The holidays are on their way! Our partner site, Tiny Prints, has made it so easy to customize your Hello Little One card. You can also access photos on your computer or log-in into your Flickr, SmugMug and Picasa accounts! This is brand new functionality and makes it really easy to select a photo from all your online photo sites. Also, you can customize the inside layout of all of our folded 'story' cards--you can choose text only, or add up to three photos inside (see graphic below of available layouts). As a special promotion, enter merrylittleone when you check out and receive $15 off a purchase of $150 or more. Happy shopping!

As Summer turns into Fall, and Fall into Winter, there are a few holidays that definitely cure the cold weather blues, the first of 'witch' being Halloween! If you have a little one with a birthday around this time, there is no better theme for a gathering than a spooky and scary Halloween party. Whether it's a sleepover with scary movies, or a mid-afternoon hayride, kids love this festive time of goblins and ghosts. For a cool craft, check out these paper pumpkin ornaments, that you can either create as decor for your party, or have the kids do themselves. And don't forget the invitations! Because all the text can be personalized, this "Glowing Faces" invitation is perfect for all sorts of themes.

The current issue of People Magazine features a special 'all about baby' section with lots of products and celebrity baby news. Also highlighted are baby announcements, one of which is a design from my product line: Duotone Baby in Blue that Joey McIntyre ordered for his super cute little boy, Griffin. I'm so excited about this celebrity connection as "Joey Mac" was my favorite new kid from the 80's boy band, New Kids on the Block. Congratulations to Joey and Barrett on their new addition!

To me, having a glider / rocker in the nursery for late night feedings, bedtime stories and simple soothing is key. When I found out I was pregnant, I started my search for something modern, comfy and reasonably priced. I couldn't believe how hard it was! Everything that was modern and hip had a huge pricetag, and all the lower priced chairs didn't really fit the design aethetic I was going for. I couldn't commit to the expensive ones that I loved, and I couldn't come to terms with settling for a less than cool look. We I moved my son from my bedroom to his crib, I knew I had to get something... and finally I found what I was looking for. The Micro Marshmellow Glider from Babies R Us is cool, comfy and has a modern look. At a respectable $399, it's not cheap but not too expensive either. A matching ottoman is available too.

If you've been following this blog you know that I have a newborn baby, Leo, who is now 4 months old. Leo was born big (10 pounds!) and luckily, he was content and good-natured from the beginning. One thing that Leo did have, however, was a bad case of seborrheic excema that went from his scalp all the way to his toes. It was itchy and red and scaly and it broke our hearts to see the little guy trying to scratch his dry body. Since most cases of excema are genetic, we knew it wasn't anything we had done to cause it. However, I started reading up on excema and also took him to my dermatologist. What I did find out is that anything with frangrance in it can make his outbreaks worse. And if you haven't noticed, frangrance is in everything! I immediately re-washed all his clothes and anything that would touch his skin in "ALL Free and Clear." (I had previously washed them in a "baby" detergent marketed as the pediatrician's choice.. and of course it's doused in fragrance.) I threw out all the popular and well known brands of baby oil, moisturizer and soaps that I had been given or bought myself... Leo is now taking baths in lukewarm water and baking soda only. Besides a cream from my dermatologist, the only other thing that touches his skin is a fragrance-free moisturizer from Whole Foods.

Why am I writing all this? Well, if I had known that Leo would have sensitive skin I would have never used anything with fragrance in it from the beginning. And since you can't predict what type of skin your baby has, I would recommend (as a mom, not a doctor!) to use all fragrance-free products for the first months of their lives. Then you can gradually introduce other products if you choose, but it's a good way to make sure you don't irritate a dormant skin condition. And what's great about all this is that once you take away everything with fragrance, your baby smells so sweet and natural... like a baby, not a baby product! :)

The USPS just released some of the coolest postage stamps I've seen in a long time: the Charles and Ray Eames commemorative sheet of sixteen 42 cent stamps. The married couple is known for their contributions to furniture design, industrial design, art, film, artchitecture and graphic design. If their names don't ring a bell right away, you may be familiar with the lounge chair they designed for Herman Miller. The Eames Lounger was first made in 1956, and has been in production ever since. It's an iconic symbol of modern furniture design, and part of the permanant collection at New York's Museum of Modern Art. The panel of stamps was designed by Derry Noyes of Washington, DC and is available at usps.com. I'll be ordering up a bunch!

A customer who ordered a Hello Little One baby shower invitation was so inspired by the design, she created a totally cool headboard based on it! Leah England, who obviously has some major artistic talent, used the sweet chicks invitation as her inspiration. Check out the photo of her room... I particularly love the distressed wood she used. Great job Leah!

The Social Security Administration just released the top 1000 names of 2007 and once again, Jacob and Emily top the list. Jacob has held a firm spot at number 1 since 1999 and Emily since 1996. The top 20 is somewhat unchanged, but there were some interesting developments in the 100 plus range. For the first time, the name Miley (thanks to tween sensation Miley Cyrus) is on the list, and has entered the top 1000 at a respectable 278. Other notable celebrity inspired names are Shiloh (debuting at number 804) and Maddox (re-entering the top 1000 for the first time since 2003 at number 226), the son and daughter of the continuously growing Jolie-Pitt family. I can't wait to hear what they will name their twins!

Overall, parents seem to take more chances with girls' names than boys. Nevaeh, which is “Heaven” spelled backwards, is now the 31st most popular name. The religious theme was also reflected among these other girl names: Destiny (No. 41); Trinity (No. 72); Serenity (No. 126); Harmony (No. 315); Miracle (No. 461); Charity (No. 673); Journey (No. 692); Destini (No. 914); and Essence (No. 930). For boys, only Sincere (No. 622) and Messiah (No. 723) seem to reflect the same sentiment.

I love looking at baby name lists, and dreaming up names for all my future kids. Remember back when Cabbage Patch Kids came with a birth certificate with their first and middle name (and perhaps they still do)? What a cool job! Happy Naming!

Get ready to drool... The Suzy Diaper Bag by Stef Hammitt is so incredibly cool, even Angelina Jolie was spotted carrying one. I'm not usually into celeb promototed products, but when I saw Pax's mom toting around this work of art, I instantly fell in love. After a quick search on the web, I found the Hammitt collection website and ordered up one in Brandy. Here's the thing: it isn't cheap. At a price tag of around $500, it's a bit of an extravagant purchase. However, when I received the bag, I knew that I had just done myself a favor... I will have this bag forever! The combo of the gorgeous leather, bold but feminine hardware, and perfect sizing makes this tote great for the transition into a travel bag when the little ones ditch the nappies. Always one to rationalize, I figured I was spending less on clothes, plane tickets and wine so I may as well treat myself. I'm sure glad I did!

One of the cutest things in life is seeing a child gleam with pride over their accomplishments. Recently, I got to witness my niece graduate from kindergarten and she was so adorable! If you are lucky enough to have a child experiencing a school graduation milestone, consider one of Hello Little One's hip and modern graduation invitations. They are perfect to both announce your child's accomplishment, and also invite them to the small (or large!) party you are having in their honor. Remember, you will be able to preview your card online with your personalized text before you purchase :) Congrats!