Baby Registry 101: Lesson #6 Infant car seats

Something I didn't realize before I had my baby was the fact that those infant car seats really only hold them for approximately 6-8 months. Once your baby either reaches a certain weight or height they have to switch to a convertible car seat. Although some do hold baby that weighs up to 22lbs, most likely you will NOT use the seat that long. Why? For one, once your baby can sit up completely on her own, she will want to see more while riding in the car. Two, the infant car seat is around 12 lbs, plus add the 15-17lbs of your 5 or 6 month old and you will not be able to carry that thing, at least not very far!
Many of my friends switched their baby around the age of 6 months. Some people love the convenience of the snap and go on the stroller systems and waited until 8 months but not many people I spoke with went much longer than that.
I do think you should get a top rated infant car seat- safety being the most important criteria, but that doesn't necessarily mean the most expensive one. You definitely should get a nice convertible car seat since your baby will be in that one for a longer period of time.

Don't worry about spending too much on the infant seat. Although the Peg is rated well for safety, but so is the Graco SnugRide and is almost half the price, not to mention the base is 50% less than the Peg base!

Another thing to take into account is how much each seat weighs on its own. I know the Britax one is also top rated, but it weighs about 3 lbs more than some of the other ones... ok, so 3lbs doesn't seem like a lot, but once you put your baby in it and try walking around town- you will notice the weight!

Our favorite infant car seat is: Graco SnugRide.
Top rated for safety and ease of use by leading consumer magazines, it's no wonder that the SnugRide® is America's favorite infant car seat. Equipped with a 5-point harness, an ergonomic carrying handle, a stay-in-car base, a canopy, and an infant head rest for added comfort and support, this SnugRide® infant car seat will serve you and your baby well.

The little swimmer

So, now that summer is here the pool is the perfect place to get your baby comfortable with water. I recommend starting early. One way to get them more comfortable with water is include them in your daily shower routine. I probably started this when my son was about 5 months old (once he could sit up completely on his own and was stable). I put the baby tub into the shower with me and filled it up half way with warm water. I dumped in loads of water toys and while he played, I took a shower. It now is so apart of our day that I think he looks forward to it. At 13 months old, he doesn't mind if the water sprays directly over his head, onto his face! It is so funny. I taught him how to blow bubbles in the tub water and getting comfortable with getting his face wet. I also have those stackable bath cups and started pouring it at first over his hands and body, like a waterfall and than later over his head. He loves it! Teach your baby how to splash the water with their hands.
Now that we have been going to a pool, he is like a little fish. He gets so excited and runs around the kiddie pool, so much he always manages to trip and fall face first into the water. Does this bother him?! Not at all- he thinks it is hilarious!
Things you can try at the pool:

• Twirl him around and around- either on his back with his head and shoulders supported or in your arms facing you
• Hold him closely, facing you with his legs extended. This should result in the natural tendency to start kicking their little legs.
• Someone once told me that if you blow really hard directly into your baby's face, they will hold their breath and you can than dunk them completely under the water! (Please note: I am not saying you should do this right away, or at all for that matter. I am not a swim instructor, so do this at your own risk- but I did try it and it worked for me and now I can submerged my son's head underwater briefly)
• Many stores sell fun water rafts for babies. They have ones with shades, like the one in the photo (that is my little hipster at 10 weeks!)
  

Give it a try and let us know if you little hipster loves the water as much as mine does!

Little Hipster of the Month- July Contest!

July's contest is right around the corner! Please submit a photo of your baby along with his/her name to the "Little Hipster of the Month" photo contest. This is a great way for you to show off your little hipster! Whoever gets the most votes will be declared the "Little Hipster of the Month" and be featured on our site!

Please submit your photos by July 14th.
Voting for July's "Little Hipster of the Month" will begin shortly afterwards and will end on July 31st.

Make sure to tell your friends and family to vote for your baby!
Mail us your Photo!
contests@thelittlehipster.com

Hardcore Little Brother Video

This video is so funny! I think he may have a future in rock? What do you think?

Baby Registry 101- Lesson #5: The Pack-n-Play (or travel crib)

I don't think I have seen a registry without one on it! I know when I was registering for one I was clueless as to what features to look for, what price range to stay in and what brand to stick with. After much research and real life experience I have created this checklist to assist you while you pick out yours.

1. Lightweight. The point of a pack-n-play is that it is meant for travel. The lighter it is the more likely you will say "Let's bring the pack-n-play"
2. Easy to clean. When you see pack-n-plays at your local baby stores you will find some fun mattress designs. Remember though you will be covering that up with a mattress cover (or another pad) or a sheet. Also remember babies sometime leak through their diapers so having a wipe able mattress pad is essential!
3. Size. This is really a choice you need to think about. If you will only be using one for some travel or a few nights at grandma's than a compact one might be good. If you expect you will be traveling for long periods of time or using the pack-n-play at homes that are not baby proof, then it may make sense to get a larger one.
4. Sturdy. Make sure that the pack-n-play is sturdy and your 13 month cannot climb out! I know it's hard to imagine that far in the future, but it will be here FAST!
5. Fun Features. The only feature I have seen on a pack-n-play that seems worthwhile is a vibrating motor. This is only because my child loved her bouncy seat and we ending up using this feature on our Pack-n-play. A feature we didn't use? The AUX jack.

Graco and Baby trend make some great pack-n-plays. When you find one you like read reviews about them. You can find great reviews online or ask friends who have a baby to help you pick one out. After a few years of baby experience a mom can steer you in the right direction!

Free Class From Kindermusik!

Kindermusik is offering a free class for you and your baby! Just click on the link and find the one near you. Let us know how you like it.

http://www.kindermusik.com/

Little Hipster's shipping rate special

Take advantage of the Little Hipster's shipping rates! Flat rate of $6 for standard ground orders and for purchases over $100, shipping is FREE!

For a limited time- Orders over $75, will receive FREE ground shipping!

Shop away!
www.thelittlehipster.com

Father's Day Weather

Ahhh- warm weather, clear skies and... hail?!?! This past Father's Day weekend we went for a walk. It was a beautiful day. All of a sudden we saw dark clouds coming into view. The wind picked up. We were still about 2 miles from home. A nice man pulling into his driveway offered us a ride home. (how nice was that?!) We graciously turned him down- as it had not started to rain. The clouds came closer and thunder roared. My little one started to cry so I snatched her up and started to book it down the sidewalk- leaving stroller, dog and hubby in the dust.
"Hurry Up!" I shouted
My hubby struggled to keep the pace and called out "The dog cannot run this fast her legs are short!"
"Put her in the stroller!" I retorted. Chloe was popped into the stroller and we raced home. I turned to look at my pooch as she basked in the comfort of her new ride.
We made it! I was so happy to be in the house. Just as the rain started to pour down we hear a hard patter. We go outside and it was hailing! We had missed the hail by less than 1 minute! We believe that was a little help from God.
Maybe we should have took the outreached hand of our neighbor when it was offered!

Let the Voting Begin!

We have had submissions of the cutest little hipsters! So, now it's your turn to vote for the picture you like best! The winner will win a $25 gift certificate to Little Hipster's Online Boutique!



On the right hand side you will see the voting buttons. Make sure to send this page to your friends and family and have them vote! You can only vote for one child, and please only vote 1 time a day!

Baby Registry 101: Lesson #4 - Gender Specific Items

This has to be one of my biggest bet peeves....PINK strollers! Don't get me wrong. I love pink! However, on big ticket items it is best to pick a gender neutral color!
Items to keep neutral include the following:

• Strollers
• Highchairs
• Carseats (although it is recommended to get a new carseat every 2 years)
• Excersaucers
• Bouncy Seats

Let me state the obvious reason that is often overlooked...what if you have another child that is not the same gender?! People forget- you usually only get 1 baby shower! I just feel bad for all the little brothers out there that are strolling around town in their sister's PINK stroller! Another thing is that the pastel colors are not seen very well by babies. They see red and black first... If you know you are only going to have 1 baby then go all out and get PINK everything.

For those of you who REALLY want gender specific colors- pick a few key smaller items- a fab pink blanket, pink shoes, pink clothing- you get my point? Accesorize with pink or blue!

Happy Father's Day

To those fathers that are loyal readers, we would like to thank you for being a dad!

Being a daddy is not always easy! And to those of you who are like my daughter's dad I cannot thank you enough! I could not be the mom I am without my husband. He works hard so I can stay at home with our daughter, supports my business endeavors, listens to my problems, loves me and is just my best friend! My husband is amazing with our daughter! I often think that she is the luckiest girl in the world to have the father she has... and just as I am the luckiest wife for having the most amazing hubby! He adores her and the two of them have a strong bond. I love that she is a daddy's girl and I think he does too ;)

To those deadbeat dads who lack what it takes to make the commitment to really be there for your children, WAKE UP and remember how lucky you are to have them in your life!
For those super moms who have to be both the mom and the "dad" at the same time - you are amazing and your children will love you twice as much for all your strength and support!

Daddy and daughter!
We love you!

No.. No... NO!!!

So, for those of you with a toddler- you know what I am going through! Now that my little one is completely mobile, I cannot tell you how many times a day I say No, No, No!!
And my son is SO fast, the second I turn my back- he is into something!
At least it is finally getting warm out and just getting outside for a change of scenery is a wonderful thing!
Have a great weekend and hopefully you can get a moments rest ;)

Sun safety for babies

Okay- so all the sunscreens state clearly not to apply to infants or to consult a doctor. So what do you do to prevent baby from getting burnt?!

• Get a UV protection tent that is well ventilated.
• Put on a fun Sunhat!
• Keep under a shade.
• Wear protective clothing (Rash guards are great)
  

When I had to expose my baby to the sun- I still applied sunscreen for babies. I just made sure to give her a bath afterwards.

Now that I have a toddler (that does not want to wear a hat at all times) I found that the spray sunscreen works for her scalp. Her hair is so thin and is not protected from the sun.

Here are some key spots on their body that are overlooked:

• Scalp (as I said USE the spray sunscreen! How easy is that?)
• Nose
• Ears (they also have a sunscreen stick that my friend told me about- it makes applying so much less hassle!)
• Feet- bare feet or even feet in sandals!
• Hands
• Knees

Apply and reapply sunscreen! Most children get 50%-80% of their lifetime exposure to the sun before they are 18. (1)

(1) www.KidsHealth.org
Sunburn Instructions

Bath Toys and ... Mold

There is no sure way to prevent this nor can you prevent your little ones from having fun bath toys. You can however take steps to prevent this from happening to your toys!

• After each bath, rinse the toys off with clean water
  
• Completely squirt out each toy
• Set out each toy in a dry area and let completely dry before putting in the bath again
• Take turns with toys- while using one set of toys the other set can dry
• Each week place the toys into the dishwasher - high temps will kill the bacteria
  
• Avoid using porous toys or sponges
  

When you squirt the toy and you see black stuff come out- yup that is MOLD. Well I have read that you can use bleach to wash them, but I don't think using bleach to wash a toy inside when there is a likely chance your child will be squirting water inside in his or her mouth- YUCK!

I found a cool safe alternative to clean the bath toys

1. Mix 1 cup of (Vinegar, Tea Tea Oil or Grapefruit Seed Extract) per 1 gallon of water
2. Squirt all the water out of toy and then suck some of the mixture into the toy
3. Shake the toy well and get the mixture in all the crevices
4. Squeeze mixture out and rinse with fresh water
5. Dry in direct sunlight in a cool DRY area

Happy Bathing :)

New update at Little Hipster

Again, we want to say a BIG THANKS to all of you with have supported us and helped spread the word about Little Hipster!!!
We appreicate your patience as we work out all the little kinks ;)

**New update- you can now make purchases directly on our website, www.thelittlehipster.com! No need to have a pay pal account.

Happy shopping!

A fun place to take your toddler

We all know most babies love music. Many moms enroll their child in places such as Kindermusik.

I stumbled upon a free place just the other day. After dining out my hubby, we took our daughter to a music store. My husband was in search of a drum throne while I found new ways to entertain my baby.It was so much fun! We went to the acoustic center and found so many new sound makers. We tried them ALL our from the tambourines to the Cabasas! The salesman even let her give a go on the cymbals. Then we made our way to the keyboard where we banged on some keys and made such music! Before the trip was over we went to the DJ equipment and we danced (yes I danced in the store) to some techno while the disco ball flashed lights at us!

It was not as structured as a music class, but we had so much fun for free... we did not buy the drum throne;)

Baby Registry 101: Lesson #3 - The Pacifier

Pacifiers are often a mommy's saving grace in times of meltdowns! I was one of those moms who registered for one too many binkies! I didn't realize that the hospital usually sends at least one pacifier home with you and your little one may take a liking to the hospital's brand. If you are adamant about getting a certain brand of pacifier you can boil it and bring it with you to the hospital.

My daughter never ended up using a binky. We did use the hospital one a handful of times in the beginning, but that was about it. So, you have to consider that too! You child may not even want a binky, so registering for more than 1 or 2 might not be a good idea.

Please note that lactation consultants do not recommended that you give a newborn a pacifier if you are going to breast feed. My experience on that is, if the baby has problems learning how to "latch" you will want to avoid the pacifier. Once they have mastered how to nurse, it most likely will not interfere with nursing.

Free Shipping at Little Hipster

FYI - Little Hipster is running a flat rate shipping fee of $6 and free shipping on orders over $100!

Click Here to check out the site!

Contribute While you Shop - June Special

For the month of June, Little Hipster, is donating 50% of all proceeds on purchases of the Hooter Hider (or Bebe Au Lait) to First Step of Michigan.

First Step is an organization that provides a helping and healing response to domestic and sexual violence in Wayne County Michigan. First Step provides 24-hour response, shelter, counseling, children's services, legal information, transitional housing, system change and prevention education to 16,000 people per year. All services offered by First Step at no charge to survivors.

First Step's 24 hour help line is 734-459-5900 or 888-453-5900

Buy your hooter hider now!

Please note we have a standard flat rate shipping of $6 and orders over $100 get free ground shipping!

More solid food ideas

So, I know we have already mentioned some ideas for solid foods but I thought I'd share a few more that I have learned from my friends.

• Pureed foods- Ok, so we all know that once your little angle starts eating finger and table food, they aren't into that pureed food anymore... But, you still want them to get enough veggies in their diet. Well, Bridgett came up with this GREAT idea to stick a straw into the container and have your baby drink their vitamins!
  
• Mandarin oranges- they come in cans or in 6pack "on the go" cups. Makes the perfect afternoon snack
• Blueberries- Healthy, easy to pack and kids love them
• "Puff" pastry with hotdogs- Buy those Pillsbury crescent rolls, unroll the dough and place a piece of hot dog/ turkey hot dogs inside and roll up. Bake and than cut into pieces- yum! Baby gets bread, but also some protein

We would LOVE to hear some of your menu pleasers! So, post a comment and pass it on!

The Disappearing Toys

It was bound to happen, the question was, when? This morning I went to take out the dirty diapers from the diaper champ and I see a glimmer of yellow- "what could this be?" As I dug through the soiled diapers I see that it was indeed her bath duckie. Passing over a few more diapers- just to be sure nothing else made it's way inside I found a bath sponge. Hmm. Seems that we have a fun new toy in our house!

Little Hipster has OPENED it's virtual doors

Dearest Family & Friends-

We are proud and excited to announce that Little Hipster has officially OPENED it's virtual doors!
New products will be added weekly! Fall 2008 line will be available in July and August. Also, once our merchant account is set up, you will be able to purchase items directly from our site versus just the Pay Pal option.

We appreciate your business and word of mouth! Please pass this onto anyone and everyone you know!
www.thelittlehipster.com

About Us:

Launched by two impossibly trendy moms in 2008, Little Hipster is an online boutique offering must-have items for moms and babies as well unique baby gifts. Noel, based out of Michigan, found that her cousin and fellow new mom, Lori, had access to a lot more of the new, trendy items for babies and moms in Chicago. Oftentimes, Lori would tell Noel about a great item or brand of baby clothes she had never heard of, send it to Noel and she would spread the word in Michigan. Lori and Noel launched their online boutique after finding a demand from those searching for these high quality items to find them more easily.

Best regards,

Lori & Noel

Baby Registry 101: Lesson #2 - The Baby Blanket

Lesson #2 - The Baby Blanket

The baby blanket is different from the receiving blanket. It is usually more luxurious and it is used to cover up baby in his crib, stroller, carseat or on your lap. I think that registering for 1 or 2 double lined blankets is a good idea. If you can find one that has a fleece or warm fabric on both sides- even better. You want a beautiful blanket with a great snuggle appeal! This blanket can also compliment your stroller.

I received a luxurious blanket as a shower gift. I never registered for one and I actually thought of returning it. It was an expensive blanket and I had already gotten a bundle of blankets. I ended up keeping it and it is our favorite blanket to take with us! It has also been a backdrop in many of my child's photo shoots!