3 days left...

There's only 3 more days left until we officially close Crafty Babies! Beginning on Wednesday, all customers will be redirected to our new website, www.circleofsentiments.com. I'm thrilled about our new company, but I must admit that there is a part of me that is sad to give up Crafty Babies. I'm confident that this is a really great move, but it's still a little bitter sweet giving up something that I've worked so hard on over the last couple of years.

Please be sure to visit our new site! We have many new great styles to choose from. If you see anything you like, use code "grand_open" during check-out to receive 20% off your entire order! Who on your Christmas list can we help you with?

P.S.-During this transition, I'm also going to stop blogging for awhile. Once things settle down a bit and we get everything officially transferred over, I plan on starting a new blog for Circle of Sentiments.

Exciting changes being made to our business!

We have a major announcement to make. Drum roll please...
With the popularity of our hand stamped jewelry, we have decided to close Crafty Babies and change our company to solely focus on our line of hand stamped jewelry.
We are excited to announce the launch our new company, Circle of Sentiments.

With this transition, we have some exciting new products to share with you, including necklaces with copper discs, new design stamps and a cuff bracelet. To see our entire line, please visit our new website, www.circleofsentiments.com.

We are still "fine-tuning" our new website, so please bear with us during this transition!

Important Notice: As of Nov. 14th, all Crafty Babies customers will be automatically re-routed to our new website. So, if there's anything you want to order from Crafty Babies, now is the time! You only have a couple weeks left.

Car Wash

I went to go get my car washed today. As we were about to leave, I strapped the boys into their car seats and starting to drive home. As I turned the corner into our neighborhood, Ryan's car seat (along with Ryan) completely tilted over. I soon discovered that the people washing my car must have unbuckled the car seats to better clean my car. I've never had this happen! I am so thankful that we didn't get in an accident (wouldn't that be just my luck?)! So, just a warning... if you go get your car washed, make sure your car seats are still strapped in before driving away.

P.S-- Sorry for the sparse blogging! Things have been a little busy around here.

The Power of M&M's

I'm a big fan of bribery. If offering something small and simple makes my life easier, then I have no problems with that.
My mom has been wanting a new picture of the boys. I struggled to get a cute picture of them at the pumpkin patch this weekend and ended up with nothing but closed eyes, backs of heads and silly faces. This morning I tried again. This time, I offered them each an M&M if they let me take a picture. Sure enough, it took less than 5 minutes to get 2 cute pictures.
Here are the pictures that I took :)

Coming Soon...

We are expanding our line of hand stamped mommy jewelry! We are working on several new designs, including necklaces with copper discs and a sterling silver cuff bracelet! All of our new products will be available by the beginning of November (just in time for the holidays!). Stay tuned...

P.S-- If you can't wait until November, please feel free to contact me to place your order!

P.S.S-- The necklace says "Lucky Mommy" not "I Ucky Mommy"... sorry for the bad photographs :)

Mommy Moment

Life can get a little hectic sometimes, but it's times like these that make you appreciate what you have. Sure, I could have gotten a lot done when my little guy was sleeping, but sometimes you just have to slow down and enjoy these priceless moments.

Diaper Bag/ Tote

We've just added these adorable diaper bags to our store. On sale now for $42.
This bag is designed to be versatile. As a diaper bag it can be used for bottles, diapers and other baby necessities along with mom's stuff.
But this is not the only option. It can be used as a book bag, computer bag, knitting bag and more...The possibilities are endless.

Boy or Girl? Find out as early as 10 weeks!

I just stumbled upon the coolest product that allows you to do an in-home gender prediction test. I've heard of these before, but always thought they were really expensive. This test is only $30 and can be done as early as 10 weeks! Here's the site:

http://www.intelligender.com/Test.htm

I might need to call Nanny 911...

Over the weekend, we made the transition from cribs to beds. The first night (Saturday) went surprisingly well. Sunday, however, was a complete disaster. The boys did not go down for their usual nap which made me think that they would go down much easier at bedtime. Boy, was I wrong. After 2 and a half hours of going in to their bedroom and putting them back in bed, things took a turn for the worse. We went in to check on them again, to find that they had found a box of coloring crayons and a box of chalk and decided to color all over EVERYTHING... their sheets, their cribs, the wall, their dresser. It was (and still is) such a mess. I don't think that I've ever yelled at them so much! We decided to take everything away as a punishment. They now had to go to bed with no blankets, no pillows, no stuffed animals, nothing. It took another 2 hours of fighting with Ryan (who was hysterically crying the entire time) until he finally collapsed of exhaustion. We had to stick to our guns and not give in. It was 4 1/2 hours of struggling, but hopefully they've learned their lesson.
Above is a picture of one of the sheets they colored!

Sale Items

The above items just went on sale!

Plush n' Luxe Baby Blankets/ Modern Patchwork Baby Blankets... On sale for $25.00!

Bag-a-Diapers (select styles)... On sale for $17.50!

Why carry a bulky diaper bag for just the essentials? The Bag-A-Diaper is large enough to hold 3-5 diapers, a portable wipe container, and a matching vinyl bum pad. The Bag and Pad are laminated with vinyl, so it's sanitary while out and about.

Limited Quantity, On Sale While Supplies Last.

Mendocino Pics

Here are some pictures from our trip. The top picture is from a bike ride we took on an amazing trail that we found. Don't we look like nerds with those helmets on?! The bottom 2 pics are from Golden Eye Winery where we did some wine tasting. The view there was amazing!

We're back!

We are back from vacation! Thanks to all of you who ordered while we were away. We are processing your orders and will e-mail you individually when your order is ready to ship.
We had such a great time on our vacation! Mendocino was so beautiful. The weather was much colder than we thought, but it was definitely welcome, since we've been having such a heat wave in OC over the last month. While we enjoyed the relaxing time away, we also missed the boys A LOT! We were able to talk to Ryan on the phone every day, however, Zachary refused to talk to us the entire time. We think that he was upset that we left him for so long :(
It feels good to be back. Going away for a bit defiantly confirms that there's no place I'd rather be then here at home with my family.
I will try to post some pictures soon!

Vacation Notice

Just a heads up that we will be going on vacation next week! Any orders received after Thursday, September 13th will not be processed until after we return on Sunday, September 23th. Thank you for your patience while we take this much needed break!

About our vacation... Paul and I are going to spend a week in Mendocino! Mendocino is right on the coast in beautiful Northern California. My parents will be taking care of the boys for a week while Paul and I relax! I've never been away from my boys for so long, so it will be interesting to see how well they do and to see how well we do! I'm not really worried...I know they are in good hands with their Nana and Papa!
I will have access to e-mail while I'm away, so please feel free to e-mail me if you need anything. I'll try to respond as soon as possible.

P.S-- I probably won't post anything new to the blog until after we return!

Not a good way to spend a Sunday...

My Aunt Donna is a very talented interior designer. I love her taste and am always happy to get her advice on decorating. About two years ago, I told her how much I hated our closet mirror doors. They look very dated and have a gold trim. She said an "easy" way to update them (without replacing them) would be to paint the gold trim black. She made it sound like it would be such a simple task. I should have never believed her! We started the project shortly after discussing the idea with her. We realized that it was a much bigger job than we thought and to truly do it right, we were going to have to take each door off the hinge and paint them outside. After living with half painted doors for nearly 2 years, we decided to tackle the project today. What a nightmare. We just finished hanging the doors back up and they still look horrible. My husband and I were both so over this project and just wanted it done that we somewhat rushed through the job. Well, it's pretty obvious! Oh well. Now we just have to live with crapy painted doors.

Diet Coke

I'm not shy to admit that I drink a lot of Diet Coke. However, at 2 1/2 years old, I didn't think my boys would be so in tune with my bad habit. We went out to lunch yesterday and when the waiter came around to take our drink order, Ryan ordered a Diet Coke! I couldn't stop laughing. I changed his order to a water, but now I'm wondering how long I'm going to be able to get away with that. After all, as a parent, I am supposed to practice what I preach. So, does that mean I might actually have to start drinking water too?

Capes for Girls

Just added... Capes for Girls! Kids daydream of leaping over buildings, flying through the air and saving the day. But save your Egyptian-cotton sheets for you. Instead, get ’em a cape custom-made for the pint-sized super hero. Our capes are made to order with the letter of your choice.

Please also see our selection of capes for boys.

Turning 30...

Today is my 30th birthday! We just got back from a nice weekend in Temecula. My husband and I had a nice time away, while Grandma and Grandpa watched the little ones. It was so nice to have the time away, but I did miss my boys. It's funny... when I'm with them 24-7, all I want is a break. And then the break comes and all I can think about is them! I'm OK with turning 30. I feel like I'm at a good place in my life. I'm very grateful for everything I have :)

It's time to start thinking about Halloween!

Some favorite halloween costumes year after year are monkeys, pigs, bumble bees, lady bugs and cows. If you're little one is dressing up as one of these classics this year, coordinate their costume with one of our adorable pair of hand painted shoes!

Hand Sanitizer

A couple of days ago, I went in to the other room where my boys were playing, to find that they had gotten into a travel size bottle of hand sanitizer. By the time I saw them, the 2 oz bottle was completely empty. I found a tiny puddle on the floor, but I could not find the rest. I'm convinced that between the two of them they ate the remaining amount. I immediately panicked and wondered if I should rush them to the doctors office or wait to see if anything seems wrong . I decided to wait, not letting them leave my side, until I knew that they were alright. All I kept thinking about, however, was that e-mail that was circulating recently about a kid who licked his hand (which had sanitizer on it) and had to have his stomach pumped! Luckily, everything turned out okay.
It sure is scary being a parent!

The Waiting Band

We've found the perfect ring! The Waiting Band™ is a open-ended sterling silver ring engraved with one of four personal messages on the inside (little one, always, miracle, and one love, for life). Designed to fit throughout your entire pregnancy, this ring will expand to fit mommy's growing finger. Buy one at craftybabies.com for $115.00 (Plus FREE SHIPPING): The Waiting Band

Warning! This blog post is graphic!

I was in working in my office when I heard the boys wake up from their nap. Since they weren't fussing, I let them stay in there for a bit while a finished up a few things. When I went to go get them, I found that Zachary had his diaper off and had pooped. As if that wasn't bad enough, he then proceeded to take the poop and literally "finger paint" with it. It was everywhere. It was all over him, all over his sheets, sides of the crib, toys, etc. I stood there in shock for a couple of seconds and then thought to myself... "I can either get really upset or go and get the camera." I figured it was too priceless to not "capture the moment." So, here are the very graphic pictures that I have to share with you. Doesn't my son look so innocent?

Look for our necklaces at these fine retailers!

We are thrilled to announce that our mommy necklace line has been picked up by some other online retailers. Currently, our line of mommy necklaces can also be purchased on forgetmenotkids.com and minimebabygear.com. We are also working with some additional retailers who are interested in carrying our line!

Be careful what you teach your children. They may remember it forever!

A couple days ago, I was making toast and we were at the end of the loaf of bread. My husband offered to take the heel claiming that the heel is where all the vitamins and "good stuff" is. After thinking about what he said, I thought, "this doesn't make sense... a loaf of bread is baked from a single piece of dough. How could the heel have more vitamins?" After saying this to him, he said, "I guess you're right. It doesn't make sense. That's just what my mom use to always tell me."

It's funny how even as an adult, you can carry things that your parents told you on through to your adulthood. I'm sure my mother-in-law told him this, simply so the heel would be eaten and wouldn't go to waste! And, after all these years, my husband still remembers what his mom taught him.

Poop Stories

Mommieswithstyle.com is one of my favorite websites. Right now, they are having a hilarious contest. Share one of your poopy diaper stories and be entered to win one of 5 Skip Hop Diaper Bags! Click Here for details.

Here's the story the I submitted:

I had put my twins down for their daily nap. 2 hours later, I heard that they were awake, but hadn't gone in to get them up yet. When I finally go to get them, I hear one of my boys saying "mine" outside the door. I walk in to find that one of my son's had pooped, taken off his diaper and had handed a poop nugget over to his brother in the crib next to him. He was yelling "mine" at him in order to get the poop back. When I told my husband about what happened, his response was "he's right, it was his." Men.

New Sesame Street Episodes

Turning on Sesame Street in the morning is the only (uninterrupted) way that I am able to get myself ready in the morning. After watching every episode over and over, I was thrilled this morning when I turned on the TV and there was a new episode! I just did an online search to find out more. Apparently, yesterday was the premiere of Sesame Street's 38th season.

Being a mom, these are the things that excite me these days :)

Another Toy Recall!

This is getting ridiculous...

Mattel recalled 9 million Chinese-made toys, including Polly Pocket play sets and Batman action figures, because of dangers to children from lead paint or tiny magnets that could be swallowed. Read Entire Article

Mei Tai Baby Carriers

We've added some new styles to our line of mei tai carriers. To see our entire line, visit our website, mei tai carriers. Some things to know about Mei Tai Baby Carriers...

• The wider seat base of a mei tai baby carrier means that your baby is seated inside the baby carrier, not hanging down with legs dangling.
• Wider, lightly padded shoulder straps provide excellent two-shouldered weight distribution.
• Mei tai baby carriers are extremely versatile! Carry your baby on front, on back, and on your hip.
• Mei tai baby carriers are long-lived! Use your mei tai baby carrier with a newborn as easily as with a 2-year-old.
• Discreet breastfeeding is possible in the baby carrier.

OC Parenting Event

If you live in the OC area, stop by The Block at Orange on Saturday, August 11th for the Parenting and Kids Expo. The event is from 10:00am to 5:00pm.

The hottest family products and services will be on display. Plus, the Parenting Expo will offer fun, crafts and entertainment for the entire family, like clowns, face painting, magic, story times and giveaways.

Look for our postcard (shown above) in the free goodie bags that will be given away at the event!

Accidental Buzz Cut

To help save a little money, I've always been the boy's hair dresser. Tonight, as I went to give them a hair cut, I accidentally gave Ryan a buzz cut. The boys were playing with the razor attachments and I thought I grabbed the biggest attachment, but apparently I didn't. After one buzzed stripe down the middle, I had to finish what I started. He still looks cute, but I was certainly shocked. I was laughing so hard, I apparently didn't finish. Looks like I need to touch up the sides a little bit tomorrow.

Fisher-Price Recall

Fisher-Price is recalling 83 types of Chinese-made toys - including the popular Big Bird, Elmo, Dora and Diego characters - because their paint contains excessive amounts of lead. Read entire article here (also includes a complete list of recalled items).

Save 10% at craftybabies.com

Special offer for blog readers... use coupon code "blog" to receive 10% off your entire craftybabies.com purchase. Start Shopping... craftybabies.com
Offer expires: Sunday, August 5, 2007

Grande Sweetend Iced Coffee Con Leche

It's amazing what we have to know these days just to order a coffee. There's a complete Starbucks language that needs to be learned. Since it's been so hot lately, I've been ordering iced coffee to keep cool. They first time I ordered an iced coffee from Starbucks, I said "with milk." I was corrected and was told the correct terminology for milk with iced coffee was "con leche." Since when did we have to start ordering in Spanish? It's a very nerve racking experience to always have to think about exactly what you are going to say before you order something! But, I guess it's all worth it. I do love their coffee.

If I splurge on getting a massage, it's not going to be from you!

You know the people on the street that hold signs to help promote businesses? Some of them look like they should be at a dance club, while others couldn't look more bored. You know what I'm talking about, right? Well, I've been seeing some even more interesting people lately. There's one guy in particular that I wanted to discuss. He holds a sign promoting massages. Here's what gets me...The guy seriously looks like he just got out of prison! I don't know about you, but I certainly would not want to get a massage from a place that has someone that scary representing their business. Rather than enjoying my relaxing massage, I'd be afraid of being murdered. Ok, maybe that's a little bit of an exaggeration, but really, he's clearly not the best representation of what the store has to offer. My other favorite sign holder is a guy that dresses up as a clown (full wig and all) and is promoting hair cuts. Enough said.

Baby Blankets

Check out our collection of baby blankets! We've just added many new styles.

What time does the wedding start?

We went to a wedding yesterday and on the invitation, the time said 11:00. We weren't sure if 11:00 meant that we should get there at 11:00 or if they would actually be starting the ceremony at 11:00. Just to be safe, we arrived 10 minutes early. We couldn't believe it, but we were one of the first couples to arrive. Most people started arriving at 11:00 and after. The sister of the groom told us that the wedding was supposed to start at 11:00, but since no one was there, it was delayed until all the guests arrive.
So, for any brides out there, I would recommend clarifying on your wedding invitation when you actually want the ceremony to begin!

Traveling... Round 2

I just flew back home last night. I don't what about me is so suspicious, but I was randomly selected to be fully checked by security AGAIN! This time was worse. First of all, there was a phone booth size machine that they made me step into (with no explanation of what was about to happen). I wasn't sure what it was for, but all of the sudden about 5 strong poofs of air hit me. Because I didn't know this was going to happen, it completely startled me! This could seriously give someone a heart attack. After I came out of the box, I sat down while they went through my stuff. I had a lot more to carry on the plane this time, so I was sitting patiently for a long time. It was so invasive. I seriously had dirty laundry (including underwear) that was literally just taken out of my bag and set on the table while they went through everything in my bags. I couldn't believe it. After about 20 minutes, I was finally done and got to my terminal with barely enough time for boarding the plane. So here's another tip, when going to the airport, plan for even more extra time, just in case you get stopped by security.

Traveling

We been visiting my parents over the last couple of days, which explains why it's been about 5 days since my last post! I've been enjoying the time here. Aside from processing orders, I've taken a break from the website and have had a ton of help from Nana and Papa with the boys! It's certainly been a nice break.
We arrived at my parents house on Thursday night. It was my first adventure traveling alone with the boys. Here's a couple of hurdles that we ran into... first, we were randomly selected by security to be the lucky ones to get fully searched. We were put into a separate area where they went through all of our bags and pat us down (yes, they even patted down my 2- 2 year olds!). After getting through that, all went well until we got on the plane. There was a mix up with seating and we had to rearrange seats so that I could actually sit next to both of the boys. Once we were finally in our seats, Ryan threw a fit about having to wear his seat belt. The flight attendant insisted that he needed to be sitting with his seat belt fastened during take-off. Since Ryan was obviously not cooperating, she helped me literally restrain him while I frantically searched through my bag to get him something to distract him. Pez saved me. He finally calmed down and sat there eating his candy. Luckily there was enough candy to get us to the point that he could take off his seat belt. I'm so lucky that Zachary was being so good during all of this! Otherwise, I would have been a total wreak. The rest of the flight was pretty smooth, but here's what I learned about traveling with a toddler... bribery, bribery, bribery. If it weren't for candy and some new toys that I stashed away in my bag, we never would have made it.

From Cribs to Beds

We recently started to try to put the boys' down to sleep in their beds rather than their cribs. Knowing that it was going to be a challenge, we kept the cribs in tact and have been using it as ammo for getting them to stay in their beds. When we lay them down, we tell them that they can sleep in their beds but if they get up, they'll need to go back to their crib. They love the idea of being in a big boy bed, but I just don't think they are ready. Every night since we started this new routine, they just want to play. We'll hear them jumping on the bed or getting out of bed to get books and toys. After about a half hour, they end up back in their cribs. I think this is going to continue to be a very tough transition for us. My goal is to tackle this before we move on to potty training!

My Sweet Husband

My husband was sick all day on Saturday (food poisoning, we think). Since he was out of commission, I was in charge of the kids. He wrote me the sweetest e-mail this morning thanking me for "picking up the slack." He also said that he owed me some time and that we should make August "Jamie Month." I can go for that! Although, I don't think he knows what he's getting himself into... massages every night, breakfast in bed on the weekends, extra shopping $.... I can go on and on.... :)

One Heart Bulgaria

An amazing mom that I recently met started a non-profit humanitarian organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for Bulgarian orphans. If you want to learn more about this amazing organization, go to http://www.oneheart-bg.org/. Here's an easy way you can help... use GoodSearch as your search engine and One Heart Bulgaria will get 1 penny for every search you make. Go to http://www.goodsearch.com/ - powered by Yahoo! and enter in One Heart Bulgaria as your charity of choice. Thank you!

Blogger T-Shirt Contest

If you are a blogger and have any creative ideas for a blogging t-shirt, check out the contest happening at bloggingexpertise.com!

Diaper Wipe Containers

We are currently offering FREE SHIPPING on all Made By Angie Diaper Wipe Containers. This offer is valid this month only. Diaper Wipe Containers

Going to the Gym

I've been trying to get to the gym more, especially since lately my clothes have been a little more snug then they use to be! Whenever I'm there, there is always at least one guy who has to make loud noises when he's working out. I can understand a little grunt if you're doing something that is physically hard. But, I don't understand the ones who grunt so loud and so frequently that it draws the attention of everyone else at the gym. It's takes a lot for me to not laugh!

Product Award

Craftybabies.com just received a product award, presented by 5minutesformom.com. 5minutesformom.com is run by twin work at home moms. They must be some of the busiest women I know. In addition to helping other moms promote their websites, they also own an adorable website selling ride on toys, educational toys and kids furniture. You must check out this great store, www.a-rocking-horse-to-love.com/. And, since I'm a sucker for all things crafty, I wanted to highlight some of their products that will definitely get your children excited about arts and crafts at an early age... easels, art tables and my favorite, the artist rocker!

"No Singing Mommy"

I started taking my boys to a new "mommy and me" class. During this class, there is music time. Today, while all the other kids were singing with their moms, Zachary was covering my mouth and saying "no singing mommy." This isn't the first time that he's asked me not to sing. I know I'm not a great singer, but I can't believe that I am that bad! He's only 2 and already embarrassed by his mom :)

Nursery Rhymes

We have a very old nursery rhyme book (copyright 1959) that has been passed down to us. There is one rhyme in the book that makes me wonder why this nursery rhyme was ever popular. Here it is...

Little Polly Flinders
Sat among the cinders,
Warming her pretty little toes!
Her mother came and caught her,
And whipped her little daughter
For spoiling her nice new clothes.

It just makes me laugh because nothing like this would ever be acceptable now a days!

AllyZabba Blankets

We've added two new styles of baby blankets to our site!

AllyZabba Camo and AllyZabba Aloha

Both baby blankets are made of raised plush fabric and silky satin backing making them very soft and cozy!

Wet Bags

We've had these bags on our site for awhile now, but since it's summer, I wanted to make sure to highlight this summers must have!

Wet bags are perfect for all those times you need to separate your wet items.
This bag is made with a whimsical and thick cotton outer print, then lined with a Polyurethane Laminate, called Baby Dry. The bag is great for storing used diapers, wet clothing, or bathing suits. Click here to see all the great fabrics that the bag is available in.

Twin Confusion

My boys seem to get confused as to who is who sometimes. One will look in the mirror and think that he's looking at his brother rather than himself. And, the other day, Ryan went pee pee on the potty and started clapping and saying "yeah Zachy." It's cute to watch them interact. They have such a great bond that I hope lasts forever!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Slip Covers for Baby Front Pack Carriers

A couple weeks ago, a friend of mine came to our mommy group with her son in a baby bjorn. But, it wasn't just any baby bjorn! The bjorn was covered in the cutest slip cover. When I saw these, I knew immediately that I wanted these covers for my site!

Introducing our new line of slip covers for baby front park carriers made by Baby Bella Maya. For one week only, I'm offering blog readers 10% off this product. During checkout, use code: carrier

Offer expires 8/25/07

Happy Father's Day!

I woke up with my boys this morning so that Daddy could sleep in. I was trying to practice "Happy Father's Day" with my kids so that they could greet daddy when he woke up. My son Zachary said "cake" instead. I guess it reminded him of "Happy Birthday" and assumed we would be having cake!
Happy Father's Day to all the amazing dad's out there!

New Product- Baby Slings

We've added to our line of baby slings! The mom who created this line of baby slings talks about the benefits of baby slings... "For infants, being in the fetal position and snuggled right up against mom is what they like best. Starting around the age of 3-4 months your infant is curious and learning all about his or her body and the world around them. This is typically when your baby wants to be held but also wants to have a great view of his surroundings. So adjusting your baby's position in the sling is easy and natural from the cradle carry position into the kangaroo or tummy to tummy position. When your baby can sit up on his own you may find that the hip carry or the back carry to the way to go. Many of todays baby carriers only offer 1 to 2 different ways to carry your baby. These baby slings offer an affortable and practicle way to carry your infant or toddler, not to mention the versatility!" Check out the entire collection here, baby slings

"Thomas and Friends" Recall

FYI... More than 1 million of the popular "Thomas & Friends" wooden railway toys made in China are being voluntarily recalled because some may contain lead paint. Read more about the recall here.

Summer...

I was thinking back to when I was younger and how anxious I would get when it was getting close to summer break. I could barely get through those last couple weeks of school. And once summer finally arrived, it was great to be able to hang out with my friends and go on fun outings with mom and dad!
For all the parents that have school-aged kids, here's a great article on summer activities for your children: Article

Mommy Struggles

I'm having two recurring problems that I've been struggling with. First, my son Ryan is spitting whatever we give him to drink. He walks around with his sippy cup, takes a drink and then spits it out. He thinks it's hilarious. I, on the other hand, do not think it's funny and he's in multiple time outs daily because of this! The second struggle is nap time. Rather than going right down like they use to, they stay awake in their cribs trying to find anything to keep themselves entertained. Unfortunately, the last 2 days they've been entertaining themselves with taking off their diapers and peeing all over the cribs. It's so frustrating! I don't think they are ready to give up their nap because they still get really sleepy. And, I'm certainly not ready for them to give up their nap because I need the break! The joys of motherhood!

New Product- High Chair Covers

We've added a line of high chair covers to our site!

Now you can replace your old high chair cover with a stylish STAIN RESISTANT and washable cover! Check them out... High Chair Covers

Congratulations Debbie!

Debbie has won the pack of handmade greeting cards! Thank you for participating!

BLOG contest

I sometimes think that the only person that reads my blog is my good friend Sarah. She's the only one that ever posts any comments at least! So, to encourage you to post your comments, I'm having a contest.

Here's the deal: Post a comment about anything you'd like-- What do you think about Crafty Babies? Are there any additional products that you would like to see us carry? Or, simply just introduce yourself... Feel free to comment on whatever you'd like. After you post your comment, send me an e-mail (jamie@craftybabies.com). You will be entered to win a pack of our all occassion greeting cards. Perfect for any busy mom, our collection of 12 hand-stamped greeting cards includes: 3 birthday, 3 thank you's, 2 baby (1-boy/ 1-girl), 2 wedding and 2 generic. No more running out to the store at the last minute!

View entire collection here. $25 value

Contest will run for 3 days only! Post your comment and send your e-mail by Saturday, June 2nd. I will announce the winner on Sunday. Come on, blogging is fun!

Teaching our children to be sexy?

In the May issue of Glamour magazine, there was an article about dolls (such as Barbie and Bratz) and how the sexy image of these dolls are teaching young girls that need to dress provocatively to be attractive. To quote the article, "Instead of doing creative, imaginative things like playing house or school, girls make like they're going on dates, going dancing at clubs or competing with each other to get the boys." The article also talked about companies like Abercrombie & Fitch and how they have, in the past, sold "preteen size thongs with messages like EYE CANDY and WINK, WINK."

As parents, we need to be good role models. Monitor what toys your children play with and what they watch on TV. Growing up is tough enough... We don't want to give our girls a negative idea of what it means to be pretty.

Celebrating Daddy!

With Mother's Day behind us, it's now time to start thinking about what to get for Daddy. I came accross a site that has some extravagent gifts that would certainly be a hit for any dad. Flying lessons, kayak tours and dirt bike riding school are among some of the many adventures you can gift dad with. My budget doesn't allow for something this exteme, but it was such a cool site that I wanted to pass it on. http://www.excitations.com/
If you have any great Father's Day gift suggesstions, please share with the rest of us!

New Products

We've added to our line of baby blankets, burp cloths and clothes! Our new products are made by a mom of two who has been making handmade gifts for years. Katie, mom to Kacey and Collin started out making stuff for her own children. People started taking note of her products and she began making special orders. She's just recently turned her passion into a business making and selling these adorable baby products!

Here's a glimpse of Katie's products:

Blankets, $35: Available in Mocha, Polka Mix, Tropical Blue, Tropical Pink, Tropical Red, Tough Guy, Uptown, Bubble Gum and Rockin

Burp Cloths, $15 for a set of 2: Available in Mocha, Polka Mix, Tropical Blue, Tropical Pink and Tropical Red

Tees, $15: Available for girls in: Princess and Guitar/ Available for boys in: Tough Guy, Guitar and Rockin

Easy Recipe

I've shared this easy recipe with many of my mommy friends and everyone seems to love it. I promise it is the easiest dish you will ever make and your hubby will be very impressed!

Tortilla Soup

1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 jar of salsa
raw chicken (frozen or defrosted)

Combine all above ingredients into a crock pot and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Serve with tortilla chips crumbled on top. Enjoy!

CPR Training

During our MOPS meeting last week, we were given training on Infant/ Child CPR and choking. Some things have changed since I was last certified. So, I thought I'd mention that you might want to look into taking a CPR course if it's been awhile since you've taken one. Go to the Red Cross website to find information on how to contact your local Red Cross chapter and find a class near you.

2 Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers and a Roomba

The title of my post is what I received for Mother's Day...
The chocolate covered graham crackers that you can buy at Starbucks are one of my favorite indulgences. My sweet husband gave me a pack as soon as I woke up yesterday morning. He then proceeded to tell me that he looked into buying me a whole box, but that the price per pack was pretty much the same, so he didn't see the value. Hello? The value is that I would have gotten an entire box! Anyway, it probably saved me from gaining a couple pounds, so I'm probably better off. Later that day, we went to go buy a Roomba. If you aren't familiar with a Roomba, you MUST look into getting one. It's a robotic vacuum that cleans the floor without you having to push the vacuum yourself. In fact, my floor is being cleaned as I'm typing! I'm all about multi-tasking, so I think this thing is going to be my new best friend. They are a little pricey, but I suggest that if you go to buy one, go to Bed, Bath and Beyond where you can use one of those 20% off coupons that we all have seem to have at least a dozen of!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the beautiful mommies out there! If this is your 1st Mother's Day or your 20th, you deserve to be celebrated! We hope you get cold eggs and toast in bed and lots of crayon scribbled "I Love You's!"

New Collection of Mommy Necklaces

We've had such great feedback on our Mommy Necklace, that we decided to add more styles! You can check out our entire new collection here.... Mommy Necklaces.

We now have 8 styles to choose from: Classic, Large Classic (for longer names), Initial, Spell-A-Word, Birth Day, Star, Cross and Sports.

We are also offering FREE SHIPPING on all Mommy Necklaces!

We hope you like our new collection!

Play Date Fights

Ever since my boys were born, we've been getting together with a good friend and her 2 kids once a week for a play date. We always have such a great time...so, why would today be any different? We went over to our friends' house and immediately there was trouble. My friend's daughter, who is normally the sweetest thing, hit my son a couple of times. After a couple more times of my son being hit, we ended up having to leave. I felt horrible. As a friend, I wanted to say, "It's OK." But, as a parent, I needed to protect my baby! I know my friend felt terrible and she did everything she could to discipline, but things we're just not working out. How should situations like this be handled? I'd love your feedback!

Fun Website

I came across a website recently that I think any proud mommy is going to love! This website allows you to create a personalized baby website. No programming experience necessary. What a great way to share information about your little one(s) with friends and family. The website is www.babyjellybeans.com. I haven't tried it, but the site offers a free one month trial, so there's nothing to loose!

Blaker Girl

I just finished watching American Idol. All along, I've been a Chris fan, but tonight, I loved Blake's rendition of You Give Love A Bad Name! I thought it was too cool. Vote for Blake! 1-866-IDOLS-04!

:)

Remember When...

After a busy weekend, I thought I'd stay home today for a nice relaxing day with the boys. Shortly after our morning started, I started to make my morning cup of coffee. As soon as it was done brewing, the boys wanted to play outside. So, before I could even pour my cup of coffee, I needed to put on the boys shoes, get on their jackets and clean up the dog poop. I finally had everything done and was ready to enjoy my coffee. I'm sitting outside for literally 5 minutes and Zachary tells me he's hungry. I go to get him a snack and re-warm my coffee. Time to relax again, right? Another couple of minutes go by and the boys are fighting over the push car. I set my coffee down to put the boys in time out. Again, I re-warm my coffee. It took about 45 minutes and 4 trips to the microwave before my coffee was finished. This got me thinking, remember when you could drink a hot cup of coffee without being interrupted? What's your "remember when" that you miss pre-moomyhood.

Papa Day Care

We just got back from a visit to my see my parents on Wednesday. My husband and I traveled back ALONE! My parents are watching the boys until tomorrow. Since my mom had to work, that meant Papa (as the boys call him) has been on his own to take care of two very active toddlers. I think most men would be terrified. Not my dad! He is so thrilled to have his grandsons. They've already gone on a tour of the fire station, went out for pizza, visited the park and today they are going to the zoo! I really miss my boys, but it's been a great break. I've been able to catch up on house chores, work and have had some much needed alone time with my hubby.

New Arrival - Nursey Wall Art

We just added some beautiful nursery wall art to our site. Please check it out and let me know what you think!

Nursery Wall Art

Proud mom of BOYS!

I met a lady over the weekend that had 4 boys. All she could talk about was how much she wanted a little girl. I'm surprised at how much I've heard this from boy moms. Of coarse, I too, would love to have a little girl to play dolls with, dress up in cute pink clothes and do some of the fun girly things I did as a child, but I don't feel "empty" because I don't have a daughter. I'm proud to be a boys mom and playing with cars and trucks is just as much fun as any of the girly things I could be doing!

Spring Cleaning

It's that time again... Spring Cleaning! This spring, I'm determined to somewhat take back control of our house! After two years of constantly tripping over toys, I've developed a new "system" to try and keep the house a little cleaner. Over the past weekend, I went through all of the boys toys and separated them into categories (cars, balls, animals, etc.). I then went to Target (my favorite place of all times) and stocked up on plastic bins. I put all the toys from each category into a bin. Now, the boys can only take out one bin of toys at a time. When they're ready to take out a new bin of toys, they have to first clean up what they were playing with. We still have the bigger toys out for them to access anytime, but this has at least helped with all the smaller toys!