Stuff People Google 46

Another Friday, another phrase that someone googled:

what does the comment your baby looks like an old man mean

Last December I wrote a post about commenting on a baby's looks (here) and I have no doubt that the Googlebot matched that post with this google search.  In the post, I wrote about a baby who looked like an old man.  I didn't, however, explain why I thought the baby looked like an old man - I'll do that now.  To me, and reasonable minds may differ, the old man resemblance applies to wrinkly babies with quizzical expressions.  It doesn't mean unattractive, not at all.  Quite the opposite, an adorable baby can look like an old man.  I should also mention that the old man look is usually a particular angle and expression in a photo or a phase that is quickly out grown.

        

Sheep Themed Nursery, Baaaahhhhh

Today's post features adorable items for a gender neutral nursery.  It's all about sheep.  The colors are as soft as can be.  The vibe is as peaceful as can be.  I got sleepy just putting the images together.  

image links below - clockwise

1. Plush sheep toy by Aurora ($12.99)

2. Sheep bookends by The Company Store ($59)

3. Smiling sheep photograph (8"x10") by Dreamy Photo ($25)

4. Sheep mobile by Pingvini ($56)

5. Mama and Bebe sheep art (8"x10") by Heavenly Creatures Art ($20)

6. Counting sheep crib bedding by Land of Nod ($24-$199)

Jessica Simpson's Baby Name Revealed...

Maxwell Johnson

These days I have been posting on Tuesdays, Thursday and Fridays (Stuff People Google day).  But I had to throw in an extra post today when I caught wind of this intriguing news.  According to the NY Post, Jessica Simpson and her fiance Eric Johnson plan to name their baby girl-to-be Maxwell Johnson.  Thoughts?  They will call her Maxi.  Thoughts? 

I'm all for interesting names.  I'm all for gender bending names.  So, I don't dislike Maxwell for a girl.  I'm not, however, a fan of Maxi.  It reminds of me maxi pads....

Discuss!

   

All in the Family

It's been a while since I wrote about baby names.  One month and thirteen days exactly.  That post (here) was about Seraphina and Katniss.

Choosing a baby name is easy peasy for some people.  They've been brainstorming names for the past decade (or more) and had a top five boy and girl list before even becoming pregnant.  Others don't find the name selection process easy...or fun.  When you don't have a top anything list and you're not sure what names you like, much less love, it can be quite stressful to imagine narrowing the search to ONE.

For the latter group of people, there are a few methods for easing the process.  About a year ago I posted a huge list of these methods (here), but today I'm going to focus on one: choosing a family name (aka heritage name).  For sentimental folks who want to feel personally connected to the name, this is the best method.

Start the process by filling in the branches
(image here)

THE NAME - In order to find a family name that you love enough to choose for your child, you first need to learn your family names.  So, start by asking questions.  You likely know the name of your aunt and grandfather, but great uncles and great great grandparents might be unknowns.  Get a list going.  Your relatives can help you collect.  There's always one aunt who has a subscription to ancestry.com.  Give her a ring, she'll be thrilled.  Ask about first, middle and last names.  Ask about nicknames.  Back in the day (pre-electricity day) nicknames weren't obviously connected to full names.  Sissy was a nickname for Cecelia.  Kitt was a nickname for Christopher.

Sissy Spacek born as Mary Elizabeth Spacek

A NICKNAME - If you've done your research and you're not digging anything, don't fret yet.  I have a couple more suggestions.  Consider modern nicknames for the old school names.  Maybe you can't see yourself naming a daughter Henrietta after your great grand aunt.  But Etta is pretty cute.  Eleanor doesn't strike your fancy, but maybe you're a fan of Ellie?  Derivatives of the family name can carry on the sentimental value of the name, even if the derivative wasn't actually used as a nickname.  The newly formed nickname will be unique to your new family member and still an homage to your old family member.

SPECIAL LETTER - Still nothing?  Scrap the name.  Forget about the nickname.  Use the first letter of the name of a beloved relative.  You adore your grandpa Herman, but don't adore his name enough to pass it along to the next generation.  Check out other "H" names, there are plenty - Henry, Harrison, Hayden.  This works even if your loved your grandpa Herman and you have a little girl (Hazel, Hailey, Harlow).  

Any other creative ideas for using a family name without using a family name?  

 

Stuff People Google 45

Today's edition of Stuff People Google is a little freaky, at first:

are du ane reade foli c aci d good

What I ultimately think happened here, is the typist is a soda feign and spilled one too many Diet Cokes on the keyboard causing Sticky Key (a technical term).  Or, possibly, the typist suffers from Space Bar Happy (another technical term).  Either way, I think he or she wants to know "are Duane Reade folic acid good".  Translation: are the Duane Reade generic brand vitamins (i.e. folic acid) just as good as the brand name vitamins.  No post in Next Stop Baby answers this question.  Sorry. 

Two Women, One Drink

If after reading the title of this post you now think I have a disturbing sense of humor, you're right.  I couldn't help myself.  The title is a play on the title of a highly disgusting youtube video that went viral about 5 years ago.  I'm not going to post a link to the video.  I'm not even going to reveal the true name of the video because I don't want "Stuff People Google" to take an ultra nasty turn in the next few weeks.  But, if you know what I'm talking about feel free to leave a comment about it.  I dare you.

Enough of that.

Drinking alcohol while trying to conceive is something I've touched upon in the past (here).  One can  completely lay off the sauce, carry on as usual or opt for something in between.  It's a personal choice and when it comes to making the choice, reasonable minds differ.  Two women may treat one drink (of alcohol) very different - see how I awkwardly circled back to the title?

image here

In recent times, I've found myself among several woman, all friends, who've made different choices when it comes to drinking alcohol while trying to get pregnant.  It was, unfortunately, awkward.  Everyone was upfront about pregnancy wishes and everyone was upfront about their personal choices when it came to alcohol consumption.  The awkwardness came from the non-upfront judgment that passed between the differing perspectives.

The Drinkers - These ladies thought it the non-drinkers were high strung and generally lame.  They were slightly annoyed that the non-drinkers had decided to take such an extreme measure.  What's the big deal with a single glass of wine?  It's not like the non-drinkers were actually pregnant.  Or...maybe they were actually pregnant, which is why they had drawn such a hard line...hmmm....

The Non-Drinkers - These ladies thought the drinkers were irresponsible and immature.  They were slightly concerned that the drinkers had decided to take such a cavalier stance on such an important issue.      A single glass of wine could be a single glass of wine too much.  It's impossible to know the moment that trying to get pregnant turns into being pregnant.

Of course I don't know exactly what the two sides were thinking because no one said anything out loud.  But, I think I've imagined a likely back and forth.  Just because reasonable minds may differ, doesn't mean reasonable minds don't judge each other differences.  Judging is human nature.  It's entirely unavoidable.  So I'm not going to suggest that you not judge because that wouldn't work.  But, maybe consider the other side because there is another side.

  

Lemonade Themed Baby Shower, Pucker Up

I was paroosing Etsy last week (as I often do) and came across these adorable lemon shaped bookends.

By Design Atelier Article ($44)

So, I pinned it.  I'm trying desperately to pin more.  I've been a member of Pinterest for a little while now (HERE is my pinterest page if you'd like to take a peak), but I'm pretty delinquent at keeping up with my boards.  The bookend was a good add to my "A Colorful Home" board.  It is the "pop of color" that Brad Goreski won't shut up about and it reminds me of summertime, which I am so looking forward to.  

I decided to let this beautiful bookend inspire a mood board for a lemonade themed baby shower.  I immediately loved the idea, which was reinforced by all the fantastic stuff I found. 

1. "Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy" T-shirt by Vicarious Clothing ($17)

2.  White and yellow paper straws by Bab's Giddy Gappers ($0.75/straw)

3.  Lemon cake truffles by Cocoa Confections ($36/box of 18)

4.  Invitations by Totful Memories ($15 for digital file)

5.  Bunting by Fresh Squeezed Baby ($30)

6.  Tumbler of lemonade image and recipe at Delish.com

7.  Pink lemonade cupcakes image and recipe at Sweet Tooth 

Stuff People Google 44

Who's excited for the first movie in The Hunger Games trilogy?  Only a week away!!!  Today's edition of Stuff People Google was selected to celebrate next week's opening.  Someone googled the phrase below and found Next Stop Baby (you know the drill).

baby named catness

What's interesting to me is that Google is intelligent enough to link "catness" to "katniss" because I've certainly never written about anyone or anything named Catness.  I still don't know of any babies named Katniss...much less Catness.

Reality Stars Do Pregnancy

Has anyone else noticed that reality TV stars are getting knocked up left and right?  Why?  I have two theories.  My first theory is that the pregnancy-is-so-hot-right-now trend is having a trickle down effect from the A list stars to the non-A list stars.  If Angie does it, it's cool.  And, by now, she's done it twice.  My second theory is that someone at MTV realized that the excessive drinking, hair pulling and grammatically incorrect sentence forming is losing it's allure.  Then someone at E! realized it...someone at Bravo...and so on.  Regardless of WHY, it's become clear that Gym, Tan, Laundry is being replaced by Unprotected Sex, Preggers, Baby. 

Today, I'm going to pretend to be Perez Hilton before he got all politically correct following a tongue lashing by Jennifer Aniston.  Anyone else remember that?  I'm going to waste a good 10 minutes of your life by dissecting the rampant pregnancy trend infecting affecting D-list Hollywood.

First up, Snooki.  Who was shocked by news of Snooki's pregnancy?  I was.  I really was.  Jersey Shore may not be as epic as it was a mere summer ago, but it still brags a huge following.  So huge that MTV has developed 2 spin off series, one with Pauly D (The Pauly D Project) and one with Snooki and J Woww (untitled at the moment).  Now, as I just hypothesized, maybe MTV (or Snooki herself) anticipated the Jersey Shore audience wanting something more than episode after episode of black out drinking and fist pumping at Karma.  Maybe a new generation of hair gel abusers is just the ticket.  But, if not, Snooki has just given up her cash cow for a money hungry baby.  She can't exactly head back to the Shore this summer while 7 months pregnant.  And, I don't think The Situation would approve of a Baby Snooks sleeping in a pack-n-play in the Smoosh Room.

via UsMagazine.com

Kristin Cavallari, former Laguna Beach and Hills star, is also pregnant.  Like the Snooki news, this announcement was quite the curve ball.  Just last year Ms. Cavallari had ended her engagement to Jay Cutler and was accused of scamming for cocaine all day, every day, all the time.  A lot can change in a year.  She announced her pregnancy about a month ago and seems to come up with a new, mind-numbing story to tell People.com on a day-to-day basis about her progress - her cravings, the size of her bump, her prediction that Jay Cutler (aka baby daddy) will be a good father because he's "good with [her] little dog".  I'm starting to think that she got pregnant to stay relevant.

image via UsMagazine.com

Then there's Kourtney Kardashian who's very pregnant with her second.  Unlike Snooki and Kristin, Kourtney's announcement wasn't all that shocking.  But, the timing of her announcement was noteworthy.  Just as the Kim and Kris relationship inferno hell came to a head last fall, WHAM: Kourtney's pregnant.  It felt like Kris Jenner was snapping her fingers at America - look over here, not there, HERE...ignore the Kardashian behind curtain number one...look at the fabulous Kardashian behind door number two!!!  While I avoided using the word "calculated" with Snooki and Kristin (because I don't think it applies), I'm gonna casually throw it out with Kourtney Kardashian.  I don't believe her pregnancy was calculated, but I do think her pregnancy announcement was orchestrated to divert as much negative press away from sister Kim as possible.

image via Celebuzz.com

How did I do?  Could I guest write for Pink is the New Blog? What do you think of all these reality TV ladies and their baby bumps?

Just a Light Sprinkle

We all know what a baby shower is, yes?  I'll answer the question anyway.  A baby shower is a party in which a mom-to-be is showered (get it?) with gifts for the unborn baby.

Traditionally, a baby shower is reserved for a woman's first child.  It's a one shot deal for the first in line.  But wait, nowadays there are a couple exceptions: when it's been a long time between babies and when a baby of a different gender is expected.  In both cases, a second baby shower is kosher.  No, you're not crazy if you're thinking that I've mentioned this concept before - I did (here).  What I didn't know in July 2011, when I briefly wrote about the modern second baby shower, is that there is a special name designated for this second baby shower - Sprinkle.  That's right, a Baby Sprinkle.

Those colorful little dots are also sprinkles.

Today's post is dedicated to the Sprinkle.  The basic difference between a Shower and a Sprinkle is exactly what it sounds like, one is more and the other is less.  At a Sprinkle, the gift giving (and entire event) are more humble.  Unlike Showers, mothers-to-be don't typically register for gifts for a Sprinkle.  The mother-to-be is lightly sprinkled with a few special gifts rather than showered with everything a woman could possibly need or want for herself and her baby.

A Sprinkle is shorter, smaller (less guests) and informal.  It's more of a casual breakfast with your closest friends who give you blue onesies for your first son.  It's less of a formal brunch with all female members of your extended family who give you breast pumps, bottles and a strollers for your first child.  An evite is sufficient, no fancy letter press invitation necessary.  A Sprinkle is fun (obviously) and mellow.

So, when you're co-worker offers to throw you a mini Shower for your second child, don't turn her down.  Just tell her to keep it simple and...ahem...it's called a Sprinkle.

In case you are theme happy and can't bare to throw a party without cohesion of centerpieces, food, drink and music, check out this old post on ice cream sundae themed baby showers (all above images are found in this post).  Where there is ice cream, there are sprinkles.

Have you been to/hosted/had a Sprinkle?  What did you think?  Is it faux pas or perfectly acceptable?

Stuff People Google 43

Here is today's edition of Stuff People Google:

how to be a teen baby

Now, did this person actually want to be a "teen baby" or was this a mix up and the typist meant to ask "how to be a teen mom" (aka - how to get on the show Teen Mom)?  And, if there was no mistake and she wanted to learn how to be a teen baby, can someone enlighten me as to what a teen baby is?

Fortune Cookie Baby

And now, for a random post of fortune cookie themed baby products.  There's no deep (or not deep) explanation.  Enjoy.

Fortune cookie slippers by Sushi Booties ($28)

Onesie by OVELO Design ($15.99)

Fortune cookie cupcakes by Pink Cake Box

How to Choose the Right Crib

If you read Next Stop Baby because you enjoy the snarky posts in which I vent about commuting on the NYC city subway system, then this post probably isn't going to interest you.  If you're pregnant and putting together your first baby's nursery, this post is right in your wheelhouse.  I apologize to the individuals in the former group and I'll try to throw in some whiny comments here and there.

Size - A small space will immediately rule out a number of crib options, so this is an important starting point.  How big is the baby's nursery?  Are we talking about a separate bedroom or a corner of a studio apartment?  As the saying goes, you can't fit a square peg in a round hole, so take some measurements before you fall in love and click Confirm Purchase.  FYI, The "standard" crib size is 32" wide by 56" long by 43" tall, give or take an inch for each dimension.

Straight-up crib by Land of Nod ($699)

Shape - Rectangular cribs are the most common, but they're no longer the only option.  Nowadays you can get your new bundle a round or oval crib.  Fancy.  These non-traditional shapes are pretty cool and can certainly work well in unusual sized spaces.  Keep in mind that oval/round cribs require oval/round mattresses and oval/round sheets, which are harder to find and typically more expensive.  Traditional things are plentiful with varying price points.

Sleepi crib by Stokke ($756.47 on Amazon.com)

Circular crib by Sophia Posh ($442.99)

Toxicity -  Lead paint is an example of a toxic material.  If you're purchasing a new crib, then lead paint is not something you have to worry about (it's a pre-1980s type issue).  If you're getting a hand-me-down or going vintage, a quick lead test might be worth your while.  You can pick one up at your local hardware store or order one online.  Nowadays, more common toxicity considerations are volatile organic compounds (VOCs).  Without getting too technical (because I don't have the expertise), it's important to know that VOCs are bad for your baby so they should be avoided.  Some cribs are finished with paint, wood stain and wood sealant that contain VOCs.  Before you freak out and throw away all furniture items in your nursery, home and the world, keep in mind that VOCs are only harmful if consumed (i.e. swallowing paint chips, breathing in wood stain fumes).  So, it's something to consider, but not something to lose your shit over (I say this as someone who's known to lose her shit over stuff like this).  Remember that there are stringent safety standards for baby products, so cribs that are readily available for purchase have passed those standards.  The great news is that more and more crib makers are building low VOC and VOC free cribs.  For more information and some reviews on these cribs, check out this fantastic post from one of my favorite blogs, Young House Love.

Convertible crib by Argington Sahara ($495)

Functionality - This consideration ties back into the most important consideration: size.  If you don't have much space to work with then you're going to want a smallish crib with lots of functionality.  Some cribs are elevated off the ground with space to store items under the crib, some cribs come with built in drawers and some cribs (like the one below) come with built in everything.  Apartment living requires furniture to be useful in more than one way, cribs are no exception.  Unfortunately, the greater the functionality the great the cost.

Studio crib by Nurseryworks ($2100)

Toddler Bed Conversion - Some cribs convert into toddler beds.  The conversion usually requires a little screwing and hammering, but nothing as serious as putting together a piece of IKEA furniture.  The benefit of a convertible crib is that you won't be making another bed purchase for while, which is noteworthy given how much money beds (and babies) cost.  A toddler bed can accommodate some children through age 5.

Larkin Fixed Gate 4-in-1 crib by Pottery Barn Kids ($799)

What were your considerations in choosing the right crib for your nursery and your baby?  Which crib did you go with?
   

Stuff People Google 42

If you accidentally saw this post LAST friday (2/24/12)...sorry.  Blogging malfunction, it happens now and then.


This week's phrase that someone googled and then found Next Stop Baby:

she said horse with a lisp

I know why the person found Next Stop Baby: because I have written about Rosie Pope's lisp (here and here).  What I don't know is who "she" is, because Rosie has issues with more than just "horse"...

A Different Kind of Baby Blog

There's a trend in baby blogging that I've recently discovered - the celebrity baby/kid fashion blog.  I'm not talking about the "Babies" page on People.com.  I'm not talking about websites that are dedicated exclusively to celebrity babies like CelebrityBabyScoop.com or BabyRazzi.com.  I'm not even talking about the Blue Ivy blog created by Beyonce herself to share photos of her new daughter.  In case you didn't see the official Blue Ivy blog (shame) click here.  What I am talking about are non-professional blogs written by non-celebrities (aka people like you and me) about famous babies.  It sounds a bit odd because it is.

If you've already heard of and read Suri's Burn Book, kudos to you.  It's hysterical.  It's a blog written from the perspective of Suri Cruise.  She bashes other celebrity baby's fashion choices.  She brags about her fashion genius.  It's snarky, it's sarcastic and it's spot on.

The McDermott Sisters Fashion Blog is, on the other hand, not at all sarcastic.  It's a serious fashion blog about the style of Hattie and Stella McDermott (Tori Spelling's daughters).  It discusses outfits and accessories with some detail and tells you where to get the items for your baby girl.  Who would have guessed that little Hattie wears items from Target?  Gasp.  True.

The McDermott girls have some competition with the Affleck girls.  Seraphina (here) and Violet (here) each have their own blogs, both in the same vein as The McDermott Sisters Fashion Blog.

Of course there is a fashion blog dedicated to Harper Beckham (here).  I get it, Posh is a legend in the fashion industry, but Harper isn't even 8 months old!  You won't be surprised to hear that Harper does not wear items purchased at Target.

The McDermott Sisters Fashion Blog was the first celebrity baby fashion blog that I found.  I randomly stumbled upon it and found it cute, useful (if your into baby/kid fashion) and slightly strange.  Shortly thereafter I heard about Suri's Burn Book from a friend and checked it out.  I thought it was awesome.  The concept is a little more creative than The McDermott Sisters Fashion Blog and the execution is flawless.  Having discovered two of these type baby blogs, I wondered if there were more.  I began a fervent Google search.  The more celebrity baby names I searched, the more blogs I found.  There are so many.  Too many to include them all in this post.

Finding so many was a little...creepy.  That was what I thought.  That is what I think.  I went from being humored by Suri's Burn Book to weirded out by a shrine blog to Harlow and Sparrow Madden (this blog was too weird to include, and it was written in French).  Scrolling through detailed accounts of babies and little kids that I don't personally know felt awkward.  It must be awful for celebrity parents to have their children so fully and completely exposed, even when such exposure is typically positive and admiring.  I also found myself feeling frustrated.  The fact that Seraphina Affleck, a 3-year-old, has a more impressive wardrobe than I do is pretty annoying.

Have you discovered any of these blogs?  Do you follow any?  Which is your favorite?