A Girl Named PJ

Cute calendars for kids

December 27, 2012

At 17 months old, Levi has not yet mastered numbers, months or days of the week (what a slacker!), so he has no legitimate need for a calendar. Plus, he has me as his mom/social secretary to manage his playdates and activities.

But there’s a big difference between need and want, and if Levi could talk, I’m sure he’d ask for one of these illustrated calendars. With modern designs ranging from superheroes to Star Wars characters to cartoon children wearing fruit and vegetable costumes, these cute calendars for kids appeal to both little boys and girls.

I think the animal calendar is especially appropriate for Levi, as he’s constantly practicing his mooing, baaing, and clucking — when he’s not asking to “go, go, go!”

Which calendar is your favorite?

{via cool hunting}

Do you send thank you cards?

December 26, 2012

I hope you’ve all been having a happy holiday season! Did Santa leave anything special for you or your children underneath the Christmas tree? Levi was fortunate to receive some additional Chanukah presents from family and friends while we were traveling last week. (Psst…Did you even notice I was gone?)

Now that we’re home and settled, it’s time to go through the mail that accumulated in our absence and thank anyone who sent us or Levi a gift. I’ve always wondered whether it really matters if “thank you” is said over the phone or in a card, so I asked two experts for their opinions.

First I turned to Chandra Greer, owner of the Chicago stationery shop, Greer. Since Chandra sells paper and pens (among other things), I had a feeling she would tell me that sending a thank you card is what’s appropriate, but I was curious as to why. She directed me to an interview she did with Dwell, in which she said, “Any gift requires time, thought and resources and should be responded to with something that at least approximates the effort that gift represents.”

William Hanson, an etiquette expert based in the UK (where they know a thing or two about being proper!), agreed that sending thank you cards is an essential post-Christmas activity. He suggests young children sign their name to a sentence written by a parent until they are old enough to write a simple sentence or two, around the age of five. Older children can write longer letters.

And what if they object to writing a thank you card? “As a child I was always told that if I stopped writing letters people would no longer want to send me presents,” said William. “I was a very materialistic child so I made sure I wrote my letters very soon after Christmas!”

Before our trip, I wrote a thank you card on behalf of Levi and mailed it to a friend who bought him a Chanukah gift. She sent us an email while we were away asking if Levi liked his present. Since we knew that Levi’s thank you was due to arrive in her mailbox any day, neither JB nor I responded. Imagine how embarrassed we both felt upon learning last night that she never received the thank you card! We tried to do the proper thing, but the postal service ended up making us look ungrateful. Fail, USPS!

A situation like that makes me wonder if a simple phone call (or even email) to say thanks makes more sense in today’s world of instant gratification…but then I remember how little time I have to chat on the phone. In fact, I took me over a week to find a quiet moment to call my aunt and uncle and thank them for their Chanukah gift. I intended to call in the evening when they would both be home from work, but nights are always hectic in our house and time just got away from me.

When I finally did call, I got their answering machine. And when they called me back the next day, they got mine. Perhaps I should have just written a thank you card!

How do you thank family and friends for gifts you receive? Do you say thank you over the phone, in a card, or by email?

{images: 1, 2, 3, 4}

Nursery Inspiration Board: Transit Authority

December 21, 2012

They say it takes a village to raise a child, so I’ve invited some fabulous bloggers to share their thoughts on motherhood. This week they’ll be discussing everything from pregnancy to newborns to baby gear for first-time moms. When I was designing Levi’s nursery, buymodernbaby was one of my go-to blogs for inspiration. Now, I’m happy to call Esther one of my blogging friends! Here is a very special inspiration board she created just for Bunny & Dolly.

I’m excited to be posting here this week during maternity/baby week. PJ asked if I would do a nursery inspiration board for her sister who is due in March and I was thrilled with the challenge. It’s always fun to put together a nursery board for someone else because they pick items or a theme that you wouldn’t necessarily gravitate to.

Her sister already selected the Transit Authority Crib Bedding from The Land of Nod, so I started this board with that as my inspiration. This bedding naturally begs for a transportation theme, but I made sure not to go overboard with it.

1- Hangin’ Around Lamp in Dark Blue from The Land of Nod- $100

2- Up in the Air Mobile from Petit Collage- $66

3- Simple Wood Wall Clock from West Elm- $40

4- Transportation Signs from The Land of Nod- $65

5- Skip Changer Dresser from babyletto- $400

6- Skip Convertible Crib from babyletto- $400

7- Storytime Rocker from Nurseryworks- $650 & Fauna Terrier Pillow– $40

8- Slink Rug from CB2- $350

9- Transit Authority Crib Bedding from The Land of Nod

I hope she likes it and congrats PJ on your upcoming aunt-hood!

Thanks, Esther! I had no idea I’d love two-tone wood furniture as much as I do in this inspiration board. I might have to buy my nephew his very own Fauna Terrier pillow so he and I can have matching pillows (go BU!).

Top 5 pieces of advice for new moms

December 20, 2012

They say it takes a village to raise a child, so I’ve invited some fabulous bloggers to share their thoughts on motherhood. This week they’ll be discussing everything from pregnancy to newborns to baby gear for first-time moms. Today, Emily is here with the five pieces of new-mom advice she plans to follow after her second child is born in April. Her blog, Peck Life, is filled with gorgeous photographs of family, food and crafts, so check it out!

When you have your first child, you don’t know what to expect. Is it going to be hard or easy? What will I feel like? Will my marriage change? Will I have time to ever take a shower again? You just never know until that little bundle joins you.

Being the type A personality that I am, it’s very hard for me to let things go….to not be able to cross items off my “to-do” list….or to let the dishes stay dirty in the sink. So when my first baby was born, it’s safe to say I had a pretty difficult time merging my “old” life with the “new” one.

I tried too hard to keep up, got a little too overwhelmed, didn’t take care of myself as well as I should have, and in hindsight {of course!}, now realize that I could have benefited from the advice sprinkled over me those first few months. It’s hard to implement good judgment, especially when you are still in the fog of the first few months. Now, with baby #2 joining us next April, I have a better idea of what I need to do to succeed. Ironically, much of it is the same guidance I was given before. Except this time? It actually means something. Here are my top 5:

It was probably the curse of having December baby combined with the extreme damage to my lower half that prevented me from really “getting out there”, but I can tell you first hand that staying in the house 24/7 really can make you a little insane. Even if you don’t want to go….even if it takes 3 hours to get out the door….just go. Starbucks, 10 minutes in Target, a stroll through the farmers market….a baby support group….ANYTHING.

The beginning of a baby is fleeting. You will have 10,000 photos of your new little person. But where is mom? Even if there has been no shower or drop of makeup applied, just get in the picture. Your baby will thank you for it later.

This is the one I am worst at. I’ve never been a napper EVER so sleeping at sporadic intervals throughout the day is foreign to me. As I’ve become more sleep deprived over the years, I’ve realized just how much sleep I really do need to properly function. I expect it will be easier to sleep on queue with #2 {assuming my toddler lets me} but I’m sure this will still be a difficult one to stick to.

I’m not very good at meal planning when I’m NOT pregnant. So, you can only imagine how this panned out the first time around. Thankfully we had friends and family who helped us with meals. Once I learned just how much food I needed to eat to nurse AND how cranky I got when I was hungry, this quickly became top priority. There is no time for dishes {sorry, I am usually a good environmental steward but desperate times call for desperate measures} so paper plates are a must. Anything you can do to plan ahead, even if it’s meal delivery, will make everyone happy.

Assuming you have a good, safe, relationship with your family members, accept any and all help. Let others hold your baby so you can grab a snack and have 5 minutes of quiet time or grab a quick coffee with your hubby. If they offer to watch your baby, just let them!! It was really hard in the beginning, especially when I was a paranoid first time mom but looking back, I really wish I would have accepted more offers for help, even if the help wasn’t directly for the baby. It’s the one time in your life when you have a right to be spoiled by others. Just accept it and say thank you as much as possible. You can repay them later.

It’s only 5 things, but I really think it will make things smoother for me in this next go around. Is there anything major I’ve left out? Any advice you would give to a new mom that was valuable in your situation? I’d love to hear!

Good luck, Emily! I certainly hope the transition is easier the second time around. In the meantime, I’m so excited to meet you at Alt Summit in January. We’ll both be dining with BHG!

How to have a baby in New York City

December 19, 2012

They say it takes a village to raise a child, so I’ve invited some fabulous bloggers to share their thoughts on motherhood. This week they’ll be discussing everything from pregnancy to newborns to baby gear for first-time moms. Today’s post is special: I asked my friend Ashley from Hither & Thither if she had any advice for my sister, who lives in New York City and is expecting her first baby in early March. Ashley, a former New Yorker, has a son who’s about a week younger than Levi, so I knew she’d have a wealth of information for my sister and other city-dwelling mamas!

First off: congratulations! That anticipation is like nothing else. And hopefully it’s driving you to get rid of everything you own to make room for everything else you’re about to. Just kidding. Sort of.

Of course the space constraints of a New York apartment is the challenge that first comes to mind when asked about having a baby in the city. And I would suggest doing multiple sweeps and either tossing, donating, or storing (hopefully in a willing parent’s home) things you don’t need before there’s a very demanding, sweet little distraction living with you.

And then, start thinking about the kinds of large items and toys you might want, but don’t bother buying any of them until you need them. It’s a tricky balance: ideally, you want to know which swing to order off Diapers.com or from whom you can borrow one before you need it, but you might not want to actually let it in the house until you know that you do. (And p.s. thank goodness for Diapers.com, Fresh Direct, Amazon prime, and Seamless Web. Oh how I miss Seamless Web.)

On the other hand, do be sure to have whatever you need for nursing ahead of time. Bring the pillow and lanolin to the hospital and get the fitting done in advance. (Speaking from experience: driving uptown with a 2-day old for a bra fitting that happened while I shifted from foot to foot was not fun.)

My top items–for any new mom but especially for one in NY: a carrier (wearing the baby on busy streets and in tight restaurants is so nice); a foldable, lightweight stroller (imagine getting it in and out of cabs as well as down subway stairs); and a new iPhone. That last one might be a stretch–but go ahead and ask for one. You’ll use it for all of your photos. You’ll watch movies and entire TV Series on it. You’ll read the NY Times and check email and record every poop on it. And when you’re strolling aimlessly to keep the baby asleep in that carrier, you’ll order delivery from Seamless Web.

Choose a pediatrician you trust, but who is also close-by and easy to get to in rush hour.

Take advantage of the great services and programs for parents all around the city: the Y has new parent meet-ups, music classes, mommy-and-me workouts, and babysitting. The libraries have amazing story hours (and they happen all around the city on different days).

You already know that NY has amazing parks and playgrounds. They’re great places to meet people. “Are you happy with your stroller?” will get most people talking if you’re at a loss. We parents love sharing advice (couched as opinions).

You’d think midday in SoHo would be the time for that neighborhood—but it’s not. It’s never the right time for SoHo–especially with a stroller. Delivery trucks, crowds… argh! Of course, when you do end up there (and somehow I always did, dodging taxis and models), know that Giggle has a nice nursing station, changing table, and scale downstairs; and the NYU bookstore on the North strip of Broadway has a large children’s area adjacent to a coffee shop.

Finally, start mentally collecting restaurants you like that serve breakfast. Breakfast, in general, means kid-friendly. Brunch is more hit-or-miss.

Have fun! New York City is an incredibly awesome place to have a baby and all the cliches are true about it all flying by–even if that brunch in SoHo with all the moody, 22-year-old hipsters starting at you and your crying baby seemed to last an eternity.

hither-and-thither-for-bunny-and-dolly-2

P.S. Here’s a post on raising a City Kid and one on what I packed in my diaper bag when we left the house.

Thank you so much, Ashley! You actually made living in NYC with a baby sound more fun than stressful!

Which calendar is your favorite?

How do you thank family and friends for gifts you receive? Do you say thank you over the phone, in a card, or by email?

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