Monthly Archives: February 2017

Childcare

Baby Bathing Tricks

Bathing a baby can be quite an adventure. Is the water too hot, too cold, too deep? How long should the bath last? And why is the baby STILL squirming?
In a recent article published by The Bump, they give a step-by-step guide on how to safely bathe a baby – all in efforts to make bath time a fun adventure instead of a stressful one.
We outlined the first steps of the guide below. For the full article including bath-side setup, check out The Bump website!

  1. Washing station – your setup should be steady and there shouldn’t be anything hard or sharp for baby to accidentally knock against
  2. Warm room – keep the temperature raised so it’s not a shock to baby’s system when she comes out of the bath.
  3. Water – fill the tub about three inches with water a little bit warmer than lukewarm. Use pitcher or cup to pour water over baby and rinse off.
  4. Soap – go easy on the amount, because too much can dry out baby’s skin.
  5. Washcloths – Designate a certain color or pattern used specifically for bath time so you don’t confuse them for diaper cloths.
  6. Special treatments – diaper cream, cradle cap treatment, or any other remedies should be within reach.
  7. Timing – pay attention to baby’s mood after bath time. If he/she is energetic and ready to play, bathe during the day. If more mellow, make it a pre-bedtime activity.
  8. Procedure – Start by soaking baby a little. Always keep one hand on baby, and remember that infants are slippery when wet. If baby needs cradle cap treatment, put this on first, then come back to rinse after you’ve washed the rest of the body. Start from the top and work your way down. Wash the face first, cleaning one area at a time. As you move down the body, thoroughly wash inside all the folds. Sweat and skin can get stuck in those areas and fester, causing nasty rashes, so it’s important to keep them as clean and dry as possible. Save baby’s dirtiest parts (aka the diaper area) for last. Then, move back up and wash baby’s hair. Since infants lose most of their heat through their heads, this should be your very last move. If the water is still warm you can engage in a little playtime, but resist the urge to splash for too long — as the water chills, baby will quickly get cold.

Bath
Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell
 
 

Mom

Lessons Mothers Should Teach Their Daugthers

Think about some of the lessons your mother taught you while you were growing up. Do you teach those same lessons to your daughter?
It’s something that is very interesting to think about. I look back at my upbringing and the lessons my mother has taught me, and I wonder if these same lessons were taught to her by her mother, and her mother before that. Just when, and how long has this lesson been apart of the family?
I recently read a post through Big City Moms that touches on this subject. They present 31 lessons that all mothers should teach their daughters, and it makes for a great read!
Below are some of the important lessons moms hope to impart on their daughters:

  1. “That she is beloved and precious…worthy of respect and love.” — Kristel Acevedo 
  2. “That in life you will have smiles, tears, good and bad days, so always have a plan to go to, but to laugh more and don’t sweat the small stuff. Be proud of who you are.” — Sheila Bohnett
  3. “To be content, secure, and kind.” — Meg H.R.
  4. “Always know your worth.” — Amy Fraser Tackabury
  5. “The same message my parents instilled in me: to have the confidence to pursue your dreams and work hard, and your parents will always be there to support you, no matter what.” — Joy Symonds
  6. “It is not your job to make people happy. You can do nothing about how other people feel, only your response is up to you.” — Jessica Lemmons
  7. “To know that if Jesus walked this earth (as GOD) and couldn’t keep everyone happy, there is no way we as mere humans could. And it isn’t our job. Find what it is that you were made for and go for it!!! And to not take frustrations and stress out on your body but to love your body. You only get one!” — Bonnie Byrd
  8. “The friends you choose will play a big part in who you become so surround yourself with people you admire. And love yourself, imperfections and all.” — Tasha Newcomb
  9. “The “handyman” skills my mom learned from her mom and in turn taught me. I love being able to fix, build, and install things myself! Dated a bit, but my grandma told my mom “when it breaks, your husband will probably be at work, and when he gets home, he’ll be too tired. So your best bet is fixing it yourself.” — Sarah Huston
  10. “That her stubbornness will take her great places in life, if only she uses it the right way.” — Laura Delagarza Gruenwald

 
For the full list, check out the Big City Moms website!
Court_girls
Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell

Activities

Upper East Side Activities for Kids

Snow, rain, and cold, are all weather elements New Yorkers have to face. Rather than cocooning yourself at home and turning to the same ol’ activities, try out something new!
There are great indoor activities offered all around NYC, and we want to share some of our favorites to do in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Try out one of these fun places, and fear those dreary NYC days no more!
1. The Craft Studio (1657 3rd Ave.)
Try out their events including crafts, camps and classes, seasonal workshops, unique toy, gift, and party supply shop, and after school programs.
2. My Gym: Lincoln Center (22 W 66th St.)
They offer structured, age-appropriate, weekly classes that incorporate music, dance, relays, games, special rides, gymnastics, sports and more! Fun bonus, you can try a class for free!
3. The MET (1000 5th Ave.)
#MetKids is a digital feature made for, with, and by kids! Discover fun facts about works of art, hop in their time machine, watch behind-the-scenes videos, and get ideas for your own creative projects. Look, learn, and create together during fun, interactive programs for kids of all ages.
Another great tip is to check out KidPass – a monthly membership that gets your child into thousands of the best kids activities in the city near you. Some of the activities include arts and crafts classes, indoor playspaces, sports, music lessons, museums, and more!
Ladybug
Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell
 

Bell Family Company

Top Baby Names for Bell Family

When you or someone you know is expecting, how many baby name lists will you admit to look at? There are so many sources to go to now for baby name inspiration. Pampers offers an impressive “Baby Name Generator Tool”, Parenting.com provides a search engine along with several sub categories (historical, unique, pop culture, etc.),  not to mention the countless magazines and books that give you thousands of suggestions.
Our families at Bell Family continue to grow, and that means our list of baby names is too. Below, you can find some of the top names amongst our families from the past year. No thanks necessary for giving you another resource to help mix up your list that you (almost) narrowed down.
Top boy names:
1. William
2. Conrad
3. Sebastian
4. Bedford
5. Weston
6. Alexander
7. Luke
8. Harrison
9. Griffin
10. Colton
Top girl names:
1. Charlotte
2. Clara
3. Shannon
4. Louisa
5. Sophie
6. Eleanor
7. Lucie
8. Mia
9. Skylar
10. Annabel
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Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell 

Uncategorized

Perfect Your Practice with ivivva Sport Gear

ivivva stores and showrooms are community spaces that quickly transform with movable fixtures to host complimentary events like dance, yoga, run clinics, and a variety of athletic classes. They also have a dreams and goals program that facilitates workshops around the store and with teams and classes. In this workshop they encourage girls to dream big and set goals for themselves, and at the same time know that falling and getting back up again is all part of the journey.
Their products aim to create technical, beautiful athletic apparel for girls. ivivva is designed with active girls in mind, to help them perform their best in all their activities. It is co-created with girls and ivivva designers, with the girls’ sharing feedback and ideas, and ivivva designing what she needs even beyond what she can imagine!
Today, we are featuring one of ivivva’s popular products, the Perfect Your Practice Jacket, which is perfect for on the field or on the ice to get to and from practice. This is a popular item to purchase alone or to buy in bulk for a team sale (see below for product image).
To order this jacket, or do some browsing of your own, check out the ivivva website here!
Ivivva_jacket
Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell

Mom

Get to Know Maternity Mentors

Maternity Mentors is a program designed to help parents navigate life’s greatest challenge through tailored sessions, e-communications, and classes to help mentor new parents.
We recently had the opportunity to talk to Millie Gillon, the face and creator behind Maternity Mentors. Read below to learn more about her and the impressive guidance offered by Maternity Mentors.
Q: You mentioned you spent countless hours researching online boards, articles, mom’s groups, medical journals, etc. What resources helped you the most to answer your new mom questions?

A: CDC, American Medical Association, and combining information from countless blogs, boards, and articles around topics ranging from postpartum care, cloth diapers, to first foods, educational development, and beyond. I feel like I earned a PhD. in new parenthood from all of the research I did during late night nursing sessions. 

Q: Why should moms turn to Maternity Mentors as a trusted resource? What sets you apart from an expecting mom’s network?

A: Maternity Mentors is an experienced resource that works 1 on 1 with expectant moms to deliver the best resource for all maternity issues. The mom’s network is composed of mainly mothers’ first hand accounts, whereas Maternity Mentors is a combination of experiential and clinical resources to help.

Q: Why is having a mentor during pregnancy so important? Does Maternity Mentors stay with the mom throughout the entire pregnancy? Can a mom turn to their mentor after the baby is born?

A: Most new parents are focused on the labor and delivery experience, but few focus on the intricacies of parenthood beyond countless ads focused on buying merchandise that they really do not need. A mother about to go into labor is vulnerable from experience. While there are plenty of resources she can turn to (friends, family), none are directly committed to new parents and the baby/babies. The mentorship experience is about focusing on the new parent(s), and baby’s wellbeing. 

Activities

Valentine's Day Crafts for Kids

What’s the best part of Valentine’s Day? It’s a guaranteed date night! If you and your other half are headed out for a romantic evening, you’ll probably want to provide your little one’s sitter with a festive Valentine’s craft. We love these heart shaped animals from personal creations for an easy and fun art fix.
Simply print out your child’s heart-shaped animal of choice, then leave them with your caregiver. When it’s time to create, they can help your child cut out and assemble the pieces to make a creature they’ll cherish long past February. There’s a color version for a quicker craft or a black and white version if your little one wants to color the animal themselves. Happy crafting!

heart-animals_google-plus

Sherry Chen, Personal Creations

Childcare

Potty Training Seminar (February 4th)

Do you have, or know anyone who has toddlers ready to be potty trained? If so, you’re in luck because this weekend, NYC Potty Training is hosting a Potty Training Seminar!
The event is hosted by Samantha Allen, founder of NYC Potty Training, who has received great praise from one of our Bell Family moms saying, “She’s incredible! I used her for my son when we were desperate for help and she got him trained in a weekend!”
If you aren’t able to attend the event this weekend, there’s still good news! You can have Samantha Allen (founder), speak to families at your child’s school about methods and strategies for seamless potty training in 1-2 days. Samantha is also available to speak at private events.
If you are interested in attending the event, you can purchase tickets here, but hurry because the event has been sold out the last two years!
3rd Annual Seminar by NYC Potty Training
Leman Manhattan Preparatory School
Saturday, February 4, 2017 from 10AM-11AM (ET)
New York, NY
Potty
Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell