Flippin Through Time...

As many parents do, we take monthly pictures of our son.  We position him in the same place and outfit, and then put his "month sticker" on. (this event has become quite the battle in the last few months...our subject leaves the shoot and rips off his stickers:) ) It can be exhausting and stressful, but then we look at the final product, and realize that it is so worth the extra effort.

I wasn't happy with just having these pictures in an album or photo box.  I wanted to find a way to share them, and keep them out for us to enjoy.  I also loved how when I scrolled through them on the computer, they appeared to move.  That is when it came to me...I would make a flip book!!!  I had planned on crafting one myself, until I realized that Snapfish offered a flip book.

They start at $4.99, and the process of making them is so extremely simple.  The only hard part is narrowing down your monthly pictures, to find one favorite for each month.  This took my husband and I about a week to do.  Once you pick your favorite pictures, then you pick a theme (color scheme), the size of your book, arrange the pictures, and decide if you want to put captions on them.

We wanted the pictures to speak for themselves, and actually be able to use the book as a flip book...so we went with the most basic white theme, and no captions.

We are so happy with how it turned out, that it has become a staple on our coffee table.  It is amazing to see how much he has changed, and so fun to show it to him and everyone that drops by our house.

We had planned to only take these pictures during his first year, but we love them and our flip book so much that we are planning to do it every year.  At least until he is old enough to drive away:)

Head over to Snapfish, and make your own flip book or fun item today.  From now until 6/30 enjoy free shipping on your order of $25+, with code FSJUN25 :)  Feel free to share your finished products on our Facebook page!!


...My husband wants to make a flip book filled with pictures of our son crying, to share with future girlfriends:)

If you like Pina Coladas....

Last week I featured an adorable pillow, in my Love, Love Love feature. However I just couldn't stop with sharing one of the Winter Petals pillows.  There are just so many cute items at this Etsy shop, owned by a woman named Yafei.  Yafei started Winter Petals in April of 2011, after realizing that she could sell the adorable crafts that she had been making all of her life. 

Her pillows have been a huge hit with all shoppers, especially pregnant ones!!  There is just something so cute about a nursery or baby room filled with cute pillows:)  They also would be a fantastic party favor, for either a kids party or summer pool party.

I am just so in love with these pillows,and thought you all would be too....That is why I was so excited when Yafei offered to give Little Orso readers a special discount on them. From now until the end of June you can get 10% off of your order at Winter Petals on Etsy.  Just enter promo code LittleorsoSave10 at checkout.

Also make sure that you "like" Winter Petals on Facebook, so you don't miss out on future promotions and new designs.

It's Gettin Hot in Here!!

My son gets so hot in his carseat!!!  Like drenched shirt hot, even on days that aren't that hot.

I am one of those people that hates being hot, so my air conditioning is usually on too.  The carseats these days are just so bulky, and made with fabrics that worry about comfort and safety over breath ability. This is why my poor son gets so hot.  I didn't think there was anything that I could do about it, until my good friend Antoinette (of Butterfly Kisses and Rainbow Wishes) mentioned that there were carseat cooling products on the market.

I decided I needed to research these, and get one ASAP!!!  After looking around, I found out that the most popular one (amongst parents) was the Meeno Babies Liner.  They come in three types, Infant Bucket Liner, Stroller Liner, and Toddler Carseat.  We bought the Toddler Carseat one in black.  It blends in perfectly with his Britax Boulevard.  However this was one time that I did not care about appearances!!  My main objective was keeping my son comfortable, and safe. After a week of using it (in hot weather), it looks like it is a keeper!!  The liner makes my son's seat so comfortable, it is actually "cushiony".  We didn't have any fights about getting him in the seat...and most importantly his shirt was dry, and he actually felt cooler!!!  I can't believe it!!

There is nothing mechanical in this liner, or any chemicals. I had worried about both things, before I started researching them.  This is how the company explains how they work, " Made from state of the art, 3-ply poly-mesh material that promotes airflow between your child’s body and their seat. Warm air escapes, preventing overheating and perspiring keeping baby cool and comfortable."  It seems to really work, and most importantly they are machine washable. (you know how messy kids can be in their carseats)

I would definitely recommend spending the $40 to get one of these for your child, especially if you live in a place with a warm climate.  Once again, this is an item that I wish they would make for me too.  We like his carseat liner so much, that we are actually considering getting him the stroller one too!!!

Baby Einstein Giveaway!!

Instead of featuring our Mommy Deals (great promo codes for the week)...we were thinking of "sharing the wealth". This week my son won a great prize package from Baby Einstein. He loves their items so much, so winning this was so exciting!! All of the items were new to him, except for one. One item they sent has been his favorite since birth, and we want to share it with you. It is so fun to open a surprise package:)

So our giveaway starts now...we would love to have more people share in the fun with Little Orso. The best way to do this is to have you share us with your friends. So from now until Sunday (6/10/12) at midnight (pst) send your friends over to "like' us on Facebook. Have them post that you sent them. The person that sends the most friends (they must like Little Orso to count) will win their very own surprise Baby Einstein package. 

Have fun and good luck!! 

Click here to get to our Facebook site:) 


xoxoxo-


Buckley

Little Orso Bookshelf- Trash Edition

Friday is my favorite day of the week!!

Not just because it means the start of the weekend, but because it is trash pick up day:)  I am insane about getting everything out in time (border line obsessive).  Besides the clean factor, (we all know how germaphobic I am) I love watching the Sanitation Engineer (in my mind I still refer to him as the garbage man, but know that is no longer politically correct) pick up the trash.  Every Friday he is followed by an army of kids and moms, as he drives through our neighborhood.  I know the other moms are just as excited to watch, as I am. I have been running out on trash day since I was little, and even at 35 those trucks are mesmerizing to watch. I just look a little more sane, now that I have a child with me;)

Luckily my son seems to share my garbage obsession.  He loves to throw items in the trash all day long (including my cellphone), and gets excited when he hears the truck.  So I am always looking for fun garbage truck related toys and books. 

The other day we were at the bookstore, and he grabbed a book called "Smash That Trash".  I took one look at it, and said "of course we can get this!!"  I didn't really look inside, but knew any book about garbage trucks would be good...and the fact that my son grabbed it made it even better!!  Well we got home and I realized that we had stumbled upon a gem.  The book is way more than a story about a garbage truck.  There isn't much of a story to it, but here is where it gets great...there is a dial on every page of the book.  The dial has different items on it, and when you turn it one appears in the story.  That item becomes the one that you need to find on the page  It is an easier version of "Where's Waldo".  Even at 15 months, my son loves looking for the items.  He is too young to turn the dial on his own, but loves doing it with me.  There are a handful of items on each dial, so your hunt is always changing.  That is why this book is a real gem, and something I feel like I need to share!!

Not only is it great for all ages, but because of the dials it will last a long time!!!  We haven't put ours down yet!!

....Sorry today's post was a little late, we were out enjoying the garbage truck:)

Love, Love Love...Just a little Something to Brighten Your Day Gifts

Sometimes kids just need a little something to brighten their day.  When I say kids, I am referring to kids of all ages.  Here are a few items that make me smile:) These all would make great end of school gift...just a  little something to show them they did a good job this year:)

This is one of the new Yoo Dara Voodo Dolls.  These are not like the traditional vodo doll, these bring good luck.  I bought the good health one for my husband, and it is really cute:)

How can you not smile at a watermelon pillow??  This one comes from the Etsy store Winterpetals, and they have a bunch of other cute fruits to choose from.  Not only are they cute for little ones, but throw a few of these around your house to immediately get a summer feel!!

I am a major smore lover, so I couldn't resist this!!  Bring the campsite to your child's room, or your living room:)

Obsession!!

My two biggest obsessions in the world are Purses and Organization (ok I have more than two add TV, Coca Cola, books, shopping...)

Ok back to the purses and organization...I can never have enough purses, and can never organize enough!!  One of the greatest things about having kids is that you get to buy a 2nd purse AKA diaper bag.  Now I have an excuse to look at twice as many bags.  There are so many great ones out there.  However sometimes you want a bag that doesn't scream baby and diapers.  You want to wear a stylish outfit, and have a bag to match.  I searched everywhere for a bag like this, and then I stumbled upon Danzo Baby bags!!  If you haven't seen them before, you are in for a treat.  These bags are beautiful, the type of bag that stops you in your tracks....the type of bag that people without kids consider carrying!!

It was love at first sight, but just when I thought it couldn't get better...I saw the inside!!

For those of us that love to organize things, a great joy in life is labeling.  I carry my label maker around my house with me.  Can you imagine my surprise, when I discovered that the inside of all their bags are separated into clear pockets??!!  However they didn't stop there!!  They made labels for all of the pockets.  The labels have Velcro on the back, so you can change the contents of the pockets whenever you need to.  These bags are a dream come true.  And the best part of this dream, is that I get to share it with all of you!!!  Danzo Baby has been nice enough to offer us an exclusive deal.  They rarely offer any deals on their bags, but for 2 days only (6/6/-6/8), all Little Orso Readers can get 20% off of their order.  If you have been waiting to buy a diaper bag, or looking to upgrade your current bag, now is the time!!  Just enter OrsoLoot at checkout. 

Make sure to share this deal with all of your friends, a deal like this will most likely never come again!!

Chillin at Home

On days that my son and I stay home, we like to dress comfortably.  I hate wearing jeans and dressy tops when I am at home, so I figure he hates to dress that way too.  My "at home uniform" seems to be Victoria's Secret Pink sweats.  I actually had my own personal intervention a few months ago, when I started wearing them out. They are comfy, but not always the most flattering or neat looking.  This is the same way that I feel about a lot of the comfortable clothing for babies/kids.  Some of the comfortable pants, look worse than pajamas.  My son's comfort is my top priority, but it does not need to come at the cost of him looking clean!!!

This is why I love PaigeLauren clothes!!  The line is the brain child of a woman named Paige Lauren (did you guess that?!!) She created it after realizing the lack of comfortable classics in baby wear.  Baby designers tend to over do it, I am not sure why they think all of us love our children written on from head to toe??!! Or choking hazards sewn on to their tops??! 

I am really glad that Paige realized this need, because her clothes are cute and practical.  They can be worn at home, but also look nice enough to leave the house in.  I really wish she would start a Mommy Line now. (I know one of you knows her she grew up by me, please pass on my request:) )The best part of her clothes is not only do they look nice, but Paige took the time to find the best fabrics like Micro Modal and Supima Cotton.  Both fabrics are so soft, that you just want to wrap yourself up in them and never move. Dressing your children in quality fabrics is not only a luxury, but so important especially during these hot months.  Wearing non-synthetic fabrics that can breathe is so important for skin, especially young innocent skin.  Synthetics don't allow skin to breathe and trap moisture inside, usually causing heat rashes and skin irritants.  Consider buying a few good pieces, instead of a ton of cheaper items.  It may be hard at first, but when you see the way they hold up you will most likely change your mind.  Definitely check out PaigeLauren, her stuff is great quality and still affordable.

....and so cute!!!

Attention Fellow Stuffed Animal Fans!!!

I am a big stuffed animal fan, so when I saw these I fell in love!!

Clump O Lumps incorporate two things that I love, stuffed animals and personalization!!  Right now there are 6 "family members";  Bee O Bee, Tig O Tiger, Squid O Squid, Bird O Bird, Frog O Frog, and Shark O Shark.  You unzip their body parts (heads, legs, arms...) and then zip them on to another animal.  So you get to mix and match body parts, and create your own personalized animal:)

Knock Knock, the company that carries these, did a great job with these.(they have really cute things on their site besides these...check them out!!)  If you go to their website, they have created an entire history of the Clump O Lumps including a language and land.  It is really cute!!  There is even a little song about them.  These are great for all ages...preschool aged that are learning to take things apart and put them back together, or older "kids" that want something of their own.  They are also really cute when you leave them the way that they "are born". :)

Head over and check them out today!!  I think you will want one for yourself too... I know I do, I am debating between the bird and shark. I guess I can get them both, and share one with my son;) Which one will you be getting yourself?? ...I mean child:)

Keeping It All Together

As I have mentioned many times, I am an organizing maniac!!  It is hard to stay as organized as I would like to, after having kids.  There are just so many pieces and little parts!!  I really wish the companies would include little pouches for all the pieces.  But since that wish will most likely never come true, I have come up with my own solution!!

I buy zipper pouches...yes, the ones you used to use at school (I actually started this before having kids.  My husband and I love board games).  I stock up on them during back to school sales!!  Then I put one in each board game, puzzle, activity etc..  I had initially tried Ziploc bags, but they just didn't last or look as good.

For the toys/pieces that we keep out more (like crayons), I buy "cuter" pouches like these ( made of recycled materials).  They are just so cute, and it doesn't matter if you leave them out.  My son has turned putting things away into a game now, he even loves our pouches:)

 No more losing pieces, or tripping over them!!!  Happy organizing!!

...and they are great for bringing toys with you in the car!!