your lower lip?
Anyone else in awe that the sweet shell of an ingenious Gobstopper changed colors multiple times before arriving at its sour center? Entertainment for hours.
If kids today only knew how hard it was to get the straw into the original packaging of a Capri Sun. But the Wild Cherry juice in the metallic pouch really added some punch to school lunches and snack time.
In retrospect, Lunchables were like the PlanetBox of the '80s. Circular disks of bologna, squares of neon orange cheese, crackers to stack 'em on and a dessert and drink all tucked perfectly secure into their own compartments.
Ahhh, Handi-Snacks. We all pretended to be master chefs spreading that hard blob of cheese ever so gently across a buttery cracker without breaking it. In an effort to be eco-friendly, the red stick is no longer included, but a petition is trying to bring it back.
More like a punishment than a treat, Jolly Rancher Fire Stix sticks set your mouth on fire—and cut your tongue once you sucked on them long enough to turn them into a sharp shard.
If you ate all your veggies, you were promised a thick slice of thawed Sara Lee All Butter Pound Cake that every kid of the '80s came to know and love as an after-dinner dessert.
Hot Pockets were the ultimate DIY after-school snack. You slid the pizza into that silver sleeve from the space age and watched mind-blowing microwave technology do its thing.
You may still have one of these teeny-tiny pebble-like candies stuck in one of your molars today. You got to pour them straight in your mouth––and if you were really crazy, you slid open BOTH sides of the box to get a mix of each flavor at once.
The decade started with a real bang in 1981 when General Mills got the first patent for a microwave popcorn bag. Sure, it wasn't the perfect pop every time, but the convenience factor outweighed the frustration of unpopped kernels.
Breakfast for dinner, anyone? Breakfast food is having a serious moment, and we couldn’t be happier about it. We’ve rounded up a bunch of fancy breakfast recipes that are also feasts for the eyes, from pancake charcuterie boards to epic waffle bars and more. Read on to get inspired.
This fried egg sandwich is just as good in the morning as it is in the evening. The best part is that you don't have to stick with just one way of prepping your eggs, you can make them scrambled, fried, over easy, poached and more. Get the recipe from A Couple Cooks.
This board by Windy City Dinner Fairy is the kind of thing bagel lovers dream about. Imagine a nice spread of bagels with plenty of topping options—from classic cream cheese and smoked salmon to fresh fruit and veggies.
Our mind is blown by the sheer scale of this brunch board by Proper. It’s filled with an impressive mix of bread, fruits, cheeses and jams. There’s no need for a centerpiece when the food looks this good!
This fun board from Sandra’s Easy Cooking would make the perfect breakfast for dinner. Homemade waffles make it even more special, and everyone can top them with their favorite fruit, yogurt or syrup.
More of a pancake person? This breakfast for dinner idea has you covered with a drool-worthy charcuterie board. Get all the details (including how to make your pancakes extra fluffy) by clicking here.
For something a little lighter, we love this veggie-forward board from Vegetarian Ventures. Think cheesy homemade popovers that are paired with piles of fresh veggies and sliced cheese.
This board has just enough elements to keep it interesting, but not so many that it’s too overwhelming to put together on a Tuesday night. Get tips on how to make your own (plus a version that skews more savory than sweet) by clicking here.
Burrata fans, you don’t want to miss this breakfast for dinner idea! The deliciously decadent cheese is the centerpiece of this board from Fork in the Kitchen, and it’s complemented by soft scrambled eggs, roasted tomatoes and garlicky potatoes.
Try this sweet idea from Wholefully for your next party (or just because). The topping options are endless, from berries and jams to chia seeds, nuts and whipped cream.
Banana splits: they’re not just for dessert! This breakfast from Smart Nutrition is sure to put a smile on your kids’ faces. With Greek yogurt, granola and berries on top, it’s a healthy way to start the day.
Dessert and hummus in the same sentence? It might sound crazy, but as you’ll learn from We Are Not Martha, it’s surprisingly delicious. This decadent brunch board centers around chocolate hummus with a bunch of dessert-inspired dippers.
Like so many other basic items, cream cheese is having a bit of a supply chain issue right now. Yes, your bagel may have to be served a new way, but that also means your fave cheesecake might need to take a back seat right now.
To help with the stab to your heart this news brings, Kraft Heinz wants to offer a little something to ease the pain. The company wants you to Spread the Feeling by dishing up a different dessert this holiday, and they’ll pay you $20 to do it!
In order to snag the twenty bucks, customers will need to make a reservation at spreadthefeeling.com on Friday and Saturday after 12 p.m. ET. According to Heinz, they will have 10,000 reservations on Friday and 8,000 on Saturday on a first-come, first-serve basis.
If you’re confirmed, you can go ahead and grab any dessert and then provide the receipt dated between Dec. 17 and Dec. 24. You can then use it Dec. 28 and Jan. 4 to redeem a $20 digital reward.
Need any help aging yourself? What if we told you Tamagotchi is turning 25? The little digital pet is all grown up now and the brand is celebrating the big anniversary with a fun throwback product.
If you’re an older Millennial, odds are high that you owned a Tamagotchi in 1997. It was a must-have toy and countless kids sported the little plastic egg on a keychain. While the gameplay was deceptively easy: feeding, playing with or cleaning up after your little pet, the Tamagotchi were surprisingly hard to master. And yes, they definitely contributed to a lot of split attention spans in the classroom or on the practice field.
Celebrate 25 YEARS of Tamagotchi with a commemorative special edition device available exclusively on @Amazon! 🥳 RT if you remember your first Tamagotchi!
If you’re feeling nostalgic, you can buy the original digital pet on Amazon in a whole array of case colors for around $20. With more than 10,000 4.5 star reviews, it’s clear that everyone loves a classic. And Tamagotchi is releasing a new special edition pet available to preorder now, with a very ‘90s inspired iridescent case.
Grab one or a few and introduce your kids to this maddeningly simple little game. While you’re at it, stock up on some Surge and Bagel Bites for the ultimate blast from your past!
As most of us learned last year, you can’t stop Halloween in NYC—even if it means elaborate candy-delivery systems to keep things safe! (If you do decide to venture out this year, take precautions—like wearing a mask—to stay healthy.) Looking for some Halloween costume inspiration? We of course love a good New York City-themed costume, and have rounded up our favorite ideas for 2021. From family costumes to baby costumes and lots of easy costumes, this is how to show your NYC pride!
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Katy Walter
Channeling your inner RBG is never a bad idea. The Supreme Court Justice hailed from Flatbush, Brooklyn, and it's easy enough to pull together a costume on your own, but you can also get the basics here. Of course, another option is to go the Notorious RBG route and add a slightly askew gold crown. And for the first-timer? Can't go wrong with this.
P.S. Let's not forget that Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor is also an NYC native, who was born and raised in the South Bronx—so you have your choice of impressive jurists!
King Kong Tableau
photo: Ashley Bailey
Have a few trick or treaters you need to outfit? A trio of the Empire State Building, King Kong and damsel in distress (or not) is a formidable ensemble. This particular iteration is the work of Ashley Bailey, the inspired Atlanta area photographer and mom behind the site "Stellaween." The month-long celebration of October's biggest day started with Bailey dressing and documenting daughter Stella in a new homemade costume each day, with a pair of twins joining in a few years ago. (You can see Bailey's shots of other people's kids at her site, September Morn Photography.)
Little Island
Vy H. Via Yelp
A little high concept and definitely not for the crafting-challenged? Sure, but we think a whole bunch of plastic funnels with some little trees and people on them would be instantly recognizable.
Ghostbuster
Wikimedia Creative Commons
Genius sibling idea! Get a brown jumpsuit, a backpack, some hose and a DIY Ghostbusters patch and you're good to go. For a family costume, incorporate Slimer, the Stay-Puft Marshmallow man, Zuul, etc.
Even though it involves some potentially messy bronze face makeup and maybe spraypainting some clothes, we think it could be worth the trouble. We bet you know a fearless girl or two who could rock this costume hard. Bonus points if you do a family theme with other members taking on the roles of the Charging Bull, a tourist, stock trader, etc.
New York's Finest
photo: Ashley Bailey
We don't mean any disrespect. Of course cops don't just sit around eating donuts. But how cute is this costume? NYPD for the win!
Hipster
photo: Ashley Bailey
Another costume idea that's open to a lot of interpretation, the Hispter is a little more subtle. This is Bailey's take on it, and we think the mustache solution she came up with is genius.
An MTA train car is a quintessential NYC choice for Halloween, and it's a project, but an easy one. Nice touches include personalizing with your neighborhood's main line, or with your child's initial. (Yes, there can be an "H" or "T" train.) Pizza Rat really takes this version over the top.
Statue of Liberty
East Midtown Partnership
Another costume that's simple, easy, instantly recognizable, and can be worn with absolutely anything underneath. An aqua-colored sheet, foam crown and torch and you're done.
Sesame Street
Ashley Bailey
Why pick one character from the Street when you can be all of them and the Street itself?
Another, more subversive take on the Sesame Street crowd, the Times Square Elmo is easy to achieve. You just need an Elmo costume that looks a little...wrong. Thrift stores are filled with Elmo costumes that have seen better days. Give your child a five-dollar bill and a bad attitude and you're all set.
OK, obviously this is not a costume applicable to NYC alone, but we're going to claim it because A.) New Yorkers have to be some of the most phone-dependent beings and B.) this costume is so cute, easy, and a dream to get around.
We're betting at least one kid in the Bronx or Queens steps out in this. (If you see them, please send photos.) A hard sell? Maybe. But maybe not—AOC is pretty inspiring. A nice companion to Fearless Girl, this is super easy to pull together (especially if your kid has long dark hair). Still, some bright red lipstick, a House of Representatives Seal or Green New Deal material, and you're good to go.
Naked Cowboy
Wikimedia Creative Commons
Easy. Hilarious. Cute. What more could you ask for? Obviously an indoor costume only, this one is perfect for your diaper-wearing tot. Just scrawl "Naked Cowboy" on his (or her) butt, throw on some kiddie cowboy boots, a hat and ukulele and call it a night.
At Red Tricycle, there’s nothing that we love more than sharing fun finds with our readers, especially when they are the creative product of our former SF Bay Area Editor! Rachel Teichman has taken her skills honed at Red Tricycle to the bookshelves. Combining her love of writing and bagels, she has written B is for Bagel, an ABC book, and we know you are going to love it.
From Asiago to Za’atar, and “Everything” in between, B is for Bagel teaches the whole alphabet, while introducing children to traditional and innovative bagel flavors. Vibrant photographs of each life-size bagel make turning pages so much fun!
Shake, splash and roll your way through this book, where unicorns and rainbows take their bagel form, and cream cheese knows no limits! Kids will love finding a new favorite bagel, while deciding if they like lox, whitefish salad or maybe just extra schmear.
You can cover the whole alphabet while learning about a popular breakfast food. From A to Z, there is definitely a bagel for you! And there are even two recipes to try together!
Rachel is working with partner publisher The Collective Book Studio, and is financing the project through her Kickstarter campaign which ends Thursday, September 2, at 9:59pm PDT. You can receive an early signed copy of the book starting with a $25 contribution. There are also many other fabulous rewards available including photo prints, bagel confetti and even rainbow bagel chips.
Rachel lives in Houston and shares this about supporting Easter Seals there: “We are so proud to announce our partnership with The Caroline School at Easter Seals Greater Houston. We have added a new $75 reward level which gives you one book, and lets you donate one book to The Caroline School.”
Grab your bagel and coffee and let’s support this literary mama!
It’s about to become your “favorite day.” Target recently announced the addition of its latest food and beverage brand—and it’s called Favorite Day!
The big red bullseye retailer is launching yet another line you’ll need to add to your must-get list. Favorite Day is packed with more than 700 high-quality items, including candy, baked goods, cake decorating supplies, mocktails, beverage mixers, ice cream and more.
photo courtesy of Target
Look for tasty treats such as Caramel Macchiato Trail Mix, Mini Everything Bagel Croissants and Gourmet Brookie Dough Ice Cream.
Executive vice president and chief food and beverage officer, Target, said in a press release, “We’re thrilled to build on Good & Gather’s success and the strength of Target’s food and beverage business by debuting our new owned brand, Favorite Day.”
Gomez continued, “Rooted in guest insights and developed by our talented Target team, Favorite Day is a sweet and savory addition that tastes amazing, makes life’s little moments of indulgence even sweeter and continues to differentiate Target’s owned brand portfolio.”
Nab your new fave Favorite Day products in Target stores or at Target.com starting Apr. 5. Along with shopping the sweet and savory selection in-person, the brand-new food and beverage picks are available via Order Pickup, Drive Up, Same Day Delivery with Shipt or online ordering.
Dunkin’ recently launched its new spring menu—and it includes Avocado Toast awesomeness!
The ever-sweet Dunkin’ brand is bringing a splash of savory to your breakfast or lunch table. Along with an all-new Avocado Toast option, the spring menu also includes two ooey, gooey Grilled Cheese melts.
Forget about smearing plain avocado on a random piece of bread. The Dunkin’ version of the beloved breakfast, lunch, and dinner treat features avocado seasoned with sea salt, black pepper, and lemon juice. The tasty blend sits on top of Dunkin’s authentic toasted Sourdough Bread.
As if that’s not enough, you’ll also get an extra dash of flavor with a sprinkling of Everything Bagel Seasoning. This mix of sesame seeds, poppy seeds, onion, and garlic gives Dunkin’s Avocado Toast a flavor you won’t forget.
Jill Nelson, Vice President, Marketing & Culinary at Dunkin’ said in a press release, “Dunkin’s new Avocado Toast is the definition of quality delivered at the speed of Dunkin’. We’ve taken a popular brunch staple and made it accessible for anyone looking for something easy and delicious to eat on-the-go. With simple ingredients at an affordable price, Dunkin’s Avocado Toast is the latest feel good addition to our evolving menu.”
Feb. 24 through Mar. 23 you can earn 10 DD Perks towards a free beverage on your Avocado Toast purchases.
If you’re more of a grilled cheese person, Dunkin’ has you covered. The two new melts include a white cheddar and American cheese sandwich on Sourdough Bread and an option with ham.
Along with the Avocado Toast and Grilled Cheese Melt, Dunkin’s spring menu includes Cold Brew with Sweet Cold Foam, Chocolate Stout Cold Brew with Sweet Cold Foam, the Charli Cold Foam, the Blueberry Matcha Latte, the Matcha Topped Donut, and an Irish Creme Flavored Coffee.
