bebestages

Do you ever find yourself trying to organize and no matter what you do it just doesn't seem to work? It's sometimes necessary to spend a little if you really want something done right. Check out organize.com, they carry an assortment of organizing tools that are sure to help. I often find that my closets don't have enough space, and my winter clothes are usually thrown into a black garbage until the season arrives. I have a small crawl space where I like to store my unused items, but it is quickly turning into black garbage bag land. I've decided my next project will be to utilize this space and ORGANIZE! I'll be using these systems which look like they may work. Fall here we come!

There was a report this morning, a woman in brazil gave birth to a 14 lb 2 ft baby! Yikes, thank goodness this was a c-section. Apparently she is so large her feet reach over the edge of her small crib!

Childrens Wooden Bike - Tiger Pattern
I thought this was really clever; these bikes have no pedals and are meant to help teach your child how to balance on a bike. And who doesn’t love anything wood? So for those of you who have kids too young for bikes and know they are aching to have one, this is a perfect gift. And like any other wooden toy, this is a great heirloom idea. I still have a wooden bouncy rocker that was made in the 60’s, my girls get use out of it here and there but I really just like how it looks as an accent piece in my home. Check them out at sjscycles

One Touch Can Opener

I came across this one touch can opener; I think I may have to invest in it. Having the kids at home when I’m cooking is a chore in itself, and this would be perfect for multitasking. 90% of the time I am holding the little one in one arm while preparing food with the other, the company mentions there is no pressure needed and no sharp edges and best of all its cordless.

If this is your first child, then you're probably not familiar with the whole teething issue your little one has to endure.
We've compiled a short list of helpful tips to guide you along the way
A frozen version of your little ones favorite fruits (i.e., bananas, apples, pears), just be sure to thaw slightly before serving to avoid front bite.
Toasted waffles
frozen or non-frozen bagel
frozen washcloth

Raisinets
Peanut m&m's
Plain dark chocolate
Gummy candies made with real fruit juice
Fruit Smoothies with milk or yogurt
Flavored club soda
Frozen fruit (great alternative to ice pops which are loaded with sugar)
Yogurt with granola
Apples with cheese
Apples with peanut butter
Low-fat chocolate milk
Dried fruit such as raisins or crannberries
Bagels with tomato sauce and melted cheese
Pretzels, lightly salted or no salt
Popcorn - air popped or low-fat microwave
Vanilla wafers
Graham crackers
Animal crackers
Fig newtons

Last week Paige and daddy built a birdhouse. As soon as the rain subsudes they're moving on to a doll house.

I was reading Us Weekly the other day and came across an article about Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson. Apparently Jessica Simpson asked Britney if she could "kiss" her belly! What is up with that? Well Britney replied, "Hell No!", and I say good for her! I don't understand where people think that when you are pregnant its ok to touch you belly, remark that you're getting "BIG" and all the other rude remarks and gestures they like to make. Come on people! what world are you from! How about I pet your big ***!

Activity #429: Create a Tabblo
I'm a graphic artist and photographer, and I love to create, but there are times that I just want something done quick and have still look fun. I came across this great blog entry on, rookiemoms.com. There is a new software which goes along with your flickr account, it's called tabblo. It quickly creates a photo collage for you in minutes, and the best part is that you don't have to print it yourself, and you can use it on your blogs. I think I may use this to create a poster of our bebeink clothing line Thanks Rookie Moms!. Oh and she also mentions in her photo section, Activity #400: Find some excellent graffiti, we just did some scouting in our neighborhood to do a photoshoot of our clothing line in front of graffiti, this is a wonderful creative outlook on photographt and graffiti.

There are so many things in the house you can use for quick clean-ups. check it out.
1. Baby wipes: Excellent for stains on clothing! As soon as you can rub gently with a wipe, more often than not the stain will completely disapear
2. Powder: Now powder has multiple uses; 1. sandy feet, sprinkle powder on any sandy part of the body and the sand rolls off like water; 2. splattered oil, immediatly put powder on the area, leave for about an hour then throw in wash;3. B.O., yes we all get a little B.O. once in a while, especially if we've been playing in the park, so if you can't get home to shower right away sprinkle some down the shirt and your good to go.
3. Murphy's Oil Soap: Great cleaning agent if you've run out of laundry detergent and can't get to the store. Beleive it or not, the clothes doesn't end up with the strong odor.
4. Glad Press and Seal: Use press and seal to cover your table before the kiddies start painting or crafting.
5. Windex: I probably use windex for just about ALL of my everyday cleaning. I know how nice it is to have all these different antibacterial cleaners, but if you're a constant cleaner those antibacterial wipes, and sprays can get expensive. Use those 1-2 times a day and in between the antibacterial cleansing use windex its inexpensive and kills a good amount of the germs you want to kill.

There are so many great Disney pictures that have come out the last couple of years, Finding Nemo, Cars, Monsters inc, etc. Not to mention the classics that we’ve grown up to love and pass on to our children, especially Cindarella. My daughter usually likes to have some sort of memorabilia when we watch a new movie, or one of her DVD’s. I hate to spend money on toys that I know she’ll outgrow or play with a handful of times. There is a new website called artopia.com which carries Disney Posters. The posters are really cute and a great little gift to give your kids to remember those special movies. I would even frame a few of the posters I’ve come across, this one of classic piglet, from winnie the pooh, this would especially work well in my youngest daughters’ room, classic pooh is one of my favorites. Paige would love to play dress up and pretend to be dressing with all the princesses.
There has got to be hundreds of Disney posters on this site, you're bound to find something for everyone. I’ve never been big on posters but some of these are too hard to pass on. This one is great, I could probably find a place in the family room to hang, its too cute to hide, Mickeys Air Races. Some of these posters I didn't realized even existed. I really don’t like when you get a poster and it has a whole mess of words and credits, the ones I found on artopia.com don’t have all the mumbo jumbo I find in posters in stores. You should really check them out, you’ll probably come across one that is sure to excite your little ones. These could also be great party decorations, and after the party you can give them as a favor to your guests.

I can't express how much I L-O-V-E handmade items. There's nothing like seeing a finished product that you know took hours to create. I'm famous for starting projects and not finishing them, but I've made a promise, I will finish this no matter what. I've decided to make quilts for Paige and Rylan. This will be my special fall project which I'm hoping to get finished by end of October. I want something my girls will have forever and have memories of it as they grow older. Unfortunately my mom was never crafty for I've never had that experience, and maybe that is why I am so determined to do this.
Here are the ballarinas for Paige

Here is the big sister and little sister for Rylan

I got a hold of this website, The New TV Guide, and I gotta tell you it's great. If you're ever stumped with a birthday present or father's day gift and don't know much about electronics, then this is the place for you. It gives a guide and list of televisions, accessories, and even furniture. There's a section that has all the TV and audio jargon that you come across in the descriptions in the store as well, I know how you all love to ask the salesperson all those questions. The information is even great if you just want to brush up on the new technology so that you can join in those techi conversations your husband and friends like to have.

"Wild Babies"

I had posted about these a while back when my daughter was about 3 months old. gdipaers are the new alternative to disposable diapers. You can flush the actual lining, so no more stinking garbage! When I originally got them they had the basic colors, orange, red and green. But now they've added pink and purple! I'm so excited, I just wish I realized earlier in the season because I never put bottoms on the baby for the simple fact that the gdiaper was so cute.

Those bug bites seem to really be getting us this time. I thought we did pretty well all summer. Here are some tips for bug bite relief.

A few home remedy tips to keep the itchies away.

Wash with soap and water

Rinse with cool water

Ice it up

Apply calamine lotion or florida water

I've been reaching into my archives and picking some of my fav's and searching the net for some cool new things. I came across a few really cute things that I loved and still love.
Check these out:
adorable! babylegs are so cute and a definite must have. I used these on my daughter when she started to crawl.
I started using a hotsling when Rylan was about 2 months old. The only time she didn't cry was when she was being held. I used it for a good 5 or 6 months. Once she became mobile the sling was packed away. Recently she has been attached to my hip. The hotsling has come in handy once again, these slings are very easy to use and can be used for a l-o-n-g time.
These notebooks are adorable and whimsical. Perfect for a special gift for that special little someone.
These plates are really cute - and the kids will love the funky little monsters

Last week I was having some issues with my older daughter Paige. She didn't want to listen to me, she would throw these major tantrums out in public and it was just getting out of hand. Now let me say that this didn't happen over night, it has been building up for a few months now. And through out the day she would ask why daddy wasn't home and cry that she wanted daddy. So we came up with a plan, we had to spend more time with her, but not just be around but to do things that meant something. So hubby has decided he would do something special with her every week, yesterday they built a bird house together. If I tell you, that smile never left her face and she was such a good girl all day!
Sometimes we forget that just being there isn't enough. We may be tired, we may be grumpy but it is so important to do something where there is an outcome that they can appreciate. I realized that she wasn't seeing her dad as often as she used to and this was really taking a toll on her. She's daddy's little girl and it seemed that she may have felt she wasn't getting that attention she craved. So next week they will be building a doll house.

If you had all the money in the world what would you pay someone to do? That's simple, I'd pay someone to cook and clean, I dread the two. Cleaning to me is the most time consuming task. I spend probably 80% of my day doing it, running after the kids cleaning up their mess. I should probably relax and let them make a mess and just clean it up later but I just can't seem to do it. I think I may invent a machine that can follow them around. So if I could pay someone to tag along behind them and clean I definitely would. But I'm going to be a little greedy and add one more notion of what I else I would need, that same person I would have clean up after my kids will have to cook for me as well. I'm horrible at it, not because I'm a bad cook but because its just something that I don't like to do. My father is a chef, I know all the simple tricks and easy meals that make life easier but I just don't like doing it.
So what would you pay someone to do?

Get Paid For Blogging

How often have we caught ourselves getting so annoyed and boiled at the tiniest thing our spouse may do. So many of these minuscule things have caused us frustration, and arguments that are better left alone. In a post I read from Margo's blog Of Fish and Family, she comments on a morning out and a small interruption in her husbands morning that caused a bit of annoyance. She mentions that in order for your marriage to succeed you have to compromise. She is absolutely right, if you think about it that's what marriage is all about, compromise. You may think that a small change you make in your spouses routine is nothing, but to them you have stepped on toes and disrupted their day. Compromise and realize the things that are important to them may not be to you, but because we love them we accept the things they do.

I've been troubled for a few days wondering "why oh why isn't Rylan doing the things that Paige did at this age?" She is a happy, funny, rambunctious 11 month old. She is always laughing, hardly ever sleeping, and always chasing her big sister around. Paige on the other hand, by the age of 9 months, was able to say purple, yellow and bue (blue). It was quite funny how she could perfectly pronounce purple but had such a time pronouncing blue. Any hoo,as I began to worry that Rylan still can't quite show me where her eyes, nose and ears are I realized, helloooo she's totally normal - it was Paige I should have been curious about. Paige is 3.5 years old, she knows half her state capitals, the entire alphabet and has quite an opinion. I worked full time by the time she was 8 months old, so the person who watched her had older children that I am quite sure Paige picked up a handful of what she new. Rylan has been home with me since the day she was born, and is definitely babied because I didn't have this time with Paige.
So my question, do you dare compare? Definitely not! I realized after pondering their differences, these are the things that make them who they are. These are the things we will remember when we are grandparents telling our grandchildren the stories of their mommies and daddies. So if you're like me and run into that frantic mommy mode thinking their might be something wrong, remember that kids learn at their own pace and we can't expect them to be like each-other all the time.

Bebestages is starting a book swap!
Has anyone taken a look at their kids library and noticed the mounds and mounds of books they have and don't read anymore? it's obvious that most people don't want to throw any books away, you know that bad feeling you get in your gut when you do? Well I'm starting a bebe book swap. So here's the membership rundown.
$15 per year to join
With this you get a maximum of 3 swaps per month
I will have a list of members with their available books for swap.
Members should check on a daily basis and email me as soon as they see a book they would like.
I will contact the other member to let them know, I will then collaborate a date for you to mail out and all members are responsible for shipping.
Please be sure your books are not written in, ripped, or missing any pages. We are looking to swap gently used books.
For more information and directions please go to bebe-book swap

Thanks for joining! A portion of the bebeswap proceeds will be donated to St. Jude children's research hospital

Liz Smith
Chief Editor

Here's another pretty interesting stroller. This time a toddler seat attaches to the handle bar area. Another great invention. Double strollers these days are way to heavy and big.
Visit

Bebestages has created a new event. Creative little hands day. Every Friday a craft project will be posted for all to participate with their little ones. When you're finished with your project we would love to get a picture of the final master piece to post and share.

Thanks for Participating.

bebestages mommy

Creative Little Hands. Every Friday is Craft Day check calendar to participate creative little hands calendar

Join our creative little hands Flickr group here

I've been reading this wonderful blog: solutionsforbusymoms I cam across this fantastic site which Sarah mentions called storynory.com They provide children's audio available for download and it's free! You can even download to your iPod. I was so excited when I found her post that I went right to the site and downloaded every single one of these stories. There are only so many hours in the day that you can listen to "the wheels on the bus" over and over again. My daughter is going to absolutely love this. Thanks Sarah! I know I'll be visiting your blog daily for more busy mom solutions.

I've come to realize that my 3.5 year old daughter is addicted to the movie "A Christmas Story"! She has managed to teach herself how to work the DVD player. Last week she popped in the movie and watched it in spanish. Since then she has watched it a total of 5 times of-course not complete! With this unbearable heat in NY and carrying around a cranky 11 months old, I've resorted to movie time and free play. I guess watching this movie must be keeping her slightly cool because she hasn't complained about the heat while watching it.

This week is world breastfeeding week. For a celebration near you visit the La Leche League website