Ep. 273 – Mom Hacks for Pumping, Shopping, Bathing and More!

Shanna:

Hi. Welcome to big fat positive with Shanna and Laura. On this week’s episode, we have our weekly check-ins. We have our special segment, what the hack, where we give some tips for slimy strawberries, sandbox surprises, and more, and we wrap it up with our weekly BFPs and BFNs. Let’s get started. Hello, everybody, and welcome to episode 273. Laura, what is up.

Laura:

What is up? Okay. So I feel like this is gonna be a freaky Friday Swapparoo episode because this week, I get to be like Shanna and describe how we all got Sick.

Shanna:

Aw, man.

Laura:

I’m sorry. Thank you. Thank you. It sucked, man. It was a bad one. I don’t know what we had. Wasn’t COVID, but it was some virus. I mean, it wasn’t COVID as far as I know.

We took, like, 6 tests between 4 of us, And they were all negative, so I feel like one of us would have had, like, a positive home test if it was Yeah. COVID. But, anyway, 1st, it was Sebastian, my little two-and-a-half-year-old. He came home. Actually, what happened was it was Friday last week, And his teacher messaged on the app at, like, 3 o’clock. So, you know, like, 30 minutes before I’m supposed to pick him up. And she’s like, you know, Sebastian woke up from his nap a little warm.

We took his temp, and it was only, like, 100. So not technically a fever, but he’s acting a little tired. So You may wanna come get him. He seems like he might be getting sick. We’re like, fuck. Well, at least it’s The weekend. Right? Yeah. Pick him up.

He seems okay. Not terrible until, like, later that night when he just Bikes, a fever, like, 102, you know, feeling really, really tired and lethargic. The fever was the only real symptom he showed. But we’re like, alright. That’s a sick baby. I will cancel swim class for tomorrow and see what happens. And Saturday afternoon, lo and behold, Auggie fell to the virus.

He was doing fine until the afternoon and then bam, You know, 102 fever. And it’s that telltale thing with kids, you know, especially very energetic kids is like, when they ask to rest, You’re like, oh, shit. You talked about that with Elle on a recent episode.

Shanna:

Yeah. When they say I’m tired, All of your spidey senses go up like I’m sorry. What?

Laura:

Those words never leave your mouth unless you are sick. So poor guy, he got sick, a high fever. And we kind of lucked out in a way in that Sebastian recovered, like, within 24 hours. Right? Oh, good. Yeah. His fever was completely gone by Sunday. I mean, by Saturday night, actually.

So he was, like, well over 24 hours fever free by the time Monday rolled around for school. And so I was just like, okay. Well, I’m sending him back. Must have been some weird 24 hour bug. And Auggie was like a day behind, And he actually had Monday off school for something I will discuss in a moment. But he had Monday off school. So by the time it was time for him to go back to school on Tuesday, He was also fine, like, over 24 hours without a fever, back to being his wild and crazy self.

So we were like, okay. Cool. The kids just got some random virus. It’s gone. We’re all good. Sunday evening, I start feeling a little sick. And by Monday, I am in a bad way. Like, awful.

Like, full body shakes, like, terrible body aches, like, muscle aches. I could not do anything. I was, like, completely bed bound. I could barely, like, crawl anywhere. I was so freaking tired. It was really bad. And luckily, Sebastian was back at school, and Auggie actually had Monday off of school, but Corey was feeling fine. So Corey took care of a Basically, all better, Auggie.

And while I just, like, hibernated. Auggie was all better to go back to school on Tuesday. I continue to be, like, bone crushingly sick on Tuesday and then a little bit better on Wednesday just in time for Corey to get super fucking sick.

Shanna:

Oh oh my gosh. At least you did it at different times.

Laura:

100%. That’s what I was gonna highlight. We got So lucky with this because even though it was a really, really bad illness, we all got it sequentially, basically. So Corey and I didn’t have to both parent while sick because I’m not even sure we could have. This was so bad. Like, right now, Corey is actually really, really sick still. He’s, like, You know, in bed, like, barely able to do anything.

Like, he got it the worst out of all of us. But I feel pretty much better by now. So that is what we did this week. We just got sick in sequence and thankfully not all at the same time. Also, there was a hurricane and earthquake. The hurriquake, Did you hear about that?

Shanna:

Not only did I hear about it, Laura, I lived it.

Laura:

You lived it?

Shanna:

I lived hurriquake 2023. Yes.

Laura:

I don’t wanna bore people with too much information about this because it’s, you know, a month from now when you’re listening and everyone’s probably forgotten about it and moved on to the next Hurricane, but, there was a hurricane that hit Los Angeles, and it turned out to be not as bad as we thought. But there was also an earthquake, that same day, and we got a little shake, a little rattle and roll at our house. I thought I was, like, having vertigo from being sick, but, no, it was the earthquake. And, that is why Auggie didn’t have school on Monday because LAUSD decided to close school on Monday as a caution and his school follows the LAUSD schedule. And, yeah, that’s it. He was home Monday, and it turned out it was, like, Monday was, like, absolutely glorious and beautiful. I didn’t really get to experience it because I was so sick, but, yeah, it was, like, sunny and fine. But, yeah, that was our week.

Shanna:

Whew. Well, I hope Corey feels better soon, and I’m glad You and the kids are feeling better. It’s just always such an exhausting week when everyone gets sick and you fall behind on everything, I’m sure, and then you need to catch up, and I’m sending you good vibes.

Laura:

Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. Our house is a mess. Anyway, how about you? Were you bone crushingly sick this week, or did you actually have a healthy week?

Shanna:

I had a healthy week. Yay. Yay. Yeah. My kids also did not have school on Monday because of the hurriquake. The administrators decided the night before out of an abundance of caution to close the campus. And as you said, Monday was beautiful, so we had a lot of time on Monday to hang out as a family and have an extended weekend. The thing I wanted to discuss this week, I believe, happened on Monday, when Cece was home from school, and I was trying to work and stuff.

And she was very, you know, clingy as she is and, like, wanting to play with me and everything. And at one point towards the end of the day, I had some extra time. So she’s like, mama, do you wanna play baby with me? And I’m like, okay. Sure. And, so we’re in my office, and she lays out a little blanket. And she’s like, you’re the baby, and I’m the mama. And I’m like, okay. And she started giving me all kinds of directions of what to do as the baby.

And I was kinda tired, and I was like, you know what? I’m just gonna go along with it. I’m gonna do whatever she says. So I lie down on my couch, and she puts a blanket over me, and she’s like, you can only say googoo and gaga. And I’m

Laura:

like, okay. Googoo gaga googoo gaga.

Shanna:

And I’m just playing along, and she’s being the mom. And she took such good care of me for an hour. It was the cutest thing. She’s like, I need to go get your milk. And I’m like, okay. And I’m just, like, lying on the couch, under my baby blanket, taking my nap, and she disappears from the office. And I don’t know where she is, and I don’t care because I’m resting. And she comes back, and she had, like, made a baby bottle out of paper. Like, she constructed it from stuff in our closet. Like, cut out, like these pieces of paper and glued on, like, the nipple part and colored in milk. And she’s like, here’s your bottle. You need to sip your bottle. And she was, like, gently stroking my cheek and calling me sweetie.

She’s like, here you go, sweetie. Here’s your milk, sweetie. Have a good rest, sweetie. Oh, I need to get you your buddies, which is what we call their stuffed animals. So she goes to her room and gets her favorite buddies and brings them out and, like, gives them to me to snuggle with as I’m napping being as the baby, and I’m just letting this go on and on. And as it’s happening, I’m, like, having this crazy epiphany as a parent receiving parenting from the opposite end of the spectrum. It was just, like, so interesting to be acting like the child and having someone be so sweet to me. And I was like, oh my god, no wonder my kids crave this kind of, like, love and attention from me.

Laura:

Right?

Shanna:

Like, sometimes I’ll write it off a little bit like, oh, they’re being so clingy or whatever. But, like, when she was treating me like this and treating me with such care and kind little, like, terms of affection and stuff, I felt, like, so happy and so peaceful, and it made me want to, like, treat them like that more. I mean, I do treat them like that all the time, which is probably why she was role playing that. Right? Like, that’s what she sees and receives, but I was just like, oh, I can be more aware and purposeful when when I talk to them or when I’m taking care of them to, like, treat them really sweet and give them that kind of love and attention when they’re craving it. And so we just had a little role reversal ourselves this week, and it was really sweet.

Laura:

Also some, like, genius parenting. I mean, maybe you just stumbled upon it, but it’s like anything you can do that simultaneously is active parenting being engaged in the imaginative play of your kid and lie down and close your eyes? Like, that’s the holy grail right there.

Shanna:

Mhmm. It was pretty amazing.

Laura:

Before bedtime, if Auggie wants to play games, I’ve made it clear to him that the only game we can play is the game I’ve titled what’s on mommy’s butt, where I lie face down on his nugget and he puts Various toys on my butt, and then I have to guess what it is. Because he thinks it’s funny. I mean, it should have been on my back, but it’s funnier. And it usually ends with him, like, climbing and, like, lying down on me, and I’m like, and he I always have to guess, like, even if I know it’s him. I’m like, I don’t know. It’s kinda ticklish. It’s kinda funny.

But what the other day, he was like, mama, how come you don’t play other games with me? It’s like, like, how do I explain this without giving away my ulterior motive?

Shanna:

Because it’s my favorite game, and it’s the most fun ever. That’s why. This game with Cece was great too because I was only allowed to say goo goo gaga. So I never ruined her fantasy by trying to put my own thoughts and words onto what she was doing. All I had to do was be, like, you know, gibberish, basically, and

Laura:

Perfect.

Shanna:

She just did her thing. And that girl wants to be in control when she plays pretend, and stuff. I learned that a long time ago. And so, wow, she was so into it. And it was great for us to just bond and have that connection time together, you know, 1 on 1 playing. While Elle was off doing who knows what.

Laura:

That’s really sweet. Also, like, as you describe this, I’m thinking, like, we need this in our lives. Like, I feel like when you become an adult, you’re supposed to somehow not need people to take care of you. Right? Like we’re not supposed to acknowledge that it feels nice to have people, like, pamper us and baby us in a way. And as you’re describing it, I’m like, no one’s no one’s doing this for me. You know? Like, who’s tucking me in? Like, I need to use some of this. So, Yeah. That’s something to ponder, to to think about. But yeah. Yeah.

Shanna:

Yeah. It did strike me that way too just thinking, gosh, I haven’t been babied since I was a kid, you know, and, wow, it really does feel good. So now every day, I’m like, hey. Let’s play baby. You wanna be the mama? No. I’m Kidding. But, yeah.

So that was our week, and that was my little revelation of the week. And, I’m ready to move on to the next segment. How about you?

Laura:

Yep. Let’s do it.

Okay. We are back, and our special segment this week is what the heck where we share with you a few of the little tips and tricks we’ve picked up along our parenting journey that maybe make your lives a little easier. Shanna, let’s get right to it. Let’s help out our listeners with some hacks they may have never heard of. What’s your first one?

Shanna:

Okay. My first one has to do with shopping at stores. I don’t know if your kids, maybe your 4 year old in particular, are into writing in the carts, but mine Love it, and they love to be in that, you know, the big back section. And they’re a little heavy now for me to hoist up in there. So I learned a hack. I don’t know where I came across this. Instead of hoisting your kids up and over and into the cart, you can push the seat part up and create a big opening in the front of the shopping cart, and the kids can crawl in. And then you bring it down, and then they’re in the back part all by themselves.

Laura:

Because that’s where they all stack up when they get stored. I see. I see.

Shanna:

Yes. Exactly. When you push a cart into another cart, that big front flap flips open. Right? You can use that to let your kids get themselves into the shopping cart and then back out again. So you never have to lift up your big old 7-year-old over into the cart. They can do it themselves.

Laura:

I have not done this yet. Auggie still likes to be in, like, the seat, but we’re clearly getting to the end of that, I think he’s, like, officially too big for it if you look at, like, the weight limits and stuff. But also his, like, feet are getting too big. So when I try to pull them out we always lose a shoe. So I’m gonna have to keep this in mind.

Shanna:

Yes. And I should probably say that I don’t think that you are supposed to have your kids in that part of the shopping cart, so don’t tell anyone I told you to do it. Use your own best judgment if you’re gonna have your kids go in that part of the shopping cart. But mine do because, you know, whatever. It makes my life easier. Alrighty. Alright. What do you got for us?

Laura:

Okay. So this is a hack that I don’t really need in my life anymore because I’m not pumping, but I keep seeing it pop up on mom’s groups. And, like, I keep noticing that people don’t know about this, so I wanna, like, help people out if they’re still pumping. So a lot of times I’ll see on a mom’s group people saying like, oh, you know, I really love my Spectra breast pump, but I don’t have the kind that’s portable. And I like, does anyone have one of the portable ones with the battery that I can, like, buy off of them? Right? Like, people want the more expensive one that has the battery. And for whatever reason, their insurance didn’t provide it or they didn’t know any better. They got the plug in kind. Well, if you have a plug in spectra, it’s the S2 or Gold, I think.

There is an external battery pack they sell on Amazon that today is $26.79, called the TalentCell Rechargeable 12 Volt DC Output Lithium Ion Battery. And it’s, like, verified that it works with Spectra. If you go to the comments, people are like, I bought this for my Spectra, and it works great. You get some, like, Velcro command strips or whatever, and you can Velcro it to the bottom of your pump and it becomes a portable pump.

Shanna:

Oh, that’s brilliant. I love that.

Laura:

And it’s possible there are, like, newer versions out there, but do some research, find out if there’s one that works with your pump because, yeah, you don’t have to spend, you know, 300 or more dollars on a portable pump or, like, you know, those Elvie’s or whatever, the ones that go in your bra. You had one like that. Right? Like, the really portable ones. If that’s not in your budget or you don’t want one of those, see if you can convert your existing breast pump because you might be able to do it and save some money.

Shanna:

I love that. That’s great. And then you can pump on the way to work, in the car, during your commute, or, you know, I don’t know, wherever else you need to pump. Yeah.

Laura:

There’s, like, videos of people hanging it off of their, like, stroller handle, like, getting one of those, big carabiners and pumping while strolling, so there you go. Perfect. Alright. What’s your next hack?

Shanna:

My next hack I learned from Cece’s preschool that she went to last year. They had a huge sandbox out in the middle of the courtyard of all of the little classrooms. And, occasionally, I would pick Cece up, and she would hand me something and say, I found this treasure, mama, and it would be like a piece of confetti, like a unicorn confetti. You know how you can get, like, special little confetti packs with hearts or unicorns or stars or whatever. I found this treasure, and I was like, oh, that’s cool. Just figuring I don’t know. Someone dropped it somewhere, and she found it. And she thought it was cool.

And this started happening, like, day after day. She’s like, I found this treasure. And one day we stayed after school to play on the swings in the sand, and she’s like, mama, mama, look. There’s a treasure. And she goes down into the sand and pulls out a piece of star confetti. And I was like, oh, that’s so cool.

And then she’s like, there’s another one. And I noticed they’re kind of all over the place, and she’s, like, looking around for these little pieces of confetti. And then I noticed the other kids that are out there are doing that too. And I’m like, oh my gosh, did someone have a party out here and drop some confetti or something? Well, I soon realized that this is actually something that the school did so that the kids have something to keep them occupied in the sand. And, like, especially during different holidays. Like, when it was around Valentine’s Day, there were all these little heart confetti kind of buried in the sand, and they would find heart treasures. All the kids call them treasures.

And when it was Saint Patrick’s Day, there were, like, you know, little green ones and stuff, and they loved it. Cece loved it. She has a whole collection of these little pieces that she’s found treasure in her backpack. She still keeps in there. And if you have a sandbox and you’re looking for something to keep your kids occupied, just sprinkle some really cute confetti or sequins or something in the sand, and they can let go digging for treasure.

Laura:

We had an accidental version of this, not with confetti, but with marbles. Oh. So when I first moved into this there were all these, like, big pots left over, like, pot you know, plant pots, just filled with dirt and dead plants. And There was 1 off to, like, the side of our deck that I was super afraid there were, like, black widows in or something, so I just, like, dumped it out, you know, like, on the side of our deck thinking I’d get to it later. And I never did. It was just like a big pile of dried dirt. Right? One day a while back, Auggie is just puttering around the backyard and he comes up and he’s like, mama, I found treasure. I’m like, oh, wow.

A marble. Cool. That’s Random. Where’d you find that? He said, in the yard. I’m like, okay. Cool. Two seconds later, mama, another one. Another one.

And then I finally, like, follow him. Be like, what is he doing? And I realized that he was digging through the, like, you know, molded shape of this dried out potting oil. And whoever had planted it must have mixed marbles in probably too, like I don’t know why. Maybe there’s some reason, like, for drainage or something. But there were, like, dozens of marbles in this spot. And so, of course, he’s, like, finding them all. But, yeah, it’s so funny. And so funny how well it keeps them occupied.

It’s so simple. So I might have to, I might have to do this. Sounds fun.

Shanna:

Yeah. And then they get excited because they found something special because you call it treasure.

Laura:

Exactly.

Shanna:

Alright. What do you got for us next?

Laura:

Okay. I have very cute Instagram reel to send you for my next hack. This is a hack about how to put towels on your toddlers, first of all, in an adorable way, and second of all, in a way where they won’t fall off. So I first saw this on this Instagram reel from an account called the mar the merrier, and it’s about a family where they have spontaneous identical quadruplets. So here, I’m gonna send you the link. And the caption says, “Trust me, you wanna watch this one. Let me help you wrap those towels and make them stay on this summer.”

This is the best towel hack for kids out there. You’re welcome. And it’s like if anyone knows, It would be the mother of quadruplet toddlers. You know?

Shanna:

I mean, she knows how to do everything better, or I imagine, when it comes to parenting little ones.

Laura:

Can you imagine the crash course she got? Oh my gosh.

Shanna:

Oh, yeah. Okay. So these little cutie pies are about two-and-a-half. She’s got a pool towel. Oh, arms up. Bringing the towel behind, wrapping it in front. Oh, and then tying it behind his neck in the back. It almost looks like a toga.

Laura:

Yeah. Kinda toga-esque. So, yeah, you you keep it open to the front, have them stand in front of you, wrap it around, like, underneath their underarms, and then take the corners and twist them around so that you can tie it in a little knot behind the neck, and it makes like a little dress almost. I’ve tried this on my boys. You need a bigger towel. You know, like, it gets a little snug with, like, regular bath towels, but they think it’s so hilarious. They, like, dance around in their little towel dresses, and it’s super cute.

So, yeah, I think everyone should know this.

Shanna:

That’s really cute. It’s almost like an infinity towel. Like, you could make, like, a big looped towel and then kinda twist it and just, like, put it over the kid’s neck. This is giving me ideas, Laura. I Think this is our next $1,000,000 idea.

Laura:

We have so many of them that we need to work on.

Shanna:

I’ll get right to that.

Laura:

Also, these kids are so freaking cute. Oh my gosh. Everyone should follow them because I’m obsessed with how adorable they are and, like, the idea of having four identical toddler boys is just, like, fascinating. It blows my mind.

Shanna:

Yes. Wow. And they are Cute. Aw.

Laura:

They’re very cute. Okay. Do you have another hack for us?

Shanna:

Yes, indeedy. So if you’re like me, you buy a lot of snacks, and food items specifically for your kids, and then they like them for a minute, and then they’re like, and not interested, and it just, like, sits around for a while. Right? And it’s like, ugh. Well, we have this problem with yogurt sticks. Do you ever buy those, like, yogurt squisher stick things. You know what I’m talking about?

Laura:

I know what you’re talking about. Yeah. Because Auggie loves yogurt pouches, and I thought, oh, it’s like literally the same brand. I’ll just buy them in stick form, and it did not work out. Stick form, not okay.

Shanna:

Alright. Well, you know what I’m talking about. My girls go in waves with these, and we just sometimes have them sitting in our fridge forever because they just lose interest in them. And I realized recently, I can stick them in the freezer and make popsicles out of them, like frozen yogurt ice cream popsicles out of them, and then suddenly it becomes a new exciting thing, and then they have a renewed interest in them. So if you’ve got some yogurt sticks that your kids have ignored for a while or even if you just wanna try this as a fun new thing to keep cool in the summer, pop them in the freezer, cut off the top, and it’s almost like an otter pop, but of yogurt.

Laura:

That is genius. This is similar to something I saw about, like, taking a Pop It toy, you know, those silicone Pop It toys. Obviously, wash it quite well and then squeeze the yogurt into, like, each one of the little depressions and put it in the freezer, and then you can have, like, little, like, yogurt bites, Like frozen yogurt bites. Yeah. But, yeah, I wanna try this because that seemed like too much work to me. I was just like, I don’t know.

Shanna:

I’ve seen that one too, and I’ve kept it in the back of my mind. It’s like, put a blueberry in each little depression of the pop it and then cover it with yogurt. I’m like, I’m gonna do that. I’d never do that. But taking something that’s already made from the refrigerator and putting it in the freezer, that it can handle.

Laura:

That is an amount of effort I can also handle, so I’m gonna try this.

Shanna:

Okay. Give it a try and report back. What’s your next hack?

Laura:

Okay. So mine is also food related. So this seems like a lot of effort. I’m just I’m just gonna come out and say, like, you’re gonna listen to this and you’re gonna be like, I don’t have time for that, but I’m here to tell you it’s worth it. And that is I have started washing my berries – strawberries and raspberries – right when I get home from the store and drying them and then storing them in glass containers with a piece of paper towel folded up at the bottom, and it has completely revolutionized how long these berries stay good. It’s amazing. So first of all, we go through berries super fast.

So you think, like, berries going bad wouldn’t be a problem at our house. And yet we kept having problems when we were bringing back those, like, plastic containers of strawberries, especially from, like, Costco. By the time we get to the bottom of them, and I’m talking, like, two days, like, two days later, these kids eat so many, fucking, strawberries. Like, they would be, like, gross and mushy or moldy. And I’d be like, what the actual f? Right? Like, I just bought these.

And so I stumbled upon a bunch of suggestions online. And the way I do it is I fill up a big bowl with a splash of white vinegar and then the rest with water. And the minute I get home from the store, I, like, dump my berries in them, let them have, like, a good soak while, I’d, like, do a bunch of other stuff, get dinner ready, whatever. And then I lay them out on a towel to dry.

Then once they’re dry, I put them in that, it has to be like an airtight glass container. I guess plastic could work too. I don’t know. The glass is what we have, with that paper towel on the bottom to absorb a little extra moisture, and now they last until they’re gone. Like, it’s wow. Completely different. So yeah. I don’t know if vinegar is important, but I do it. I’m not sure I put enough in to really, like, change the pH of the waters in such a significant way that it would, like, get rid of the mold, but I do it because it’s what works for me. I’ve heard baking soda is, like, the other way you can go, like change the pH in the other direction. But I really honestly think it’s like the wash and the dry. And then putting them in the glass container. And I’m telling you, berries are perfect.

Shanna:

I need this in my life. I feel like you read my mind today because I got the strawberries out of the drawer for breakfast. I got them at Trader Joe’s yesterday. And I took them out, and, like, the ones in the bottom are all gross. And I’m like I thought to myself, there’s got to be a better way. What do I do about this? We waste so many strawberries, and it’s not like they’re cheap.

And my solution was to just think about it and not do anything about it. So I’m really glad that you’ve come to me in my time of need to solve this problem, so we thank you.

Laura:

That’s what I’m here for. And it isn’t actually that much work. You know, it’s just, like, passive, right? You, like, let them soak while you’re doing other things, so you let them dry while you’re doing other things. So yeah. Yeah. Try it, and let me know if it helps you guys out.

Shanna:

Yes. I’m definitely gonna do that. Thank you. Alright. Do you have 1 more for us? I do. So if you ever bathe your children together, you might know that it can get crazy pants. It’s crazy town. Crazy crazy crazy crazy to have two kids in one bathtub together. And my girls, we all know they get all wound up together.

And one thing that happens is they get on each other’s side. Right? Like, oh, yeah. This is my side of the top. This is my side. And oh my goodness gracious. So I came up with a little game that I call Shower Bus, that I bust out in these times of need. And we have those little folding stools, you know, that they used to get up to the counter, to brush their teeth, and they’re completely plastic. So what I said is we’re gonna play Shower Bus.

You each take a stool into the bathtub, and you sit on it in the tub, and I’m gonna shower you. And you each have your own spot. Right? They couldn’t get in each other’s areas. They couldn’t, like, mess with each other because they had to sit on the bus in the shower. And they loved it. They’re like, we’re on the Shower Bus. And I was just like washing them, and it’s easier to wash their hair because they’re, like, elevated a little bit. And I don’t know.

Shower Bus really solved all of our problems with, like, the chaos of the bickering siblings in the bathtub.

Laura:

Oh, okay. I’m gonna try this because, yeah, it’s just like, Sebastian’s on my side. Move over. This is my area. And she’s like, oh, the whining. The whining. Yes.

Shanna:

So much whining.

Laura:

Oh my god. And then they’re slippery, and they start, like, getting mad at each other, and then they, like, it’s just dangerous.

Shanna:

It’s dangerous. Bonk their head on the faucet. Sit. I mean, that’s always inevitable. It’s like, watch out for the faucet. Oh, it’s too late. You’re crying. Okay.

Shanna:

Cool.

Laura:

Okay. I’m gonna try this. I need one more of those step stools, but I think I can acquire those pretty easily, and then we’ll try Shower Bus.

Shanna:

Yeah. I’m sure we have an extra one we could give you. For some reason, We’ve got about 15 in our house. I don’t know why.

Laura:

Next time we get together, I will pick one out.

Shanna:

Okay. Alright, Laura. What’s your last hack?

Laura:

Okay. My last hack is the Antilop support pillow from IKEA.

Shanna:

Oh, that sounds very fancy in Swedish.

Laura:

I am sure my Swedish pronunciation is terrible, but, this is a piece of technology that I don’t actually need anymore because my kids are too big, but I saw it on TikTok and wanted to share it with everyone. So this is $6, okay, from IKEA. So it’s very affordable. It is an inflatable high chair backrest. Okay? I’m gonna send it to you so you can visualize it.

Shanna:

Okay.

Laura:

Basically, it’s very bare bones. It’s just a thing you inflate with your mouth. But I can see how it would be super useful if you go out to a lot of restaurants. So yeah. That’s what someone recommended it for. So it’s a backrest for the IKEA high chair, but someone said they keep it in their diaper bag for when they go to restaurants. Because you know how little kids, like, especially babies when they’re first, like, at the age where they go into high chairs, like, six months and on, they’re wobbling around in there. Right? Like, you’re rolling up burp cloths and stuff trying to keep like, give them a back rest.

I know I definitely had a lot of trouble with that. So you could just have this deflated in your diaper bag and inflate it if you find yourself at a restaurant with a highchair. And, yeah, that’s it. That’s the hack.

Shanna:

That’s genius. I needed that in my life when my kids were little. I definitely remember rolling up my sweatshirts and stuff and trying to stick it back there to give them some stability, but then there’s always like an open space, you know, kind of in the back, and then it would slip out and everything. And this looks like it’s made out of plastic too, which is easy to clean.

Laura:

Yes.

Laura:

And they make covers for it, but I don’t know why you would get it for this purpose because you don’t need it. I’m actually gonna send you the TikTok where I first saw this because I wanna give credit where credit is due. It’s an account called themhoffers, And it gives you a good visual about how it can work.

Shanna:

Okay. Let’s see. I love it. She’s at a restaurant blowing up this balloon thing. Smart.

Laura:

But that’s it. Them’s all the hacks I got for today. So, shall we wrap up and move on to our next segment?

Shanna:

We’re back, and we wrap up every episode with our weekly big fat positives or big fat negatives of the week. Laura, we want your full honesty. What do you got for us this week? A BFP or BFN?

Laura:

I actually have a BFP this week despite our illness late in the week. My BFP is pee bags.

Shanna:

Come again? Say what?

Laura:

You probably didn’t see this one coming. Specifically, it’s the Roxolace Resealable disposable urinal bags, that I got off of Amazon. Here. I’m gonna send you the link.

Shanna:

Okay. Checking out the link here. Oh, interesting. Alright. Oh, it’s a pee wee bag. On the front of the box, it says pee wee bag, which is adorable. Okay. Tell me why this is in your life, how it came to be, and how it’s helping you.

Laura:

Okay. So this is actually something I stumbled upon when I was looking for, some more barf bags, the emesis bags that we’ve talked about before. These are slightly different in that they look like the emesis bags, but they have this hard plastic, like, spout thing at the front that actually apparently will fit over any type of genital configuration you might have, male, female, or somewhere in between. And inside of the plastic bag, there’s a gel, like a super absorbent gel so that when liquid hits it, it solidifies. And I got these because Auggie has a problem with remembering to tell us he needs to potty or being able to admit that he needs to potty. And we have been in many situations where he denies, denies, denies that he needs to potty. Only four minutes later when we are far away from a potty, to discover that he has to go right now.

So these have saved us on car trips. Like, they saved us on the way up to Big Bear. He was able to pee in them. We just pull over the side of the road, pee real quick, and then we can just go back. And I know. He’s a boy. And, like, he technically could, like you know, because he has a penis, he could, like, pee on whatever. But I don’t know.

Like, I’ve used this in, like, neighborhood blocks. Like, we left a park. Right? We were, like, two minutes away from the park, and then he’s like, I have to pee. So we get out and he pees. It’s like, I don’t want them peeing on, like, a random person’s tree. You know? Yeah. So yeah. So these have saved us, and I could see them being really useful for, like, people of all ages in all kinds of different situations.

Like, maybe you’re super pregnant, but on a long car trip or something. Yeah. So, yeah, I just wanted to share. And it was a nice insurance policy to have when we, like, went to Disneyland recently. Right? Corey had one in his pocket when he was in, like, a long line with Auggie because it’s not like you can leave the line to go pee. You know? And his, like, 4 year old brain sometimes just does not compute that he has to pee until it’s a real emergency. So, yeah.

Shanna:

Okay. Just a technical question. Let’s say, he pees in line. Cory has a bag full of jellified pee. What does one do with the jellified pee while riding the ride on Disneyland. Does this thing seal up? Like, what are the specs here?

Laura:

Yes. That is another benefit of this particular bag. It has a zipper, Or like a ziplock thing at the top. So its ziplock seals are really solid. One thing you do need to know, though, is it’s sealed when you get it. So you have to pop it open, or else you’re gonna, get pee all over yourself.

Shanna:

Whoopsie daisy.

Laura:

But, yeah, it actually zips closed and is actually pretty, like, solid. So, like, the combination of the gel holding onto the pee and the ziplock, like, I feel very secure about. We didn’t have to test it because he never had to pee in line, but it was a nice insurance policy.

Shanna:

Yeah. That’s nice to know. And it reminds me of something Steve recently got for the hurricane. He was a little worried that his office might flood if there’d been a lot of water, so instead of getting sandbags, he bought, like, these little gel sacks and, like, just lined them up outside of his office outside, and they just sucked up the water and created barriers. So that’s what I’m picturing.

Laura:

It’s probably the exact same thing. Yeah. Yeah. Interesting.

Shanna:

Yeah. Lots of uses for that.

Laura:

Very cool.

Shanna:

Question, have you ever used one?

Laura:

I have yet to use it, but I’m not opposed to it. Like, if necessary, I would use it. So Yeah. But no. I mean, my bladder control is much higher than Auggie’s. So, and I, you know, usually actually go pee when I realize I need to go as opposed to, like, rejecting the notion of a potty. Never.

Shanna:

Yeah. What age do they really get the preemptive pee down? It’s like, pee ahead of time so you don’t have to pee later.

Laura:

I don’t know. I don’t know. But it’s not four and a half in my family.

Shanna:

It’s not.

Shanna:

You’ve mastered it by your age, though, so that’s good.

Laura:

Yes. Yes. Okay. How about you? Do you have a BFP or a BFN?

Shanna:

I have a BFP. As I’ve mentioned before, we’re members at our YMCA club nearby, and we use it for the pool for the girls. They love swimming. I love that the pool is heated to about 90 degrees, so I never get cold in the pool. But it’s, like, kind of all we use the club for even though, you know, it’s got workout equipment, and all this other stuff. So I’ve always been like, I don’t know.

Shanna:

Are we really getting our money’s worth from this club? I realized recently that with the family membership at the YMCA, you can sign your kids up for free dance classes, art classes, gymnastics classes, all kinds of stuff. And I made a note of what the sign up day was for the next cycle so I could get in on these free classes for my kids. So I signed Elle up for a free hip hop dance class, and I signed Cece up for free – I think they call it twinkle toes – like an intro to dance class for 3-4 year olds. So for the last few weeks, we’ve been doing dance class at the YMCA. It’s really fun. And CeCe in particular is adorable, right, because it’s a class of 3 and 4 year olds.

Laura:

And we

Shanna:

And we have, like, this one little ballet leotard tutu thing just, like, lying around the house. And I was like, here, do you wanna wear this? And she’s like, yes. So she’s just running around in this little tutu leotard, and they’re learning, like, little ballet moves. And, it’s just really cute, and I love that that’s a nice added bonus that the club is letting families take advantage of with their membership. So it makes me feel like we’re getting more bang for our buck.

Laura:

Yeah. For sure. And, you know, I’ve been kinda anxious about wanting to do more activities with and even Sebastian, but I feel like Auggie specifically, like dance classes or gymnastics or something. And as I talked about in previous episodes, you know, money is a bit of an issue right now, so, like, I’m not signing him up for anything. So it’s awesome that that’s already included in the cost that you’re already paying for it. So that’s great.

Shanna:

And it feels good to sign your kids up for new things when you’re not paying for them because you just don’t know how they’re gonna take to them.

Laura:

100%.

Shanna:

Like, I can tell Elle actually isn’t really liking the hip hop class. I think she’s more of a freestyle dancer. Learning the specific moves is not working so well with her. So I’m like, great, now I know. You know? And Cece likes it, but I can tell she’s getting a little bored with ballet moves. They’re a little slow for her. I can see her in class going, *sigh*, you know, just being impatient.

Shanna:

So I’m like, okay. We’ll sign her up for something a little more rigorous next time, but I don’t have to pay for this experiment. It’s amazing.

Laura:

Nice. I like it. That’s wonderful.

Shanna:

Check out your local YMCA. That’s my BFP for the week. And I think that’s our show. Do we have a 5 star review to read, though?

Laura:

Oh, you know we do. Yay. This one is from Amy on Apple Podcasts. It’s titled Mondays are my BFP, 5 stars. “I’ve been a fan and listening to the show since before I got pregnant in 2018. It eased my fears of pregnancy and made me feel so prepared and confident when I became pregnant in 2020 during COVID. My Monday morning commute to work would not be the same without Shanna and Laura. Thank you for the endless laughs, sound advice, and support. It means the world, and I look forward to hearing your voices every Monday. You both are amazing moms, and I appreciate everything you do. Keep up the great work. Thanks for always writing back in the Facebook group too. It’s wonderful and shows how much you both care about your listeners. Love, Amy.” Oh, thank you, Amy.

Shanna:

Oh, Amy. Oh, long time listener way back in 2018. How cool. Thank you for being with us all along your journey and our journey, and thank you for that 5 star review.

Laura:

Yes. We really, really, really appreciate it.

Shanna:

We really do. And listeners, if you haven’t had a chance yet to leave us a 5 star review, could you do us a favor, please, and head on over to Apple Podcasts. Leave us 5 stars. Say a few things you’d love about the show. It really helps new listeners take a chance on Big Fat Positive, and we really appreciate it. And we might read your review on an upcoming episode. If you have any hacks that you wanna share with us. You know we would love to hear them.

Shanna:

Laura, where can everyone find us?

Laura:

We’re on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook at @bfppodcast. We have a website, bigfatpositivepodcast.com. If you wanna send us an email, you can always throw a voice memo in there. We love those. Just send it to contact at big fat positive podcast.com. And finally, if you wanna join the coolest group of people on the Internet and see some exclusive content from me and Shanna, just search Facebook for Big Fat Positive Community and request to join because it’s a private group. Make sure you answer those two membership questions so we know you’re not a robot. Once you do that, you’ll be sent straight through to all the amazing stuff that’s going on in there.

Shanna:

Our show is produced by Laura Birek, Shanna Micko, and Steve Yager. Thanks for listening, everyone. Have a big fat positive week. Bye.