Parenting & New Baby Advice Blog

Twins are double the fun, right?  For mom and dad, though, they are double the work!  Double the blessings, to be sure, but double the clothing, double the diapers, the bibs, the food… Help mom and dad out with a twin baby shower.  Here are some fun themes that celebrate twins and the double love they bring to a family.

There are plenty of cute baby shower themes for twins, and you could also opt for a more general twin theme for the entire party.  Let’s take a look at two popular themes to get your creative juices flowing.

Peas-in-a-Pod. It’s very easy to do peas-in-a-pod.  Your baby shower favors, for instance, can be several green jelly beans wrapped in green cellophane.  Twist and tie at the end, and you have an adorable pea pod.  For decorations, you can get balloons and green cellophane.  Wrap an inflated balloon in the cellophane and make little twists at both ends to resemble a pea.  For twins, simply do two balloons – or two peas in the pod!  You can do this with triplets as well.  You can also:

• Bake sugar cookies and frost them with green icing for peas.

• Make several small round cakes and ice them with green frosting, adding a bit of darker green icing for cute vines and leaves.

• Find peas-in-a-pod salt and pepper shakers for your decorations or favors.

• Make peas-in-a-pod with bath bombs and green cellophane.  Just as with the green jelly beans, place two bath bombs in green cellophane and twist the ends and secure with ribbons.  This is a cute, fun favor for guests.

• Look online for sales on favors and decorations. You can find cute pea candles, green streamers and balloons, and much more to add to the theme of your baby shower.

Thing 1 and Thing 2. Another very fun baby shower theme, this Dr. Seuss-inspired party is sure to be a success.  Again, this is a fairly popular theme – and rightly so! Because of this, you will be able to find premade supplies.  You will also be able to make a great deal of the decorations, favors, and food on your own.  When decorating for a Thing 1 and Thing 2 baby shower, use lots of red, blue, and aqua balloons – not pale shades, but bold, bright colors.  Find tablecloths or napkins featuring bold red and white stripes; dishes and flatware can be bright red, blue, bright yellow or green.  Very Dr. Seussian.

• Make Thing 1 and Thing 2 cupcakes.  These are adorable and simple to make.  Make red velvet cupcakes in red liners.  When cool, frost them with white frosting and add blue cotton candy for their hair (you can buy bags of cotton candy at many stores and online). You can make little labels to stick on the liners that say Thing 1 for some cupcakes and Thing 2 for others. Delicious and mischievous.

• For decorations, simply Google “Dr. Seuss pictures.”  You will find printable coloring pages, which may be a fun party activity, especially if there will be children there.  Otherwise, you can color these yourself and hang them around your room, framed with red, blue, yellow, or green ribbon or dangling from ribbons suspended from the ceiling.  You can also buy big wall decals or signs online.

• Find inexpensive white, blue, and red paper lanterns and hang them around the room.
• Prop Dr. Seuss books around the room.
• Make green eggs and ham.  Really!  You could make deviled eggs and splash a drop of green food coloring in the mixture.
• You must get Thing 1 and Thing 2 onesies for the twins.

Twin baby showers are all about double the fun.  Make sure to acknowledge and welcome two babies in all of your decorations and details: twice-baked potatoes, double cheeseburgers, twin pops, two flavors of drinks or ice cream, sets of two stuffed animals, and, hopefully, two sets of great baby gifts!

Whether you have wanted a baby for years or your pregnancy was unexpected, the birth of your baby is one of the most memorable and cherished moments of your life.  As a proud new parent, you want to show off your gorgeous bundle of joy, and baby announcements are the perfect way to send a little baby gift to your family and friends.

While you can order pre-made announcements or have a printer make them for you, it is also a great activity to do yourself or to share with some close friends.  Here are some ideas for announcements that are almost as cute as your baby.

• One of the easiest ways to make cute baby announcements is to find free templates online.  You can choose the template you like, import your picture, add your child’s name, date and time of birth, height, and weight. From there, you simply review and print.  You can use photo paper for a more polished look.  These are technically pre-made, but they will save you time and money, and you can add a personalized comment in the text box.  If you are sending out 100 announcements, this is the way to go.
• If you’re not especially crafty, you can still make great homemade announcements.  One idea is to purchase some baby scrapbooking paper.  Cutting this in half will yield two good sized cards.  The patterns are cute and certainly appropriate for the occasion.  On the outside, glue a favorite baby photo. Inside, simply write (or print from your computer) your baby’s information and a nice message.  That’s it.  It’s personal, unique, and easy to do for a moderate number of recipients.
• Purchase a stack of blank greeting cards and a box of “Hello, I Am…” stickers.  Simply affix the sticker to the front of the card and write your child’s name.  Inside are his birth stats and a photo of the beautiful baby.  It is a good time to note that everyone wants a photo with their announcement!
• If your baby is willing, and sleeping, you can buy an ink pad and stamp his footprint on blank cards, with photo and birth information inside or below.  These make excellent baby keepsakes and are great to cherish later on when they have grown. If it is unlikely that your kicking baby will lie still for this, you can just get a rubber baby foot stamp.  No one needs to know!
• Vellum offers a very easy way to make elegant announcements.  Purchase fun scrapbooking paper, vellum (a filmy paper often used in wedding invitations), and double-sided tape.  Use double-sided tape to affix a large photo of your baby to the paper (if the page is 5×7, for instance, you can use a 4×6 or even 5×7 photo).  Step one is done. Next, print your baby’s name and stats on the vellum.  Check to make sure the paper is compatible with your printer and select “transparency” for the paper type.  Step two is done.  All you need to do is put two small strips of double-sided tape on the top of the photo page and affix the vellum over it.  Attach the top only so the recipients can lift the vellum and see the picture more clearly.  In place of double-sided tape, or in addition to it, you can use a blue or pink ribbon.
• You can always announce your child’s birth online.  Many parents are doing this through a website devoted to their baby or sending emails.  This is perfectly acceptable today, especially if you have a large amount of people with whom to share the news.

You could send out a photocopied picture of your baby with hastily scrawled birth information, and people would be happy.  You are playing to a friendly crowd, so don’t be afraid to experiment. You can really do no wrong. In the end, they will care about your baby’s photo, his name, and whether he is healthy and happy.

When you are chosen to be a Godparent in a new baby’s life, you are being honored in a very special way. You are being asked to help guide a baby’s religious upbringing and to promise to help raise the child should anything happen to the parents. It’s a true blessing to be a Godparent. You will have a special bond with your Godson or Goddaughter as they grow into adulthood and beyond.

The Baptism gift should be extra special since you are being honored with the spiritual care of the child. So, what can you give that will appropriately convey your love?

• Think about writing a special letter to your Godchild. Write about the day she was born and any special thoughts you have about her and sentiments for her future. Write it on special parchment or stationery and seal it in a decorative envelope. Write on it, “For Libby, To Be Opened on your 18th Birthday,” or some variation of it. Have her parents save it for her in her baby book or in another special place. You will both be so surprised to read it when all the years have passed.

• Give a photo album that’s engraved with your Godchild’s name and Baptism date. Then, as the years go by, offer to come over and fill it with special photos and mementos for the child. As the years pass, you will be creating a memory book that will be treasured.

• Traditional gifts, of course, include cash and savings bonds. You can even set up a special savings account for your Godchild now and tell her parents that you intend to add to it as the child grows up. Give the parents the passbook and account number. Then, as you make deposits, they can hold onto it for their child. You can include a letter wishing your Godchild happiness and hoping she will use the money for college.

• The day is all about bringing a new child into the Christian faith, so celebrate the big event with crosses. You can start a cross charm bracelet that you will add to over the years. Or, if you have a little Godson, you can start a collection of wall crosses or cross statues that you’ll keep adding to. If you travel, plan to purchase a cross everywhere you go and continually add to the growing collection. It will be a special reminder of a very special Godparent.

• Engraved pendants, lockets and other fine jewelry is also a nice idea. For a little Goddaughter, you might start her out with a real pearl necklace and add to it every holiday. By the time she’s 18, she’ll have a gorgeous strand of real pearls to wear to her prom. Or, start her out with a real silver or gold baby bracelet monogrammed with her initials. You can also purchase gem jewelry in her birthstone. You’ll probably be the first one to ever gift her with her birthday stone. A special pendant with a cross on it or a religious medal in silver or gold is also a fine choice.

The idea is to give a memorable gift that you can also keep adding to over the years. You will want to keep up your special relationship with your Godchild and having a special collection that’s started at birth will be a lovely way to do it.

Every parent wants their child to love reading. One way to instill a love of reading into your child is to start reading to her when she is very young. Newborns (and even babies before birth) can recognize the sound of their parents’ voices and distinguish them from all others, so it’s never too early to start reading to your baby. Start early and read often.

It really doesn’t matter what you read. A baby will not be able to tell the difference between Little Red Riding Hood and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. As a result, it’s a good idea to pick a children’s book that you loved as a child or just one that looks fun to you. If you’re stumped, here is a list of the best 100 childrens books from 1999. It may be old, but they were (and still are) great books for kids.

Newborns cannot see well at first and slowly will start to recognize red, white and black. That’s why most baby books feature large shapes in those colors, but your baby will love anything you read to her. It’s more about spending time with her than about the story at this point.

There are many places to find great books that your baby will love well past their infant years. I’ve noticed that books that feature a song throughout the book become baby favorites. Some examples of these include The Wheels on The Bus, I’ll Love You Forever, Baby Beluga, and more. You can always purchase baby book gift baskets for your baby or for a friend that are sure to make for good reading. They make great gifts and the books will always get used for years to come.

Create a cozy reading area that has a comfy chair, good lighting and an undisturbed atmosphere. If older children are running through the house with their friends, select a spot off in a corner and out of the rush of things. This is your time with baby. Choose a time to read when you are both happy and relaxed. If you are stressed out, reading to baby will help calm you down. Start by cuddling baby up in your lap. Make sure she’s had her diaper changed and is well-fed. That will make her more attentive, and then more likely to fall into happy sleep afterwards. Cuddle baby under a soft blanket and rest her head in the crook of your arm or on a pillow.

Once you are both comfortable, start reading. Baby will recognize your voice and listen to you attentively, often making adorable faces as she tries to decipher just what you are saying. She’ll coo and make noises to tell you in her own way that she likes this time with you. It’s some of the most precious time you will ever have with your baby.

As baby gets a little older, she will want to chew on anything that she can get her hands on. So, offer her sturdy board books that are designed to withstand that kind of abuse. Let her play with the book. You’re instilling a love of holding books and telling her that reading is a pleasurable activity. So, even if she pulls the book out of your hand or flips pages while you’re mid-sentence, just let her. She’s exploring her world. Choose books that are short and simple enough that you won’t mind rereading them. When she gets slightly older, she’ll want to hear the same story over and over again. There’s something comforting to small children about hearing familiar words and looking at familiar pictures.

Start a library full of kids books for your child as early as you can. Showing your child that books have an important place in your house will help make her a life-long reader. Baby Einstein books are also great for developing babies. Take short trips to the local library or bookstore and read to her there. She’ll start associating reading with happy times with mom or dad. It’s never too early and never too late to start reading to your child. And if you know a child who is short on books, donating your gently loved books is a good way to help another child fall in love with reading.

Benefits of Reading to Your Baby

What exactly is this thing called a diaper cake that everyone’s been talking about? It’s actually a very cute idea for a baby shower centerpiece or gift for the expectant mom at her baby shower. It’s a tiered “cake” made entirely out of rolled diapers. You can add as many tiers as you like to make it the center of attention or as few as you like to make it a simple gift. It’s great to bring to the hospital when you first meet the new baby or to give whenever a new baby is born. Here’s how to do it.

To start off you’ll need one large bottle of baby shampoo or lotion. This will be the base for your cake. You’ll need another small one, about 4oz. for the top tier. Then, you’ll need about sixty diapers for a standard three-tiered cake. You can choose to use either cloth diapers or disposables. Check with the new mom to see what she’s planning on using if you can. Select ribbon for the outsides of the cake that matches the shower décor. Gather up enough rubber bands to tie each diaper. Then, you’ll need some small baby supplies like travel sized powder, lotion, tiny thermometer, etc. These are for the outside to decorate the cake.

First, plan to arrange the cake on some sort of platter or disposable cake plate. Clear your area and start rolling up diapers. It’s easiest to do with disposable diapers because they’re already half folded. But if you are using cloth, just fold the diaper in half and then in half again and start to roll. Secure with a rubber band. Continue on for all sixty diapers.

To assemble, place the large bottle of shampoo or lotion in the center of the cake plate. Start adding the rolled diapers until you have on circle of diapers around the bottle. Secure the tier with wide ribbon tightly. Now, add the next tier. Do the same thing around the top of the bottle. Encircle it with the rolled diapers and secure with wide ribbon. For the third tier, place the small bottle of shampoo on top of the second tier. Use the rest of the diapers to create a small tip tier. Tie tightly with ribbon.

Use the extra supplies you have purchased to make a cute topper. A rubber ducky works well. Add the rest of the supplies by tying with ribbon onto the cake all around it. You can omit this last step if you like your cake the way it is. You can also sprinkle on baby-themed confetti that comes in the shape of ducks and baby bottles. You can find it at a craft store.

That’s it! Your cake is set to go. Present it to the hostess  and she may want to use it as a baby shower centerpiece. Or, just put it alongside the other gifts on the gift table. New moms love the gift of a diaper cake because as they disassemble it, they can use the diapers every day. It’s a gift that keeps on giving. Vary the sizes of the diapers if you like as moms tend to get more newborn diapers at their baby showers and then have to run out to the store as baby grows for the larger sizes.

Swaddling a baby makes them feel secure and comforted

As a new parent, you are going to have lots of questions. You’re going to wonder how other parents make everything look so easy. One of the areas you or your husband may find yourself clueless about is just how the nurses at the hospital have the little ones wrapped up so nicely in their baby blankets. It’s called swaddling. And rest assured, other parents had to learn how to do it too.

No one’s born knowing how to swaddle a baby. It’s actually a tradition that’s gotten passed down from ancient cultures. Grandmothers have been teaching new mothers how to wrap up their babies for security and warmth for ages. Picture a baby in a papoose on her mother’s back and you get the idea. Swaddling is simply wrapping your baby up in a blanket like a little burrito. It’s easy to do once you get the knack.

There are many reasons you might want to swaddle your baby (other than the fact that it makes them look so darn cute!). Babies up to a month old who are swaddled feel more secure and comforted. If you have a baby who wakes at every noise and doesn’t sleep well, the feeling of being swaddled may be enough to comfort her. Swaddling will also keep his little hands from scratching him as he flails around, but keep in mind that after one month of age, the swaddle is not recommended. Babies one month old and up need free range of motion in order to grow properly.

1. Start your swaddle with a soft baby blanket. Lay it down on a sturdy surface like a bed or his changing table. The floor works well too. Fold over the top corner of the blanket.

2. Now, place baby on his back in the center of the blanket with the fold at his shoulder line. You are now going to begin the burrito fold.

3. Place baby’s arms by his side and fold the left side of the blanket over towards the right.

4. Tuck it securely under baby’s right side.

5. Then take the bottom portion of the blanket and tuck it up under baby’s right shoulder. Baby’s left arm should be left out of the wrap at this point.

Up until this point, most people are fine. Here’s the tricky part.

6. Instead of just folding the entire remaining right side of the blanket over baby and tucking it in, you first have to take the top portion of the unwrapped blanket and bring it over baby’s heart. Then you can take the remaining portion of untucked blanket and drape it across baby.

7. Tuck it into the back of the left side by baby’s shoulders.

Practice a few times before baby’s born (use a doll or your dog) and you’ll get it down. The nurses in the hospital will show you how to do it, but at that point you’ll be so tired and overwhelmed with the newness of everything you won’t be paying attention.

Swaddling a tiny newborn is a warm and cozy way to help them stop crying and rest easier. It’s worked for centuries, so it will probably work for you too. Get comfortable with the technique and soon you’ll be the seasoned parent who’s asked to demonstrate for the newest of new parents!

If you have never hosted a baby shower before you may not realize just how much it costs. You have the expenses of baby shower favors, invitations, food, plates, forks, cups, drinks, and games and prizes and possibly even more. However, there is a way that you can throw a wonderful baby shower on a shoestring budget. It just takes a little planning and some creativity.

Invitations

You can go out and buy the invitations or you can get creative and make them yourself. It’s not always easy to come up with the right material but you can make invitations with construction paper or stock paper. If you know calligraphy, you can create a formal invitation that is unique and beautiful. If you are going to use a theme for your baby shower then purchase stamps that display the theme so you can stamp each invitation. Save on stamps by passing out as many invitations as possible. A personal invitation means more when it is hand delivered.

Decorations

Over time, it’s easy to accumulate streamers from various occasions but streamers are not that expensive to buy per roll. You can decorate with streamers in a variety of different ways. Streamers can be tied, twisted, placed in a special design, and can come in many different colors. Search online for templates that can be printed out and applied to cardboard to hang up at the party. Place some string through the top and hang decorations from the ceilings. Use the streamers to highlight or accent.

Purchase some small pieces of material from your local sewing shop and cut them in half. Fold them up to resemble a cloth diaper and use a small safety pin to pin the diaper together. These homemade cloth diapers can be made with any color or theme, depending on what you want the decor to look like. You can place name cards in the diapers, a number used to draw on the doorprize for the evening, or a baby shower souvenir. Flower seeds are a great souvenir to place inside the cloth diapers with a little note telling everyone to plant their flower seeds on the day that the baby is born. You may want to place the flower seeds in saran wrap or zip lock bags so the seeds will stay fresh until they are planted. You also want to make sure that the flowers fit the season. You can also use the cloth diapers to place mints or nuts in.

Games and prizes

There are several baby shower games you can play with guests that cost little to no money. Draw a baby face, measure mommy, and guess who the baby is. To draw a baby face, you need a paper plate and crayon. For the measure mommy game, you need cheap toilet paper or yarn. To guess the baby, you simply need all the guests to bring a baby picture of themselves and have the guests match the baby picture to the right person. You will still need a prize for the winner who got the most right.

Prizes should be simple like candles, bath and body kits, or a disposable camera. It’s best to keep the prizes simple so you can use most of the money on everything else. After all, it’s about the mommy-to-be and not so much about what prizes there are to take home.

If a friend or family member is having twins, you can do her a favor and purchase her a double stroller. They are also great for a newborn and a toddler or two older siblings. Relatively new on the scene, and much less expensive than in the past, the double stroller is a modern convenience no mom wants or needs to be without.

If you know the mom well, ask her if she’d mind a second-hand stroller. If she’s open to it, you’ve just made your job of finding the perfect double stroller a lot easier (Great if you’re purchasing it for yourself, too!)  Second-hand and consignment shops offer a tremendous selection of double strollers for a baby twins gift. Most resale shops will not take a stroller into their store unless it is in pristine condition. They want to sell it, right? If you check the Yellow Pages, local newspapers and online, you’ll find all kinds of thrift stores in your area. Some are better than others. Don’t go to the Goodwill or Salvation Army with the expectation that you’re going to find a brand new double stroller. Usually, since they take donations, they’re not picky about missing screws, bolts and accessories.

Do yourself a favor and visit a resale shop that specializes in baby and kid items. There, you will find your double stroller at a fraction of the new cost. Don’t give up if you don’t find one on the first day out. Check back often and give the clerk or store owner your name and number and when she gets a double stroller in, she’ll let you know.

But what if you are only willing to consider new? That’s fine, too. You just have to know what to look for. Buy the stroller that’s the best quality you can afford. This will be mom’s go-to accessory and she’ll be using it every day. Look for:

• A stroller that collapses for storage with one hand so mom can pop the clip and get it into the car easily
• Seat backs that recline all the way so children can nap comfortably while out on a stroll
• Sturdy wheels, the fatter the better. This will make it safer and easier to push
• Back breaks so there’s no chance the stroller will roll away
• A roomy storage compartment underneath for diaper bag
• Sun canopies for both children
• A model that seats the children side by side is best. There are also models where one child sits in front of the other, but those are harder to maneuver
• A cup holder for mom’s latte or a sippy cup
• A size that will fit in mom’s car when folded and will be easy for mom to push (if she’s tiny, go for a smaller model)
• A center handle bar for pushing vs. just two handles spread apart. The center handle option is easier to push
• A durable fabric that can easily be washed when spills occur
• A color that is pleasant and matches mom’s tastes (she may not like black)
• A weigh capacity of 50 pounds per seat. Children up to 50 pounds still want to ride in the stroller.
• Padded seats for less cranky babies
• T-shaped seat belts so baby’s legs can’t slip through

Hopefully this information helps with your search for the perfect new mom gift! Good luck with the search, and check back and post your thoughts or finds!

Baby Time Capsule Gift

When there’s a new baby in the family, you wish you could capture every moment and freeze it in time. While no one can stop time, one way you can preserve this special time in your lives is by creating a baby time capsule.

The Idea

The concept behind the time capsule is not new. People have been preserving things for future generations to unearth since time began. The baby time capsule is an idea that’s recently become popular. It involves filling a tube or other non-degradable, air-tight container with mementos of baby’s first year. Then, you bury it for baby to dig up later when she’s all grown up.

Kits

There are some fantastic kits on the market that include everything you need to personalize a time capsule of baby’s first year. They include things like stickers to create photo album pages, certificates to note the baby’s birth date, stationery to write a “Letter to the Future” on and, of course, an airtight capsule to store it all in. Kits can range from the very inexpensive to very pricey, so choose one that best fits your budget. These make great baby shower gifts for expectant parents.

Do it Yourself

With a little ingenuity, you can make a time capsule yourself. Find yourself an air-tight container that won’t corrode or rust. A steel tube with secure lid works well. Don’t use anything cardboard or wooden that might get wet underground and damage the contents inside. If you have a unique metal chest, that would be perfect. Just make sure it has a tight seal. Store items inside the container that pertain to baby’s firsts—first time walking, first words, first outfit, picture of first pet, etc. You might want to include things from the whole first year of baby’s life, or just the first day they were born. It’s up to you. Then, store each item inside a sealed plastic bag. Some things to include are: a newspaper from the day baby was born, a picture of baby’s first day, a picture of the parents holding baby, an item of fashion of the day like shoes or an outfit of baby’s, pictures of the town on the day baby came home from the hospital, an unused cell phone (to show what cell phones looked like when baby was born), a record of baby’s first visitors (have visitors sign and write a note), printouts from the Internet of news stories the day baby was born, baby’s footprint keepsake frame, and a lock of baby’s first haircut. You can personalize this as much as you like. Try to include items that will have changed by the time baby opens the capsule in the future.

Leave Instructions

The fun of a time capsule is of course in finding it and digging it up. Be sure you leave a detailed letter of where you buried the capsule. You might want to place the letter inside a baby book you’re keeping for your child or another important place in the house. Include any landmarks that might be near where you buried it so baby can find it when she’s all grown up. Include a date when your child can go and dig for it. Make your letter as creative as possible. After all, you’re writing a letter to the future!