The Butterfly Release and Safety event is a great, free event for families to attend.  There are fun activities for the kids and lots of terrific safety info available to raises awareness of the Foundation, tip-overs and other safety issues affecting families.  All proceeds from food sales and activities go the Foundation.  Finally, there a very moving butterfly release event where families whohave pre-registered, release a butterfly in the name of someone special.  See the video on our Facebook page- such a special way to remember loved ones!  We go every year and hope you’ll consider joining us next summer!

I strongly encourage you to anchor or tether your electronics and furniture to the walls of your home (anti tip kits: http://www.hangmanproducts.com/).  It takes 10 minutes and costs just a couple of dollars for each piece.  Keep any items that may attract kids to climb, off the tops of tall dressers, but remember that even low and heavy bureaus may tip.  The very bureau that was in Katie’s room is pictured in this post and it may surprise you that such a small and seemingly light bureau could kill a child.

We highlighted another preventable tragedy (and a solution!) at our table: window falls.  You can see in the photo below (and even better on their website!) that the Guardian Angel Window Guards are extremely secure and will not allow a child to fall out, but that they also allow use of the window.  The guards attach to the window frame and do allow the window to be open to let fresh air in, rather than wedging the window closed.   We’d like to thank Guardian Angel Window Guards and AboutOne.com for sending goodies and info to share at our table!  AboutOne.com is another of our faves for many reasons, one of which is that it allows parents access to medical records while traveling.  You never know when you may need info at a moment’s notice and with AboutOne.com, you have it!  Check out their site for detailed info about how AboutOne can keep your family organized!

View more videos at: http://nbcphiladelphia.com.

Casual:  Lauren was wearing a Sleeveless Drape Neck Maternity T Shirt ($19.99) and Secret Fit Belly Super Stretch Slim Leg Maternity Jeans ($39.98), both from www.DestinationMaternity.com.  She was also wearing The Pure Belly Wrap ($49), the only 3-in-1 pregnancy and post partum support wrap available.  It’s made of super comfortable and breathable bamboo material and offers adjustable support.  A typical pregnant belly stretches an amazing 20 to 30 inches and (hopefully!) back again!  Moms who use the PureBelly Wrap can apply skin moisturizing products to help reduce itchiness and prevent stretch marks without staining clothes.  Finally the PureBelly Wrap provides an extra layer while nursing.  www.PureBelly.com

Work: Pam modeled the Long Sleeve Sash Belt Maternity Dress ($34.99) Destination Maternity which is a chiffon v-neck dress that is a great, affordable option for the office.

Night:  Amy and Beth showed two of many styles that the Versatile Dress from Pouch can create.  This one dress can be worn as a strapless, one shoulder, tie front, halter, Grecian halter, a skirt, a jumper, and more! And as if that’s not enough, it will fit through all nine months and beyond (great for nursing)!  The Versatile Dress is machine washable and doesn’t wrinkle.  Awesome for travel!  ($85 – $150 depending on length Kicky 32”; Classic 39”; or Maxi 45” and material.) www.pouchmom.com

Formal:  Brooke wore the super-cute Chirstian Siriano Fierce Mamas maternity cocktail dress from RentMaternityWear.com.  When you want to look great for a formal event, why not rent rather than invest in an expensive dress that you may only wear once?  Especially when RentMaterntiyWear.com will send you two sizes for the one rental price, doesn’t require you to dry clean before returning AND includes a paid return shipping envelope?!  Prices vary, but the Christian Siriano dress would be $226 to buy or just $69 to rent from RentMaternityWear.com for a week!  www.rentmaternitywear.com

Thanks to Stella and Dot and Thirty-One for outfitting our models with awesome accessories!

Also, Premier Baby Concierge is hosting a (free!) New Parent pre-party with goody bags and giveaways at Bahama Breeze in King of Prussia at 6pm.

Light bites are being provided by sponsor, Bryn Mawr Hospital. Dr. Karp’s “Parent’s Night Out” event starts at 7:30pm, at the theatre just across the parking lot!  RSVP here!: http://on.fb.me/L4ky4b

It was a pleasure working with Little Nest Portraits, Two PaperDolls and Sevag Creative, as well as all of the other vendors like Pure Barre, The Flour Pot cookies, and the swag bag contributors!  Below are some photos from our event!  Stay tuned to our Events page and Facebook & twitter – we’re always up to something!  Our next event for moms and moms-to-be is 6/21!!

We just had a “delivery” (HA! HA!) of tickets sent to us…who wants to screen What to Expect this Monday, May 14th at 7:30 in King of Prussia?  The first 18 people to respond with a comment on our FB page or a tweet get a pair of tickets.  HOWEVER, these are  first-come, first-serve tickets which means once you download the passes, you still need to arrive to theatre early (45mins should do, I’ve been told) in order to get seats.

Still interested?! Go to our FB page or twitter and comment away!  Leave your contact info.

Synopsis: The challenges of impending parenthood turn the lives of five couples upside-down. Two celebrities are unprepared for the surprise demands of pregnancy; hormones wreak havoc on a baby-crazy author, while her husband tries not to be outdone by his father, who’s expecting twins with his young trophy wife; a photographer’s husband isn’t sure about his wife’s adoption plans; a one-time hook-up results in a surprise pregnancy for rival food-truck owners.

Release Date: Opens in Theaters Friday, May 18, 2012

Rating: PG-13: Parents Strongly Cautioned

See the trailer here:  http://whattoexpectthefilm.com/

Screening Info:
May 14, 2012 at 7:30PM
King of Prussia, PA

Mom’s Night Out for Mother’s Day is just the evening Mom ordered

If you are expecting or a seasoned mom in the Philly or Main Line area, you likely already know of Main Line Parent.  What started as a Mom’s group and grew to a Facebook community, now also includes print mag, digital edition, casual get-togethers and major events.  It’s a great source of info on area businesses, feedback from other moms and area news and happenings, as well as events.  If you follow PBC, you know I was excited to be featured (and photographed with my family!) in the Spring edition with other local women/mom business owners!

Next week, on May 9th, is Main Line Parent Mom’s Night Out at Radnor Valley Country Club and it’s going to be a blast. Tickets include three course dinner, open bar, the fashion featuring Van Cleve collection, Red Carpet, swag bags and an AMAZING silent auction with over $20K in prizes. At a quick glance, I found several that will be right up your alley if you are expecting!  Check out this round-up- there are items from Belly Pilates, Carrie Hill Photography, Dr., Cara Hillwig (acupuncturist!), Jessica Gleason (Infant Sleep Consultant!), Nurture, and of course, many, many others.  Premier Baby Concierge has sent the awesome new Baby Cargo 300 series stroller!  Check it out at the auction- it’s really attractive with clean lines and a modern design, well -planned with large storage area and easy fold, light, stroller for families on the go!

You should grab a ticket and meet us there! Use the code “premierbabyconcierge” to get 15% off. We all need some “me” time – especially for Mother’s Day!

View more videos at: http://nbcphiladelphia.com.

Parents consistently rate Babies “R” Us Registry #1 because parents-to-be can register for an unmatched assortment of innovative and exclusively baby products in person or online.  They are EVERYwhere, so wherever your gift-givers are, they can likely walk in to one of the 850 locations or hit the web if that’s preferable.  Babies “R” Us was one of the major contributors to our annual Baby Shower on “The 10! Show” as you can see in the segment!

They wanted to let moms know about their new complimentary Very Important Baby (V.I.B.) program which provides enrolled families an opportunity to earn up to $200 annually on those costly baby essentials:  diapers, wipes, formula and baby food.   According to parenting.com, parents spend about $50 per week or $2K in baby’s first year just on those items.  Ouch!  The V.I.B  card works like a debit card.  You load it and it can be used on any brand of diaper, wipe, formula or baby food, but the great thing is that for every dollar amout you (or Grandma, or your Baby Shower gift-giver!) add, BRU adds another 10%, up to $200 per year.

Babies “R” Us has a very cool new Nursing Pillow called the mombo.  It’s one of those BRU exclusive items you won’t find elsewhere.  It’s a dual –sided pillow: The firm side is perfect for nursing offering support for mom and positioning for baby, while the soft side is super cozy and is perfect for tummy time or lounging.  The mombo is the only nursing pillow that also offers a removable vibration feature for babies that find the vibration soothing.  Of course, the cover is machine washable.  All of our lucky mamas-to-be went home with a certificate for a deluxe mombo that is super plush and has taggies along the seam.

Babies “R” Us also sent our moms-to-be home with some of their Top Registry Items for Mom including the recently re-designed BPA-free Playtex Nurser with Drop-Ins Liners, an Aveeno baby care Gift Set with hypoallergenic and fragrance free Soothing Relief Creamy Wash and Moisture Cream, as well as Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive Diapers.

Sticky Bellies, Jillian’s fave, also gifted our mamas with their Milestone Stickers for Babies First Year!  These bright, colorful stickers give the appearance of a custom onesie or shirt and parents use them to take month-by-month photos of their growing baby.  You can also get Sticky Bellies Maternity stickers and take photos of your growing belly (Love this idea as opposed to my way which was to take photos and then guess later- “I think I was about 5 months in this shot.”- or to have to calculate (“That was October, so I was 7 months along then.”)!

And finally, Britax sent their Baby Carrier for everyone as well!  The Britax Baby Carrier was specifically designed to allow parents to wear older children longer with the CarryLong System to reduce the risk of back and shoulder strain by distributing weight across the shoulders, back and hips.  It feels great on- you can feel right away that your hips are helping to distribute the weight and that is key in feeling comfortably longer- Nothing worse that being half way through a walk at the park or a day at an event and straps are digging in to you distracting you from enjoying your activity!

Britax is celebrating their Hollywood debut in the upcoming movie “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” with a national tour and giving away free product!  Surrounding the release date of the film, Britax will tour the nation and host events where parents can win all of the products, like the carrier, used in the movie.  Visit www.britaxexpectgreatness.com to find out when the tour will be in your neighborhood.

You may have also noticed some other goodies on the table in our segment:   What to Expect sent their “What to Expect: The First Year” for each mom in the audience which was a part of the swag bag Premier Baby Concierge put together- full of awesome products and offers from local and national brands/businesses.  Thanks so much to www.AboutOne.com (another great resource for moms!), who are partners with What To Expect, for connecting us with them and for supplying the bags!  More details about some of the items in the bag and the great businesses behind them in our next post!

www.onehotmama.com has some great dresses for nursing mamas.  Bonus:  Many may be worn during pregnancy as well as for nursing, so if you hesitate to spend on clothing that you’ll only wear a short time, consider that these well priced dresses will last more than the length of your pregnancy!

www.mothersenvogue.com also has a page of great options.  Flowy and flattering, these two are my fave:  the Lola Mae Dress & the Goddess Drape Dress (winner for most forgiving design!).  The Chrysalis Print Dress has a fun design and gets points for not looking like everything else you’ve seen.

www.figureeightmaternity.com is another option and they carry a variety of brands and offer free ground shipping on all orders (nice!).  Love the D&A Flower Petal Nursing Dress from Japanese Weekend.  Stripes are everywhere right now and this dress is super-cute, although I’m not sure I could’ve pulled it off soon after baby was born:  the Aylen Nursing Tunic by Nopies.

And although we’re talking dresses, need to squeeze in a mention for Undercover Mama which totally wins an innovation award in my book!  Wish this was around when I was nursing my little ones!  The Undercover Mama turns ANY shirt into a nursing shirt.  Check it out! www.undercovermama.com

Last week, my husband and I traveled with my 3, 6 and 8 year olds on a cross-country non-stop flight.  This was by far, the easiest so far (knock wood!). My girls are all old enough to carry their own backpacks full of stuff (well, the three year-old pulled hers on wheels) and I planned pretty well (if I do say so myself!) for in-flight activities and challenges.  In the last eight years, I’ve traveled with a “just weeks-old” infant for a thirty minute flight, pregnant with my second while my first was 2 1/2 years old on a 16 hour flight to Seoul, cross-country with a three year old, and just about every other combo there is.  Here are some of the tips I’ve collected or created through the years.

NAVIGATING THE AIRPORT…

BABY CARRIERS:  This is a personal choice, but for me, I’ve always preferred to travel through the airport without a stroller, opting instead for a baby carrier.  I like having my hands free to hold older kids’ hands and I pack bags knowing I’ll be carrying them versus hanging them on a stroller.  (Of course, if your not a baby-wearing mama usually, I wouldn’t pick a trip to the airport to try it out for the first time.)  When you use a carrier with a metal ring or frame, security will usually make you remove it and put it on the belt, which is a hassle and of course, will wake a cozy or sleeping baby.  SO, grab your Baby K’tan or other soft carrier.

CAR SEATS & STROLLERS:  If you prefer a stroller in the airport, it’s great that you can roll it right up to the door of the plane and they’ll check it there. Consider using a stroller travel bag to minimize damage, and definitely use a luggage or name tag with your cell phone listed.  If you have a child in a stroller and you have a walker as well, try a Tag*a* long to get them to buy into hanging on versus walking near you (or lagging behind or tripping oncoming traffic, as mine accidentally do!).

If you want to use your car seat on the plane, first check that it is FAA approved for use in-flight.  If so, consider using Britax’s car seat travel cart which will get your seat to the gate on wheels (it easily attaches using the LATCH), replace your stroller since your child can ride buckled in, and then fold and store in the overhead compartment.  If you don’t want to use a car seat on the plane, but want some sort of harness, check out CARES for in-flight, and check your car seat with your luggage.

RENTAL ITEMS:  If you want to travel really light, you could consider renting gear on the other side via a baby supply rental company. National and local companies rent car seats, stroller, pack n’ plays, high chairs, toys, you name it.  As a SafeKids Certified Child Passenger Tech, I’ll tell you thatI don’t rent  car seats, as I worry about not knowing the complete history of rental car seats (are they accident-free? expired?) and as a mom, the one time I did rent a seat (from the rental car company, not not one of the baby supply companies whose reputation would be mud if they delivered dirty gear), I was pretty grossed out (riding in their own cheerio crumbs is one thing…).  Don’t want to pack baby supplies?  Order them and have them meet you at your destination via Babies Travel Lite.

IN-FLIGHT LOGISTICS:  Nursing or bottle feeding babies during take-off helps their ears adjust to the pressure.  Older kids can suck on a lollipop or chew gum.  (While you’d think offering sugar before you’re even in the clouds may be counter-intuitive when you want chill kids, it’s worked wonders for me to take their minds off the slow start and any potential ear discomfort.)  Pack fruit and bagels and food that will last, make it through security (unlike frozen yogurt tubes which are kind of iffy with security- bummer.) and keep them going through long flights.  A few fun snacks that they don’t see a lot at home keeps things interesting.  Bring an empty cup with a top for each child to get drinks from in-flight service since you can’t bring liquids through security and of course, this will reduce spills.   A few empty zip lot bags come in handy to divvy up snacks or save unfinished food for later.  For the young ones especially, bring a change of clothes in case of spills or accidents.  (Also, I’ve had my luggage get lost and it’s exponentially worse to not have what you want on hand for kids.)  I’ve learned to also pack a pull up for any relatively newly potty trained kid that I think may have trouble waiting to pee once they announce they need to go (which generally means NOW!).  (Once we sat on the tarmac for 25 mins and the crew wouldn’t let us up to pee even when I threatened stated matter-of-factly that my three year old would have to pee on the seat then.)  You can pretty easily slip a pull-up on and take care of business if you absolutely need to.  P.S. If you need to change diapers in-flight be prepared to play Mommy Macgyver since there’s often no changing table.

STUFF TO DO:  I read once that it’s a good plan to have something new to offer your toddler or older child to do for every hour they are on the plane. It doesn’t have to be something you’ve just purchased and it doesn’t have to be fancy, but I find this is a good rule of thumb.  Of course, we pack iPads and a portable DVD player with headsets, but I hold off on pulling them out as long as I can because once they’ve sat and focused on that kind of stimuli for a bit, they are even more antsy.  For the youngest, we’ve had books, figurines and stacking cups that may fall, but won’t get lost.  I love the Cheerios book that is both an activity and a snack in one. For younger kids, I’ve had Color Wonder art activities, silly putty, lacing cards, magnetic play sets like dress up princesses.  For the older set, we’ve used the card games like Uno, travel magnetic games like Tic Tac Toe, Melissa and Doug travel games like Bingo, and mini board games like Connect Four and Trouble, as well as Mad Libs and other activity books.  I like any way to contain our stuff so I’m not retrieving it from under a seat, so the crayon bungee is cool and the Go Mumma seat back organizer means you don’t have to cram everything in the pocket of the seat.  Pillow pets are great for trying to get comfy of course,- part pillow, part lovie, part blanket.  For kids old enough to tolerate them, I pick up eye masks because it’s tough for them to tune out the light and activity to nap and maybe, just maybe it’ll help.

Have more ideas for airline travel with kids?  Please comment!