Rookie Moms

I always thought it would be cool to write a children’s book. Madonna did it a few times, and she’s cool, right? Oh sure… that’s not why she’s cool, but anyway, this story is about me and my baby.

I’ve run across a few different companies that help you get your little one really into a book. Some use real photographs, simplistic avatars, or fanciful (unrelated) illustrations. I doubt your baby will care, so you might as well choose what you like.

I also found wildly different prices too. I tend to have a problem with books costing more than $5. Thankfully my mom doesn’t feel the same way, so we have a few in the house despite my legendary penny-pinching.

Here are a few of the players:

• Flattenme will incorporate a photo of your child into a clever story. I just ordered one for Holden so I can vouch for the order process (easy!) and grumble about the price (~$40!) but I don’t know about the finished product just yet.
• Shutterfly Adventure Books sticks your baby’s photograph in a book so you can really see your child carrying on with Dora or Elmo (~$40).
• ChangeIsStrange personalized books help with transitions (like new sibling on the way or giving up the binky); books have child’s name with funky illustrations and no implied realism. (~$30)
• Printakid goes a step further into making the illustrated avatar-child like your kid (~$25) — see my review on our blog.
• DIY completely with self-publishing at Lulu or Blurb — if you’ve got nothing but ideas and time and want a truly professional product; go for it! (prices range)
• Low-cost paperback or e-book Imagitales seem like a good bet if I were to buy one of these myself instead of just hinting broadly (~$10) — see reviews on PBN.

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Parents of preschoolers! FlattenMe is offering five free books for the best potty training tips in honor of the new Potty Dance Book. Visit the FlattenMe Blog or email them at hi@flattenme.com and enter your ideas. They will PRINT the best 5 tips in the back of the book and give away copies. Contest ends November 30th.

My car is the same one I’ve been driving for almost 11 years. It was always a mom car sedan and is only just living up to its potential now that I have a baby. Frankly, it has room for improvements: it still has a cassette tape hole for playing mix tapes; regular locks that open with keys and no beep-beep; and a teeny trunk that can barely fit my stroller. But I can live with this…

When Holden moved from the bucket car seat to the big boy carseat with no sun visor I couldn’t stand to see the sunshine blinding him in the backseat. We took the advice of Christian (the carseat legend at Rockridge Kids) to have the three rear windows tinted the very next day.

Endorsed by Whitney: Tint On Wheels is run by Andy who comes to your house. If you are jailed by a napping baby, this is a wonderful service.

Endorsed by me and Christian: Window Tinting Plus is on Broadway walking distance to Piedmont shopping district. Wherever you go, don’t pay more than $150.

Here’s a gift idea. Make a personalized version of the game Memory. You know, where you turn over two tiles to try to make a match. Each time you make a match, you remove the tiles until you have matched all the pairs.

I made this for my grandparents this Christmas. It is about half-way done in this picture. My sister is painting it before we gift it to them.

To make something as awesome as this, you need to spend a little money on supplies. Read the rest of this entry »

If you want to clear out some old toys to make room for new ones, I’d like to remind you about this worthy cause.

It is free to order a mailer kit from USPS and it will be delivered to your house. After you pack it up, the postal rates are similar/same as sending a care package anywhere in the continental US.

** Updated *** Edmay has returned home. The new mailing address is as follows:
Michael Fellenz or Natalie Sudman
USACE-GRS
APO-AE
09331

We packed ours full of some of my husband’s old stuffed toys (his family had a “tradition” of giving him stuffed toys every year that he never even touched!) and some of Holden’s gently-used little stuffed animals and doodads. I’m also opened it up to my mama-friends and sent some of their goodies too.

Asha from Parent Hacks asked us to spread the word about sending our used stuffed animals and toys to children in Iraq. She was recently contacted by a member of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers stationed in Iraq who offered to distribute any and all toys she receives. She has been pleased at the outpouring of toys and gifts so far, but I know we all have more to send.

Read more about Edmay Mayers’ passion for the Iraqi children and also about Asha’s toy drive.

If you don’t have any toys on-hand to send right now, consider buying up a few little ones from Oriental Trading Company and sending them directly.