Burper Baby Gift

Have you ever seen a baby product that you wished you had thought of? Well, here it is..."The Burpcatcher"! I'm sorry, but this made me laugh...both for it's simplicity and it's practicality! This is a burpcloth with a pocket at one end, ie, that end goes over your shoulder, so when baby spits up the burp cloth "catches" it!

Z was never a spitter-upper, but I know many a friend whose gems were little fountains. Perhaps, if you're one of those friends, this might pique your interest for number 2!

Super Sock Alternative

Are you tired of putting shoes on your little gem's feet even when you're at home? Well, I am! I always put Robeez on Z's feet because he's king of the "sock-puller-off" club! I'd rather he could just slip on something more comfortable at home though. A friend suggested Nowa Li moccasins for babies. They're like socks but they have a soft leather sole, great for both indoors and outdoors for crawlers and new walkers! I can't wait to get a pair for Z! I've also found new ones on Ebay for less!

Great Reads

From the author of Babycakes comes two more of Z's favorite books. Karma Wilson wrote Bear Wants More and Bear Snores On, both about a lovable bear...in one he's hungry and the other he's sleepy. The books have repetition but also have cute stories that your little one will love (and you won't be bored of reading over and over). They were both a little long for Z to sit through at first, but now adores hearing them!

Organic Baby

Now that Z is eating 'real' food, I'm constantly scrambling to figure out what to feed him. Another important factor in what I feed him is what foods should I buy *organic*? I found a list of fruits and veggies that are better off being eaten organic. Don't worry, I won't make you go to the link, instead, here's a list of those at the top of the list.

Fruits:
Apples
Bananas
Grapes/Raisins
Peaches
Pears
Raspberries

Veggies:
Bell Peppers
Corn
Cucumbers
Green Beans
Potatoes
Spinach
Winter Squash

Other foods to buy organic:
Milk/dairy products
Oats (ie, in cereal)
Rice
Anything else your baby eats a lot of!

Hope this is helpful for those of you interested in buying more organic but not ready to buy all of your groceries in 'organic' versions. For more info about *why* it's a good idea to eat these organic, check out Delicious Organics. They also have a lot of other helpful links about organic foods!

Eat Your Veggies

If you're looking for a cute baby gift or a special something for your little gem, you can't beat these adorable knit vegetable rattles! Great for the little ones to shake or teeth on now, and then when they're older they can use them in their kitchen! They also make cupcakes, ice cream cones, fruit and donut rattles...to name just a few (and all are equally precious).

Laugh Out Loud

Do you want to laugh? I know we all laugh a lot with our little gems...but I mean *really* laugh? My friend stumbled across "In the Motherhood", on MSN, which is a series of comedy shorts starring Leah Remini, Jenny McCarthy and Chelsea Handler. These are hysterical skits based on real mommy experiences. I realize that we're all pressed for time, but you won't regret tuning into an episode (I really liked Season 2 Episode 2). If you don't laugh out loud or think it's funny then I apologize for wasting your time! : )

Product Safety

A friend of mine, who recently had a baby, asked me what bath products I use on Z. I proudly told her that we use Burt's Baby Bees (love the scent and seems so gentle). She said, "But I'm not sure it's totally safe." HUH??? Well, she passed along the address for a website which rates the safety of beauty products for adults and has a special database for children's (and baby) products. It's called Skin Deep and it's quite informative. When I looked up Burt's it had a rating of 4 out of 10, with 1 being the safest. OY! Check it out for yourself!

P.S. Take it with a grain of salt!

Time to Brush

A friend of mine who's a pediatric dentist told me that I should be brushing Z's 2 little teeth everyday! EEEEKK! I've been asking everyone I know what they use to brush their little gems' teeth. One friend told me about Baby's First Toothbrush. I checked it out and people gave it lots of good reviews so it looks like it's worth a try!

Btw, I just picked one up at BuyBuyBaby for $5.99.

Easy to Use Sippy

I know I've been talking *a lot* about sippy cups lately, but I've actually found one that Z can use! At 9 months he was having zero success with the regular sippy cups (ie, non-straw versions) but I just bought the Nuby Sport Sipper with Soft Straw and it's great! Z was able to drink from it without any trouble, probably because it's so similar to a bottle's nipple. The bottle appears to be made from a non-BPA containing material (since it's cloudy plastic) and the straw is made from silicone. At any rate, I was just happy to find a straw sippy that he could use! I bought one at BuyBuyBaby for around $3.50.

Buyer beware...I read some reviews that said they leaked easily, and the silicone tore. Other people loved them! So, check it out and see for yourself. I think the bottom line is that these are a great transition from bottle to straw-sippy. Oh, one last thing...you can also buy replacement lids.

Presents with Presence

Do you find yourself searching for the perfect baby gift every time you find out another friend has a little gem on the way? Here's an adorable, yet practical gift for all new moms! The Cutest Things has a gift set that comes with 1 laminated bib and 2 burp cloths--all personalized-- for $36! You can choose from lots of colors and patterns...you can't go wrong giving this. The laminated bibs are really great too because they're soft, they wipe clean and they can be machine washed. The chenille bibs are great for the first 6 months if your baby spits up alot when eating! The site has other personalized gifts as well, but these are my faves!