v 3 issue 5: Off to a Baby Shower

Shower her with gifts
We are headed to a baby shower and want to share our favorite gifts to give and receive. It's all about spoiling the mom-to-be in this issue.

Cover byVanessa Lam-Mendieta.

Baby Shower Gift Ideas

1. We love gifts that last a lifetime- like memories and diamonds- and that's why we love the gorgeous Tessera Baby Memory Book. Crafted of fabulous leather and silk covers, archival quality and acid free pages, and a wonderful combination of blank and prompted pages.

2. Casting call for all moms-to-be! A pregnant belly is a beautiful belly, and you can capture your pregnant form easily and quickly with the Proud Belly Cast. Each kit comes with all the materials you need to create your cast in the comfort of your own home. Be proud of your belly, with the Proud Belly Cast.

3. Giving mom-to-be a beautiful shower is a piece of cake, with Babycakes of Scottsdale. They are generously packed with baby garments and whimsical toys and then decorated in luxe accessories for an elegant presentation.

4. It's all about the cookie, the Beaucoup personalized baby cookie that is! You choose the design (carriage, rocking horse or bib) and colors, and then personalize each cookie with two lines of text. Beaucoup sugar cookies are decorated with dainty confectionary flowers, colored sugar crystals and hand piped designs for a very sweet shower gift.

5. Give the gift of a welcome home outfit from Tiny Sprouts- Customized hand-embroidered pieces from Tiny Sprouts are available in hand-dyed colors (milk, cotton candy, banana, powder, celery, creme brulee, squash or rose) and are made of 100% interlock cotton.

6. Fabulously comfy and cute, dearjohnnies are hospital gowns with a superior sense of style. Snap-down sleeves for breastfeeding and snaps that close down the back for derriere coverage make them functional as well as stylish.

This Week's Mom Tips
Cleaning Tip: Forgive us for combining a cleaning tip with a greening tip, but if you are looking for a less toxic laundry boost, counter cleaner, bathroom cleaner, or rug cleaner, then try Baking Soda. Simply use a little water to make a paste out of the Baking Soda, and you have a great all-purpose household cleaner!

Green Tip: Concerned about PBA (Polycarbonates et al) in the plastics we use everyday? You are not alone, especially now that we know plastic used in water bottles (yes, Nalgene bottles, Eddie Bauer bottles, and your disposable type), children's toys and the lining of cans (especially baby formula cans!) gives off bisphenol-A, which is linked to birth defects, miscarriage, and even cancer. Some even argue it may be responsible for the increased rate of alzheimers and autism. If this is enough to turn you off of plastics, then perhaps your first step should be drinking from something safe. Try SIGG's water bottles, and SIGG water bottles for kids for a safe alternative...the quality is fantastic!

Financial Tip: If you are looking into 529 plans for you child's college savings, then you should know that you can often take advantage of 529 plans in other states, even though you are not a resident. This means you should shop around, look for the best performers, and the best state school systems! We learned that a perennial favorite is Utah's 529 plan, but of course things change from year to year, so do your research first!

Parenting Tip: This tip is simple: children remember the postive and encouraging things you say to them, and replay them when faced with self-doubt. So, say something positive to your child whenever the opportunity presents itself, it will do wonders for their self-esteem. Especially helpful is identifying specific character traits that you admire in your child; unlike praising them for a specific action, praising them for a specific character trait gives them self-confidence in a variety of situations.


Our Favorite Shower Games
We have asked around and found our favorite baby shower games. Each game costs very little (if anything) and will have everyone laughing and having a great time. Enjoy!


The Price is Right:
Just like the TV show, purchase several baby items and keep the receipt (you may want to do separate receipts). Leave the items out for the guests to see on a table and have them write down what they think the price of each item may be. The guest closest without going over to the actual price for all items wins.

Guess the Baby Food:
Purchase 6-10 jars of baby food, remove the wrappers and then number the jars. Have the guests try to guess the food. Provide lots of plastic spoons and have guests write down their thoughts. The guest who answers the most wins.

Guess the Photo Game:
Collect a baby photo from each guest and one of the mother, display them and have the guests try and pick which photo is the mother when she was a baby (be sure to alert guests on the invitation to bring their baby photo).

Baby Bottle Drink-Off:
Fill small baby bottles with fruit juice for each guest. The person who finishes the bottle first receives a prize. This is the funniest shower game our staff has played!

Measure Mommy:
Pass out yarn, string, or toilet paper and have the guests take off the amount they think will fit around mom-to-be’s belly.

Feeding Race:
Pair guests up in two’s. Put a bib on one person from each team. The other team member stands behind the ‘eater’ and will be their ‘arms’. The person behind feeds the person with the bib from a jar of baby food. Warning…this game will create laughter and a large mess!

The Tray Game
Pass out a pen and paper to each guest. Have a tray full of baby items ready for the mom to be to walk around and show each of the guests. Once the guest of honor has walked around and shown each of the guests the tray, have her head to a back room. While the guests have studied the tray and believe they will be asked questions regarding the contents, you will instead ask questions about the mom-to-be (example questions include what top was she wearing, was she wearing earrings, what is her due date, etc).

v 3 issue 4: Learning is Fun

Learning is Fun
Learning can be and should be fun! This issue is full of products for your little one who is headed off to preschool. We have found cute labels, adorable lunch bags and more.

Cover byChristine Rozak

Fun Learning Products



1. The hunt is on and your child will have a blast adding, subtracting, counting and finding missing addends with the new game by Beyond Learning; Number Hunt! Number Hunt makes numbers fun and your child will beg to play again and again. Not only are your kids practicing their math skills but you’ll be supporting a company that is dedicated to making earth-friendly games (printed on phthalate-free laminated recycled paper with soy-based ink).

2. Mimi the Sardine's Lunchbugs are some of the friendliest lunchbags going: Eco-friendly (safety tested acrylic coated fabrics, 100% lead free), Mom-friendly (leak free, machine washable, odor resistant) and Kid-friendly (cute as a bug on a bag!).

3. We're taught not to label children, but we say that labeling everything they own is a pretty smart idea! Got Allergies? Then Allergy Labels from Oliver's Labels are just the thing. With Oliver's Labels, you'll be sure that your child's Allergy Labels will stay right where you stick them; all labels are waterproof, weatherproof, dishwasher proof, microwave proof, and tear resistant. A classic, Mabel's Labels Famous Sticky Labels should be in every mom's bag of tricks. They'll make it through the dishwasher, microwave, summer sun...and of course your kids!

4. A touch of preppy style makes the toddler backpacks from Four Peas a perfect choice. Whether you have a Little Rockstar, a Mini Sports Fan or a Funky Monkey, Four Peas has a super cute pack that will fit.

5. Your Baby Can Learn! The 5-Book Set teaches baby shapes, numbers, patterns, colors and propositions as part of a "multi-sensory reading approach" that helps little ones recognize words using several senses at the same time. Research indicates that language is easiest to learn in infancy, so hurry on over to The Infant Learning Company for Your Baby Can Learn! books.

6. There's nothing like curling up with a good book, and the Reading Kaboodle gives kids a comfortable and colorful place to do just that. Designed for carrying and reading books, Reading Kaboodles provide a cushioned mat, a comfortable head pillow, and are a generously sized.

this week's mom tips
Cleaning Tip: This summer, the new black is white, and we have a few great ideas to keep your whites whiter. 1. Use dishwasher detergent in your white loads to keep the whites super bright. 2. If you get a grease or oil stain, sprinkle cornstarch on the spot, allow to stand for a few minutes and then brush off and wash as normal. 3. For blood stains, spot treat with hydrogen peroxide and then wash as normal.



Green Tip: Summer's heating up, and we've got a refreshing idea that'll put your empty milk and soda bottles to good use! Fill your empty bottles with tap water, freeze, and use them to keep things cool on your next picnic.

Financial Tip: Believe it or not, being frugal can be fun. Visit Mommysavers.com to learn when your favorite stores (like Old Navy, Gap and tons more) do their markdowns, and save a fortune on this year's back-to-school shopping.

Parenting Tip: Back-to-school shopping is almost here, and now is the perfect time to teach your kids the value of money, the reward of hard work, and the importance of giving. Having a family yard sale is just the way to do it! This is what you'll need to do: 1. Set aside a day to help your children clean out their closets. 2. Help your children identify outgrown and unused items and then help them to decide which items should be sold, and which items should be donated. 3. Allow your children to help you make the donation, and organize the yard sale. (Tip: if you have older children, counting change at the yard sale makes for a great math lesson!) 4. Reward your child's generosity and hard work with the opportunity to use their yard sale earnings for back-to-school shopping.

Packing a healthy lunch
Packing your little one’s lunch box for school can be easy and fun!

A healthy lunch has the nutrients and energy children need to grow, learn and play. It usually provides 1/2 to 1/3 of the nutrients and calories children need each day. Parents should aim to hit four to five food groups in your child’s lunch, but don’t fret…it’s easier than you think!

Tips to make lunches healthier include making sandwiches with whole wheat bread, not wheat bread, know the difference between a fruit juice and fruit drink, and make lunches visually appealing (remember you aren’t there to make your child actually eat their lunch). Whole wheat bread has the entire wheat kernel and its naturally occurring nutrients while wheat break contains mostly enriched white flour. Fruit Juice is made only from juice from fruit and contains natural vitamins and nutrients. Fruit drinks are made of mainly sugar and water. Mix it up: color, texture, flavors and shapes. Keep serving sizes small, too. A fun way to get your child to eat the sandwich you prepare is to use large cookie cutters! Cut out their favorite dinosaur shape or a beautiful butterfly…cookie cutters can be found at Target, cooking stores or even dollar stores. Also, think about a small something added to their lunch box that will make them smile…maybe a sticker or a picture of something they love!

Examples of lunches that include five food groups are:

1/2 turkey & cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread
baby carrot sticks
100% orange juice box

peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread
banana slices
celery sticks
milk

Remember that as long as you are offering your child healthy food choices every day there is no need to be worried about one particular meal or day. By sitting with your child at regular meal and snack times and being a positive role model for healthy eating they will eventually catch on.

We would love to hear from you…what is your favorite recipe that you serve your child? Share your tips for getting picky eaters to eat at mealtimes! Your advice could be shared with our readers.