Cool Baby Tips!

Mamas Must Have Mango (Ink)

Want a birth announcement or birthday invitation that looks so good friends and family will scapbook it? Then check out the selection at MangoInk.com. You use your photos on their pre-designed cards. They email proofs of your design within 24 hours and hand mount the card using archival quality papers before sending it out. The best part is that they will customize wording and design for no extra charge. When three Cool Baby Tips test moms needed an invite for a 3 kids-in-one party, they let the parents change the text and photos to make it work. The results, pre-mounting, are what you see to the left.

Mention 'coolbaby' and receive 15% off thru June 30th.

Go Green. Go VERY GREEN.

Having a hard time getting toddler to eat his or her veggies. Add a little of Trader Joe's 'Very Green' powder mix, made of mostly dried veggies, to baby's juice, food, or apple sauce to make sure they get that extra helping of veggies. You can find similar products to 'Very Green' at your local health food store. We know, sneaky, but all for a good cause. Also works on dads.

Want a sand-free baby?

Then pack Baby Powder in your beach bag.

If your baby hates the feeling of sand all over them or you hate bringing half the beach home, dust Baby Powder (our test parents used Johnson & Johnson's new fragrance free version) on any spot where sand sticks -- in baby creases, backs of the knees, even down bathing top (and bottoms)-- and sand that usually sticks will glide off.

For Rocker Moms, Not Soccer Moms

We have mixed feelings about recommending SUGAR BABY, a hipster baby and children's clothing store on Sunset Boulevard in LA and online. Not because the clothes selection isn't awesome (you will drool on them, too) and the service isn't sweet, but because you will definitely curse us for tempting you to spend the gobs of cash our Cool Baby Test parents ended up spending there on toddler punk tees for bands like The Misfits, spunky outfits by Tea and Zutano and other designers we've never heard of plus hard to find books that are recommeded by Cool baby Tips parents who are artist and designers. Make sure you check out the sale rack in front.

Other parents describe it as where "Alice and Wonderland Meets Jimi Hendrix" or for parents who confess that looking through a Pottery Barn Kids' catalgoue makes them want to barf.

If you can't make it to LA, you can grab some cool stuff online at www.sugarbabyonsunset.com.

Sugar Baby, 7523 W. Sunset Blvd., L.A.; Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. (323) 969-9143.

When Baby On The Go Goes

Don't throw out that changing table pad in your diaper bag just yet! Cool Baby Tips Mom Erica discovered that hers works great on her toddler car seat to protect against any "accidents" her 2 1/2 year old Theo might have in the car during his potty training transition. Much easier than washing a car seat. Disposable diaper changing pads work, too.

Habla Blah Blah

Habla Blah Blah offers fun Spanish immersion classes for babies and tots that take advantage of the fact that between birth and age 8 your child's brain is uniquely hard-wired to absorb languages. Habla Blah Blah teachers are native speakers who guide children from 8 months of age and up through a 45 minute class that includes songs, theme vocabulary (e.g. colors, food, body parts, etc), creative movement, arts & crafts, and just pure fun. Another bonus? It's like a 2-for-1 deal because moms and dads get to learn a new language, too. All the Cool Baby Tips parents who tried the Spanish classes loved them so much that they signed up for a series, and we have all noticed our babies speaking or understanding new words within two sessions. Cool Baby Harvard Ed Experts all confirm that teaching babies a second, even third language, is highly beneficial, can even help baby with their primary language, and will not confuse them. If you would like to read more on this subject, click on Happy Baby, which offers an easy to digest article on the matter.

P.S. Mention COOL BABY TIPS at Habla Blah Blah's mid-Wilshire/Fairfax site and receive $10 off a trial class (regularly $20) or a set of classes.

Jewelry You'll Want Your Baby to Teethe On.

In one year, Stacy Rosenthal gave birth to a baby boy and to "Momma’s Jewels," a finalist in the Moms-for-profit.com Big Break Contest. Momma's jewels are stunning sterling silver necklaces (prices range from $149 to $249 for 1 to 3-ring necklaces) for moms, but with teething babies in mind. Sterling silver is not only safer than toxic plastics, but inherently cool to the touch & naturally soothing to baby’s gums while they’re teething. Each teething ring doubles as a rattle, which entertains babies in line at the grocery store or while you chat with a friend, and since they are worn by mom baby can't drop them.

Feel guilty about spending that much on a teething object eventhough it doubles as jewelry? Consider it a Push Present to yourself and future generations. The sterling silver necklaces/teethers make great heirlooms for your kids' kids.

For a list of retailers near you or to purchase online, check out www.Mommasjewels.com

Your Li'l (Lice-Free!) Angels

As if you do not have enough to worry about, the Center For Disease Control states on its site that "Preschool and elementary-age children, 3-11, and their families are infested [with head lice] most often. Girls get head lice more often than boys...[and] Personal hygiene or cleanliness in the home or school has nothing to do with getting head lice."

Tips to Prevent Lice infestations: Teach children not to share combs, brushes, scarves, hair ribbons, helmets, headphones, hats, towels, bedding, clothing, or other personal items.

Regularly use an all natural head lice prevention shampoo such as Rosemary Repel® Shampoo or other shampoos like Neutrogena's, which include ingredients like Tea Tree Oil and pure rosemary, and lavender oils to help repel head lice and other insects from the hair.

Cool Baby Tips parents suggest using these shampoos frequently when kids first start pre-school, then once a week after that. For more tips and signs on how to spot an infestation check out LicePreventionNews.com or The Center For Disease Control.

Hostess with the Mostess

Looking for cute baby shower ideas that have not been done to death? Check out the free baby shower decoration ideas and other party ideas--who knew pacifiers make great napkin rings?--on HostessWithTheMostess.com for inspiration.

Organic Baby Food Made Fresh Daily. So that YOU don't have to.

Mom's The Word when it comes to Homemade Baby's fresh, organic, kosher and no GMO baby food. Our Cool Baby Test moms reported that their babies and even a few of them (sometimes you just can't find that protein bar in the bottom of your diaper bag) ate it up and loved it. We would tell you more, but the Homemade Baby website does it all so much better than we could. Check it out to learn where you can buy their food, read about their Cordon Blu-trained chef, and find lots of infant feeding tips and more!

You Deserve a Personal Chef. Now You Can Afford One.

If you are a busy mom or dad on a stressful work deadline or you are just a normal parent of a newborn and are finding that you can barely find time to sleep, (let alone luxuries like flossing your teeth), and you resent the huge amount of time that grocery shopping, cooking, and (groan) cleaning up after cooking takes, then consider doing what the celebrities do. Order a gourmet food delivery service. We had Cool Baby Tips parents test Susan's Healthy Gourmet and they loved it. Even more than The Zone Diet Delivery service we tested last year. The food was tastier and more satisfying, and the prices were much more reasonable. They also provide balanced meals for kids. Bonus: Two moms dropped 5 to 8 pounds in 7 days--without trying! Meals range anywhere from $6 to $16 dollars and when you factor in your time, the price of gas, and the price of ordering in (again) because you're too tired to cook, the cost is not that much more than you might be paying for food in a week anyway.

If you still think you're not worth it, consider that Susan's Healthy Gourmet is offering Cool Baby Tips parents a generous 15% off their first week's order. Just mention "Cool Baby Tips" when you order, sit back, and indulge. You really do deserve it!

Aprons are the new Bibs.

Cool Baby Tips parent, Shannon B. in LA, suggests your babies go bibless. Say that three times fast or don't and just read what she has to say on the matter instead:

I was tired of food dropping onto my toddler's pants and skirts, so now we use child size aprons instead of bibs. Unlike small bibs, aprons provide fuller coverage for those baby designer jeans--I know, so LA--skirts, and dresses. After meal time, an apron doubles as a smock for art projects and cooking experiments. You can find some cool ones in various patterns and fabrics, at Anthropologie (a lot of these are cuter than the outfits my daughter Pearl wears underneath hers), or you can order custom embroidered aprons with your child's name at stores like Cool Baby in LA or online.

Sugar is Baby Crack.

I know, I was lured by the cute organic, all natural baby yogurt at my health store, too. Or are you the parent who somehow got into the habit of starting baby's solids with fruit only to find that now your baby is jonesing for only sweet things and will not eat vegetables? Who knew that baby yogurt has a lot of "Evaporated Cane Juice" (Can you say sugar?)? To wean a baby off his or her sugar fix, try mixing PLAIN goat's milk yogurt into baby's regular yogurt. Eventually, you can give them plain yogurt instead of the sugar-added yogurt and they will not mind. To get them to eat vegetables again, try mixing in 1/4 tsp. to 1/2 tsp of maple syrup into their steamed veggies until they no longer need it.

Ruby Daisy To the Rescue

Are you one of those parents who shelled out a small fortune for a Bugaboo, SilverCross, or Stokke stroller only to discover that either no cup holder fits your stroller or the adjustable Valco that does (see previous post) seriously clashes with your style? Fret no more. The two sisters behind Ruby Daisy have created some super cool universal cup holders that will make any Bugaboo parent proud. The cups also fit on bicycles. And, while you check out their site www.RubyDaisy.com, take a peek at their matching stroller blankets with ties to keep blankets in place on your stroller or infant car seat. No more embarrassing moments rolling over baby's blankies in the middle of the street!

aka "Nose Debris"

Okay, they're boogers, I said it! A dozen Cool Baby Test parents and pediatricians have raved about this tip to prevent colds, boogers, and congestion in babies: simply buy an inexpensive bottle of all natural saline spray (a good trustworthy brand is Ocean Nasal Spray, approx. $3) at your local pharmacy and gently drop one or two drops into baby's nostrils. Loosens dried "nose debris" so that you can use an aspirator to suck out said debris and also helps balance ph levels so that bacteria is less likely to grow. Also soothes sore or dry nasal membranes for babies and adults.

Flower Power

Anyone who has a little girl has probably, at one time or another, gasped at how expensive floral hair clips can be! Forget spending upwards of $20 on something you can make at home for $2. Cool Baby Tips parents with glue guns buy artificial flowers at their local craft store or Pottery Barn and a set of metal hair clips (softer ones are best for small babies) or barettes, then simply remove the flower from its stem and use glue gun to mount the flower onto the hair clip. Plastic flowers will stick better if you rough up (with sand paper or a serrated knife) the metal or plastic of the hair clip at the point where you plan to mount the flower. Let dry for a few hours, then place flower in your daughter's hair and behold the fruits of your creativity. These make great gifts and room decorations. Clip on curtains, purses, shoes, bags!!

Mobiles. Shmobiles.

Not impressed with the mobiles out there? Or, afraid your older baby will grab his and hurt himself? Mobile alternative: make a collage of baby faces (babies you know or ones cut out from parenting magazines). Hang collage on the wall out of baby's reach or suspend it from ceiling for baby to stare up at. Other Cool Baby test parents use baby animal photos, family photos, and photos of their own child at different stages. The key is to use photos that focus on the face. Anne (in photo with son Tate) changes her photos every month to keep baby interested. A photo collage is also a great distraction near baby's changing table.

Bath Time Away From Home?

If Grandma doesn't have an infant tub (why would she?), try using her plastic laundry basket. Set it right in the tub. It will prevent baby from sliding around in the big tub and the holes in the sides and bottom will allow water to flow in and out.

Engorged Breasts?

Take a few layers of leaves from a head of organic green cabbage, warm leaves up in a microwave, then cup them over engorged or sore breasts. You will feel silly, but I swear this remedy does a better job of soothing pain and relieving swelling than anything recommended by my pediatrician. Must be something in the cabbage that makes it better than hot pads. --Tiffany Fedor, Woodland Hills, California

SmART Space is More than Just Smart...

SmART Space on Washington Boulevard between Centinela and Lincoln is a great new space for fun, imaginative, and unique enrichment classes for babies and kids. And, for parents the vibe is laid back, relaxing and more personal than so many of the other places around. Three Cool Baby Tips test parents came back raving about their classes like "Wiggles and Blues," "Twosy Art," and "Move and Groove at The Louvre." And that's only a few of their more than a dozen classes for kids from 6 months to 12 years old. They even offer PARTIES! If you live in the area you must check them out or go to their website right this minute: www.smARTspaceLA.com

Mention "Cool Baby Tips" and receive your first trial class free.

Bring Your Baby To The Movies!

Boy have times changed. Suddenly, the sound of a baby crying in a movie theatre does not irritate you. Because now it means it's okay if YOUR newborn cries, too. Around the country, AMC/Loew's Cineplexes host "Reel Moms" and Pacific Theatres host "Monday Morning Mommy and Me Movies." Once or twice a week, they play mostly non-kid theme first run movies (Yay.). Even movies like "Wedding Crashers," "40-year Old Virgin," and the latest period piece make the line-up. It's a surreal experience at first to enter a theatre filled with moms, dads, newborns, and toddlers, but what a great break from your daily baby routine. Most theatres even have a stroller check and diaper-changing station set up in the theatre. Sound levels are lowered and dim lights are left on. Moms, feel free to breast feed right in your seat, get up and rock your baby or camp out on the ground with other families. Check above websites to see if these programs are in your area. If they are not, organize moms to request the service from your local theatre.

Bean Bags Are Back, Baby.

But not just any bean bags! We are talking about Fatboy Point bean bags made by designer Jukka Setala. They are not only comfortable, but cool enough for us big kids, too. Made from water and stain resistant materials.

We also love the Zid Zid kids Mini Poofs( in the photo on right) that are the perfect size for small children with comfy flannel covers that unzip so that you can wash them. Find both bean bags at Designpublic.com

Less Crap, More Time!

Tired of washing baby's changing table cover? Try keeping a roll of paper towels at the end of baby's changing pad. Simply place paper towel down on top of changing table, change baby, throw away dirty paper towel and (here's the important part) kick back and do something nice for yourself with the time you would have wasted washing a soiled changing table cover.

Don't Sip Tea. Soak in it.

Mom have an allergic skin rash from the effects of an epidural or does baby have heat rash or a persistent diaper rash? Try this method taught to me by my Chinese mother: Add black tea bags (at least five to baby's bath) to a warm bath and soak. This used to be the only relief I got as a kid from itchy chicken pox and my pesky summer heat rashes. Now it works great when baby or I have an inflammed or itchy skin irritation of any kind. If you rather go western than eastern with your natural rash remedies you can try Aveeno's colloidal oatmeal in your bath, available at your local drug store.

What Do Artists & Designers Read to Their Children?

Click here to find these books at Amazon

Wall Paper for Commitment-phobes.

BLIK SURFACE GRAPHICS are perfect for exhausted parents who don't have time or energy to paint or wallpaper. They are basically a fun line of self-adhesive wall decals (think stickers for grown-ups) that allow you to easily transform the look of your baby's room in minutes. Just peel and stick Blik to any smooth, flat surface such as a wall, window, ceiling, tabletop, or floor. Best of all, when you are tired of your design, say after years, a month, maybe a day - the decals are removable! Find them at www.velocityartanddesign.com. While you're there, check out their cool baby and kids' collection of furniture and fun things, many by designers who are exclusive to Velocity.

Temper Airport Tantrums

According to an article in Information Week, streaming video on cell phones works as an "electronic babysitter", helping parents keep their kids content while they travel. Must be why Verizon is reporting higher than expected use of their Sesame street V Cast. Cool Baby friends who do not have kids, but are frequent biz travelers, report successfully using V-cast to temper tantrums of babies seated next to them in airports or on planes, much to the relief of the baby's parents (and everyone else for that matter). Will the video phone kill the babysitter?

"L" is for Lube Like You Mean It.

Plenty of moms admit that their sex life was saved by fantasies, humor, and lubricant. Whether you are experiencing vaginal dryness or sensitivity from pregnancy hormones or you just want sex to be the amazing affair it used to be, Very Private Intimate Moisture  is what every couple needs. For your protection and health, Very Private Intimate Mositure contains no artificial dyes, fragrance, additives or hormones, is pH balanced to the skin, hypoallergenic, dermatologist, and FDA tested and approved. The name is a little corny, but this is one of the few, if not only, lubricants that doesn't feel like you're using a lubricant, is made by a woman and gynecologist approved!  You can read more about it and find it at www.veryprivate.com

iPod Baby's Photo...

Visit www.ipopmyphoto.com to transform baby's photos into colorful and exciting images for screensavers, t-shirts, greeting cards and more. You get to choose your color, your message, and you can choose to add or omit an iPod from the photo. Cost is $19.95.

Martha Knows Best.

What do you do with baby's old and broken crayons? Leave it to Martha Stewart to find an interesting way to recycle crayon pieces and make them useful again. Break them up, combine them into different color combinations, throw them into a non-stick muffin tin, and into the oven at 150 degrees until melted, then let cool. Voila, new use for those boxes of crayon nubs. You can find more tips like this in Martha Stewart Kids quarterly magazine and website.

Rattle M.I.A.?

Just grab a plastic water bottle (loose labels or plastic removed), stick a toothbrush or other colorful non-swallowable object inside the bottle and tightly close lid. All our test babies preferred shaking these homemade bottle rattles to their store bought rattles.

Stamps You'll Really Want to Collect!

Postage that gets the Cool Baby Tips stamp of approval. At Photostamps.com or Zazzle.com you simply upload baby's photo, customize your design with color and a message, and place your order to receive a sheet of postage stamps that are approved by the Postal Service. Of course, these stamps cost more than regular stamps, but they're worth it. Use photos of friends' babies to make them a unique birthday gift! Or, give grandma a sheet of your baby's stamps so that she can show off to her friends.

Personalize Personalized Greetings.

Looking for greeting cards with a little more custom design, but can't afford the hip designs at Mango Ink.com and don't know a thing about photoshop's Illustrator? You'll be happy to learn that if you have a few computer skills and some creative ideas, you can create your own custom greeting cards using photos, scanned images (think your baby's favorite illustration, a patch from their blankie, the material from a special outfit), at a fraction of the cost of designer cards. Just buy The Print Shop program for the Mac at an Apple store. (Sorry, PC users, we don't feel comfortable recommending the program to you because we have gotten really mixed reviews on the co's latest pc version.) The examples posted here were made by Cool Baby Parents from photos, scanned fabric, book art, and a child's finger painting!

Fun and The City!

Looking for something to do with baby? Log onto GoCityKids.com for an extensive free calendar of kid-friendly things to do in your city. .

Enjoy Bugaboo perks.

Didn’t shell out for the celebrity-popular Bugaboo stroller?  You can still enjoy Bugaboo perks.  Go to www.bugaboodaytrips.com to see stroller routes and plan a Bugaboo day trip!

Hard to relax those first few weeks of breast feeding?

Or when you’re pumping? Try placing lavendar essential oil on a cotton ball and place it near you while feeding or pumping so that you can smell its soothing scent.  Mothers who have to express milk for their babies who are in the ICU tell us that looking at a photo of baby makes pumping easier and even increases flow.

Does your baby (or you) have a favorite onesie that they are now too tall for?

Don’t put it in the donation pile just yet!   Cut the bottom half off and hem the top or have a seamstress do it for around $3.  Now you have a great new shirt!  You can also remove favorite OshKosh patches to sew on other blank shirts, or cut feet off of favorite pajamas to make a new outfit for baby.

Find Your Inner Tom Hanks to Feed Food-Fussy Babies.

Baby refuses to eat something? Don't get mad, just pretend you are feeding imaginary friends (yes, get silly, make them up) around stubborn baby. You know, take the spoon and feed her imaginary friend "Lulu" who is hovering right behind her shoulder. Make sure you coo things like, "Here you go Lulu, mmmm, spinach...isn't thaty yummy?" We always feed a few imaginary pets right under baby's high chair tray, too... "Ooooh, I think Linus (that's our neighbor's bull dog) wants some Spinach..." Unless you have no acting skills at all, baby will practically beg you to feed her next.

If You Think Letter Magnets Are Passe...

Get Oliblock's awesome spinning magnetic interlocking gears. They'll look great on your stylish Fisher & Paykel two-drawer dishwasher you spent way too much on and, more important, your baby will love playing with them (you just might, too!).

Less Clutter, More Charity!

Forego Birthday presents (do you really need one more toy?) for baby and request donations to your favorite charity or non-profit instead. Here are a few Cool Children's Charities to inspire you. Local and Global.

The Unatti Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds to provide food, shelter and education for the multitude of orphaned and underprivileged children of Nepal. To learn more visit UnattiFoundation.org

Friends of Carthay Center (FCC) is a non-profit booster club made up of motivated and enthusiastic parents and community members working to identify, support, and promote initiatives that will enable Carthay Center Public Elementary School to offer superior educational opportunities. Find out how you can volunteer or donate money at their website.

Got Milk PAINT?

We fell in love with the unique look and rich colors of organic milk paint and the fact that it is completely safe for chemical sensitive individuals, pregnant women, and nursery walls. Unfortunately when we tried to paint our baby's nursery with it, we were disappointed. Turns out it did not take to the walls the way we imagined and was a pain to mix (plus expensive) for a huge application. Unless you have pristine plaster walls, the milk paint will have a mottled effect because of wall discoloration, texture, or previous spackling. What the milk paint worked great on was old wood furniture and accessories in baby's nursery and terra cotta pots (see photo). If you want to read more about milk paint visit www.milkpaint.com

Bilingual Babies Rule!

WorldSpeak in the Westside Pavilion offers fun immersion classes in more than a dozen languages that take advantage of the fact that between birth and age 8 your child's brain is uniquely hard-wired to absorb languages. Worldspeak teachers are native speakers who guide children from 10 months of age and up through a 45 minute class that includes songs, theme vocabulary (e.g. colors, food, body parts, etc), creative movement, arts & crafts, and just pure fun. Another bonus? It's like a 2-for-1 deal because moms and dads get to learn a new language, too. Three out of four of the Cool Baby Tips parents who tried the Spanish and French trial classes loved them so much that they signed up for a series, and we have all noticed our babies speaking or understanding new words within two sessions. Cool Baby Harvard Ed Experts all confirm that teaching babies a second, even third language, is highly beneficial, can even help baby with their primary language, and will not confuse them. If you would like to read more on this subject, click on Happy Baby, which offers an easy to digest article on the matter.

P.S. Mention COOL BABY TIPS and, Voila, receive $10 off a trial class (regularly $15) or a set of classes.

Celebrity Moms Dig Alternative Health Care at Bee Well Kidz...

L.A. Celebrity Moms love the natural, holistic, and integrative approach to healthcare at Bee Well Kidz, Inc.. Bee Well Kidz is fairly new on the block, but they are already sought after by hordes of health-savvy celebrity parents who seek out the best care for their babies, tots, and adolescents. In their own words, co-founders Stephanie Caruso Afshar and Naomi Gelperin, state that they "offer collaborative integrated healthcare, unified under one roof, for parents searching for natural treatment options for their children’s illnesses and disabilities." On staff, they have acupuncturists, naturopathic doctors, herbalists, nutrition counselors, masseuses, chiropractors, homeopaths, yoga therapists, speech therapists, craniosacral therapists and many more specialists who treat a wide range of illnesses and disabilities. Using infant massage and herbs Gelperin did a great job of curing my baby's lingering cough. Their warm, kid-friendly environment was a plus, too. You can get more info at www.beewellkidz.com.

P.S. Mention COOL BABY TIPS and receive $20 off services for first-time clients

A Toy Chest of Your Own?

According to Sexy Mamas: Keeping Your Sex Life Alive While Raising Kids, "...an adult's desire to bring sex toys [scarves, vibrators, blindfolds...] into the bed isn't any more kinky than a child's desire to bring bath toys into the tub." This book offers lots of practical advice from doctors, therapists and parents to help you do things like embrace your body, "have it all" (sex, sanity, and sleep), find creative ways to reconnect with your own erotic nature, and much, much more. You can find Sexy Mamas by clicking on Toys in Babeland. You can also find great reviews at Babeland's online site on sex toys and products, and sex tips. If you live in NYC, LA, or Seattle you can actually visit Babeland retail stores, which are famous for their customer service (even recommended by Zagat) and their highly educated staff. Weird, but you will feel comfortable asking them anything!

Use the Cool Baby Tips promo code 20137 at check out online or in person for 10% off.

Raise local. Think global.

As preparation for a family trip or to instill a sense of adventure and exploration, parents can't do better than reading Czech painter Miroslav Sasek's flat-out classic "This is..." picture book series for kids, nine of which are now back in print after sadly being out of print for decades. The other nine can be found thru used-book dealers with good children's selections like www.abebooks.com, but be warned collectors have gobbled up the copies in best shape and driven up the price of the originals. Find the new reissued hard backs and some used at amazon.com

Babystyle looks for a lot Less!

Naartjie originated in South Africa and got its start when Princess Di's and Fergie's kids were spotted wearing Naartjie's fun, fashionable, durable children's clothing. But you don't have to be royalty to afford their great prices. Their clothing line is designed in coordinates so that you can easily mix and match tops, bottoms, and hats. The cute top on our baby (photo left) was only $7.99, matching pants $9.99. If you like what you see you can click on www.Naartjie.com to check for stores near you.

What Would The Baby Whisperer do?

First, let's all agree that no one book is going to solve all your parenting problems. Afterall, if they did you would never need CoolBabyTips.com. Our Cool Baby Tips approach is to take the most helpful aspects of several popular books and customize a parenting approach that fits our needs, our babies' needs, and our beliefs. When it comes to sleeping, we found that as your newborn ages, you may need other tips to supplement The Happiest Baby on The Block techniques recommended by Cool Baby Tips for newborns. We used a blend of the concepts in The Baby Whisperer and Babywise (disregard the conservative prosletyzing and some of the archaic disciplining methods of babies in the latter and use what feels right). Both these international best-sellers give parents an understanding of how sleep cycles work in babies of different ages, which helps you figure out how to make baby sleep better. Before we had these books, when baby cried 45 minutes into her nap, we picked her up and felt sorry for ourselves that baby was not taking the standard 2 to 3 hour nap others do. After reading the books, we learned that all babies stir or cry about 45 minutes into a nap or night time sleep. It's part of the sleep cycle. If you ignore the stirring or crying, they go right back to sleep after a few minutes, for another hour or two, which means you can take a nap, too! Priceless information. To find used or new copies and read reviews go to www.amazon.com

Celebrity Parents Long for DeLonge Chairs.

When Gwynneth Paltrow and Courtney Cox-Arquette are looking for kid-sized furniture to match their high-end adult furniture they turn to interior designer Jennifer DeLonge who was inspired by her husband, musician Tom DeLonge (of Blink-182 and now Angels & Airwaves), to make high-quality children's furniture that would compliment the best modern, minimalist or retro design. Available in cotton and micro-suede (for easy cleaning). You can order directly online at JenniferDeLonge.com. or use her store finder.

Old Word Teether

We were skeptical at first when Susan, awesome herbal consultant at Ron Teeguarden's Dragon Herbs, gave our 14 month old an odd-looking dried Chinese plant root to teethe on, but baby loved it and it turned out to be a perfectly satisfying and safe chew for her. In fact, it worked way better than the fancy teething rings we've collected over the last few months. Ask your herbalist for similar products.

More Diaper Rash Drama

Okay, if for some strange reason our Cool Baby Tips diaper rash remedies don't do the trick, then maybe you should visit the webfarm's diaper email project, which is basically a list of home remedies for diaper rash from people all over. Just click on this url: www.otan.us/webfarm/emailproject/diaper.htm