HELLO! Baby-sitting, best friends, and blogging. What could be more fun?*This page is for...
19 things Cbeebies' The Baby Club gets wrong about baby clubs, from the crying babies and where you can buy The Baby Club merchandise
Swaddling a baby can sometimes seem like a secret art! My little one manages to wake himself up by hitting himself in the face doing ‘windmill arms’ when he's not swaddled. ...
*This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may reveive a commision, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link.*...
When I found out I was pregnant with my first baby I was 23. I had just walked out of an interview for a new job and thought I would do a test as I'd been experiencing symptoms for a few days. It was such a shock, but a good shock. We were in the process of buying our first house and potentially getting a new job, so massive changes were already happeni...
Are you more of a Claudia, Kristy, or Mary Anne?
When my daughters were born in 2010 and 2012 respectively newborn photography wasn’t really a thing. Well if it was I certainly didn’t know about it and I certainly cannot remember any of my friends mentioning it. I can remember the Bounty lady coming and taking photos of my eldest when she was born and like any brand new parent we paid an extortionate amount for pho...
Having the clubfoot essentials you will need for the journey you are on, will help make it that much easier for you. Here is a list of clubfoot accessories and books to help you along.
Strengthen the bond between you, your partner, and your unborn baby by reading these super cute books to read to your unborn baby!
Children learn and grow through play. It can support many elements of their development, including their cognition, language and physical strength. Engaging in play can also be a way for children to practice and improve on their social skills, develop their creativity and imagination, and learn more about their own and other people’s emotions. At the minute, your child may be spending more tim...
Having the clubfoot essentials you will need for the journey you are on, will help make it that much easier for you. Here is a list of clubfoot accessories and books to help you along.
60+ Baby Clubs to get free baby stuff, baby samples, coupons. New + expecting Moms can join freebie baby clubs to score hundreds of baby freebies!
I remember the moment I found out the sex of my third baby vividly. I already had a boy and a girl, so everybody assumed I wasn’t that bothered about what I was carrying this time around. I let them believe it, it was easier than admitting that I desperately wanted another baby girl. I had always wanted two girls, even from a young age. Although I have...
Rozalia Russian is a well-known blogger, model, entrepreneur and wife to one of Melbourne's most famous nightclub owners, and today is talking motherhood!
I first encountered Raina Telgemeier's work in the form of a Meathaus-related comic called Getting The Sex Out Of The Way. In a book filled with unusual stylizations, her art stood out thanks to her clean line and cartoony figures. Later, I picked up one of her minicomics up without knowing who it was, and was again drawn in by her art, her ear for dialogue, and a certain grimness that offsets her cheerful style. There's something addictive about looking at her figures; they remind me a little of John Stanley's. Telgemeier's specialty seems to be comics involving teens and children, and her skill in getting across how they act and talk is considerable. I'd recommend checking out her autobiographical "dental drama" series: Smile. [This was subsequently published by Scholastic and was a best-seller. --RC] Telgemeier's work was noticed in a Friends of Lulu anthology by an editor at Scholastic, aka the people who publish Harry Potter books in America. Offering her a gig, Telgemeier suggested adopting the Baby-Sitters Club novels that she loved growing up. As a critic and reader, I can state unequivocably that I am not the intended audience for these books. That said, I was interested in how they scanned, how they looked and wanted to speculate on their impact. It would seem that Telgemeier was the perfect choice for creating comics aimed at girls. Her cartoony, iconic style is warm and inviting for the eye. Her page composition is simple and uncluttered, yet she adds occasional decorative touches, especially for her chapter headers. The result is a nice bit of light entertainment, where one really feels compelled to turn the pages. In fact, the lightness of Telgemeier's style is a perfect complement to the often heavy-handed, After-School Special nature of the plots and characters. A moodier, more realsitic style would have made reading these books unbearable, but Telgemeier has a knack for keeping things light even when the book gets bogged down in issue-oriented teen drama, like divorce, parents' expectations, health issues, etc. The first book, Kristy's Great Idea, details how four friends came together to form a baby-sitters club as a way of organizing their lives. Along the way, each character deals with their own conflicts, and conflicts with each other, before the group settles their problems at the end of the book. The second book, The Truth About Stacey, details their struggle with a rival set of baby-sitters and one character's struggle with diabetes. The characters are fairly easy to pick apart in terms of character traits: there's the tomboy, the mouse, the artistic one and the fashionista from New York with a secret. The whole baby-sitting plot is obviously not in my frame of reference, but after talking to a number of women who grew up in the 80's, all of them noted how important these books were to them--especially because they were baby-sitters. Beyond that, the idea of a group of friends who were responsible and treated with respect by adults had to be enormously appealing. The stories were escapist, but the didactic element of the books was undoubtedly a plus for girls who wanted to see somewhat complicated feelings and situations resolved by girls who were likeable but not perfect--just like them, one presumes. The fact that friendships are shown as important but fragile, subject to hurt feelings and misunderstandings, is probably the most sophisticated element of the books. Visually, it's clear that Telgemeier had a lot of difficult decisions to make in converting the books to comics form. With page after page of talking heads and lots of dialogue to transcribe, along with four or more characters to cram into a panel, Telgemeier often had to sacrifice backgrounds for the sake of clarity--especially since her audience was not necessarily one that could easily decode a complicated comics page. While this does aid clarity and story flow, it doesn't offer a more sophisticated reader a lot to look at in some of the panels. This is one reason why these comics cried out for color, although I'm sure that was a decision that wasn't in Telgemeier's hands. As much as I enjoy looking at Telgemeier's flowing lines, it seems as though she could have been greatly aided in getting across a lot of information with a nicely muted, pastel palette. Of course, all of that would have been irrelevant if Telgemeier's understanding of the body language and gestures of youngsters wasn't so assured. In particular, her ability to get across feelings through facial expressions with such a simple set of lines is at the heart of why these books work so well. All told, the Baby-Sitters Club comics fill a void for tween girls. While many girls love to read manga, there's a dearth of material out there for them that reflects familiar interests, conflicts and situations. These comics fill that gap with an artist who understands the appeal of the original source material and succeeds in getting this across in a highly visually appealing package with a breezy narrative flow.
When you first become a parent, you can easily become pressured to conform. We live in a world that is dominated by social media, flooded with perfect pictures and advice on what constitutes perfection. It can be hard to lose yourself in the white noise, especially in the first few months (or even years) of being a parent. The thing is, there comes a point whe...
Finding free baby samples is a great way to save money - Getting hold of as many free baby samples as possible is a great way to try before you buy
The challenges faced by characters in The Baby-Sitters Club—parental disagreements, acclimating to new schools, bodies that seemed to change overnight, and burgeoning romantic relationships with boys—reflected my own conflicts. As I devoured that first book, I began to realize that I wasn’t as alone as I felt.
Never in a million years did I think I'd be opening up a section on my blog giving out technical advice. Even as I type this now it feels a little big headed and preachy & very unlike me... But since going freelance 9 months ago, I've managed to improve my blogs DA score quite
Looking back at my first ever sugar baby holiday- an escapade to Paris and a night at its most famous sex club, Les Chandelles.
Choosing a name for your baby can be tricky - there are so many things to consider! Here I take a look at some of the baby names we loved but didn't use for our
Taking the Baby-sitters Club TV show out of context and using it to teach you about important things. Babysitting!
Which Baby-Sitters Club member would you hire to babysit your child? Mother Haggard examines everyone's favorite young adult book series and looks at the pros and cons for each Baby-Sitters Club member. Who will you choose?
Here are the ten best baby-friendly all-inclusive resorts for 2023. You are bound to leave feeling relaxed after a stay at one of these amazing baby friendly resorts.
Purchasing the smartest baby toys for your infant is a gamble. Will she play with it, or will it go straight to donate? Improve your odds of a winner.
If you aren't able to sign up for mommy and me fitness classes then this new mom at-home 5-day exercise plan is just what you need. Congratulations for becoming a new mom whether this is the first child or the third, whether you gave birth 3 months ago or 3 years ago. You should be applauded. I also understand, since I’m a mom of 2 that it ...
OK, "blow your mind" is maybe a trifle strong, but let's talk about The Baby-Sitters Club!
Are you postpartum? Learn how to get rid of the baby weight without going through a lot without mommy and me fitness classes. Before pregnancy everything seems pretty much under control, then you get pregnant and there starts your endless fretting. You are excited and tense at the same time because while having your own child is the most ...
As moms, it's easy to forget things. Which is why this babysitting information sheet comes in handy. One little sheet and a lot of peace of mind.
Are you a mom blogger looking for ideas of what to write about on your blog? Here are 50 mom blog post ideas to inspire you!
If I were playing infertility BINGO, the free space would be labeled, 'The timing is just off.'
Finding free baby samples is a great way to save money - Getting hold of as many free baby samples as possible is a great way to try before you buy
Did you know there's a RIGHT way to switch formula? It's crazy simple and will prevent a complete meltdown at 3am. Here's the secret to switching baby formula!
This free printable baby schedule chart can help parents identify their baby's natural patterns and figure out a routine that works for the whole family.
The Kooky Kids Club The Blurb Maxine is smart, quirky, and a bit of a misfit. One day, she receives a mysterious invitation to a meeting of the “Kooky Kids’ Club.” Things are look…
Here are the best baby freebies and free baby samples you can get in Canada. Learn how to get free baby bottles, diapers, formula, and more.
BJ’s members can take advantage of a new coupon book in the club. I scanned the entire booklet below for you, or you can clip them online too (though they
Take a look at these 20 Must Have Home Printables to get you Organized for the New Year.
Socialisation is an important part of life that has the power to open doors, allows us to make new friends but when do you begin to socialise your baby?
This curated list presents 100 trendy first and middle name combinations, each exuding its own charm and character.
At this point, I've read tons of secret baby romance books so I think it is time for me to make my own recommendation list for it.
OMG! Is your teen or tween always bugging you for money? Do they often wish they had money to spend any way they want? Do they wonder and pester you about how they can earn
Working from home with a baby is a win-win...you get time with your precious little one and make money at the same time. Ideally, your…
Worried about whether you can actually afford to have a baby? The expense of starting a family can feel extremely overwhelming, and you may even wonder how other people are actually managing to do it!
