Adorable Details Promotion

Check out these adorable (and affordable) headbands from Adorable Details.  This Etsy crafter finds inspiration in her 3-year-old twin daughters and I find inspiration in her ability to create these beautiful accessories and parent twins.  She loves creating custom pieces, so just ask!  AND she is offering Next Stop Baby readers a 10% discount with the coupon code nextstopbaby



by Adorable Details



by Adorable Details



Sleep No More

I love sleeping.  I love staying in bed for five more minutes.  And taking a nap when it's raining outside.  On weekends and vacations I sleep late.  It's a luxury that I fully indulge.  My bed is maxed out with sleep inducing accessories - a life changing featherbed, a thick, quilted mattress pad, extra pillows, an oversized down comforter and a few reserve blankets for good measure.

I've been a good sleeper my whole life.  I put my head on the pillow, close my eyes and my next memory is the rude noise of the alarm.  It's wonderful.  And my sleeping aptitude is not limited to ideal circumstances, I can (and have) fallen asleep in buses, planes and cars.  On couches, chairs and floors.  On the beach and in a park.  In a box and with a fox...

People with babies don't sleep.  Not a lot.  They brag about and literally glow after having an amazing night's sleep...of five hours.  And they're not being sarcastic when they make this characterization, which leaves me shocked and shaken every time.

Adding a baby to the daily routine is a game changer.  Loss of sleep is amongst the many big, huge and enormous changes I will face as a new mother.  I worry about this.  A fitness fiend worries about losing her toned abs.  A fashionista worries about falling into a sweatpants rut.  A foodie worries about surviving on a pasta and string cheese diet.  Us sleepers worry about our losing our eight hours.   The gain of a baby is the inevitable loss of some of life's indulgences.  But, the trade off is marvelous.  Of course.  

A good reason to catch my zzzzs now.  Not that I need a reason.        

Teen Mom 3 - It's On

It's no secret that I watch (and love) Teen Mom.  It's my NOT guilty pleasure.  So, I couldn't have been more thrilled when MTV recently announced that it will be producing a Teen Mom 3 AND Teen Mom 4.  They doubled down for double our enjoyment.

The next season (season 3) will premiere on July 5, 2011 and feature the original cast: Maci Bookout, Farrah Abraham, Catelynn Lowell and Amber Portwood.  In light of this exciting news I thought it would be fun to review what our favorite teen mothers have been up to since their brief time off air.

Maci Bookout

• Got a boob job
• Is going strong with boyfriend Kyle King as of 4/25/11 (according to MTV), meaning who knows if they're going strong because it's been 3 weeks since that report, which is a damn near lifetime when you're nineteen
• Didn't update her website (don't try any of the links other than "contact me" because they don't work), worst website ever
• Hung out with the classy ladies of Jersey Shore, it's anyones guess as to who was the worse influence on whom

Farrah Abraham

• Got a boob job
• Got into a tweet fight with Kim Kardashian over who is a crappier role model
• Became a calendar girl when she modeled for Mastering the Art of American Motorcycles
• Worked on her website slightly more than Maci Bookout did

Catelynn Lowell

• Got pregnant, AGAIN - the details on her Myspace page states "Children: Expecting" - there are no words
• Split a $15k donation given to her and her boyfriend Tyler Baltierra, which was raised by Jezebel.com for their education
• Continued to date and be the step-sister of Tyler Baltierra (her mother and his father got married in February 2009, not kidding)

Amber Portwood

• Publicly stated that Jenelle Evan's from Teen Mom 2 is "embarrassing" 
• Was indicted in August 2010 for the beatdown she gave then boyfriend Gary Shirley during the filming of Teen Mom and just last week rejected a plea deal that would have kept her out of jail with ninety days house arrest and two years probation...go ahead and re-read the first bullet point
• Took naked pics of herself that found their way onto radaronline.com...read the first bullet point for the third time
• Lost custody of her daughter, Leah, because her home environment was unsafe (her house and car were vandalized)...you know what to do

Fabulous Mini Unitards

The vast majority of a new baby's life is spent in the classic unitard that has been aptly termed the onesie. Yes, there will be more elaborate outfits here and there, but on the whole newborns live in onesies.  The tiny one piece outfits are functional and easy, which are two major necessities for a new baby and a new mom.  But functional and easy don't have to equal boring.  Here are some great examples of unique, fun and adorable onesies.

This sweet onesie has a sweet message that I can't help but smile about.  Peace Tree Apparel will give $2.00 to the Mudula Water (go to their website http://www.peacetreeapparel.com/ to learn more) when you purchase the "One Who Is Loved" onesie.  Also, all the women's t-shirts are 10% off in May, all men's t-shirts will be 10% off in June and for both May and June there is free shipping for everything! 

by Peace Tree Apparel

This fun and funny design is made by hand pressed block printing.  Designer and maker Rabbit Apparel uses organic and recycled materials whenever possible and puts genuine thought (and love) into each piece.  There prints are all equally random and wonderful - a gold fish, tuba and dripping faucet name a few.

by Rabbit Apparel

The tie and suspenders makes these onesies perfect for a special occasion or a Monday.  BK Chic Boutique makes these classy onesies with all different tie patterns and all different suspender colors.  How amazing is the superman onesie?!?

by BK Chic Boutique

by BK Chic Boutique

Pre-Pregnancy Education

I've never been pregnant and I'm not interested in learning about the gooey details until that day comes.  My decided method is to cross that bridge when I come to it - remember my post, The Things I Don't (Want to) Know?  However, this plan is challenged on a daily basis because I'm constantly researching and discussing pregnancy issues for my posts and, consequently, learning about pregnancy.  Gooey details included.

Even though I often find myself wanting to run away (far away) from a pregnancy conversation that gets too biological, I understand that other people want information.  Some women (and their partners) want to bone up (huh) on the pregnancy process before it's actually happening.  Though I don't fall into the category, I completely appreciate those who do.  Understanding the process before it happens is responsible, proactive and smart preparation.  Maybe I should reconsider...

I have pulled together the following list of books, which are specifically intended for pre-pregnant, knowledge thirsty individuals:

• What To Expect Before Your Expecting by Heidi Murkoff - Unlike the more well known What To Expect When You're Expecting, this book has a comical tone that sometimes reads like a fashion magazine rather than an information resource.  On the other hand, if you're in the mood for a great conversation starter that lightly brings you into the pregnant frame of mind, this might be the perfect choice.
• Before You Conceive: The Complete Pregnancy Guide by John R. Sussman and B. Blake Levitt - This book is thorough and covers a range of issues that may affect the baby during the pregnancy.  Just know that it's an older book and has some older (read: outdated) information.
• The Pre-Pregnancy Planner by Josleen Wilson - This book dives into the way a baby will change one's life in terms of time management, career, finances, social life and everything in between.  The content is geared to assist in the preliminary decision of whether (or not) to have a child.
• Get Ready to Get Pregnant by Michael C. Lu - Your opinion of this book will depend on how much you already know about pregnancy, meaning it could be redundant and obvious or exhaustive and alarmist.  Overall, there is a big focus on diet, exercise and fitness.
• Before Your Pregnancy: A 90 Day Guide for Couples on How to Prepare for a Healthy Conception by Amy Ogle and Lisa Mazzulo - This book received the most consistent positive reviews from online reviewers.  The writing style is a little dry, yet through the somewhat clinical perspective it manages to be informative without inducing fear.