Giveaway: Yoga With Your Baby

Exercise. Unless you are Michael Phelps, you probably feel you should always be doing more. Some feel they can't get enough. Others feel they need to start doing more. However, when you are a new mom, exercise is just a tad further down on your list than say... oh I don't know maybe... sleep, eat, laundry, and Target-runs!

The Yoga With Your Baby DVD can change that! Watch this video and you'll want to jump right in. It's relaxing, and it's not difficult. These are moves you can perform while cuddling with your baby and enjoying her many smiles. As with all yoga, there are varying degrees of difficulty and you can modify your pose to a level comfortable for you.

I'm a big fan of Yoga. I started it about 3.5 years ago. I will admit I start and stop and start again because I miss it so much and then stop and finally start again. It's a good, strong workout without feeling like you have to run 10 miles in order to get a good workout. There are so many benefits to performing yoga, not just exercise. You involve your mind, body, and spirit. (Which might coincidently be the YMCA's motto???) Meditation for your body and mind is powerful. Moving and holding poses for your body is strength-building, not mention it increases your flexibility. But that's just my take on it!

Here is a formal take on the benefits of yoga and Yoga With Your Baby straight from their website.
Benefits for your baby:
Throughout this program, you will be encouraged to gently move your baby's body rhythmically as you sing with the movements. This rhythmic movement is based on modified yoga poses and has the following benefits for your baby:

• Facilitates digestion
• Improves sleep
• Increases balance
• Promotes healthy brain development

Benefits for you:

• Introduces playful, easy, interactive yoga poses
• Calms and grounds you, so you can relax into a state of attunement
• Supports a respectful, loving interaction with your baby
• Encourages physical, mental & emotional levels of connection
• Facilitates enjoyment of your relationship with your child Helps you develop mindfulness & cultivate compassionate awareness
• Increases strength and flexibility

Whether you are new to yoga or a lifetime yogi, you will enjoy Yoga With Your Baby. The DVD is designed for babies who can hold their head up (usually around 3 to 4 months) and for toddlers (up to about 4 years old).

Giveaway Alert!
I have a brand new DVD copy of Yoga With Your Baby to giveaway to one lucky winner!

What you need to do:
Easy. Simply send an email to emilyallyn and be sure to put Yoga With Your Baby DVD in the subject. That's it!

The giveaway will end Monday, December 15th at 11:59 pm. The winner will be notified by email.

A Nod To The Oval Crib

Sometimes you just need to throw the word practical right out the door. Round/oval cribs are impractical because you have to use the mattress and sheets shown with the crib. What if you use the crib for your second child and you don't like those sheets anymore? Not to mention the cribs are always well over $1000. But they are adorable and a fresh perspective on the crib, not to mention everyone will always comment on how fun and different it is. Plus, because they are a bit spendy, you can bet your bottom it is made well and will last.

The crib pictured above is from Land of Nod and called the Stokke Sleeep Sleepi System 1. You don't necessarily have to throw the word practical out the door when using this system. As my youngest would say, "It's magic." It conforms from a bassinet, to a crib, to a toddler bed. It sells for $1249, but this crib includes 2 mattress sizes - one for use as a crib/toddler bed and one for use as a bassinet. Now that's a deal! To use as a toddler bed, you simply place the mattress position on the lowest level and remove one of the side panels (shown below). And to use as a bassinet, you move the matress position to the highest level and remove both side panels (becomes a circle bassinet, not shown).

I also need to mention it has wheels. If you've never purchased a crib before, make sure you buy one with wheels. Trust me the first time you try to change those sheets, you will be thankful you have those wheels to easily move that crib away from the wall. If you have someone who changes the sheets for you, think about making their life easier and get the wheels!

• Beechwood construction
• Eco-friendly
• Four adjustable mattress heights
• Lockable wheels
• Assembly required
• Stained Espresso or painted White

Land of Nod. Love that store.

Sigh of Relief

Talk about ingenious. These hip wrist bands, called Psi Bands and pronounced Sigh Bands, are a drug free solution for the relief of nausea. Most women who have been pregnant have dealt with some level of morning sickness, but it can also be used for motion/travel sickness, chemotherapy, and anesthesia. Now that is what you call versatile, plus it covers basically every human being out there.

The band uses acupressure by placing (you guessed it) pressure on a specific point in your wrist. You can control the amount of pressure by adjusting the colorful band. If you need a visual, you can watch a 17 second clip on the informative Psi Band website to see how it works and to answer any other questions you may have.

Next time your best friend tells you she's expecting you can buy her a Psi Band. She just might think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Comfort After the C-Section? Yes!

Czela Bellies - Fabulous fun and flirty underwear for the recovering C-section mom!

Talk about finding a niche market. The owner of Czela Bellies has designed something I have never seen before - which is refreshing, to say the least.

New moms who have just gone through a C-Section can still feel fabulous underneath... even if their abdominal muscles are screaming. The design, which is patent-pending, provides comfort and style for the new mom. Comfort and style? You don't hear those two words in the same sentence very often.

I absolutely love this print pictured above. And if you are lucky enough to have a hubby who thinks pregnancy is beautiful, he'll be digging these little pieces of eye-candy too. However, depending how you feel (remember you now have a newborn and just underwent surgery), you might want to keep these little treasures your own secret... for a few weeks anyway.

In addition to all the cute boutiques and maternity stores that will be fighting to get their hands on these, we also hope to see these in hospitals across the globe.

Pregnancy Through Preschool

You are pregnant and so incredibly excited to meet this little one growing inside you. In fact, you are positively glowing. You have waited to start creating that baby registry for a long time, so you bounce on down to the nearest baby gear store. You walk into the store and stop dead in your tracks. Feeling a little overwhelmed you automatically start practicing your Lamaze breathing.

"Oh my God" you think to yourself, "Where the hell do I start?" Crib, bassinet, moses basket, co-sleeper ("what's that?" you wonder), portable crib, crib mattress, bumper pad and sheets, glider/rocker, dresser, changing table... and those are just the items on your left in the front half of the store.

You start to walk around in a daze when you spot the stroller section: jogging, double, single, pram, light-weight, umbrella, all-terrain, luxury. "This is ridiculous," you think, "I just want a stroller. I can’t even think about jogging right now."

Wait there’s more. You round the back of the store to find car seats (infant, convertible, booster), seats that vibrate, bouncers, swings, safety gates, play yards, baby carriers, high chairs, booster high chairs, potties ("I think I'm going to hyperventilate. There are ten different potties. Who needs that kind of selection for a gross potty?"), baby monitors, bathtubs, and ("oh geez, there it is, the dreaded milking machine") the breast pumps. "I'm outta here," you say to yourself.

However, in order to get out of the store you must work your way back to the front, walking past all the toys, DVDs, clothing, and diaper bags. As you are now in a full out sprint for the front door, you catch a glimpse of a bright-colored book. You halt in your tracks to look at it. You are out of breath. Let's face it, these days you can't run more than 15 steps without getting winded. So, you pick up the book, The Baby Gizmo Buying Guide. You open to the table of contents and see a list of absolutely everything you just passed in the store.

You skim a few pages in the book. This book is amazing. It discusses all these gizmos in detail, what you should look for, why you need it, why the authors like or dislike it, things to consider, safety issues, and more. You close the book and proclaim out loud "There is a God!" Just then another pregnant woman opens the front door, walks in, and freezes. You see the look of horror on her face and shove a copy of the book in to her hands, "Here, you just won the lottery. Look at this book and then go shopping."

Epilogue: You read and re-read The Baby Gizmo Buying Guide in three days. You took grueling notes, flagged pages, and felt prepared to hit the store again. You knew exactly what you wanted and why. You felt confident in your choices and didn't pick one out of the twelve high-chairs because it was pretty. For the car seat, not only did you understand all the lingo, you knew which one fit your needs best. You also knew the main features you wanted in a stroller, so when you reached the store you narrowed your selection down to four and "test drove" those four to find your fit. You had your baby. You had all the gizmos you needed. And your baby grew up to be the well-adjusted, self-confident, driven daughter you are incredibly proud of... all because you bought The Baby Gizmo Buying Guide. Amazing how that works!

Emily's Note: This book is well worth the $11.55 at Amazon.com. You will finish it feeling like a confident, well-informed consumer. For those of you who like to read editorial comments and reviews on specific brands and products, have no fear. Although they are not found in the book (the book would be outdated before it was published), they are found on the BabyGizmo website. For example, if you want find out their Editor's Pick for Top 5 Strollers, click gear, click strollers, click the type of stroller you are interested in, and the Top 5 are on the right.

The best part: I have 4 copies to give away of this fabulous book! Check back later today or tomorrow for details. I'll give 2 away in April and 2 in May.

Spring Break Preparations

Spring Break is coming; hopefully you have some plans to get outta dodge sans your adorable ankle bitters. Even if Spring Break isn't the excuse, just get away from the little ones for a long weekend. I promise, you will thank me. Is it hard the first few times to leave your child(ren)? Yes. Is it worth it? Definitely. Will you be ready to come home after a few days? Probably not. In fact, you might even make a pact with your hubby - next trip, longer!

When you do finally pack those bags, newer moms will find this Journal for the Babysitter quite handy. Presumably your kids will be left in the hands with familiar faces while you jaunt down to Mexico or over to Italy for the week. Mother-in-law may act like she is a pro (after all she did raise your significant other and maybe more), but she isn't remembering that was 30+ years ago, and she doesn't get to hand the kiddos back to you after one night of babysitting this go-around. So, she just might find this journal a god-send. And for only $24, you could afford the feeling of doing something right for a change in your Mother-in-law's eyes, couldn't you?

There are tabbed sections for meals, favorite activities, sleep routines, phone numbers, and more. Also included is a blank notepad to jot down other notes/details you think are important for the Sitter.

Time Is On Your Side

Itzbeen. Finally a gadget for new moms to ease their minds. If you've been a new mom, you know. You are thrown into the depths of remembering everything:
from what time you last fed the baby
to what time baby's last nap was
to when you last changed baby
to when you last gave her the medication she needs
to where you left your keys
to when you and your husband last had sex (I'm guessing "itz been" a long time)
to when you last had your glass of wine.
You get the picture. Let me reiterate, new moms have to remember everything.

Itzbeen was designed for that new mom. A tiny timer that keeps track of all this for you... well, ok maybe it doesn't know where your keys are. However, there are buttons for diaper changes, feeding, sleep or awake, and more. The more button is for all those extra instances mentioned above, like timing medication or your last glass of wine. Hey, I'm just saying. And get this, there's even a way to keep track from which side you last nursed. And (yes, there's even more) there is the ability to set an alarm for each timer.

The whole gadget is quite clever, really. It's one of those, why didn't I think of that? Many timers on one little device, smart. For those green-wise individuals, it saves trees too. No need to write down all those times anymore. Though in all honestly, those were your sleepless daze and confused months where you forgot to write down half the times anyway and you were forced to make random guesses. But that won't happen anymore with this handy-dandy timer.

For those of you who didn't get the Blackberry you wanted for Christmas, there is a black clip. You can clip it onto your pants or diaper bag and just pretend it's your Blackberry. In other words, it's portable. Take it to the park or bring it to Grandma's... because we all know Grandma can use a little reminding at times.

Itzbeen. Every new mom needs one.

Gucci Baby

Tired of the Baby Bjorn? Tired of seeing it on every other new mom? Now you can stand out in the crowd because there's something more stylish. Gucci. Yes, Gucci has entered the world of baby carriers. For the Gucci lovers out there, this will make your day.

Now... how long do you suppose before you start seeing fakes being sold from the trunks of cars?

What's Your Baby's Sign?

I can't imagine a pregnant woman sitting in a bar (ok, restaurant) with her girlfriends and having some strange guy hitting on her and her baby by asking, "So, what's your baby's sign?" But I guess that's not really the purpose of the tee. I think these horoscope maternity tees by Love My Belly Maternity are refreshing. The designs are very original with metallic and colors. And each shirt reveals expressive characteristics of that sign. For example, the above Leo says loyal, passionate, leader, and loving.

And maybe, just maybe, it will be one less question you have to answer daily, "When are you due?" Hopefully, the 4 week window of the astrological sign will be a good enough answer.

Do a Little Belly Dance

Does your belly feel like it's dancing? If you are pregnant it does! What a clever name, Belly Dance Maternity. Get out the disco ball and get ready to jive. Belly Dance Maternity is having a huge summer clearance with 25 - 95% off. And guess what? We still have half the summer left!! Chalk one up for the customer.

Ann Taylor Loft's New Birth

Thank god maternity clothes just keep getting better and better. I can remember what I had to choose from when I was pregnant with my first in 2000 - yuck!

Lucky for those who are pregnant now, Ann Taylor Loft has sprouted a new maternity line. Currently, they have free shipping on $75 or more. How easy is that with maternity clothes? Cake-walk.

As always, I've done a bit of shopping for you. Here are some styles to look over:
Maternity Embroidered Sleeveless Top (and pants)
Maternity Border Print Cami (and pants)
Maternity Ruched Cap Sleeve Sweater (add a little color to the wardrobe)
Maternity Flocked Gingham Dress
Maternity Crochet Waist Dress

And a girl can't be without a few darling accessories:

Emily Circle Crochet Wedge (No, I didn't pick the shoes because of the name!)
Wicker Shoulder Bag
Black Filigree Coil Bracelet

A pregnant girl shopping is a happy pregnant mom!

Pregnant, Pretty in Pink, and Pucci

It doesn't matter how pretty you are, at some point during your pregnancy every woman goes through a yuck-stage. Not a technical term, I know, but if you've been pregnant, you know exactly what I mean! The yuck-stage may last a day, it may last nine months. At any rate, buy this gorgeous Pucci maternity dress and when that day arrives, slip it on. Before you know it, you will look and feel incredibly beautiful.

If you love the print and you are feeling a little more sexy and sassy, try the strapless version.

Pregnant, Pretty in Pink, and Pucci - when combined, equals stunning.

Hooter Hiders

If you are a veteran mom, you've probably heard of these. If you are a new mom, you need to hear about these. This creative invention, the Hooter Hiders, does exactly what it says - it hides your hooters while nursing!

To put it nicely, I am a modest person. I will admit having a baby throws out all hints of modesty in the hospital, however when you start feeling yourself again, the modestly comes right back. For those of you who breastfeed or want to breastfeed, let me assure you that not everyone is comfortable with you whipping out your breast in public! You may view it as a beautiful, natural moment, but not everyone is on the same page.

So, for those of you who are modest or want to spare others, the Hooter Hider is the perfect solution. It is pretty and practical. And they offer prints for any taste of style from floral to dots to eyelets. The covers are roomy and adjustable. You can say goodbye to the days of juggling a blanket, a shirt, a baby, and a boob - all while trying to stay discrete.

I think I just like saying the name - it brings me back to 5th grade when people would say the word hooter just to say it... and chuckle of course!

The Nursing Days

In the last few days, we've covered some funny maternity shirts, feminine delivery gowns, and now we are onto the days after the big delivery day... the nursing days.
Remember the days of having to wear big uncomfortable bras stuffed with nursing pads to bed? No longer. Aimee Nursing Gowns has found a classy way to give nursing moms some fashionable, comfortable, and functional nightwear. And they have now started a daywear or casual wear line including a top and pants. Smart move! The gowns are priced right at only $39.95. Choose from a half dozen colors!

Happy nursing... and sleeping...

Baby Fat

For those of you who kicked off the new year by getting pregnant - have I got a shirt for you! I'm a sucker for funny maternity clothing. It's a time in your life when you need a few good laughs.

Lucky Lou carries some maternity shirts that are a riot. One of my favorites is the one pictured above, does this baby make me look fat? Another one that is sure to put a smile on your face is Designated Driver. Ahhh... it's so true isn't it? And the shirt they made especially for me is the, I'm really an A cup!

Mom Replaces Pluto

Now that astronomers have decided Pluto is no longer a planet, they need to look at Planet Mom. I'm pretty sure those same scientists will soon reveal that planet Pluto has been replaced by Planet Mom. Rest assured there will still be 9 planets in the solar system... just in case you were losing sleep over it.

Planetmomshirts.com - apparel with an inside joke and you're in it - has a playful sense of humor. The sayings are sure to grab the attention of people walking by while you sport one of their shirts. And if you are also wearing the pants, be assured people will be staring at your bum as you are walking away!

The shirt above, Secretary of Transportation, will put a smile on any moms face.
From my other posts, you may have guessed that I have a little thing for wine. So, the Whine? No. Wine? Yes. is one of my favorites!
I'm also quite fond of the Because I said so shirt. I believe all moms would frame this shirt.

There are a slew of sayings to choose from. Check them out and allow yourself a few chuckles during this busy time of year. The only thing to be aware of - they use American Apparel shirts which tend to run small; "the shirts have a youthful fit." Definitely order a size up from what you normally wear.

I love these shirts. I wish the women owners/founders much success!

Mama Mio

Speaking of the pregos (yesterday's post), here is a gift for yourself or your pregnant friend. It is a product by Mama Mio and it concentrates on you!
They have everything for:
- stretch marks, including their award winning Tummy Rub Stretch Mark Oil
- toning and firming
- itchy, dry skin
- aches and cramps
- relaxation and well-being

Personally, I like the sound of the product called Boob Tube. When I was younger, I sometimes heard people refer to the T.V. as the boob tube. Weird.

Overstuffed

Calling all pregos (0r for the non-pregos, maybe you had a hayday of a holiday and ate waaaay too much food)... you won't want to miss this! This GAP coupon code entitles you to $10 off your next purchase of $40.00 or more within their maternity line. It ends December 31st, so treat yourself to some bigger yet stylish clothes.

Around the holidays, I always thought maternity stores should market their pants as "holiday pants" for those who feel they've endulged a little too much around this time of year!

De-cluttering the Diaper Bag

Anything that has to do with organization, I love! For me, organization is key to keeping my head screwed on straight and felling "together"... even in the diaper bag. These Diaper Bag Organizer Pouches by Sugar Booger are perfect. They separate Clean from Dirty and Snacks from anything else you want to put in these handy zipped bags. That onesie that Junior just regurgitated his afternoon bottle all over - no problem. Toss it in the dirty bag, and voila out from the clean bag comes a fresh onesie. Don't worry about the bags getting nasty and smelly. You can pop them into the washing machine (cold cycle) and hang them to dry. My only complaint is I would like to see another 1 or 2 "extra" bags in the bunch and more vibrant colors.

Ask, Then Touch

Why is it that people like to touch a pregnant women's belly? As a result, how many pregnant women would love to shout this at the top of their lungs? Now you don't have to. The clever maternity tees by Due and Sprout say it for you, "Ask, Then Touch." I think I can speak for a million pregnant moms when I say, "Thank you Due and Sprout!"

Other clever sayings that have sprouted from this company are: "not finding out," "yes, I'm pregnant,"twins," and more.