Reward Yourself This Mother’s Day! 05/06/2011

Being a mother is one of the most wonderful experiences in the world. Being there for all of your baby’s first moments and helping to mold them and watch them  blossom into children and adults is incredibly moving, inspiring and precious.  Mother’s Day is a day to celebrate all that you do for your family and to bask in the appreciation and love from your children, grandchildren and extended family.

If you could create your ideal Mother’s Day, how would you like to spend it? Perhaps you’d like to start the day with breakfast in bed, or by receiving flowers or a homemade present from your little one.  Mother’s Day is a wonderful time to spend with your family and it should be thoroughly enjoyed!  Below are a few more ways to get the most out of this special holiday dedicated to you! Happy Mother’s Day!  

A great, relaxing way to spend Mother’s Day is by having a low-key family movie night. Rent a couple of movies, pop some popcorn and snuggle up with your little ones! Sounds like a great Mother’s Day to us!

Perhaps you want your Mother’s Day to be all about gratitude for the women who raised you.  Spend an afternoon with your own mother, grandmother, or both. Reminisce about your favorite childhood memories with mom and grandma (and maybe even the times you got in trouble!) and share your favorite parenting moments with your own children. Tell them how much you appreciate them for all they’ve done for you.

Now that the weather has (finally!) warmed up a bit, why not take the family festivities outdoors? Have a Mother’s Day picnic at your local park, beach or lake.  If packing everything up proves to be too taxing, you could simply have a picnic in the backyard!

How would you like to spend your Mother’s Day? Let us know in the comments! We hope you enjoy this Mother’s Day – you deserve it!

Playground Chatter: Family Traditions 04/28/2011

One of the best parts about being a family is getting to create and pass on unique family traditions. As adults, we often look back fondly on these special bonding experiences shared with relatives. We recently asked some of our fans what traditions are unique to their own families and whether they plan to pass them on to their little ones. Here’s what they had to say:

Melina’s family used to read a story together after dinner, and she plans on doing the same.

Rosaura’s family played “Loteria” every Sunday at her grandmother’s house.

Karo’s family practices a tradition of becoming their childrens’ friends and allies, which she will definitely continue.

During the first snowfall of every winter, Hannah and her siblings always wanted to be outside so her father would let them eat supper in the snow. She thinks she’ll keep the tradition alive with her own family.

Erika’s family plays a game called “Crackity Crack” where everyone taled their favorite Easter egg and lines up, holding their eggs out. They then take turns going down the line, tapping their egg on each person’s down the line. If your egg cracks, you’re out! The game continues until one egg is left standing.

Shay has an Easter tradition of her own. Her family makes and eats a “bunny cake” every year. Other traditions include staying up late and watching old movies on the first night of summer vacation, and looking at their baby books on their birthdays every year, adding what they have learned that year.

Angela’s Aunt Rose used to make her family Chocolate Gravy every year. Though it may sound unappetizing, it was delicious on biscuits. She made it for her own children, and they now make it for their own.

Mallory plans to pass on her family’s annual traditions of going to camp in the summer and visiting the apple orchard in the fall.

Charlene and her daughter Alicia used to sit for hours reading, with Alicia on one end of the couch and Charlene on the other. When Alicia started getting sleepy, she’d crawl to her Mother’s side to snuggle and they would take a nap together. Now Charlene and Alicia both read to Lilly, who just turned one.

When Heather was younger, her family would play a game at dinnertime in which they would share something fun that they did that day, in order to keep the conversation positive and fill their family members in on what happened that day. She hopes to continue that tradition with her son when he gets older.

Tasha’s family would begin cooking breakfast at 10PM on New Year’s Eve so that at midnight they could sit around the TV and watch the ball drop while eating a big breakfast together . . . meaning they wouldn’t be hungry for the following year!

Thanks to all those who shared their family traditions with us! If you have a neat tradition of your own, add it in the comments section!

Guest Blogger Spotlight: Capturing Baby’s First Steps by First Time Mommy 04/21/2011

When my oldest son came into this world at 10lbs he seemed much older than he really was.  Because of this and the fact that I had somehow forgotten everything I had ever learned about babies, I believed he could accomplish things much sooner than most. Of course now I realize being a new Mom I was a little overly ambitious about what he was capable of achieving. Because of this overly-ambitious attitude I almost always had my camera right by my side, ready and waiting to capture my son’s every first.

Soon enough I got an opportunity when at only 2 1/2 weeks my son decided to roll over. Had it not been for my camera, no one would have ever believed me! Having the camera on hand also came in handy at 4 months when he was eating his first foods and uttered the words “num nums,” or at 5 months when I took him outside to play in the grass for the first time and discovered he could sit up all by himself.

It was the images that were captured at 9 months though that I will always cherish, because you see, I wasn’t there for a very special first. I was serving jury duty and it was my first time away from my son. Grandma was babysitting for me and just happened to have her video camera. The video she took that day will always be close to my heart: my son’s first steps. Yep, he walked for the very first time when I wasn’t home! Proof that time and babies stand still for no one.My son, who is now 3 years old, had an incredibly special first only 7 short months ago: saying hello to his new baby brother. Now they create memories and firsts together. There and ready to capture it all? My camera.

I often look back on those memories and smile. They are moments in time that I can never have back but that I can always remember and share with those that weren’t fortunate enough to be there.

Over these past 3 years I have learned some very valuable lessons. All babies move and grow at their own pace. My youngest son is nothing like my first and I never know when he’s going to do something amazing. It’s just impossible to tell sometimes when a special moment is about to happen. All you can do is make sure you’re prepared when they come along. Keep your camera handy and always be ready to make memories to share with those you love and to look back on all the wonderful firsts your children will go through.

Guest blogger Monica is a mother of two boys, ages 3 and 7 months.  When she’s not busy keeping up with her little ones, she enjoys photography and digital artwork. You can learn more about her at her blog, First Time Mommy.

Playground Chatter: Family Travel Tips 04/13/2011

At Baby Einstein, we know that traveling with baby can be difficult and stressful for both parents and baby. Fortunately, moms and dads have come up with lots of great solutions to make trips go smoothly. We recently asked our fans and followers for their tried and true travel tips and received some wonderful suggestions we’d like to share with you. Check out these clever ideas for smooth sailing on your next family vacation:

Frequent flyers Katie and Amanda book flights either early in the morning or late at night because baby is more apt to sleep at those times and flights are less crowded. Amanda also suggests giving baby a bottle to help with ear pressure during takeoff and landing.

Tonya suggests taking plenty of snacks and stopping often to let baby stretch.

For long drives, Laura suggests taking turns driving so that one parent can focus on the baby, whether it’s playing peek-a-boo or just doling out toys and snacks.

Cheryl, Brittany, Nicole and Lauren pack lots of toys, snacks and CDs!

A few of our fans said they always take Baby Einstein CDs and DVDs along for trips. Yay! Thanks Tressa and Cheryl!

Sharmon, Erica and Angela plan to travel while the kids are asleep – good thinking!!

Be sure to share with fellow parents, and don’t forget to add your own tips in the comments section! 

Baby Einstein Discovery Day with Gossip Girl’s Kelly Rutherford 04/11/2011

On March 25th Gossip Girl actress and NYC’s favorite Upper East Side mom, Kelly Rutherford, hosted a Baby Einstein play date at Lincoln Center in Manhattan. Kelly and her adorable daughter Helena joined about 30 New York City parents and their kids for a wonderful morning full of discovery. The play date included three different areas dedicated to the Discovery Kit’s three levels: Experience, Explore and Expression. Kids and parents alike enjoyed playing the life size piano mat in the experience section, joining the safari with the giant stuffed animals in the explore area and coloring in the expression part of the room.

Kelly was thrilled to host the event and said, “I’m just happy to be here, it’s fun. My kids love Baby Einstein so I’m just honored to be here.” She also added, “I have been a huge fan of Baby Einstein for a long time, my son is 4 and a half and my daughter is almost 2 and it’s just really saved me.”

The focus and highlight of the event was our Discovery Kits, which were a big hit among all of the guests, especially Kelly. She loves how the kits, “…integrate art, animals, nature and music. It’s just such a wonderful experience.” Our guests seemed to agree, and many shared their enthusiasm about the kits on Twitter:

ArieRich Love the different levels Baby Einstein’s Discovery Kits has to offer #BabyEinNYC

jessienuez @babyeinstein there is such level of interaction with each level – it’s awesome #babyeinnyc 

The Discovery Day event was a big success and we were so excited that Kelly and our guests could join us for a day of fun! For more pictures of the event, visit our Facebook album.

Kelly was also gracious enough to sign some Discovery Kits, and we’re thrilled to announce that we’ll be hosting a special contest/giveaway in the near future! Stay tuned to our blog, Facebook & Twitter pages for details on how you can enter for a chance to win a Discovery Kit signed by Kelly!

Together Time Tuesday: Springtime Activities 03/29/2011

Hooray, Spring is finally here!!  After such a long, cold winter we’re thrilled to finally spend time outside and we bet you and baby are too! To help celebrate the arrival of the new season, check out these fun activities for you and your little one. Happy Spring!

Help baby discover rainbows and the colors of spring with these simple activities:

Create a Rainbow Crayon
Take three (or more) colorful crayons and tape them together. Show baby how coloring with this “special” crayon makes multi-colored lines, like a rainbow. Then guide baby’s hand with the crayon, to create a picture with rainbow-like lines.

I Spy . . . a Rainbow!
Play the “I Spy” game, searching for rainbows! A great way to do this is take your little one outside and blow bubbles. Point out all the rainbows in the bubbles. Another fun activity requires a small mirror, a clear glass and some water. Fill the glass three-quarters with water. Then place the mirror in the water and set the glass somewhere in your house where the sun can shine through the glass and hit the mirror. Move the mirror until you see a reflection of a rainbow on a wall or ceiling, and watch baby stare at it in amazement. 

Another wonderful way to help baby discover spring is by introducing them to gardening! Check out these planting ideas below:

Carrot Top
A very simple and easy planting activity to start with uses carrots. Simply cut off some carrot tops and place them in a dish with pebbles. Add just enough water to cover the bottom of the carrot. Hide the dish in a place where there is not too much sun and where baby can’t get to it. A few days later have your little one “find” the dish and they will be amazed at the difference! The carrot tops will have begun to sprout into plants.

Grass Heads
A fun gardening activity is creating a grass head together with your little one. To start, help her spoon a grass seed into the foot of a stocking and then put potting soil on top of the seed. Tie a knot in the stocking and be sure to leave the excess fabric hanging. Next, fill a yogurt container halfway with water and place the stocking head on top with the nylon tail in the water. Glue googly eyes to the “head” and draw on a mouth with permanent marker. Have your older children decorate the yogurt container and voila! Your grass “head” is complete. Baby will love checking out the progress as the “hair” grows everyday and your little grass guy will last for months!

Discovering Rhythm: Make Your Own Instruments! 03/24/2011

To help celebrate the launch of our brand new World of Rhythm Discovery Kit, we’ve come up with a great family-time activity to help baby discover the wonderful world of music and rhythm! You can start a family band by using ordinary household items. Below are a few ideas for you and your little one to make your own instruments. Check them out below and get rockin’!

Tambourine:
Making a tambourine is easy! All you need are two paper plates, a hole punch, jingle bells and some string. First, staple or glue the plates together, facing each other. Using a hole punch, make holes around the edge of the plates and tie the bells to the holes with a string or ribbon. Have your little one decorate the tambourine with crayons, markers or colored pencils and voila! Your tambourine is complete. Just shake and enjoy!

Hand Bells:
Hand bells are another instrument that baby will love to shake around and are really easy to make! To begin, simply punch a hole in each end of a paper towel roll. Then tie two jingle bells to each side of the paper towel rolls using string, yarn or ribbon. For more fun, decorate the paper towel roll with stickers or markers. Next step: shake, shake, shake!

Maracas:
If your little one loves all the shaking, maracas are another easy and fun choice. All you will need is a plastic or paper cup, rice, paper and a rubber band. Fill the cup halfway with rice and place the paper over the top of the cup. Secure the paper with the rubber band and you’re ready to rattle up some rhythm!

Horn:
Another fun instrument to add to your homemade band is the horn. Making it is easy and baby will love playing it! To make a horn, cover one end of the paper towel roll with waxed paper and secure it with a rubber band. Next, punch a row of holes along one side of the roll with the tip of a pen or pencil. To play, just have baby make noises into the open end of the “horn.” Demonstrate first and then watch your little one try to figure it out!

Guest Blogger Spotlight: Baby’s First Steps by Cars, Trucks and Teething Rings 03/16/2011

With three little ones, it seems like “firsts” are at least a monthly occurrence in our home. Josiah just started walking and little Trinity just started smiling. What happiness that brings on both counts! There’s nothing better than looking down at a sweet little face and seeing it light up with the pure joy of learning something new.

Watching Josiah take his first wobbling steps right around the time he turned a year old was so exciting for everyone involved! The first time I caught him walking, I was cleaning up their room. I heard him let out a belly laugh and looked up just in time to see him stumbling the few steps from one side of his crib to the other. Of course, I immediately called hubby to tell him the exciting news! He was in class and a bit disappointed that he’d missed the milestone, but was able to watch his little boy take a few steps later that night.

Unfortunately, Josiah went back to crawling for a few weeks after we brought home his baby sister. I think it was the change in the household, but he recently picked right back up where he had left off and is now wobbly-running throughout the house, doing his best to keep up with his big brother! Our baby-proofing quickly resumed and anything within his little reach had to be put up or he would be bringing it down!

Watching my children go through these new experiences makes me so proud to be a parent. It’s parents that they take those wobbling steps toward, those first big, gummy smiles are directed to their parent’s face, and they’re so excited to share what they learn with…you guessed it, PARENTS!

Guest blogger Sarah works full time while keeping up with her three (increasingly mobile) children and tries to catch movies with her husband when she can. You can read more about Sarah and her family’s discoveries on her blog, Cars, Trucks and Teething Rings.

Playground Chatter: Fan Favorite Lullabies 03/10/2011

A few weeks ago we asked our fans on Facebook & Twitter, “What songs best calm your baby?” and we got a TON of great responses! Many of you stated that common lullabies and nursery rhymes work the best, but a surprising amount of fans referred to rock n roll, punk and reggae songs. Check out our lullaby lists below and add your suggestions in the comment section. Thanks to everyone for your awesome responses!

Most Popular Lullaby Suggestions:

The most popular song our fans use to soothe baby at bedtime is “You are my sunshine”
In a close 2nd, 6 people suggested the classic “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

Karen, Jennifer, Amanda and Tori all suggested Baby Einstein tunes (including Mozart, Bach, Beethoven & Lullaby Time.) Yayy! Thanks guys!!

Ninoska, Destiny and Tiffani’s babies love anything by the reggae king, Bob Marley!

Shiloh and Michelle’s babies love “Hush Little Baby”

“The Alphabet Song” is a favorite for Courtney, Rebecca and Shiloh’s babies

Other favorites include “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” “Wheels on the Bus,” and “Brahm’s Lullaby”

Non-traditional Lullabies:

Michelle’s baby loves “DJ Got Us Falling In Love Again” by Usher

Tasha suggested the Sublime classic, “What I Got”

Erin suggested “Boys of Fall” by Kenny Chesney

Carissa’s little one loves “Honey” by Patsy Cline

We also received a few rock n’ roll “lullabies” by various bands including Led Zeppelin, Radiohead and The Beatles! Sounds like a bunch of our fans are raising little rock stars! Rock on!!

Discovery Kit Q&A: A Twitterific Time with Mom & General Manager Susan McLain! 03/07/2011

In honor of the release of our 3 latest Discovery Kits (Baby Lullaby, Neptune’s Oceans and World of Rhythm), we held a special live Twitter chat with mom and Baby Einstein GM, Susan McLain. During this chat, our fans and followers were able to ask Susan some great questions about the new Discovery Kits and gain some insight on the new products. In case you missed this very special live session, check out some of the highlights below.

Q: What are the age recommendations for the kits?
A: You can start using the kits with your baby around 3 months and enjoy the three levels as your baby grows

Q: What’s different about these kits as compared to your previous DVD titles?
A: The kits not only include a DVD, but a CD and a book/discovery cards. All 3 products work 2gether w complementary music & images + the kits r now offered in 3 levels that grow w your baby!

Q: Are you eventually planning kits for all your DVD titles?
A: There are 9 kits available today – 3 per level, and we plan on introducing more in the future.

Q: With these new Discovery Kits, what are the benefits for the baby as well as the parent or parents?
A: Some of the benefits are bonding, fun time 2gether, introducing your baby 2 new things, appreciation for the world.

Q: Which one does your child like best?
A: My oldest daughter loves World of Words, my 1 1/2 year old is a fan of Animals Around Me. They love the books and cards, too!

Did you miss the live Twitter chat with Susan? Be sure to leave your questions about the Discovery Kits in the comments, and follow us on Twitter to find about our live chats in the future!