Tot Tip: Keep warm with a cape!

When Little Bear was tiny I didn't have to worry about putting a coat on him.  If it was cold, I would simply throw a blanket over his car seat and carry the whole seat with me.  Now that we have transitioned him into his convertible seat, this is not possible (really even if that seat was designed to be removable, there is no way that I could lug that thing plus Little Bear around!).

The new car seat poses several issues when it comes to cold weather.  1.  Little Bear is a furnace!  He sweats in his car seat without wearing a coat.  If I put a coat on him, he would be miserable.  2.  Safety.  Putting a bulky coat underneath the car seat straps compromises the ability of the straps to properly fit your child snugly.

So what to do?  For awhile I tried putting his coat on and off each time we got in or out of the car.  What a hassle!  Then I tried using a poncho (that came up like a blanket over the seat), but I couldn't leave it on in the car seat because Little Bear was too hot.  Finally I figured it out!  A cape with a hood.

Okay, I'm pretty sure that I have better pics somewhere, but Little Bear is waking up now!  :o)

Little Bear already had a monkey blanket with a hood and it made the perfect cape.  I simply keep it in the car and when I take Little Bear out of his seat, I put the hood on.  The blanket naturally falls around him like a cape and I just pull it closed at the neck.  It's easy on, easy off.  Little Bear is cool, comfortable and safe in his car seat without a coat but quickly and easily covered up to stay warm and dry when we venture out.  Plus its easy to wash and stash (in the car, in the cart, where ever).  And should the need arise, you have an extra blanket with you.  (I discovered that it was super easy to put the cape on and then lay Little Bear on the changing table in public restrooms for diaper changes!)

I think for next year I am going to sew some velcro at the neck, just to make things even easier!