by Whitney
Aside from The Rookie Mom’s Handbook (of course), this new book from Chronicle has got to be my favorite baby shower gift idea this year. Porn for New Moms is a collection of photos of hunky, shirtless guys doing the things that turn women on: holding babies, folding laundry, and preparing food. Each photo has a message from the model to the viewer. The whole concept of the book is just *so* my sense of humor, I had to share.
From the publisher:
Prepare to enter a fantasy world, a world where men insist on changing diapers, where guys get up for 3 a.m. feedings, and where they just can’t help but admire mom’s sexy all-sweatpants wardrobe. Page after page of titillating shots and dream-worthy captions will make every mother swoon. In fact, it might just leave her begging for more. . . . Oh, daddy!
What would your new-mom-porn look like? I think I’d like a picture of my husband getting out of bed at 5.59 (alarm clock would be pictured in the background). The caption would read “I’ll go sit outside the door of the children’s room to be sure I can get to them as soon as they awaken. That way, you won’t hear a thing.”
by Whitney
The first year, four-month old Julian slept through the whole thing, but when he got his first taste of Easter, Julian never looked back. Since he is not actually Christian, his experience of Easter was limited to the hunting of plastic and hard-boiled eggs. And hunt he did.
It was so much fun, that I realized we should be doing this in the backyard whenever boredom strikes. The more the merrier, so this might be something to suggest when your relatives are visiting. A little fresh air is good for everyone.
So the activity of the day is to conduct an age-appropriate treasure hunt for pre-verbal toddlers.
Materials needed:
- three or four of the same object, such as golf balls, tennis balls, or plastic eggs (we use lemons).
- small gift bag
How to do it:
- Place objects in a grassy area in plain view.
- Hold a small gift bag on behalf of your little scavenger.
- Announce the hunt: “Let’s go find some golf balls!”
- Model the desired behavior: “I found a ball - now I’ll put it in the bag!”
- Help child “find” another object and place it in the bag.
- When child is not watching, take “found” object and toss it from the bag back onto the grass for more finding fun.
- Practice this exercise periodically so that when Easter rolls around next year, your toddler will be kicking butt and taking names.
by Heather
I know Julian is fond of beads and Holden loves to dance around with scarves, but I haven’t gone to the trouble of setting up a dress-up area.
I don’t know why… wouldn’t a little treasure trove of costume fun mean that I could sneak a few extra minutes in front of my computer sending instant messages or reading email?!
After reading this post about how to amuse toddlers, I’m going to get busy pulling together all the hats and miscellaneous other accessories to supplement that one lone scarf.
Older children (4-5 year olds) enjoy playing dress-up with clothes but toddlers normally haven’t developed enough dexterity to manage this game. What they can handle is beads, bracelets and hats. Provide a mirror so they can see themselves wearing the accessories.
If your tot is still very oral it would be wise to choose beads that have an embedded string (like Mardi Gras bead) rather than strung beads which could become a choking hazard if the string breaks.
Read 23 other ideas for amusing toddlers and see SteveGerber’s photo tips for capturing the dress up fun!
[I found this tip on the amazing instructables site via sk-rt]
by Heather
Keep your Pottery Barn Kids table and chairs pristine by visiting MOCHA for your artistic messes and creative exploration.
The Oakland Museum of Children’s Art, MOCHA, is free for gallery visits and has an awesome Drop-In Art Studio for kids between ages 18 months and 5 years for only $5. See the website for hours and location.
My friend, and mom of 2, Lori reports:
I’ve overheard more than one mom commenting that this is “all the stuff I’d like to have at home but am afraid of the clean up.” A number of art activity tables, sinks with beans for scooping, a painting wall, and a play house complete with kitchen.
Fun, stimulating and a lot of variety perfect for a toddler’s short attention span and a great deal for $5. It’s a small art space, but because MOCHA has windows, it’s not as claustrophobic as Habitot. The courtyard just outside is also a good place to run around and chase new-found friends.
Best to avoid on the weekends or on days when a lot of preschoolers are out of school.
Stop by Cafe 817 around the corner on Washington street for coffee and a take out sandwich for mom.
