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!

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

• Kid’Sleep clocks $30-$50 – www.livelovedream.com.  Have a little one who wakes you up too early or climbs in your bed? Help them understand when it’s wake up time with the Kid’Sleep Classic clock. It functions as a night light and an alarm clock, but best of all has a wake up indicator. Toddlers can’t tell time, but the can look to the Kid’Sleep to see if it’s “wake up” time; if the character on clock is sleeping or awake. Parents can set the time they’d like for the playing image to illuminate. The Kid’Sleep line also includes the Globetrotter battery-operated, travel version of the Classic, and the My First Alarm Clock which has both a digital and analog clock as the main focus, but still has a mini wake up indicator as well.

• Aqueduck Faucet Extender $12.99 www.peachyco.com.  Kids need to wash their hands so many times a day, the easier you can make it for them, the less likely they’ll fight it! The Aqueduck helps kids reach faucets. It’s super-easy to use, portable, BPA/PVC/Phthalate-free, and fits most faucets.

• Skip Hop Soapster Foaming Soap Dispenser $24 www.skiphop.com. Kid will love getting their own soap for handwashing or tubby-time! Fill the Soapster will any baby wash and water and it will create foamy soap. Kids just press on the penguin’s belly to lather up! Installs with suction cups to tile or mirrors or with screws for permanent wall-mounting.

• Myself Belts $9.99 and up- www.myselfbelts.com . Lots of kids fit pants length-wise but are skinny minis and need a belt. Traditional belts with buckles require two hands and a fair amount of dexterity to manage. Myself Belts are are Velcro belts that use a patented design that allows wearers to fasten their one hand belt using a simple three-step SNAP, SLIDE and SECURE process. Myself Belts are great, and especially useful for potty trainers who are often in a big hurry to get undressed! Available for kids in sizes 2 to 12 and there is an adult line as well. They come in a variety of designs and materials and can be personalized as well.

• Original Ba $14.99 www.newinnovashun.com.   When little ones are ready to self-feed, bottles can be awkward to grasp. The Original Ba bottle holder is designed for small hands to hold their bottle securely and easily. A frame made of FDA approved food grade approved silicone, the Original Ba is BPA-, Pthalate-, Lead-, & PVC-Free.

• My Plate-Mate $7.50 www.myplate-mate.com.   My Plate-Mate is a spill guard for toddlers (ages 2) through age 6 who are getting the handle of scooping food onto utensils. It’s a great learning tool that prevents spills and increases the child’s confidence & independence at meals. It easily slips on a child’s 8-9 ½” plate and is dishwasher safe. The My Plate-Mate is made of FDA approved plastics and is lead-, BPA- and Phthalates-free. Great for at restaurants, too!

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

Smart Mom Jewelry Teething Bling  $19.99

This is a fun new mommy gift!  Babies love to grab and chew everything in sight, so many moms take a hiatus from wearing jewelry while they have a baby.  Teething Bling^® from Smart Mom Jewelry is the original teething jewelry with pendants and bangles that look great and safe for curious babies to handle and chew.  They’re made of FDA approved materials that teethers are made of, all non-toxic, phthalate, BPA, PVC, latex and lead free.  All pendants come with a breakaway clasp as an added safety measure.

pediped® Originals® $32 and up

Pedipeds are a great first shoe for infants and they remain the best choice as children begin walking on their own.  The soles were specially designed to closely mimic barefoot walking; They are soft and flexible and allow children to grip the floor when taking those early steps and developing their stride.  Unlike those crazy chunky heavy flat soles that cause babies to walk like Frankenstein J  The pediped® Originals® collection is available in sizes 0-24 months and you can find their super cute designs in tons of stores or online.

Aden & Anais Swaddle 4-pack   $49.99

Mothers have swaddled babies forever.  It’s a gentle and effective way to soothe and calm baby.  Studies have shown that swaddled babies sleep more peacefully by preventing spontaneous movements (called reflex motion) which continually wake them through the night; swaddled infants stay in REM sleep.  Which means Mom and Dad get more sleep, too!  The muslin material lets air circulate, so overheating isn’t as much of a concern.  Aden & Anais have great prints and organic options as well.  Love!

Joovy Room Play Yard   $269.99

The Joovy Play Yard is designed to be a full-featured nursery center- it’s a bassinet, changing station and playard all in one.  It’s super convenient and multi-purpose to have at Grandma’s, on a trip or in a room in your home.  The nylon fabric is super strong, durable and stain resistant.  It’s got a full-size bassinet that holds an infant up to 15 pounds and the removable changing table supports a baby up to 25 pounds.  The parent organizer is the biggest available on a playard with nine compartments that hold up to 9 lbs. of nursery items (again, perfect on at a vacation home where you’ll have all your diapering items, maybe toys and clothing.)  Room also has some bells and whistles:  a built-in MP3 (iPod) jack for you to play a personal playlist or the integrated music with sleep mode as well as a built-in nightlight positioned to work inside the bassinet!

Baby Cargo Ultra lightweight Stroller 300 Series $179

Unfortunately we ran out of time before I could feature the brand new Baby Cargo stroller line! Baby Cargo is made for parents on the go- it’s made for travel around neighborhood or hoping on a plane or train and heading out of town!  It weighs under 16 pounds and has a great shoulder strap for carrying it.  Baby Cargo strollers’ design was inspired by fashion and interior design.  Someone said the colors and mod design makes them think of West Elm.  It’s super easy to fold and has great storage pockets.  You can come kick the tires at Please Touch on 1/21- they’ll be there showcasing their line to Philly parents!

Today we featured some of our fave finds for unique gifts for all of the people on your list this holiday season!  Details of the items featured today follow the video with links to the sites.  Be sure to allow enough time for holiday delivery!!  Also, read below about how to win the Ltd. edition Sugarjack diaper bag!

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

SugarJack Gabi Ltd. Edition Bag $729

Sugarjack is a new, luxury line of diaper bags from the U.K., just now available in the U.S.  Created by stylish parents who weren’t willing to compromise on style, quality and function while they carried a diaper bag, Sugarjack bags are made of the finest leather and boast of their signature removable baby organizer.  These bags are genius and gorgeous!!  The organizer has room for all of the baby items you could possibly need while on-the-go with baby, and then snaps out easily for mom to have a stunning handbag when she is out child-free or is ready to shed the baby bag altogether!

All Sugarjack bags come in a keepsake box that can be used to save baby’s special items.   A bamboo bag contains the accessory pack which includes a thermal bottle holder, a pvc pouch for wet items and a pvc wipe clean travel changing pad.  The bamboo bag is anti-bacterial so is ideal to use in the nursery as a laundry bag.  Every item is designed with the long term in mind, so that you can keep using every part of the package.  Each diaper bag has internal hooks so that the bags can be attached to any stroller using Buggy Clips, which may be purchased for $30.

The whole collection is available on the Sugarjack site ($385 and up), including the ‘oliver’ which is a satchel bag designed specifically for the style conscious daddy.  Sugarjack bags must be ordered by December 10^th for guaranteed holiday delivery.

Today on “The 10! Show” I featured the Gabi, a Ltd. Edition bag; only one hundred of this style will ever be made and each one has it’s own unique number on a silver plated disc just inside the organizer.   This bag will be raffled to a lucky mom-to-be at the Expectant Parent Bootcamp which we are pleased to be partnering with the Please Touch Museum to present on January 21, 2012!

Indigo Night personalized night sky poster $49 to $109

Personalized Night Sky posters are a totally unique, very thoughtful and meaningful gift.  I love the idea of giving this as a new baby gift to proud parents who probably have all of the gear, clothing and toys they could possibly need!  A small group of illustrators, artists, writers, and astronomers work together to create a rendering of a local view of the true night sky for the latitude and longitude of your location, on the date you specify.  The print includes a description of that night’s Night Sky; you select an illustration to go with sky and add personalization – a headline and message (There are a ton of samples on their website).  A basic 14×18” print is just $49 and a framed one is $109.  A separate, detailed starmap is included with each print, naming the constellations, planets and stars shown in the print.  Turn around time is pretty quick- they can be shipped out about three days from order date.

Em Tanner Designs personalized gifts $12 to $65

Em Tanner Designs is my go-to for birthday shirts, big brother/little sister shirts and holiday gifts for teachers, caregivers, and bus drivers!  They have everything you can think of and more that can be personalized in a variety of ways, but our favorites for gifting are the “Me 2 a Tee” items!  Each year my kids create a character that looks like their teachers and we order them water bottles or if they are known coffee drinkers, a closed-top tumbler.  Useful and created by their student, these are a huge hit every year!  Order now to allow for holiday delivery!!

Creative Baby iMat $69.99

The Creative Baby iMat is an brand new toy perfect for the older toddler or preschooler in your life.  These won’t be available to order until next week.  The iMat is an interactive, soft play mat and magic pen that is great fun to play with.  The magic pen can be used in Language Mode to name objects it touches on the pad in English, Spanish and Chinese, and can also be used in Game Mode to play interactive games.  The “My Animal World” iMat is the first in a series.  So fun!

Isotoner SmarTouch gloves

Isotoner SmarTouch gloves are a great gift for anyone on your list! These gloves that have conductive thread that conveys an electrical impulse to touchscreens, allowing the wearer to operate their smartphone, MP3, GPS, etc., all while keeping their fingers cozy!  Isotoner SmarTouch gloves are super comfortable and offer more flexibility than other touch gloves on the market.  Available in leather, knit, fleece-lined and a variety of colors, and for $12 – $38, these are great for teachers, sitters, and stocking stuffers for parents on-the-go!