Saving Memories with Baby Keepsakes...

How will you preserve the early moments of your pregnancy and your baby’s birth, as well as the first few precious years of their life?  If you are lacking ideas on how to go about saving the right moments or looking for great keepsake baby gifts, here are some suggestions.

Starting with the pregnancy months, there are some important moments you might want to keep special.  Starting with the moment when it all began, (no, not that moment!) the positive pregnancy test.  You can either clean and save it or better yet take a great photo of it for your baby scrapbook.  The next memory to come is your first ultrasound image.  There are many holders and frames that will accommodate your coming addition or additions.  It’s great to keep them up early on in the pregnancy to remind all in the household that your new arrival is coming.

As the due date approaches, it will be a good time to start putting together some baby keepsake pieces.  You may not have the energy or brainpower to plan these things later.  One of the first memories after you baby’s birth to save is your baby’s hospital bracelet.  There are really nice shadow box id bracelet baby picture frames that can save both first picture and bracelet.  Having a baby’s memory box is also a way of saving precious items.  Baby’s first cap, outfit home, first rattle, first tooth and curl set, and birth certificate holder are just a few of the items that can be kept and stored in the box. 

If your religion is an important part of your life, make a keepsake out of baby’s first cross, bible, christening or baptism outfit.

Great baby gift ideas for gift givers can choose to buy that special gift of memories buy getting items like baby scrapbooks, first piggy banks, monogram baby blanket, first teddy bear. 

You only get one chance to save your memories.  Planning how and what moments in advance will help make sure you get and keep them for generations to come.

Dog Beds and Healthy Pets...

I bet it wouldn’t surprise you to know that dogs sleep on average more than half of their life.  On average a dog gets 16 hours of sleep, that’s twice the human average.  So getting the right sleep environment is very important for his health. 

Your dog may seem pretty indifferent about the places he curls up for a nap, but that may not be the best thing for his health.  As dogs age, their bodies become subject to the same if not worse, arthritic and worn out conditions that ours do.  The construction of the dog body added to the active playful habits of most species puts a large amount of strain on the joints, bones and cartilage in a dogs back and legs.

Combining the knowledge of long sleep hours and fragile construction places a high importance on making the environment your dog sleeps in essential to healthy living.  In today’s pet market, there are many great options for you to choose from for dog comfort.  There are designer dog beds, orthopedic dog beds, cushioned dog mats and even dog couches for those looking to pamper.

There are a few things to consider when choosing the right sleeping option for your pet.

We all wish we could have our favorite pets for a lifetime, perhaps providing a great sleeping environment for them helps us get a little closer to that dream.

Great Baby Gift Ideas...

Going to a Baby Shower, or need to buy a great baby gifts and don’t know where to start?  You’re not alone. Buying gifts that show you care often takes more time and effort than we have to give.  So here are some helpful tips on buying a great baby gift.

Memories last forever – One of the best gifts you can give a family with a new baby or a baby on the way is a gift that will help them preserve the memory of this special time for the rest of their lives.  Gifts such as Keepsake boxes, baby handprint/footprint picture frames, or birth certificate holders will certainly be a gift of a lifetime.

Baby gift baskets – Most baby gift baskets are theme oriented and can be personalized with the new baby’s name to create a thoughtful gift with low effort.   Frogs, strawberries, all-stars, and princesses are just a few of the many themes that you can by baskets around.  You can also shop by need.  For example you can by baskets for bathtime, mealtime, or sleepytime.  Baskets make great baby shower gifts too, because there are many starter set types of baskets to help the new parents get on their feet.

Fashion Statement – If you are going to go the clothing route, try to find some statement pieces that will make them remember that this was a gift given with care.  Instead of the normal boring clothes why not get a bit more clever like a little onsie with a “Dinner is on me!” slogan, or a tie-dyed one for your hippy friends.  Clothing can be fun you just have to want to hunt down the perfect pieces.

The almighty dollar – A card with a check or cash inside will definitely be appreciated by your friends and family.  But we give gifts in part to reflect the amount of interest we have in the people we buy them for.  Perhaps filling out the check in the car before going to the party was convenient, but does it show the love and care you have for the person you are giving it to?  If not, then consider financial gifts like savings bonds and stocks as great alternatives.  They might not remember the check in the envelope you gave them, but they will always know who gave them the Apple stock that’s been growing in value since he was a little boy.

I hope these ideas give you a good start on your way to finding that special baby gift.  Our next article will focus on baby showers, from the baby shower favors to the diaper cake centerpiece.

1st  Commandment: Protect Thy Dog...

Dog owners and lovers all generally agree that their dogs mean the world to them.  And most think that they do a pretty good job of keeping them safe and protected from harm.  You feed them gourmet dog foods, you keep them inside, but also give them plenty of access to exercise and most importantly give them the attention and love that they deserve.  While these acts are very big on the list of treating your dog like a best friend, there are a few more things you can do to assure that your pet is getting the very best treatment possible.

Do you know the difference between a good mattress and a bad one? Do you have back problems that require a more supportive bed?  Have you ever slept on a bed that kept you tossing and turning all night because of its lack of support?  Well most of your dogs do too.  Dogs have arthritis pain and other joint ailments just like humans.  A sub standard dog bed or one that is improperly sized can make these problems worse; not to mention, they will cause your dog to get a poor nights sleep as well.  Getting a properly sized and good quality dog beds can greatly improve the life of your dog.

Maybe Paris Hilton is crazy for dressing up her pooch in a $1000 dollar Louis Vuitton dog sweaters, but many dogs out there may actually need to wear one.  Not all dogs can live in Hollywood sunshine, so as your dog ages he will begin to have a thinning of his coat.  In cooler temperatures this can leave them quite chilled since their natural protection is all they know how to use.  There are many different types of dog clothes for all sizes and shapes of dog.  So if your Fido or Fifi starts to shake more than their tail when they go out for a walk, you may find yourself saying “that’s hot!” to a new dog sweater.

Baby’s First Christmas...

Celebrating your baby’s first Christmas and unwrapping those baby gifts for the first time at home will be a wonderful and rewarding experience, especially if this is your first child. You will be reminded of what it was like for you to be a child again. You will remember that Christmas is about more than giving and receiving gifts, and obligatory gatherings. The true beauty of holidays and Christmas specifically is the marking of time with those you hold dearest in your life. It can be easy to forget with all the commercial hype leading up to the holiday, and the pressure to find the perfect gifts and make the perfect dinner, but Christmas is a holiday made special by the binding of family, food, fun and traditions. Most families have at least a few traditions passed along from generation to generation, practiced year after year. Maybe your family has a special ritual for picking out your Christmas tree, or the way the tree or house gets decorated. Perhaps there is a favorite family recipe for the perfect yam or turkey stuffing that will remain a closely guarded secret for generations to come.

Whatever traditions, rituals and secrets your family engages in, you will find new meaning and new life in them with your baby’s first Christmas. My family started a great tradition of making baby handprint ornaments for each new member of the family and putting them on the tree each year to see how our family has grown. To serve as a reminder that Christmas is a time of growing and rebirth. A baby’s first Christmas ornament can serve as a lifetime keepsake, and be passed from generation to generation along with all of your wonderful traditions.

Another great idea for your Christmas tree decoration is to hang a few favorite pictures from Christmas’s past on the tree this will make the tree an interest object of history and great memories rather than just a place to stick all those presents. See how much else there is to remember at Christmas!

So as this Christmas season approaches, and you feel the many needless pressures of the season, look at your new baby and remember that every holiday is a chance to start over and focus on what is really important, a happy, healthy time of family, food, fun and tradition. Enjoy!