Today’s post is about thinking outside the box. I’m featuring customers that took one of our standard designs and changed it to suit their needs. I’m not just talking about picking your favorite colors and fonts – that’s fairly standard and expected. These people took it to the next level…

Ella’s mom Liz started with a birth announcement and ended up with an adorable first birthday party magnet:

These wild and crazy folks (okay, it’s my brother) took a wedding photo card and imagined it into a fabulous family photo Christmas card!

You’ve read about Melinda before, as she prepared her daughter for a new arrival. She creatively turned this baptism invitation into a birth announcement for baby Kaylin. Then for big sister Zaylee’s second birthday, a birth announcement became a party invitation. I love how the monogram was switched to a number “2″.

So if you see a product you love, but it’s not quite right for your announcement or invitation, fear not! MagnetStreet Baby is all about customization, wherever your imagination takes you.

Do a little browsing through the birth announcements, party invitations, baptism invitations and holiday cards. Remember, it’s okay to be out of the box!

Help! We seem to struggling with separation anxiety – again!

We’ve gone through some rounds of this previously, but recently had been in the clear. It was to the point where Tate was saying “buh-bye” and literally pushing me out the door when his grandparents were here to babysit.

For the last couple of weeks, though, he has a screaming fit when we leave him at any type of child care or with a babysitter at our house. He’s also fighting sleep at night and naptime, whereas he used to go down easily. Now it’s all tears and pleading.

At first we thought it was just a power struggle as our almost-2-year old tries to assert himself. Then the early childhood coordinator at our church pointed out that separation anxiety was common at his age.

Hmm, suddenly I was having flashbacks to my child psychology class, with something about “differentiation of self” running through my mind. Of course I can’t find the textbook when I want it, but it had to do with the child realizing that they are separate from the mother. They love this independence but it also scares them. The same thing happens in the early teenage years and then again in the late teens/early twenties.

So after trying for an hour to get the tired boy down for a nap yesterday, I finally gave in and sang him to sleep in my bed with me. I realize that I’ll probably regret that decision, but I felt like he just wanted some reassurance and mommy time. Truth be told, I wish I could do it more often, without it forming a habit – a la the Baby Whisperer’s “accidental parenting“.

For the long term (starting today!) though, I’m looking for some expert advice. In his book Touchpoints, Dr. Brazelton recommends a routine of preparing the child for a separation, promising that mommy will return. Then when you’re reunited, remind him that you have indeed returned!

The Toddler Tamer gives two solutions to the problem: One is to never leave your child’s presence until the anxiety period is over. The other is to be loving but firm, leaving your child with trusted caregivers without lingering or providing extra comfort. Like Dr. Brazelton, he says to reinforce the event of your return so that it really sinks in for them.

An article at KidsHealth not only gives advice on toddler separation anxiety, but recommends several children’s books that deal with the topic. We’ll be looking for these at the library!

• The Good-Bye Book by Judith Viorst
• The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
• Even If I Spill My Milk? by Anna Grossnickle Hines

BabyCenter also gives some good advice on dealing with an anxious 2 year old. 

Has anyone else experienced separation anxiety with a toddler? How long did it last? (please say it wasn’t long!) How did you combat the problem?

Photo Courtesy:
MShades

Are you hosting a baby shower anytime soon? Baby shower games seem to fall into the love/hate category, so be sure to check with the guest of honor on her preference. Personally, I’m a fan of games, but for those who aren’t, I’ll point out that games help get all the guests involved. That’s especially important if they don’t know each other, having only the mom-to-be in common.

A recent post at Extra(Hour)dinary Parenting got me thinking about some alternate methods of bringing the guests together. Amanda’s friend hosted a children’s book baby shower, for which each guest brought a book as a gift, and read it out loud. (Read her entire post for details, including a fun idea to keep the reading from getting long or boring.)

Some of my former co-workers each gave me their favorite childhood book when Tate was born. I loved that gift, and it would be so fun to have that be the theme of the entire shower.

This “ABC” baby shower invitation would be a perfect fit for a book shower. It also comes in a flat card version. Click here to view other shower invites.

Have you hosted or attended any unique baby showers? Any fun activities beyond the traditional games? Please tell us about them!

Photo Courtesy:
clevercupcakes

I’ve mentioned before that decorating Tate’s nursery is an ongoing process…adding bits and pieces here and there.

One of my favorite pieces is a custom print that I ordered from Penny People Designs. I saw them on the Spilt Milk Moms blog last summer and just had to have one.

They happen to be running a buy-one-get-one sale right now on the 13×19 prints, so hop on over to their etsy shop!

As you can see below, I chose the greens-and-blues style, and decided to use both his first and middle names, since just “Tate” is short.

The wooden “T” block is from another cool company – Craft-E-Family. As the name implies, they’re a family business, and have excellent craftsmanship and great prices. An entire alphabet set is less than $20 – what a great baby gift that would be! They also make custom blocks featuring the baby’s name, birth stats, parents, etc.

We purchased the wooden duck on our “babymoon” trip to Maine. Sorry I can’t link to the store, but if you’re ever in Bar Harbor, be on the lookout! My friend Tonya made the adorable frame - she actually does the crafty things that I aspire to do.

Speaking of aspirations, my next nursery project is to frame the “T” pages from the Dr. Seuss ABC book: “Ten tired turtles in a tuttle-tuttle tree”. I love that there’s a sleeping theme, and the colors on that page just happen to match Tate’s room.

Growing up with a fairly uncommon name, it was always SO exciting to find something with “Kara” on it. Maybe that’s why I love the current availability of custom-imprinted items, to make my son’s nursery really unique.

What custom touches have you used to decorate your nursery? Anything from your own room growing up, or other family heirlooms? Have you incorporated your child’s name or initials anywhere?

Are you expecting a baby girl in the next couple of weeks? Look at these beautiful Valentine’s theme birth announcements!

Not that you can’t welcome your baby boy with a Valentine, but you should probably switch the pinks for red. He’ll thank you later!

The other great possibility would be sending out a personal or family Valentine. It could be just for fun, or in lieu of traditional holiday cards if you never got around to sending them out. 

Simply replace the birth details with a personal greeting or a list of your kids’ names and ages. How cute, as either a magnet or a card! View more options online.

Do you usually send Valentines to family and friends? I bet you like to receive them – think about it.

Living in Minnesota, you’d think we would go sledding all the time. Actually, though, we only got around to it once last year, on Christmas Eve. My plans for Christmas sledding this year were foiled by Tate’s refusal to wear a hat or mittens. We gave it a second try this week, though, with success!

You’ll notice from the photo that I mean success in going sledding, not in convincing Tate to wear a hat. A hood is better than nothing, though, right?!

With this crazy winter of snowstorms in the South, there are probably some sledding newbies out there. Or maybe some of you Northerners haven’t been sledding with young children. Therefore, today I am offering…

TIPS FOR SLEDDING WITH A TODDLER

1. Wait for the weather to be reasonable – for MN I’d say 30 degrees or higher; the rest of you know your climate-hardiness.

2. Don’t go crazy bundling the kid up – if you have a warm coat, you don’t need a heavy sweater underneath it; use lighter layers to avoid sweating.

3. Choose a small hill. First to avoid the chance of your child freaking out on a longer, faster ride. Second, to minimize the walk back up for both of you!

4. Be safe! Make sure the path and the bottom of the hill are unobstructed by trees, lightposts, other kids, etc. Even on a small hill, you can get going pretty fast.

5. Keep the child on your lap, with your arms wrapped around so he/she feels secure.

6. THE MOST IMPORTANT, MORE THAN ALL THE OTHERS: Leave while you’re still having fun! Don’t push it to the bitter end, or even close to that. We only did three or four runs before heading home. On the way back to the car we talked about how fun sledding is, and I’m sure he’ll be ready for more next time.

I can’t take any credit for that last tip – it’s an old Works For Me Wednesday idea from Kristen that I’ve applied in many circumstances. What has worked, or not worked, on your family sledding adventures? What’s your favorite style of sled?

Notes from the Nest was featured this week at About.com – how fun!

I’ve come across About.com when searching for things online, but didn’t really know what it was. Then I met Linda Lowen at the BlogHer conference last summer – she writes for their Women’s Issues section. As I browsed around the site, I realized that they have paid contributors that write on a huge variety of issues – if you are a freelance writer that’s passionate about a specific topic, click here!

Coincidentally, Apryl, the writer for the Stay-At-Home Moms section, has a similar story to mine. She left her long-time job to stay at home with her son, but then started blogging for her former company. If you’re interested in having your SAHM blog featured at About.com, sign up here. You can also share a picture in their family photo gallery.

Speaking of family photos, here’s a great one! It reminds me of my parents’ attempt to capture my four siblings and I, when usually at least one of us was grumpy. Apparently this whole family was in the dumps!

Would you ever be bold enough to use a shot like this on your Christmas card? Allison at Mrs. Fussypants keeps it real – I love it!

PS – I’m not being compensated in any way by About.com. Just wanted to share the info and a good mommy blog link!

Photo Courtesy:
Awkward Family Photos

Ah, the hospital bag. For me it was the first time I’d ever packed for someone besides myself, as well as my first time packing for a hospital stay. I ended up with everything I needed, but lots of things that never left the bag as well.

Since my actual labor time at the hospital was very short, I didn’t get to wear my cute outfit (yes, I had a laboring outfit planned, including shoes!). My husband ate the “laboring snacks” as we welcomed visitors to see the new baby.

But one of the frustrating things about pregnancy and parenting is the feeling that all the knowledge you’ve acquired may not be helpful in the future. Like once you learn to ride a bike or drive a stick shift car, you can transfer those skills to other bikes and cars. With pregnancies and babies, that’s not always the case  – every one is different!

There’s strength in numbers, though, so I asked friends who’ve recently had babies to share their bag-packing advice. Since there are lots of comprehensive lists out there, I asked for items that might be out of the ordinary. Could be what they wished they’d brought, or what was the most essential during their childbirth hospital stay. Thanks Cara, Mindi, Melissa, Sarah & Sarah!

• Extra pillows – for laboring comfort and for dad to sleep on. The hospital probably won’t provide these. Add an extra pillowcase to keep them clean in transit.
• Camera - don’t forget the chargers and a USB cord to download photos
• Journal or laptop, to record memories while they’re fresh
• Comfy pjs, socks and robe. You may want pjs in a dark color, in case of “leaks”. A hoodie is great for nursing access. Remember that you’ll likely have visitors, although you may or may not care what you look like.
• Headband or barrettes – whatever you use to keep your hair out of your face
• Nursing pillow (Boppy or Brest Friend) – save the plastic bag it came in, for transport to the hospital or any other time you’re travelling.
• An extra bag or box to carry gifts home – laundry baskets work great. You may also want to just bring one huge suitcase, so that you aren’t lugging multiple bags and boxes out to the car when you go home – allow extra room when you’re packing, for gifts.
• Snacks for dad, including beverages, so you’re not relying on vending machines.
• A preemie outfit for baby to wear home (from a mom of 8 pound boys, and I would agree, the newborn outfit was too big for my 8-pounder too). Bring a newborn size too, just in case – they don’t take up much room!

General packing tip: Keep a list of last-minute items to add right before you leave, if there are things that can’t be stuck in a bag for weeks beforehand.

General hospital tip: Double-check the hospital’s visitor policy beforehand. One family found out on the day of their c-section that their toddler couldn’t be at the hospital, and was scrambling for childcare. Rules have become more strict with fears of H1N1.

What were your hospital bag essentials? Or what did you bring that was totally unnecessary?

Photo Courtesy:
kona99

Interesting title, huh?

More interesting because my husband actually uttered these words to our almost-two-year-old son yesterday.

Okay, a little background…it was around 5:30 pm. I was trying to make supper and talk to my husband, both of which make Tate frustrated because they’re not completely focused on him. The last hours before bedtime are usually tougher anyway, so of course he was whining and asking to be held.

But he doesn’t just say “up” like most kids do; he says “huggy, huggy”. I don’t remember when he came up with this, but probably tried it once and realized how effectively it tugs at Mommy’s heartstrings.

My husband is generally very patient with our son, but that particular time he cut him off, saying “Tate, you don’t need a hug right now!”. I swooped down to pick up the poor kid and laughingly asked, “Did you hear what you just said?!”.

Later on, though, after Tate was in bed, we had a good parenting discussion. His concern is basically that our son has become our puppeteer. We’re catering every moment to what he wants: play with toys, sing a song, eat a snack, be held.

Being home with him full-time, I’m more guilty of this because frankly it makes my life easier. I’m not saying that he’s eating candy and watching movies all day long. But on any given day, I don’t really care whether we read books or play with play-doh first, so I let him call the shots. Likewise, I’m sick of throwing away perfectly good food, so I list lunch options until he agrees with something and then that’s what I prepare.

Certainly I know that I’ll end up with a monster if I honor his every whim. I really do say no to him sometimes! But I also admit that I could create some stronger boundaries. For example, he’s old enough to respect his parents’ right to have a conversation without throwing a fit because he’s being “ignored.”

My husband also pointed out then whenever a second child comes along, the world will no longer revolve around our firstborn. Tate will have to make some adjustments then. I’m concerned enough about sibling rivalry though; it would be great to start adjusting his expectations beforehand. 

Any suggestions for me? Do you just go with the flow on this or do you have specific areas where you make your kids toe the line just to maintain your authority? I’d especially like to hear from anyone with just one child, whether they’re still young or all grown up - how did you avoid a “the world revolves around me” mentality?

Photo Courtesy:
jenny8lee

Okay, now that most of my New Year’s cards have made it through the mail, I can show this to you. (Since I assume that everyone is like me and likes the surprise of pulling a never-before-seen card out of an envelope!) Sorry to make you squint at my terrible photography!

And here are the stacks of envelopes, all ready for the post office…

Please notice that the addresses are written in aqua fine-tip Sharpie that matches the return address labels. I love a coordinated envelope!

Disclosure of ridiculousness: I paid $17.99 for a 12-pack of fine-tip Sharpies at Michael’s because they didn’t have any single aqua pens, and I didn’t have time to go to another store. Ugh!

But the real point of this post is to shamelessly plug the fun online design studio options! The card that I chose was originally a fairly Christmasy design:

And although these shades of red and green are my among my favorites, the Christmasy look was too “early” for my put-off-until-the-last-minute card. It also didn’t match the aqua slide from which Tate is emerging in his photo. Presto-chango, make the green and red into 2 shades of turquoise, and we were ready to go!

You can either select colors from a palette of popular choices, or create your own custom shades. This is perfect if you’re trying to match something in your photo, or just have some favorite colors that you want to use. You’ll be able to see the colors right away, along with your uploaded photos and any text changes (like me changing Merry Christmas to Happy New Year!).

If you prefer to leave all of this up to the pros, on the other hand, our talented team of designers can set up your card or announcement and send you a proof for approval.

These design features are available not only for holiday cards but everything from shower invitations to birth announcements to birthday party invitations.

So, are you a do-it-yourselfer or would you rather let someone else pick what looks best?