Rookie Moms

I am assuming that Seattle, like Berkeley, is a hotbed of green ideas. So it’s no surprise that Lynn at Family Style Love says “I think that I have become borderline obsessed with “greening” my life.” She makes the most excellent point that all the magazine articles that are selling us greener versions of products we already own are really suggesting that we buy more stuff, which is really the big problem here, isn’t it? The stuff? The stuff that is taking over the planet?

Reuse, baby!

And that, my friends, is why my husband and I drive old cars rather than hybrids.

So, let’s take a look at how Lynn avoided buying some plastic-y bibs. Instead she bought some snaps. And used some dishtowels. And made a functional, washable bib for the ever-adorable Harris.

photo: lynn

photo: lynn

Rock on, Lynn! See her tutorial here.

Alissa and the readers of BabyScoopAustin compiled this great week of fun (more like 2 weeks!) for parents in Austin, TX. Whether you’re new to Austin or consider yourself an Austinite, babyscoopaustin.com has the SCOOP on everything baby! If we ever make it to Texas, I know who I want to hang out with. Thanks to Alissa for sharing all these great spots!

Monday
A favorite Monday morning activities is to take baby to Baby Bloomers at the Austin Children’s Museum. This open-play session from 9am to noon is exclusively reserved for children 3 years and under. It gives caregivers and their babies a chance to explore and play in a relaxed atmosphere. Baby Bloomers also has a sing-along and story time. Stroller parking is provided inside the museum.

Tuesday
If you have a newborn or infant and you are really itching to get out of the house or out of the summer heat, go enjoy a Baby Day Movie at Alamo Draft House Cinema (Tuesday and Friday only). Parents are allowed to bring infants into the movie for shows starting before 2:05 pm. (check website for movie times and location). They turn the lights up a bit, turn down the sound, and best of all…crying is allowed.

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You know I’m officially crazy when I stop a mom in the park and ask if I can take a picture of her baby for my blog. As if a blog is something that she should understand and clearly want to be a part of. Cuckoo.

Anyhow, little Natasha’s mom was agreeable, and I am grateful because I really wanted to show the world how cute her superhipster get-up was. Project Runway fans, look out!

Her mom wanted me to credit her friend Sandy for giving her the idea to take her own t-shirt and sew up the sides. Sorry I didn’t get too many more instructions than that, but for the crafty among you, perhaps you’ll be inspired. Plus, just sewing two side seams doesn’t sound too hard. This rookie mom did it by hand. Natasha’s dress has some cute postmodern embelishments, too. A bonus is that the pants (check out the ruffly legs) are also derived from a refashioned t-shirt.

Love it or hate it? Or use the polite term that I learned on BabyCenter - “not my style”.

Related posts:
Make some easy kids pants
Make a newborn hat from a tshirt

I guess this is just advanced peek-a-boo, but we’re filling afternoons with it in my house! It goes like this:

Either I crawl on the other side of the couch from Milo calling out, “where’s Mommy?” and wait for him to find me, or he toddles away and I call out “where’s Milo?” and whoever’s hiding gets found.

He LOVES this. And I have delusions of this activity being helpful when we’re out and about because he’ll stop in his tracks whenever I’m calling out, “Where’s [insert your name here]?”… but maybe instead, he’ll hide beneath the clothing racks or bookcases where I’ll never find him. Stay tuned.