Blog Designer Spotlight: Blogs by Danielle

Here is another great blog designer. Blogs by Danielle offers whimsical and unique blog designs. Her site is very easy to use. She walks you through the ordering and payment process and then shows her beautiful portfolio of blogs that she has designed.

For $60, you can get a complete blog makeover. $30 gets you a creative blog header. Returning customers get a discounted rate of $50 for a blog makeover. Danielle loves to give back too. Check out her charity work and donations listed on her site.

Fun For Earth Day

I was looking for some fun Earth Day activities for kids and came across these simple ways to foster a love of the great outdoors.

The suggestions range from something as easy as making the most of walks (playing "I spy" on a walk) to planting a mini garden with your children. Check out the short list here.

More U.S. Retailers Give BPA The Boot

Toys 'R' Us announced today that it will phase out bottles and other "baby feeding products" containing BPA by the end of the year. Wal-Mart last week said that it will stop selling baby bottles made with BPA by early next year.

Stanford University pediatrician Alan Greene, author of Raising Baby Green, encourages parents to reduce their children's exposure to BPA. "I wouldn't use it for my children," says Greene, a father of four.

Greene says parents can avoid BPA by choosing glass bottles or shunning plastics labeled with a number 7 recycling code. Some bottles, such as BornFree, Medela and Adiri, are now marketed as BPA-free. Greene notes that BPA is found in a number of products, including the linings of formula cans. Because BPA may be less likely to leach into dry products, powdered formula could be a safer choice than liquid, he says.

BumpyName Orbit Labels

Throw away the markers for labeling your kids' sippy cups. We have better and cuter options for you. A while back we featured Baby Labels on BBA. Now, here's another way to label your kids' sippy cups.

BumpyName Orbit Labels are a great solution for labeling bottles, sippy cups, snack containers and other drink containers. I haven't used them yet, but I've heard a lot of great things about them from other moms. They are non-adhesive, so you can use them to tag different items, but if you want to keep them on the same cups and containers all the time, they are also dishwasher and microwave safe.

$12.95 will get you four custom labels and you can get a four pack of two-line custom labels for just $1 more. The two-line labels are also great to list a food allergy below the child's name as a reminder to child care providers.

The "Green" Side of Parenting

Earth Day 2008 is Tuesday. What better time to discuss the "green" side of parenting?! On The Early Show Saturday, Jeanie Pyun, editor of the new environmental website Sprig.com, offered advice to parents on bringing up kids in an eco-sensitive way, and one that would have them become eco-friendly themselves.

Is going green really better, healthier, for your baby or young child? Find out more from The Early Show's report.

Website Spotlight: The Craft Crow

Some of you may be just recovering from winter, I'm already thinking about how hot the summer will be here in the South.

Here's a fun blog of great crafts for rainy days and the upcoming hot days of summer. The Crafty Crow features lots of creative activities and links to other creative sites too. They even have a breakdown in the right column by child's age, so you can easily find age appropiate crafts with the click of a button.

"What To Expect" Gets a Makeover

It's 2008 and you are pregnant. Who do you relate to more - the girl on the left who hasn't lost her sense of style or confidence or the one on the right in the rocking chair? Obviously, the version on the left is a much better representation of pregnant women today. I actually can't believe the third edition with the woman in the rocking chair was published in 2002. I even remember thinking that it looked like it was from the 70's when I read it during my own pregnancy in 2005.

America's best-known pregnancy advice book, "What to Expect When You're Expecting", has undergone a makeover on the front cover and on the inside. Check out this article to see what has changed in the 4th Edition. Here's a hint: you might be relieved to know that the newer version is "more reassuring, more positive, more empathetic than ever". They've also moved "a lot of the scary stuff" to a back section.

Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of The Beatles

I was lucky enough to get a copy of the Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of The Beatles CD to review. Rockabye Baby! transforms timeless rock songs into beautiful instrumental lullabies.

I always love to read the "About Us" story for companies like this. The label was born in L.A. out of a "need to make children's music cool - not only for babies but for their parents too." And they have succeeded! I love this CD. I played Disney and classical lullabies for Jack when he was a baby. After a few nights, each of those CDs got a bit old. How cool would it have been to have a few of these Rockabye Baby! CDs to throw into the mix?!

I personally loved the Lullaby Renditions of The Beatles CD with the songs "Yesterday", "Hey Jude" and "Here Comes the Sun" to name a few, but there are so many other CDs that you can sample online and order. In fact, Lullaby Renditions of Green Day, the Rolling Stones and U2 earned 2007 Greatest Product Awards from iParenting Media. Check out their extensive list of albums.

Natural Toys at Toys "R" Us

Toys "R" Us has introduced a line of new natural toys. They are crafted from natural, replenishable materials and are forest-friendly, eco-friendly and safer for your children's world, according to Toys "R" Us.

These remind me of the toys we played with as kids. It looks like there is no need to worry about lead paint either, since they aren't even painted. At $9.99 - $24.99 each, they are reasonable too.

Today's Headlines

>> Full House's Jodie Sweetin has a baby girl...
>> Cate Blanchette has baby Ignatius...
>> Baby boy delight for TV star Kerry Katona...
>> Woman says she got the wrong baby 25 years ago...
>> Baby sent home from hospital with wrong family last month...

Free Potty Training Success DVD

Pull-Ups is giving away free Potty Training Success DVDs. All you need to do is fill out a quick form online to register and you will be sent the DVD in 4-6 weeks, while supplies last.

Blog Designer Spotlight: Blogs for a Cause

I've come across a few blogs designed by Blogs for a Cause and realized it needed to be featured here in our blog designer spotlight on BBA, so all of you can check out these great designs too.

For $20, you can get a new template while 100% of your money goes to help 2 charities through Blogs for a Cause. Check out Nikki's welcome message from her launch in November where she talks about her upcoming humanitarian trip to the Dominican Republic for the month of July.

Nikki has quite an extensive list including 4tunate, the Murray Crew Quads' Blog, who we featured on Baby Blog Addict last July.

'Days to Disney' Widget

I've seen lots of vacation countdown tickers on blogs, but just discovered this fun one for a trip to Disney. This cute Disney vacation countdown widget is in the famous mouse's ears.

You might just have to plan a trip to Disney, so you can add the cute widget to your blog!

Blog: Your Baby Is Off the Charts!

The Poop: What is it about baby percentiles that can turn parents and grandparents into obsessive braggarts (or is it just me)? Do percentile reports at the doctor's office leave you feeling validated -- or not -- as a parent?

Book Review: Parenting, Inc.

The New York Times reviews Pamela Paul's new book, Parenting, Inc:

Paul has tapped a real concern. An entire industry preys on parental anxiety, and succumbing to it, we risk raising children who don’t know what to do with “free” time and who will measure their value by what they can buy. Most parents will recognize a bit of themselves in Paul’s introductory complaint: “No matter what I do, someone else seems to be doing enviably more or improbably less, and either way, their child and family seem all the better for it.”

Today's Headlines

>> Quick action saves baby born in toilet...
>> Baby born with two heads doing well...
>> Baby shower invite throws man for loop...
>> Smoking raises heart defect risk in babies...
>> Family ignores Jamie Lynn Spears on birthday...
>> Jessica Alba's baby shower...
>> Madonna to adopt Indian baby...

Mother's Day Spa Outing

Mother's Day is five weeks away, but it's not too early to let your husband and kids know what you want. How about a relaxing day at the spa with your girlfriends?

My girlfriends and I are planning a girls' spa day on the Saturday of Mother's Day weekend. We've reserved Sunday for our families, but on Saturday, it's just the girls. We're each on our own scheduling our appointment(s) for that day. We'll have lunch together at the spa cafe' at noon and then hang out in the spa either before, after or all day.

Did I mention it's at the Ritz? A spa day at the Ritz-Carlton sounds indulgent, right? Well that depends on what we get. Sure we can each spend up to $500 for a spa day package, but we can also get away with a $40 manicure that gives us complimentary use of the rest of the spa facility all day long (sauna, whirlpools, relaxation rooms, etc.), making it a luxurious yet reasonable Mother's Day gift.

Do you have any Mother's Day gift ideas to share? Let us know in the comments.

Costs Associated With Baby Making

With so many fertility options available – all with varied costs – it can get overwhelming. SheKnows.com uncovers the big words and oftentimes, big costs, associated with baby making.

The article highlights the costs associated with IUI, IVF, GIFT, ZIFT, egg donation and surrogacy and alternative treatments.

Child Safety Products That May Cause Harm

Diane Debrovner of Parents magazine explains how common safety products may actually cause more harm than good. Check out why these nine products are risks and then you can put the recommended safe stratgies into play if you have any of the products.

1. Plastic outlet covers
2. Bath seats and rings
3. Wipes warmers
4. Crib bumpers
5. Seat-belt positioners
6. Bed rails
7. Sleep positioners
8. Syrup of ipecac
9. Baby rearview mirrors

It's A Girl For Giada DeLaurentiis

Today contributor and Food Network fixture Giada De Laurentiis is a first-time mom: Jade Marie De Laurentiis Thompson was born on Saturday afternoon, weighing 5 lbs., 13 oz. She arrived five days ahead of her due date.