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Best Floaters for Babies & Toddlers

October 12, 2020

After writing about all the types of warmers that my son wore at different ages to keep him from getting cold in swimming pools, I wanted to write about the best floaters that we’ve tried. Wings and arm-floaters didn’t really work for DiploBaby, but there are other options that really helped prepare him for swimming on his own

TIPS FOR FIRST BABY’S FIRST POOL EXPERIENCE

On of my son’s first experiences of going into the pool, when he was around 6months old, was with a grandparent and they dipped into the pool too fast. He started freaking out.

Imagine you are a new human being and then suddenly you are dipped in water. You don’t understand what the feeling is.. and it’s starting to cover your whole body! It must be freaking scary!

So to help DiploBaby get comfortable with the water, we sat beside the pool together and he could see me dipping my toes and feet into the water. Babies love to copy, so he did the same and in no time he was kicking and playing with the water using his feet.

Once he was comfortable with the water. We moved to sitting on a step inside the water. I was inside the water holding him so he didn’t slip. It was very shallow and now he would touch the water with his hands.

I would tap the water with my hands and it would splash a bit. He started copying and it was a lot of fun for him. Once he was laughing and giggling I could tell him was more comfy.

This is the only time I carried him into the pool, very secure in my arms. And I was slapping the water gently and encouraged him to do the same. He was more focused on creating little ripples and splashes instead of worrying about the water that was enveloping him. The latter can be pretty scary if you are just dunked into it!

Every time we took him into a pool, we always did it this way so it’s slowly introducing him to water without overwhelming him.

SWIMAVA STARTER RING

After a few times, he became very comfortable with water. I researched the best floater for babies and found the SWIMAVA STARTER RING!

Swimava allows for free movement of arms and legs so your infant can develop this ‘treading movement’ early and naturally.

Suitable ages 3-18 months
Minimum weight 5.5kg (12lbs)
Maximum weight 13kg (29lbs)

It’s amazing! He loved it so much! I highy recommend it!

View this post on Instagram

Now for the video. #DiploBaby in action and super loving swimming with his #Swimava!

A post shared by Ayessa | UnDiplomaticWife (@undiplomaticwife) on May 16, 2016 at 3:33am PDT

SWIMAVA BODY RING

Once he outgrew the starter ring we moved him up to the Swimava Body. Which again he loved so much! He loved jumping into the pool with it and would tread the water.

It really allowed him to be more independent and really enjoy pool time.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpwxTFZliEh/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

In conclusion, I highly recommend the Swimava floaters from the neck ring to the body ring. There are a lot of fakes or copy cats out there, which I would caution parents about because the original is something that has been tested for safety – not just the design but also the material.

WHAT’S THE NEXT STEP

Late in his 2nd year, he already wanted to remove the Swimava Body Ring and jump into the water without any floatation device. It was pretty scary because he would swallow water.

I guess he felt ready for the next step or outgrew the Body Ring already. We always take our cues from our child instead of looking to others or external metrics for what he is ready for.

We decided to start him on Swimming lessons so he can swim by himself and for our peace of mind. In Germany the ability to swim is one of the life skills that they teach in school that’s why for me it’s so strange that we are in an archipelago and there are pools everywhere, yet swimming is something that is optional to teach.

UP NEXT: AMAZING SWIMMING TEACHER FOR KIDS

View this post on Instagram

Father and son swim time. Today I was just the photographer and enjoyed seeing my boys have fun swimming! I’m sure it was cold, but thanks to swimming warmers they are still able to swim and enjoy without worry of getting too cold or sick. DM me if you wanna know where to get them for the whole family! DiploBaby starter taking swimming lessons when he was 2 years old and could swim on his own by the time he was 3. We miss swim lessons with our coach coz he was in the middle of teaching him how to free style. Swimming is an essential lifeskill especially here in the tropics! I wish it was a requirement here like it is at a certain level/grade in Germany, so that all children learn to swim. This is not the case here and it is up to each parent if they will pay for swim classes/lessons for each child. Today was a chill Sunday full of baking and swims. See more in my stories. What were you up to this Sunday? #diplobaby #thediplomat

A post shared by Ayessa | UnDiplomaticWife (@undiplomaticwife) on Jun 14, 2020 at 3:38am PDT

READ: WARMERS & SWIM LESSONS FOR TODDLERS

SWIMAVA PH

0915 044 1369 • swimava.ph@gmail.com
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Welcome

Hello! I’m Ayessa, trailing spouse to a diplomat, mama to DiploBaby and DiploDog and founder of Declutter MNL. I love talking about how to achieve a minimaluxe lifestyle one step at a time.

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DISCLOSURE

I am an Amazon affiliate, but all opinions are my own. The content of all my blog and social media posts are products and experiences that I truly enjoy and I only work with brands that fit my life and style.

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TOOL FREE BIDET INSTALL One of the things we miss TOOL FREE BIDET INSTALL

One of the things we miss about living in the Philippines & Indonesia is having a bidet in our bathrooms.

Here we have a MUJI TABO & TOTO PORTABLE BIDETS (dm for link if you want), but nothing beats the water pressure & convenience of a handheld bidet that’s connected to your plumbing IMO.

When I was in @jumbo.schweiz recently I saw a bidet that can be installed with the sink.

It only works if your sink is near your toilet so sadly it won’t work on our master’s bathroom.

I wasn’t sure our faucet was the correct size but I took a risk for CHF20.

Today I finally had the time to install it. I was # #mariomama again LOL!

The only time you might need a tool (pliers) is if you can’t loosen the AERATOR to remove it from your faucet.

HOW TO INSTALL HOLDER WITHOUT DRILLING

As a renter, I want to avoid making holes in the walls whenever I can. Even if I weren’t a renter I don’t recommend putting holes on tiles coz they might crack.

So I used the strongest @tesa_de  double sided tape on the bidet holder. You can see how I did it step by step on the video. Be sure to use Teflon scissors so they don’t get damaged by the adhesive. Clear monster tape will also work well for this.

*** Amazon affiliate links on my bio under BIDET HACKS ****

WHY CANT YOU INSTALL IT IN YOUR TOILET

The toilets here are all built in. There are no exposed tubes to connect bidets to like in Asia. 

That’s why this hack is a God send! No plumbing experience or tools needed! YAY!

WHERE TO BUY

https://undiplomaticwife.com/how-to-install-a-bidet-in-a-european-toilet/

Feel free to dm me if you have any questions!

#DiploHome #diplohomegeneva #diy #bidet #bidetlife #expatlife #expatliving #genevaexpats #genevaexpat #genevaexpatwomen #expatinswitzerland
HUMIDIFIER HACK Did you know that each home shoul HUMIDIFIER HACK

Did you know that each home should have humidifiers whether it’s in winter or summer?

Yes! It should be in
- closets
- caves
- storage lockers
- basements
- attics
- bathrooms
- any other area that doesn’t have through air or air conditioner 

To prevent molds from damaging your property!

Here’s the hack: Don’t throw the container because you can buy refills. 

DM me on where to buy wherever you are!

#diplohome #homehacks
WHEN’S THE BEST TIME TO GO TO SANTA CLAUS VILLAG WHEN’S THE BEST TIME TO GO TO SANTA CLAUS VILLAGE?

The concern going to Rovaniemi is that it’s too cold 🥶 I’ve heard of people going in winter & didn’t enjoy it coz they felt like frozen popsicles. You have 2 options:

1. Go in SPRING like us so prices are lower, no long lines/crowds & no need for super thick snow suits, but low chance of seeing Aurora Borealis & some places might be closed/melted. 

3. A friend who lived in Scandinavia told us for Aurora Borealis, the best time is SEPTEMBER coz it’s not too cold yet. Though some resorts might only be opening in OCTOBER like @glass_resort.

FOR US:

❄️ End of first week of April: We didn’t really know  that we picked the perfect time. We were there for only 3 days & 2 nights because that was all our budget would allow. The lows were -3/5 C but the week before it was literally -18C YIKES! 🥶

❄️ At lows of -3/5 and 0-3 highs it’s manageable layering our @uniqloeurope Ultra Light Down Jackets. We didn’t end up using our waterproof snow jackets.

 ❄️ bring waterproof shoes/boots so you don’t get sick if melted snow gets in. 

❄️ If you will touch snow/have snowball fights, waterproof gloves are a must

❄️ Ask hotel if sleds are free to borrow

❄️ Bring SPF coz snow reflects sun

❄️ As you can see in the reel on our first day it was winter wonderland. The day after things started melting. On our last day things were starting to puddle. After I imagine rivers!

❄️ there was this gigantic snowman & I was too tired to take a pic. It disappeared the next day to my disappointment.

❄️ The SNOWMAN WORLD was already closed when we arrived. It would have been so cool to see the ice resto/bar, slides & disco!

❄️ We found out that the day we were leaving was also the last full day of our hotel. So though Santa Claus Office is open 365 days a year, check with the hotels to see which ones are open.

☀️ Summer activities are different. For example the huskies pull sleds with wheels.

🌈 BONUS TIP: If you pick a resort inside @santaclausvillage_rovaniemi, 3 days is enough. Because of the perfect location of @glass_resort we were able to make SO many wonderful memories in such a short time.

#udwinsantaclausvillage
PARTIES & PLUMBING #diplolife + OUR FIRST TIME TO PARTIES & PLUMBING #diplolife

+ OUR FIRST TIME TO HOST AMBASSADORS IN OUR SWISS #DIPLOHOME
(Except for my FIL of course)

This has to have been the most hectic weekend in recent memory here. Each day @diplobaby had a kid’s party to attend. (Thankfully here you leave the child for 2-2.5hrs & parents can do errands while waiting)

TD & I also had commitments for both days. We were hosting a lunch, attending a lunch/ playdate with #diplofriends & meeting up with a fellow Pinoy @remfelrem who has just arrived in Switzerland. 

Last Saturday, TD and I were hosting a lunch for his boss & also a little farewell for the boss of the other mission. And as you guys know we were really stressed with a clogged kitchen sink drain. Not the most convenient or sweet smelling when you are having people over.

So thankfully with the help of a friend I got tips on how to dismantle the pipes to clean them. Guess what? It was still clogged in the pipes inside the wall!

Cleaning the pipes under the sink might NOT HAVE RESOLVED the problem, but at least our home did not smell! Also I learned to do something new! Win-win! 

TD told @diplobaby that I’m #MarioMama (from Mario Bros) 😂🪠

And I am quite relieved that TD & I managed to pull off a lunch in our little home with not just one, but TWO Ambassadors. Having one’s boss is always somewhat nerve-racking right??? I’m so happy we finally did it! 

We had pork adobo with mango, tomato & cilantro salad. And our fave spaghetti bolognese. I bought small cakes from our favorite boulangerie in the little French town next door. 

P.S. 
For those of you were asking if we finally had to call a professional for our kitchen sink. In a way yes we did. After all our best efforts, we finally had to ask for help. We feel so lucky to have such a lovely landlord who came and had the knowledge to remove the clog from the pipes that were built into the wall. We are ever so grateful to him for coming on his weekend.

This is #diplolife guys… PARTIES AND PLUMBING! LOL!!!

#UDWinGeneva #undiplomaticwife #diplofamily #thediplomat #thediplomaticwife
SANTA CLAUS MAIN POST OFFICE So one really meanin SANTA CLAUS MAIN POST OFFICE

So one really meaningful part of our trip was @santaclausmainpostoffice which is right outside of @santaclausoffice.

🎄 @diplobaby wrote a postcard for Santa

🎄 He also wrote some postcards to his friends

🎄 I wrote a postcard to @diplobaby to remember our many firsts in this trip.

For the last 2 we were lucky that our hotel @glass_resort  had many FREE POSTCARDS  and STAMPS and we didn’t have to go to the post office. They conveniently sent it for us.

His close friends were happy to receive them and I also loved getting our own post. So cool!

Please don’t forget to LIKE this post to see more family adventures & travel tips!

If Finland is on your bucket list then definitely SAVE THIS!

#udwinfinland #udwinsantaclausvillage #diplobaby #diilofamily
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