BBA Inbox - Designing Moms Blog & Baby Punk (20% Off)

We get lots of emails every day and can't feature everyone, but we would like to highlight some. Here are a couple that we'd like to share with the BBA community.

:: Designing Moms Blog - Cat designs a line of stationery products and invitations in San Francisco.

She is also expecting a little one soon and started a collective of designing moms from all areas...stationery, pastry, fashion, editorial, etc. They are all young moms or moms-to-be who have self-owned creative businesses. She wanted to start an informal "creative" support group for moms, so DesigningMoms.blogspot.com was formed. The moms in this blog are creative dynamos and they have such fun, creative ideas that they hope to share with everyone!

:: Baby Punk is a small online website dedicated to selling baby clothes. Although they sell a lot of punk-themed items, there are also many other styles of baby clothes including cute baby clothes, political baby clothes, funny baby clothes and many more. They are offering 20% off if you enter the code babyblogaddict. It will expire in February 2010.

Blog Hopping: Pain

By Diana Stacey
BBA Contributor

So last night was a entertaining night at the Stacey household. It all started off right with both kids asleep by 11. Yes that is early at our house. I am bad at sleeping schedules. And just to get Davis asleep faster I had him on my bed. Anyway, I can never sleep when Scot is out of town so I was catching up on my soaps (Days and General), it was one in the morning and I heard a big BUMP and screaming. I went running into my room and found that Davis had fallen off my bed. And less than a week ago I put risers under my bed making it six inches higher.

Well I figured he just scared himself, but when I picked him up there was blood on my arm, hand and shirt. Then I started hyperventilating. Blood freaks me out! So at that point Sydney is screaming too because Davis's screams were so loud and that doesn't mix well with my emotions running high.

I called Scot and woke him up to have him help me calm down. He did great, and was able to help me assess the wound. We decided to ice it and watch it. Have you ever tried to ice anything on a three year old? It is impossible! So then I lost my temper trying to help him and gave up. It wasn't until 3:30 that I got them both back to sleep. Of course, they were both awake by 10....mumble mumble. So like my Mom said this morning, "It's a double coke day!" (or more!)

And no, my kids will not be sleeping in my bed again!

:: Send us your funny blog posts and video clips. Click here.

Blog Hopping: The Ball Jabberer

By Carla Cole Latimer
BBA Contributor

Gareth has enjoyed doing this since he could stand! Crazy boy!



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Blog Hopping: Traveling With a Toddler

By Mike Morris
The Los Angeles Times

My boss handed me a fortune cookie on my last day of work. "Ideas that may seem absurd ultimately lead to success," read the tiny slip of paper.

It was an omen for what was to come. Just days after cleaning out my desk, I began an around-the-world trip with my wife, Amber, and our 16-month-old daughter -- something that sounds crazy but turned out to be quite the opposite. After our daughter, Ediza, was born, I started getting the itch to travel, and Amber agreed that's what we should do -- although many people told us our days of freedom to travel were over.

[ Photo Gallery ]

We refused to accept that and began planning our cross-continent trek, which took us from hiking pristine mountains in New Zealand to running a marathon along the Great Wall of China to swimming in the turquoise waters of the Greek islands.

All with a baby.

Read more...

Blog Hopping: Six Reasons My Toddler is Kind of an A**hole

By Andrea
Momlogic.com

Since becoming a parent, I spend a great deal of time with my three-year-old. We're inseparable. But to be honest, even though she's my BFF, she's not the greatest friend. At one time or another all toddlers can be jerks -- adorable, cuddly, hilarious, jerks. Put simply, if I had to scale down my friend inventory she'd be the first to go, here's why:

She's extremely self-absorbed
You know the type, they never ask questions in conversation. Instead it's all about them. All day long it's: "I like pink!," "Watch me bounce on the bed", "I went poo in my pants!" Just once I'd like to hear her ask me what's MY favorite color or inquire if, perhaps, I went poo in MY pants.

She calls me in the middle of the night
Can you say needy? I mean I have to work WAY earlier than she does ... actually she doesn't even have a job. So I find it really irritating that anytime she needs a shoulder to cry on -- or more milk -- she has no compunction about waking me up, sometimes more than once a night. It's been going on for years. I like to be there for my friends, but this is ridiculous.

She's manic AND a control freak
Not a great combination. Her personality can change on a dime. One minute she's standing on a chair in full princess regalia happily singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," the next she's uncontrollably crying and hurling her tiara across the room because I brought her juice in the wrong sippy cup. I'm constantly walking on eggshells. It's like hanging out with a tiny alcoholic who swigs massive amounts of milk.

She's a slob
Ever have a friend who was a little lax in the hygiene department? Multiply that by a hundred. There are times when the kid reeks. But does she care? No way. I'm always the one who has to broach the bath subject. What's worse is she doesn't care if her hair is combed, her teeth brushed or her clothes are crusty with dried yogurt. Giving her friendly advice, like, "You only get one chance to make a first impression" falls on deaf ears.

She's a fair weather friend
She's the kind of friend that it's great when you're at the top of her list -- especially if you have candy -- but then she'll drop you like a hot Mr. Potato Head.

She's a mooch
It's galling. She's NEVER offered to pay or at least split the check when we go out to lunch. Even worse, we've been roommates ever since she was born and she's never once remembered to help with the rent.

Seriously, would you stay friends with someone like this?

Blog Hopping: Two in the Tub

By Jenny Herman
BBA Contributor

Lily, Addie, and I were all settled into the bath last night. It was so relaxing and warm. I washed Addie's head and scrubbed it with oil and a toothbrush to remove some dry skin. Addie loves the bath and it is so fun to see her in there. She can't get enough.

As I was washing Lily's hair, we smelled something a little funny. Then we saw it, poop floating. The jets were on, so it was circulating fast. I lifted Lily out of the tub to Lawrence, she started to cry hard because she wasn't ready to get out. Lawrence handed her a soap crayon and put her in the shower. He grabbed Addie out and sat her on the potty (as if she would POSSIBLY have any left), no more. He put her down and let her run to the shower. She left two poopy footprints behind. He got her all wiped up with a towel. This was early in the process and we were already in about 5 towels.

We've been needing to weed out some questionably sanitary bath toys, so this was the perfect chance. EVERYTHING goes, every cup, pitcher and boat. We have some boats we bought at the dollar store in 2004 when our niece Jayme was visiting. Gone. I got out and our luxury hot bath turned to rushed luke warm shower quicker than a flash. Well, quicker than the time it takes to make a hot pocket in the microwave.

Lawr cleaned the tub, but now we need to run the jets with disinfectant in the tub to make sure nothing got sucked up. Oh gross.

:: Send us your funny blog posts and video clips. Click here to find out how.

Blog Hopping: Start Maternity Leave Before Baby is Born?

By Rachel Emma Silverman
The Juggle

A year ago, when I was 8 months pregnant, I started slacking off from work. Although I didn’t officially go on leave until my son was born in early February, I had a very understanding manager, a father of three, who let me slow down dramatically at work during the last few weeks of pregnancy.

Turns out, going on leave before giving birth is good for both mothers and their babies, according to new research out of the University of California, Berkeley. The researchers looked at how time off work, both before and after giving birth, impacts the health of mothers and their babies.

Read more...

Blog Hopping: Confessions of a Mommy Blogger

By Catherine Newman
wondertime.com

Blogging is narcissistic — and time-consuming. It gives strangers (not to mention the in-laws) ammunition for criticizing our parenting choices. And one day it could really mortify our kids. Here's why we do it anyway.

You are not alone. If there's a single fact to take from the 70 million blogs that inhabit the Internet, it's this: Whoever you are — however thrilled or frantic, bored or despairing, buoyant or afflicted with love like an aching in your bones — someone out there understands. Especially if you're a mother. Someone out there is still awake with a restless toddler. Someone out there has swigged the last of the cooking sherry, or dotted a nursing newborn with Doritos fallout. And someone is writing about it.

Read more...

Blog Hopping: WE'RE Not Pregnant, I AM!

By Marisa Lufkin
BBA Contributor

I have never understood why couples use the term "we're pregnant." The last time I checked, I was the one with swollen ankles, a sore back and stretch marks. Ok, my husband shared my insatiable hunger but that is about the only link we shared.

I was fortunate to have a caring and loving husband who never let me carry anything heavy, made sure I got plenty of rest and ran out to the store each time I asked for a bowl of ice cream. But, we were not pregnant, I WAS!

When it came time to deliver our daughter, my husband became my pillar of strength. He stood by the hospital bed, held my hand and told me how proud he was. He was beside me during the c-section and watched the miracle of our daughter's birth. He rarely left my side during my prolonged hospital stay. His support continues to this day as we raise our child.

"WE" conceived a baby. "WE" are working together to provide our child with a safe and loving home. "WE" do a lot together. But, "I" was the pregnant one. And make no mistake, "I" was the one who gave birth!

Send us your funny blog posts and video clips. Click here to find out how.

Blog Hopping: Working With a Toddler

By Cafe Cynthia
Cafe Mom.com

Inevitably, sometime this winter, I will be writing this blog with a snuffly-nosed toddler on my lap. Conducting business and being mommy at the exact same moment in time is a common and often impossible problem for many working moms, both those who work in and out of the house.
The nanny or babysitter can't make it. Schools are closed due to inclement weather. She's too sick for day care, but you absolutely cannot miss that conference call. The possibilities are endless, but the fact is work must go on.

As I see it, other than taking a day off, there are two solutions...

Read more...

Blog Hopping: Stuck in the Bathroom!

By Shera Wheeler
BBA Contributor

Grayden got himself stuck in the bathroom today. He went in, shut the door, and opened the bottom drawer so that no one could get in. He was having all sorts of fun in there. We tried to close the drawer with a pencil...Then we tried telling him to shut the drawer, but seeing as he is one-year-old, he did not listen to us. He thought it was so much fun. He kept peeking through the little hole. Luckily, he accidentally bumped the drawer with his knee and it closed.

:: Send us your funny blog posts and video clips. Click here to find out how.

Blog Hopping: Toilet Fun

By Diana Stacey
BBA Contributor

Something happened tonight that is so funny and gross I just have to share it. We were having our "Game Night" like normal and when we do, Davis gets to play his games on the PlayStation while we play Rockband or Little Big Planet on the PS3.

Anyway, Davis is still going through the whole potty training thing. He just gets so busy doing something fun we have to make him stop and go potty. Well tonight was no different, so I sent him in to the bathroom to make sure he didn't have a accident. I peeked in on him because he was taking a little too long and what do you think I found?!? Well, I found Davis with his head IN THE TOILET! He actually had his head in the bowl and when I asked him what he was doing he rubbed his nose and I noticed it was wet. He had put his head so far in that his face got wet in the PEE WATER!!!!

What was my child doing you ask? Well the only thing I can figure is he was trying to blow the bubbles in the toliet to get rid of them (he loves bubbles). Now I feel like it isn't safe to leave him alone in the bathroom anymore! And yes I washed his face and hands REALLY, REALLY WELL!!!!! Oh the little thrills of being a parent!

:: Send us your funny blog posts and video clips. Click here to find out how.

Blog Hopping: Same-Name Babies

By Peter Hartlaub
The Poop

Before we had our first child, we thought a lot about baby names. We wanted a name that people would know how to spell, but didn't ever want our son to be in a classroom full of kids with the same name. I remember looking on the Social Security Administration web site with each potential winner we came up with, and eliminating suggestions that showed up in the Top 100 -- or ones that seemed to be rising with a bullet.

We thought we were safe, picking Theo (#301 most popular boy's name in 2005) for our older son and Milo (#548 in 2007) for our second baby. I've since been shocked how many Theos -- and even Milos -- that we've run into.

Read more...

Blog Hopping: ABC's

By Diana Stacey
BBA Contributor

We found these fun letters and numbers at Target last year and if you don't have them you should get them! They stick on the wall and it's pretty fun for any kid. Sydney likes to suck on them and Davis loves to spell words. Davis LOVES to take a bath and he loves his alphabet. So what's not to love when you add the two together and do both!

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Blog Hopping: Announce Baby's Arrival in a 'Snappy' Way

By Marisa Lufkin
BBA Contributor

Girl delivers baby. Guy calls every friend and family member to announce the news. Pretty typical. But in this technologically advanced age where your coffee maker automatically brews your morning cup of joe and your car can parallel park itself, why not have a computer announce the arrival of your bundle of joy?

It might seem absurd. At first glance, I thought it was too. When I came out of my post c-section, drug-induced fog, I wondered where my husband was and why he wasn't waiting for me in the hospital room. He wasn't with me because he was dialing the phone, announcing the good news and repeating ad nauseam. In fact, he was so tired of talking, he barely uttered two words to me when he arrived. Add to that, we were shocked to hear that a few friends and family members were hurt when they weren't the "first to know."

Interested in a service that can do this job for you? Enter Snappy. With packages starting at $9.99, your hubby can record his own message which is then forwarded to up to 20 phone numbers. Included in the package is a keepsake CD with your announcement set to music plus and an email of your recording that can forward to friends and family members.
The pony express replaced carrier pigeons. Phone calls replaced telegrams. Who could have predicted that pre-recorded messages and e-blasts would be next. Not me!

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Blog Hopping: Hey, Hope...Why So Sad?

By Jill Dyer
BBA Contributor

Because it's time to pass on her shoes that are too small.

I went through Hope's closet to gather things to pass on some things. I had piled all of her shoes that were too small on her bed. She asked why they were on her bed, and I said that they were too little for her, so it was time to give away. She started fussing saying they DID still fit her. She struggled to get one on her foot (picture Cinderella's step-sisters trying to get the slipper to fit!) She finally got her foot in and said "SEE it does fit. Oooouch!" I, of course, ran to get my camera, and she had gathered up all of them that she could hold and was headed to put them back in her closet.

Blog Hopping: Marker Fun

By Shera Wheeler
BBA Contributor

I work from 6-8 every morning. Today, at around 7:40, I downloaded a report that was super long! My husband leaves for work at 7:45, so I had to be a neglectful mom for about an hour. I put my son in his highchair with his breakfast next to me. I put my daughter's little table right behind me and gave her markers and paper to color with. She can entertain herself for a very long time if she is coloring. When I turned around to check on her...this is what she looked like. She was pretty proud!!!

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Blog Hopping: The Pram is Dead, Long Live the Pram

:: If you are not familiar with what a pram is, you may want to start here.

By Emma
BBA Contributor

My old pram fell apart and it was the happiest day of my life. We never liked each other - that pram made sure I was miserable every day of my life and I made sure I kicked it at least once in the morning and twice in the evening.

It took me about three months of insisting to get Eric to ride in it and even then I never left the house without the baby sling. Many times he would decide he was fed up with the pram and I had no choice but to pop him into the sling. Otherwise he would scream the whole way home.

That pram had small plastic wheels and they made every little bump feel like a BUMP. It was so difficult to steer - both hands (my rock-climbing hands!) weren’t enough. Getting on and off the sidewalk was a pain. I had to lift the whole damn thing. The hood easily came off, and when it did, it fell right on the babies’ head. If, God forbid, I would put anything in the under-seat basket, the pram would start to behave like a sinking ship.

So thank you, my old pram - you showed me what a real pram needs to look like, what features it must have and what it should and shouldn’t do. Thanks to you, I now own a pram that I love because it makes my life so much easier!

Blog Hopping: The Ride Home

By Katie
BBA Contributor

I just had to share pictures of the ride home. On the way to Washington, the main problem that we had with the kids was that Karleigh kept poking the little ones in they eyes. Needless to say, they didn't like that very much. So...my parents came up with this cardboard divider so that Karleigh couldn't get to the little kids.

A few hours in to the drive, she heard Savannah and called out, "Savannah, where are you?" It was pretty funny. We thought the drive would be better if the kids were all asleep so, we decided to leave at 8:00 on Thursday night. Unfortunately, Karleigh didn't get the memo about sleeping all night in the car...so...none of us got any sleep, but we made it home safe and last night I slept from 8:00 at night to 11:00 this morning!!!

We had so much fun in Washington. It made me so grateful (for the millionth time) for the family that I have. My parents bought all of the kids these little toys to take home. They all sang different song so we heard the ABC song at least 100 times on the way home!

Blog Hopping: The Bow Fight

By Katie
BBA Contributor

We're past the year mark, and still no hair. I've had a few people ask me lately if she is a boy or girl. I just have to laugh and hope her hair grows in soon because the bows aren't working out anymore.

The weirdest thing happened a few weeks ago and it kind of freaked me out. I was walking out of Walmart with Savannah in the cart. This older - and when I say older I mean much, much older, like I'm hoping that he was somewhat senile - gentleman stopped me by grabbing my arm.

Um...freaky, please...don't touch. It got weirder though. He started rubbing my back, while he was rubbing his chest (his shirt was unbuttoned a few buttons) with his other hand, and he asked me if Savannah was MY LITTLE BROTHER. Huh? Never got that one before. I was so confused that for a minute I didn't know what to say. Um, no, this is my DAUGHTER!

Yikes.

By this point, Shera was pulling my arm because she was creeped out by all of the rubbing that was STILL going on. Then, he asked me if Shera was my MOM.

Uh...we gotta go.... We've been told all our lives that she looks like the older sister, but wow...wow!

Anyway, this shirt might have come in handy that day, although I'm thinking probably not!