This Spring, I welcomed my second son, Nate London. He's an awesome baby, and big as well -- 9.5 lbs at birth! I thought I'd post his birth announcements for you all to see. I created a classy, black and white version to send to most people, and then a fun, cheeky version to send to a few select friends and family. Enjoy!

Round Monogram

Precious Partners

All photos courtesy of Maureen Ford Photography

I recently read about a charity organization based out of California called "Loved Twice." Started in 2005, Loved Twice is the brainchild of Lisa Klein, who started her mission by sending newborn clothing she had collected from her friends to a church in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. Loved Twice has donated over 20,000 pounds of recycled baby clothing to more than 3,000 newborns in need. I love this idea and am planning on sending some clothing their way... especially since my boys seem to wear a onesie only once before they grow out of it. They also take tax deductible cash donations.

Hello Little One has teamed up with Tiny Prints to create super-cool, high-personalized designs for their new Greeting Card collection. This service really rocks: You can personalize a greeting card with your own text and photos, and they will stamp and mail it for you. Besides the fact that I love the high quality, low-priced cards (from $1.99 to $3.99 depending on the service you choose), the time that you save by doing it from the comfort of your own home is awesome. I recently did a few -- complete with photos and sentimental text -- for my son's grandmother's and they went wild for them. Next up is Father's Day, and I can't wait to do them for all the dads in my life. Here are some of our favorite designs (remember, most text and photos would be personalized with YOUR own!):

Here at Hello Little One, we try to inspire great ideas with our many unique stationery creations. One such, is our storybook themed baby shower invitation. This darling, vintage style card is the perfect way to invite your guests to a storybook baby shower and asks that each guest bring a copy of their favorite childhood book for the new baby. Its old style design can be the perfect inspiration starting point for your baby shower decor. Centerpieces made from stacked antique or colorful books will create a magical storybook atmosphere. Book marks, from Beau-Coup, can be used as place cards and also work as favors for all of your guests. Check out this adorable cake from pinkcakebox.com, where edible books are stacked and topped off with the cutest little baby. It will definitely lure your guests to the desert buffet. Best of all, the mom to be and her new little one, will treasure their new books for a lifetime of reading and enjoyment.

Last night, ABC aired a sneak preview of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, a new show where the cute and quirky British chef takes on America's school cafeterias and challenges them to serve healthy and delicious food to our kids. I've always loved everything about 'the naked chef' and now I love him even more. Jamie is starting with Huntington, West Virginia, deemed the unhealthiest city in America. The food served is truly disgusting: 90% frozen and processed, without a green veggy in sight. Since it's easy to watch and judge, I wanted to check out  the school lunches in my town. Here's this week's elementary menu from our local paper:

Ugh. Pizza, meatball subs, cheeseburgers, hot dogs and grilled cheeses are the main meals for the week. I can see they are trying to infuse some healthy stuff like carrot sticks and apples. But let's face it, the kids will eat the grilled cheese, then the tots, then the milk and probably toss the apple. I live in a town just north of Boston, an area that has been deemed one of the healthiest places in the country...you'd think there would be at least one day with some lean white meat (how about a turkey wrap or some bbq grilled chicken?), but instead the focus is on processed red meat and cheese. That's why I'm behind Jamie all the way. On his website you can sign a petition to support his movement: http://www.jamieoliver.com/. He wants to show the President how many of us parents really care about serving our kids healthy food in school. I signed it and encourage parents to do the same. Go Jamie!

Last night I watched Food, Inc., a documentary that "lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA." What was so eye-opening about the film is just how much our food production processes have changed over my lifetime. The chicken that I ate as a child is not the same chicken that is sold at the grocery store today. Even the seeds that grow grains, soy and other produce are genetically modified... some with hexane, a neurotoxin. As parents, we need to be more informed than our parents were about what they put in our food, because they put so much more. I'd encourage any mother or father to see this film, and make your own decisions about how we choose, purchase and prepare the food that we give our children.

I'm 7 months pregnant with my second child and unlike last time, we don't know the gender. For my son, Leo's nursery, I chose a bold, modern and fun color palette and I'd like to do the same for number two. However, not knowing the sex is proving a bit of a challenge. A planner at heart, I'd like to get the room painted and buy a glider to ensure comfy nighttime feedings as soon as we bring baby home. I'm trying to mix it up a bit, and not use green or yellow for the walls. I've put together some options below. I'd love some feedback!

All paint colors by Benjamin Moore

Hello LIttle One is proud to offer our new 2010 line of personalized Valentine's Day Cards. One of the busiest greeting card days of the year, Valentine's Day presents the perfect opportunity to share the love with family and friends! We offer a wide range of design styles: classic, contemporary, vintage, and portrait. You can choose from family photo greeting cards, photo couple cards, and an array of fun and adorable children's Valentine's Day cards.

If an upcoming family trip has you feeling anxious about traveling with a toddler and worried about how you can keep him or her occupied, relax and read the following tips. Anticipating any toddler's needs and being prepared for the unexpected will make the journey so much more enjoyable.

Explain your trip: Know that traveling with young children does disrupt their daily routine and they may need some reassurance that this new undertaking is safe and fun. Talk to them about the airport, the plane, the flight and other things they will see and hear.

Luggage: Have your toddler pull his own carry-on luggage. He will love to be like mom and dad and you can use his carry on to pack the very things he will need on the ride or flight.

A Bag of Fun: Things to pack include: new books, new small toys, finger puppets, crayons, coloring books and paper. I have found that new things will surprise, intrigue and capture their interest. If your toddler has a favorite toy they love, definitely bring it along!

Snacks:  Healthy snacks in small individual packages work very well. Pack more than you think in case of unexpected delays. Granola bars, crackers, yogurt, dried fruit, fresh fruit & vegetables (if traveling within U.S. borders) are good choices. Veer away from candy and sugar. You don't want a hyper child in a confined area!  

Extra Wipes: Besides their obvious use, wipes are convenient for cleaning dirty faces, hands, toys that have fallen, and armrests.

Extra Clothes: Toddlers have a knack for spilling everything and anything. Also, make sure you dress your toddler in layers as the weather inside a plane is very unpredictable. An extra change of clothes for Mom and Dad is also a good idea for longer trips, in case any kiddie spills make it to your lap.

Clear Plastic Bags:  Use see thru, zip lock plastic bags for all snacks, toys, etc.  It is easier to see what you are looking for and makes it easier for security check points, too

Comfort Items:  Bring along your child's favorite cuddle toy and a soft blanket. No doubt, he will get tired and falling asleep in the airplane seat will be trial enough. However, his favorite sleeping companion will definitely provide some comfort.

Electronic Items/Entertainment:  If you can, bring along a portable DVD player and some movies. This can be a real life saver! Instant entertainment! 

FAA Rules:  If you are flying, check your airline guidelines for toddler seating. They usually require a safety seat/restraint for every toddler. If you don't need to bring a car seat, you still must have an FAA-approved aviation restraint. The CARES Safety Restraint by Kids Fly Safe is the only one currently on the market. This safety harness comes in it own 6 inch sack and weighs about a pound.  It allows your child to seat in his/her own plane seat, safely and comfortably. Please note, it is only for children who can face forward while riding in a car and weigh over 22 pounds. It's a relatively new traveling companion and some flight attendants may not be familiar with it, so you may want to take along the included written documentation verifying it's FAA approved. It is available at amazon.com.

Happy traveling!
 

One of my favorite presents to give new parents is a book. I worked in the education field for 23 years and firmly believe, the key to a good education and a promising future is the ability to read and reading comprehension. So naturally, giving books feels so right to me. I know that others may do the same, as giving books to newborns is something that has always been done. However, I do try to make it a little more meaningful. Before purchasing the book, I find out the name of the baby and buy a book with the baby's name in the title. Here are a few examples of baby's names and books available:

Desmond - "Desmond and the Naughty Bugs"
Vincent - "Vincent's Colors" (a beautiful book introducing colors through Vincent Van Gogh's paintings)
Lily - "Miss Lily's Fabulous Pink Feather Boa"
David - "Oh, David!"
Tyler - "Tyler & His Solve-a-Matic Machine"
Abigail - "A is for Abigail"
and for my grandson Leonardo,  "Leonardo, Beautiful Dreamer" (the story of Leonardo DaVinci)

These make wonderful gifts and create special memories. This gift idea also works so well for birthdays and other important events in a child's life. I have found the easiest way to find these special books is through amazon.com. Type in the child's name and search under "children's books". Give the gift of reading!