Model kid in Flips

My kid in Flips

As a pregnancy and early parenting specialist at Happy Bambino I talk to many an expecting/new parent about cloth diapering. If you’ve ever asked me in the store about cloth diapers you’ve heard my party line: cloth diapering is good for the earth, easier on my pocketbook, and I feel better not having the chemicals found in disposables near my little girls private parts. Sound familiar?

I also tout the beauty of the Flip Diaper System. My kid used them for 17 months exclusively and I love their simplicity. No fancy cloth folding, the cover is reusable between washings, her diapered tushie was very trim and she was able to wear pretty much any kind of pants.

But, my friends, this is the main reason I freaking love cloth diapering: EARLY POTTY TRAINING!

My little sugar pie, starting at 18 months, was potty trained. Yep, you read me correctly, no more diapers and more importantly no more handling the excrement of another person (one I love dearly but still). I always thought potty training would be this mythical battle of wills but it honestly wasn’t that bad. The fact that she could feel when she was wet made the difference. Don’t get me wrong, I am fully aware that she may just have a ‘potty training personality.’ There are regressions now and then. I never leave the house without an extra pair of pants and undies.

But overall, I feel like a parenting rockstar. If that isn’t a reason to try cloth diapering, I’m not sure what is.

Yay for Potty Training!

In a new class on Fridays at Happy Bambino, Everyday Songs Rhymes and Stories, we will share classic songs, nursery rhymes, and rhythmic stories that cover everything from soothing lullabyes to rollicking rhymes that will have your babe smiling.

Traditional nursery rhymes can be traced back hundreds of years, while songs and stories shared orally throughout generations date back thousands of years.  Songs sung to babies and children to help them sleep (lullabyes) can be found in every human culture.  In short, the human voice is an ancient powerful instrument and sharing your voice deliberately with your baby through songs and rhymes is nothing short of a magical gift.

Our voices are vibrational, so when a baby listens to your voice, they are listening with more than their ears, they are listening with their bodies too.  The sound waves of your unique voice resonate into their cells and create deep, soothing comfort and familiarity.   Studies have shown that babes recognize songs and voices they first heard in utero.  Amazing! 

Does it matter whether you sing off key?  No!  Babies love your voice whether you are a gifted, trained performer or told not to sing in choir because you were throwing everyone off.  (True story from my dad’s childhood!)

It can be deeply beneficial and satisfying for parents, as well, to share nourishing melodies and words that have passed down through generations.  There is something special about singing a song to your child that was sung to you when you were a child.  Something timeless.

When you use rhymes and songs on a regular basis so they become familiar, their power to soothe, entertain and calm is amazing.   They provide steady go-to saving graces in moments of parental desperation and are essential for long car rides, unexpected waits at the doctor’s office, or even milking a couple more minutes in bed for early morning risers.

This Friday December 16th at noon we’ll have a free demo class for you to check out whether Everyday Songs, Rhymes, & Stories is for you!  Sign up is at the front register or give us a call at 608-223-6261. This class is most suitable for non-walking babies.

Oops!  Misunderstandings happen!  :-D

We send out an e-blast saying that we would be OPEN on 11/25 (Black Friday), but we are actually going to be CLOSED that day.  Sorry!  And Happy Thanksgiving…Enjoy the holiday weekend!

As big projects sometimes do, the transition is taking more time than we hoped. So thank you for your patience!  You can expect a more streamlined registration cart with this new system.

In addition to upgrading our class registration system, we are in the process of an overall website upgrade – so if you are a returning student family, you WILL need to create a new log-in for our website.

Thank you in advance for helping us work out the kinks in the new system!  We look forward to seeing many of you this Holiday season and in January when our Winter session kicks off.  Until then…a lovely Thanksgiving to you and yours!

xo Happy Bambino Staff

P.S. Happy Bambino will be open on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday

Predictably, as I’ve aged and more so since I became a mother, my priorities have changed. I have turned the corner and now it’s all about function for this mama. I do still like a stylish bag and will readily ooh and aah over a pretty print, but it has to be practical or it ain’t coming home with me. I am also not going to pay an arm and a leg just for a name if i can get the same thing for less. That’s just me. Some people can spend $300 on a bag just because it has the right initials on it, or the celebrity du jour was just photographed carrying it. Not this lady, no thanks.

When it came to buying my first diaper bag, my first question was “are they really necessary?” The answer is a resounding yes, but not all diaper bags are created equal. When evaluating a good bag there are a few things I want to know. Is it durable, washable, and compartmentalized? Is it big enough without being ginormous? Will it double as a mommy bag, gym bag, or carry-on? Will it fit in a stroller basket, under the seat in front of you on an airplane, or simply on your back? These are the important questions. Don’t get me wrong, style is important as well and something to consider. This is a bag that will be with you a long time and should feel like a part of your wardrobe (and your partner’s!).

There are a gazillion choices out there and it can be a bit daunting to say the least. From no-frills messenger bags to fancy schmancy carpet bags, manufacturers are offering something for everyone. If there is such a thing a perfection, I think the bags we carry from Ju-Ju Be are it. Full of compartments, Ju-Ju Be bags are all washable, roomy, and multi-purpose, allowing a savvy mama to stretch that all-mighty dollar. The new BFF is their coolest backpack yet. They all have super strong D hooks on them, magnetic closures, and a key fob. JJB bags are known for their richly hued patterns, and their newest patterns are sophisticated and whimsical at the same time. Never one to forget the papas out there, Ju-Ju Be also has some sleek materials and styles to appeal to the more masculine of the species. If you’re looking for something a bit less expensive but no less functional, Skip Hop offers some great alternatives. Messenger bags and Bento bags that include bento boxes mix with large purse styles to appeal to a broad range of parents.

The search for the perfect diaper bag has been an interesting, and somewhat frustrating journey for me. I still haven’t found it, though I’ve come verrry close. We could probably sell a dozen diaper bag lines and I’d still be looking for “the ONE.” Is it really out there. Who knows? I know I’ll never stop looking. To help you on your search for the perfect bag we’re taking  10% off all diaperbags through Sunday, November  27th.

Carolynn

Lanco Toys and teethers are hand made from natural rubber and hand-painted with non-toxic paints. They are water-resistant and are completely PVC, BPA and Phthalate free. Babies can chew and mouth them with total safety.
The teethers’ bright colours appeal to infants and their grippable shapes make them easy for tiny hands to grasp and handle. What’s cuter than a teething babe happily chewing away on a foot-shaped teether (though my boys always managed to get their own toes in their mouths – a pretty cute sight indeed!)? These toys are great dry or wet! Their versatility makes them great play companions anywhere from tub to car seat.

Lanco teethers are constructed from the sap or milk of the common rubber tree known as Hevea brasiliensis. Natural rubber can be harvested sustainably without the use of herbicides and is readily biodegradable. The simple, recycled cardboard packaging is also very eco-friendly.  My almost two year old is nearly finished with teething – we’re waiting on those two year molars – so one might think I don’t need to add these to our collection. But I know better. You never know what might work, from day to day. Pain is fickle like that, and so are babies. I think I’ll pick up one of the little duckie teethers. You can too for 25% off today! Oh, and we’re also including all our teethers from Nuby, Life Factory and Toofeze in this one day sale, so stock up. Those teeth are coming…

That’s old.  That means we’re all seven years older than when we started.  Our first and second (and now with 4K – our third!) round of babies are in school.

Crazy talk!

We gotta celebrate, but of course.

And so seven days of birthday for our seventh birthday seems only appropriate, yes?

Starting on Saturday November 12th (an awesome date being that it’s Lea’s birthday ) we’ll be celebrating.  Whether it’s a Music Together demo, free class passes, awesome sales, or free schtuff – we’ll be wishing ourselves a very very Happy 7th Birthday.  So keep an eye here on the blog and over on Facebook!

And if nothing else, be sure to come by between Sat November 12th and Sat November 19th to put your receipt in the box to win awesome prizes.  Cause you know how we like to give away awesomeness.

We’ll culminate with a birthday party Saturday November 19th, featuring the awesome David Landau and super tasty carrot cake from Willy St Coop – so set aside some time that morning to come and revel in our seven-ness!

XOXOX
Lea, Alison, & Carolynn – and all the other lovely ladies at the ‘bino <3

With my second, I have a Blessed Nest in his room, but have also used blankets, regular pillows, and couch cushions. The Blessed Nest is a fairly wide, crescent-shaped,  and is filled about 3/4 full with buckwheat hulls instead of being stuffed full with foam or cotton. It is large enough to accommodate a toddler, has a removable organic cotton cover, and is made in the USA. It is definitely pricier than most other pillows, but well worth it as it also makes an excellent back support. Being able to position it so I could nurse my little guy on an incline made our early feeding sessions much easier (and way less pukey!). It has quickly become a favorite in the Nursing Mama’s Resource station, as has the Plushy Moon from European company Theraline. It is similarly shaped but filled with micro-beads, making it much lighter in weight but no less effective. Both are remarkably more useful than most other nursing pillows out there.

Another very useful (though not absolutely essential) maternity purchase is the pregnancy pillow. Ranging from a simple extra-long body pillow to the elaborately curved, maternity pillows seem to have rapidly multiplied in the maternity market.  Some are so big that unless you have a king-sized bed, your partner may feel a little put out.  I had one of those. It basically cradled me and my pregnant belly and supported my back as well. It was a bitch to clean though, since once I managed to get the cover off to wash it, it was impossible to get it back on. I ended up cutting off the ends of a couple pillowcases and slipping those on with a couple more on the ends.  This pillow now sits folded up in a bag in the spare room, taking up space.  The Original Theraline Maternity Pillow aims to be a bit more useful by working as a pregnancy pillow AND nursing pillow. Filled with  the same microbeads as the Plushy Moon, the “Big V” is not filled to capacity, like The Blessed Nest, allowing it to be molded to suit your needs. It is large enough to really work well, but not too cumbersome to deal with. For support while sleeping, you can place it between your knees while it supports your back and belly. For nursing, you can place it around your waist, tailoring the amount of back support to your liking. And because of it’s size and malleability, it is especially useful for twins.

I asked Adria Cannon, our resident IBLC and head of the Nursing Mama Resource Station, her thoughts on nursing pillows.  Here’s what she had to say:

1) Good nursing pillows support women in comfortable breastfeeding
positions. That means that the pillow has to conform to where a mother
and baby fit best rather than mothers having to find the position that
accommodates that pillow. It supports mothers as they sit, recline, or
lie down. A good pillow can fit many mothers and babies by fitting
around postpartum bellies of all sizes. A good pillow can squish to
support babies’ heads and hips at different heights. It can squeeze in
under a mother’s elbow, fit behind her back while she reclines, or
support baby at the right height on her lap.

2) Good nursing pillows can fill many uses. Babies and postpartum
bodies change size and shape quickly. A good nursing pillow can
support backs, legs, books.

3) A good nursing pillow is easy to clean. Milk, spit-up, and baby poo
are all a normal part of nursing.

I would add that a good nursing pillow works well for YOU and YOUR BABY. Like I said, not all nursing pillows are the same. Not all Mamas or babies are the same, and what works great for you might be terrible for someone else. We’ve amassed quite a collection of nursing pillows at Happy Bambino and you are more than welcome to try them out. They hang out in the second classroom, so next time you and your babe are here for group or class or whatever, take a moment to sit down and take a test drive.  And if you feel like it, please let us know which pillow you tried what you think. We’re always listening!

- Carolynn

Cloud B: Twilight Turtles, Twilight Ladybugs, Gentle Giraffes, and Sleep Sheep are all designed to help your little ones relax and fall asleep using light or sound. The turtles and ladybugs project stars and a crescent moon on the ceiling in your choice of three colors and automatically shuts off after 45 minutes. We’ve had a Twilight Turtle in my 4 year old’s room since he transitioned into his toddler bed, and it is wonderful. Parents who are concerned about their toddler getting out of bed and playing until all hours can use the Turtle or Ladybug to help – “let’s see how many stars you can find.”  I especially love the automatic shut off – no need to sneak in to turn it off.     

If you’re like me and my boys, you need a little sound help to get to sleep. Their bedroom windows face a busline, so we’ve always had some sort of white noise going in their rooms. The Gentle Giraffe and Sleep Sheep each offer four different soundscapes to help your kiddos settle down and drift off to sleep. We’ve got the On The Go versions which are slightly smaller than their full sized buddies, and each have a velcro strap so they can be attached to a crib or stroller. They are also equipped with 23 minute and 45 minute timers and a volume knob – an invaluable feature since most toys with sound are annoyingly loud.

Mr. Ellie Pooh: Coloring books, picture frames, and greeting cards that are as beautiful as they are purposeful. Elephants, like the ones in our logo, are routinely hunted and killed in Sri Lanka. Mr. Ellie Pooh is trying to change that by using elephant dung to produce paper and paper products like picture frames and note pads. Yup, I said elephant dung. The coloring book actually tells the story of how the dung is processed into paper and how communities are changed and elephants are saved. These handmade items are beautiful, unique, and free of any poo smell whatsoever!

ReSnackit: reusable snack and sandwich bags in fun and quirky fabrics. We’re always looking for ways to make back-to- school shopping more green, and these certainly fit the bill. Large enough for a sandwich and easy to clean, ReSnackit bags have a velcro closure providing easy access for little fingers.  The fabric patterns range from cute (but not too cutesy) to pretty and sophisticated and would look good in your kiddo’s lunch or your own.

Emily Green: Imagination Mats and Doodle Sticks for creative little hands. The laminated surface of these bright and cheery placemats make them ridiculously easy to clean and highly durable.  The other side is left blank for imaginations to run wild over and over again with the washable Doodle Stick markers.

Jelly Cat: super soft and oh, so special stuffed animals to delight your senses. I saw these right at the entrance of the show and simply couldn’t resist. I mean really, what’s cuter than a hot pink, courderoy, long-tailed kitty with a matching board book? There’s a family of jungle animals with the sweetest of faces, a pair of bashful farm friends, richly hued dinos, and even a hippy-dippy musical pony.

Little Twig: organic baby lotion, body wash, bubble bath, and baby oil from California. Available in in Unscented, Lavender and Tangerine, Little Twig donates 1% of all sales to 1% For the Planet and has been certified cruelty-free by PETA.

Plus, right now you can gear up for winter (it’ll be here before you think) with Cozy Elf Onezies and matching booties, mittens, and hats from Zutano, fair-trade sweaters and animal hats from Minga Imports, Swedish moccasin-socks from Nowali,  and kooky and snuggly hats from Tuff Cookie (some are even big enough for an adult – I tried!) .

We also have a new line of organic woven wraps from Dolcino. These beauties come in two sizes and are great for wearing larger kiddos. For those looking for more advanced wrapping techniques, we’re running an Advanced Baby Wearing workshop during International Baby Wearing Week this October.

We’ve also recharged our diaperbag department with new bags from Skip Hop and Ju-Ju Be. With new fab patterns and bag styles, there’s sure to be one to suit any mom or dad’s style and budget.

And there’s plenty more on the way: all natural rubber teethers from Nova Nature, innovative toys from Kid-O, Hape/Educo,  and Topozoo, new trucks from HB favorite Green Toys  (hint: think PINK), organic rompers from PARADE…shall I go on?

So, as you can see from the pictures, I’ve been a busy little bee filling the store up with all sorts of sweets. Drop in and see for yourself!

-Carolynn

10 years ago I was living in Brooklyn, NY, not that far from the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan beyond. I was 30 and single and living alone with my cat. I hadn’t met my husband yet, and I was child-free.  Not a single responsibility except to pay my rent and bills on time. Ah, the life. Then everything changed. The phone rang just before 10am and my father was frantically telling me to turn on the tv. I did, and at that moment the first tower started to fall. I stood there dumbstruck like so many millions of people and tried to grasp what I was seeing. I ran out of my apartment into the street and found my neighbors who had done the same. Everyone was in shock and disbelief. The world would never be the same. I think I cried for three days straight watching CNN through the tears.

In thinking about that day, I wonder how different it would have been for me if I had been in a relationship or had a child. I think about my life now and how EVERYTHING is different now that I am a mother, in big and clear ways, and in subtle and not so obvious ways. My husband and I have noticed that the way we watch and enjoy television and movies has changed now that we are parents. When there is a child and or parent involved we are riveted and connected. I’ve always been a sap when it comes to emotional tv, but this is different. I can put myself in the shoes of a parent onscreen and know instantly what they are feeling, and whether it’s love or outrage I’m right there with them. When a child or teen is performing on stage I imagine how proud their parents must be and I swell with pride right along with them. When a child is hurt or killed, I greive right alongside their parents and ask the world “why?”

I think about this and selfishly thank my own single self for NOT being in a relationship or having children on 9/11. I can remember every ounce of pain and sadness I felt that day  and in the weeks to come. I can’t imagine what that would have felt like had I been a parent. All of the mothers and fathers lost that day, all of the aunts and uncles, sisters and brothers. Such overwhelming loss to so many families and so many children. The giant hole at Ground Zero was synonymous for a pobg time with the giant hole in their lives. Had I been a parent, I think would have fallen into that hole of sadness and would have had a very hard time getting out. Or maybe, just maybe I would I’ve been strong for my own children and worked hard to help those who suffered a loss. I don’t really know.

I do think I’ve figured out what I’m going to do today though. Everday at my house we have a family hug. I hold my family close and kiss them and tell them that I love them. I think we’ll hug a bit longer and tighter this time. What are you gonna do today?

Carolynn