Arieson & Andrea!

Privileged to be a member of the elite Ladies Lotto network, I have come across some of the most amazing Woman ever - from entrepreneurs, activists, artists and entertainers (to say the least). I continuously find myself inspired to do great, greater and the greatest things possible.

Not too long ago, I connected with one of these lovely ladies via Instagram (Andrea Nina @darlingchuck) because hey, I enjoy looking at her photos! Little did I know that just like thousands of parents, she was a Mother to a gorgeous baby boy named Arieson – who fell victim to Neuroblastoma (the most common solid cancer in childhood).

Somewhere, flooded in my email was a touching story – Arie’s Book, which she had shared with the group. I was in tears and a huge part of me was so angry seeing as Cancer has been a prominent disease in my family. How could this email be overlooked? I am touched.

The purpose of this post is to encourage you all to stop what you’re doing for one minute – just one minute. Many people stop for 5 minutes to go on a smoke break or make a coffee in the morning. I’m only asking you to stop for one minute – think about all of the children in your life who have made you laugh, smile, giggle, frustrated, worried and so on. Now, think about never being able to feel that again. The thought devastates me.

I am asking that you please make a donation in Arieson’s name to Band of Parents. Whether it be $5 or $50 – a little will still go a long way. Little steps count toward doing great things – so why not start now?

Some shocking facts via Band of Parents, an organization dedicated to raising awareness on Neuroblastoma:

- Each school day, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer.
- Although the 5 year survival rate is steadily increasing, one quarter of children will die 5 years from the time of diagnosis.
- One in 330 children will develop cancer by age 20.
- Cancer accounts for the greatest number of disease deaths of children in the United States and kills more children per year than cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, asthma and AIDS combined.

For more information about Neuoblasoma, please visit Band of Parents.

Lions and giraffes and elephants – oh my! Baby booties by African Footprints have caught our eye.

These soft leather baby shoes are hand made in South Africa and available in a host of colors and animal combinations. Fits tots aged 9-24 months.

Available online from The South is Blooming shop.

@southisblooming

Photos: The South is Blooming

Looking for an innovative way to chart your child’s growth? This tutorial for canvas silhouettes by Christine Williams are beautiful reminders of how your little one is changing.

With just a few simple steps that utilize four supplies (plus a photo) makes this project an ideal choice for mommy or daddy and me time.

Get the tutorial.

www.justcallmechris.blogspot.com
@christinabw

Photos: Just Call Me Chris blog

We’ve done animal photo portraits before, but the “Little Darlings” at The Animal Print Shop were too adorable not to add to our guide for Life well lived.

The collection of ten baby animal portraits are just a small sampling of what photographer Sharon Montrose offers at The Animal Print Shop. All the animals photographed are real and raised by experienced animal keepers and handlers, who cared for them during the photo shoots. Montrose uses a portion of the proceeds created through The Animal Print Shop to help support organizations devoted to animal rescue, education programs and nurturing wildlife.

www.theanimalprintshop.com
@sharonmontrose

Photos: The Animal Print Shop

If you really need to up the cuteness quotient in your home, 3 Sprouts hooded towels will send you off the meter.

Eight different animal characters to choose from, including the too cute for words warthog, the towels are “ideal for baths or dips in the pool”.

www.3sprouts.com
@3_sprouts

Photos: 3 Sprouts

You might not know this, but only one-half of the Odette Manon founding team is actually a mommy. The other half – Me! – is experiencing the mommy calling and working diligently with hubby to go from pre-to-post parenting.

So I’ve been making my rounds and discovering some really great baby blogs. My favorite so far is Hello Bee!

Founded by Bee of Wedding Bee (another favorite), Hello Bee is “a new community about trying to conceive, pregnancy and parenthood.” I’m just mildly addicted to their Checklists, special collections of tips and tricks for everything from “Preparing to TTC” (trying to conceive), “How to store breast milk” and “Foods to avoid while pregnant”.

If you’ve got a few hours to relax? Spend some time exploring all the goodies over at Hello Bee.

www.hellobee.com
@hellobeedotcom

Illustrations: Hello Bee

You outta be in pictures – or on an Olliegraphic personalized pillow. Customized with your child’s name and a cute face cut-out, the pillows make a great gift for a young star.

Available in boy and girl versions.

www.olliegraphic.com
@olliegraphic

Photos: Olliegraphic

To celebrate the Year of the Dragon, which started on January 23rd, Oy Ahoy has launched a new kiddies iPad (and soon iPhone) app, Oy China!

It takes children and their parents on an educational adventure, and lets them discover the colorful world of lucky dragons. Oy China helps your children discover yet another fascinating culture and the heritage of one of the world’s oldest civilizations.
Oy China encourages your kids to be creative and design their own dragon by choosing pieces from one of the many exquisitely designed dragon sets. The dragon is built by picking one of the eight smiling heads, three bright body modules, wagging tail and vibrant spikes. And this is just half of the fun!
In China, every kid makes a paper dragon kite and takes it for a wild dance in the sky, to celebrate the coming of the New Year. Open your kids’ minds to a new culture, give them the opportunity to explore and be creative! They can navigate their dragon over the rice fields and help it collect magical items. Each magical item makes the dragon longer, and as the old legend says, the longer the dragon is, the more luck it brings. So be careful to avoid fireworks, they make your dragon shorter. Teach them how to tap on the boxes to grant their dragon the ability to spit fire, as any “serious” dragon can, and your kid with giggle joyously. At the end of each journey, help your young one count the body modules of the dragon.
Oy China is the second in the Oy Ahoy series, after a highly praised Oy Mexico, which tells a sweet story about memories of a lost loved one, introduced by the Mexican tradition of celebrating Dia de Muertos. The Danish-Swedish game design studio focuses on delivering dynamic, fresh and spell bounding stories to children of age 2-6. Each app is created with great care towards kids appropriate content and amazing artwork. For each project, they work closely together with children’s books illustrators from the specific culture they present, for a more authentic, culturally accurate experience.
For Oy China they developed a creative relationship with Yangsook Choi, selected as one of the most prominent new children’s book artists by Publishers Weekly. Her books have received several awards, including the International Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award, and the Skipping Stones Award. “Choi adapts thoughtfully to her new environs, without submerging her unique artistic identity.” (The New York Times)
Oy Ahoy proposes to literarily rebuild our world of cultures, traditions and great stories and squeeze it into the iOS devices. They want to let the toddlers explore the world with their fingertips, in a series of apps, each representing a unique country or culture. Oy China is now available on the Apple App Store!

Read about Oy Ahoy here.

Twitter: @Oy_Ahoy
Facebook: Oy Ahoy

Wanted to share just some of the wonderful photos that Seher of fishie face photography shot for our winner Wendy of Babies Gotta Have It! These photos turned out oh so magical!

The MILF (Mothers I’d Like to Follow) Series sheds a light on strong, powerful, beautiful and driven Mamas. We kick it off with the beautiful Amy Staw & her son David Shea!

David Shea's 1st Hanukkah

1. Tell us about yourself Amy!
I am a 36 year old mom of a very active 1 year old boy.  His name is David Shea (yes, we’re Mets fans).  I am now a stay-at-home mom living in Connecticut and freelance writer for TV.  Prior to this, I spent 15 years in the TV Production industry.  My credits include medical documentaries for Discovery, Casting Producer for The 5th Wheel (Blind Date‘s sister show), and Segment Producer for The Bachelorette.  Though this was exciting and challenging work, it was nothing compared to the title of Mommy.  Being a mother is the toughest job I’ve ever had, with the least pay, and yet– the greatest amount of reward.

Amy Staw with her son David Shea

I don’t know that I am so “different” from other mothers. I prefer to say I’m more of an “every-mom” so-to-speak.  At the core, I love my child more than anyone or anything else on earth! I have been a lot less strict with him than I ever thought I’d be before I became a parent.  I would rather “give in” than hear my son cry.  I love when David cries in the middle of the night so I have a good excuse to pull him into bed with me. My son’s smile is infectious and his laugh makes my heart skip a beat.  I have given up the “me time” activities I used to live for, my career, my bed, my body– all for this little person I’ve only known a short while.  I get more pleasure nowadays spending my manicure/pedicure money on a shape sorter or wooden stacking train than I ever thought possible.  I find myself watching David play, learn, and explore at various times throughout the day, and I am fascinated by his innocence and curiosity.  I believe my son is incredibly smart. Yes, I’ve even used the word genius now and again, but don’t tell anyone.

Now don’t get me wrong.  Parenting hasn’t been a bowl of cherries, and I am not the type to pretend it has been.  The first year was not without its challenges.  David had severe reflux and colic.  There were moments where this parent-child relationship was definitely tested (and these moments ensue as my son approaches the impatient toddler years).  But, I can say with absolute conviction, there is nobody else on earth I would be a slave to, give up sleep months on end for, and adore this much– even through all the screaming, fussing, and incessant complaining.  David is definitely the center of my world, and I enjoy every minute of watching him grow.

4. Define what you believe is a “Life Well Lived”