Baby-Proofing The Christmas Tree

I’ve been brainstorming a lot lately about our Christmas tree. With a toddler in the house, whom we affectionately call our “little monkey,” there are extra precautions to be taken to make sure that our Christmas tree is safe, both to and from our child. We don’t want our tree hurting our son, and we don’t want our son hurting the tree. The easiest way is to create a physical barrier in the form of a play yard baby gate, which can be wrapped around the tree. The only problem with this, though, is it is not exactly visually appealing, … Continue reading →

Halloween Fun With Your Baby

Last Halloween, we did not go trick-or-treating. My son was only 6 months old and we did not think it would go over well. Plus, it might have looked pretty silly to ask for candy when it was clear we would be the only ones eating it. This year, however, we will be taking him trick-or-treating with both sets of grandparents. Some of our friends and family will have treats that are toddler friendly and we think that our son will get into it now that he is old enough to grasp the concept. We are also working on “please” … Continue reading →

Planning Your Baby’s First Birthday: The Outfit

I had a lot of fun designing a fun t-shirt for my son to wear to his first birthday party. I have also seen some really creative options available from artists on Etsy. What your child wears to her first birthday party is almost as important as the cake she is going to smash her hands into. A first birthday party outfit should only meet two requirements: it should be comfortable and it should be cute. Bonus points if it is washable and stain resistant. After that, it is all up to you. Here are some ideas to get you … Continue reading →

Planning Your Baby’s First Birthday: Decorations

First birthday parties are probably more for the moms than they are for the babies, but they are a lot of fun for the whole family. A lot goes into planning the first birthday party. Over the next week, I will go over all the little details of party planning, so you will be well prepared for your child’s very first birthday party. One of the highlights for me was the decorating. I love to decorate, so I had a great time designing cupcakes, a custom birthday t-shirt, a sign, and decorating the house. I decided to go with cupcakes … Continue reading →

Baby Registry Essentials

Whether it is your first baby or your third, you will probably want to register somewhere. After all, this gives family and friends a place to go to get you exactly what you need. Putting what you want in a registry is easier now than ever, since most places allow you to do it online. But, what should you put on your registry? Although you may be tempted to put cutsie things o your registry, you do want to list things you really need. Here are a few registry essentials you may want to consider: Baby Bedding If you already … Continue reading →

New Baby = New Holiday Experience

Ah, the holiday season. So full of fun and exciting activities! For me, the best part of the holidays is getting together with family. I do not have the privilege of living in the same state as my family, so I really look forward to the times we get to be together. Now that life is returning back to normal, I’ve had some time to reflect on our experiences this year. A big thing that sticks out in my mind is that nothing is the same with a baby! For example, flying without a baby is nothing like flying with … Continue reading →

Christmas Presents for a Baby

My daughter’s first Christmas was a fairly easy one. There were no wild expectations, no knowledge of the snow, Santa, and carols that usually accompany the season. I did want to give her a few appropriate gifts, though. Of course, the grandparents were desperate to shower her with goodies, too. We put some limits on the gift-giving – after all, a baby won’t remember Christmas and needs very little. However, if you’re being asked by relatives for baby gift suggestions, here are some ideas: * The practical gift. If there’s something that you wanted for a baby shower and did … Continue reading →

Mom and Baby Halloween Costumes

Yes, I’m on a Halloween kick these days. School’s in, fall is in the air, and I smell candied apples and Tootsie Rolls just around the corner. The last couple of years I’ve tried to dress my daughter and I up as a Halloween duo. I don’t know that I’ve succeeded that well. Last year’s farmer and pig pairing wasn’t too bad, though. I wanted to dig up some ideas for this year and I thought that I’d share them with you! Five Mom and Baby Halloween Costumes 1. Leaf and pea pod For cutesy goodness for a newborn, you … Continue reading →

How to Make Christmas Gifts with a Toddler and Preschooler

Last night we decided to wander around a few area stores to see if the rumored discounts were really as good ad we were lead to believe. One of your stops was Target, where we scoped out some gifts for our youngest child, who always seems to get the shortest end of the stick when it comes to new toys and clothes. I also needed to pick up a secret santa gift. Our middle child, the preschooler, really wanted to pick out some gifts for the rest of the family. Some of the ideas she had included a new bed … Continue reading →

Ideas for Your Child’s Christmas Tree

There is something so magical about seeing a baby next to a Christmas tree. One nice idea is to create a small tree that is just for baby. You can place this tree in baby’s room or in a playroom, keeping it out of reach of course, especially if you add any lights or breakable ornaments to the tree. Baby-friendly tress can be explored by your baby under supervision. I suggest that you get a small table top tree for this project. Artificial trees work best, as there are many different sizes to choose from, and you won’t have to … Continue reading →