Tag: Shopping

Birthday parties are filled with activities, food and fun – what’s a better time to capture your little one’s precociousness on film? Here are a few tips to keep in mind when you’re following around the tiny tot’s with your camera:

1) always follow the cake (or cupcakes) – endless kodak moments pop up
2) get on their level – in order to show how they interact with their world, get down to their height to you can see what they see.
3) keep your eye on the background – the simpler the scene is behind your child, the more they will stand out of the picture
4) have fun and get your camera in there – people always want to see the photos, even if they don’t particularly like stopping what they are doing to pose for you
5) get unposed shots, too!

In our house, we decided that a pacifier was the way to go when at two or three months our daughter was having trouble sleeping.  Well, that is an understatement.  She had a witching hour where she screamed her tiny head off of a full hour, if not longer and the only things that calmed her were the 5 “s”s as advocated by the baby whisperer who wrote Happiest Baby on the Block.  One of those “s”s is sucking and after such termoil with breastfeeding we opted for the pacifier.

Cut to our daughter now at almost 2 years old and what is her most dominant feature?  Her pacifier.  We call it a chewpete (from the spanish word for sucker that I’m certain I’m not spelling correctly).  First off there is absolutely no sleeping without 2 of them – one for her mouth and one for her hand.  She doesn’t keep it in all night long but she needs it right there next to her.  Unfortunately is acts as her lovey as well.

Second is every other time of the day.  It all started innocently enough.  Sophie was allowed her chewpete at night and when she hurt herself.  Then we moved and all of the upheaval surrounding packing and moving affected her so we gave it to her when she was distressed throughout those days.  Then she got really sick and it was one of the only things that calmed her down and, while she was vomitting and so unhappy I didn’t have the heart to take it away.  But now she’s all better and throws a fit when she doesn’t have it unless she is really distracted, like on the playground.

I’m just so unsure of what to do now – do I go through the hassle of weaning her or simply deal with it until she’s ready to part with it?  And, mind you, she does have the personality that leads me to believe that she will one day wake up and be done with it…she’s shown similar fortitude in the past.  Unfortunately I think her father, her grandmother and I have become as addicted to it as she is as the chewpete calms and quiets her.  Not a bad thing when you’re out grocery shopping and the waterworks start to flow.

I never considered I’d be a mom who allowed a pacifier and yet here I am.  Just one more instance in a string of things that I didn’t know that I didn’t know.  Now I know and I’m at a loss as to what to do about it…

Valentines Day is upon us and while I don’t subscribe to the whole greeting card holiday, I do relish any excuse to be romantic and tell my loved ones how I feel. So, this Valentines day, even though in our house it will actually be moving day, I’ve cooked up a little something to make the evening feel special. Not my idea, I confess, but a good one none the less.

I’ve heard a lot about how to celebrate Valentines day, like going out to dinner at a special restaurant, that just won’t fit our lifestyle. For one, Saturday is moving day…I won’t be able to find my toothbrush, let alone fancy clothes. Plus, with a 1 year old, who has the energy for a date night after a long day not to mention the cost of child care on top of a hefty restaurant bill.

Instead, my husband and I have planned an evening picnic in our new house, complete with a blanket on the floor, a nice bottle of wine and some yummy cheeses for a cheese and antipasti plate. Since all of our utensils will be packed up we’re going with paper/plastic and candles – all easy to pick up around the corner at the grocery. No unpacking needed! And, Brie…did I mention the brie?

So, to all of you naysayers out there (myself included), I’d urge just a little thinking out of the box to do romance your way. Afterall, doesn’t authentic expression of yourself lead to a much better experience anyway?

On the quest to find the perfect diaper bag, I found a really cute new style from Oioi.  It’s a little pricey for me but I love the style.   It comes in black, too, which is a great choice if you want a neutral bag, but I really like this canary yellow.  Check it out. You can find it on the Oioi website, but I found it a tad cheaper HERE.

Pregnant women are undeniably adorable. I find that there is something about seeing a woman with a big belly that makes me feel happy. Although, having been one of those women once, pregnant woman don’t always feel quite so adorable.

I photographed a beautiful woman the other day and, during the shoot I kept thinking that I should share a little about how to photograph a pregnant woman so that the soon to be mom looks great and not as huge as she may feel.

Without giving away the store, I decided to give a few tips for those moms and dads who want to take pictures of the pregnancy as it progresses. That way, many many pictures can chronicle the process.  Of course, there are many professionals out there (myself included) who can document the momentous occasion, but you might want to give it a try yourself, just to see what you can come up with.  If that is the case, then think of these ideas when you pick up your camera and start to shoot.

First, PROFILE. Shooting from the side rather than straight on will show more of the belly’s curves. Sometimes if you take a picture straight on of a pregnant woman, they can look large rather than pregnant – any trust me, no one wants that.

MYSTERY.  Yes, everyone will know it’s a pregnant belly, and sometimes they may even know it’s you in the photos, but nothing is sexier than a little mystery, even in maternity photographs.  There are many ways to do that, and here is my favorite photograph of a pregnant woman that incorporates a little seductive mystery.  We used what  we had around us and thought beyond the typical boobs and belly image.  In not showing everything, you may discover you reveal much more.

That should get you started!  Happy shooting.

There are tons of rocking chairs.  Tons.  Most of them are hideous.  I mean, have you seen the Glider?  I know, I know, it works like a charm and some moms swear by them but I just couldn’t look at that thing day in and day out.

I was a bit overwhelmed on my search and didn’t quite know what to look for.  I mean, how do you know what you’ll need at 4 in the morning after being up all night walking and walking and walking the baby until finally you think, “I’ve got to keep moving AND sit down or I’m gonna loose it!”  Of course, in that situation, anything will do, but I found that having a rocking chair I liked to look at for all the other, more sane times of day was important to me.

First of all, here is what you absolutely need, no matter what the design:

1.  Arm rests.  Sure, babies are tiny and weigh next to nothing.  But, hold anything for hours on end and your muscles will start talking to you.  Do that after a string of sleepless nights and even a paperclip may seem like too much to carry.  And, don’t even get me started on the fatigue associated with breastfeeding!  So, when you sit down in your rocking chair you’ll need some place to rest your weary arms while your baby sleeps peacefully in them.  Don’t underestimate the necessity of comfortable, padded armrests at the appropriate height.  This one is a favorite of mine, though I just sat in one and it’s not as comfy as I wanted it to be…you can see it at Zac and Zoe HERE

2.  Silence.  Make sure that whatever makes the rocking chair rock is quiet.  Again, think of the hours you’ll spend swaying back and forth.  Look for parts that will either wear or grind or squeak.

3.  Neck support.  Now, I’m not talking about anything fancy here – just, when you test out your rocker, slink down in it so you can get really comfy, lean back and see if you can rest your head.  When you are beyond tired and you still have to keep moving so the baby will stay asleep, you’ll want a place for your head.  Remember, the human head weighs 8 pounds!

4.  Foot support.  Some people like to have their feet up while they rock, others don’t.   It’s not the most important factors in choosing a good rocking chair, but with all that time spent sitting there rocking it’s nice to take care of your feet and legs, too.

Now, on to the good stuff: design.  Clearly I like simple, clean lines and there are a few good options.  Here is a round up of modern rockers that, while beautiful, may leave you kicking yourself?

Why?  Arm rests from hell…the yellow bubble chair is HERE and the Barcelona rip off is HERE

Butt padding – what butt padding? (to see these online, go HERE and HERE

These are a few that I found fit the bill (all from Zac and Zoe)

And my favorite – I went for the casual, “I could be a regular chair” look,  clean lined and not too expensive.  It’s from Room and Board and you can see it HERE.

It comes with an ottoman which, if you have room, I’d recommend.  We didn’t get it because it won’t fit and I’ve often thought wistfully of putting my feet up while rocking.

Now, this isn’t an exhastive “How To” buy a rocking chair, just some things I’ve come across in my own research.  And here’s a shout out to Heather who supplied most (if not all) of the links!  Good luck choosing your chair!  Oh and if you already have a chair and want to tell me about it and why you like it or hate it, please, feel free!

While looking on the Melange Collection website for furry creatures (see post), I found a great twist on a wreath for the front door.  Now, I can’t exactly do this in my neighborhood as it wouldn’t stay up for long, but I love the idea of using an extra big stocking on the door.

Also, they have some great Christmas stockings that aren’t too cutesy but still have a lot of holiday spirit for you and the kids.  These stockings are beautifully hand crafted and are fun without being icky and serious without being stuffy.  Take a look:

They have baby stockings as well as the giant stockings, too, along with the regular size.  I know it’s late for this year, but for any of you who are like me and doing festive things last minute, I thought I’d share.

Animals, animals everywhere. I’ve been looking for Christmas gifts for all my nieces and nephews and have been finding some real crap.  I see so many stuffed animals that are more hideous than cute. I found some knitted stuffed animals that really are so adorable you and your tiny one will love them.

Check them out at Melange Collection.  They have a whole range of animals – we have the cow and my daughter just loves to chew on it’s ears.  I’d show a picture here, but the thumbnail on the website is too small to see here so go check it out for yourself.  Oh, there are sock monkeys too!  And mobiles!

Just Google “holiday photo cards” and you’re likely to be overwhelmed with choices.  I know I was!  I did a little digging, ordered from some companies and found a few that really do an excellent job with quality photo cards with an eye toward good design.  I culled the list and here are my top picks:

1)  Mango Ink – Talk about beautiful design.  I love their sense about blending words with photographs and, honestly these are about the best I’ve seen.  They offer sqaure, folding and rectangle options and claim to be fast, fast, fast…that’s good if you’re like me and, best efforts not withstanding, you wind up doing Holiday things at the last minute.  Take a look and see…

2)  Tiny Prints – Always a good choice, these guys have so many designs to look through.  The site is easy to navigate and the ordering process couldn’t be easier.  Make sure to use a good photo that will print up well and I’m certain you’ll be happy.

Designing a modern nursery room doesn’t have to cost a bundle.  My big sister created this adorable jungle room for her baby boy to fit into her modern home.  It helps that she is an interior designer, but I’ll let you in on a few of her secrets…

1) Bold paint.  If you’re scared of that big color wheel, then Pottery barn is working with Benjamin Moore paints and has just released the 2008 colors that are terrific.  My sister chose a bright green that wasn’t typically a baby color but left the other walls white to “soften” the look.

2)  Use what you’ve got.  She uses a bookshelf that she already had.  Since it was black metal she chose a black crib to coordinate.  What you can’t see in this pic that that she also used a black dresser that wasn’t specifically for a nursery.  By using existing furniture for her changing table, she continued the modern theme but was still practical.  (And, FYI, she uses the changing table pillow top with a terry cloth cover – no tray.)  Here is my changing table – also a dresser (from Room and Board) with a changing tray on top.

3)  Coordinated frames and pillows (see first photo).  By having green frames, she use her photographs to dress up the walls and shelves.  What I did was add photographs to the wall…For an even more dramatic affect, use a large mat for the photographs to surround them in white and you can hang those on the colored wall if you don’t have any other art to hang.

4)  Who doesn’t like huge stuffed animals?  We both use stuffed animals as design elements as well as toys for the babies.

5) For lounging and those late nights, she put a single mattress and box spring on the floor for her to use…that and the rocking chair (again not pictured) completes the room!