Blog - Page 94 of 94 - Nesting Story

DIY – Sweet and Contemporary Bird and Branch Mobile

This adorable bird and branch mobile is so sweet yet stylish. This is a super easy and inexpensive DIY project that you can make for your little darling and it is not too “baby” that she will outgrow it anytime soon. A masculine take on this branch would be to leave the flowers off the branch and add a little owl or some felt leaves.

What you will need:

A ready made branch which you can find at most craft stores. I found mine at Bouclair Home for under $10.00!
A craft bird or butterfly which you can find at a local dollar store or Michaels.
Artificial flowers. (I made mine from scratch which we will explore another day). A couple places I love to purchase artificial flowers from is surprisingly Terra Greenhouses or Home Sense.
A hot glue gun.
Ribbon, approx. 1″ wide. I chose satin because it would be slightly reflective near the window.
1 hook that can be screwed into the ceiling.

First hold the branch in your child’s room or nursery and decide where you want it to go. I would not recommend hanging it over a crib just in case your little one tries to grab it or it falls. Decided on how low you want it hung to determine how much ribbon you will need. Fold the ribbon in half and tie each end to the branch in double knots. Play around with the placement of the knots to make sure it will hold the branch level. Remove your flowers from their original stems and hot glue them in different spots around the branch. Try to bunch your flowers in groupings of two or three and don’t put them too close to the base or tip of the branch. Then remove any wire from your butterfly or bird and hot glue it closer to the base of your branch. Take into consideration which direction you want to hang your branch before you place your bird or butterfly. Screw your hook into the ceiling and hang your mobile. You now have a stylish bird and branch mobile that cost you under $30.00 that may help distract your little rascal from squirming during a diaper change!

Conception of a Parent

By The Cheeky Doula

The journey to having children begins a little differently for everyone. Some parents are created after months or years or planning, waiting and hoping, some parents are created after making a firm decision and having wonderful luck and some people find themselves thrust into parenthood without having made a conscious thought about that particular journey. The point I want to make is that we so many times focus on having a baby, on becoming PREGNANT – that we may overlook that in fact, with a baby, parents are made.

Becoming a parent, to many, can seem simply like an easy transition, one that is an expected and natural occurrence. Others of us of however (myself included) would have appreciated the warning that it might have a bit more of a learning curve than first thought. There is a tremendous amount of pressure to ensure that you know everything as a parent – the choices and information surrounding birth alone could easily consume all 40 weeks of gestation! Not to worry – most of us parents are winging it and learning as we go. Really.

For us – my husband and myself – we were shocked that although we planned and were very excited to “have a baby” we were not prepared to actually be parents, is anyone really? So our learning curve took awhile. We were more than capable parents, but was it seamless, and ultra easy like on tv? NO WAY. We loved and cherished our little angel, but let me tell you – it was far from easy to find the confidence and know-how needed to make the never ending decisions. In fact three and a half years after her birth we are catching on that this IS parenthood, there is no right answer to every dilemma and concern, that instincts are more powerful than baby books and sometimes just making it up as you go really does work. Each child will present new interesting questions, challenges and endless joy to a family, and one day you may realize, this is what having a family is all about.

So my thoughts to you, mommy or daddy in the making, as your baby grows or is about to be conceived, so are you, the parent. Give yourself the tools to become a parent ( I am a huge fan of childbirth education classes that suit your personality and relationship beforehand), and if things get tough ask yourself “would I expect my baby to have all the answers?” Probably not. You are as seasoned a parent as your first child if you really think about it. Give yourself time to adjust and grow into being a parent, much like we allow our children to grow and learn – its kind of a team effort.

If I can share some wisdom – don’t be afraid to ask for help – recruit assistance if needed. Yes, google is a host of information, but sometimes actually having someone explain what pregnancy, birth and life with baby is all about is more effective. Have you thought about that baby registry – why not find someone that knows what you might actually NEED, things that will make life as a parents easier, healthier and lets face it – a bit more restful. If you were to start a new job that was completely foreign to you – I am willing to bet you’d find an expert in that field and start researching, discovering and asking for guidance. It can’t hurt right?

So congrats on being pregnant – on the conception of your new role of becoming a parent – there really is nothing like it! Entering into parenthood can feel a bit like a fraternity hazing – take it each task at a time, and don’t forget to take lots of pictures – its fun to see how far you’ve come together as that baby, and YOU his or her parents mature.

Goldie Blox

I saw this product a couple of months ago and I thought it was fantastic. Goldie Blox is a new educational toy specifically designed for girls. The designer is a female engineer who saw the lack of educational engineering toys geared towards girls that used problem solving skills. The toy is cleverly designed with mechanics themed around a book about a character named Goldie. Using ribbons, cranks and blocks, your little one can engineer a solution to Goldie’s predicament.

This idea made me think a lot about my own daughter Beau, who is almost two. My husband Mike, who is a Civil Engineer will spend hours with our 3 ½ year old son building these elaborate hot wheels tracks and although Beau will get a turn here and there to race a car down the track we naturally play with her with her dolls, her toy kitchen and indulge in the fact that she loves doing housework. But, do we ever really sit down with her and try to build anything? Yes, she is young and doesn’t seem overly interested in engineering, but have we truly planted the seed to have an interest? I will definitely get in line to purchase this toy for her.