Disney Baby Press Event

 

Last week, Rebecca and I attended the Disney Baby press party in midtown Manhattan with our little babes in tow... 

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Guest Post: New York Baby Show Recap

Meghan attended the New York Baby Show over the weekend as press, and today she's sharing her thoughts on the event and some of her favorite finds... 

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Guest Review: BABYBJORN Toilet Trainer

For today's guest review, Vanessa shares about the process of potty training her 2 ½ year old boy at home and daycare, sharing her experience using the BABYBJORN Toilet Trainer...

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Noah's Benefit

photo credit: one love photography

Today we want to introduce readers to Amanda and her darling baby boy, Noah, who was born prematurely in August of 2012 due to complications via emergency C-section. This little fighter weighed just 2 pounds 12 ounces at birth and was in the NICU for the first two weeks of his life. When he was able to finally go home, Amanda and her husband Steve were thrilled... but six weeks later, their world was turned upside-down when Noah exhibited some terrifying symptoms. He was rushed to the hospital and doctors discovered that he had Group B Strep Meningitis and, as a result, developed Hydrocephalus. Noah was once again fighting for his life. Since that fateful day, this sweet baby has endured numerous brain surgeries and has a permanent shunt in his brain that removes excess fluid build-up (you follow the entire journey here on the family's website.) Meghan knows Amanda from college, and she wanted to share a little history on their friendship and details on an informational, supportive, inspiring benefit that's being held in Noah's honor.... 

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Two Moms, Two Reviews: Joovy Hook Chair

 

An essential for any on-the-go family is a portable high chair for the little one. But with so many on the market, how do you know what's the right one for you? Jamie and I tested the Joovy Hook for about three months in New York City (and beyond) to see how its travel-friendly design functioned in real-life moments with two different children...

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Guest Review: MyUbby Blanket

 

For today's guest post, Meghan writes about a company I'd never heard of before they reached out to me for a product review. MyUbby offers customized blankets for a baby, teen, or adult, and each product is handmade. Here's Meghan's experience building her personalized MyUbby blanket online and testing it out with her 4-month old daughter...

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Protecting Baby from Pests

One of the most under-utilized accessories in the Stokke Xplory line – in my opinion – is the mosquito net... But here's why it may be good to keep it handy in that shopping bag. Read on for tips and photos on how to use the mosquito net...

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Nursery Tour: Aria's All-White, Airy Space

 Meghan has been one of my best friends for *over half* my life, and for today's post, she's welcoming readers into her daughter's all-white, airy space. Meghan and Alan welcomed little Aria into their family in January, and they thoughtfully created a layered, neutral, chic nursery, complete with a butterfly mobile, super-soft faux fur rug, and pops of pale mint. Check out Aria's adorable room with Meghan's commentary on her design inspiration, challenges, and favorites, and a full nursery source list...

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Just Tested: Joovy Caboose Too Ultralight Stroller

For about three months, I tested out the Joovy Caboose Too Ultralight double stroller here in New York City. Since I am the parent of one 14-month old child, I teamed up with my neighbor Rebecca (another reviewer, as I'm sure you know) and her 8 month old daughter Kate to try out the product. From the park paths of upper Manhattan to the city streets of Union Square, here's how the Caboose Too Ultralight performed... With bonus details from our road trip to Connecticut!

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Guest Review: Petites Frites Burp Cloths

 

I've shared my love for Petites Frites a few times now, so when they asked me to review their burp cloths I knew just the person for the task. Here are Rebecca's thoughts on this super-soft, over-sized, eco-friendly product that can be worn as a bandana-style bib or used as a traditional burp cloth...

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Townes' Nursery Featured on Babyspace!

Have you checked out Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine's Babyspace website yet? It opens the door to "fabulous baby rooms around the country" and I'm *SO* honored that they asked to feature my son Townes' nursery. Read about my design inspiration, favorites & challenges, and check out the full space tour here!

Daydreaming of the Catskills

photo credit: flickr

Later this month we're beginning a weekly summer-long exploration of the Catskills in Upstate New York. Have you been? I'd love to hear about your favorite activities, towns, and hiking trails! First up, we're planning to coast up along the Hudson River Valley and then cut west into Woodstock, Phoenicia, and then northeast to Hunter Mountain and the Round Top area. I'm been so #23 this week! 

Guest Review: BABYBJORN Harmony Cradle

 

For today's guest review, new mom Andrea (yes! she had beautiful Summer Rose three weeks ago!) shares about her experience testing the BABYBJORN Harmony Cradle...

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New Article: KON-TIKI

A few weeks ago I interviewed the Directors of KON-TIKI, a film that hits theaters on April 26th, for the Nat Geo Channel. Learn all about this epic real-life adventure story here! 

Guest Post: Higher is Better

 

For today's guest post, Meghan shares the reasons the Stokke Xplory pram's 'Higher is Better' design is tried-and-true from a first-time mom's perspective...

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Guest Review: Summer Infant BabyTouch 2.0 Digital Video Monitor

 

Last year I shared my thoughts on Summer Infant's BabyTouch Digital Video Monitor (read review here). In the last six months, the company unveiled an updated version of this best-selling baby monitor, and my product reviewer Vanessa tested it for two weeks at her home in Connecticut...

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Petites Frites Chin Bibs Review

I first learned about Petites Frites over a year ago when I reviewed their baby blanket. Since then, I've bought several of their products for friends, and as a fan of the brand, I jumped at the chance to review their brand-new chin bibs...

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Skyping with Schools about Writing

 

Recently one of my articles about inspiring the next generation published in Bare Essentials Magazine (details & read it here.) I've done a bunch of classroom visits in the past, but now my time is more limited and I'm extremely selective about what travel engagements I take on. I believe in talking with children about our professions – in my case, the life as a writer – and so I've taken to Skyping with schools. Last week, a Chicago-area, sixth grade honors language arts invited me to Skype with them....

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Favorite Recent Writing Tweets

 

an afternoon in brooklyn

Twitter is my absolute favorite form of social media for a variety of reasons, but one of the main ones is the encouraging, interactive writing community. Authors, editors, agents, readers and aspiring writers are constantly engaging in dialogue about the publishing industry. It's not just about silently listening in on conversations, or peeking at Instagrammed photos with clever one-liners, driving traffic to personal blogs, gaining followers, or only talking with real-life friends, like some social media engagers I've encountered. The children's book industry has proven – to me, at least – to be one of the most inviting, encouraging online networks out there. It should be, and seems to be, geniune virtual connection between people who absolutely love books and love readers. As a professional writer and aspiring kid's book author, I find Twitter to be an incredibly helpful resource. I've been favoriting a lot of writing-related tweets lately, and here are some highlights...

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Playground Life

Pretty much our daily afternoon ritual.