Website Spotlight: Sweet Mady's Paper

Sweet Mady's Paper was started by mompreneur Michelle, a mother of three little ones.

With the start of school and preschool just around the corner, you must check out these adorable custom lunchboxes. They may be called lunchboxes, but they can be used for so many different things. I know my son loves to carry things around with handles and loves to put his colors, matchbox cars, etc. in boxes, so this "lunchbox" would be perfect. It's also a great storage container for activities in the car. Not to mention a perfect birthday gift!

Don't miss her adorable Call Me Cards. I've heard that once you have mommy cards, you will never go back to looking at the bottom of your purse or diaper bag for a piece of paper and pen just to exchange numbers with a new friend.

She recently started a blog too, so you can stay up-to-date on everything new at Sweet Mady's Paper.

Website Spotlight: Elliot's Preemie Tees

Please welcome Baby Blog Addict's newest advertiser, Elliot’s Preemie Tees™. They specialize in clothes for preemies and micro preemies while they are still in the hospital or home on oxygen and monitors. They say their selection "is the most adorable and affordable clothes for preemies anywhere on the internet."

Preemie Tees™ are made-to-order from dozens of 100% cotton interlock fabrics in sizes that really fit starting at 1-2 pounds. You pick the styles and fabrics you want! And because their clothes are NICU friendly, the nurses and staff love them too.

Check out their blog at Premature Grandmother and the New Elliot’s Preemie Tees video at Elliot's Preemie Tees Video

Baby Blog Addicts can receive a FREE Preemie Tee & Hat Set with a $50 purchase. Enter this code in the comment box with your order: EPTSET. Sets will be made from one of the fabrics and sizes in your order.

Website Spotlight: Bubele Boutique

Bubele Boutique is the newest Baby Blog Addict Advertiser. Please check out their ad at the top of the right sidebar. Bubele (pronounced Bub-a-luh) clothing offers unique, comfortable clothing for babies. The clothing line incorporates simplicity in its designs and provides a positive message of keeping life more simple. Bubele has two patented items: Bubele bib with attached neck roll and the Bubele loop (on bodysuits) for attaching a pacifier or toy easily.

Baby Blog Addict readers can enjoy a 10% discount from Bubele by using this discount code: e9e646503c. The code can be reused.

Video Stroller Reviews

One of our Baby Blog Addict readers pointed us in the direction of this helpful site. The video stroller reviews are categorized by brand name, type, number of seats and weight. You can also look them in sections: featured, most viewed, highest rated and most reviews. The videos are made and submitted by the product owners.

According to the website, "You can find a review on a double stroller or watch videos about baby strollers, jogging strollers and even lightweight strollers. You can even find product reviews on everything from Maclaren strollers to Bugaboo strollers to Graco strollers and more! We can even help you find the perfect umbrella stroller and the best stroller for the budget conscious."

Website Spotlight: Birthday Time Capsule

The Birthday Time Capsule Co. specializes in "beautiful, one-of-a-kind keepsake boxes for creating and protecting precious memories." They've been around since 1990 and, according to their website, have made more than 50,000 personalized keepsake boxes for people all over the world. There are two different time capsule packages: "Make Your Own Memories" for $28.95 and "The Deluxe Time Capsule" for between $84.95 and $89.95.

Personalized Baby Gifts

There are a lot of personalized baby items out there, but many of them are too expensive or too impractical. But CoolMomPicks.com has found a website called Jig, "a sweet shop that carries the most adorable personalized onesies I've seen in a very long time."

Modern Day Mr. Moms

When a playgroup consisting solely of kids with their dads meets midweek in a public place, it’s usually regarded with some degree of curiosity.

“We were all at a playground and a woman came up to us and said, ‘Did I miss a holiday?’ ” recalls Ruben Koolman, who has been a member of Chicago Dads, a local social and networking group for stay-at-home dads (SAHDs), for two years.

Chicago Dads is run a little more loosely than most moms groups: The meeting time (10:30am–12:30pm), like the location, is more of an approximation than a specific. A playdate at the Museum of Science and Industry, for example, met “somewhere around the trains.”

This laid-back approach to the playdates—which have no agenda, no story time, no snack time, no obligatory anything—epitomizes the group (and probably the parenting styles of men versus women). It’s all voluntary, all free and all types of dads are welcome. “Some [of us] work full-time, part-time or work at home. Some are retired or are at-home dads,” says Cliff McIntosh, a member who returned to the workforce when his kids enrolled in school.

Check the database here for a registered dad group near you.

Website Spotlight: Sittercity

Are you okay with finding a babysitter (or care for seniors, pets and your home) online? If so, Sittercity may be for you. It's as easy as paying a fee and punching in your zip code to tap into a database of caregivers who do everything from walk your dog, to water your plants, to tutor and put your children to bed.

The Chicago Sun-Times has a short write up about the seven-year-old website in today's edition.

Minnie Mouse Clips

Check out these adorable Minnie Mouse Clips for babies and toddlers from Bitty Bows Boutique or as their tagline states, "REAL no slip clips for BALDIES thru toddlers".

Four mouse colors available: black, light pink, blue and red. The mouse measures approximately 1" across and the clips range from $7.99-$10.49 each depending on what size you select.

If you are buying these for a Disney trip, don't forget to add the Disney countdown ticker to your blog too!

Website Spotlight: Popsqually & Company

Check out Popsqually & Company for some adorable designs for birth announcements, birthday party invitations and even calling cards. She's also running a FREE Stationery Giveaway for some adorable notecards and coordinating address labels. The contest ends this Saturday, May 17 and the drawing will be on Sunday.

And don't miss her refer-a-friend-program too where you can earn more free adorable stuff.

If you don't see what you are looking for, custom design service is also available.

Website Spotlight: Chulamama

Chulamama is offering Baby Blog Addict readers 10% off purchases from the online store - Chulamama, Maternity and Baby. Just use coupon code: babyblogaddict.

Check out this adorable camera shirt by Egg & Avocado (available in 3 months and 6 months sizes). This would be perfect for the baby of paparazzi parents who always have a camera handy (I'm guilty as I'm sure many of you baby blog addicts are too!)

For a versatile maternity outfit, don't miss the Jessica Scott organic cape, skirt and dress all-in-one in watermelon, lime, licorice or chocolate.

Introducing Jackaroos Boutique

In addition to our family's personal blog and BabyBlogAddict.com, we've added a new web-based venture to our lives and I'm excited to share it with all of you!

JackaroosBoutique.com is my own online boutique offering custom clothing and gifts for babies and children. I personally make all of the blankets, bibs, burp cloths, loveys, dresses and john-john rompers using boutique-style fabrics. Each can also be customized with an embroidered name to make it even more unique.

Of course, I couldn't launch Jackaroos Boutique without its own blog, so I've added another blog to my life. Check out the Jackaroos Boutique Blog to see my journey and to keep up with my new items.

**Get 10% off your first purchase by helping me spread the word. Just add a link to us in your own blog's side bar - either a text link to www.JackaroosBoutique.com or a banner link (html code in box below). Then send a short note to jennifer@jackaroosboutique.com with a link to your blog (I won't publish your link anywhere) and I'll send you a 10% off coupon code.

To add the Jackaroos Boutique banner including a link to JackaroosBoutique.com, just cut and paste the following code into your blog's sidebar:

<a href="http://www.JackaroosBoutique.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Jackaroos Boutique Logo for link" src="http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm172/jackaroosboutique/JackaroosBoutiqueLogoforlink.jpg" /></a>

It will look like this...

Website Spotlight: The Craft Crow

Some of you may be just recovering from winter, I'm already thinking about how hot the summer will be here in the South.

Here's a fun blog of great crafts for rainy days and the upcoming hot days of summer. The Crafty Crow features lots of creative activities and links to other creative sites too. They even have a breakdown in the right column by child's age, so you can easily find age appropiate crafts with the click of a button.

Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of The Beatles

I was lucky enough to get a copy of the Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of The Beatles CD to review. Rockabye Baby! transforms timeless rock songs into beautiful instrumental lullabies.

I always love to read the "About Us" story for companies like this. The label was born in L.A. out of a "need to make children's music cool - not only for babies but for their parents too." And they have succeeded! I love this CD. I played Disney and classical lullabies for Jack when he was a baby. After a few nights, each of those CDs got a bit old. How cool would it have been to have a few of these Rockabye Baby! CDs to throw into the mix?!

I personally loved the Lullaby Renditions of The Beatles CD with the songs "Yesterday", "Hey Jude" and "Here Comes the Sun" to name a few, but there are so many other CDs that you can sample online and order. In fact, Lullaby Renditions of Green Day, the Rolling Stones and U2 earned 2007 Greatest Product Awards from iParenting Media. Check out their extensive list of albums.

Website Spotlight: Apple Blossom Prints

Apple Blossom Prints offers some adorable photo announcements, cards and invitations. Check out their unique new tri-fold announcements giving you an entire 15 inches to brag about your new baby!!

Have you thought about sending Easter photo cards to family and friends? Apple Blossom Prints also offers Easter cards, but you'd better hurry. It takes about 10-12 business days from the time you order til the time you recieve the cards and Easter is March 23rd, so don't procrastinate.

We're Giving Away Sweet Shoes!

Want to win this pair of Sweet Shoes? You're in luck...we're giving them away!

We recently had the opportunity to review a pair of Sweet Shoes, "soft-soled baby shoes with a stylish edge". A stay at home mother of three used the local surf/skate culture as her design inspiration for these edgy and hip shoes for infants.

Sweet Shoes are available for baby boys and girls, newborn up to 24 months and retail for about $29. Their list of retailers and etailers has been growing since their launch in August 2007 and Sweet Shoes will soon be selling the shoes on their own site too.

Unfortunately for me, my son is two and wears a size 8, so his feet are too big for sweet shoes. He wasn't able to test them out, but it's obvious that these are high quality and comfortable shoes. The soles are made with an extra layer of foam between two layers of leather; this provides extra shock-absorption while staying developmentally appropriate for infants growing feet.

Lucky for you, we're giving a pair away to one lucky Baby Blog Addict reader. The winner will receive a pair of the Black and Brown X Bones (size 6-12 months) from their skate styles.

To enter the contest, just leave a comment on this post by midnight (EST) this Friday, February 22nd. Each comment will be assigned a number starting with 1. We'll plug the numbers into random.org to select a winner. Include your email address or a link to your blog, so we can let you know if you win. Or if you'd prefer to leave your pertinent info off the comment, just post a comment and send us an email letting us know which comment was yours, so we can give you a heads-up if you win. Follow that? Email us if you have questions.

**Saturday Update: This contest has ended. We will announce the winner in the next couple of days.

Protect Your Family

Family Watchdog is a great site to help you protect yourself and your family. Search your neighborhood for known registered sex offenders or search specific names of people you are considering welcoming into your home - baby sitters, housekeepers, yard people, etc. Family Watchdog also allows you to set up alerts for up to three addresses and they will let you know if a sex offender moves into the area.

Website Spotlight: Cherry Blossoms

We love to spotlight mommy businesses on Baby Blog Addict, especially when they offer something other mommies (and daddies) would be interested in for their own little ones.

Cherry Blossoms offers custom handmade hair accessories for infants, toddlers and children. Her story is similar to many. She sought high quality unique hair accessories that were beautiful, functional and affordable for her daughter with no success. So, she began fabricating her own designs and distributing them amongst friends and family. Compliments and inquiries from others soon followed, as well as numerous requests for customized work. She decided it was time to make the big jump and began selling her creations online.

Check out her Yellow Glitter Butterfly on Pale Yellow Stretch Headband (pictured above). It is so sweet and would be adorable with Easter, Spring and Summer outfits. Click here for the rest of the Cherry Blossom collection.

"The Business of Being Born"

The creators of "The Business of Being Born" think that after viewing their film, "You will never look at giving birth the same way." After watching the trailer and reading about the film on their site, I can believe it.

Here's the synopsis: Birth: it’s a miracle. A rite of passage. A natural part of life. But more than anything, birth is a business. Compelled to find answers after a disappointing birth experience with her first child, actress Ricki Lake recruits filmmaker Abby Epstein to examine and question the way American women have babies...

Here's how you can check it out:

• Community Screenings are being held throughout the country through mid-February. Check to see if there is a viewing in your area.


• The film is also being released in six select theaters.


• On February 12, 2008, Netflix will release the DVD for rental and online viewing.


• The DVD will be available for purchase at the end of March 2008.

Check out the trailer:

A friend of mine introduced me to this film when she blogged about it saying, "Today I had the opportunity to attend a screening of 'The Business of Being Born.' What an incredible film!" Thanks, Cherie.

Website Spotlight: Mommy Doodles

Check out the Mommy Doodles Daily Blog. They host lots of giveaways, including this crayon caravan giveaway with a deadline of Monday, 1/28, and all that's required to enter is a positive comment on that post.

She also has some recipes mixed in like this Crock Pot Chili. I'm a huge fan of the crock pot. I don't use it enough, but when I do, I always say I should use it more often, because it's so easy.

Melanie's profile sums up her site but saying that she is, "Blogging all about the places we go, things we do, people we see! Showcasing products & services relating to parenting & family."