Rookie Moms

If you do any of our suggested activities and capture them with your digital camera, it would be totally awesome if you would put them on Flickr and use the tag “rookiemoms” so that we can all enjoy.

If your picture is well-lit and in focus, we may use it on the site. For example, if the activity is “Make a hat out of ear plugs,” this picture taken by Wayne would be ideal.

The very smart Asha at Parent Hacks gave me this idea.

For a change of pace, change baby’s diapers in the fresh air. I don’t know if it’s the different light or different smells of being outside, but it usually transfixes my baby.

Find a shady, breezy, beautiful spot and ruin it for everyone else by exposing them to your child’s bum and dirty diaper.

Yesterday, I skipped the gorgeous trail diaper change and did a trunk-of-the-car change in picturesque Montclair. Holden loved it.

Kim-Anh suggests using photos of your baby to deliver greetings by email for an easy Thank You or Happy Birthday or I’m Sorry with high cuteness factor.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Assemble notecard, sharpie, and idea
2. Write brief note
3. With camera at the ready, place the note on or near baby
4. Email adorable, personal greeting to recipient

Baby Caleb has a gallery of all his notecards. What a cute tradition!

Since it’s rainy today and I was having a very very hard time getting motivated to get out of the house with Julian, I was thinking about how lucky I am to have several baby and toddler-friendly coffee shops to choose from.

For me, what makes a coffee shop friendly for parents is a corner with toys to keep them busy and a bathroom with a changing table. In Berkeley, we have a newcomer, Cafe Pri-Pri, that has an entire loft and play corner. In Oakland, another new place, called Tumble and Tea, is set to open soon.

I would love to have a round-up here, if y’all would do me the favor of commenting on your favorites in your neighborhood.

Red Tricycle has this post on Seattle favorites for parents.