Video: Baby Laughing at Wii

Blog Hopping: Drama Queen

By Aimee Ash
BBA Contributor/Mother of Twin Drama Queens

One of the first questions people ask about my one-year-old twin girls is if their personalities alike. The truth is, I'm not sure they could be more different. Lilly is most definitely our diva and has been since birth. Her "fake cough" came when I had a cough and I was noticing that she was faking a sympathy cough. Her grandma started asking how her cough was and this video is what it has turned into. My husband fears this dramatic streak will only get worse as she gets older.



Send us your funny videos and blog posts to share with the BBA Nation.

Jets Coach Names Son After Favre

New York Jets coach Eric Mangini spent Friday morning at the hospital as his wife, Julie, delivered the couple’s third son, Zack. Football pundits will have fun with the child’s middle name — Brett — because not only was Zack Brett Mangini born in the year his father traded for Brett Favre, but they also share the same birthday: Oct. 10. (New York Times)

Halloween Safety Tips

Here are a few ideas for protecting kids' teeth and eyes.

BBA Headlines

:: Bedroom Fans and SIDS
A new study found that infants sleeping in a room where air was ventilated with a fan had a 72 percent lower risk of SIDS than babies who slept without fans. [Related: Preventing Preventable Baby Deaths]

:: Parents Claim Baby Doll Mumbles Pro-Islam Message
There are people in Oklahoma and Pennsylvania who insist they can hear Fisher-Price's "Little Mommy Real Loving Baby Cuddle and Coo" mumbling "Islam is the light" and "Satan is king."

:: Web to Name Google Guy's Baby
A guy who works at Google wants the good people of the internet to name his new baby.

:: Jamie Lynn Pregnant Again?
Jamie Lynn Spears, younger sister to pop star Britney Spears and actress in her own right, is reportedly pregnant with her second baby, after giving birth to a daughter in mid-June. The National Enquirer is the main source for the brand new gossip, so take it with a grain of salt. But hey, they nailed the John Edwards baby/mistress scandal.

:: Your Parenting Happy Place
When the bad times come, this mom remembers a parenting happy place to fight the urge to get upset. She says they are the "it's all worth it" memories, which work like Green Kryptonite against bratty behavior or a hard day at work.

Picture Perfect: New Camera Extender

How many times do you try to take couple or family picture with your arm stretched out far enough to get everyone in the shot, only to realize that you look like you have a double or triple chin?

Check out the XShot, which extends to 37 inches and closes to 9 inches, that I came across on the GoodyBlog. This new gadget would make those family pictures from vacation a lot more flattering to post on your blog.

Send Us Your Blog Posts or Video Clips

Every Baby Blog features plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and we want to hear about them! Send us your best/funniest/most memorable Baby Blog posts or video clips and we'll publish them here on BBA.

Click here to see what several Baby Blog Addicts have already contributed.

To submit a post(s), do one of two things: (a) e-mail us a link to your blog post or (b) copy the post, paste it into an e-mail and send it to BBA.

Our e-mail address is babyblogaddict[at]yahoo.com. We look forward to sharing your funny stories with Baby Blog Addicts worldwide!

Halloween Costume Contest

Send us a picture of your Halloween cuties (babies, kids and families in costume). We're giving away Two Custom Books from Blurb.com ($29.95 each) and a new diaper clutch from JackaroosBoutique.com, so it's worth sending us pics of your costumed cuties!

We'll also be posting some entries over the next few weeks, so you may even get to see your cuties featured here on BBA. Check out some of the entries so far.

Here's a flashback to last year's winners of the First Annual BabyBlogAddict.com Halloween Costume Contest.

The Murray Crew Halloweiners

The Three Amigos - Luke with his dogs Holly and Gretta

Double Giveaway: Personalized Calendar & Stroller Suspenders

::THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED. CHECK OUT THE WINNER HERE. CLICK HERE TO SEE IF WE HAVE ANOTHER GIVEAWAY GOING ON.

We have two great prizes for one lucky winner this week:

• Personalized Purse Calendar from Baby Face Design
• Pink Dots Stroller Suspenders by Omma

#1 - Baby Face Design has some adorable invitations, holiday cards and other personalized products. We are giving away one of their stylish, new personalized purse calendars.

I'm excited to see that you can still be a trendy mommy even if you don't have an iPhone to record those playdates, appointments and girls' nights out. This coming from someone who still writes everything in a purse calendar. These cute calendars are $15 including personalization and make great Christmas gifts. While you're at it, get one for yourself too.

#2 - The second prize in our giveaway are the pink dots Stroller Suspenders. Their tagline is "no more dropped blankets" which sums up what these chic straps are all about. Check out our Stroller Suspenders review below.

Here's how to enter this double giveaway:

1. Go to Baby Face Design or the Baby Face Design Blog and search through their site for your favorite item.

2. Let us know your favorite in a comment on this post. Make sure we have your contact info (email or blog address) either in your blogger profile or in the comment itself, so we can contact you if you win.

3. Only one entry per person per giveaway. We'll select a random winner then post it here on BBA next week.

This contest runs: Monday, 10/6 - Sunday, 10/12/08 at 7pm ET.

Stroller Suspenders: No More Dropped Blankets

There are some products that you come across and think, "Why didn't I think of that?" because they are so unique yet so practical. Stroller Suspenders would fall into that category for me.


Stroller Suspenders is a unique patent pending strap and clip which secures your own baby's blanket to a stroller. No more blankets getting caught on wheels or bending down to pick up dropped blankets! Another great use is to give your baby shade or privacy when the stroller suspenders are clipped near the handles. This would have been perfect when we took our son on walks, since he hated the sun in his eyes.

Stroller Suspenders come in six different patterns and are packaged perfectly to give as a gift at a baby shower or to new parents.

We're giving away the pink dots Stroller Suspenders here on BabyBlogAddict.com. You can enter the giveaway by scrolling up to the post above or clicking here.

Winner: Board Book From Barefoot Books

Congratulations to Aimee Ash (comment #4) who is the winner of the board book from Barefoot Books. Aimee wrote this as her entry comment: "I took the Moon for a Walk" looks like fun. What a cool line! Aimee, please send us your mailing address, so Barefoot Books can send you your prize.

Halloween Baby Parade

Above: some fun Halloween costume ideas. Below: the opposite end of the spectrum. Poor, miserable babies.

Blog Hopping: Lil Piggie

By Barb
BBA Contributor

I just have to share this hilarious story from dinner the other night. First, some background. In the past month, Sarah has picked up a bad habit of stuffing her mouth full of food, gagging, then spitting it all out all over the place (there goes the image of my well-behaved, good-mannered toddlers! Busted!).

We often tell her to take one bite at a time, chew, and swallow before taking another bite. Once in a while, we'll tell her not to be a piggy or rude. The other night at dinner, both kids were devouring two of their favorite meal items: zucchini and tater tots (OMG! I have to do an entire extra zuc just for them and they usually end up eating more than we do! They love that stuff!).

Sarah had finished her first helping of her veggies and asked for more. Jacob, realizing his sister was getting something he wasn't, tried Sarah's approach and shoved what was on his plate in his mouth (picture chipmunk cheeks full of tots and zucchini). Sarah watched him do this, giggled and said something I couldn't quite understand. As Jacob tried to ask for "more," but struggled to talk with a mouth full of food, Sarah again said something to Jacob (sounded like what she'd just said, but I still couldn't understand her) and giggled.

I asked her what she was telling him and she looked at me. She looked at Jacob. And she went "oink oink!" (although they do it as a snort like you imagine a pig sounds). She had called her brother a PIG! Can it get any funnier??

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

Green Baby Products

Here are eight great products from ivillage.com, including bottles, diapers and sunscreen.

Places to Shop for Infant/Toddler Halloween Costumes

Halloween is so much fun because you get to dress your little ones in costume. Our son Jack was only two weeks old for his first Halloween and he was a Chili Pepper. To this day, he is still known as a "Little Chili Pepper" to some.

There are so many costume options out there. You may even want to go with a theme for the whole family. Here are some sites with cute costumes:

• Baby Style - I think Baby Style has some of the most unique costumes. However the costumes all look very warm which is great if you are in the North...not so great if you live in the South where the temps could still be in the 80s on October 31st. Current promotion - Get 20% off select costumes plus free shipping with code BOO20.


• Pottery Barn Kids - pricey, but adorable (pictured above). Current promotion - 20% off all Halloween. Free shipping on costumes and treat bags.


• Baby Center - up to 50% off Halloween costumes. Save an extra 15%. Ends Monday. Click here for details.


• One Step Ahead


• Oriental Trading


• Costume Express


• Lillian Vernon


• Buy Costumes


• Ty's Toy Box Costume Shop

...and the list could go on. Please feel free to share your own ideas in the comments below.

Once you decide on a costume, google it so you can find the best online deal. You may be able to get a better deal than the site you found it on or it may come in different styles and in a different thickness that would work better for your climate. Don't forget to check the shipping charges too. Sometimes a website offers a better price on the costume, but the shipping is outrageous; but some sites offer free shipping.

Winners: Elliot's Preemie Halloween Costumes

First off, don't forget about our new giveaway for a Barefoot Book. Click here to enter.

Congratulations to Bridget (comment #2) and Teresa R (comment #10) who are the winners of the Elliot's Preemie Halloween Costumes. Please send us an email with your address and costume choice (one costume per winner).

If you didn't win and still need a preemie costume, check out Elliot's costumes for your preemie or consider a unique alternative. The founder of Elliot's Preemie Tees said that her grandson wore a build-a-bear outfit for his first costume. He was Woody from Toy Story. Here he is at just four pounds.

Cooking With A Baby On Your Hip Plus, Angel Pasta Nirvana Recipe...Yum

Cooking with a Baby On Your Hip is more than a cookbook. It's a reminder not to forget about yourself after you have a baby.

Francinne Cascio Lawrence does a great job of making the book a fun, easy read that has eight quick recipes mixed in. It has adorable illustration on the cover and throughout making it a fun addition to a baby shower gift or a great "happy" for the new mom who is having a bad day. It's just $12.95 and you can buy it through Baby On Your Hips' online shopping cart.

Francinne says that some of her greatest pleasures have come while raising three spirited and diverse young women who grew from being on her hip to hip all on their own.

She is giving all of you a sneak peek at one of the book's recipes:

Angel Pasta Nirvana

While your little angel is napping, sear a couple of chicken breasts and cut them into cubes. They will keep nicely in the refrigerator until you’re ready to prepare the rest of the dish. If you prefer to go vegetarian, chop up a few of your favorite fresh vegetables in place of the chicken. Some of my favorites for this recipe are zucchini, squash, and carrots.

As dinner time approaches and you have found another break from parent duty, melt the ½ cup butter in a skillet. Add the chicken or veggies and sauté them along with the mushrooms onions and garlic. When your cherub takes wing to for the night, you’ll be just minutes away from experiencing Angel Pasta Nirvana!

Ingredients
10 oz angel hair pasta
¼ c olive oil
½ c butter or margarine
4 large cloves garlic
1 medium onion
½ c sweet red bell pepper
¼ c dried parsley flakes
½ c dry white wine
8 medium mushrooms; sliced, sautéed
½ c Parmesan Cheese
8 ounces of poultry or 2 cups of fresh mixed vegetables depending on your preference.

Instructions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Drain and toss with olive oil.
3. Melt butter in skillet.
4. Add garlic, onion, and mushrooms and sauté until onion is tender. Either fresh vegetables or chicken may be added here to make a rich medley of ingredients.
5. Add sweet pepper, parsley flakes, and white wine.
6. Pour mixture over pasta and toss until blended. Add chicken and cheese.
7. Toss and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Who Knew? Guck in Tub Toys

By Jennifer
BabyBlogAddict.com

Who Knew that tub toys would harbor guck (defined as "oozy sloppy dirt or debris" by Merriam-Webster). I guess I didn't realize that the rubber ducky and little rubber fish that my son played with in the bathtub were collecting water through little tiny holes and growing guck inside.

I thought that if I just squirted out the excess water after bathtime, it would be ok. But it's not! My son freaked out when he saw the little flecks of guck that flew out of the rubber ducky's mouth when all I was trying to do was make him giggle. Needless to say, that was a very quick bath and the poor rubber ducky went to rubber ducky heaven that night.

I thought I was the only neglectful parent until I read about the exact same thing on another blog. It's good to know I'm not alone in the guck department.

Who knew that you had to clean those little suckers out? Now, you know. Please feel free to share your own tips about how you clean your baby's bath toys to keep them guck-free.

Previous Posts:
:: Who Knew? Toddlers Can Tell Time
:: Who Knew? Vertically Challenged Moms
:: Who Knew? Different Size Nipples

Giveaway: Board Book from Barefoot Books

:: THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED. CLICK HERE TO SEE IF WE HAVE A CURRENT GIVEAWAY.

Barefoot Books is an independent publisher of children's books that are colorful, playful and fun. I really didn't know a lot about the company when Alpha Sanford, one of their stallholders, approached us about a giveaway, but was happy to learn more. Their books are very unique and inspiring. We are lucky to be giving away one of their books "Off we go Galapagos!"

Check out Alpha's Barefoot Book page here. You can get 10% off your purchase when you place an order on Alpha's site. She uses her Barefoot Blog (you know we love blogs) to share Barefoot books reviews, giveaways and discussions about being a stallholder.

Here's how to enter to win the book, "Off We Go Galapagos!":

1. Go to the Barefoot Books website and take a look around.

2. Come back to this post and leave a comment stating which book you would like to know more about and read about on Alpha's blog.

3. Make sure we have your contact info (email or blog address) either in your blogger profile or in the comment itself, so we can contact you if you win. Only one entry per person per giveaway.

This contest will run Tuesday, September 30 - Sunday, October 5 at 7 PM ET.

Halloween Onesies and Tees for Twins and Singles

Check out these cute baby and kids’ Halloween onesies and tees from TrendyTwinShop.com. Then browse the rest of their site for some adorable "coordinating couture for twins, siblings and more."