Babies

Diapers.com is offering one lucky winner the registry of their dreams! In partnership with Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine, the online store is giving away one registrant's entire baby registry up to $2500. All you have to do is go to Diapers.com, make a baby registry and you are automatically entered to win. Ends 6/12.

We are giving away TWO Cricut Expression 2 Machines. One for you and one for a teacher (or influential person in your life). I’ve always been so appreciative of my children’s teachers and all they do for my kids. Wouldn’t it be great to give a year-end gift such as a Cricut Expression 2 machine to a teacher or school?  The giveaway ends tomorrow. Make sure to enter here. Thanks to Provo Craft for this giveaway. The post We Are Giving Away TWO Cricut Expression 2 Machines! appeared first on Design Dazzle.

I didn’t turn on the news last night and mostly stayed away from social media, so it wasn’t until this morning that I learned of the devastation that occurred in Moore, Oklahoma yesterday afternoon.  I watched this video this morning on my phone while the children sat at my feet watching cartoons. Quiet tears ran down my face as I watched parents break down in relief as they were reunited with their children. My heart seized for those calling out their children’s names in the chaos - searching for their faces in the battered crowd. In times of tragedy, so often I find it hard to even comprehend what that experience must be like for those going through it. That overwhelming fear. The desperate prayers, hoping that your loved ones are unharmed. I often consume the experiences of others by relating it to what I know - but even attempting to imagine the terror of trying to find my children in that sort of nightmare scenario is more than my mind will allow. Everly saw me fighting tears and asked me why I was crying. I always struggle with how or if I should talk to my children about tragedies. They are so young and I don’t want to scare them or cause them to worry.  One of the great beauties of childhood is that for most, there is still that naive comfort in not yet understanding or experiencing heartbreak, disaster, or cruelty. So, I chose my words carefully and told her that some people were hurt because of a big storm and I was feeling sad for them. I don’t know where I am going with this. I just wanted to write something out loud…to join the choir of millions of Americans and those around the world who are heartbroken for the families who lost everything, some including their lives, to this storm. If you would like to do something to help, please consider making a donation to the Red Cross or text the words “red cross” to 90999. If you are not financially able to contribute, please consider making an appointment at your local Red Cross Blood Center to give blood. Sending all the love and prayers I have today, as far and as wide as they can go. Love, M

{OBoy walking home from the park with our across-the-street neighbor.} We’ve been outside a lot lately. I have taken a solemn oath with myself to never once complain about the heat or humidity this summer, given the winter we endured. Nothing makes you appreciate muggy weather like snow storms in late April. I’ve seen clearly that the boys do so much better when they’ve been outside for extended periods of time. They nap better, they play better, they eat better, their hygiene is better (because Mommy can’t stomach the thought of those feet rubbing around in their sheets all night), life just goes better. We spend our mornings and sometimes our evenings (thunderstorms permitting) wandering the block playing with friends. Apparently there is something in the water here in our neighborhood because there are 13 children in Kindergarten or younger on our block. JUST our block. OBoy and OBrother will bike/run/scoot/wagon-ride down to friends’ houses and play in their yard for a bit, then they will head back this way as a pack and check out our front yard toys. It makes time fly and often leads to hours spent chatting with other mamas. We have spontaneously done dinner together with other families twice now, simply because it flowed naturally from our afternoon. I think this is what communal living is supposed to be like. One afternoon in early May when we realized we would pretty much be sharing children all summer, a few of us parents had a conversation to the effect of “Feel free to send my kids home whenever you need to, or to tell them not to do something if they are making bad choices”. And so we do. We borrow kids and hang out, we remind everyone to share (whether you’re our child or our neighbor), we bring out cold Diet Cokes for other moms, we tell entire groups of rowdy boys not to throw sand, and sometimes we end up eating burgers together and playing until bedtime. Even when we head down to the park a few blocks away, we tell the other families and a few join us. This. This is what I was missing all winter. Human interaction. Friends for my boys. Grilling. Barefoot toddlers. Daily kid showers where the drain water runs brown from dirt. Coffee on the front steps while kids squeal and bike up and down the sidewalk. Glory.

Your wedding was a storybook affair. Hair piled high and dressed in whitest white, your groom was handsome, the cake to die for, and your vows romantic. Fast forward three years and the dress is sealed in a box, the cake seems to have settled on your midriff, and your husband, while still handsome, has [...]You just finished reading Marriage Isn't Perfect {Guest Post}! Consider leaving a comment!This post is written by Penelope Guzman from Penelope's Oasis. If you are not currently reading this via e-mail or an RSS feed directly from Penelope's Oasis, then this post has been stolen or scraped. Stolen content can be reported here .

Cute modern nursery decorating ideas. Modern baby nursery decorating ideas. Modern baby nursery decorating ideas for baby boys and girls. Ideas for decorating contemporary nursery design.

This baby boy's nursery design was inspired by his grandfather's polo shirts but hold on; it's not a sports theme nursery. Rather than having a theme,

I was recently contacted by the wonderful store owner at The Eczema Company and thought that their great products would be very helpful to moms who struggle with keeping eczema at bay with their children. The owners are a family with a child who suffers from eczema and they started the business as a way to help other parents that struggle with the same challenges of childhood eczema. My four year old daughter has very sensitive skin, though she has never had recurring eczema, thankfully. About a month ago she was complaining about itching on the back of her legs, this was before the warm weather hit and she was wearing pants. At bedtime when she was changing into her pajamas and complaining about the itching I saw the dry, red, crusty patches on the back of her thighs, knees, and calves. I've never dealt with anything like that, so I was surprised. She has had rashes before from foods she ate (mostly sweets with additives), but nothing like this. After some reading and looking at photos I was convinced it's classic eczema. I still don't know what triggered it, but I'm sure it was something she ate when we visit grandparents and I couldn't pinpoint one thing since while there she has consumed everything from GMOs to food coloring, preservatives, and the usual allergens (nuts, eggs, wheat, dairy, soy, etc). The Eczema Company sent us some wonderful items to review that I cannot praise enough! First, the amazing Calendulis Natural Eczema Cream from Homeopathie Quebec, it is nothing short of incredible. Until it arrived, I was applying a natural balm that we had on hand for soothing dry skin/irritation and it didn't seem to do much for my daughter. The eczema on her legs didn't budge and I really hoped the Caledulis Cream would work better. When it arrived we applied it right away, a thin coat in the evening with merino wool pajamas she wears to sleep. She finally slept well and the itching didn't bother her, in the morning the dry, red patches were significantly clearer and in two days all the inflammation was gone with twice daily application! Don't just take my word for it, read all the other awesome Calendulis Cream reviews from parents whose children had major eczema flare ups. At $18.75 for just over an ounce, it's not cheap, but as others will agree, it's a price worth paying for clearing up eczema and minimizing the need for driving to doctor's visits and getting prescriptions for chemical based creams that don't always work. It also comes in a large tub of 4.2 ounces for $46.75. For a child with sensitive skin or sensory issues, finding clothing that they do not complain about wearing can be a challenge. Baby E has a slight problem with tags and seams on some clothing. She prefers everything that's soft and super comfy to wear, so she was really excited about the Dundies Elastic Free Underwear ($10.89, below). We got the size 4/5 and they are perfect on 4 year old Baby E - though she is small for her age and still wears a lot of size 3T clothing. I would say you can size up for these undies if your child is average or bigger than average for his/her age. They shrink just a tiny bit in the wash.For Baby T we received the small (3-5 years old) Soft Seamless Unisex Boxer Brief ($10.89, above). Since he is potty learning this summer, I thought that would be great for him. I love that they are organic cotton, with just a little nylon and spandex to make them stretchy. They are also perfect for children on the autism spectrum. Baby T is 18 months but wears a lot of 2T clothing and these briefs actually fit him well but Baby E stole them from him and wears them for now! They fit her like little bike shorts and they are actually a perfect solution for little girls who like to wear dresses to the playground and need something under the dress for modesty. They are soooooo stretchy! I'm pretty sure they would fit me if I tried to pull them on! ? If you are a parent of a child with allergies and/or eczema, you may find a lot of helpf

Before I knew if Big T was a boy I browsed Pinterest for style ideas for little baby boys. I love boutique-style clothing for my daughter and I wanted my son to be able to look just as adorable in snazzy clothing. I came across this tutorial to make a cardigan onesie. And while they are SO adorable, the directions made me a little anxious. Mostly the part of dealing with knit fabrics, all the buttons holes and whatnot. I figured there must be a simpler way to get the same look and that’s what I set out to do. I am not the craftiest person in the world, and I like to make things as easy as possible. Not only did I figure out a fool-proof way to get the job done, and make a cardigan-style onesie that goes on line a regular onesie–Over the head so you don’t have to mess with all those extra buttons. And the best part is it only cost a whopping $2 to make this thing–If you shop like I do. Sure beats the price tags you’ll find searching Etsy for similar styles. I went to one of our local children’s resale shop–Once Upon a Child. They have TONS of onesies, only $1 each. I picked up as many cute styles as I could find, mostly aiming for the striped or bright solid colors. I also went with mostly short-sleeved styles for now because come on, Texas is freggin HOT. Then, instead of messing with cutting and attaching stretchy knit fabric, I decided to use bias tape. I found some from this Etsy shop. She let me split up the colors and yardage, so I got 1 yard each of 11 different colors for $11. I already had buttons and thread, plus scrap fabric for the bow ties, and I was good to go. Want to make your own? I’ll walk you through it. First, here’s what you’ll need: Onesie Scissors Pins 1yd Bias tape–I like the double fold 1/2in tape Coordinating thread And a sewing machine to attach the bias tape Buttons Step 1 (pictured below) Create a point at the center of the onesie, parallel to the under-arm area of the sleeve. That’s going to be the point of the v-neck. Using a straight-edge, draw the lines of the V up to the shoulders. Then draw a line down the center of the onesie. Step 2 (pictured below) Cut along your lines. Then cut the onesie trim around the collar area. Step 3 (pictured below) Open your bias tape and slide the cut edge of the onesie inside to the center fold of the tape. Pin. Note: You don’t need to go completely around the onesie with the bias tape because we’ll overlap where the V connects. Step 4 (pictured below) Sew the bias tape onto the onesie. I stitch all the way around to connect it, starting at the bottom. Then when I get to the opposite side of the straight line, I top stitch the other side of the bias tape, closing the onesie again. Step 5 (pictured below) Add buttons. You can do this carefully using a hot glue gun, or stitch them on with needle and thread. Step 6 Spice it up with a coordinating onesie and/or bow tie (super easy tutorial for those coming soon!) Using different colors and embellishments could totally girlie it up, but my girl is too big for onesies now so these are all for my little guy. Like the tutorial? Have any questions? Leave them in the comments section. And please share with your friends! The post Cardigan onesie tutorial appeared first on Baby Making Machine.

Yesterday was a day for finding. I found my smile. I found my strength. I found my lighter side. I found friends and neighbors on our local shopping street. I found time and good coffee. I found a great new book. I found the ability to say no and an opportunity to say yes. I found one image I had forgotten about and a reason to use it. I found patience more than once. I found a childhood memory at the grocery store and the willpower not to buy it. I found organic & natural face wash that did not cost a fortune. I found wisdom in a group of blogging allies and clarity in one comment. I found new connections and strengthened old ones. And at the end of that strangely special day, I found an injured bird on my doorstep.  In that moment, I found meaning. For some reason that bird took shelter on my stoop. She found me. I am not a bird friendly person. I like them when they are flying. High above me. I was forced past my own issues with feathers and tiny bones to rescue this little one. Get on her level, pick her up and keep her safe. We took her to a vet last night so that she would not be alone, in pain and cold if this was the end of her life. Some people have said that a live bird at your door is a sign. That it is the spirit of a loved one that passed over coming back for a visit. I am sure that in this earthly life, I will not know the answer to that. If that is true, I hope I passed the test. Doesn’t really matter though because in that moment, the bird’s life was as valuable as any other living thing…even if no one was watching. There are just some days that feel more raw to me than others…. Like I am closer to something more…something bigger. I did not question why, I was just glad to recognize the things happening to and around me. I made sure that I took the time to appreciate them. Like an emotional squirrel, I gathered these little wisdoms and stored them in my heart for when the rains eventually return. And they will. Yesterday I found small graces. Has that happened to you? Have you ever felt like the veil was very thin and you were close to something great? I love those stories, so if you have one, please share.