Great childcare reosurce for moms that need a break

I was chatting with a friend recently who is going back to work part time after having a baby. Her job won't have set hours and entails weekend work so she is having a difficult time finding childcare. A traditional daycare center won't work and most in home day cares require a somewhat set schedule and can't accommodate weekends. She is in a bit of a bind! After we had talked I remembered another chat I had with a different friend about Sittercity, an online database of local babysitters and nannies. They used the service to find sitters for an occasional date night.

I decided to check out the site to see what they had to offer. Basically you can plug in your zip code and read profiles of local sitters. They provide information about their experience, a photo, and their pay requirements. The best part is sittercity has a four part screening process and provides access to background checks. Those two factors are crucial for feeling comfortable with a new sitter. Definitely safer than Craigslist! This service is great if you need to find a sitter for occasional breaks or if you are looking for full time help. Sittercity works very similar to online dating sites. You can browse profiles for free but must join before you can contact anyone. It is like match.com for babysitting! Sittercity Also offers resources for pet-sitters and elder-care.

If you are a busy mom that just needs a break or are looking for a full-time nanny Sittercity may be right for you!

Halloween Costume of the week-Don't forget Fido!

This week I decided to stray a little from my search for kids Halloween costumes. I have done many holiday photo cards featuring a family pet instead of children, so I thought I would check out what was available for pet costumes. I happened upon Costume Craze and immediately saw the link to Dog Costumes. This site is chock full of fun costumes for your pet. My favorite is the Elvis dog costume, although I am sure their aren't too many dogs that would actually put up with wearing sunglasses.


Costume Craze has a wide selection of costumes if your pooch is your baby. They also have great costumes for the rest of your family, many of which are on sale currently. Make sure to check them out soon!

Creative photo party favors

Since I am in the business of creating custom photo cards it should come as no surprise that I love finding fun ways to incorporate photos in unexpected places. It never occurred to me, however, to use photos on party favors

I recently happened upon a great party favor site,Beau-Coup, that has done just that. My favorite is their Baby Photo Rice Krispy Treats. They just look so bright and cheery!



This edible party favor is perfect for the mom that just can't get enough of showing their little one off.

Beau-Coup also has a wide variety of non-photo favors. They are currently having a store wide sale until August 22nd, so make sure to stop by soon!

Halloween Costume of the week!

This week I thought I would go back in time and reminisce about my daughter's first Halloween. I was checking out Moon Costumes and saw that they had the costume Addie wore for her very first Halloween. I loved her little cozy caterpillar bunting. It was so plush and snugly and was just adorable on her. Here she is modeling it for our first family Halloween card.


If you are looking for an adorable baby Halloween costume make sure to check out Moon Costumes. They have a large selection and great prices!

New Halloween T-shirt designs!

As I was working on my Halloween photo card gallery I was inspired to create some fun new shirts for my cafe press store, Trendy Tots. I created a cute little pumpkin graphic and from that came op with the idea of "my little pumpkin" shirt designs. I added a version for mom, dad, grandma and grandpa. I can also take requests for different names at no additional charge.

Below are a few of the new designs. There will be more to come soon!

Throw a fun Mod Monkey party!

The two monkey invitations I offer at Addie Kate creations have been so popular I decided to explore this fun theme a little more. I was curious what type of party supplies were available for a monkey theme that were modern and fun instead of cartoon like.

Well Birthday Express came through again with their mod monkey decorations.


I love how simple and modern these monkey decorations are. The blue and yellow color scheme is fresh and fun. It would be fairly easy to put together a great party using the mod monkey tableware as inspiration. A few balloons and bright colored table clothes would pull together the mod monkey theme nicely. They even offer a kit to include all your supplies to get you started. Check out the
Mod Monkey 1st Deluxe Pack for 8 or purchase just what you need individually.

I was so inspired by the fun yellow and blue polka dots that I decided to create a new modern monkey photo invitation for my gallery at Addie Kate Creations.

If you are in the process of planning a birthday party for your little monkey make sure to consider this fun theme and check out Birthday Express
.

This weeks featured Halloween Costume

They aren't just for Easter anymore! That's right, you can now include Peeps in your Halloween festivities with this Peeps® Costume from Celebrate Express.


This costume just looks so soft, squeezable and fun. I bet any baby or toddler would be delighted to trick or treat dressed as a peep. Once again this costume is currently on sale. Like I said last week all the great costume deals are available in August or September.

If peeps aren't your thing check out celebrate express for more fun Baby Costumes.

Holiday Photo Card Preview!

It may still be over a hundred degrees where I live but I have already begun working on our holiday photo card gallery. This year my designs have a modern and fun feel to them. My goal is to combine traditional holiday elements with bold shapes and colors to create a design that is current but doesn't lose the Christmas spirit.

Here are a few samples of designs that will be added to our holiday card gallery at the end of the month.


Check out our photo Christmas card gallery to see our current designs and watch for updates regarding holiday card promotions.

Great site for travel products

We are planning a trip in October that involves a long plane ride with at least one layover. Now that my daughter is an active toddler traveling with her is a whole different ball game than when she was a baby. I have decided to start my research (and shopping!) a little early so that we can plan a smooth trip.

I found this great site My Traveling Buddy that specializes in products designed to make traveling with children easier.

My plan is to purchase the Gogo Kidz Travelmate which allows you to use your car seat as a stroller.

I also plan on purchasing some of the great toys on their site that are designed to keep toddlers occupied at the airport. I really like the Doodle Board and the Melissa & Doug Magnetic Pattern Block Set
.

From past trips I have learned that a few new age appropriate toys can go a long way when trying to make a trip with a toddler easier.

Whether you are traveling with an infant or a toddler My Traveling Buddy is a great resource for all your traveling necessities.

Halloween Costume of the week!

I know it is just barely August and Halloween is nearly 3 months away but I am already excited about finding a costume for my daughter. I have noticed the last couple of years that popular costumes sell out quickly so I always tend to order early. I haven't decided on what Addie will be this year so I thought I would post about a cute find every week as I try to make up my mind.

This week's featured costume is the lil' disco toddler costume from Costume Craze .

If they had this in pink and I thought there was any way my little girl would keep the wig on, I would be ordering it for Halloween. I think it is such a fun and unique costume for a toddler. Another plus of this costume is that it is on sale currently at Costume Craze for 19.96. One of the benefits of ordering Halloween costumes early is that you can find great deals. Last year I saved 20 dollars on Addie's costume by ordering in August. You can also get 5% off at Costume Craze with coupon code GET5 .

Be sure to check back next Friday to find out what fun costume we've found!