iThank You, Steve...

The  other day I was at The Grove and I passed by the Apple Store. It, of course, was packed and doing great business but there was also a little memorial in front of the store for the late Steve Jobs. Everyone, including myself, was taking pictures of it ( with their iPhones, of course). As I was reading all the heartfelt messages, I started to think about Steve Jobs, what he has created and how his innovation has enhanced my life.

I must have been around 13 or 14 when my dad bought us our very 1st home computer for Christmas. The Apple IIe! My sister (5 years old at the time) and I had been begging my parents for a computer all year long. One night I was babysitting my sister and we sneaked around the house looking for our Christmas presents. I being the older sister knew of all the great hiding places. I opened the attic door and there it was. A brand spankin' new Apple IIe computer. The sis and I were stoked! Now we just had to last until Christmas morning and not spill the beans that we know what the great Santa Claus is leaving for us... Fast forward to Christmas morning. My dad sent me over to open "the big present". Before I could even get the bow off my sister yells "It's a computer! Yay!"... Well, that about sums it up. She didn't quite get the logic that I had to unwrap the present FIRST before acknowledging what the present actually was. At any rate, the Apple IIe opened up a whole new world to me.

Now, I've got my various iPods in which I store and play all my favorite tunes and videos. I've got my very 1st iPod (the model before the click wheel) in my daughter's room where my husband and I have sung countless bedtime songs to her as she sweetly falls asleep on our shoulder. Now at 17 months she likes to play "DJ" and flip through the songs herself. I have another iPod for my running and have used it the LA and NYC marathons. I've got my iPhone which I use every day for scheduling, listening to music in the car, playing the ever popular "Words With Friends", entertaining my daughter on the plane with little videos and "Peek-a-boo Barn", oh yeah, and let's not forget talking with friends and family. The iPhone was also how I communicated (text, Facebook, calls) to the outside world when I was in the hospital giving birth to my beautiful daughter. That leads me to my MacBook Pro. Not to mention that I've used this computer to get a President elected, write scripts and edit several short films. But... this is also the machine that I used to edit and e-mail the photos of my daughter the day we brought her home. This machine edited video of her 1st spoken word as well as her 1st steps, lets her see and hear her grandparents who live across the country and assists her mom (that's me) document every sweet, special landmark of her young life.

Thank you, Steve Jobs... For your innovation... So that this mom can create such lasting memories. RIP...

  

xxoo

Rub-dub-dub...

A few of my favorite (baby) things for the... Bathroom! Along with plushy, soft towels and washcloths here are some of my top picks for tubby time.

I'm a huge fan of California Baby products! In a recent study, more than half of the baby products tested by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics were found to contain trace levels of formaldehyde and dioxane. Can you believe it? It's true. Here is a link to the list of those products that tested positive:

http://consumerist.com/2009/03/baby-products-now-with-formaldehyde.html

There are a lot of really wonderful baby bath products out there. I'm crazy about California Baby because they smell delightful, they are made in the USA, they do not contain formaldehyde or dioxane and, well, I live in California. Tee hee...

I have used this since Betty Jane was born. Loooove!

This is great for giving baby massages!

The Boon Frog Pod is pretty rad. There is a storage for your bath products and tubby time toys. Plus, there is a drainable scoop which helps in avoiding soap scum and mildew issues.

The Ecowool Sheepskin Rug (long natural length) is something I never would have thought of getting. I received it as a baby shower gift and we have used it every night until Betty Jane was about 15 months. It's so soft and cushy. Great for after bathtime when your giving baby massages and getting baby ready for beddie bye. I highly recommend this sweet, little item!

 Wishing you loads of tubby time fun!!! xxoo

Yummy, Nummy Mac & Cheese!

Ok, so I'm not that gifted in the area of cooking, BUT... thanks to this delicious recipe in COOKING FOR BABY by Lisa Barnes I can make a mean mac and cheese! It takes about 30 minutes to make and you can freeze it or you can pop in the fridge for up to 3 days. I altered the recipe a little bit and used vegetable wheat pasta plus I added a bunch of broccoli. I also didn't add any salt or pepper. In my opinion, it really doesn't need it. Oh, and the added bonus... My kiddo loooooooves it!

Bon appetit!

P90X... It's not just for adults!

Who says that P90X is only for grown-ups? Betty Jane is obviously proving them wrong. Introducing... B(aby)90X!!!!

A few of my favorite (baby) things...

... In the kitchen!

I've recently been asked by a few new moms to give them recommendations on what they REALLY need when their little one arrives. So I've decided to take it room by room starting with the kitchen. To be honest, you don't need a whole lot, but these are a few key items that I could not have lived without while Betty Jane grew from a newborn baby to a toddler.

The Evenflo glass bottle with silicone sleeve (8 ounce and 4 ounce). I know it's a personal choice, but I love glass bottles. To me, they always seemed "cleaner" after 100 washings than BPA-free plastic bottles. I'm sure most bottles are fine, but like I said, it's a personal choice. One of the reasons I love these bottles is that the silicone sleeves are REALLY easy to remove and clean!

Now, if you're planning on making your own baby food, I highly recommend COOKING FOR BABY by Lisa Barnes. Yummy, nummy recipes!!!!

Next up we have the Beaba Babycook Baby Food Maker. It's not a necessity, but it will make your life a whole lot easier.

I chose the Munchkin Fresh Food Freezer Cups to store all my baby food in. I like it because they are individual silicone cups so I can just defrost as much as I need. They also make great "on-the-go" snack containers for your little one's toddler years.

I chose to serve Betty Jane's baby food in these multi-colored ceramic souffle dishes. They are just the right size and, again, no plastic BPA mumbo-jumbo to worry about.

It seems that moms are always looking for the ultimate sippy cup. You know... One that doesn't leak, has a soft spout and, most importantly, one that your little one will drink out of! For me, I have found that the Nuby No Spill Sipper works the best. Believe me, I've tried a lot and I have a huge sippy cup graveyard.

Now we get to self-feeding which is always a very messy process. I love the Boon Catch Bowl. It's got a suction at the bottom to your sweet little peanut can't toss it overboard.

Those are my recs! Happy feasting!!!!

"Let Me Entertain You..."

"Let me make you smile!"... Betty Jane certainly put some truth into that song. At least for me she did. I predict she's either going to be a pianist, a private detective or just an all around cute kiddo. I'll take any or all of the above.

Enjoy!
xxoo

Glass Marble Magnets

I’ve had a lot of compliments and requests in regards to the glass marble magnets that I made as party favors for Betty Jane’s 1st Birthday party. Soooooo... Here’s the skinny on how to create your own magnets. They are super-duper easy and, seriously, who doesn’t love cute refrigerator magnets?

There are a lot of DIY websites out there that have step-by-step instructions. This is the one I used:
http://www.diylife.com/2007/09/13/making-magnets-from-flat-glass-marbles/ 
If you don’t like this site all you have to do is Google “How to make Glass Marble Magnets” and you’ll find TONS of DIY blogs and websites to choose from.

As for getting my supplies, I ordered everything from Wholesalers USA. I had a hard time finding the flat glass marble size that I wanted and this site had a great selection. Plus, the price is right! From what I’ve heard, you can sometimes find the magnets at the $1 Store. I’ve checked 3 in my area and haven’t had any luck. Boo...

Here’s what I ordered:

Glass Gems
http://www.wholesalersusainc.com/large-glass-gems-clear-noniridized-3840mm-p-365.html

Magnets
http://www.wholesalersusainc.com/ceramic-magnets-pieces-20mm-p-2222.html

Glue (I used Diamond Glaze, but the E6000 is great too.)
http://www.wholesalersusainc.com/adhesives-c-71.html

I designed all the graphics I used on my computer and printed them on white cardstock. I would suggest using a heavier paper as opposed to thin scrapbook paper. You’ll find it works with the adhesive better.

Happy Magnet Making! Let me know if you have any questions!