U.S. Postage Stamps Personalized with Your Photo!

I recently came across a really fun idea – actual U.S. 39 cent postage stamps with the photo of YOUR choice on the stamps!  This is so cute!  Consider ordering stamps for:

• Grandma and Grandpa – depicting darling grandchildren
• Newlyweds -  use a great wedding photo for thank you notes
• New Parents – highlight a sweet baby photo for birth announcements
• Proud Graduates – class photo for announcements or thank you notes
• Over Forty Birthday – put a childhood photo of the guest of honor on the party invitation stamp
• Special Anniversary – for your parents’ 40th or 50th invitation.  Use their original wedding portrait

The source for this unique item – Zazzle, custom photo stamps. This site also offers a wide variety of other personalized items!

Let your imagination run and impress the recipients of your correspondence with the most clever stamps in town!

Dino Ball Pit

A bright plush (machine washable) dinosaur unzips to reveal a baby friendly ball pit, complete with 60 balls in two different sizes, encouragning both fine and gross motor skills.  Clean up is easy and the baby’s senses will be stimulated with patterns, colors and textures. (I’m The Boss Dino Ball Pit, $79.99)

The Bobo Glove

This silly sounding item is really a very creative and entertaining toy for our little ones!  The glove (worn by a grown up) features lots of fun things to engage a baby:  teething, rattling and squeaking.  With bright colors, no need for batteries and a companion board book, this is a fabulous baby toy! (Bobo Glove and Book, $18.95)

Twilight Turtle

Truly the best nightlight ever, this soft turtle sports a shell that illuminates stars in 3 soothing colors onto the nursery ceiling.  The turtle has a 45 minute shut off, a star guide to help identify constellations, a story book and an adoption certificate.  Other colors are also available and part of the proceeds go to international conservation efforts. (0 – 36 months, Twilight Turtle Constellation Night Light, $34)

Stardust Lullaby CD

This is an award winning music collection with over 2 1/2 hours of soothing, gentle music!  Original and traditional lullabies are mixed with instrumental renditions and promise relaxation for all who listen!  (Stardust Lullaby, $24.95 – you can listen to some music at the site too!)

Construction Dishware

Serve dinner to your toddler creatively!  This fun construction set includes a plastic dish with compartments and a bulldozer pusher, front loader spoon and fork lift fork!  (Construction Dishware, $18)

Heirloom Sled

This elegant pull sled would be a wonderful gift for baby’s first Christmas!  Built to last for generations, this sled features thick birch planks, hand carved willow hand rails, stainless steel hardware, copper accents and a marine grade finish!  A reversible pad is also available.  (Heirloom Sled, $120)

Dream Meadow Playmat by Haba

This adorable toy is perfect for newborns and up!  This playmate has sides that can be easily flipped up to create a cozy spot for babies to play, sleep or be changed!  There’s a play gym bar and sweet designs all the way around the sides!  (Dream Meadow Playmat, $189.99)

Do you have a favorite gift for a baby?  Please share!

You may also enjoy:

Ingredients:

• 1 medium eggplant, about 1 lb. cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1 pound zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 12 lasagna noodles (I use the “no cook” version)
• 1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
• 1/2 c. chopped fresh basil
• 6 T. grated parmesan cheese
• 6 T. olive oil (or more)
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large red pepper, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Corn kernels cut from 2 ears of corn (1 c. of thawed frozen corn will work too)
• 1/4 c. pitted and chopped Kalamata olives
• 2 c. chopped, fresh tomatoes
• 4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
• salt and pepper

Directions

• Stir together the ricotta, 1/4 c. of basil, 2 T. parmesan, and 1/8 t. pepper until blended; set aside.
• Heat 2 T. olive oil in a large skillet.  Add the zucchini and eggplant and saute until browned.  Remove from skillet and set aside.
• In the same skillet, heat another 2 T. olive oil and saute peppers, onion and garlic until the edges begin to brown.  Stir in the corn, black olives and remaining 1/4 c. of basil.  Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Use a deep 13″ x 9″ baking dish.  Spoon 1/2 c. chopped tomatoes into the bottom of the dish.  Arrange a single layer of lasagna noodles over the tomatoes.
• Top noodles with a single layer of 1/2 of the zucchini/eggplant mixture and 1/2 of the pepper/corn mixture.  Sprinkle with 1 c. mozzarella and 2 T. parmesan.
• Arrange a second layer of noodles and spread with the ricotta mixture, then the remaining zucchini/eggplant and 1 c. mozzarella.
• Add the third layer of noodles with the remaining pepper/corn mixture and 1 1/2 c. tomatoes.  Sprinkle with the remaining 2 c. mozzarella and 2 T. parmesan.
• Bake until cheese is bubbly and edges browned, about 50 minutes.  Let stand 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

(Adapted from 365 Ways to Cook Pasta)

Look What I Found – Beautiful Baby Play and Changing Mats from The Cushie Company!

If you’re in the market for a special and luxurious gift for a new mom or mom to be, consider one of the beautiful products from The Cushie Company! 

The “Cushie” baby mat, their signature piece, is a well sized and incredibly soft padded mat featuring fun, stylish patterns on both sides.  It’s perfect for changing and playing on a soft clean surface.  Coordinating bibs, burp cloths and a changing pad sized for a diaper bag are also available.  The ”Cushie” can be customized with any combination of fabrics, and monogramming can add another special touch! 

A gift from The Cushie Company is sure to be the hit of your next baby shower! (theoriginalcushie.com, $59 to $75)

To win one of these beautiful Cushie mats, enter our contest today!  Contest ends August 31, 2008.  To purchase, use code BBL10 for $10 off!

• Quickzip Crib Sheets
• Clever Closet Organization for Kids
• Choosing the Perfect Baby Name
• Gifts for Milestone Special Occasions

Tags: unique baby mat, changing pad, bib, burp cloth, baby set, baby shower gift, baby gift, stylish, cute, unique, perfect, best, , top, fabulous  

For me, the best part of nine months of pregnancy was the delightful dilemma of choosing a name for our baby!  And I feel especially fortunate that I got to enjoy this process three times!  While there are many books and websites that offer baby names suggestions, it’s not as easy to find some practical considerations to keep in mind when making the big decision!

And so, while I am not a “baby naming” expert, I have gathered a few thoughts on the subject matter, from my own experience and from the families who are along for the ride on my parenting journey!

Use the Most Traditional Spelling for Your Baby’s Name

Whatever name you choose, spell it in its most traditional spelling!  I went to grammar school with a girl named Suzan, who ended up always introducing herself by saying, “Hi, I’m Suzan with a Z.”  Think of all the time she would have saved over the course of her lifetime if her parents had just named her Susan!  Not to mention all of the cute pre-personalized items that she had to miss out on!

Consider a Family Name

When choosing a name for your baby, turn to your family names before turning to any of those internet lists!  I think that as young and inexperienced parents, we don’t realize how much the idea of a namesake means to those we love most!  Look to first, middle and last names for inspiration!  One of my very favorite ways to create a namesake is to use a family last name that can work as a first name!  For example, a friend’s maiden name is Kelsey and her little girl is now the adorable Kelsey! Another friend with the maiden name of Wade, used this as her handsome son’s first name!

Get Creative With Initials

If you’d really like to name your baby after a special family member, but just can’t abide by their actual name, consider replicating their initials!  For example, if your dear aunt’s name is Agatha Eleanor Jones, try Abigail Elizabeth Jones for your daughter!  And just maybe, Aunt Agatha will appear at your doorstep with her own heirloom monogrammed brooch for your little Abigail!

And speaking of monograms, keep in mind that if you give your baby a name where any of the first letters are repeated (like Jennifer Samantha Smith) you may not be happy with the appearance of his or her monogram!

Name Your Second Baby with a Different First Initial than the First’s

Are you getting ready to name a second baby?  If so, I urge you not to name the second with a name that starts with the same letter as the first child!  While signing cards “With Love From Mary, Marvin and Mike” might seem cute, this will create a calendar nightmare when those children grow to have busy schedules of their own!  If you jot a calendar note that “M” has a doctor’s appointment a month from now, when the appointment comes around, will you remember which “M” you are referring to?

Keep Your Children’s Names in the Same Ballpark

Also in the category of naming children beyond your first, I think it’s preferable to keep the names in the same ball park.  In other words, if you christened your first child Elizabeth, the second Catherine, naming the third Brianna just doesn’t sound right!  Two traditional names followed by a trendy or strongly ethnic one, or vice versa, make the parents appear to have had some sort of break down!

Unisex Names for Baby Names

So many names are unisex in today’s culture – names like Morgan, Tyler, Ryan, Sydney and more.  If you decide to choose a name like this, make sure that the middle name is very clearly male or female.

Choose At Least One Name For Your Baby Before You Go to the Hospital!

This is my own personal gripe, but do not go to the hospital without at least one name each for a baby boy and a baby girl!  You’ve had 40 weeks, so decide already!  Even a list with 2 or 3 choices ready for a last minute decision, will prevent you from looking like you didn’t want to take the time to figure out names before the big event!

Whatever you end up deciding upon, make sure that you love what you’ve selected! You’ll be saying it, writing it and hearing it for many wonderful years ahead!  Do you have a tip for choosing baby names?  I’d love to hear!

You may also enjoy:

• Clever Baby Shower Gifts
• Clever Baby Shower Gifts II
• Baby’s First Birthday
• Birthday Gifts for 1 and 2 Year Olds

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