by Sarah on 14. May 2013 in Good to Know | Parenting
Today, we’re looking at two extremely important aspects in parenting…
First things first, have you had the opportunity to check out the site FindaNanny.net? If you are a parent looking for a full-time, part-time, or occasional nanny/babysitter…this is your place! FindaNanny.net is a top resource for parents hiring a nanny… with tips for finding the right nanny, access to placement agencies, as well as a fabulous blog, and more! We know how important the search for the perfect nanny is, and we love this resource for helping parents to find the best possible fit for their family.
As we mentioned, FindaNanny.net also has a terrific blog that we’d love to share with you. Head over and read this recent post we loved, How to Tell if Your Child is Ready for His First Sleepover. This is an issue that comes up for every parent at some point as your children reach that milestone of wanting to spend the night away from home. This blog is a great resource…hope you enjoy!
by Sarah on 29. April 2013 in Parenting | Well-Being
Ever felt yourself knee deep in the comparing game when it comes to watching other moms? We certainly know we have! If you're in our same boat...check out this MUST READ article, The Other Mothers over on the Power of Moms site… it’s absolutely perfect!
The Power of Moms is all about moms helping other moms become the mothers and people they really want to be. They’ve got over 70 writers, 50 trainers, and 30 board members (all “regular moms” who want to learn and share with other moms) working together to create the great new posts, podcasts, videos and programs available every day on their site. Check it out!
by Sarah on 28. March 2013 in Our Favorites | Parenting
We’ve mentioned before how much we love Boon feeding products (see what we had to say about them in our Baby Shower Gifts We Love to Give and Get post here).
We recently caught up on all that Boon has to offer, and we are super excited about their modern take on endless practical innovations! Head here to take a look at their most recent catalog that had us all anxious to try out even more of their products. Such fun ideas for gifts, too!
A few of our current faves….
:: CLUTCH Dishwasher Basket
This handy little product is perfect for bottle parts, sippy cup valves, and all other small items that tend to float around without a home in the dishwasher.
:: MODSTER Sippy Cup
Our heads turned the second we saw the fun colors and monster shapes of these leak resistant sippys.
:: TWIG Drying Rack
We’re loving this perfect compliment to the Grass & Lawn Countertop Racks (which we already adore). Just the place to dry small pieces in style!
:: TRUNK Snack Boxes & STACK Snack Containers
Not only are these super cool looking…they’re also ultra convenient with compartments keeping food divided. Perfect for picnicking or travel, right?
:: PULP Silicone Feeder
How cool is this little gadget that allows babies to self-feed through small holes on their favorite fruits and vegetables? We’re wondering why we didn’t have this with frozen food for our teething babies?!
:: BUBBLES Suction Cup Bath Toys & DIVE TRAP & TRACE Bath Tub Appliques
Truly…we’re fans of all Boon bath toys…but, these are two that our kids have tried and have given the big thumbs up to! Kids love them…AND they don’t absorb water—preventing yucky mold and mildew buildup. Total winners!
Check out the Boon website here!
by Sarah on 13. March 2013 in Our Favorites | Parenting | Pregnancy
We recently found Daily Mom… an online magazine for women. If you haven’t had the privilege of checking out this site…we highly recommend that you head on over!
In their own words, “We are a team of fun loving, web combing, baby wearing moms who saw a need for a website where we could share all the useful tips we come across daily…We are here to educate, laugh with you, and make your lives easier.”
Daily Mom offers resources in the following areas…and more! :
· Pregnancy and Pre-Pregnancy
· Parenting
· Beauty
· Great Product Finds
· Eco Friendly Suggestions
· Organizational Tips
· Deals and Cheap Finds
· Health and Well Being
Daily Mom has a fabulous newsletter that highlights all of the best posts from the week. You’ll quickly find that their resources are easy to navigate, fun to read, and are incredibly informative!
For a quick sampling of what they have to offer, check out some of our recent faves!
And…
Check out their 50 Days of Giveaways… you have until March 31st to sign up. They’re giving away 50 prizes for 50 days…which means, there’s lots of chances to win!
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Tags: baby, essentials, giveaways, health, home, hospital, pregnancy, products, reviews, tips, toddlers
by Sarah on 17. February 2013 in Good to Know | Parenting | What's The Big Deal
We are delighted to have Dr. Jane Scott stop by the blog today! Dr. Jane is a pediatrician, neonatologist, and mother of four. She has watched flat head syndrome grow exponentially in infants to recent epidemic numbers, and she has witnessed countless parents struggle to treat this. She has made it her life’s mission to educate new parents on the prevention of flat head and to offer a non-invasive, affordable solution to prevent and treat mild cases of early-diagnosed positional plagiocephaly and torticollis in infants. She is here to share her expertise with us on this topic and how it can be prevented!
These days, moms and babies are constantly on the go, running errands, going to play dates, childcare etc. For baby, this means spending a lot of time in car seats, strollers and bouncers. Add the time baby spends sleeping in their crib at night- on their backs of course- and it’s no wonder that nearly 1 in 2 babies will develop flat head syndrome by the time they are 5 months old.
Flat head syndrome is comprised of 2 conditions that often coincide or prompt the other. Plagiocephaly is the condition in which flat spots develop on an infant’s skull. Infants’ skull bones are soft and thus can be easily flattened during the formative time between birth and 6 months of age. Similarly, infants’ heads are large and heavy, while their necks are weak. Torticollis occurs when an infant’s neck muscles become tight on one side, causing a head tilt. Sometimes babies are born with these issues due to restricted positioning in utero or during the birthing process. However, flat head syndrome most commonly occurs because of the extended amount of time babies spend on their backs. In fact, there has been a 600% increase in flat head syndrome since 1992, the year the AAP introduced the “Back to Sleep” campaign to reduce the risk of SIDS.
The good news? Flat head syndrome is almost always preventable, especially when parents are educated about the issue and proactive in their prevention efforts. Due to the recent epidemic of flat head syndrome, the AAP now requests that medical providers counsel new parents on how to avoid flat head syndrome during their newborn’s checkups. To prevent the development of flat spots, parents should actively reposition their infant’s head throughout the day. The goal of repositioning is to encourage baby to place equal weight distribution on various areas of the head (to avoid the formation of a flat spot) as well as to stretch the neck muscles through rotation to both sides of their body.
Dr. Jane Scott
Board Certified Neonatologist,
Pediatrician, and Founder of Tortle Products, LLC
In addition to educating new parents on the prevention of plagiocephaly, Dr. Jane created Tortle, a non-invasive affordable solution that not only treats mild cases and early diagnosed positional plagiocephaly and torticollis in young infants, but can prevent it from ever occurring. The Tortle is a patented, FDA cleared device that Jane hopes will eradicate flat head syndrome while allowing moms to safely follow AAP’s important Back to Sleep protocol.
The Tortle is an FDA cleared, simple, safe, and comfortable beanie designed to aid parents in positioning their infants. By switching the Tortle from side to side with each feeding, parents alleviate the flat spots and neck tightness that newborns often develop.
For more information about Tortle and Dr. Jane’s mission, watch this video, and visit the Tortle site here.
by Sarah on 22. January 2013 in As Seen In | Good to Know | Pregnancy
We all know that creating your baby registry can be time consuming and stressful. Until now!
Have you heard about Babylist? BabyList is an online baby registry that works like Pinterest. Now, expectant moms can add items from any store online to one baby registry. What a great idea, right?! Created by an expectant mama who knew exactly what she wanted on her own baby registry, Babylist was born as she found that there wasn’t an online registry that suited all her needs. If you are getting ready for baby, check out Babylist here. Their mission is to make baby registries more personal and less overwhelming. You’ll see quickly just how easy it is to register for anything you’d like from your favorite Oilo products to eco- friendly diaper services!
And… while you’re there, enjoy the other resources they provide. They have a wonderful baby registry checklist, as well as inspiration baby registries to help you get started!
You’ll see the following Oilo products made the list!
:: Sticks Play Blanket- Pewter
"Blankets are a must and this modern design by Oilo is both sophisticated and gender neutral."
See our entire collection of Play Blankets here.
:: Changing Pad Cover and Topper- Stone and Citron
"Extend the look of your crib set with this changing pad cover."
See our entire collection of Changing Pad Covers and Toppers here.
:: Crib Sheets- Stone
"Extend the look of your crib set with this changing pad cover."
See our entire collection of Crib Sheets here.
by Sarah on 8. January 2013 in Parenting | Well-Being
Tis’ the season to reflect on the past year and look ahead to the new one! When it comes to parenting, we know it’s a tough job, and we’re all about celebrating even the smallest of victories! It’s the perfect time of year to take a minute to go over your personal parenting report card to celebrate the triumphs and set goals for even better parenting in 2013!
Here are some of the parenting goals we’ve set for ourselves this year:
:: READ!
We’re committed to giving our kids the gift of literacy this year! Not only do we want to read more with our children, we want to read more on our own as well…for entertainment and also to educate ourselves on a myriad of topics! We’re aiming to visit the library more often, reward with books, and foster a love of reading for the whole family!
:: UNPLUG
If you’re anything like us…media has earned a very prominent presence in our homes! We’re looking to 2013 to be a year with less TV, better self-control with our phones and computers, and more good old fashioned fun… minus the electronics. See our previous post on Putting Down the Phone here.
:: ADD MORE OF THE GOOD STUFF
With many New Year’s Resolutions focusing around cutting things out of a diet, we’re trying to concentrate on adding more of the good stuff to ours. We may not realistically be ready to give up the Diet Coke and M&M’s, but we are ready to commit to drinking more water, eating more fresh than processed food, and keeping up on our essential vitamins and minerals. Being a good parent involves being a good example…and we’re striving to better all- around eaters for our kids this year.
:: SAY YES (sometimes)!
We were inspired by an article over on TLC’s Parentables site highlighting some parenting resolutions for the New Year. See what contributor Charlene Prince Birkeland had to say about “Saying Yes” to your children:
“Say "yes" more often to little--and maybe even a few big--reasonable requests from your children. Catherine Arveseth over at The Power of Moms calls these simple requests "the innocent desires of children's hearts." I just love that phrase. Say yes to reading an extra chapter of a bedtime story. Yes to taking a walk in the rain to splash in puddles. Yes to five more minutes on the swings at the park. Yes to letting them help you in the kitchen, even if it makes your process move a little slower. The power of "yes" is real. Try it!”
We wish you the best of luck with all of your resolutions! Here’s to many parenting successes in the New Year!
by Sarah on 27. November 2012 in As Seen In | Our Favorites | Our Products | Parenting | Trends
We are also excited about the She Knows Parenting Awards because we get the yearly opportunity to see some of the year’s greatest products in parenting. We always have a great time looking through all of the nominees and award winners. We have already fallen in love with a number of products nominated, and are excited to try out many others!
Here are a few products spotlighted in this year’s She Knows Parenting Awards that caught our eye:
:: Booster Seat Category- Mutsy Grow –Up! Booster
“The most stylish seat at the table, Mutsy’s Grow-up! booster seat allows your baby to sit in the average grownup chair safely and comfortably. Grow-up! features a clever five-point harness to ensure your little one is securely fastened. The easy-to-clean, easy-to-transport seat is ideal for babies who can sit unaided and can stay with them until they’re about 4 years old.”
See more about the Mutsy Grow-Up! Booster here.
:: Shower Gifts Category- MAM Personalized Pacifier
“Now you can choose the name, nickname or unique phrase for your little one’s pacifier without compromising safety or comfort. Each MAM Personalized Pacifier has room for up to 20 white letters in two font options. Available in pink, blue or green, you can choose from two sizes, depending on your baby’s age. “
See more about the MAM Personalized Pacifier here.
:: Educational Category- Spark Box Toys
“Spark Box Toys is a subscription service that sends high-quality educational toys to your doorstep. The toys are chosen by educational experts to suit your child’s unique developmental needs, facilitate learning and inspire lifelong curiosity. When you’re done playing, simply send them back for a new box. The best part is, eventually, the toys will end up in the neediest schools around the country.”
See more about Spark Box Toys here.
:: Portable Play Yard Category: BabyBjorn Travel Crib Light 2
“The BabyBjorn Travel Crib Light 2 is easy to take along, only weighing 11 pounds including the carrying case. After a simple setup, the travel crib is ready for use in one simple movement. The sturdy design keeps the travel crib firmly on the floor. The insulated mattress keeps baby warm and comfortable. It can be used for newborns and up until around 3 years old.”
See more about the BabyBjorn Travel Crib Light 2 here.
:: Bathtubs Category: Blooming Bath
“Blooming Bath creates handmade baby bathtubs made from lusciously soft and cuddly materials. These tubs are designed to cradle and cushion your baby in the sink better than plastic tubs and to provide a hassle-free experience to let you bond with your baby at bath time. It comes in four color options and makes a great shower gift.”
See more about Blooming Baths here.
To see our post on the She Knows Parenting Awards for 2011, click here.
by Sarah on 30. October 2012 in As Seen In | Our Products | Trends
:: She Knows Parenting Awards 2012
We are so happy to announce that we have been nominated again this year in the Nursery Must Haves category of the She Knows Parenting Awards 2012. If you haven’t voted for our Cohen Glider yet…there isn’t much time left…cast your vote before October 31st by clicking here.
:: 2012 Red Tricycle Totally Awesome Awards
As we mentioned last month, Red Tricycle is one of our favorite online newsletters! They are currently gathering votes for their Totally Awesome Awards, and we have been nominated in several sections of the Décor Category. Head on over between now and November 30, and cast your vote for Oilo under Bedazzling Bedding, Wonderful Wall Art, and Snuggiest Blankets and Comforters. To vote, visit here.
:: Babytalk October 2012 Issue
Our Modern Berries Play Blanket was included in the Style Guide: Nursery Inspiration piece in Babytalk’s October issue. We love this site and magazine, and as a part of the Parenting network, they do not disappoint with tons of cool stools and featured stories. Check out Babytalk here.
Bump to Baby Gear features stylish products for moms, moms-to-be, and little ones. They have great insights into wonderful products, so we were happy to see that the chose our 3-Piece Organic Layette Sets as one of their favorite baby shower gifts! Read their Baby Shower Gift Guide: Gifts for Your Stylish Friend here.
by Sarah on 15. October 2012 in Pregnancy | Trends
When it came time to make the announcement of our first pregnancy, my husband and I contemplated several options for letting our family in on our news. It just so happened that we were in the “safe zone” right around Halloween. A get-together at my sister’s house had already been planned for Halloween night, and presented the perfect opportunity for surprising our family. Luckily, I married an artist, who carefully carved the image of a stork carrying a baby on a pumpkin. We brought the pumpkin with us and inconspicuously added it to the display of others. It didn’t take long for everyone to notice…and our cat was officially out of the bag!
Without a doubt…announcing that a baby is on the way is an exciting experience no matter how you decide to share the news. Here are some of the ways other moms here at Oilo have revealed this thrilling news.
:: ULTRASOUND REVEAL
We kept our pregnancy a secret until we were far enough along to know the gender of our baby. We had already had our ultrasound, and had specifically asked NOT to be told what the gender was during our visit. Our doctor obliged, and instead typed the gender within the video of our ultrasound. We decided to announce our news on Christmas day when my entire family was together opening presents. We had our DVD wrapped and ready, and when it was opened…we not only announced the pregnancy y, but also told the family that we were all going to watch the ultrasound DVD together to learn the gender. As the words “It’s a BOY!” appeared above the image of our baby…we all cheered and celebrated the wonderful news together!
:: FLIP A CARD
Our family traditionally plays a lot of card games together. To announce our pregnancy, we dealt out a deck of cards to the members of our family, and as we all turned them over to play, they all read, “WE’RE HAVING A BABY!” written on each of the playing cards. Everyone was so shocked and excited!
My husband and I had recently returned from a once-in-a-lifetime vacation. We were together with our family and friends at a party. They were all very anxious to see the pictures from our trip. We hooked our camera up to the TV for all to see, and we made our way through all of the pictures—just business as usual. And then, we came to the final picture…a shot of my husband and I holding a sign that read…”BABY COMING 06.18.2010!” They were all really happy they stuck around until the end of the slideshow!
:: GOOD FORTUNE
Our family often gathers together at our favorite Chinese restaurant. When it was finally safe to announce the upcoming arrival of our first baby, we arranged with the restaurant to hand out “special” fortune cookies at the end of our meal. As everyone started to open their fortunes, they were surprised to find the message…”A baby will be joining your family in March!”
If you’re looking for more unique ways to announce your pregnancy, Baby Center also has a great list of ways to tell your husband, family, and your friends here.
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