Babies Gotta Have It

If you are a new or expecting parent, odds are that you’re doing some reading about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS. My understanding has always been that SIDS is a bit mysterious. Doctors can recommend steps to sharply decrease the incidence of SIDS, but can’t really explain what causes it.  The good news is that the wicked smart docs at Children’s Hospital Boston have just published new research linking SIDS to low serotonin production in the brainstem. The great news is that this finding may lead to a concrete test to identify babies at high risk for SIDS, bringing us another step closer to eradicating this devastating syndrome.

The CJ Foundation for SIDS has given millions of dollars to support SIDS research and provide public education and awareness about SIDS risk reduction.  As the largest non-governmental funder of programs meeting the needs of the SIDS community, they participated in funding the research cited above. And I am so excited to share with you the CJ Foundation’s new initiative: Sleep in Safety, Grow in Style. According to the SSGS site,

“The CJ Foundation’s Sleep in Safety, Grow in Style campaign
aims to
educate consumers and
raise public awareness about
what constitutes a safe sleep environment for infants.
We will help parents and caregivers learn how to create nurseries with style
and safe sleeping environments for babies that can cost less, be beautiful and
comforting, grow with your child, and most importantly
significantly reduce the risk of SIDS and
other sleep related infant deaths.”

Let’s decorate our babies’ nurseries with an eye toward style and sleep safety! SSGS offers a webpage with Design Safety Tips as well as Sleep Safety Tips. Let me share their list of Sleep Safety Guidelines with you here (check out the site for more detail about each guideline:

• Always lay your baby to sleep face up
• Remove all loose bedding, bumpers, stuffed animals, and pillows from the crib
• Don’t let your baby get too hot
• Control room temperature where baby is sleeping
• Consider using a fan to increase circulation in baby’s room
• Lay your baby to sleep in an approved crib, on a firm-fitting mattress
• Don’t share sleep surfaces
• Don’t smoke while pregnant and never smoke near your infant
• Create a healthy lifestyle for you and your baby
• If possible, breastfeed your baby
• Offer your baby a pacifier at all sleep times
• Put your baby on his or her tummy to play when your baby is awake and supervised
• Share these tips with everyone who cares for your baby

One of my favorite baby and toddler products companies, aden + anais, has partnered with SSGS to promote safe sleep. The CJ Foundation recommends the use of wearable blankets and sleepsacks in place of blankets to keep infants warm while sleeping. Each aden + anais cozy sleeping bag is made of 100% breathable muslin cotton, which allows baby’s body temperature to adjust naturally, reducing the risk of overheating. This time of the year I feel like I am always cold. And I have really turned to sleepsacks and wearable blankets to keep my Little Bean warm and snuggy in the winter months without overheating her to a dangerous degree.  aden + anais sleeping bags are the perfect solution, and the muslin they are made of just gets softer and softer with each wash. I have absolutely observed this with the washcloths I bought on babysteals.com! So what’s the deal with muslin?  This ancient fabric, traditional for swaddling, has an open, loose weave that is breathable and allows air to circulate around your baby.

And their mod, stylish patterns are to die for. No need to sacrifice appearance when you add these wearable blankets to your nursery. They are adorable.  And I’m delighted announce that the great people behind aden + anais are giving one Babies Gotta Have It a sleeping bag of your choice! Want to enter? Read on!

To Enter the aden + anais Giveaway

• MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Browse aden + anais’ selection of stylish cozy sleeping bags.  Come back and leave a comment on this post saying which pattern you would chose if you won. Entering is that easy!
  

***Want extra chances to win? After you have made your first entry as described above, do anything listed below and leave me additional comments for each one letting me know what you did!  Maximum of nine entries per person.

• Follow me on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway  just cut and paste): Win a cozy sleepsack and learn about the CJ Foundation’s SIDS education & awareness efforts @BabiesGottaHavT http://tinyurl.com/ydly8tw
• Become a Fan of aden + anais on Facebook. Click HERE!
• Become a Fan of the CJ Foundation for SIDS on Facebook. Click HERE!
• Blog this giveaway (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
• Subscribe to my blog using the button on the left sidebar
• Grab my button and put in on your blog or website! Button code is in the right sidebar. Leave the link in your entry.
• Become a Fan of Babies Gotta Have It on Facebook. Click HERE!
• Email your friends about the giveaway and link to the giveaway post! cc me in the message (babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com)–I promise I will not spam you or your friends. Cross my heart

Your email address will remain private and not be shared with anyone. Giveaway only open to those with U.S.  and Canadian addresses. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway begins on Friday February 5th and ends on Monday February 22nd at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Tuesday February 23rd,  Random.org will select the winner,  and I’ll email you immediately. After my daughter called Larry the Cable guy the last time she did a drawing, we have decided to take a little vacation from her choosing the winner. Random.org is in no way as cute and unpredictable as my daughter, but it is much more efficient and does not use any pieces of paper, even recycled ones. I am sure you will understand. Thanks for entering!

Disclosure: aden + anais offered the cozy sleeping bag to the winner of this giveaway at their expense.  Additionally, they gave me a cozy sleeping bag as well for my time and effort in writing the post.  I was not compensated monetarily, and all views and opinions with regard to the product or company itself are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by the company prior to posting.

Hearts. Cupids. Flowers. Boxes of Candy. Valentine’s Day.

Yeah all that sounds good to me.  But when it comes down to it, what do you get the man in your life for Valentine’s Day? I feel like I just went through all this about a week ago for the holidays. So how lame would it be to buy my husband Season Three of “Battlestar Galactica” for Valentine’s Day when I got him Season Two for Christmas? Way lame?  Well…maybe…

When it comes to gifts for guys, a DVD is probably a good idea.  An even better idea? Throw in some food.  Let’s face it.  Guys like to watch TV.  Guys like to watch movies.  Guys like sports. Guys like to eat. Stereotypical? Kinda. True? At least in this house it is.

So this Valentine’s Day, consider a gift from the awesome movie themed gift box company, Movie Noodle!  Movie Noodle offers customizable, movie-themed gift boxes complete with a DVD of the buyer’s choice.  Each package comes stuffed with candy, popcorn and soda, as well as a few novelty items to complement the theme of your package, and a new DVD, of course. Once your package arrives, just open it up and unwrap everything you need to have a movie night right in your own home…without the cost of a babysitter!

For the guy’s-guy consider the Football Movie Night, Poker Movie Night, Baseball Movie Night, Nascar Movie Night, or even…and here I’m about to give you dream girl status…the Horror Movie Night. Yes, you would officially be the best girlfriend/wife/mom/aunt ever if you gave the guy in your life a Movie Noodle Horror Movie Night package for Valentine’s Day.  Also hot with guys are the “For Him” Packages which include a Mission Impossible Package, Die Hard Package, The Office Package, Batman Package and Beverly Hills Cop Package.  You say he’s seen these movies already? Yeah, have you ever noticed how guys will, in the midst of channel surfing, land on “The Bourne Identity” about an hour into the movie, and watch it again? And again? And again? Yeah he’ll dig the “Die Hard” Package.

Buy It: Go to MovieNoodle, order a package of your choice, and mention in your note to the seller that you heard about Movie Noodle on Babies Gotta Have It. They’ll throw in a free chocolate rose with your order.
Win It: The awesome couple behind Movie Noodle has offered a free Pick a Flick Package to one lucky Babies Gotta Have It reader. Keep it for yourself or send it anywhere in the U.S. Want to enter? Read on.

To Enter the Movie Noodle Giveaway

• MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Head over to MovieNoodle.com and check out all of the DVDs they offer for the Pick A Flick Package (click HERE to see the list). Come back and leave a comment on this post saying which movie from their selection you’d choose for your free Pick a Flick Package.  Entering is that easy!
  

***Want extra chances to win? After you have made your first entry as described above, do anything listed below and leave me additional comments for each one letting me know what you did!  Maximum of eight entries per person.

• Follow me on Twitter (click the birdy button on the left sidebar to do so easily) and Tweet this giveaway (I’ve even made it easy for you, just cut and paste): Check out the great Movie Themed Gift Boxes you can send your guy this V-Day @Movie_Noodle! Win one here: http://tinyurl.com/ybxyf5g
• Follow Movie Noodle on Twitter
• Blog this giveaway (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
• Subscribe to my blog using the button on the left sidebar
• Grab my button and put in on your blog or website! Button code is in the right sidebar. Leave the link in your entry.
• Become a Fan of Babies Gotta Have It on Facebook–just click the link on the left sidebar!
• Email your friends about the giveaway and link to the giveaway post! cc me in the message (babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com)–I promise I will not spam you or your friends. Cross my heart

Your email address will remain private and not be shared with anyone. Giveaway only open to those with U.S.  addresses. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway begins on Saturday January 29th and ends on Saturday February 6th at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Sunday February 7th,  Random.org will select the winner,  and I’ll email you immediately. After my daughter called Larry the Cable guy the last time she did a drawing, we have decided to take a little vacation from her choosing the winner. Random.org is in no way as cute and unpredictable as my daughter, but it is much more efficient and does not use any pieces of paper, even recycled ones. I am sure you will understand. Thanks for entering!

Disclosure: Movie Noodle has offered the Pick A Flick Package to the winner of this giveaway at their expense.  I was not compensated monetarily for writing this post. All views and opinions with regard to the product or company itself are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by the company prior to posting.

Update! We have a winner!  Random.org says “Result: 11″  Congratulations Shay Lee! Enjoy your Movie Noodle Package!  And for everyone who didn’t win–the offer for a free Valentine’s Day Chocolate Rose is good through Valentine’s Day if you mention “I saw you on Babies Gotta Have It” in a note to the seller when you buy your Movie Noodle Package! Enjoy!

Way back in December I had breakfast with Wendy Bellissimo. Well kind of.  Thanks to the generous folks at Q-Tips I ate some super yummy food at a gorgeously decorated restaurant with her and got the skinny on her suggestions for decorating your baby’s nursery…as well as a sneak peek at the pretty darned cute new Q-Tips packaging.  But more on that later.

I am actually pretty proud of how we decorated Bean’s room.  I really couldn’t do anything crazy girly. That’s just not my style. And when we had to make choices about paint colors we didn’t know if we’d have a boy or a girl.  The walls are a gorgeous sagey green (Benjamin Moore’s Silken Pine) and the trim is white.  We found a yellow braid rug at Home Goods that was insanely reduced because of a black mark on one side (yeah, we turned it over).  My Mom made curtains.  And we painted old pieces of family furniture in a lilac and light yellow color so that they all matched.  I splurged on a crib (the Stokke Sleepi Crib) because it’s so small and streamlined and perfect for apartment living.  And we didn’t really spend a thing on any of the other furniture.  Oh yeah, our friends Larry and Lisa gave us their glider.  It was a light blue check but I threw purple blankets over it and it was dandy.   We hung up two of those floating shelves and filled them with a mixture of antique and new things–including a vintage Boston Red Sox pennant (thank you New England branch of the family). As it turned out, according to Wendy Bellissimo we did some of it right. So here are her tips for readying your room for baby:

• Look to create a calming yet inspiring environment.
• Drop that paintbrush! Resist the urge to paint first.  Begin by clearing out the entire room and creating a blank palette.
• Become your own designer! Browse magazines, the internet and books and create your very own inspiration book or board, filled with ideas that speak to you.
• Go back in your room and consider the arrangement of your main pieces (most likely your crib, changing table, and rocker). Then incorporate your fabrics.  And only then choose your paint color.
• Then go crazy and stock that nursery!
• Choose whites or pale greens if you don’t know the baby’s gender…then accent accordingly when the time comes.
• Think long term when you select your furniture.  Are these pieces that can grow with your child?  Or choose gender neutral pieces so you can pass them along to a sibling to come.
• If possible, replace all your light switches with dimmer switches so bedtime can be calm and soothing (I LOVE this idea…totally wish we had been able to do it).
• And finally…incorporate things that were yours or your mother’s when you were children to give the room a really special touch.  I am so glad we did this.  Plus, hasn’t your Mom been bugging you to finally clear out your room so she can put in a home gym? Now’s the time, gals.

And may I say, the food was excellent.

When you’re stocking the changing table, be sure to check out the adorable new Q-Tips packaging.  These whimsical decorative boxes will blend in with lots of nursery styles.  They are small and sleek enough that you can easily keep them out where you can access them quickly, without needing to deal with those cumbersome boxes grown-up Q-Tips come in or finding another little basket to put them in.  Super idea, as far as I’m concerned!

Want to try them?  Thanks to Q-Tips, one lucky Babies Gotta Have It reader will win two boxes of Q-Tips Baby Packs. They will be a wonderful addition to your wee one’s nursery, or a great little item to tuck into a Baby Shower gift!  Want to enter?  Read on!

To Enter the Q-Tips Baby Packs Giveaway

• MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Leave a comment on this post.  Share a nursery decorating tip if you’d like. Or just say hi!  Entering is that easy!
  

***Want extra chances to win? After you have made your first entry as described above, do anything listed below and leave me additional comments for each one letting me know what you did!  Maximum of seven entries per person.

• Follow me on Twitter (click the birdy button on the left to do so easily) and Tweet this giveaway (I’ve even made it easy for you, just cut and paste):  I just entered to win Q-Tips New Baby Packs @BabiesGottaHavT Enter today! http://tinyurl.com/yzmd72v
• Blog this giveaway (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
• Subscribe to my blog using the button on the left
• Grab my button and put in on your blog or website! Button code is in the right sidebar. Leave the link in your entry.
• Become a Fan of Babies Gotta Have It on Facebook–just click the link on the left sidebar!
• Email your friends about the giveaway and link to the giveaway post! cc me in the message (babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com)–I promise I will not spam you or your friends. Cross my heart

Your email address will remain private and not be shared with anyone. Giveaway only open to those with U.S.  addresses. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway begins on Friday January 22nd and ends on Friday February 5th at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Monday February 8th,  Random.org will select the winner,  and I’ll email you immediately. After my daughter called Larry the Cable guy the last time she did a drawing, we have decided to take a little vacation from her choosing the winner. Random.org is in no way as cute and unpredictable as my daughter, but it is much more efficient and does not use any pieces of paper, even recycled ones. I am sure you will understand. Thanks for entering!

Disclosure: Q-Tips offered the above pictured baby packs for the winner of this giveaway.  They provided the delicious breakfast I attended and a small gift bag upon leaving.  I was not compensated monetarily for writing this post. All views and opinions with regard to the product or company itself are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by the company prior to posting.

Update: We have a winner!  Random.org says “Result: 18″  Congratulations Sandra!  Thanks so much to everyone who entered!  Be sure to check out my current giveaways!

My baby girl loves her hair. She has, however,  had only two hair cuts in her entire life. We took her to the fancy schmancy overpriced NYC hair cutting place for kids, Cozy’s…where your kid can sit in a cool car and watch videos and have a bevy of really friendly stylists blowing bubbles and singing songs. The amazingly skilled stylist cut her hair quickly, efficiently and beautifully. And the Little Bean howled and cried the entire time. So now when I say “Bean, do you want to get a haircut?,” she smiles sweetly and says “No thank you.” Even when I add the most tempting of all incentives…”we’ll get a cupcake afterward,” she still replies in a maddeningly polite voice “No thank you, Mama.”

Now, many of you are no doubt thinking to yourselves, “She’s two for Pete’s sake. Get our your craft scissors and snip a bit.”  Well, I tried that once…when the Bean was fourteen months old.  This is what happened.

I am still traumatized.

The Little Bean is a Leo.  According to Cindy, the super insightful astrologer that did our hair and wigs for the show I just closed, Leos are all about their hair.  The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I can’t bear to mess up her hair again.  So sometime soon, in the not so far future, along with the overdue dentist and eye doctor and veterinarian appointments, I will make an appointment to have the Bean’s hair cut.

Until then…I have to say that the Bean looks unbearably adorable in teeny tiny cute as a button clippies! As soon as her hair recovered from the above abomination, I went to my super fave website, Etsy and ordered adorable hair clips from Shining Stars Boutique.  Unlike the toddler hair clips I got from a major retail store that shall remain nameless, the underside of these clippies are fully lined so no nasty scraping from the metal clippy bottom against your baby’s sweet head.  The awesome Mamas who started Shining Stars Boutique use non-slip velcro on each of the clippes so they stay put in fine hair, seal the ends of the ribbon to prevent fraying, and offer really really affordable prices.  And did I mention that the styles are a-dor-a-ble? Feminine but not cutesy. Girly but not over the top.  Ahhhh, I love Etsy.  I purchased the Sizzling Summer Fun Mini Bow collection.  The colors are bright and cheerful and go with everything.  We’ve used them so well that all but three have been snatched by elves and are missing.

So if your little angel is absolutely positively in no way shape or form going to sit through a hair cut, no matter how awesome the barber chairs are…and even if she does deign to get a haircut now and again…check out Shining Stars Boutique.  And just in time for February 14th, I am so happy to let you know that Jessica at Shining Stars has offered three adorable sets of Valentines Day (but really, you can use them all year) clippies to give away to one lucky Babies Gotta Have It reader.  The winner of this giveaway will receive all three sets of clippies featured in this post: the Red Butterfly Hair Clippie, the Light Pink and Red Lollipop Mini Hair Bow Clippies, and the Valentine’s Day Shocking Pink, Red, and Light Pink Beaded Felt Hearts on a Scalloped Flower Set.  Want to enter?  Read on!

To Enter the Shining Stars Boutique Clippies Giveaway

• MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Check out the Shining Stars Boutique Etsy Shop.  Come back and share one product you’d love to try besides the clippies featured in this post!  Entering is that easy!
  

***Want extra chances to win? After you have made your first entry as described above, do anything listed below and leave me additional comments for each one letting me know what you did!  Maximum of seven entries per person.

• Follow me on Twitter (click the birdy button on the left to do so easily) and Tweet this giveaway (I’ve even made it easy for you, just cut and paste):  I just entered to win adorable Valentines Day Hair Clippies @BabiesGottaHavT.  Enter today! http://tinyurl.com/yekl8n7
• Blog this giveaway (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
• Subscribe to my blog using the button on the left
• Grab my button and put in on your blog or website! Button code is in the right sidebar. Leave the link in your entry.
• Become a Fan of Babies Gotta Have It on Facebook–just click the link on the left sidebar!
• Email your friends about the giveaway and link to the giveaway post! cc me in the message (babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com)–I promise I will not spam you or your friends. Cross my heart

Your email address will remain private and not be shared with anyone. Giveaway only open to those with U.S.  addresses. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway begins on Tuesday January 19th and ends on Tuesday February 2nd at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Wednesday February 3rd,  Random.org will select the winner,  and I’ll email you immediately. After my daughter called Larry the Cable guy the last time she did a drawing, we have decided to take a little vacation from her choosing the winner. Random.org is in no way as cute and unpredictable as my daughter, but it is much more efficient and does not use any pieces of paper, even recycled ones. I am sure you will understand. Thanks for entering!

Disclosure: Shining Stars Boutique is offering the above pictured clippies for the winner of this giveaway.  I was not given any product from them personally, nor was   I compensated in any way for writing this post. All views and opinions with regard to the product or company itself are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by the company prior to posting.

Update! We have a winner! Random.org says: Result: 18! Congratulations Michelle Frame! And thanks so much to everyone who entered!

So Tuesday afternoon I took a swing by the International Playthings Media Playdate event.  International Playthings is responsible for some of the hottest brands in toys for babies and beyond–they are behind Taggies (which you know I love-check out my video of the My Taggies Rocker), Yookidoo, GOTZ dolls, Calico Critters, Tomy, iPlay and more. These guys are some of the funnest folks in toys and I always look forward to seeing what they have to offer.  So I went, and I got so much more than I bargained for!  Keep reading to discover the super amazing thing that this generous company did for the holidays.  But first, take take a gander at some of my fave new toys they are offering (keep in mind, these toys are so brand new they’re not available yet–so have your kids save their Christmas money and gift cards and look for them in the New Year!):

The Early Years Baby Tea Party!  So cute!  A plush tea set for your baby girl complete with a crinkly croissant and a cupcake!  How cute is that? This would make such a unique and wonderful baby gift!

The Early Years Rocket Baby Play Set That little green alien is absolutely the most adorable!  I love this baby boy plush toy set so much!

The Wild Science Hyperlauncher Ball Factory Ok this is for kids ages 8 and up, but I couldn’t resist. You can make your own super balls!  And then launch them!  My nephew would LOVE this!

The Wild Science Beautiful Blob Slime Factory For girls who like gloop!  There are lots of us out there!  Make crystals! Make slimy blue glass worms and more!  For ages 10 and up!  And the grown-ups who love them!

I don’t have a photo of them but the ant and worm farms they are coming out with are so next generation it’s amazing! Just look for them in the stores.  Like habitrails for bugs!

Calico Critters Country Tree House Complete with trap doors, water slides and bridges.  This is so delicious and so fun!  Did I mention it has a hot tub and a gazebo? For ages three and up.  Sign me up!

Now here’s the awesome thing this company did! So I love these toys and International Playthings.  I was about to leave the media day and head over to the theater where I’m working, and I happened to mention that we’re doing a toy drive…oh yeah, you know where this is going.  The wonderful wardrobe union who take such good care of actors and their costumes sponsors a holiday toy drive every year.  This year all the toys are benefiting Housing Works and going to HIV positive homeless children. So I happen to mention this toy drive… and the representatives from International Playthings  just up and give me a huge box full of the most adorable Calico Critters Christmas sets called “Calico Christmas” to contribute to the toy drive.   Did I mention the box was huge?  It was!  So thank you so much International Playthings!  For making this a very merry and bright holiday for so many children!

And call me when the ant farms hit the stores!

Oh yeah…and they gave me one Calico Christmas set to GIVE AWAY! Want to enter?  Read on!

To Enter the Calico Critters Calico Christmas Giveaway

• MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Check out the Calico Critters at International Playthings.  Come back and share one Calico Critters play set or product you’d love to try besides the ones featured in this post!  Entering is that easy!
  

***Want extra chances to win? After you have made your first entry as described above, do anything listed below and leave me additional comments for each one letting me know what you did!  Maximum of seven entries per person.

• Follow me on Twitter (click the birdy button on the left to do so easily) and Tweet this giveaway (I’ve even made it easy for you, just cut and paste):  I just entered to win a Calico Critters Christmas Toy Set @BabiesGottaHavT.  Enter today! http://tinyurl.com/ybg8fkb
• Blog this giveaway (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
• Subscribe to my blog using the button on the left
• Grab my button and put in on your blog or website! Button code is in the right sidebar. Leave the link in your entry.
• Become a Fan of Babies Gotta Have It on Facebook–just click the link on the left sidebar!
• Email your friends about the giveaway and link to the giveaway post! cc me in the message (babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com)–I promise I will not spam you or your friends. Cross my heart

Your email address will remain private and not be shared with anyone. Giveaway only open to those with U.S.  addresses. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway begins on Thursday December 17th and ends on Saturday December 26nd at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Sunday December 27th,  Random.org will select the winner,  and I’ll email you immediately. After my daughter called Larry the Cable guy the last time she did a drawing, we have decided to take a little vacation from her choosing the winner. Random.org is in no way as cute and unpredictable as my daughter, but it is much more efficient and does not use any pieces of paper, even recycled ones. I am sure you will understand. Thanks for entering!

Disclosure: International Playthings gave me a huge box of toys for charity (just cuz they’re nice), a Calico Christmas set for my child and one  for the winner of this giveaway.  I was not compensated in any way for writing this post. All views and opinions with regard to the product or company itself are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by the company prior to posting.

Update!  We have a winner!  Random.org says “Result:  100″  Congratulations Snowflake07 (Audra) Thanks so much to everyone who entered!  Happy New Year!

I am Wendy.  And my toddler is a sugar freak.  She comes by it honestly. My mother considers chocolate to be one of the major food groups.  When I was little I used to sneak spoonfuls of confectioners sugar from the box on the lazy susan by the sink.  My little Bean comes from a long line of gals who can handle their sucrose.

I’m not sure that any amount of “organic blah de blah” or “all-natural bibble snobble” can fight this penchant for sweets.  I didn’t give the Bean any refined sugar for a very very long time.  And I still really avoid it.  But that kid can put down a Magnolia cupcake with the best of them.  There’s a part of me that’s a little proud.

And now it’s the holidays.  My mother is “cutting back” on the cookies this year.  Only baking the favorites.  One favorite.  For each of the grown-ups.  That makes eight different kinds of cookies.  Cutting back?  Yeah, the Bean is going to be bouncing off the walls at Granny’s house.

All this to say, oral hygeine is going to be a big part of our December.  If you’re anything like us, you have great intentions of good, thorough toothbrushing and minimal sugar intake…but moderate success.  Fortunately for us, Oral-B is there to offer suggestions, tips and great products to get us through this sweet sweet time.

Check out Oral-B’s website for some really practical Holiday Oral Care Tips for Kids.  This useful page doesn’t deny the fact that at this time of year, your kids are gonna munch on some sweeties.  Instead, it offers guidelines and suggestions for moderating the damage that stuff can do to your wee ones’ smiles.  I love this one: “Dairy acts as a buffer to the acids produced by oral bacteria, decreasing the possibility of tooth decay. So consider serving your children milk or cheese with holiday candies and treats.”  A cookie just isn’t the same without a glass of milk.  For all kinds of reasons, it turns out!

Oral-B offers wonderful guidance for infant and toddler oral care (as well as a neat, new Scrapblog site called Smile-Stages, where you can upload and share photos of your baby beauty’s ever changing smile).  They divide your child’s oral development into “stages” and offer tips for good dental health and appropriate products for each stage.  Honestly, I was using Oral-B toothbrushes and toothpastes for the Bean before I was offered the chance to review and give them away.  The toothbrushes have cute Sesame Street and Winnie the Pooh characters that I really respond to on them (as does she). The infant toothpaste was easy to find at my local drug store, and clearly packaged so that I knew I was getting the right product for her at each age.

So you have all the best intentions in the world,  a little stool in front of the sink, and your toddler looks like she’d rather have a root canal than stand there and brush her teeth?  Try some of these suggestions from Oral-B:

• Brush your teeth with your child!  You’ll be setting a good example for your child, and kids like to copy grown ups like Mama and Daddy.
• Sing your child’s favorite song or play a song from their favorite CD for the two minutes while you’re brushing your teeth.  You can stop brushing when the song ends!
• Recite a favorite nursery rhyme while your child is brushing.  They are finished when the rhyme is finished!
• And of course, a favorite character on the toothbrush and toothpaste definitely helps make brushing fun!

Why not consider sticking a toothbrush in your kids’ stockings along with the snowman peeps and candy canes!  When you do finally get around to making that first pediatric dental appointment (that should happen by age 1…gulp) you’ll be glad you did.

And thanks to the generous folks at Oral-B, one lucky Babies Gotta Have It reader will win a bundle that includes all of the Oral-B Stages toothbrushes and pastes!  Want to enter?  Read on!

To Enter the Oral-B Smile-Stages Giveaway

• MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Leave a comment on this post saying who you’d give these toothbrushes to!  Entering is that easy!
  

***Want extra chances to win? After you have made your first entry as described above, do anything listed below and leave me additional comments for each one letting me know what you did!  Maximum of seven entries per person.

• Follow me on Twitter (click the birdy button on the left to do so easily) and Tweet this giveaway (I’ve even made it easy for you, just cut and paste):  I just entered to win a full set of Oral-B Stages toothbrushes and pastes @BabiesGottaHavT.  Enter today! http://tinyurl.com/yzjhnaa
• Blog this giveaway (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
• Subscribe to my blog using the button on the left
• Grab my button and put in on your blog or website! Button code is in the right sidebar. Leave the link in your entry.
• Become a Fan of Babies Gotta Have It on Facebook–just click the link on the left sidebar!
• Email your friends about the giveaway and link to the giveaway post! cc me in the message (babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com)–I promise I will not spam you or your friends. Cross my heart

Your email address will remain private and not be shared with anyone. Giveaway only open to those with U.S.  addresses. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway begins on Monday December 7th and ends on Wednesday December 16th at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Thursday December 17th,  Random.org will select the winner,  and I’ll email you immediately. After my daughter called Larry the Cable guy the last time she did a drawing, we have decided to take a little vacation from her choosing the winner. Random.org is in no way as cute and unpredictable as my daughter, but it is much more efficient and does not use any pieces of paper, even recycled ones. I am sure you will understand. Thanks for entering!

Disclosure: Oral-B provided me with toothbrushes and toothpaste to review.  Oral-B is providing the prize package for the winner of this giveaway.  I was not compensated in any way for the writing of this post. All views and opinions with regard to the product or company itself are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by the company prior to posting.

Update!  We have a winner!  Random.org says “Result:  44″.  Congratulations Sandra!  Thanks to everyone who entered!  Happy Holidays!

My friend Laurie from prenatal yoga is a chemical engineer.  One afternoon during a playdate in the park we started talking about bottles and BPA and all that. Here’s what she said:

“I’m a chemical engineer.  Plastic creeps me out.  I’m using glass bottles.”

Even two years ago when I was breastfeeding my baby and pumping at night, glass bottles weren’t easy to come by.  In fact, they were hard enough to find that despite Laurie’s warning, I went with BPA free plastic bottles.  And I felt good with that choice.  But amazing sites like Sprout Baby are now making it easy to find all kinds of green and eco-friendly products for baby,  including the next generation of BPA free glass bottles.

Check out my video from April of 2008 and Sprout Baby’s informative post for clear and sobering information regarding BPA and its potential risks to your infant’s health.  Scary stuff.  But the really good news is that the product selection for BPA and polycarbonate free feeding is just getting bigger and bigger and more and more cool!

Sprout Baby sent me two of their way cool new glass bottles to check out and I gotta say, I love them.  The Wee Go Glass Baby Bottle pictured at left is just plain awesome.   This neat bottle comes with a silicone sleeve (available in six fun colors on Sprout Baby) which is free of plastics and 100%  non-toxic.  Of course, everyone is concerned about glass bottles falling to the ground and breaking.  This protective sleeve helps prevent that outcome and also keeps the bottle from crashing into your iPhone in your diaper bag.  And get this, you can boil and dishwash the bottle and the sleeve…together!  This super tactile sleeve makes it easier to hold the bottle and also just feels cool–a sensation that won’t be lost on your infant.  The nipple is also silicone and non-toxic, and the plastic ring, plug and cap contain no polycarbonates and are food grade, FDA approved and recyclable.  Oh and they’re comitted to minimal packaging too.  What you see is pretty much what you get. Woo Hoo!

So the plastic bottles I did end up using were made by the company Born Free, and they worked really well for us.  Now, Born Free also has glass bottles available with their unique smooth flow valve that helps reduce colic and ear infections.  If your baby has these problems, I’d definitely check out this bottle.  The Born Free valve system worked really well for my baby and we didn’t have colic or ear infection problems at all.  According to their literature, this valve system is also good for breast fed babies who are being introduced to bottle feeding, because the steady flow of liquid it provides is very similar to breast feeding.  Born Free also offers silicone sleeves for added protection and grip-ability.

And..thanks to the generous folks at Sprout Baby, one lucky Babies Gotta Have It reader will win one of each of these bottles–Bottles of Joy!  Want to enter?  Read on!

To Enter the Sprout Baby Bottles of Joy Giveaway

• MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Swing by Sprout Baby and browse their wonderful selection of eco-friendly and green baby products.  Come back and tell me which product other than the glass bottles you’d like to try.  Entering is that easy!
  

***Want extra chances to win? After you have made your first entry as described above, do anything listed below and leave me additional comments for each one letting me know what you did!  Maximum of eight entries per person.

• Follow me on Twitter (click the birdy button on the left to do so easily) and Tweet this giveaway (I’ve even made it easy for you, just cut and paste):  Creeped out by BPA? Win glass Bottles of Joy from @SproutBabyClub & @BabiesGottaHavT! http://tinyurl.com/ykn6ryk
• Follow Sprout Baby on Twitter - just click here!
• Blog this giveaway (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
• Subscribe to my blog using the button on the left
• Grab my button and put in on your blog or website! Button code is in the right sidebar. Leave the link in your entry.
• Become a Fan of Babies Gotta Have It on Facebook–just click the link on the left sidebar!
• Email your friends about the giveaway and link to the giveaway post! cc me in the message (babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com)–I promise I will not spam you or your friends. Cross my heart

Your email address will remain private and not be shared with anyone. Giveaway only open to those with U.S.  addresses. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway begins on Sunday December 6th and ends on Wednesday December 16th at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Thursday December 17th,  Random.org will select the winner,  and I’ll email you immediately. After my daughter called Larry the Cable guy the last time she did a drawing, we have decided to take a little vacation from her choosing the winner. Random.org is in no way as cute and unpredictable as my daughter, but it is much more efficient and does not use any pieces of paper, even recycled ones. I am sure you will understand. Thanks for entering!

Disclosure: Sprout Baby provided me with two bottles to review and two bottles for the winner of this giveaway.  I was not compensated in any way for this post. All views and opinions with regard to the product or company itself are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by the company prior to posting.

UPDATE!  We have a winner!  Random.org says “Result:  36″.  Congratulations Sarah!  Thanks so much to everyone who entered!

In New York City the Holiday decorations go up immediately after the Halloween ones come down.  This seems a little quick to me.  But when you do the math…well, suffice it to say that as of today there are only 33 days until Christmas.  I’ve said it in the past but I’m a total sucker for the holidays.  I love the decorations.  I love the shopping.  I love the baked goods.  I love it.

I also really do enjoy writing and sending…and even more than that receiving holiday cards.  Now for years I bucked the trend and insisted on hand writing individual notes to everyone.  But eventually this just got to be ridiculous.  So I settled for what I hoped were very funny and rather creative form letters (still kind of makes me cringe to confess that).  I am a bit saddened, though, by the fact that it seems fewer and fewer famlies are sending out holiday cards at all.  I know everyone is busy at this time of year.  But I think holiday cards are really really special and worth moving closer to the top of the December priority  list.  I for one love looking at photos of couples and babies and pets.  I love reading about your kids soccer seasons and science fair projects.  And I think there is real value in making contact with far-flung friends and family.  Even if it’s only once a year.

So maybe writing a  holiday letter is just not going to happen with all that you have going on this year.  Why not consider a photo card?  There are wonderful websites out there that make creating beautiful and creative photo holiday cards really easy!  Consider a collage card, with snaps from throughout the year.  Maybe you don’t have time to write about all everything you did, but the photos are a wonderful way to share those events anyway!

I have recently become acquainted with Paperspring.com — a site that offers beautiful personalized photo holiday cards as well as birth announcements, invitations, personalized stationery, digital name art and more, printed on (and this is what really excites me) 100% recycled cardstock.  Paperspring has made a genuine commitment to green printing.  Read all about their soy inks, lower VOC compounds in their cleaning products, low waste printing, and recycling efforts here.

And did I mention they have oodles of delicious holiday designs to choose from?  They do.  And did I mention all shipping from Paperspring.com is free?  It is.  Oh and did I mention that you can get 20% off all holiday card orders between now and December 6th with the code HOLIDAYCARD? You can.

So listen.  No more excuses.  No more delays.  Go back through all those digital pics you took this year, find some fun and funny and delightful ones, and make some holiday cards and then send one to me because I want to get some friggin mail this holiday season.  Don’t worry if you’re not all wearing Santa hats and looking like a GAP ad.  Don’t worry if the light is kind of dim or Aidan has pudding on his face or Grandma is asleep in the background.  For the record, that’s the holiday card that I totally want to see!

Need another little shove in the right direction?  Paperspring.com is offering one lucky Babies Gotta Have It reader a $60 Gift Certificate to their site!  Want to enter?  Read on!

To Enter the Paperspring.com Giveaway

• MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Check out the selection of beautiful photo cards on Paperspring.com. Come back and leave a comment saying which style you’d choose if you won!  Entering is that easy!
  

***Want extra chances to win? After you have made your first entry as described above, do anything listed below and leave me additional comments for each one letting me know what you did!  Maximum of eight entries per person.

• Follow Paperspring on Twitter - just click this link!
• Follow me on Twitter (click the birdy button on the left to do so easily) and Tweet this giveaway (I’ve even made it easy for you, just cut and paste):  @Paperspring and @BabiesGottaHavT love photo holiday cards! Win a $60 Gift Certificate today! http://tinyurl.com/y8ttdp3
• Blog this giveaway (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
• Subscribe to my blog using the button on the left
• Grab my button and put in on your blog or website! Button code is in the right sidebar. Leave the link in your entry.
• Become a Fan of Babies Gotta Have It on Facebook–just click the link on the left sidebar!
• Email your friends about the giveaway and link to the giveaway post! cc me in the message (babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com)–I promise I will not spam you or your friends. Cross my heart

Your email address will remain private and not be shared with anyone. Giveaway only open to those with U.S.  addresses. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway begins on Sunday November 22nd and ends on Sunday December 6th at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Monday December 7th (still plenty of time to get your cards out!),  Random.org will select the winner I’ll email you immediately. After my daughter called Larry the Cable guy the last time she did a drawing, we have decided to take a little vacation from her choosing the winner. Random.org is in no way as cute and unpredictable as my daughter, but it is much more efficient and does not use any pieces of paper, even recycled ones. I am sure you will understand. Thanks for entering! Disclosure: Paperspring.com has provided the $60 gift certificate to the winner of this giveaway and also a $60 gift certificate to me to thank me for my time reviewing their products and hosting this giveaway. All views and opinions with regard to the product or company itself are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by the company prior to posting.

UPDATE! We have a winner!  Random.org says “Result: 56″  Congratulations Manjari!  Thanks to everyone who entered!

Sesame Street is turning 40 this week.  And Elmo doesn’t look a day over three and a half!

I refuse to acknowledge how old that makes me.

But this is a birthday worth celebrating.  Sesame Street has been such a valued part of our lives for the past 40 years (or the 29 years of them that I have been living…ahem).  And as I return to it with my daughter, I am amazed and delighted anew by the magic of the muppets, the offbeat humor, the brilliance of the musical numbers, and the incredible amount of heart that the show continues to have.

My little Bean is pretty much obsessed with Elmo.  The theme to Elmo’s World is one of the very first songs she learned.  And hey, it’s not sooo bad watching him sing with the Goo Goo Dolls over and over again on YouTube.  That lead singer is kinda hot.  And I met Gordon a few months ago…that was pretty awesome.

The cool folks at Polliwalks Childrens Shoes recognize what an important part of our lives all the residents of Sesame Street have been over the years.  And in honor of their birthday, they’re offering one lucky Babies Gotta Have It reader a pair of Sesame Street Polliwalks in either the Oscar the Grouch or Cookie Monster styles. (They also have Elmo but sadly, he’s so popular that he’s currently out of stock!)  I love Polliwalks–watch the video I made of the Bean playing in the sprinkler in her awesome Fish Lips Polliwalks water shoes this past summer.  Want to enter?  Read on!

To Enter the Polliwalks “Sesame Street” Giveaway

• MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Swing by Zappos and check out the Polliwalks Sesame Street Shoes they have available.  Come back and leave a comment sharing which pair of  Polliwalks you’d choose if you won: Cookie Monster or Oscar the Grouch, and also one memory of “Sesame Street” from your childhood!  Entering is that easy!
  

***Want extra chances to win? After you have made your first entry as described above, do anything listed below and leave me additional comments for each one letting me know what you did!  Maximum of eight entries per person.

• Follow Polliwalks on Twitter - just click this link!
• Follow me on Twitter (click the birdy button on the left to do so easily) and Tweet this giveaway (I’ve even made it easy for you, just cut and paste):  @Polliwalks & @BabiesGottaHavT say Happy Birthday Sesame Street! Win a pair of Sesame Street Polliwalks today! http://tiny.cc/NITQm
• Blog this giveaway (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
• Subscribe to my blog using the button on the left
• Grab my button and put in on your blog or website! Button code is in the right sidebar. Leave the link in your entry.
• Become a Fan of Babies Gotta Have It on Facebook–just click the link on the left sidebar!
• Email your friends about the giveaway and link to the giveaway post! cc me in the message (babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com)–I promise I will not spam you or your friends. Cross my heart

Your email address will remain private and not be shared with anyone. Giveaway only open to those with U.S.  addresses. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway begins on Saturday November 14th and ends on Friday November 20th at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Saturday November 21st,  Random.org will select the winner I’ll email you immediately. After my daughter called Larry the Cable guy the last time she did a drawing, we have decided to take a little vacation from her choosing the winner. Random.org is in no way as cute and unpredictable as my daughter, but it is much more efficient and does not use any pieces of paper, even recycled ones. I am sure you will understand. Thanks for entering! Disclosure: The Flannery Brothers sent me their CD to review and they provided a CD for the winner of the giveaway.  I was not compensated in any way for this post. All views and opinions with regard to the product or company itself are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by the company prior to posting.

UPDATE! Random.org says “Result: 10″  Congratulations Maureen!  Thanks so much to everyone who entered!

People from Maine are a little crazy.  They love their state just as much as Texans love Texas. They’re just a lot quieter about it.  I lived in Texas.  I have family from Maine.  I know.  The mosquitoes were particularly horrendous in Maine this year (as they were all over the East Coast), and did a number on the little Bean when we went up in August.  But still, I have to admit to having a bit of a love affair with the Pine Tree State.  So when the cute as can be Flannery Brothers from Hampden, Maine contacted me to review their CD for kids, “Love Songs For Silly Things” I swooned at the chance.

I fancy myself a bit picky about kids music.  I’m a snob, I must confess.  The CDs I have recommended on this site, are really really good.  And this one is no exception.  My two year old loves it.  She calls it the “new CD” or the “blue CD” and despite the fact that it’s upbeat and cheerful, enjoys listening to it during her naps.  Go figure.  These guys have their finger on the pulse of what kids like.

Let me tell you about my two favorite songs on the CD.  The first is ‘Blue Sky Moon” — about just that.  That mysterious, beautiful, puzzling moon that shows up in the blue sky in the afternoon.  I can so remember staring up at it as a child and wondering if it was the same moon that came out at night and why it was there sometimes but not always.  I’ve sort of forgotten the wonder of the Blue Sky Moon.  The Flannery Brothers haven’t.  They think like kids, it seems.

I also love “Farmer’s Market”.  People in Maine are a step ahead of the rest of us in the slow food movement.  They’ve been shopping locally for years and we city people are just catching on. But this song is catchy and super fun and I find myself singing it to the Bean every Thursday when we take our tote bags and head to the local Green Market. Want to get your kids excited about vegetables?  This is just one of the songs on this CD designed to encourage adventurous eating.

It’s not too early to start thinking stocking stuffers for the grandkids or unique gifts for the neices and nephews and godchildren.  Heck, a collection of amazing CDs is one of the most wonderful and unique baby gifts you can give.  Pair “Love Songs for Silly Things” with a soothing lullabye CD for a truly wonderful present that will keep on giving long after the 3 month onesie has been passed along to another dear baby.  This CD was created for kids ages two to six and has been recognized by The John Lennon Songwriting Conest.  Cool, huh?

So here’s your chance!  Thanks to the aforementioned super cute Flannery Brothers, one lucky Babies Gotta Have It reader will win a copy of “Love Songs for Silly Things”!  Want to enter?  Read on!

To Enter the Flannery Brothers “Love Songs For Silly Things” Giveaway

• MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Do yourself a favor.  Check out the totally fun Flannery Brothers website and enjoy their tunes.  Then come back and leave me a comment sharing the music you loved most as a child  Entering is that easy!
  

***Want extra chances to win? After you have made your first entry as described above, do anything listed below and leave me additional comments for each one letting me know what you did!  Maximum of seven entries per person.

• Follow me on twitter (click the birdy button on the left to do so easily) and Twitter this giveaway (I’ve even made it easy for you, just cut and paste):  The Flannery Brothers “Love Songs for Silly Things” CD is rocks my kids world! Enter to win one @BabiesGottaHavT http://tinyurl.com/y8az9f7
• Blog this giveaway (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
• Subscribe to my blog using the button on the left
• Grab my button and put in on your blog or website! Button code is in the right sidebar. Leave the link in your entry.
• Become a Fan of Babies Gotta Have It on Facebook–just click the link on the left sidebar!
• Email your friends about the giveaway and link to the giveaway post! cc me in the message (babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com)–I promise I will not spam you or your friends. Cross my heart

Your email address will remain private and not be shared with anyone. Giveaway only open to those with U.S.  addresses. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway begins on Thursday November 5th and ends on Thursday November 19th at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Friday November 20th,  Random.org will select the winner I’ll email you immediately. After my daughter called Larry the Cable guy the last time she did a drawing, we have decided to take a little vacation from her choosing the winner. Random.org is in no way as cute and unpredictable as my daughter, but it is much more efficient and does not use any pieces of paper, even recycled ones. I am sure you will understand. Thanks for entering! Disclosure: The Flannery Brothers sent me their CD to review and they provided a CD for the winner of the giveaway.  I was not compensated in any way for this post. All views and opinions with regard to the product or company itself are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by the company prior to posting.

Update!  We have a winner!  Random.org says “Result: 5″ !  Congralutaions Katherine Puma!!!  Thanks so much to everyone who entered!