Baby’s First Day of School

by Malia on August 21st, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Back to School

Wait, I have to wear pants?

My baby is starting school this fall. Okay, he’s starting mommy’s day out, which is really more like daycare than school, but it’s still a big change for us (me). I work out of the house full time, so he’s had caregivers since he was 3 months old, but we’ve been incredibly fortunate to have first a sweet nanny who came to our house and now I have an amazing friend who watches him like he’s her own. Mommy’s day out will be his first time in a big group of other kids, following someone else’s schedule, and all around not being king of the world.

The Fears

1. He’ll cry and cry and cry.

Little man knows the way to mommy’s heart and it’s tears and cries of “Mama!” I’m worried that I won’t be able to leave him or that the staff will find me huddled in the hallway in the fetal position because I’ve tried to leave but the cries have crippled me into immobility.

2. He’ll hit, bite or otherwise get himself banned from Mommy’s Day Out.

This is a double whammy of ONE worrying that my little angel will be not so angelic and embarrass mommy  hurt someone and TWO that we’ll be banned. Mama really, really, really needs some “me time.” I can’t remember the last time I got my hair done, much less sat in a coffee shop and sipped coffee without someone pulling on me, whining about something, or trying to steal my drink.

3. Nap, what nap? 

Mommy’s Day Out includes a two hour nap time, which is great, in theory. What it means is my baby who sleeps great in his crib, and only in his crib despite my best efforts, is going to just curl up on the floor with a bunch of other kids and nap. Riiiight. Can anyone say afternoon MELTDOWN?

4. Everything else…

In addition to the fears, there’s all the fun of planning healthy lunches that are clean enough that I don’t end up with a food smeared monster, being organized enough to be sure he always has clean clothes and diapers and otherwise doesn’t look like he’s been living with wolves. Oh, and he’ll have to wear pants, and probably socks and shoes. Poor guy. (Side note, he really does wear pants on a regular basis, and EVERY time we leave the house. Still, for some reason whenever I bring out the camera it’s a day when he’s not wearing pants.)

What fears do you have about the first day of school? What advice do you have to make things go smoothly? And finally, who’s going to be doing the happy dance in the parking lot with me about “mommy time” (once we are done sobbing about our babies growing up)?

Great Books for Back to School

by Kate on August 21st, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Back to School, Favorite Books for Little People

Whether your tot is eager to stuff a backpack and head to school or nervous about being away from home, we have a great assortment of back to school books for kids.

Follow the Line to School, $11.55. Best for pre-K and up.
Follow the line from the science corner to the library, from recess to show-and-tell. This new Follow the Line book-illustrated in Laura Ljungkvist’s signature line style-takes children on a colorful, comforting, and altogether fun romp through the school day. With its unique modern design and engaging interactive text, Follow the Line to School is sure to appeal to both new and returning students.

Skippyjon Jones, Class Action, $9.89. Best for pre-K through Kindergarten.
Skippyjon Jones really wants to go to school. School is for dogs, his mama tells him. It’s where they go to get trained. But nothing can stop Skippy-once inside his closet, he finds himself on the playground of his imagination, surrounded by dogs of all kinds. He bays with the beagles, learns French with the poodles, and checks out a Chihuahua book from the library. And when a bully starts sending shiver-itos down the spines of the little yippers, Skippy saves the day and earns the biggest gold star.

The Berenstain Bears Go Back to School, $6.99. Best for pre-K.
On the first day of the school year, Brother and Sister Bear are nervous and excited. But with tons of new stuff to learn and explore, by the closing bell they can hardly wait for day two! There’s something for everyone in this quintessential back-to-school book from Stan, Jan, and Mike Berenstain.

Back to School Tortoise, $8.79. Best for pre-K.
It’s time to go back to school. But Tortoise is worried. What if he falls down? What if he doesn’t like lunch? What if the kids are mean to him? What if he falls down, doesn’t like lunch, and the kids are mean to him? The perfect back-to-school book about being brave, with a surprise at the end!

 

Splat the Cat Back to School, Splat!, $3.99 Best for Kindergarten and up.
How can there be homework when it’s only the first day of school? Splat must pick only one of all of his fun summer adventures to share with his classmates at show-and-tell. But in the end, Splat may find that the best part of his summer wasn’t an adventure at all. . . .

Amelia Bedelia’s First Day of School, $9.99. Best for Kindergarten.
Amelia Bedelia is sure she will love everything about school: New friends, A new teacher, Her own desk, Music, Books, gym, art, Recess and lunch.

 

 

Justin Case: School, Drool, and Other Daily Disasters, $6.99. Best for first grade and up.
It’s the start of the school year, and nothing feels right to Justin. He didn’t get the teacher he wanted, he’s not in the same class as his best friend, and his little sister, Elizabeth, is starting kindergarten at his school. Elizabeth doesn’t seem nervous at all. Justin is very nervous about third grade. And to top it off, he’s lost his favorite stuffed animal, but he can’t tell anyone, because technically he’s too old to still have stuffed animals. Right?

Back to School, Mallory, $5.95. Best for first grade and up.
Summer is over and that can only mean one thing for eight-year-old Mallory McDonald (like the restaurant, but no relation)–she has to go back to school. But not just any school, a new school with all new kids in it. To make matters worse, her mom is going, too! She’s the new music teacher, and Mallory can’t think of anything that could possibly be worse–until her first day. She has to sit with Pamela, who always says the right thing and steals her ideas. Joey is so busy with his old friends that he has no time for her, and to top it off, she’s picked to be an eggplant in the Fall Festival her mom is putting on. It’s not fair! What can Mallory do? Should she give Pamela, and her new school, another chance?

Happy Reading! Do you have any favorite books to read to your kids about going back to school?

See all of our Back to School Picks in the Back to School Shopping Guide.

Maternity Fashion Chat with Liz Lange {Interview}

by Kate on August 19th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Fashion & Beauty, Shopping

I’ve been familiar with Liz Lange for as long as I can remember. Before I had kids of my own, I remember reading that all the Hollywood moms-to-be wore Liz Lange Maternity. Years later, I wore pieces from the Liz Lange for Target Collection with both my pregnancies.

Liz Lange’s partnership with Target may be nearing the decade mark, but the fashion is just as fresh and modern and affordable as ever. I had the chance to chat with Liz and ask her about this summer’s current collection for Target as well as other pressing maternity fashion advice.

Check out our chat for the scoop on 2011 summer and fall must have maternity wear, how to dress comfortable yet professional for the job and tips to make the most of the always awkward first-trimester-barely-there-bump-but-feel-fat-phase.

Liz Lange for Target Summer 2011

Here are some of the specific pieces mentioned in the interview.

Sleeveless Front-Tie Knit Dress ($27.99)

Sleeveless V-Neck Maxi Dress ($24.48)

Boot-Cut Denim Jeans ($29.99)

Shop! Liz Lange for Target is available at Target stores nationwide and online. Prices are VERY affordable and the collection ranges from basics (think camis, tees) to night on the town dresses.

Blue Sky Home Series Calendars & Organizers {Review & Giveaway}

by Shannon on August 19th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Back to School, For Mama, Giveaways

I’m hard to please when it comes to calendars. From my days in an office, as a teacher and as a stay-at-home mom, I’ve become very picky about what will work and what won’t. I found the perfect calendar…once. The year was 2006 and the format was perfect. I could glance at the entire month on one page (and yes, we’re talking paper here), but still had plenty of room to write all the information for that day. It was just the right size for my purse and was there when I needed it. Since then, I have searched the store from which I bought it and the manufacturer’s website to get an updated copy. No luck.

No luck. I must admit, the desk calendar comes close to meeting my organization needs, but it doesn’t travel well and often serves as a coloring book for my 1 and 4-yr-olds. See?

No luck. The weekly calendars that give you horizontal slots for the days of the week become a mess when I try to add my shopping lists. See?

No luck, until now. Blue Sky Home Series is a line of office supply products available at Target and they have a calendar that is really working for me. Not only does it have a monthly calendar, but a weekly section to follow. Here’s the part that works for me: the days of the week in the weekly section are posted in list form, not the horizontal format most other brands feature. I can list appointments by time and there’s room for my grocery list to make sense. Don’t get me wrong, Blue Sky also produces a desk calendar and compact organizers for on-the-go, but the weekly/monthly planner with tabbed monthly sections is doing the job for me.

The calendar features a monthly view with lists to the side.

The daily calendar section organizes things vertically, so lists are much more manageable. It might have been helpful to put boxes beside each line, to check off items as they are done. I like the satisfaction of crossing things off as I do them.

In addition to the unique calendars, Blue Sky Home Series offers notebooks, grocery checklists, multi-task mouse pads, activity trackers, shopping notes, door notes and family boards. I received a multi-task mouse pad to try and was skeptical. Like you probably, I’ve had notepad mouse pads before and the papers curled, tore and became messy very quickly. The Blue Sky multi-task mouse pad is attached to an actual foam pad at the bottom and the papers are glued at three corners, so they won’t curl and tear until you’re ready for them to! Genius.

I also received some Door Notes to try and must admit, I use them. I’m a night owl. I do my organizing at night. I usually stay up too late and then pay for it in the morning. I have done all the preparation for a project, only to walk out the door and forget it. The door notes save that. At night, when I’m organizing and finalizing details for the next day, I make my door note and can’t walk out without the items on it. Oh, and I also leave love notes to my daughter on them.

Love notes are easy with the Blue Sky Home Series door notes. (See the brown spot to the right? That’s where I left my first love note to preschool girl. She was so excited, she ripped it off the door frame and the tape took off the paint. See why I love the door notes?)

The Blue Sky Home Series, featuring Suzy Jack* Contemporary Paper, debuted at Target this month – just in time for your back-to-school shopping.

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… The Blue Sky Home Series offers a variety of paper and office products that are stylish, unique and affordable. Affordable usually means “won’t last long,” but my calendar and mouse pad are very durable (so far, they’ve survived an iced tea spill and an errant peanut butter & jelly sandwich). I’ve tried using the calendar and note functions on my iPad2 and phone. Typing on them doesn’t make the impression that a hand-kept calendar and list do. Also, I can pull out my paper management tools when the cell phone is dead in the bottom of the diaper bag, as mine is most times. Finally, paper-based management systems are still best for organizing my family and communicating important information to them.

Or Not to Buy… If you are addicted to your smart phone and can’t stand to carry anything, stick with that. For those that are like me and need to SEE everything, I’m sure there is a Blue Sky product that can help.

Shop! The Blue Sky Home Series offers more than 14 different products, all under $10 and are available at Target stores nationwide or at www.blueskyimg.com.

Win! A a selection of items from the Blue Sky Home Series line to help you stay organized this school year.

How to Enter: Visit Blue Sky and leave a comment with a product that catches your eye.

Earn Extra Entries – valid only after the first entry. Please leave a comment for each you do.

Giveaway ends August 31. Open to US residents only.

Gymboree Has a Women’s Clothing Company? Meet Shade.

by Kate on August 18th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Fashion & Beauty, Shopping

Turns out Gymboree owns a women’s clothing line geared towards moms. Who knew? It’s like finding out one of our best friends has been keeping a stylish secret. From our quick inspection, it seems Shade is a clothing line geared towards “casual and comfortable” styles for moms. We can’t argue with that – and it seems like a good fit to market towards moms who shop Gymboree. What do you think of Shade Clothing?

Meet Shade Clothing

A FRESH APPROACH TO EVERYDAY FASHION.
Shade was started over seven years ago by a busy Gymboree mother of three who was always looking for the right clothes to fit her lifestyle as a stylish and active mom. She believed in fashion with function offered at an irresistible value and wanted to create clothes designed specifically for other women like her.

We believe style should be easily accessible, effortless and made to fit your busy life. You deserve to have go-to pieces in your wardrobe that offer a flattering fit, supreme comfort and amazing style that always looks fresh and put together.

Casual and Comfortable Style for Moms

I really like the Style Guide which has full outfits to browse and find looks you like. For example, here’s a look for Lounging Around. I’d like to lounge, please.

Love this look for Running Errands.

And for a little more dressed up style, the Dress and Go is a versatile look.

Shade Maternity Styles

Shade also has a small collection of affordable maternity clothes. Here are some good basics.

Maternity Dot T-Shirt Dress ($44.50)

Maternity Baby Tee ($20.50, 2 for $18 each)

Shop! Check out Shade Clothing – available exclusively online.

What do you think of Shade? Have you heard of it before? Do you own anything?

Thursday Giveaway Linky

by Kate on August 18th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Giveaway Linky


Happy Thursday! Thanks for stopping by to link up and browse giveaways.

Make sure you check out our awesome Giveaways while you’re here, including our fantastic Back to School Gear Giveaway worth over $275. Make sure you also take a look at our Back to School Shopping Guide!

While you’re linking head over to Baby Loving Mama to link up there, too. Be sure to enter the fun Target Beach Kit Giveaway.

Back to School Shopping Guide

by Kate on August 17th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Back to School

Find our top picks for back to school shopping – everything from the best backpacks for preschool to fun handmade finds to mom’s sanity savers in The Shopping Mama’s Back to School Shopping Guide.

Click to see all our favorites.

We’re celebrating the launch of the Back to School Shopping Guide with an awesome giveaway of our must haves for back to school. Make sure you enter to win this prize package worth more than $275.

Partum Me?! Making the Most of Weekends with Baby

by Laura on August 16th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Blog, Partum Me

Charlie, Charlie, Charlie.  Our little guy is definitely starting to develop a personality.  He’s strong-willed, not afraid to tell you when he wants something and how he wants it, but also outgoing, smiley, and so very alert.  Gee.  I wouldn’t know WHERE in the world he got these traits.  (Looks up and whistles.)

Of course as Charlie gets older, he has needed more in terms of stimulation and entertainment.  And as attentive and caring parents, we want to expose him to even the simplest learning opportunities as early as possible.  We have done everything we can (hiring a house cleaner, doing most of our chores during the week) to free up most of our weekend time to spend together as a family.  However, we still find ourselves either sitting at home on the couch or running around to do errands instead of getting out and about with Charlie do to something fun.  We live in a major city that is pretty darn kid-friendly but sometimes being in a place with that many options can actually be more overwhelming than helpful.  We just don’t know where to start! 

I’ve put together a brief list of ideas but would love to hear from you, my wonderful readers, about what you do/did to entertain your infants and spend quality time as a family.

1.  The Zoo! – Philadelphia happens to have a fantastic zoo.  When Charlie gets older, we will likely have a summer membership, as it offers a constant schedule of events that are sure to keep both grownups and children occupied.  For now, I think Charlie would just like to look at the animals.  He’s just recently started to notice our cats and when he catches sight of them, he’s mesmerized.

2.  Museums – We have a great kids’ museum (the Please Touch), but I think it’s really for kids who are older than Charlie.  We are thinking of just going to the Philadelphia Art Museum and taking him along.  We wonder, though, can we take him to a grown-up museum or will other visitors be disturbed by our constantly-babbling kiddo?

3.  Parks, arboretums, public gardens – The Fairmount Park system is one of the finest city park systems in the country.  There are city playgrounds, sprawling parks, and wooded preserves with hiking trails that make you feel as if you are walking through some remote forest, not on city property. Philly also boasts a few beautiful arboretums (we got married at this one).  Unfortunately, Philly also has brutal summers and this one has been no exception.  Once Fall hits, we hope to break out our Ergo and take some walks in local nature spots so that we can all get some exercise and have fun (including our recently-ignored-but-wonderfully-patient dog, Brooklyn).

4.  Local playgroups – Okay, this is technically a weekday thing, although there might be playgroups in your area that meet on the weekends.  We’ve gone a couple times to our local playgroup.  Charlie is usually the youngest one there, but we get to see him interact with both children and adults.  And the bonus is that he usually has so much fun that he takes a good, long nap afterwards.  It’s also a great way to meet other local parents if you are new to an area or don’t have a lot of friends with kids, like us.

What are your favorite things to do with a little one who is under 1 year?

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »