So happy the weather in Montreal is finally NICE! I can even handle the rain. The grass is green, the birds are tweeting, people are out walking....It is so nice. I keep seeing lots of babies. All of you moms out there who walk your babies daily, remember no sunblock till babies are over 6 months. I still don't know why this is, but pediatricians recommend keeping baby covered in loose light clothes and a hat in total shade, and NO SUNBLOCK. It says right there on the label.

And here is another thing: if your baby is less than 4 months old, he or she really doesn't care if you are walking with baby facing you or facing away from you. At 4 months plus, they like to see you! This is a great time to talk to your baby or sing to him or her.

Now if you feel it is a bit chilly out, use a blanket. Tuck under the baby as they are really good at kicking. Once that happens, off goes the blanket, only to be run over by the wheels of your own stroller. If you have a light polar fleece blanket, take a sharp pair of scissors, and make a hole where the seat belt straps are, then feed them through the holes. Polar fleece is a great fabric for this as it does not unravel, then you will not loose your blanket.

Polar fleece comes in several weights. You can go to your local fabric store and buy the thickest one you find for cold days, and then a micro polar (thinner) for a less warm blanket. You don't have to sew the edges. Once again, it wont unravel.

Happy walking!

....A fellow mom with vision (and lots of it) has a fabulous website: www.montrealmom.com. She is running a great contest where you can win the cookbook Loonyspoons by the Podleski (CANADIANS) sisters. Check it out: http://bit.ly/IZjzyf.

That which I know.

Something I know for sure. The lovely ladies at WE2 were given a challenge today: tell us all something you know for sure. So I thought about it, and although I wanted to give my "for sures" a business spin, they ended up coming from life experience instead. So here are the things I know:

1) The things I put off the longest don't end up taking nearly as long as I thought they would.

2) I am so much stronger than I give myself credit for.

3) I can't stress myself if there are things I cannot do. I can always get things done if I consider getting help.

4) Things will end up taking longer than you thought, don't over book your time. Instead, over budget your time, this will leave wiggle room in between bookings.

5) Trust my instincts. There is a reason why I have that inner voice. I need to listen to what that voice is saying (and of course hope there is only one voice....)!

6) Don't put things off for tomorrow, especially those concerning family. They should always carry the torch of importance.

7) Work to live. Know and remember the priority. Do not live to work.

There are so many more. That is all for the time being......I will post more at another time.

Waiting for Spring

Aaah, waiting for a new baby is a bit like waiting for winter to finally end. It is similar in the way that you hope that once the baby comes, life will be different, in a good way of course, and that you have left some of the harder parts behind. I personally looked very forward to our new baby arriving (for each of our 3 kids). And in a sense, it is leaving the old behind and in with the new.

I feel a bit like that now. I am fed up of winter, the way I was fed up of having so much weight in the center of my body. I look forward to cold being over, snow melting, seeing spring flowers and grass, and buds on branches turning green. It is rebirth, and so I guess that is why it reminds me of the feeling just prior to baby's due date.

Although March can be tricky, some warmer days, possible snow storms, make sure to carry an extra blanket in the diaiper bag in case of sudden cold for baby, and remember this general rule: Dress baby similarly to how you dress yourself when going out. In otherwords, if you don't need a full winter coat, the baby won't either.

Lots of items on the site to help you with in between seasons. Spring baby? The perfect pouch is an combination pouch. Not too hot, not too light.

Enjoy!

Autmn is here again! Brrrr.

Hi Folks;

Well, we are now well into autumn with it's cool and crisp (ok, cold) days and colder nights.


Here are some featured products for babies in this season:


The Original Baby-Bundle Pouch (http://www.stitchedwithlove.com/babybundle.html).
The pouch is really a take on the traditional bunting bag. Think of it as a cross between a snowsuit and a sleeping bag made for the car seat (any model).100% warm, 100% easy to use and install, 100% machine washable, this pouch features polyfill (the same warm insulator used in all baby and kids's snowsuits), and your choice of corduroy or polar fleece exterior and 100% cotton flannelette inerior, with an option of a
matching blanket. Play around with colours and prints to make yours truly you.


The Stitchedwithlove Blanket Sleeper

(http://www.stitchedwithlove.com/blanketsleeper.html)
Blanket vs. Blanket Sleeper:
This is a wonderful product. With the blanket in the bed
controversy, the SWL Blanket Sleeper is recommended by pediatricians. This is worn over the pyjama, so as an added bonus, there is no kicking off the blankets when baby gets warm, only to wake up when cold. Available in many different weights and fabrics.
Word to the wise: if you did not start your baby in a blanket sleeper when s/he was a young bay, they will not like this at all. If they are used to sleeping with a blanket and having the freedom to kick around when covered with a blanket, do not start with this product now. It will only lead to frustration.....








The Stitchedwithlove Combination Blanket: (http://www.stitchedwithlove.com/products/blankets/combination.html ).




This blanket is a double layered construction. One layer is polar fleece, the other is 100% cotton flannelette. This is by far our most popular blanket, and is ideal indoors, in the car, or in the stroller as a stroller blanket. It can be made even more special by embroidering name/date/character.







Cold after the bath?

Products to recommend:

The Bath Bundler-

for really young babies;

(http://www.stitchedwithlove.com/products/bathtime/bath_bundler.html);




Or the Guilda Bathrobe for 12-24months plus
(http://www.stitchedwithlove.com/products/bathtime/guilda_bathrobe.html);



































And for another after bath option: The SWL Hooded Kids Towel











(http://www.stitchedwithlove.com/products/bathtime/kid_towel.html).




Also, a fun towel item in any weather, is the Laurie Bath Apron


http://www.stitchedwithlove.com/products/bathtime/laurie_bath_apron.html

oducts/bathtime/laurie_bath_apron.html.......






Check them all out! Happy Autumn.....

Jennifer Biberkraut and Joel Wener's Wishlist

For any of you wishing to get something for Jennifer and Joel's first bundle of joy, here are the items they have chosen. If you wish to purchase one of these items for them, please call me (Laurence at 514 696 7596) and I will remove it from the blog. ALL TAXES INCLUDED IN PRICE!

Items in order of preference:

Spring Baby-Bundle Pouch in Crayon Box/Black Polar Fleece......$80.00

Bathrobe in Pink Dottie with name (not yet revealed, but is 5 letters)....$60.00

Personalized Double flannel blanket in Polka-gone-Dottie/Pink......$35.00

Peek-a-boo Nursing Apron in Beige Argyle....$20.00

Single receiving blanket in Hey Diddle Diddle (Joel's choice!!)....$10.00
(Can be upgraded to a coordinated double flannel blanket for a total of $20.00)

Single receiving blanket in Sheetah (Jennifer's choice!) .....$10.00
(Can be upgraded to a coordinated double flannel blanket for a total of $20.00)

Sleeping Bunting in Monkeying around (size 3-6 months)......$28.00

Bath Apron in In the Clouds Lavender...........$32.00

Optional items should you want add-ons; small or large bibs in coordinating fabrics, $8.00 and $15.00 respectively, Burp pads, $6.00 each.

Well folks, it has been almost one whole year since my last posting. To be more precise, it has been 10 months, 2 weeks, and one day. So what has happened in that year?? Well, I got older (no kidding!), my kids grew so much, it actually makes my cry, and as of mid January, we can now go completely crazy with embroidery. We can embroider anything: name, picture, logo, onto just about anything. The sky is the limit. You don't have to limit yourself to items from the website. One of our regular clients, Carrie, brought over three plush adult sized towels. On each, we embroidered the child's favorite hockey team logo along with his name. Great gift idea. We can also do pillows for a girl or boys room, great for when you are going from toddler to child's room.
Outside of that, this year has been a study for complete overhaul and organization. Lesson learned, get rid of stuff you are no longer using as quickly as possible, otherwise the work is HUGE to create order out of chaos.

Looking forward to spring in a month and a bit.......keep posted.
Laurence