While I do love gender-neutral baby gear, there’s something really sweet about these pretty slings (that my husband would not wear) from independent seamstress Brittan Hlista, owner and designer of upa-lala. I’m thinking when your base layer is a tshirt and dull-from-too-many-washings yoga pants, these vibrant patterns could really distract the eye!

(Note to sling-makers of the world: We need to see newborn mama models with bigger post-pregnancy tummies, please! Or maybe she’s an adoptive mom?)

Regardless, aren’t these lovely?

(Also, rest assured that these slings comply with baby carrier safety standards governed by the Baby Carrier Industry Alliance.)

Brittan also makes eco-friendly waterproof snack bags and drawstring backpacks in bright fabrics.

Find the giveaway after the jump. [click to continue…]

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If you named your baby after your pregnancy craving…

by RookieMom Heather on January 25, 2012

in Blog

What would his or her name be? I read this thread in my babycenter birth club and I just about peed my pants laughing so hard. I tended toward sweet indulgences each time and I had no idea that Taco Bell was such a popular craving food.

My son Sawyer would have to be called Cereal because Cracklin’ Oat Bran is too long (though it goes better with our last name).

My son Milo would have to be Watermelon. Although, at various times, they could have all been named watermelon.

My son Holden would probably have been named Guinness for the unlikely beer preference that started with him. Heck, I didn’t even like the stuff before I was pregnant (so much so that I drank lemonade rather than free beer on my Guinness Factory tour in Dublin). Another possibility is Pumpkin Pie.

So tell me, mamas, what would your baby have been named if after your pregnancy cravings? Cheetos? Milkshake?

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And now for something completely absurd

January 24, 2012

Nine hours spent in the Kenmore Live studio in Chicago over the weekend were filled with activity. The forty-five bloggers in attendance got divided into teams and we participated in challenges throughout the day, reality tv-style, while cameras followed us around the studio. I do not have vegetable chopping skills like a cooking channel contestant, [...]

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Parent/child tattoos

January 24, 2012

I saw this on Pinterest and felt moved to share it. Someone else blogged it with the title “Good parents are good.” I loved that, too. Do you have a tattoo with meaning? Do you plan to or already have your child/ren’s names on your body? via iwastesomuchtime

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Makin’ it: Easiest salmon ever

January 23, 2012

I am constantly on the lookout for shortcuts in the kitchen. Delicious in two minutes with three ingredients? Now you’re talking. This easiest salmon in the world “recipe” is about 20 minutes from fridge to table; it is simple, hands-off, and delicious. I served it with pride to my picky (foodie) book club and routinely [...]

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Do you do anything weird with your appliances?

January 20, 2012

Today Heather and I (and Sawyer) are headed for Chicago where we will be attending a Blogger Summit hosted by Kenmore. As my husband and I are actually in the market for a new range/oven/stove/whatever you want to call, you know, that big device that cooks food in the kitchen, I am extra interested in [...]

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Spend a week in the Twin Cities

January 19, 2012

I’m very excited to share this guest post by Ann, a rookie mom, who started the blog Busy Little Baby when her son was 6 months old and she was looking for an easier way to find things to do with her baby. When I discovered her blog from my late night tweet-surfing, I felt [...]

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We’re giving away four pairs of sneaks, sponsored by Sears

January 18, 2012

My go-to fancy outfit for little boys who don’t need to own dress shoes is a pair of clean Chuck Taylors with khaki pants and a dress shirt. This summer, we had a wedding to attend, and I bought Julian a pair of slip-on Chuck Taylors for the occasion. I didn’t let him wear them [...]

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Practicing what I preach. Mostly.

January 17, 2012

Is it already time to flashback to Sawyer as a baby? Well, he is just over nineteen weeks now so we can at least review the first quarter of his babydom. According to my own bossyness, we should have completed all thirteen of the rookie moms weekly challenges within his fourth trimester, right? So, let’s [...]

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Publish your own I Spy book

January 16, 2012

We are big fans of the I Spy books, starting with the board book versions I bought when Julian was a baby. We play “I Spy” with regular books, too, and now we’ve graduated into Where’s Waldo? territory. When Julian was four, he and I did a little photo shoot with big plans — still [...]

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Momversation: Does Facebook make you jealous of your friends?

January 14, 2012

My life is pretty darn good. I don’t have an iPhone or a personal chef, but my days are full of family, friends, interesting work, healthy children, and enough money to pay for a weekly date night. So it’s possible I have little understanding of what it feels like to be painfully jealous of others, [...]

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Flashback Friday: Heather’s favorite 2011 posts by Whitney

January 13, 2012

Whitney and I have been friends for more than 15 years. Like her, I’ve been surprised that working together has been so easy. But I’m not surprised it has been so fun. The girl can walk on her hands and do cartwheels in either direction after all. Since she said all those nice things about [...]

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