There is nothing that can make you feel more proud of being a parent then announcing your baby to the world. Of course everyone will be wondering what your baby looks like. Does he have his father’s green eyes? How tiny are his hands? And just how cute is he? What a better way to let everyone know then using stylish photo birth announcements like these:

Think these cards would cost you an arm and leg? Think again - because they cost just $0.99 each! Not only are they stylish, making you the hippest mom around, but they’re also made from 100% recycled paper which makes them the most sensible, conscious choice.

If you’ve already sent out your baby birth announcements, Baby’s Here still has something for you! No doubt that with a baby as cute as yours, your house will be filled with gifts from friends, family and colleagues. Of course you’re going to have to write thank you notes eventually. Why not take this opportunity and make them truly special? The customized notes pictured below show that you’ve really taught of thanking them and didn’t simply scribble a note last minute on a Hallmark card you purchased from the supermarket. Small things really do count.

Baby’s Here also offers baby shower invitations ranging from cute to humorous, elegant to cartoony. I personally like the one pictured below, second from right. It’s very best-seller-novel-cover-ish.

With all these great bargains waiting for you, be sure to check out Baby’s Here and make the most out of being a mom!

1. For the family: The Chatterbox - Teaching kids about money, goals, and character

The Chatterbox is a really cool game that is meant to get families talking and the kids interested in things that most games just don’t bring. From providing a fun way to learn about money, or a cool way to get the whole family talking, it’s a great little game. It has been featured in lots of blogs, from cool mom picks to droolicious.

Here’s what TheDomesticDiva.com had to say: The Chatterbox is a is a fun little box of ideas and topics to get families talking. The goal of the chatterbox is to teach your family life skills in a fun and interesting way. We have our chatterbox sitting in the middle of our kitchen table. Each night we pull one card from the box and start chatting it up. Some nights it is a game card that we pull and other nights it is card full of questions. It is fun to see our family bonding so closely together and a great way for the kids to learn more about things that aren’t traditionally taught in schools.

Go check it out, it’s priced competitively at $29.95 so it’s worth adding to the game closet for sure.

2. For Safety: Tail-Wags.com - Helmet Covers that make a statement

So every kid hates wearing a helmet, even when their little. Why? I don’t really know, I just know almost every single kid hates wearing a helmet. Tail-Wags.com has provided a solution, and it has really taken off. Like Chatterbox, tail-wags has seen a nice amount of press already, including the Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, and savvymom.ca, here’s what she had to say:

Got some fast ones in your pack that love to ride/shred on the snow but don’t love to wear their mandatory safety equipment quite as much? They will when their helmet is decked out in a Tailwags helmet cover ($40). Handmade in Canada by Toronto mom entrepreneur Karyn Climans, who was inspired by a stint as a costume designer for her son’s school play, these fun fleece covers also provide warmth in the cold and easy identification on slopes (or rinks or toboggan hills). From cats to dogs, from lions to tigers, the requisite dino, and even a mouse, Tailwags makes lots of styles to suit any kids (and in case you’re jealous, they make adult sizes too).

Can’t hurt to check it out. Even if your kid is more of a concrete daredevil, it may be even more worth it!

3. Little Learning - Teach-My.com - The all in on learning system for toddlers

Every mom has a responsibility to give their kids the best start in life, because once they head off to school, you lose a significant amount of influence. All of a sudden teachers, friends, and everything else comes in all at once. So teaching the toddler is your best shot. The Teach My Toddler system has been awarded for it’s ability to teach kids at such age. From their site:

The aim of Teach My Toddler is to give toddlers a head start and to promote interaction and one-on-one time between the toddler and their parents, grandparents and caregivers. Just 20 minutes a day with the Toddler Tote and little ones can master their alphabet, numbers, shapes and colors. Teach My Toddler is designed for 1-3 year olds. It retails for $39.99. The Toddler Tote contains 17 coordinated teaching tools: 5 puzzles, 4 teaching charts, 4 board books and 4 sets of flashcards.

Some people are against teaching kids at such a young age, but Teach My Toddler provides a proven system that is engaging for the child, not just a simple memorizing tool. Once again, priced low enough that for such a small investment, you can give your child a great head start in life.

There you have it… 3 really cool products that won’t break the bank, and can help all you hipster moms out there keep your kids safe and smart. Consider this an early gift guide!

Help us spread the buzz about these items! Contact Create Chatter PR for more information!

Yes, I am taking the plunge to try one more. Why? At first glance, this tool has more than the normal calendar and grocery list to offer. Yes, those are two tools offered, but at Yadahome.com there is also a journal, contact listing, a location to add photos, a coupon section, a cookbook/recipe location, and a spot where you can network with family and friends.

Several other great sections noted at Yadahome.com allow you to network with other members, create and join groups, chat on the discussion forums on topics important to you and your family, and give you a listing of your local news and events happening right within your city. There is a ton of information right at your fingertips and all it takes is a free membership to get started.

What is stopping you from trying it out? Not saying you should jump right away and change your current organization and planning tool. Just take a few minutes and take a tour around Yadahome.com. Check it out and see if this might be the one and only tool for you and your family.

This is an original The Parent Spot post.

So, now is a great time to start looking at some awesome costume ideas for you and your family. My suggestion - grab your kiddos ideas and head for online. Yep, head to an online store for ideas and to order your costume and accessories. Why? Well, one thing I have learned when it comes to shopping locally - it is great to have it right now, but nine times out of ten they run out of product, usually what I need - then I am just out of luck. So far, my experience with online retailers - always in-stock.

One online retailer that is a must see is BuyCostumes.com. With an outrageous amount of costumes to choose from, you can’t go wrong. From classic styles, to new themes like Batman: The Dark knight Joker costume, you can find everyone in your family a costume, including your dog! Another great aspect of BuyCostumes.com, it is a one-stop shop. Not only can you order your family’s Halloween costumes, you can order party supplies for the awesome Halloween Costume block party that you are throwing!

And why stop at Halloween? You can order costumes, accessories, and party supplies for a variety of celebrations that happen all year long - from Mardi Gras to Christmas. Check out BuyCostumes.com, order your Halloween supplies, and celebrate a fun night, trick or treating with your young goblins!

Enjoy!

Tell us what you plan to be for Halloween. Are you going to have a block party? A private family and friends party? Let us know!

This is an original The Parent Spot post.

Group B Streptococcus can cause:

• miscarriage
• stillborn birth
• death soon after birth

Newborns that survive can have:

• blindness
• deafness
• mental retardation
• cerebral palsy

Many expectant mothers are unaware they carry the disease. In an effort to inform mothers, a recent article on HealthDay.com, Protecting Newborns From a Dangerous Threat, reporter Dennis Thompson gives a wealth of information on how mothers can protect their newborns. 

Protection is a simple process: be tested and take the prescribed antibiotic. Please click here for the article and to gain further knowledge on how to protect yourself and your unborn child.

This article is for informational purposes only. This is not medical advice and should not be used as such. Please consult your Doctor.

This is an original The Parent Spot post.

I hope this title is not misleading, as I in no way want this article to appear as if I regret having my beautiful baby boy. I just quickly found out that there were a few surprises to parenthood. I hope you can learn something from my experiences and be a little better prepared when your new little one comes.

Tidbit 1: Babies go through a lot of diapers at first. You might have heard this before, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be surprised by the amount of diapers they go through. Expect an average of 10-15 diapers a day at first–no kidding. The good news is that as their bodies gradually develop they need fewer and fewer diapers. Another related surprise is the price of diapers. The average price of diapers is around $10 for 30 diapers. You can do the math; it adds up quickly.

Tidbit 2: Some babies are born with long fingernails and can scratch themselves right away before they learn to use those appendages properly. I can’t tell you how helpless I felt to see my baby boy scratching his baby face with those tiny hands.

You might think the easy solution is to cut the fingernails. While this is true, most find it very difficult to take fingernail clippers to their infants (I sure did and I even had the special made-for-babies finger nail clippers). I’d heard too many horror stories about parents inadvertently clipping off the end of their tiny baby’s finger while trying to clip the nails (shudder).

You might try buying baby clothes that have hand covers on them. Or just buy your baby some cute little mitts - adorable and useful. As a side note, normally baby onesies only partially cover the arms of your baby and don’t cover the hands at all. When buying baby onesies, mitts are highly recommended.

Another solution to the fingernail dilemma is simply biting your baby’s fingernails. When I first received this advice, I was extremely skeptical. Who wants to bite their baby’s fingernails? However, after the baby gloves kept flying off I decided to give it a go. I was pleasantly surprised at how well this works. Using your teeth, it is much easier to determine where your baby’s fingernail ends and his skin begins. This is the main advantage of biting your baby’s fingernails over clipping them. If you do decide to use fingernail clippers, please use extreme caution.

Tidbit 3: Breastfeeding hurts…a lot. Breastfeeding hurts at first even if your baby is latching on correctly. It hurts about twice as much if your baby doesn’t latch correctly, maybe three times as much. Be sure to ask for a lactation specialist while at the hospital, if available, to make sure your baby is latching properly. If your hospital doesn’t provide a lactation specialist, the nurses work great too.

An unpleasant surprise with breastfeeding is that the pain does not only come from the source you might think. While it is true that the area where the baby latches on becomes extremely sore (we’re talking cracked and bleeding in some cases), you’ll also feel severe cramping as the baby feeds. Most mothers don’t expect this cramping to occur.

The good news about breastfeeding, besides the health and economical benefits, is that after 1-2 weeks the cramping subsides, and after 3-6 weeks breastfeeding becomes much less painful in the latch-on area (as long as you don’t allow yourself to become a pacifier). This means only feed your newborns when they are hungry and not when they are just looking for something to do.

Your newborn will bring you more joy than you can imagine. Sure, you’ll have a few surprises along the way, but the benefits far outweigh the costs. Perhaps your biggest surprise will be how much you enjoy having a baby.

About the Author:
Kimberlie is a mother, author, and baby clothes guru. Come find out all about baby onesies at her blog: www.babyonesies1.com.

Giveaway: Smart Moms Solutions Pak               Winner: Amy @ Sassy Pink Boutique (#4)

Giveaway: New baby Pack                                 Winner: Anne @ Benderhouse (#22)

Giveaway: BabyWit Matching T’s                       Winner: Bunny (#14)

Giveaway: Fierce Hugs Tote                              Winner: Cori Westphal (#17)

Giveaway: Mom Spit Cleanser                           Winners: Ginny @ Scrappyd (#34) Fig & Green Tea;

                                                                         Liam’s Mom (#21) Lemon & Green Tea

Giveaway: Busy Body Book                               Winner: Colleen (#34)

Giveaway: I Love Photo Gifts                            Winner: Pamela White (#26)

All winners were chosen thanks to Random.org. OK winners, if you have an email attached to any of your comments or a blog, I will also be contacting you by email.

All winners, please contact me back within 24 hours to claim your prize. Email me at dannie@theparentspot.com.

Positive reinforcement during turbulent times at school can help give the extra boost your child will need to get past the jungle of rough times into the meadow of smooth sailing. Scholastic has a great article on how parents can help build self-confidence just by adjusting situations that arise, like bad grades and lack of effort, all by using positve words to reinforce change.

I, personally, have started to use this reinforcement as school begins next week for my two children. My oldest is exhausting when it comes to school as the last two grade levels have been a continuous struggle with him. In the Scholastic article you will meet David. David and my son are exactly alike when it comes to how they feel about themselves. My son feels he is a failure when it comes to school simply because it does not click.

One thing I want my son to understand is that sometimes things won’t click and that is OK. He doesn’t need to be the smartest kid. I just want him to know that his effort is what will excite me. Knowing that he wants to at least try is an accomplishment in its own. If he gets it wrong today, the effort he puts forth tomorrow, will help him succeed in the future.

Parents: Do your children struggle with their self-confidence? What tips do you have? Share your thoughts!

This is an original The Parent Spot post.