The pin
I just scored 15 pairs of leggings for under $40.
This Little Helper Tower is adjustable for the size of your child and even has a few amendments for those who might be at the top of their class (like an arched entryway!). The piece is beautiful and will save you hundreds of dollars at the store and can be put together in a weekend.
Check out the full tutorial over at Ana White's website and get busy building your own.
Bugaboo will introduce the Bugaboo Donkey: the first mono-duo-mono convertible stroller for kids and goods. The Bugaboo Donkey can easily – in three clicks – be converted from a full-sized mono to a full-sized side by side duo and back again to a mono. All with flexible and multiple storage space. This makes it suitable for your first child, your second child, or both and for twins. And even in full duo position, the stroller is still compact.
This treat is modeled on one of the symbols of the season -- baby chicks. With their coconut feathers, nutty beaks, and confectionery details, the cakes aren't just eye candy; they're delicious, too.
To hatch one of these, you don't have to be an expert baker. Making a batch of chick cupcakes is a perfect task for novices, and kids will love to help. The result will be a whimsical hit at the table.
Bake cupcakes and cool completely. When turned upside-down, each cupcake becomes the body of a chick. Spread buttercream frosting on a cupcake to anchor it to the serving plate while you are working. Use a small offset spatula to coat the sides thickly with frosting, and then mound more on top to create a dome shape.
Press toasted shredded coconut into the frosting -- it stands in for fuzzy feathers. Hold the plate at an angle while applying the coconut so the excess falls back into the bowl.
Place eyes (made from snipped black licorice laces) on chicks using tweezers. Use a whole almond for the beak and red licorice for the feet and comb; both can be pushed into the frosting by hand.
Enjoy
For thousands of years, Ukrainians have created elaborately patterned eggs called pysanky using a wax-resist process. Wax is applied to an egg, which is then dipped in colored dyes. When completed, the wax is melted off, revealing all the colors beneath. Updated and simplified, the same technique can be used to produce these soft watercolor patterns.
Tools and Materials
Food coloring
Beeswax
Eggs
Pot (for melting beeswax)
Bowls and spoons (for dyes)
Cookie sheet
Wax paper
Paper towels
Wax-Resist Dyeing How-To
1. To make a striped egg, dye a raw or hard-boiled egg pale yellow (for richer colors, increase the proportion of coloring to water). Remove and let dry.
2. Melt beeswax in a pot. Dip both ends of the egg in wax; this will prevent that area from absorbing the next color.
3. Place the egg in the green dye for about one minute, then remove and let dry. Dip both ends of the egg deeper in the wax than before, leaving a narrow unwaxed band around the middle of the egg.
4. Place the egg in dark blue dye to color the middle stripe. When finished, place the egg in a 250-degree oven on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper for about 5 minutes. Take the egg out and wipe off melted wax with a paper towel. If you used a raw egg, let egg cool and carefully blow out contents. To make a half-colored egg, hold an egg partially submerged in a strong dye for about a minute.To create eggs with bands of white, dip-dye both ends, then dip each end in the wax to cover the dyed area plus a stripe of white beyond them, then proceed as above.
From Martha Stewart Living April/May 1994
WASHINGTON, D.C.- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is advising parents and caregivers to be cautious when using infant slings for babies younger than four months of age. In researching incident reports from the past 20 years, CPSC identified and is investigating at least 14 deaths associated with sling-style infant carriers, including three in 2009. Twelve of the deaths involved babies younger than four months of age.
Slings can pose two different types of suffocation hazards to babies. In the first few months of life, babies cannot control their heads because of weak neck muscles. The sling’s fabric can press against an infant’s nose and mouth, blocking the baby’s breathing and rapidly suffocating a baby within a minute or two. Additionally, where a sling keeps the infant in a curled position bending the chin toward the chest, the airways can be restricted, limiting the oxygen supply. The baby will not be able to cry for help and can slowly suffocate.
Handcrafted Sterling Silver Dog Tag with 18K Yellow Gold Plate on a Sterling Silver Ball Chain. Partially recycled silver and arrives in burlap and 100% organic cotton bag.
RANE Jewelry is a hot new jewelry collection that focuses on silver, eco-friendly metals and features flowers and other beautiful items inspired from nature.
To enter, check out the Jilly Bean Site and tell Modern Housewife what your fave pieces are.
Giveaway ends 02/28 at midnight.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Consistent with our unwavering commitment to child safety we are providing U.S. consumers notice of a voluntary recall of all Maclaren umbrella strollers sold in the U.S. In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, we are providing free of charge to all affected consumers and retailers a kit to cover the stroller's hinge mechanism, which poses a fingertip amputation and laceration hazard to the child when the consumer is unfolding/opening the stroller. The affected models include Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, Techno XLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveller.
Maclaren USA's Umbrella Strollers meet all U.S. ASTM & JPMA compliance standards. These certifications guarantee our umbrella strollers meet the maximum safety standards available. The voluntary recall is to alert the operator when opening or closing the stroller of the possible risk of injury.
Safety is our first priority and through this voluntary effort we urge consumers to contact us immediately to obtain the kit which consists of hinge covers designed specifically to fit all Maclaren strollers.
Maclaren stresses all operators read the instruction manual prior to use which contains valuable safety tips and service recommendations.
What changes when you have a baby? A better question may be: What doesn't change? Here, writer and mom Rebecca Woolf lists her most notable post-baby observations. Then scroll down to read our favorite comments from readers about how their babies changed their lives.
1. You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms.
2. Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid. [See a reader's perspective in #22, below.]
3. The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.
4. You respect your body ... finally.
5. You respect your parents and love them in a new way.
6. You find that your baby's pain feels much worse than your own.
7. You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.
8. You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago.
9. Your heart breaks much more easily.
10. You think of someone else 234,836,178,976 times a day.
11. Every day is a surprise.
12. Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop!)
13. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.
14. You become a morning person.
15. Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.
And from our readers...
1. "You discover how much there is to say about one tooth." — Ashley's mom
2. "You finally realize that true joy doesn't come from material wealth." — Anonymous
3. "You now know where the sun comes from." — Charlotte
4. "You'd rather buy a plastic tricycle than those shoes that you've been dying to have." — Sophie's mom
5. "You realize that although sticky, lollipops have magical powers." — Roxanne
6. "You don't mind going to bed at 9 p.m. on Friday night." — Kellye
7. "Silence? What's that?" — Anonymous
8. "You realize that the 15 pounds you can't seem to get rid of are totally worth having." — Brenda
9. "You discover an inner strength you never thought you had." — Ronin and Brookie's mom
10. "You no longer rely on a clock — your baby now sets your schedule." — Thomas' mom
11. "You give parents with a screaming child an 'I-know-the-feeling' look instead of a 'Can't-they-shut-him-up?' one." — Jaidyn's mom
12. You can have the most wonderful conversation using only vowel sounds like "ahhh" and "oooo." — littlehulk2008
13. "You take the time for one more hug and kiss even if it means you'll be late." — Tracey
14. "You learn that taking a shower is a luxury." — Jayden's mom
15. "You realize that you can love a complete stranger." — Dezarae's mom
16. You find yourself wanting to make this world a better place. — Arizona
17. If you didn’t believe in love at first sight before, now you do! — Ciara
18. You start to appreciate Sesame Street for its intellectual contribution. — Anon.
19. You have to quit watching the news because you see every story from a mother's perspective and it breaks your heart. — Brooke&Boys
20. You just plain love life more - everything comes together and becomes better because of one tiny person and your love for them. — Anon.
21. You finally find out the real reason you have those breasts. — Anon.
22. In response to #2 [above], I'd say that where you were once afraid, you're now fearless. I was always very timid and shy and let myself get walked all over … but now where my kid's concerned, I'll speak my mind and really connect with my inner "b"! — gummismom
23. The support you get from other people surprises you, because the people giving it are not always the ones you'd expect. — japanese_macaque
24. Nothing is just yours any longer. You share EVERYTHING! — DylanLsMom
25. No matter what you've accomplished in life, you look at your child and think, "I've done a GREAT job!" — Anon.
26. You want to take better care of yourself for your child. — Treasor
Would you like to add to this list? We'd love to hear what changed for you.
Jaymi
As moms, we've all heard our parenting skills being questioned or even criticized at one point or another. (Hey, it's practically a rite of passage.) But while some comments might be easy to brush off, others sting a little bit. Maybe it was your mother-in-law's "sage" advice at the family barbecue, warning that you’re swaddling too tight; or what's-her-face from Mommy and Me class preaching the wonders of Cry It Out and how you've been spoiling baby with too much attention. No matter what kind of unsolicited advice, snarky comment, or off-the-cuff remark has been hurled your way, chances are it’s left you thinking the same thing: Maybe you’re not really that good of a mother after all. Find out why we all fall victim to the mommy wars and how to win the next battle.
Everyone’s a Critic...
When it comes to the harsh world of mommy judgment, Amy Nobile -- mother of two and coauthor of I Was a Really Good Mom Before I Had Kids -- is definitely no stranger. Her first real taste of it came after joining a local mom group several years ago. Walking in, she expected to find support and maybe even gain a few new friends. But she walked out feeling "completely guilt-ridden and horrified." The point of contention? Nobile mentioned she had already weaned her baby -- at 12 weeks. "The other mothers looked at me like, What is wrong with you?!" she now recalls. "I left feeling like I was really doing something wrong, until my friend talked some sense into me."
Nobile isn't alone. Plenty of Bumpies agree that they’ve been criticized on everything from formula feeding to how baby’s dressed or whether baby’s sleeping through the night yet. And while some moms can just let things roll of their back, others take it to heart.
The Root of the Problem
So just where does this parenting blame game really come from? According to Nobile, it usually stems from our own overblown expectations of motherhood. "As women, we seem to think we should do it all and have it all," she says. “The expectations of being a good mom are over the top and we become so insecure that we end up judging other moms in the process. All of a sudden we're competitive when we should really be honoring each other's choices."
In her book, Nobile (along with friend and coauthor Trisha Ashworth) points out another big reason for all the mommy judging: Things have changed so much in the last few generations that modern moms can’t always look to their own mothers as role models. For instance, now that breastfeeding is making a big comeback, children raised in the formula generation can't exactly ask Mom for much advice in that department. Instead, they look to the obvious source: other young moms. Thus, the comparisons begin.
But regardless of why we do it, there's no denying that somewhere along the line, honoring each other's choices turned into calling each other out on them. For stay-at-home mom sarehbaca, she often finds herself defending her decision not to return to work after the birth of her baby. "People say annoying things like, 'Oh, you'll find work soon,'" she explains. "Sometimes they assume that I can't find work and don't consider that I'm choosing to stay home to raise my daughter."
Of course, most of the time (if not all of the time) the comments new moms get certainly aren't intended to sting. "I think there's a real contradiction about this in American culture," says Susan Douglas, PhD, professor of communications at the University of Michigan and coauthor of The Mommy Myth: The Idealization of Motherhood and How It Has Undermined All Women. "On the one hand, people commonly comment on or critique each other’s parenting out of habit, but at the same time, it’s still considered pretty verboten to do so." It's natural for people to want to speak up and offer advice, she notes, but they’re not always sure how to do it or what to say.
How to Deal
Sorry, there's not one really good comeback. We wish there could be a nice and tidy answer for you (really, we do), but of course, every situation is different. Our best advice: Go with your gut (as long as that doesn't include completely flying off the handle). Here are some pointers for how not to lose your cool the next time your mommy skills come under fire.
Go the humor route. True, it won't work for every scenario, but a good sarcastic comeback can sure make you feel good sometimes. Need a little help thinking of one-liners? Flip open I Was a Really Good Mom..., and you’ll find the "Comeback Chart," a collection of common questions thrown at new moms, along with some pretty tongue-in-cheek retorts. Here's one of our favorites:
The comment: "Your toddler is still in a crib?"
The comeback: "Of course! The latest research proves that the longer you keep them in cribs, the smarter they are."
Stick up for yourself. Sometimes an off-color remark can leave you speechless. Take this scenario, shared by violetvirgo: "One time my husband and I were grocery shopping with the baby when we popped into a walk-in freezer for some food. That's when we heard this older woman say (not-so-subtly) to her daughter: 'They need to put a hat on that baby...it’s going to get sick in here!' I was so annoyed I said (very loudly) to my husband, 'Did you hear that?!'"
Our take: Sometimes, people need to know when they've over-stepped their boundaries, and other times it's best to pick your battles. Decide for yourself whether or not you think you should pipe up, but try not to hit below the belt if you do fire a comeback. Mom violetvirgo could have let the woman know that she was heard and simply stated that being slightly cold for a minute or two doesn't actually cause a baby to catch a cold.
Take a cue from Dad (aka chill out). If we're going to be honest, women's lib has come a long way, but most would agree that the majority of Americans still hold motherhood to different standards than fatherhood. "If a man changes a diaper, he's Father of the Year," notes Bumpie fredalina. "I’ve seen my husband get so much praise from friends and family for being a wonderful father. And while he truly is, there’s comparatively little praise for my parenting."
True, this can be totally frustrating, but according to Nobile, there are some things we can learn from their approach to parenting: They don't compare themselves to each other. "Men go into fatherhood knowing it's going to be work but it's okay that it's going to be imperfect," she says. "They don't understand why we're going to have a mental breakdown because there's no milk left in the fridge. They see the bigger picture."
Keep things in perspective. The bottom line is, as long as baby's safe, choose what advice you want to take into consideration and ignore all the rest. Most of the time, a simple, "Well maybe that worked for you, but this is what works for me," might put an end to the topic altogether. "What I've learned as a mom is to really make peace with what worked for my family," says Nobile. "It's not about what's right or wrong. You need to learn to trust your own choices."
If you named your baby Brooklyn, he already packs a mean street rep. Of course, the same would be true if his name was Jack or Kyle. Certain names put teachers on edge, according to a survey by Bounty, a British pregnancy and parenting club.
The 3,000 British teachers surveyed by Bounty said names can peg kids as potential troublemakers. Boys named Brooklyn, Jack, Kyle, Liam and Jake reportedly strike fear in the hearts of educators, as do girls named Chelsea, Aliesha, Brooke, Demi, Jessica, Casey and Crystal.
"Teachers are only human and make assumptions like the rest of us," said Bounty spokesman Faye Mingo when unveiling the survey on the group's Web site.
"Rightly or wrong, most of us make assumptions based on something as simple as a person's name, and we base these on our previous experiences," she said. "It's only natural for teachers to make assumptions based on behavior and performance of former pupils with the same name."
Mingo added: "But I bet they're happy to be proved wrong."
The poll reported that 49 percent of teachers said they make assumptions about students as soon as they see the names of the class roster. However, while teachers may roll their eyes at little Brooklyn or Chelsea, 59 percent of teachers said those same kids are usually the most popular among their peers.
The teachers surveyed said half of the naughty kids chill out as the school year progresses.
"While many parents may worry about the name they choose for their child, all children will make a name their own," said Mingo.
