by Sarah on 29. May 2012 in Our Favorites | Pregnancy
It’s no secret that throughout pregnancy and after the arrival of a new baby… most of the attention is on the new mom. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with this (moms earn it, right?), it's only fair that dad can have a shining moment too! What better time to acknowledge a new dad than on Father’s Day? Whether as an expectant father or a new dad celebrating his first Father’s Day, here are some great gift ideas for the upcoming holiday!
:: BOOKS
Giving the gift of informational books is perfect for a new father. With so many new experiences on the horizon, and so much to know- equipping a father with some good reads is a great way for him to dip his feet into the waters of fatherhood.
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Dad’s Favorite Children’s Books
We love the idea of gifting some children’s books to dad that are reminiscent of his childhood. If you know some of the books he read and enjoyed as a child, giving them as a gift is a sentimental gesture that will also help to stock up your child’s library.
:: GADGETS
Belly Buds are a relatively new gadget that adheres to the belly of a mom-to-be and play sounds directly into the womb. They are a favorite particularly among dads who travel often or who are away on long-term leave. With Belly Buds, voices can be recorded and then shared so the voice will be familiar and soothing to the baby once they are born. They are also fun for sharing your favorite music with baby.
Strollometer
A perfect gift for an active dad, the Strollometer is the first computer/speedometerthat that has been carefully designed to fit on any baby stroller. The Strollometer has several functions that help to track your running/walking speed, distance, and time.
:: CAMERAS
Giving the gift of cameras and camcorders for Father’s Day is not only a great way to preserve family memories, but they are also fun gadgets that dad can have fun tinkering with. One simple and relatively inexpensive camera we love for gift giving is the Flip Video Ultra HD camcorder. It is one of the easiest and simplest camcorders you can get your hands on, and is perfect for capturing short clips. We love the convenient size, and the ease of use!
:: PHOTOS
There are few gifts as meaningful as giving some precious photos to a new dad. Whether you choose to have some professional photos of your newborn taken for the occasion, or simply choose to print off some of your favorites from baby’s first days… dad will surely love being able to show them off!
One great option is to buy a digital frame and to pre-load it with pictures of your little one.
The Sony 8” Digital Photo Frame has an array of features, a high-quality picture display, and is easy to use. It holds up to 500 images, comes with a remote control, and supports most memory cards.
:: ROCKABYE BABY CDS
We are big time fans of the Rockabye Baby CDs (see Oilo’s post on Rockabye Baby CDs here), and we know a new dad will be as well. Substituting the sounds of drums and guitars with soothing bells and instruments, these CD’s take classic Rock N’ Roll tunes and turn them into a perfect soundtrack for baby. Dad will surely love these new renditions of AC/DC, Aerosmith, Dave Matthews Band, Green Day, Kanye West, Nirvana, Metallica, Pearl Jam, U2 and more!
by Sarah on 19. March 2012 in Our Favorites | Parenting
From the time your baby is born, important milestones seem to happen nearly every day.
While it’s probably not necessary to document every feeding and diaper change, there ar important milestones you’ll want to keep track of along the way. Having specific documentation of baby’s first year(s) will come in handy for many reasons. Not only is it a fun way to remember and to teach your child about their days as baby, it will also serve as a useful tool for you as a parent as you raise future children. Although it may seem you will always remember the details of your baby’s early days… you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to blur dates and exaggerate details! A few short years into baby’s life, you will see the value in having a detailed record of your child’s first years…and will be grateful for the keepsake.
Obviously, there is no limit to the milestones you choose to keep record of. A few examples of some important ones you’ll want to document are:
:: Sleeping Patterns
:: First Time Sitting Up/Rolling Over
:: Crawling/Walking Dates
:: Language Milestones
:: Growth Statistics/Percentiles
There are many options when it comes to how you choose to record your baby’s milestones. Depending on your personality, you may choose one or multiple forms of journaling when it comes to detailing the important dates of your child’s first year or two. A few ways we suggest considering are:
:: Baby’s First Year Calendar
These calendars provide blank dates to be filled in so that you can start at the beginning no matter what month baby is born. Most of these calendars come with stickers highlighting common milestones, fill-in-the-blank prompts, and spots for accompanying photographs.
A favorite option of ours is from Pepper Pot, and can be found here.
:: Baby Memory Book
Baby Memory Books are available in an extensive variety. Many of these books are in question and answer form, giving parents meaningful prompts for jotting down important memories and information about baby. These books often have sufficient room for photos and other keepsakes.
Pepper Pot also makes a darling Baby Memory Book that can be seen here.
Another fun option for a baby book is 2 Giggles’ The Story of Me Baby Journal. Check it out here.
:: Memory Box
Less organization, but more versatility... a memory box can be any container set aside for keeping valuable items and photographs from baby’s young days. From hospital bracelets to first locks of hair, a memory box is a great way to keep these mementos safe.
:: Journal
Some parents enjoy having a blank journal on hand for regular writing about their baby’s progress. With this, there are no limits to what to include…and while there is less of a format with a blank journal, there is also more flexibility for including feelings and extra thoughts about baby and the experience of being a new parent.
:: Newspapers
Starting on the day your baby is born, and continuing the tradition with each birthday, collecting a newspaper on the day of your child’s birth is a fun way to document the current events through each year of your child’s life. Not only will they be able to see notable happenings on the day they were born, they will also see the changes in the world as they, too, grow.
:: Digital Photo Files
In this day in age, there is really no reason to print all of your millions of pictures of baby. We recommend keeping an organized system of digital files categorizing baby’s big days electronically. Compiling monthly/yearly discs of baby’s years is a wonderful way to preserve your photos and memories.
:: Foot and Handprints
Several products can be found to assist you in making molds and imprints of your baby’s tiny feet and hands. It may feel like they will be little forever, but you’ll be amazed at how fast you can see the growth from their first days.
We are fans of Pearhead’s Baby Prints Kits… which can be found here.
by Sarah on 14. December 2011 in Our Favorites
Holiday shopping is in full swing, and here at Oilo, we think one of the very best gifts you can give your little ones, is the gift of reading! However, with so many books on the market…what to buy?
We have put together a combined list of our favorites, recommended reads from the American Library Association, and recent Best of 2011 winners to help guide your shopping!
Aside from loving these literary gems for their vibrant illustrations and charming stories…we also love how easy it is to shop for them all online! Yes, please!
Books for Baby
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:: Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
ISBN: 9781416947370
:: Higher, Higher by Leslie Patricelli
ISBN: 9780763632410
:: Peek-a-Who by Nina Laden
ISBN: 9780811826020
:: Ten Tiny Babies by Karen Katz
ISBN: 9781416935469
:: The Sleepy Little Alphabet by Judy Sierra
ISBN: 9780375840029
Books for Toddler
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:: Let’s Play by Leo Lionni
ISBN: 970375825286
:: My Car by Byron Barton
ISBN: 9780060589400
:: Oops! by David Shannon
ISBN: 9780439688826
:: The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by Eric Carle
ISBN: 9780399257131
:: We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury
ISBN: 9781416987116
Books for Preschoolers
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:: I Stink! By Kate and Jim McMullan
ISBN: 9780060298487
:: Never Take a Shark to the Dentist (and Other Things Not to Do) by Judy Barrett
ISBN: 9781416907244
:: The Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry
ISBN: 9780803731929
:: The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers
ISBN: 9780399247491
:: The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
ISBN: 9780140501827
For more book suggestions, take a look these previous Oilo posts:
The Power of Reading
Baby Shower Gifts We Love to Give and Get
by Sarah on 9. August 2011 in Our Favorites | Our Ideas | Parenting
Just the other day, some friends and I were having a conversation about what we are all currently reading. We went through the group, with a range of response. Several were currently engaged with “The Help,” another had just started to re-read “Pride and Prejudice,” while the rest were involved in a book club reading, “Room.”
The ladies turned to me for my current reading. “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” I said.
Although the extent of my reading these days is laughable, the truth is—I cherish the time of day when the TV gets turned off, noisy toys are silenced, and I get to settle into a quiet space and open a book with my little boy.
I have a passion for reading with kids. Perhaps my love of this stems from the fact that formerly in life, I spent years as a full-time elementary school teacher. However, I believe that most likely… the importance of reading was instilled in me early in life by my mother and grandmothers. I was read to often as a child. I received books as gifts, regularly visited libraries and bookstores, and had daily storytime. Because of this, I now have a fondness for reading… which comes with a sweet sentiment of the times I spent listening to stories read to me by these wonderful women.
So, as a former teacher and product of being read to as a child… I'm going to suggest one thing that can potentially change your child’s life as a future reader. Read with your child every day… no matter how young. It has been proven time and time again that when kids are frequently read to from a young age, they will be more successful readers as adults. No matter the age or stage of your child…be it eating the pages, or starting to read the pages themselves, no time is a bad time to read to a child. Not only does it set a wonderful foundation for when they become readers themselves, it also serves as a precious time between a child and adult where they can engage, enjoy, and learn together.
Luckily, there are thousands of wonderful books out there, for kids of all ages! The children’s books genre is full of classics as well as more recent treasures that are new on the market.
Because I am currently in the middle of toddlerhood- the types of books that have the most staying power are those with clear, bright illustrations and interactive capabilities. Some of our current favorites are:
Dog by Matthew Van Fleet
Trucks (Bright Baby Series) by Roger Priddy
Goodnight, Baby: Tuck all the Babies into their Beds by Ikids
The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle (and ALL other Eric Carle books!)
And a few new ones we can’t wait to get our hands on…
Dancing Feet! by Lindsey Craig
One Pup’s Up by Marsha Wilson Chall
Yummy, Yucky by Leslie Patricelli
Hip Hop by Catherine Hnatov
Keep in mind…it’s also powerful when kids see their parents reading for enjoyment, so pick up a good book and take a couple of minutes for yourself!
by Sarah on 15. July 2011 in Good to Know | Our Favorites | Parenting | Well-Being
As a first time mom, my pregnancy came with a fair share of questions and unknowns. Not only were foreign things happening to my body, but I had a mountain of fears and anxiety when it came to progressing further into my pregnancy . It seemed that every day I had a new burning question. Why am I so tired? What will happen at my next doctor’s appointment? How big is my baby this month? What will labor be like?! The list of questions was endless, and waiting until my next doctor’s appointment to find answers surely wouldn’t suffice. This is when the book What to Expect When You’re Expecting came to my rescue!
You will not find a mom here at Oilo who hasn’t read the book What to Expect When You’re Expecting cover-to cover! Not only is it popular among us, it has been referred to as America’s pregnancy bible- providing answers, advice, and information on all things pregnancy. Written in a friendly voice, What to Expect When You’re Expecting is genuine, and gives respect and empathy to your pregnancy concerns. This book had a powerful way of reassuring me as I found my seemingly abnormal concerns to be very common. I frequently found comfort in the book by being educated on topics from early pregnancy all the way to delivery, and exactly what I could anticipate at each stage. This book answered questions that I didn’t want to have to ask, and put to rest internet lore that had previously seemed to scare me into a stupor!
When pregnancy can be scary, overwhelming, and confusing at times, it was so nice to find a place to turn to for answers and support. This book was a saving grace for my first pregnancy and will no doubt be read again…and again…and again during my next! What to Expect When You’re Expecting also has an awesome website that is just as accessible and useful as the book- with health guides, pregnancy news, and countless resources. Head over here to check it out!
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