Friday, February 22, 2013
All parents-to-be have the fun (and sometimes tough) job of deciding what to name their new baby. Whether you decide to use a family named passed down from generation to generation or start a new trend a great way to make your nursery your own is by incorporating your baby’s name into the décor that you choose for the baby's room.
Choose a personalized blanket or there are cute decorative wooden letters that you can spell the baby name on the wall of the nursery. Another great idea is to have a baby name bracelet that will match mommy. I love to hear fun and unique baby names but I also like to hear old names like Elsie and Stella. Jack is one of my favorite baby names for a little boy. I had all girls but if I had a boy, the name I had picked out for all three of my pregnancies was Adam. I thought that was such a nice manly name but of course times have changed and so have the names. Here are the top names of 2012. What names do you think will top the charts in 2013??
Girls
1. Sophia
2. Emma
3. Olivia
4. Isabella
5. Ava
6. Lily
7. Zoe
8. Chloe
9. Mia
10. Madison
Boys
1. Aiden
2. Jackson
3. Ethan
4. Liam
5. Mason
6. Noah
7. Lucas
8. Jacobs
9. Jayden
10. Jack
Shop Bliss Baby & Maternity for all you new baby needs.....
Friday, February 15, 2013
Baby Gates are a wonderful invention and every parent should have at least two: one baby gate at the bottom of the stairs and one at the top. Babies love to climb stairs, so give him the bottom two or three to practice on, but make sure he is not at risk of tumbling down a full flight of stairs. You can also use baby gates to keep him out of any room you consider to be off-limits.
Window Locks are essential to prevent babies from falling out at height and even a ground floor window represents a significant falling danger. Never assume a baby is safe when a window is open—resourceful toddlers are quite capable of pulling a toy box across a room to use as a climbing stool.
Covers for outlet sockets, Dream Baby - Tee-Zed Products L861 Swivel Outlet Cover - White (Google Affiliate Ad) must always be used to keep little fingers safe from the dangers of electrocution.
If you have pieces of furniture with sharp corners, for example a coffee table, use plastic corner protectors to lessen the danger of a head injury should a baby fall and bang his head.
Be very careful if you have window blinds or curtains with dangling cords and either replace them or fit a simple safety device. Every year there are several tragic deaths as a result of window cords becoming entangled around a child’s neck.
If you have a fire (gas, electric, or open hearth), prevent burn injuries by fitting a fireguard securely to the wall.
Radiators become very hot when the central heating is on, so consider buying radiator covers to prevent accidental burns and never place a child’s cot or bed next to a radiator in case he rolls against it and becomes trapped.
Keep external doors locked at all times to prevent babies toddling outside and wandering on to a busy road. Alternatively, fit a safety gate across the doorway.
Dangers in the kitchen
The kitchen is a dangerous environment for babies and small children, so if possible, keep them out at all times. But if this is impossible, remove all toxic substances from low-level cupboards, take care not to leave dangling flexes from kettles and other electrical appliances within reach, and keep pans and mugs of hot liquid well away from small hands.
Choking hazards
Babies and small children love to put things in their mouth, but unfortunately small items represent a serious choking hazard. To minimize the danger, tidy up after older children and remind them not to leave small plastic toys lying around in case the baby finds them.
Prevent fire hazards
Never leave matches or lighters within reach of a baby or small child. It only takes a moment to start a fire and the consequences are often tragic. Have smoke alarms fitted upstairs and downstairs and check batteries regularly. If you have an open fire or internal boiler, it is also sensible to have a CO alarm in the same room, as carbon monoxide poisoning can be a silent killer.
There are many safety kits that you can purchase to childproof your home. Take a look at these. Munchkin Childproofing Kit (Google Affiliate Ad) or this one, Dreambaby F7021 BATHROOM SAFETY PACK 28PCS (Google Affiliate Ad)
And finally, keep a first aid kit handy and make sure every member of the family knows where to find it. www.blissbabyandmaternity.com, Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
One of the most practical and well-thought diaper bag brands is Ju-Ju-Be. Have you ever pulled a diaper bag out to find that something in there smells? Well, Ju-Ju-Be’s were created with an anti-microbial coating and are machine washable. Ever feel that the changing pad is too thin? Ju-Ju-Be’s changing pads are created with memory foam (as is their shoulder strap). Ju-Ju-Be’s also have all the right pockets, are the right size, and just seem perfect.
Well, how do they do it? Their website actually has a forum where customers can interact with the owners/designers, who do read all of the posts and respond. It’s this co-development which actually helped create the Be Mine, which is a small wristlet for moms. This wristlet contains a spot for a lipstick, drivers license, credit cards, money, coins, and cell phone.
Ju-Ju-Be also has several styles of diaper bags, including a messenger bag, a backpack, a tote bag, and a smaller messenger bag. They have a new bag called the Better Be that is a great new addition to the other great Ju Ju Be Diaper Bags. New spring and summer prints have just been released and you can check out the bags at Bliss Baby and Maternity.com.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
You may wonder about the benefits of reading to your baby. An infant won't understand everything you're doing or why. But you wouldn't wait until your child could understand what you were saying before you started speaking to him or her, right?
Reading aloud to your baby is a great activity you and your baby and do and continue to do for year. It's important for your baby.
Reading aloud:
- teaches a baby about communication
- introduces concepts such as stories, numbers, letters, colors, and shapes in a fun way
- builds listening, memory, and vocabulary skills
By the time a baby turns 1, they will have learned all the sounds needed to speak their language. The more stories you read aloud, the more words your child will be exposed to and the better he or she will be able to talk. Hearing words helps to build a nice vocabulary of words in a baby's brain. Kids whose parents frequently talk/read to them know more words by age 2 than children who have not been read to. And kids who are read to during their early years are more likely to learn to read at the right time.
When reading, your child hears you using many different emotions and expressive sounds, which fosters social and emotional development. Reading also invites your baby to look, point, touch, and ask and answer questions and all of these things promote social development and thinking skills.
But perhaps the most important reason to read aloud is that it makes a connection between the things your baby loves the most — your voice and closeness to you — and books. Spending time reading to your baby shows that reading is a skill worth learning.
Reading aloud to your child doesn't take any special things, just you and your baby and a couple of books. The library is a great place to get some books if you don't want to buy them, just make sure baby doesn't rip them before you return them. Read aloud for a few minutes at a time, but do it often.
Try to set aside time to read every day, maybe at naptime and bedtime. This will help to relax your baby and set expectations about when it's time to sleep. Set up a routine to read a book or two each night before your child goes to bed, this lets them know that after the books are done, it time for sleeping.
Here are some additional reading tips:
- Cuddling while you read helps your baby feel safe, warm, and connected to you.
- Read with expression, pitching your voice higher or lower where it's appropriate or using different voices for different characters.
- Don't worry about following the text exactly. Stop once in a while and ask questions or make comments on the pictures or text.
- Sing nursery rhymes, make funny animal sounds, or bounce your baby on your knee, how them that reading is fun.
- As your baby gets older, encourage him or her to touch the book or hold sturdier vinyl, cloth, or board books. You don't want to encourage chewing on books, but by putting them in his or her mouth, your baby is learning about them, finding out how books feel and taste.
Baby books should be easy to read and hold with bright pictures and backgrounds. Your baby will enjoy hearing your voice as you read.
Once your baby begins to grab, read vinyl or cloth books with faces, bright colors, and shapes. When your baby begins to respond to what's inside of books, add board books with pictures of babies or familiar objects like toys. When your child begins to do things like sit up in the bathtub or eat finger foods, find simple stories about daily routines like bedtime or bathtime. When talking starts, choose books that invite babies to repeat simple words or phrases and then there are always the potty books and many other books to get through fun and also stressful times.
On of tne of the best ways you can ensure that your little one grows up to be a reader is to have books around your house. When your baby is old enough to crawl over to a basket of toys and pick one out, make sure some books are included in the mix.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
A basinet is an important feature if you live in a rather large house or if you have two floors. Though a basinet is not essential, it is highly useful because a crib is not portable and if you do not have this then you will have to move the baby around in a carrier. So, if you keep a basinet, you can take the baby where you want to whether you are up or down and that way they will have a nice place to sleep in two different parts of the house. Now, if you think a crib is enough, you will want to choose between a round crib or a rectangle crib. Though more fashionable certainly, round cribs are actually rather impractical because the baby will grow and soon not be able to fit in the crib.
Also there is a lot of wasted space in the crib, that you will be able to use in the rectangle crib. This decision might also depend upon how large your room or the nursery for your baby is and that will also help you decide how big to make the crib. Next you want to make sure you have few basic outfits for the baby. Now if you don’t know the sex of the child, that is fine, but you want to have a few generic type outfits, like a onesie piece and some shorts and a lot of blankets because your child will need it for every nap and every moment really for the first few months. You want to make sure you have a good store of blankets as you will constantly be laundering them for new ones after spit ups and other things. You want to make sure you have diapers in the right size and also plenty of formula, wipes, and pacifiers. The hospital will be sure to give you most of these things at the beginning, but you want to still have your own supply, as well, and choose brands you trust.
It’s important to have your house stocked and ready because when the baby comes there won’t be any time for these preparations and you will find that all your time is going into making sure that you are taking care of your child. That is why you want to make sure that the blankets are bought, the diapers and pacifiers and all number of other items necessary for your baby. You want to make sure that you have a car seat installed in the car and make sure it is done properly. Bliss Baby & Maternity.com
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
The new Keekaroo highchair seat cushions are a must have for the parent who seeks the best, safest and durable product for their child. They are available in many colors, these cushions are made from a soft-to-the-touch material that is latex free and offers anti-microbial protection. Comfort Cushions are easy to clean and durable so water and spills won’t penetrate the inner foam, keeping them in perfect condition through any mess.
Comfort Cushions can be used with either the High Chair or Kids Chair and are available as a set (seat + back) or separately.
Comfort Cushions Features:
· Latex Free Seamless Material
· Soft-to-the-touch material creates a comfortable seating option
· Peel-resistant and tear-resistant
· Impermeable to fluids
· Easy to Wipe Clean
· Made in the USA
The Height Right™ High Chair is JPMA certified when using a Tray or Grab Rail with Comfort Cushions, the child should be 3 years of age or older.
Warranty: 5 Year Warranty
Materials: Comfort Cushions are made in the USA from an exclusive process and are:
· Latex-FREE
· PVC-FREE
· BPA-FREE
· Phthalate-FREE
· Formamide-FREE
· Non-Toxic
Read our Health & Safety Committment
Safety Information: Keekaroo is a Member of the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA), and the Keekaroo Height Right Wooden Highchair is test certified to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard F 404-07, Standard Consumer Safety Specification for High Chairs.
Cleaning: Comfort Cushions are impermeable to fluids. Simply wipe with mild soap and warm water.
Keekaroo High Chairs and cushions can be purchased from Bliss Baby & Maternity.com
Monday, February 4, 2013
So you have had a new baby and you’re going to need to begin buying diapers. Maybe you are wondering whether to choose cloth diapers or disposable diapers. Cloth diapers have got a few advantages. Cloth diapers are less expensive for parents, contain less chemical substances compared to disposables diapers, and are more beneficial to our environment.
Over the period of time that you are diapering your youngster, cloth diapers will be more affordable than disposable diapers. Cloth diapers can be used time after time. This is wonderful because you do not have to be continually buying diapers. Disposable diapers may only be used one time and are then thrown away. According to WebMD, in a study of children who began toilet training between twenty-two and 30 months of age, boys were fully trained at an average age of 38 months, while girls were trained a little sooner, about 36 months. So normally youngsters may be using diapers up until the time they are approximately three years old. That is 1095 days…and kids never take a day off either. Now take into consideration how many times you need to visit the bathroom every day…perhaps three…and you can hold it! Multiply that by 1095 and that’s how many diapers you’re going to need. Let’s say 3 a day (which is almost certainly an underestimate), that would be 3285 diapers. And you’re going to need to buy all those. Wouldn’t it be nicer to buy 40-50 diapers and get to re-use those? It would undoubtedly save money to have the option to re-use cloth diapers.
Cloth diapers are gentler on your little one’s skin due to the fact that they make use of fewer chemicals and generally don’t need any chemical substances in the production of them. When making a disposable diaper, chemical substances are utilized to bleach the pulp to get the diapers to be the right color. Chemical compounds are also added to aid in absorbency. We’ve all seen the advertisements. Buy our diaper. It is extremely absorbent. Then they will pour a glass of water into the diaper and demonstrate how much it will retain. Well, to be able to get the diaper to do that will take chemicals. Do cloth diapers have any chemicals added? Well, some might have dyes added to them if you purchased colored ones however there are actually organic cloth diapers on the market that are manufactured from cotton that has been cultivated without using chemical substances or pesticides. Then you can also find green cloth diapers that are free from bleaches and dyes, however the cotton used to manufacture green cloth diapers may possibly have been grown with the use of pesticides.
The utilization of chemical substances in disposable diapers furthermore becomes an issue if you want to take your toddler to the pool. Most pool owners dislike all of those additional chemicals being introduced into the pool and demand special swim diapers to be used. With cloth diapers you don’t have to worry about releasing chemical substances in the swimming pool. Use cloth swim diapers on your youngster and you’re set for a enjoyable day at the swimming pool.
Cloth diapers are more environmentally friendly. This is fairly clear. Disposable diapers are discarded and cloth diapers are not, therefore through the use of cloth diapers one can significantly lessen the quantity of garbage disposed of and its effect on the landfill. Cloth diapers may be reused time and time again and also be used for a second or third baby. Parents which make use of disposable diapers could go through more than 3,500 diapers during the interval the little one requires them before potty training. That is a lot of diapers to be disposed of. What’s more, the EPA reports that 1 billion trees are used each year to make disposable diapers.
Disposable diapers will be convenient however cloth diapers certainly have certain advantages compared to disposable diapers. Cloth diapers tend to be cheaper during the interval you will be diapering your toddler. They use less chemical substances compared to disposable diapers. And finally cloth diapers are a lot more beneficial to our environment than disposable diapers. Bliss Baby & Maternity.com has a wide range and great selection of cloth diapers at the best prices. Follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
By: Robby Comeford
Friday, February 1, 2013
The effectiveness of Yoga on our body and mind has already been established, and today people by the dozen are turning to yoga with the hopes of improving the quality of their lives.
Speaking of which, no other factor taints your health and quality of life more than stress and anxiety. Stress has often been compared to a slow moving time bomb that can cause life-altering conditions like diabetes, blood pressure, and heart conditions in a perfectly healthy body within a short span of time.
The good news is that stress can be controlled and gradually eradicated by a person’s own will power, and since yoga works well in soothing your mind and eventually bringing it under your control, it consequently helps to reduce stress and anxiety as well.
Here are 5 yoga poses that has proven to help reduce and prevent stress:
Kapalbhati Pranayama- If you are just starting with yoga, stick to the basic breathing exercise. Pranayama helps to expunge bad air from the body, while simultaneously refilling your lungs and nerves with fresh air. Ideally, you should be doing this early in the morning.
Pranayama is mainly concerned with high breathing, which is centered around breathing through the upper part of your lungs. Sit upright and breathe rapidly while simultaneously pulling your stomach in with every breath you take.
Pranayama is mainly concerned with high breathing, which is centered around breathing through the upper part of your lungs. Sit upright and breathe rapidly while simultaneously pulling your stomach in with every breath you take.
Balasana
Also known as the child’s pose, balasana works by shifting your focus to the sound of your breathing and also reduces back and neck pain through stretching. This position involves basically sitting with your head down, so you’d want to do this on a comfortable surface.
Sit with your knees and top of your heels aligned, your upper thighs should be touching your heels, and your stomach would be pressed against the front of your thighs. Now, bend forward till your head touches the ground or surface and stay put in that position till a count of 30 or till you’re comfortable.
Sit with your knees and top of your heels aligned, your upper thighs should be touching your heels, and your stomach would be pressed against the front of your thighs. Now, bend forward till your head touches the ground or surface and stay put in that position till a count of 30 or till you’re comfortable.
Uttanasana
You might have done the forward bend before where you try to keep your knees straight and bend forward to touch your toes. Uttanasana is a modified version of the same, where you can fold your knees, touch the ground and bring your head as close as you can towards your knees.
Backbends- This asan is best done if you have an exercise ball, as it provides extra grip and support. As the name suggest, lie on the ball facing up and try to touch the ground with your outstretched palms. Some seasoned yogis can do this asan without the ball, but if you are a novice you might want to avoid this for the time being.
Backbends help in stretching your rib cage and also makes the blood flow to the brain. This is great for refreshing the mind and increasing blood flow, thereby reducing stress. Doing a set of backbends preceding pranayama, will double the effect of the breathing exercise.
Backbends help in stretching your rib cage and also makes the blood flow to the brain. This is great for refreshing the mind and increasing blood flow, thereby reducing stress. Doing a set of backbends preceding pranayama, will double the effect of the breathing exercise.
Vipariti Kirani
This is a simplified version of the headstand. Lie with your legs up the wall such that your entire lower body is pressed flat against the wall. Now try to relax your body and breathe slowly, counting every breath you take. Shop Bliss Baby & Maternity.com Follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook
By: Mulyadi Kurnia
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