Another idea to keep warm

Some of you may remember my post on keeping warm in winter when blankets are not an option.  If you need to refresh your memory, here is the link Keeping warm

You may also  remember the below was one of my solutions.  It was a cheap sleeping bag with a physio strap around the chest to keep it on.   Unfortuantely, I have found Owen has started to wiggle out of this, so it is no longer effective.

I like the warmth provided by a sleeping bag and the length it provides, so I worked on a way to keep it on.  Here is the finished product:

So what is it?  It's a do it yourself toddler sleeping bag!  It's a sleeping bag with a polar fleece vest attached to the top.

What do you need:

• Sleeping bag - I get the cheap ones from Kmart/Big W as they are for "warmer" nights/climates, which make them perfect for house temperatures (but not so for camping). Usually you get one for around $12.  Don't get the hooded ones. Also it will say hand wash only but I wash mine on a handwash/gentle cycle in the washing machine with no drama.
• Polar fleece vest
• Velcro (only required if you want the zip on the side)
• Scissors
• Sewing machine

Once you have your supplies think about where you want the zip of the sleeping bag.  Owen sleeps between his left side and his stomach, so we needed the zip on his right side for maximum comfort.  If he just slept on his back or sides I could have put the zip up the middle.  It would have looked funny at his feet, but that wouldn't have been an issue.

How did I do it?

• I cut the armholes clear from the vest 
• I then sewed the vest to back, middle, top edge of  the sleeping bag (making sure the sleeping bag zip would be on his right) 
• I then sewed the left front piece of the vest to the front left of the sleeping bag meaning there was now an arm whole for his left arm.
• I sewed two pieces of velcro on the right front edge, one on the vest and the other on the bag, so they velcro shut when placing him in.  If you have the zip up the middle you can sew the right front peice of the vest direct to the sleeping bag.
• You will also see I trimmed the zip off of the vest and put the vest inside out.  I thought that might be more comfortable for Owen.

It is worth noting I am no "sewer", I don't have a fancy or good machine, so I did struggle with getting the tension right the thickess of the velcro and the sleeping bag, so don't look at my sewing and stitches, it is all far from perfect.  You could go all out and match the vest and the sleeping bag, but I just used a vest I had.

Here is how you put him in

Keeping teeth clean....................

Keeping teeth clean is one of the hardest jobs.  Owen will reluctantly allow me to brush his teeth but only for a very short window of time.  This has meant I have tried a large range of toothbrushes to find the one that works for him the best.  Mind you what works for him, isn't going to work for everyone. 

Trialling different toothbrushes is an expensive exercise.  Over time I have tried almost all the supermarket kids ones both electric and manual.   I found these were not the best option as I need to be in and out with lightening speed.  I eventually discovered the 3 sided brushes on the market and trialed a number of them, so  I have taken the time to review some of the ones I have tried.  I am in no way affiliated with any of these companies but thought my experiences might help you decide which to try for your child.

My favourite - The Collis Curve

I like this one as it has three sides, so it does all three sides of the tooth at once.  The bristles are soft so they don't irritate Owen's sensitive gums.  The head is compact so it'd easy to manoeuvre in Owen's mouth.

I order mine through a company in the US called Kleenteeth  ($5.50 US plus delivery) and buy them in bulk.  I believe you can buy them in Australia these days but a quick google search couldn't locate them.

The "Surround"

Another 3 sided one.  I'm not keen on this one  as the head is too big for me to manoeuvre in Owen's mouth and the bristles are harder (although still soft) than the Collis Curve.  Probably more suitable to a older child.  You can buy these in Australia ($7 plus delivery) and also from the Kleenteeth site.

The Dentrust

I didn't like these for Owen. Another 3 sided brush.   The bristles are silicon  ( I think?), so they are not like usual bristles.  They change from soft to harder depending on their temperature - you just run them under hot or cold water.  The colder they are the harder they are.  As they have a different feeling to most might be more suitable to those with very strong sensory issues.  I also felt it was a bit big for manoeuvring around Owen's mouth.  Again you can get these from Kleenteeth.

I also bought this one from IHerb

This is one I have given Owen to play with. He chews on it and gets him used to bristles in his mouth and hopefully compliments the brushing I do.

Good luck and happy brushing.