v 5 issue 1: Birthday Bash

Tot Trends Weekly turns 4 years old!

In this weeks issue we share some favorites for celebrating your little ones birthday in style. Plus: Summer reading recommendations.

Cover by Robin Long









1 Start it off as a party decoration and reuse it in the bedroom for a truly adorable room makeover. Three circus inspired pennants are accompanied by eight coordinating fabrics for a total of nine feet in length. An Old School Acres design exclusive to the Baby Gardner. Enter code BGTOT for 10% off your purchases thru 8/31/09.

2 Gorgeous! Birthday girls from 3-6 months all the way up to 6 years can make this outfit all their own. Comfortable, cool cotton is hand-made into the sweet cocoa skirt and matching tank set. Available @ Dolce Baci Boutique. Enter code: code TotTrends20 for 20% off purchases thru 7/31/09.

3 Monkey See, Monkey Do! The perfect chenille bib for baby's first birthday. Hand-appliqued with your choice of an initial or age. Reversible with Velcro closure. Swing on over to Lollipop Kisses for this and more. Enter code: TTW10 for 10% off orders $75 or more thru 8/31/09.

4 Slice up the fun of a birthday party any day of the week. Children will have tons of fun reusing this 22 piece wooden birthday cake set from Pink Taffy Designs. Assembled like a puzzle, each set includes four slices of cake with candles, a serving tray, and a slicing knife.

5 Froggy is a courtin' birthday cards and he found just the right thing over @ inababycarriage.com. Cards are made of quality, double-sided 5" x 7" cardstock with envelopes included. Each design is beautiful, so good luck choosing one! Enter code TTW09 for 10% off total purchase thru 8/30/09.

6 The possibilities seem limitless @ bug & goose when it comes to options for a personalized tee. However, once you get focused, a few quick clicks will get you a birthday boy's (or girl's) t-shirt personalized with an appliqued number in your choice of heather gray, baby blue, or navy. Enter code: Trends15 for 15% off purchases thru 8/03/09.

7 A cupcake and single candle are baked onto a long or short sleeved tee for a delectably delightful first birthday tee. With colors bursting in fun, baby can celebrate all year long. Find it @ ambajam. Enter Code: TTCupcake15 for 15% off all cupcake shirts thru 8/19/09.

8 One pretty basket purse is treated to flowers and bugs. Tuck in a few treats for a mighty fine present, use it to store party accessories, or make just the basket a gift. Either way the birthday girl will love to hold onto this Nantucket Basket purse from Up My Sleeve. 20% off purchases thru 8/2/09. Just mention this ad at checkout.


Simple Suggestions to Care for your Skin
Skincare sounds like a big job but it doesn’t have to be. You don’t need fancy products to make your skin healthy. Some of the best ways to care for your skin are also the simplest and can be done with very little hassle.

Healthy skin is a sign of a healthy body. When something is wrong internally, it will show in your skin. Pimples and blackheads signify that something is off balance internally. Lack of proper vitamins can lead to dry skin. Maybe you have noticed that your skin shows what you try to hide.

There is hope for you and your skin. Skincare begins at the basic level. Before you apply makeup or other products, care needs to be taken to get your skin in the best shape possible. Here are a few suggestions to help you do that.

1. Drink plenty of water each day. Water gives your body an internal shower. The body is around 90 percent water anyway. It takes a lot to replenish what the body uses and what you lose everyday through perspiration and urination. Nutritionists recommend eight to ten glasses but you can drink as much water as you can handle. Water moisturizes the skin from the inside.

2. Exercise. This may be easier said than done for moms with small children. Give baby a day out with a jaunt in a jog stroller. Even if you are walking, these strollers are designed to absorb shock so baby stays comfortable. Exercise improves circulation, oxygen utilization in the body and flexibility in the muscles. It also helps you to maintain a healthy weight.

3. Sleep. Lack of sleep doesn’t just scramble your brain. Skin begins to show signs of stress. During sleep, the body’s cells go to work repairing damage done during the day. Without restorative sleep, you don’t get an internal body makeover. For your skin, this means wrinkles, dry patches and a dull sheen. Exercise also helps you sleep deeper and more restful. If your kids wake up early in the morning, prepare to go to bed when they do to get at least seven to eight hours a night.

4. Eat more raw foods. Processed foods contain chemicals and preservatives that the body was never meant to digest. Maybe that is why we suffer such stomach upset from certain foods. Foods in their natural state like fruits and vegetables are power-packed with nutrients to meet your daily needs. Instead of a glass of apple juice, reach for the apple itself. You’ll ingest a good amount of fiber to keep you regular and less hungry as you run after your kids.

5. Use sunscreen when you head outdoors. Even thirty minutes in the park can damage your skin without sun protection. It can lead to wrinkling and age spots. Carry sunscreen in your purse for the kids and apply it to your skin as well. For kids, an SPF or 45 or higher is great.

Want to keep your skin looking great? Try these suggestions and reveal the natural glow in your skin.


Summer reading with Tundra Books
Research shows that children and adolescents that read over the summer months have a leg-up at the start of the school year. A good book can also take your child to far-off places, soar their imagination, and make summer vacation a blast.

We have chose to review some our favorite Tundra Books. Tundra Books is Canada’s oldest English language children’s publisher. Over the years Tundra has been dedicated to helping people tell their own stories, to introducing gallery artists to young children, and to keeping in print the books children love, so they can share them years later with their own children.

The Lime Green Secret
Written by Georgia Graham

Fran is so excited about being chosen as flower girl for her sister’s wedding. As she stares in awe at the flower-girl attire the temptation is too great and she gives in and puts on the entire wedding outfit piece by piece as her imagination and adventures take her on an unstoppable journey days before the wedding. This book brings little girl’s fantasies to life with unpredictable results. Age: 4-7


Big and Small, Room for All
Written by Jo Ellen Bogart
Artist Gillian Newland

A captivating look at how a child, fits into the great, big universe around us. Explore the size of objects and their place in the universe. This book places the immensity and wonder of space in perspective so young readers comprehend they are part of creation, and a small part of all that exists. Age: 2-5


Bradley McGogg, the Very Fine Frog
Written by Tim Beiser
Illustrated by Rachel Berman

Bradley McGogg, makes his home in the bog where there are plenty of yummy bugs for a frog to feed on. Upon finding his pantry bare one day, Bradley decides to meet his neighbors, in the hopes that they will share some of their favorite meals with him. But this “bog frog” soon finds that not all animals eat alike. Age: 2-5


Here a Face, There a Face
Written by Arlene Alda

Search for faces in unusual places. Faces are found on buildings, in trees, mailboxes, and fountains. Funny, grumpy, comical, or sad, they are almost anywhere a child’s imagination wants to go. The easy-to-read text makes this book perfect for the young readers. Age: 3-8