Sara, the founder of Baby Place, has started a new site. This one is an unbiased guide to baby strollers: Information, price comparisons, sales and coupons, which online stores give the best service and more.

I must admit that I learned there is a lot more to buying a stroller than just comparing prices. Besides comparing all the different features of each stroller model one has to know which merchants have free shipping, the best return policies, no “restocking fees” and good testimonials (real ones) from past customers. Sara has done the research and listed the best stores and why they are the best.

This is going to be a serious authority site for baby strollers. Regardless, don’t buy a stroller until you have checked out her site first:

Stroller-guide.com

Tiny Prints, Inc., the brand behind TinyPrints.com and WeddingPaperDivas.com, was created by three friends who share a love of babies and an appreciation for giving and receiving quality stationery. Offering exclusive creations from the nation’s top designers, easy card personalization, a powerful preview engine, premium cardstock and top-notch customer service, their social stationery has been lauded by numerous publications and celebrity parents.

TinyPrints.com features unique and modern custom photo baby announcements, personalized baby announcements, baby shower invitations, birthday party invitations and thank you cards. Their social stationery specialists find great joy in helping customers discover the perfect paper and design to leave a lasting impression. TinyPrints.com also offers a variety of distinct holiday photo greetings, holiday party invitations and holiday accessories. Celebrating the season with beautifully designed holiday party invitations makes a thoughtful and stylish statement. They feature contemporary designs for paper lovers wanting something distinctly different. Browse their selection to find the perfect stationery this holiday season!

WeddingPaperDivas.com provides exclusively designed wedding invitations, bridal shower invitations, bachelorette party invitations, save-the-date cards, thank you cards and accessories. Wedding Paper Divas offers a unique, innovative shopping experience that is different from other wedding invitation companies. From their innovative designs and quality workmanship to their easy ordering and fast turnaround, they are passionate about always exceeding expectations on every piece of stationery.

Yes, I want to be hooked up with swag, just as much as the next mom. Therefore, when I see other mommies walking around with these huge shoulder-bag purses these days… I get the itch of the ‘must haves’. I turned to our featured blogger Ariella, and asked her to give us the low-down on this lastest fashion craze. 

I’ve been trying to figure out what kind of diaper bag to buy- since Joseph has outgrown the bring-everything-for-an-infant stage and now has entered the bring-everything-for-a-toddler-stage. Which means I need LOTS of room for his diapers, bottles, wipes, formula but also for his crackers, toys,books, blanket, special stuffed animal, pacifier, sweatshirt- well you get the picture.  I’ve been thinking that I big throw-it-all-in-and-lug-it-around shoulder tote would be the best because: 

c. If it gets too heavy I can always hang it on my stroller. I found this article on Healthology, and now I am second guessing myself. 

It seems as if these big shoulder purses can cause some back and neck and shoulder strain and PAIN. 

Ladies- here are a few FABULOUS diaper backpacks to choose from.

Keep your style and SAVE your back and carry all your kids stuff! 

Check out this FUNCTIONAL and FAB diaper backpack:

… from our Regular Guest Blogger, Ariella - mother of 13 month old Joseph!

Get out the camera, the video recorder, the cellphone! My son is ALMOST walking!It’s really exciting isn’t it- when they start to take there first steps?! I’ve spent most of the past week holding my breath, because every time my son takes a few steps, he also falls VERY quickly after! He’s normally a good sport but I’m a bit overprotective. I want him to learn how to walk and NEVER fall down- not going to happen right?? I was at my friends house and she has this really good toy- her son is at the same developmental stage and was all over the place in this:Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Stride-to-Ride Learning Walker         It’s great fun because they can ride AND walk AND play all these great games. The smiling dashboard is filled with learn-and-play activities including learning numbers, opposites, and ABC’s with flashing lights and music PLUS a shape shorter. Talk about ‘bang-for-your-buck!’ Ariella

A side note added from Andrea: For you lovers of old fashioned toys and ebay… I know there is a saying that ‘they dont make things’ like they used to’… well, sometimes this is a good thing! It is very well known that the walkers from a few decades back were responsible for a lot of accidental deaths in young children. If you are considering a purchase, stick with the well known brands and buy something current!    

How many times have you heard a picture is worth a thousand words??

Well how about $10,000??

If there is one thing there is usually no lack of.. it is pictures of our children. First tooth, first steps, sleeping in all sorts of odd positions, first birthday, etc…

Picture.com offers an annual $10,000 prize for a winning picture. This is taken from their FAQ page:

Q. How does the contest work, and what prizes can I win?
A. Each year, we sponsor the International Open Amateur Photography Contest to encourage new artists and undiscovered talent to submit their work for consideration. We receive thousands of entries, each of which is evaluated by our selection committee. Those entries that exhibit a unique perspective or artistic vision are advanced to semifinalists in the contest. Complete sets of prizes are awarded at the end of each contest. All prizes are guaranteed to be awarded. The annual Grand Prize is $10,000.00. The Grand Prize for each individual contest is $1,000.00. For each individual contest there are forty First Prizes of $35.00, four in each of 10 categories. Seventy-three Second Prizes of gifts with a retail value of $25.00 each are awarded without regard to category. We award additional prizes in case of ties.

They have baby photo contests all the time, so your selection/s, if they include babies, can be considered for both .

Sometimes when we try to get our children to pose for the camera for the perfect shot, that perfect shot comes from those moments in between - when they are falling over each other, straight into the mud, ruining their picture perfect clothing!Not long ago the GAP was on the search for child models. They opened the contest to the nation at large and 1000’s of people entered…. for obvious reasons. If that was a no brainer, the chance of winning $10,000 should make this an even MORE obvious opportunity to go for!

Every now and then I find myself at YouTube for one reason or another.. lately for business reasons.

Ocassionally I will start clicking around on videos and see where it takes me….

About a year it took me somewhere TRAJIC and today… well I have absolutely NO words for today’s experience.. I admit I cried more last year, either because the video was more compelling, or because again.. today’s video is beyond belief..
I refer to memorials left to children lost to car accidents..(we should not know from this!)..

I am not embedding the videos here, just offering the links. You can make the choice to follow through with watching them by clicking on the childrens names … The choice that should be obvious is to follow through with the lessons learned about having your child in a

5 point Harness Car Seat..

Kyle David Miller  was killed in a car accident last year because a senile, 78 year old woman ran a red light and hit the family causing them to flip into a ditch. Kyle’s seatbelt came unlatched during the roll and he was ejected. His seatbelt was later examined by several experts who determined it was faulty and told his mother that seatbelts regularly fail, especially in roll over accidents. She (like most people) had no idea that seatbelts could fail and think that this is something everyone should be made aware of.

Their crusade has resulted in almost 2 million views on YouTube and the demand for Britax Regent to cause backorders everywhere!

Todays experience:

 Kyle, Emma, and Katie Coble Crash on I-5 in Mission Viejo, California takes family’s three kids. The Coble children, Kyle, 5; Emma, 4; and Katie, 2, were killed on May 4, 2007 when a semi-tractor trailer rear-ended the minivan they were riding in.

  Britax Regent 5 point Harness Car Seat

To your safety,

 ~~ andrea

               By our regular guest blogger, Ariella, mother of 1 year old Joseph.

The other day I was taking a walk with my son to a store I had never been to before and there was a steep flight of stairs leading up to the entrance. 

Now- this happens ALL the time- I am with baby in stroller and come upon a situation were I can’t possible get baby AND stroller to the place I need to go- without making at least two trips. 

I am so sick of taking my stroller with me everywhere I go. The aisles in the grocery store are never quite wide enough, stairs are a nightmare and elevators are only possible if they are empty . . . never mind if my son wants to be held! (You know as well as I do thats its not great fun holding a skirmming baby AND pushing a stroller at the same time.) 

So my friend suggested a great idea- a BABY CARRIER! perfect for babies how can either hold their head up and/or sit up by themselves.  A BABY CARRIER means:   

 1. FREE hands

 2. No HUGE stroller

  3. Your baby feels “HELD” at all times

 4. MOBILITY to go where no stroller has gone before  That’s alot of benefits in the right situation. So i thought i’d share two of my favorite styles of baby carriers with you all. They are both COMFORTABLE and easy to put on and take off. Which one is right for you? The Baby Bjorn                             Known as the ‘Cadillac’ amongst baby carriers, it’s reputation is well deserved! You can lean over and your baby wont fall out! Try that on the no name brand versions. The Baby Bjorn offers good back and shoulder support, holds your baby upright and right where you can see him. 

 &

Endorsed by chiropractors, the New Native Baby Carrier Organic Baby Sling distributes the weight of your baby evenly from your shoulders to your hips. Its unique design allows you to wear your baby across your front, on your side, or in back. ( Don’t worry instructions are included!) Speaking from experience a baby carrier is a GREAT GIFT for any mom who has a newborn, young baby or toddler. ( Make sure to check the weight limit on the specific carrier you are interested in). 

Have a great weekend!

Ariella 

My baby has gotten his two front teeth!!  I dont mean OUCH for him either , although I suspect he is feeling some pain….

So far my children are very different from each other.  Different hair color, eye color, personalities, and .. different sexes! However, one thing they have in common.. they all get their teeth at exactly the same time!

So here have been some life saving finds.. or perhaps just overpriced gimmicks, but either way he was happy!

Like most products available today, there is a wide variety and you no longer have only one option. So if you plan on sending your mother to the store to buy a teething ring for your baby, expect a frantic call saying.. do you want the

Over-the-Shoulder Teething Bib??                 

Teething Blanket??  

or the Traditional Teething Toy ??

My answer to her?? YES!!

Be well,

~~ Andrea

……This is written by our NEW Featured Guest Blogger, Ariella.. mother of a darling 1 year old boy

My son just turned one and I am ALREADY dreading the day we begin potty-training . I am imagining MONTHS of tears, accidents all over the place and baby elimination trauma - I don’t even know where to start. Anyone have any ideas out there on what’s worked for you?

My husband has already started to complain about the endless diapers, the STINKY bathroom and bedroom and the MESSY clean-up job. Wouldn’t it be great, he dreams, if we could train our son to go on his own before he hits his 2nd birthday?

I just laugh- everyone knows this is IMPOSSIBLE - right?

Who ever heard of a toddler being potty trained before their 2nd birthday?

On a similar note, who every heard of potty-training happening easily and quickly?

Ok- so hold on to your seats- because I just found an AMAZING resource and audio guide. It has literally changed my mind about this whole potty-training experience.

The Jensen family has designed this amazingly simple STRESS- FREE system to train your children in 1-3 days!!! That’s 72 hours or less! They even offer a guarantee that there system with work, so how can you loose?

Their informative Site includes: 6 Reasons Why Your Child Must Get Off “Diaper Dependence” Before It Is Too Late and 7 Reasons That You Will Be Eternally Thankful That You Are Taking Action Right Now.

I can tell you -I am already Thankful and we haven’t even began yet!

Click here to access their guide, and let us know how it goes!

Ariella

Today’s MAN is a much different composite than a few generations back. I am not sure of the origins of ‘Fathers Day’ but when I was growing up, it should have been called ’Primary Bread Winner Day’.. since unless it came to teaching us how to say ‘hangober’ instead of hamburger, get your ‘feets’ on, instead of shoes, and going on nightly excursions with flashlights to hide behind the bushes lest the evil people driving with their headlights on come out to get us… my Dad was pretty typical for his generation.

Actually my Dad is a ‘crossover’, since my sister, born 16 years after me and on the cusp of a new generation, gave him a chance to do that which he did not do with us. No - not act mature. Change Diapers, bathe, and dress her, etc..

Today it is not uncommon to find stay at home Dads, and actually very common to find fathers who share a large part in the child’s rearing.

So it is no surprise that items available on the market reflect this.

Here is my Fathers Day suggestion:

New Daddy’s Survival Kit Deluxe - Men’s Diaper Bag/ Backpack Plus - Unique New Dad or Father’s Day Gift Idea!

However, you cant expect to convert a gender overnight…. so dont be surprised when you come across the ‘gag’ gift items also for the New Dad - like the diaper changing apron.p>

As you would expect, Amazon has Awesome Stuff for the NEW DAD,

My favorite (based on Title alone) - Keeping the Baby Alive Till Your Wife Gets Home

Check it out!

Happy Fathers Day!!

Be Well,

~~ Andrea