From the category archives:

Month 1-3

Getting used to having a new baby in the house takes time. Take some baby steps and build your confidence. Here are 25 great activities to try during maternity leave (not all at once, ok?)

Activity #266: Create a Modern Family photo

March 28, 2011

Do you guys watch the show Modern Family? We love it. The show’s credits show the family members holding frames with photos of the other family members inside. I was thinking what a cute holiday card photo this idea would make for grandparents, when I decided I’d like to do it myself. Below, my sister [...]

Activity #57: Interrupt someone’s work day

March 14, 2011

When your partner works on the other side of a toll bridge from your home, visiting him at work costs a minimum of $5.00. But still, it’s an adventure worth doing. I think it’s feasible for most professions, but feel free to let me know if you are someone for whom this suggestion is ridiculous. [...]

Getting used to having a new baby in the house takes time. Take some baby steps and build your confidence. Here are 25 great activities to try during maternity leave (not all at once, ok?)

Activity #95: Plan a mom’s night out

March 7, 2011

This week’s challenge is to organize a Mom’s Night Out with some girlfriends. Go somewhere you used to enjoy in your old life. Book the time on your calendar and try to make it a recurring event (like every third Thursday or second Tuesday) so you and your pals (and all your respective partners) can [...]

Go to the theater where crying is allowed

February 28, 2011

Baby-friendly theaters? Yes, please. We sure love our DVRs and Hulu, but refuse to give up on going to the theater. Did you know some theaters also have special showings for new parents? These showings have different names in different cities, but the idea that yours will not (most likely) be the loudest baby in [...]

Getting used to having a new baby in the house takes time. Take some baby steps and build your confidence. Here are 25 great activities to try during maternity leave (not all at once, ok?)

Activity #306: Photograph a day in the life

February 23, 2011

Create a photo series to capture your baby’s hobbies and routines (eating and sleeping!) at three months, six months, and nine months. They may seem like mundane moments to whip out the camera now, but that’s exactly why it’s a good idea. I wish I had had this idea when Holden was “little”… at the [...]

Get a pedicure

February 21, 2011

While your baby is still small enough for the infant carrier, take advantage of your relative “freedom” to get your toenails done. We’ve experimented with many places and techniques and find this to be a favorite outing with (or without!) your baby. Your challenge this week is to enjoy a pedicure and report back. This [...]

Getting used to having a new baby in the house takes time. Take some baby steps and build your confidence. Here are 25 great activities to try during maternity leave (not all at once, ok?)

Activity #105: Practice yoga baby-style

February 14, 2011

Many yoga studios offer mom-and-baby classes. Search online for “post-natal yoga” and the name of your city to find one. This is your seventh weekly challenge. Benefits of these classes include getting out of the house, being kind to your body, meeting other rookie moms, and sometimes learning a little bit of baby massage technique. [...]

Activity #515: Track your new mama milestones

February 9, 2011

When we look back in 25 years, we will marvel that our babies have become adults who drive cars and earn their own paychecks. (Here’s hoping!) You probably have a baby book to track your bambino’s progress through the first year: sitting up, crawling, first tooth, and so on. But how will you remember your [...]

Getting used to having a new baby in the house takes time. Take some baby steps and build your confidence. Here are 25 great activities to try during maternity leave (not all at once, ok?)

Activity #62: Paint your baby’s feet

February 7, 2011

Our challenge for you this week is slather your baby’s feet with paint and commemorate their tiny size. Many paint-your-own-pottery places know how to help you get cute baby footprints on plates and mugs. This is your sixth challenge. We made trivets (the cheapest pottery available was a flat tile). I recommend tackling the cheaper [...]

Go to the market for just one thing

January 31, 2011

The day my husband went back to work and left me and our bundle of joy alone for a full day, Whitney generously took the day off of work to show me the ropes of maternity leave. I accomplished three things under her tutelage: taking a walk, taking a nap, and buying one thing at [...]

Getting used to having a new baby in the house takes time. Take some baby steps and build your confidence. Here are 25 great activities to try during maternity leave (not all at once, ok?)

How to behave: a Mom’s Group toolbox

January 25, 2011

Years ago, I went to my first mom’s group meeting, lugging my 5-week old in his bucket carseat. My c-section scar was still hurting when I lifted the seat and my breasts were so large from nursing that I felt unlike myself. Normally petite, abeit with C-cups passed down through many generations of voluptuous Russian [...]

Activity #9: Visit the fabric store

January 24, 2011

This is our fourth weekly challenge for rookie moms. Take a walk through a fabric store with your baby in a front carrier. If you’re game, pick up something for a fun craft project. If your baby’s gender was not known and you have stack of pale green and yellow clothes you don’t love, buy [...]

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