Baby Sign Language

Recently, my mother taught my daughter (14-1/2 mo) to use sign language to tell us that she wants "more". It is a simple sign, accomplished by hitting her fingers together over and over. The training started at meal times. Slowly my daughter began to perform the sign on command, and then she would receive "more" food. It is the cutest thing, and she seems so proud about this new level of communication. So proud, in fact, that she now signs "more" for EVERYTHING. More food, more drink, more time playing with her sidewalk chalk, more reading, more….more…more! So adorable!!!

For more information about basic sign language for your baby visit http://www.babysignlanguage.com/

Pink Princess Nursery

I wanted my daughter to have a princess-themed nursery that wasn't too "cartooney." It had to be elegant and modern, incorporating chic design elements and decorative princess-style details. It had to whisper "princess"...not scream it with images of Cinderella. It had to be a beautiful space that both she and I would love to be in. The end result is a nursery swathed in pink with hints of green and undeniably feminine charm...LOVE it!.

The paint is Disney Color by BEHR and can be purchased at Home Depot. I used three fabulous shades of pink. I painted the chair rail "Tink Pink", the upper half of the wall is painted, "Fairest of Them All", and the lower half of the wall is painted "Pretty In Pink". Green hues were incorporated with ribbon, floral bouquets and canvas storage bins.

My husband and I made the name art with wooden letters we purchased from Michael's. We painted them "Tink Pink" to match the chair rail. The board they are mounted on is from Home Depot, and we painted it "Pretty In Pink". The frame is leftover chair rail that we painted a glossy white to match the crown moulding.

The "pièce de résistance" is the crystal chandelier. It is my favorite element and it really makes the room feel royal. This one was purchased at Babies R Us, but I recently found one for a very reasonable price at IKEA.

The Perfect One-Piece Bathingsuit

This season, one-piece bathing suits are back in a big way and, as a new mom, I couldn't be happier about it. I have to admit that I despise shopping for swimwear, but over the past month I've been on a quest for "the perfect one-piece bathing suit". In order to avoid the stores, I spent a small fortune ordering one-piece bathing suits on the Internet so that I could try them on at my leisure in the comfort of my own home.

Here are some of my faves...
Miraclesuit swimwear claims to instantly slim you by 10 pounds, and it delivers. You can buy them at Macy's, Nordstroms's and Dillard's, as well as many other online retailers. They have some very flattering styles to choose from, but they are also very expensive, so buying one is somewhat of an investment.

Spanx, the maker some of the most popular slenderizing undergarments, has recently come out with a line of swimwear promising skinny results. Their one-piece bathing suits are totally chic and appealing to a younger generation.

Jantzen has come out with a retro-inspired line of swimwear called the Heritage Collection. These bathing suits are remakes of classic Jantzen swimwear from the 40's through the 70's. My favorite is a Vamp-Style Maillot, designed after swimwear from the 1950's...an era that knew how to flatter a women's figure.

After trying on all of these luxury one-piece bathing suits from top-rated department stores, I was shocked to find that my hands-down favorite was a red retro-style one-piece from Wal-Mart! This stylish suit has an inner panel that flattens the tummy, and the rouched design hides any lumps and bumps. It also has the same retro-inspired look of the vamp-style swimwear from Jantzen. I can't say enough good things about this bathing suit, and at only $30, it's practically a steal!

Baby Monitors

Until now, Ashlyn has slept with us every night, and fallen asleep with one of us for every nap. It's called attachment parenting, and it's worked for us. But, we're at a point where we want to have a little bit of of our freedom back. A few moments to relax, clean the house...do something for us. So, we've starting the difficult process of training her to sleep in her crib. This is particularly unnerving because our bedroom isn't in close proximity to her. It's essentially across the house. So, we decided to get a baby monitor.

After doing some research, we settled on the First Years True Choice P300 Premium Digital Monitor. It has just enough bells and whistles to be slightly above basic, and it's perfectly priced at around $50. You can find it at Babies R Us, Target and a number of other online retailers.

The parental unit has a two-way talk button the lets you speak to your baby and comfort them as you're on your way to their room. The included belt clip makes carrying it while your doing household chores a snap. "Sound" lights offer a visual indicator that your baby is making noise, and a night light on the nursery unit ensures your baby is never left in the dark.