Is it cultural appropriation if I give my white, American baby a Japanese name?
When I was pregnant with my first child, I had my heart set on a specific Japanese name (Sakura) for my child. Her father dismissed the idea because the baby wasn’t Japanese, and we ended up naming our daughter Evelynn.
Photo books, teapots, and stuffed mammoths: a holiday gift round-up for babies, kids, and grown-ups
Just in case the abundance of cheestastic music and colors and that old bearded dude hanging out in the mall hasn’t tipped you off, the holidays are upon us. This means a lot of things, and one of those is that it’s very likely gift-giving season in your neck of the woods.
Have any of you adopted your second child after giving birth to your first?
My husband and I are parents to a wonderful baby girl, and we absolutely love parenthood. We’re thinking about having a second child, but we’re interested in going a different route. My husband is on board with trying to have a biological child or adopting, so right now I’m just hoping to get a little insight into the lives of families who have done something similar.
20 DIY pop culture themes for your baby’s nursery
The folks at Buzzfeed were on to something extra special when they concocted this list of 20 pop culture-themed baby nurseries AND how you could make your own versions — something special indeed! Themes range from Harry Potter to Pokemon to LOST (with polar bears included, of course) — here are few of our faves.
7 regular purses from ModCloth that can totally double as bangin’ diaper bags
Since the standard size for diaper bags tends to hover between 15 to 17″ wide and 10 to 13″ tall a LOT of bags can get the job done. In fact, I highly recommend picking a medium-to-large bag you adore and using it to house both your baby’s stuff and your stuff — most large bags can easily hold a few diapers, baby food, car keys, a cell phone and a notebook with room to spare.
My son is more than “a heart transplant baby”
Families that experience major medical drama or have chronic conditions are all too often permanently associated with that drama. I had a friend growing up whose family was “The Car Accident Family” after several of them were permanently disabled in a serious collision. One of my friends was “The Dog Bite Girl,” and the mother of another friend was creatively dubbed “Deaf Mom.” I myself was a member of “The Kidney Family” after my mother donated my father a kidney when I was in middle school. We got pregnant, and I was all geared up to be identified as a mom, hopefully a pretty awesome one.
Wanna make a rockabilly head scarf for your baby? Here’s how you do it
I was in the middle of making a headband for my daughter when I started playing with the excess fabric and ended up making her a head scarf — I liked the result, but wanted to make a pattern so I could produce something a little more polished. Here’s what I came up with.
Upcycle your old t shirts into baby bibs
When my son was born, I had the biggest distaste for baby bibs. I hated how “babyish” they looked, yet I knew how functional they were for drool, food, and so on. So, I came up with an alternative: bibs made out of upcycled shirts! So much better. You can make these with either adult graphic tees or toddler button-down shirts.