Bee Germ-Free...

A big thanks to Babble's Droolicious blog for highlighting Pipila pacifier sanitizer. It's portable, compact, 99.9% effective + 100% safe for your baby!

The Babble Review: Sleep Sack Roundup

The Babble Review: Sleep Sack Roundup Our Somi Sleepsacks are reviewed by Babble...love these sacks!



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Ahhh..freshies

French Artist Thierry Bouet's series of newborn photographs title 'First Hour' is a wonderful look at the first hours that a child enters into this world. As a Mom, I think these babies are so beautiful and remind me so much of the first time I saw my own babies. Their eyes all squinty and swollen, the chalky white appearance, the fuzzy hair and that first cry..a sound you will never forget.




The exhibit was first shown in early 2008 in the former department store La Samaritaine. It conists of 50 photographs and shown in large scale. You can see more of Thierry Bouet on his website. And more photographs at Life Lounge.

Famille Summerbelle

Famille Summerbelle is this beautiful line out of France by Artist Julie Marabelle. She does whimsical prints that look amazing in any modern nursery. Her most recent pieces include these paper cut prints of original drawings of maps of London and Paris. Below you can see the detail of the cut out showing London burroughs and attractions. They are 42 cm x 59 cm or 16" x 23" and ship unframed. They cost $60 and will ship to US for $15. Unique and Original artwork for less than $100!


And wow! Check out the Hot Pink Paris Map...love this! While you are on her website, look at her family tree pieces. A really cute way to display your family photos.

Guest Mommy - Why I Chose a Home Birth

Who: Carolyn Paugh Black
What: Mommy to Charlie Black
Where: Los Angeles, CA
Kids: Charlie, 6 months
Links She Likes: www.sacredentrance.com,
www.birthsanctuary.com,
www.silverlakeyoga.com,
www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com


WHY I CHOOSE A HOME BIRTH

Our decision to birth at home came from the desire to have the birth of our choice, which meant avoiding ALL unnecessary medical interventions. (And sadly, that included epidurals!) Even before I was pregnant, my aversion to hospitals and the big, scary medical equipment they contain was much stronger than my fear of pushing out a baby naturally. When a woman, her fetus and her pregnancy are healthy and appropriately monitored, I strongly believe that the best way to get a baby out is by letting her body and the baby do what nature intended – which means not rushing anybody with inductions or slowing things down with epidurals (and then winding up with the dreaded C-section, which these interventions often lead to.) I knew I could do it, wasn’t afraid of labor and didn’t fear the thousands of “what ifs,” in spite of the fact that everyone and their mother reminded me ad nauseam of all the things that could go wrong during a delivery. I knew my baby and I would be properly monitored and that contingency plans were in place should something go less than perfect, or even terribly wrong. I trusted my midwives and my doula to have the knowledge, skill, patience, compassion (and equipment) to safely deliver our baby in the comfort of our home. I prepared by staying as healthy as possible during the pregnancy – eating right and exercising a ton – and educating myself on the process of birth. I think it was extremely important for me to be in top shape mentally and physically for this type of birth, akin to training for a marathon. But instead of shin splints, I got a baby at the end of my journey!

Thankfully, it didn’t take a lot of convincing to get my husband on board with this home birth decision. My husband works in hospitals (he sells medical devices) and his intimate knowledge of hospitals made him uncomfortable having his baby born inside of one. He shared my view that hospitals are wonderful for sick people, but not for brand new little babies, and as long as we remained healthy, there was no reason to go to one for birth.

We did have to pay out-of-pocket for the midwives and doula. I’d say in total it came to around $5K, but we were reimbursed by our insurance company for about ½ of what we had put down. Compared to a hospital birth, we feel like we got off cheap.

So here we were, all content and empowered by our decision to birth at home, midwives and doula selected and properly bonded with, sheet and towels sterilized, medical supplies on hand and neatly put away, my mother on stand-by to fly in when labor started, and our due date rapidly approaching. A little over a week before I was due, I felt the first contractions and they were totally doable. I practically patted myself on the back thinking, “You’ve got this! You’ve done the yoga, read the books, visualized and meditated – you’re ready and you’ve earned yourself a beautiful, spiritual experience!” And it was. But along with all that spirituality and beauty came a TRUCKLOAD of unrelenting pain! Whoa. By the time things really got going (if I had to guess, I’d say from about 5cm to 10cm), I was BEGGING to be taken to Cedars (our back up, non-emergency transfer hospital.) In spite of all my prior aversions to the big, bad hospital, I was now fantasizing about being taken there and of getting poked and prodded gleefully, as long as what followed was umpteen CCs of glorious pain relief. When it was finally time to push, I experienced a moment of joy, thinking, “Oh thank GOD this is almost over,” only to have my hopes dashed as the minutes turned to hours (it took a total of two hours, which is very average for a first baby) before his little head was beginning to crown. This was NOT the Zenned-out labor I had ordered. This was torture!

Great gobs of pain aside, choosing this birth allowed me to labor in my own home, on my own furniture, in my own bathroom and shower, with my dogs by my side, with my mom making dinner for everyone (yes, you CAN eat and drink during labor, the hospitals just don’t want you to for liability’s sake.) I got to take a midnight stroll around my own neighborhood because I was home, and not hooked up to any machines or on anyone else’s schedule, and I swear that walk helped me dilate a few centimeters. When it came to delivering, I got to decide where exactly I would push him out (ended up in my bedroom in front of my closet – go figure!) My husband was able to catch our son when he came swooshing out – the first hands to touch our baby boy were ours and ours alone. I’m not sure why but that just warms my heart. He was immediately put up on to me, no rushing him off to be weighed or cleaned up, and because of that, I actually got to call out that he was a boy – I was first person to see his “manhood!” Once he was out and on me, it was within minutes that we were moved to our bed for his first meal and he wasn’t taken away from me for hours. Those things are just so special to me, and I cherish that his first hours after coming into this world were gentle and relaxed, absent of a fluorescent lighting and a bunch of unnecessary poking and prodding. So even though it wasn’t exactly the mystical journey I was expecting, and was a lot more painful than I had “planned,” I wouldn’t change a single second of it.

The midwives proceeded to clean everything up that was used for the birth – by the time they left you couldn’t even tell a baby had been born in the house, except that there was now a newborn in my arms. They even made lunch for everyone! Eventually they left, the doula left, and then it was just my newly-expanded family (and my mom) in our home, in our own bed for our first night’s rest (ha ha!) as a threesome.

I feel that Charlie benefited from this kind of birth – he has been SO alert and dialed in to the universe since minute one. I know many babies are, but I feel that his alertness is a direct result of the way he entered the world. I feel that I gave him an amazing start by birthing this way and I encourage ANY woman who wants to have a non-medicated birth and is having a healthy pregnancy to consider birthing at home. I now am very much an advocate for home birthing, midwifery and for doulas, and plan to put my ever-running mouth to good use and spread the word as much as I can.

BPA Free, Phthalate Free, Organic...What does it all mean?

Recently, I went to help a pregnant friend register for her first child. As we walked into Babies R US, huge signs hung above the baby bottle section with BPA Free and the bath toy section with phthalate free. What do all these words mean and why are they being plastered around blogs, magazines and the news? Well, I can answer those questions for you. In the last year there has been quite a few lead scares in regards to children's products. The CPSIA, which is the regulatory committee for toys and children's products in the US, decided to come up with a new set of guidelines restricting certain chemicals from children's products in order to keep our kids safe.

It is a great progress for a country that just two years ago had no restrictions on lead or harmful chemicals in our kid's toys, but is still being ironed out as some of the guidelines are not fair as far as the testing and hurt small unique companies that have always been making safe toys. But that is a whole other entry!

Phthalates are chemicals used in plastic that help to keep the plastic pliable. Such as in certain rubber ducks or toys. BPA is bisephenol. Bisephenol is also a chemical used in plastics such as baby bottles, sippy cups and water bottles. It is not harmful unless it is heated at which time it can leach into whatever liquid it is in contact with and thus be ingested into your new baby or yourself.

When purchasing products it is important to look for BPA Free and Phthalate Free. Many retailers have already put this into effect in their new products and our rubber ducks we carry are all phthalate and lead free.

Now don't get confused, because not all plastic products are made with BPA and with Phthalates. So when looking at baby bottles you will not find phthalates and when shopping for strollers you will not find BPA so it won't be advertised. The main concern is what your child puts in their mouth. If it is a product that they will possible put in their mouth, then look for BPA Free and/or Phthalate Free.

I know some mothers have fully switched off plastic and are using glass bottles and stainless sippy cups. Which I think are great, but there are other really great BPA free plastic versions that are safe and easy to use.

My Top 10 List Must Haves for New Baby (there are more things you will need, but these are my favorites!)

1. Dr. Brown's BPA Free Bottles. I love these! They do require a bit of work as there are a few parts to them, but they are great for helping with gas as the inner piece pushes the air back into the bottle instead on into baby's tummy. I would get 4- 4 oz bottles and 4 - 8 oz bottles.

2. I use Soothie Newborn Pacifiers and a great new one to the market is the Natursutten Orthodontic Pacifier. Soothies are very popular with newborns and many hospitals use them. My kids were both not into the pacifier, but Gwen did use a soothie for the first few months.

3. Top 100 Baby Purees Book by Annabel Karmel. Wonderful homemade baby food recipes that are quick and easy to make. Really, it is not that hard to make baby food. We will do a whole post on making baby food soon!

4. I am a fan of California Baby and Weleda. I love the Weleda Calendula Oil. I give the baby a little massage after her bath and use it on cradle cap.

5. When the new bub comes out you just want them in the softest clothes you can find. So, I load up on organic onesies and sleepsacks. Giggle carries a whole line of organic clothing.

6. Diapers is also a topic into itself. I use Nature Baby Care they are 100% biodegradable, no chlorine and developed by a Mom. You can order them on diapers.com.

7. The Ouef Baby Lounger. It is a baby bouncer that bounces with the babies own movement or by gently pushing on it. We used this all the time. As they get older you can feed them in here as well. It is made of 100% cotton and can be removed and machine washed. It looks good too!

8. Slings. Boy there are a lot of slings out there now. I used the Baby Pouch with both of my kids. It is a bit more labor intensive, but the babies love it! You can wrap them up in there and go for walks, do housework and great for travel. Super easy to breastfeed when it is on and almost impossible for baby to fall out. I also use the Ergo Baby Carrier. It is really comfortable and can use as the baby gets older.

9. I am a big fan of sleepsacks. Most European, Australian and New Zealand moms use these daily. Forget the baby comforter and the baby blankets put your little guy inside one of these sleepsacks. With no chance of the baby wrapping themselves up in the blanket or as they get older becoming uncovered in the night, this must have will keep them warm and safe through the night. Scientifically proven to help babies sleep longer!

A few of my favorites are the Somi Sleepsack, the Halo Organic Cotton and then I love the Go Go Bag from New Zealand, but you can only order from their site. I would never suggest a fleece sleepsack. Fleece is not a natural material and the babies will perspire. Fleece will not absorb the perspiration and the baby will be wet and possibly wake. I would always use cotton or merino wool.

10. Swaddling blankets. Aden and Anais swaddling blankets are awesome! You can use them to swaddle the baby to sleep, cover the stroller when taking walks, use as a burp cloth or even as a changing mat! They are super light and machine washable and come in many patterns.

Eczema Babies

My girls were both eczema babies. Eczema is so cruel to babies. This continuous, insidious itchy rash that disrupts sleep, gets infected and brings down their immune systems. A recent court case in Australia found the parents of a 9 month old baby whom died from septicemia and malnutrition due to severe eczema guilty of man slaughter. Reading about the case brought back many memories of the early months with my first child and our battle against eczema.

The balance between traditional western medicine and alternative therapies is very tricky to achieve. Both sides not willing to accept each other views. Finding practitioners who are willing to concede that both the traditional and alternative have their uses is essential to finding a path that you are comfortable in taking for your family.

In the beginning I was clueless. Having had no experience with eczema or allergies it was completely unexpected to find myself in the situation we were in. It consumed all of my waking hours attempting to find solutions. Five years on, I joke that I spend at least 20% of my time preventing my girls from scratching. Whether it be as simply as saying “don’t scratch” (which I do at least 50 times a day!) to reading the labels on every single thing I buy be it food, cleaning products, creams, shampoo etc to make sure that there are no nasties like preservatives, trans fats, emulsifiers, GMO products, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, dioxin the list goes on.

Often the most useful tools in fighting eczema come down to common sense. There are no miracle cures as the causes for every single person are different. What works for us might not work for anyone else. However, just in case I can impart with some useful information to someone else I intend to share with you some of things that have helped in my home.

In my view eczema management can be view in 3 categories:

Preventers

The preventers are things like allergy management, environment management, diet, supplements, stress management, chiropractic care, homeopathic, kinesiology etc. These are actions aimed at preventing the eczema from occurring.

Stop the itch

The eczema slowly bubbles up to the surface. If it is left unscratched it can go away of its own accord. But if it is scratched then it takes hold and becomes in grained. Stopping the itch will stop it from flaring up.

Cleansing & Soothing

Once it has flared managing the eczema means to keep it clean, stop it from getting infected and soothing the angry skin.

I will share my tip in each of these areas of the next few weeks. In the mean time here are two good sites with some basic eczema management information.

Babycenter

Infantseczema

Heres to baby soft skin! x samantha

Guest Daddy - Playdate Playlist

Who: Marc Jensen

What: Writer and Music Lover

Children: Sadie 3 and baby on the way

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Website: www.marcjensen.net

Playdate Playlist #1

Just because you’re a parent doesn’t mean your musical selections have to be limited to Mickey and his friends singing “Hot Dog Hot Diggity Dog.” I have fond memories of my parents cranking up Neil Young, George Harrisson and Paul Simon while I was growing up, and while I may not have always understood the lyrical content of the songs they played, their tastes challenged my expectations of how limitless music could be and help set the tone for my lifelong appreciation of it. The good news is that you don’t have to listen only to old school standards to find suitable listening content for your family. Alternative music has arguably never been more kid friendly and is a perfect way to expand the boundaries of your child’s impressionable little mind. Here are a few of our family’s favs:

1. Beirut “Nantes”. The accordion is back. Once the symbol of polka and bad German Oktoberfest bands, this classic instrument is finding its way into many new artists’ music—and perhaps no track does it as well as Beirut’s “Nantes.” From the opening Eastern European tinged accordion intro, “Nantes” also features a beautiful French horn interlude, a tango-esque percussion beat, and Zach Condon’s hauntingly rich vocals. A great song to introduce the little one’s to instruments other than the standard guitar, bass and drums line-up. Click here to see them on YouTube.

2. Grizzly Bear “Two Weeks.” The more I listen to Grizzly Bear, the more I’m convinced they just may be my favorite new band out there. While many of their songs tend to be on the sleepy side, “Two Weeks” has a contagious melody and snappy tempo that will grab even the most casual of listener. After cranking this song up one day, I caught my little one singing along to the gorgeous vocals in the chorus. Worth every one of those ninety-nine cents. Click here to see them on YouTube.

3. Animal Collective “My Girls”. I’m a sucker for Beach Boy harmonies and Animal Collective has perfected the homage in “My Girls”. While most of their tunes tend to be on the more experimental side of new music, this song is nothing short of a pop gem. Not sure if it’s the beat, the layered vocal parts, or the sweet lyrics (I don’t mean to seem like I care about material things like a social status/I just want four walls and adobe slabs for my girls) that has me hooked. Check them out on YouTube.

4. Wilco & Billy Bragg “Hoodoo Voodoo”. Apparently, Woody Gutherie wrote this playful song for his young son Arlo, but it never saw the light of day until Wilco and Billy Bragg recorded this album of the folk giant’s lost tunes. It’s a completely nonsensical jam and a completely fun mess of a song. Check them out on YouTube.

5. Fleet Foxes “White Winter Hymnal.” If this song doesn’t send a chill up your spine, you may need to go to a doctor and check your pulse. It’s a throwback to the classic folk movement of the 1960s with a choral arrangement that’s about as pretty as music can get. A great end-of-the-night, sleepy-time song. Click here to see them on YouTube

6. Yo La Tengo “Beanbag Chair.” Yo La Tengo is three people — and two of them are married. Maybe that’s why their music always feels so family friendly, even when the lyrics can get a little dark. This is a lively, fun track with a great bass line and I love the subject matter. Beanbag chairs were a furniture staple in my room growing up. Click here to see them on YouTube

7. Sigur Rós “Gobbledigook.” If you only know of Sigur Rós for the song on the Vanilla Sky soundtrack, then you won’t believe this tune comes from the same band. “Goddledigook” is an up-tempo number with a playful, breezy spirit. I have no idea what it’s about or what they are saying. But that doesn’t really matter when the music is this pure. Go to the Sigur Ros website

8. Super Furry Animals “The Horn.” The Furries have always had a childlike quality about their music, and this tune only cements that notion. Sounding like a Welch barroom stomp, “The Horn” is a tailor-made sing along number that inspires imagination and fun. Pretty hard not to smile when this one’s on the speakers. Go the Super Furry Animals Website

9. Vampire Weekend “Mansard Roof.” Now that the hype has died down a bit over these guys, it’s easier to just sit back and enjoy the music. The African-inspired guitar work always reminds me of listening to Paul Simon’s “Graceland.” Click here to see them on YouTube

10. M. Ward “Chinese Translation.” M. Ward could be one of the finest songwriters working today and this song demonstrates why. It’s pensive yet upbeat, intelligent yet whimsical. Kids should be listening to this kinda stuff .Click here to see them on YouTube

How to take the best photo of your family - Guest Mommy Interview 2

Who: Nicole Wilder-Shattuck

Where: Los Angeles, CA
What: One of the Set Photographers on Mad Men
Children: Ryder 7, Wyatt 5
Weblink: www.nicolewilder.com

Nicole Wilder-Shattuck started her career in photography in 2002 after the birth of her first son, Ryder. Although photography was in her blood, her father was an avid photographer as well as her brother, she had no idea of her passion until she began photographing her baby with a Canon Rebel she got as a wedding present. Five years later, two years as an apprentice for Lisa Franchot, she is set photographer for the very awesome show Mad Men, along with her personal portraits, and lucky for me...the photographer of Chloe's plays! Her son Wyatt goes to school with Chloe. She is also pretty funny.

1. What is the best time of day to take a photo?

I always love to take photos in the afternoon to late afternoon...the light is much lower, softer and prettier and can really be a beautiful time to take family portraits or just photos in general...it is called the "magic hour" for a reason! Very early morning light is beautiful as well, but not always the most practical time to shoot.

2. Top places to take the family photo in Los Angeles?

Any place where there are textures, foliage, and great architecture are always good places to shoot in any city.

• Point Dume in Malibu is great because you have edgy, rough rocks, reflection from the water, arched cliffs (great architecture doesn't mean is has to be man made) and sand.
• Descanso Gardens, The Huntington Gardens and Library, Greystone Estate off of Doheny Drive, Ocean Boulevard in Santa Monica in the park are all favorites.
  
• Venice Beach is fun just for all of the wild people you see there and the vibrant colors on houses and buildings. You can always find a great backdrop to shoot against in Venice.
  
• A day trip to Palm Springs is a great photo op as well!

3. Best online photo editing site?

There are a lot of different photo sites where you can edit, crop and color correct your photos. Some are very comprehensive and charge a monthly fee, others are free. Shutterfly is a great site that is free and is extremely user friendly while delivering quality prints, as well as digital photobooks and multitude of other cool and fun services. If you need something a little more advanced, Pictage.com and Collages.net are both excellent, but they aren't free. You can set up monthly packages to work within your budget.

4. Do you have a favorite camera?

I have several favorite cameras! My three very old A2 Canon film cameras and my Canon 5D digital...they both serve very different purposes, and both take beautiful photos. If you are ever going to spend a lot of money on one lens, spend it on a 70-200mm with an image stabilizer, it is an unbelievable lens!

I still love my Canon Rebel as it was my first camera.

5. Favorite Online Photo Site?

Flickr.com is a great way to explore photos from amateur and pro photographers from all over the world. It is also a great way to network and explore the world of photography and get feedback on personal photos or to get advice if you can't quite figure out why or how you can capture a photo differently.

• Pdnonline.com is a great resource for professional photographers.
• www.bhphotovideo.com is also a must if you are looking to find any and all camera equipment...It's amazing!

6. Best home photo printer?

Epson seems to be the best, however, Hewlett Packard makes some really great inkjet printers that seem to last forever. I still have an inkjet printer by HP from about 7 years ago and it's still up and running without any glitches.

7. Do you need to invest in software to edit your photos and if so, which ones do you prefer?

I can honestly say, that Adobe Photoshop isn't a 100% requirement if you are interested in photo editing software. It is extremely comprehensive and can be a great asset in editing photos.

If you want a great software program that will do a great job cataloguing and organizing your shots and do a phenomenal job color correcting, categorizing, and fixing any photo, Lightroom is the way to go. It's fantastic and many pro photographers use it for their professional work.

Push come to shove, you can always export your photo into Photoshop if you need something a little more because Photoshop and Lightroom are both Adobe softwares.

8. Best Weather to take a picture?

If you ever see an overcast day where the light looks even and flat and not particularly sunny, then that is probably one of the best times to shoot! Most people think, well, there are a lot of clouds, not bright light and not much sun to be seen due to cloud coverage...that cloud coverage diffuses the light and creates beautiful even light...so go shoot on those days!

9. In a family photo, what should you wear?

Having a family dress alike for a photo does make a portrait seem well thought out and cohesive and if you are doing a formal portrait, then establishing what everyone should wear beforehand is important, but it doesn't necessarily have to be the rule.

Some of the best portraits are where people are just caught in the moment and not posed, so depending on if you want formal or informal can make a difference in what you wear.

With that said, try not to have multiple patterns or stripes, a little can be okay and interesting, but don't go overboard.

10. Any other cool tips you can share with us?

Try shooting in your garage to take a nicely lit family portrait. Around 2pm, lift your garage door, position your children or your subject on a stool about 3-8 inches inside the garage from where the garage opens and shoot. Of course, make sure the background of your garage is clear of clutter so it does not show up in the picture.

Garages make great impromptu studios! Try to use the light from the window and make sure you don't have random objects (like garbage cans, cars, other people) in your shot and don't be afraid to turn off your flash and use natural light. You would be amazed at how much light there actually is!

Experiment and practice and you will get the hang of finding nice light.

Baby's Got Style

I am a big fan of the Aussie online store Baby's Got Style. They have some seriously stylish kid's clothing and they ship to the US!. They have great customer service and ship your order out right away. It usually takes a week to get my order and with the exchange rate, end of season sales and low ship costs, its a pretty good deal. A few of my favorites lines are:

Munster is a BOYS ONLY brand, but my daughter Chloe loves the bat print shirts and hoodies. They also make super stylish track suit pants.



Another favorite is Itch. Graphic prints on stylish dresses, shirts and pants. They also do amazing bedding and plates. This adorable dress will be a great summer staple. If only i could get Chloe back into dresses. Maybe with the owl print she'll try it. Fingers crossed.




Big by Fiona Scanlan. Fiona used to be a part of the Scanlan and Theodore fashion label for women. I always stop in and get a new dress or sweater for myself. Now Fiona has branched off and designs for her new kid's label Big. There is always a bit of sparkle and fantasy in her clothes. This season it was off to the circus. Check out this fairytale dress and what about the headpiece. Divine!



Rock Your Baby is a new label for me and I just adore this vintage style Chinese print with little blue ruffle cap sleeves. Maybe I'll get it for the baby and she can wear it this summer. Too cute.

Sleep Bags

We just got back from our trip to Australia and New Zealand and I found some really cool products. In New Zealand, I picked up the Go Go Bag, a beautiful wool sleeping bag for babies and toddlers. I know wool, sounds not so comfy, right. But not this bag. The inside is super soft merino wool and the outside of the bag is 100% cotton. Wool is a natural insulator keeping babies cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It also absorbs moisture from the baby and releases it into the air so babies stay dry and sleep better. My husband's Aunt Toad said every baby in New Zealand sleeps in a bag and after trying it on my babe I can see why.