I will discuss what you need and don’t need to bring baby home from the hospital and give my product suggestions for the best products to take your little one from being an infant to toddler!

Join us for a light dinner and talk all about baby gear! I’ll answer your questions and even do a ton of giveaways! As in over $2,000 worth of product giveaways from great companies such as Baby Bjorn, Gunamuna, Britax, Skip Hop, Summer Infant, Innobaby, Bebe au Lait, Boppy, Stokke, Joovy and many more! Car seats, high chairs, strollers and much more! If you are anywhere in the Chicago vicinity, I would love for you to come!

If you’d like to join us, here is all the information about tickets: Baby Gizmo presents Baby Gear Essentials

And if you aren’t in the Chicago area, don’t worry I’m coming to Los Angeles in July or August and hopefully adding more speaking events in the future!

Having said that, and just as in the case with stay-at-home moms, there are many benefits to being a stay at home dad, such as being involved in the day-to-day lived realities of your children, having the opportunity to take time off to explore new career paths, or learning new things about yourself and your wife.

Being a stay-at-home dad can be tough, but it’s not impossible. Here are some tips on how to be a stay at home dad and love every moment of it.

Get male support. Stay-at-home moms and stay-at-home dads are similar, but, again, they are different. To talk about the challenges you’re facing as a dad or about your triumphs as a parent, consider, getting to know other men who are also stay at home dads. Online support is nice, but it doesn’t beat interacting with real dads face to face.

Get out and involved in your community. To stay connected to both yourself and your community, as a stay at home dad, it’s important that you make time to leave the house. Maybe go for a walk around the block with your children or attend a story time at the library. Whatever you do, be sure to include some “out-of-the-house” time for each day.

Make time for yourself. It’s easy, as a stay-at-home parent, to lose sight of your goals, ambitions, and interests since so much of your day-to-day reality is spent caring, nurturing, supporting others. And that’s why it’s imperative that you do something each day just for you. Whether reading or writing or exercising, schedule some time in and get it done!

Keep a flexible, daily routine. Having a routine is different than clock-watching. It means that each day, you (and your kids) have an idea of what to expect as the day progresses. So, for instance, maybe after breakfast, it’s in your routine to go to the park. This, or having a routine, will help you better fit in your “me” time and will help regulate your children’s eating and sleeping schedules.

Most importantly, remember that you are important and valuable and a contributing part of society. With some planning and some time at this, you’ll find your groove and stay-at-home dad-ing will be smooth sailing.

Any stay at home dads out there with any tips to share?

I wanted to let you know that they are having a huge Memorial Day Sale that has already started. 5 pairs of select BabyLegs for $25!  That is a great deal! BabyLegs leg warmers are usually $12 each so getting them for $5 is a steal. It’s not every color and pattern that they carry but there are quite a few to choose from.

Hurry because the sale ends 5/28/12 and the best patterns always sell out. Just go HERE and use the code “RWB50“.

Who Says There is No Such Thing as A Free Ride?!  Mutsy just announced an awesome stroller promotion:  Stroller BOGO, Buy a Mutsy 4Rider, Get an Easyrider.

We all know most new parents get more than one stroller. One heavy duty, full-featured stroller and another lightweight stroller for quick trips and travel. This is a great opportunity to get two strollers and only pay for one. How often is there a buy one get one free stroller promotion?! Not often.

Here is what you have to do:

1) Go to store.mutsy.com. (You have to buy the strollers through store.mutsy.com ONLY! Yep, not going to work with any other store.)

2) Put both a 4Rider (or 4Rider Light) and an Easyrider in your shopping cart and enter code freerider12 (case-sensitive) on the last page of checkout to receive FREE Easyrider.

FINE PRINT: Both strollers must be purchased at the same time and be shipped to the same address. Does not apply to previous orders. Promotion is valid through store.mutsy.com ONLY. The promotion will run from May 15 through May 31, 2012 and is valid for U.S. residents only.

Lionsgate liked my post so much that they have given me a never been seen clip from the movie to share with you. Okay, maybe it isn’t a “never been seen” clip because I did watch it before posting it. I had to screen it for you guys.

What to Expect When You’re Expecting is coming to a theater near you May 18th.

*Disclosure: This is a sponsored post!

That is absolutely sick!!!! The mom needs a psychiatrist and eventually the son will too.

Oh goody. Another overprotected, upper middle class kid. Let go, Mom.

Are you kidding me? This is SO wrong I don’t know where to start! If your child can walk and talk, breast feeding time is over, if your child is in preschool breast feeding is DONE! And PS I don’t want to be in the market and see THIS! Give me a freaking BREAK!

Those are just some of the thousands of disgusted comments flying around the internet in response to the May 2012 issue of Time magazine, which has only hit the shelves today, but already has everyone talking.

The accompanying headline reads “ARE YOU MOM ENOUGH?” and in the piece it actually discusses attachment parenting and how Dr Bill Sears is a keen advocate for extended nursing, cosleeping and baby-wearing. The mother on the cover is 26 year old LA mom Jamie Lynne Grumet who was asked by Time about her experience of becoming a mom and breastfeeding, to which she replied

We were starting the process of adoption when I got pregnant. We weren’t expecting our biological son at all. He was born two months early, and preemies that age don’t have a sucking reflex. The nurses in the NICU [neonatal intensive care unit] — they kept trying to put him on formula. I couldn’t see him for three days because I was so sick. I was basically passed out from the medication they were giving me. My husband is so great — he would bring the equipment in and actually do the pumping while I was asleep. It was a full family effort. My mother breast-fed me until I was 6 years old, until I self-weaned. Her encouragement to breast-feed is why we were so successful.

And on her adopted son from Ethopia

We were able to bring our son home in November 2010. I know so many amazing women who have induced their lactation, but I had milk [from feeding my biological son]. I had one of the easier situations as far as adoptive breast-feeding is concerned, but it was considered extended breast-feeding. And it was transracial. And he was adopted. I was ready for attack as soon as I posted one of the pictures [on my blog].

 

You can read the full interview here (please keep in mind, this is not the article to which the cover refers to). You can also visit Jamie’s blog here.

But wait- who cares about any of that stuff?! Don’t you see this beautiful woman in her skinny jeans and toned arms with her HUGE kid propped up to her boob by a chair?! THAT’S THE IMPORTANT THING HERE, IT’S DISGUSTING!!

Oh, calm down people. Extended breastfeeding does exist. People cosleep with their older kids. And they all turn out great. And most importantly- the economy is bad and Time needs to sell magazines. Who nurses their child like that? I can guarantee even Jamie Lynne doesn’t. And he’s only 3 years old, but they’ve certainly dressed him to look older.

Shocking cover = people talking = curiosity = $$$$$ SALES $$$$$

They took plenty of other photos of women nursing their older children but they must’ve been considered not controversial enough to beat the one that made it.

Another photo in the Time article that did not make the cover

What irritates me the most? The headline. “ARE YOU MOM ENOUGH?” Great way to start mommy wars all over Twitter, Facebook and countless blogs, Time magazine. As if parenting wasn’t hard enough, let’s add fuel to the fire: a gorgeous, young mother, with her hand on her hip almost asking us “Are You Mom Enough?” It’s implying that she’s judging you for not breastfeeding.

We’re at a time in our lives where everyone judges everything we do, whether we post a picture on Facebook or Tweet about it. But motherhood should not have to be this hard. Dealing with our children everyday is hard enough without adding grown women throwing insults at one another for doing something that may not be right for their child, but is right for someone else’s. If everyone parented the same way, the world sure would be one boring place.

So, I will leave you with some of the positive comments I have read regarding Jamie Lynne’s decision to let her son self-wean.

 There’s no age limit, height limit or and developmental cut-off on breastfeeding YOUR child. As a mother it is your decision how you want to nourish your child whether bottle or breast the choice is solely yours. It’s beyond frustrating to see so many mothers with such judgmental views and the ick gross disgusting comments are immature and misplaced. I was given breasts to feed and nourish my offspring, they are solely for that purpose. I just wish people would be more supportive of moms in general it’s a damn hard job.

I just had a discussion with my 19 year old son about this cover photo, he hasn’t seen it, he’s playing a video game ATM. He was breastfed till age 5 and tandem with his little brother. He finds people being disgusted by breastfeeding a toddler according to it’s developmental need insane and ignorant. He was raised with attachment parenting and he feels we did the right thing. He is not a drug addict, not a criminal, no kids, and no debts. He has an amazing memory that reminds me of “Rainman”. I know his tender, nurturing start in life helped him to develop to his potential.

All my kids nursed till four and beyond and they are independent brilliant and certainly very normal. What we see here was the norm for thousands of years. Elizabethan soldiers nursed late. People ought to remember that a four year old will only quickly come for comfort when hurt or emotional and that nursing only happens on the odd occasion once they stop nursing upon waking or going to sleep. My four children are between 20 and 32 and healthy bright successful individuals.

 

What are your thoughts on Time magazine’s latest cover?

Many are wondering why we added food and travel to Baby Gizmo this year after seven years of a strict baby product only theme. Sure, we added those things because we know people are not stroller shopping everyday. Parents also eat and travel (at least occasionally!) and we knew we could help with ideas. That’s not the main reason we added them though. I added food and travel so that I could spend more time with my kids. That’s right, the decision was more about me than it was about you.

Here’s the thing, I’ve done some soul searching lately and decided I needed to make some changes. Our society is so dependent on electronic devices such as smart phones, tablets and computers that kids are being ignored. Not all of the time but way more than 20 years ago before the Internet and cell phones ever existed. I’ve spent the last 7 years working seven days a week (I work until midnight most nights!) with these devices making myself the best that there is at what I do. And you know what? I am dedicated to it!

Like all the best, we have a commitment to the people that depend on us. Expecting parents all over the world depend on my reviews to help them make the smartest choice when it comes to buying baby gear.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m still here for you. I’ll be bringing all those fabulous video reviews of everything I can get my hands on just like I always do. But I’ve just changed up how I do things behind the scenes.

This means that I just might not be able to respond to all your emails with personal gear questions immediately. It might take a little longer. Facebook questions might not be answered immediately either. Again, I’m totally still here for you but my kids need me too.

I sat down recently and realized how dependent I am (and everyone else around me it seems!) on my smart phone, my iPad and my computer. Sometimes I wish that the internet and smart phones were never invented. Yes, a person who has built her entire company around these electronic devices sometimes wish they didn’t exist.

Here’s the thing. No one ever gets to be done with work. Years and years ago, when people got home from work, that was basically it – they were done with work (for the most part!) until the next day. There weren’t people emailing and texting them 24/7. And weekends didn’t consist of emails, voice mails, texts and computer time either.  I’m totally dating myself but years back if someone wanted to get a hold of you, they called you. If you didn’t answer, they called back another time. They didn’t send you an email, text and leave a voice mail all in a 5 minute time frame and panic that you weren’t responding right away.

People have stopped respecting family time. Remember when it was rude to call during dinner time? Now, people are free to contact you day and night without a second thought.

Sure, it’s completely our fault. If we didn’t check these devices every second of every day, we’d have no idea who was trying to contact us.

Me? Guilty as charged.

I am probably one of the biggest offenders and I just feel pretty crappy about it.

I can’t judge others because I’m the one doing it too. I’m the one at the playground incessantly checking my iPhone as if I’m waiting to hear the biggest news of my life. Let’s be real, big news doesn’t happen all that often and even if it did, it can wait until I get home from the park.

I see all these parents at the park, grocery store, at red lights, walking their kids to school, and sitting in the backyard checking their phones like they are waiting to be announced as a Oscar Nominee. There is no Oscar nomination for them, and in fact, they are communicating with work, seeing what is on sale, tweeting, pinning something cute, checking up on Facebook.

Uggghhh…Facebook!

Don’t get me wrong, I love Facebook just as much as the next. Maybe more? It keeps me in contact with all my people both work and personal. Instant feedback. Instant news. Instant gossip. But Facebook really has us too connected. Darn you, Zuckerberg!! I’m checking my Facebook timeline all day long like that is where MY Oscar Nominee announcement will be made. Sometimes instead of living my life and enjoying my kids, I’ve got my eyes glued to my Facebook timeline reading something mundane like a friend just took a shower. WHO THE HELL CARES?!?! Yet, I’m reading it.

I suck.

I’m lucky enough to work from my home but I think that might even be worse in one aspect for my kids. While they see me all day long (which I LOVE!), they see me with my nose to my iPhone or iPad or in front of my computer A LOT! It breaks my heart when my two year old tries to close my laptop and says “No work, Mommy”. Who can say no to the most adorable little boy with golden curls and the sweetest brown eyes?

Not me.

My husband jokes a lot that my kids wouldn’t know me without the glow of my iPhone. Even though he is right there with me with electronic use, he is right. Plus, when people post on the Baby Gizmo Facebook page that I must not sleep because I’m always on, they might be right. I should have listened a little closer to those statements. Plus, I’ve heard my kids say from time to time, “you are always on the phone”. (It’s not talking but checking and surfing!) That stings. The truth hurts. I am looking at my iPhone WAY TOO MUCH!!

How many times have you found yourself saying “umm…what?!?…hang on a second…” to your child as you are engrossed in your device? I’m ashamed to say that I’ve said it many times. How many “hang on a second” does it take to make a child feel neglected?!? I’m guessing not many.

Not only does this constant electronic dependency take time away from my kids but I think it is making me a little crazy. Not crazy in the lock-me-up-in-a-loony-bin-crazy, but crazy in that I can’t focus on one thing anymore. My mind is constantly swirling. Sure, I’m a multi-tasker but I can’t even get through a half hour TV show at night without fidgeting that I need to get some work done or check Facebook or tweet or whatever. I can’t pay attention to the task at hand.

Just watch the flipping TV show!

Nope, I’m kind of listening while on my laptop, iPhone or iPad. Same thing at the park. Just can’t sit and watch the kids. I have to be doing something else. And when I’m doing something else, I’m only half listening when my kids are talking.

I need to hear them 100%!

Even when I was breastfeeding my last baby, I was checking things on my phone.

I suck.

That damn smart phone! It’s like my own personal crack. I can’t get enough. It’s not the phone’s fault, it’s mine. I should be smarter than the smart phone and put it down from time to time.

When I was on vacation last week, I actually read a book. A whole book!  Not on an iPad or a Nook or other type of reading device. I had an actual book WITH PAGES in my hands. And you know what? It felt great! My phone was off and I was reading a book. Sure, I had access to email and the internet through the WiFi on my iPad but I kind of wish that I didn’t. The fact that my iPhone was locked in a safe in the hotel room was enough to let me settle and read a book. You should try it sometime. It was fabulous!!

Now, that I had a hard look at myself and my electronic device habits, I have decided to make some changes.

Stop checking emails at red lights.

Stop checking my iPhone every second of every day.

Turn my iPhone off some evenings. Gasp!

Get the hell off Facebook from time to time.

Now that I’ve rambled on, let’s get back to recipes and travel. You see, baking makes me happy. It’s an outlet that I just love to do. Plus, I can do it with my kids.

AN ACTIVITY WITH MY KIDS!!

See where I’m going with this? With baking I can do work but still involve my kids and have a good time. They love it. I love it. You get ideas on yummy things to make. It’s a win-win all around. Sure, they help me with the reviews and the videos but that is not nearly the same thing. Baking is an activity and we get something yummy at the end.

Traveling is the same thing. I get to cover great places to take kids and find out everything they have to offer to help parents make the right vacation choice, but I still get to spend time with the kids.

I was given the opportunity to head to Jamaica next week with my daughter to cover a resort and let me tell you, I am over the moon about it. Just me and my daughter spending time together for 4 days and I get to call it work. How lucky am I? How lucky is she? What a great opportunity that we are very grateful for!

It will be quite a bit of work when we return to edit video and do an entire write-up about everything the resort has to offer, but it’ll be worth it because I will have gotten to spend one-on-one time with my daughter doing it.

Now, you see why we added food and travel? More for me than you but you get the benefit too.

If you don’t like a certain recipe or travel spot, just don’t read it. Please don’t post or email me that you don’t understand why every single thing we post is not about baby gear. I’ll just direct you back to this post. Believe me, not everyone will like every food or travel post, but not everyone likes every stroller either. There is always something for everyone if you just be patient.

Like I said, we are still baby gear here at Baby Gizmo all day every day, but sometimes we are going to venture into other territory as well.

I hope you will venture off the beaten path with us. And I hope you will take a look at your electronic device use and decide if it is taking time away from your kids!

In the meantime, I’m headed to the park to have a picnic with my kids and my iPhone is staying home.

xoxo,

Hollie

Last week, I shared some great gifts that I thought were worthy of your mom this Mother’s Day. Today, I’m doing the opposite and sharing some gifts that I hope you steer clear of to save you and your mom from having to make a trip down bad gift-ville, the place that’s dark and smelly and…inhabited by many. (insert diabolical music)

Before getting into the gifts, let me preface things by saying that for most moms, it’s enough that their special day is defined by  thoughtful acts, i.e., a homemade dinner, and kind words. Gifts aren’t necessary, at least for me, but they are the “icing on the cake.” They are nice to get and fun to show off and are meaningful in a different kind of a way.

Okay, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s get back to the post at hand. Don’t get your mom any of these gifts this Mother’s Day:

The usual tech-y gadgets or gizmo-y contraptions, marketed as being great for moms, that she’ll never understand, want, or use. Moms, like dads, like gadgets. But not all gadgets are created equally. Some gadgets, like the Fir Real Sauna (shown below), are only good in theory and, in practice, are actually quite hilarious.

Bad fashions that will end up in next year’s giveaway bag. I warned about products like the Pajama Jeans in a post that I wrote back in February, but I thought I’d include it here because it’s just that serious. No mom wants Pajama Jeans. No. Correction. No mom needs pajama jeans, so this Mother’s Day, do her the favor and just say no to Pajama Jeans or any other “fashion” inventions that are only cool if you don’t think about them too much.

Printed, un-original T-shirts, mugs, key chains, or other meaningless memorabilia. It’s important to remember that as you get older and mature, so should your Mother’s Day gift. Those bikini T-shirts, the Greatest Mom Alive mugs? Yeah. They work…when you’re a kid. But as you age…well…they stop working as well. If you must go the t-shirt route, consider creating a personalized one that displays something that actual means something meaningful to your mom. T-shirts like this one?

Yeah. They don’t mean much.

Hideous clothing in the wrong size. Clothing is hard to shop for as a gift. I mean, unless, you know your mom’s exact size, style, and body composition, it’s so easy to make a bad gift choice when buying clothes. So, the solution? Don’t try to do clothes unless you’ve had a direct request.

Personal care items that suggest that your mom should be worrying about some part of her body or face. So, for instance, Proactiv or an Oil of Olay regenerative mask for dull and sullen skin is a great gift idea in theory, but unless requested, it can easily be misread as an insult.

So, the moral of the story? This Mother’s Day, put some thought into your gift. Take chances, smart chances, on your gift and you won’t go wrong! Seriously.

What’s the worst Mother’s Day gift you’ve ever received?

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced that he has put together a breastfeeding initiative program to help mothers with breastfeeding in hospitals. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene page describes this as the following

Breastfeeding Initiative: Activities include encouraging breastfeeding by educating mothers, providers an d the public; seeking support for breastfeeding mothers in the workplace (see DOHMH Lactation Program); helping to establish hospital practices to assist women who breastfeed; and advocating policy to increase awareness and supportive services for breastfeeding.

Did you get mad reading that? No, neither did I, but Whoopi Goldberg certainly did. She sent a message to the Mayor telling him  “This is not your place. Back off.” Ouch. But wait, it gets better. Whoopi explains that she did not want to breastfeed, and she goes on to call lactation consultants “boneheads” for trying to help women with issues.

You can watch the video below.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

The way she describes women who help nursing mothers is completely disrespectful in my opinion, and her having a problem with a breastfeeding initiative is just ridiculous. If she had a bad experience with her lactation consultant, that’s one thing, but why call them all “boneheads”?

There are many women who suffer from an uncomfortable latch, tongue tie, positioning after a c-section, engorgement, milk blisters, mastitis, and so many other things that they need help from the professionals. They are nervous about returning to work and being able to pump at work, so they turn to others for advice. A baby friendly hospital could make all the difference between a successful nursing story and an unsuccessful one.

There are also many women who are forceful and have no shame in making others feel somehow “below them” for not nursing their baby. I’ve heard comments like “This is why I choose to do what’s best for my baby!” As much as these women frustrate me too, this initiative is aimed at helping mothers through a crucial time, and for Whoopi to say such things on national TV is irresponsible.

I am 22 weeks pregnant and still nursing my 19 month old. And what I look forward to more than anything is the support and help of the women at the hospital with breastfeeding when I give birth in September. So Whoopi Goldberg, YOU back off.

What are your thoughts on what Whoopi Goldberg said?

Here are some ideas:

Soy Candles

When we lived in Vermont we would buy locally made soy candles at the Burlington Farmer’s Market. It felt great to support our local artisans and pick up a candle at the same place we purchased our produce each week. Now we order our candles online via Etsy. Sprout is one of my favorite vendors because the candles are poured into simple yet chic mason jars, the scents are strong but not overpowering, the candles are long-lasting and the price is reasonable. Soy candles are sometimes very expensive but Sprout’s strike the perfect balance between price and burning time.

DIY Natural Cleaners

I’m a huge lavender fan so am partial to this “recipe” but you can find all kinds of variations using your preferred essential oils as substitutes. I had no idea how easy and inexpensive DIY cleaning solutions were. I probably would’ve started using them years ago. It’s liberating to no longer have to spend hundreds each year on simple to make cleaners for windows and floors. Give it a try. You’ll save money and your home will smell amazing.

Pretty Plants

We haven’t gotten around to this one yet since newly mobile babies like to get into plants and taste dirt, mine d0 anyway, but plants are an excellent way to prettify and improve indoor air quality. Some plants do a better job than others and there are different levels of maintenance but there is a hardworking plant out there for everyone. Do a little research, buy a pretty pot, and welcome a new plant into your home. Your lungs will thank you.

Do you have any green tips for freshening up your home?