Having a baby? Then don’t miss Whitney’s Bump Month post today on Zulily’s blog: 7 things you need for the hospital when having a baby.  I’ll give you a hint… the list doesn’t include diapers.

What’s on it? Go over and see.

What’s on your must-bring list?

But last week on the way out of the mall, I popped into Stride Rite, asking them to measure her again. 4 1/2 made her big enough, finally, for a pair of boots! The salesperson recommended waterproofing spray, which I was quick to snatch up, and we ran home to spray.

She practiced wearing her Wallaroo boots the past few days, even wearing them dancing at music class with a cute little mini skirt and tights. Today, she tried them out in the ice on the driveway and in the snow. While she took some slides, there were no spills. These rubber-soled shoes had amazing traction and support for her ankles, and she stayed upright the entire time while playing on the ice.

I was also concerned about her little toes getting cold, and snow working its way into the socks while playing in the snow. There were no complaints and when we finally came in about an hour later, her toes were dry, and fairly warm.

The Wallaroo boots are on sale at Stride Rite. If you’re little is dying to go outside and experience the snow, race to the mall and grab these. (Just make sure you spray them with NAME first. It takes 24 hours to set in, but she’ll be a snow-bunny by the weekend.)

Or order from Shoebuy where you can use code WINTER15 to save 15% and recieve free shipping.

In New Shalom Sesame #2: Chanukah – The Missing Menorah, which was just released in October, the Sesame Street gang celebrates Chanukah in Israel, complete with Grover’s latkes, Menorahs and other elements of Chanukah ceremony.

The new Shalom Sesame series , created by the people behind Sesame Street and starring the Muppets themselves, celebrate holidays and culture, interweaving the muppet stories with celebrities and Israelis. Viewers join families in Israel while lighting the candles or exploring other holidays as the muppets continue their storyline.

Another installment in the series, New Shalom Sesame #1: Welcome to Israel, joins Grover, star Anneliese van der Pol and Christina Applegate as they explore the people and the country of Israel.

Happy Hanukkah!

Gerber Yogurt Blends

A lot has changed since Big was born. (I know. I keep saying that, right? I feel like such a grandma!) But it has. Its been seven years and I shake my head, every now and then, thinking about the changes.

Like food.  When Big was a toddler, I drove to Babies R Us (this is before I ordered with Amazon Prime, charging through my phone in seconds and having items arrive, shipped to my doorstep two days later) and purchased about 5 insulated pouches and probably 10 ice packs. I had to keep everything dairy cold cold cold. Especially yogurt. Because bad, warm yogurt? That goes in the trash.

Right?

Not anymore. Fast forward to a few weeks ago while I was shopping the baby aisle and I see Yogurt  Blends. On a shelf. In the middle of the store. NOT in the dairy case. What on Earth? Of course, I bought it. I had to. I couldn’t help but be curious about this stuff.

So. Unrefrigerated yogurt? Its good. Its warm. It tastes a little like pudding in flavors of banana, strawberry and peach. (Yes, I did sneak a taste while Little was distracted. Which wasn’t easy because she really likes it.)

OMG. My life has changed. I know, sounds silly, right? But now when I pack up for meetings or a playdate or a Mommy and Me class I can just toss a Yogurt Blend in my bag and not have to worry about packing cold yogurt into an insulated pouch with an ice pack. Is it that big of a deal? Probably not. But. Really. I’m a mom of 3. And Gerber Yogurt Blends has created one less step for me. And I love that.

Also, new from Gerber are Smart Sips, healthy flavored milk drinks in boxes that don’t have to be kept cold. Again. Making life easier for a mom of three kids. (And I think I need to mention that I do, indeed, snack on these now myself.)

While I’ve been buying Yogurt Blends for a few months now, they recently supplied Mommies with Style with samples of Gerber Yogurt Blends and Gerber Smart Sips for review.

I’ve never tried Cooking Mama 1 or 2, or the wii version, but I’ve always heard great things. So, like most people, I was expecting a three-quel to be not so hot. But its really fun! I love manipulating controls to quickly create a meal. Its hugely addicting, a great time waster, of course. But totally something that I need when I need to destress and get away from real life. And, because I do love cooking, this is really, really fun for me.

The game has recipes and lots of mini games. My favorite is when you mix it up and create your own recipes, because that’s what I like to do in the kitchen, and this one makes you actually win. Which is a lot better than the kids reactions. Its also really fun to the do the shopping. Seriously, you’re having fun in the grocery store. Against a clock you have to race to shop, but if you bump into another person in the store, you have to do a mini game. Which hurts your time but is so fun its totally worth it.

Now here’s my problem: Big saw me playing Cooking Mama 3. And he’s already better at it than me.

I received a copy of Cooking Mama 3 as a sample, as well as Petz Dolphinz Encounter.

Butterfly Bliss 1st Birthday Invitation from Tiny Prints

If there’s one company I know I can count on for quality, its Tiny Prints. So when it comes time to order for announcements, greetings or birthdays, I instantly go there.

This time, it was Little’s first birthday. (I know. I couldn’t believe it either!) I had no idea what theme to do, or even where to start. But I knew I wanted classy. And I knew I wanted her picture in the card because, well, she’s so cute. (Biased, its true.)

As always, Tiny Prints was the absolute right place to look. Of course I fell in love with about 6 different invites, but found this Butterfly Bliss invite to be just calling her name.

I love how easy their interface is, too. You can add pictures, change wording, even fonts and colors. And after you place your order, rest assured that their customer service and follow-up is stellar. Tiny Prints really gets it all right.

This time, I was able to add matching thank you notes and return address labels. The thank you notes are perfect for my needs. Between you and me, I don’t like using big notes because they require so much writing to fill (and we all know who will be doing the writing.) So I love that the fold over thank you notes in the Butterfly Bliss collection are smaller. And the return address label added that perfect touch to make the envelopes something special.

Thanks to Tiny Prints for providing the products for this review.

Maybe its just the way her hair grows, but she has so many long bangs and they won’t stay on the side… everything falls forward. So much so that the Huz has asked, on more than one occasion, when she gets her first hair cut. So sorry, honey. She’ll get her haircut when she’s… I don’t know, 5? (Hmmm… when do girls usually get their hair cut?)

• To attempt to keep the bangs from her eyes, I clip it back. And I have lots of cute clips to choose from. But she takes them out all the time. Sometimes she makes a game of it. Other times it just comes out. The other day I reached between the cushions in her carseat and found 6 hair clips. Seriously. Six. (and almost all of them were a shade of pink). Now I’m checking back there every day. How do you get your little girl to keep her clips in?

Of course, since she’s so into removing her hairclips, there’s no surprise that we go through them rather quickly. For each one that I found tucked into her carseat, I’m sure we’ve lost others. The problem isn’t that they slip out. Its that she deliberately pulls them out.

So I’m always looking to find new hairclips that are cute and reasonably priced. A few weeks ago, I won a contest at Sami Cone‘s website, where I got to pick a hair clip set for Little from Lilla Hairclips. I had a hard time choosing, and they sent me a few to try out. The Alligator Clips work wonderfully in Little’s hair–on the rare occasion that she doesn’t pull them out, their hasn’t been any slippage. And Lilla Hairclips has a great variety of colors to match all of Little’s outfits (believe it or not, she has a few things that aren’t pink). They also sent a few snap clips which also hold Little’s hair nicely, but I don’t like putting them in because I hate the feeling of snapping clips against her head.

I’m very impressed by the variety and the cute styles. I also love that Lilla Hairclips partnered with littlethings, a nonprofit organization dedicated to furthering the education of Congolese girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo. For every hairclip that is purchased, a little girl in the Congo will be sent to school for a half day. For every headband purchased, a little girl will go to school for a whole day. Doesn’t that make you want to buy several hairclips and headbands? Me too.

In the past year, I’ve been busy learning how to chase a 6-year-old and a 4-year-old without dropping my baby. The secret? Baby carriers.

Now, I know all about the concerns with the CPSC over “wearing” your baby. Those concerns are very just and real. It goes without saying that one should carefully read baby carrier instructions prior to wearing. And practice, practice, practice: sitting down, standing on a very soft surface, wearing baby with another responsible adult in arms reach… all before you wear your baby out in the real world. Its also extremely important to recognize that wearing a baby does not equal paying attention to your baby. When you are wearing your baby, he is attached to you, yes. But it is your responsibility to consistently check on the baby’s well-being while you are wearing him or her. Make sure she can breathe. Make sure you can see her. And by all means, make sure she is secure.

Some top (and some favorite) baby carriers from Little’s first year:

Baby K’tan: with at least 9 ways to wrap your baby on you, this carrier was the one I used, consistently, in Disney World. It was so easy to move her from upright and looking at the World, to snuggled in to sleep, to breastfeeding during a show. It only took a few practices to confidently learn about 5 ways to hold her. I love the versatility of the Baby K’tan. And don’t let the 3-loops intimidate you (they’re very intimidating!) Watch the simple instructions and follow the well-described images to learn how to hold your baby properly. Twin bonus: you can hold your twins with this carrier!

Baby K'tan Baby Carrier

BabyHawk: This was reviewed last summer as I anticipated using the BabyHawk Carrier. In nearly 7(!) years of parenting, its the most well constructed, supportive, comfortable Mei Tai I have received and used (and, believe me, I’ve tried a lot.) Love the variety of patterns available. But what really scores the most points here is the comfort when you wear your baby in a BabyHawk. Its also made to hold toddlers on your back, so I’m confident I’ll be using this one for a long time coming.

BabyHawk Mei Tai

Evenflo Snugli Hug: This soft carrier has greater availability as you can pick it up at a Walmart store or purchase online, and the under $30 price point is worth mentioning. The Snugli Hug‘s Secure-lock buckles keep baby inside and offer a sense of security for parents uneasy about simply wrapping their child in cloth. It also has easy-adjustable straps to situate baby in the right spot. Baby can be carried in two ways: facing in or out (though babies should not face out until they can hold their heads up.) Unfortunately, the body on this carrier is a bit long if you have a small torso. Like many standard size carriers, it was too long for me. But works just fine for those with average and longer torsos.

Evenflo Snugli Hug

LilleBaby EveryWear Sport: What I really liked about this carrier was how light-weight and versatile the carrier is, as well as the potential for longterm wears–both within one day (its very easy to wear your baby in this carrier) and over time–children can be worn through toddlerhood and preschool, if your child will let you! With 5 carrying positions, baby and parent can adjust to what baby likes best as baby grows. And the LilleBaby EveryWear Sport has a pocket in the front–idea for walks and strolls when you don’t want to carry a lot. I found this carrier to be a bit difficult to get used to and to get my child into, however the video instructions on their site guide you through wearing your baby correctly so that you feel secure. (If you plan to use this carrier with a baby, you will need to buy the infant cradle, sold separately.)

LilleBaby EveryWear Sport

Thanks to all of the companies mentioned for sending sample carriers for review.

The Bliss offers everything I love about Bravado, in a full-coverage style. This is the bra to wear when you need full support. Its super comfortable with a large cup, its the bra I prefer to wear during my ‘heavier’ days. And while its not the sports bra I wear to work out usually, I did wear it to the gym the other day. Its that comfortable. I know. Crazy, right? A bra that’s that comfortable and supportive? So I did a little investigating and its Bravado’s Flexi-Fit support system that makes it such a pleasure to wear.

Its way too pretty for the gym. With a little embellishment, the Bravado Bliss lets you feel pretty and comfortable in your nursing bra.

Thanks to Nursing Mother Supplies for providing a sample for this review (and my comfort). Use coupon code NMS10 for 10% off your purchase.