The bassinet and rocking chair share the same interesting shape, and the dark wood details with an olive painted wall adds in the perfect amount of color.

Such a fun color palette, right?

Links: 1 .Renegade Handmade 2 . Modern Tots via Furniture Fashion 3.Sensory Edge 4. Interior Express Outlet 5. Smiling Tree Toys 6. Ooba 7. Walmart 8. Serena & Lily 9. Blooming Home Decor

Shields’ blog, Saipancakes, reveals pictures of his new form of art that he conveniently refers to as “pancake art”.

Shields claims he got inspiration for the idea of creating art out of pancakes from his mother who used to make him “monster pancakes” when he was a child.  Today Shields is an illustrator and stay-at-home father and thought he would see how well he could impress his own children.

Take a look at photos of some of his pancake art and see if you are impressed…

Shields claims, “Readers are welcome to suggest future themes on my website.”

We’re giving away another gift from Bloomers Baby!

Bloomers Baby Birthday Box - Also available in White

Available in pink lamb, blue leopard and white swirl, these birthday sets come in sizes 0-3 months and 3-6 months.

Each box includes a 100% baby rib cotton hat with adjustable top knot, a 100% baby rib cotton long sleeve lap tee with footprint insignia on back, and a luxe diaper cover lined in cozy flannel. Gender neutral set contains a bright white combed cotton hat and tee accented with soft white swirl plush. Machine washable and dryable.

Be sure to spread the word and enter to win this super cute birthday box! Good luck! We can’t wait to see who wins!

Terms and Conditions can be found within the Rafflecopter Widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

On Tuesday, May 1st, Jessica Simpson gave birth to baby girl, Maxwell Drew Johnson. This is Jessica’s and fiancé, Eric Johnson’s, first child together and they couldn’t be happier.  Jessica claims, “We are so grateful for all of the love, support and prayers we have received. This has been the greatest experience of our lives!”

You might be wondering how they came up with the name for the little girl.  Well, apparently Maxwell’s middle name, Drew, comes from Jessica’s mother whose maiden name is Drew.  However, there are no sources confirming the origin of the first name, Maxwell, which seems a bit odd for a baby girl.

Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler Are Having a Boy!

It has now been confirmed that Laguna Beach star, Kristin Cavallari, 25, and Chicago Bears player, Jay Cutler, 29, are expecting a baby boy.  The news was leaked by a friend and teammate of Cutler, Earl Bennett, last Monday.  Neither Cavallari nor Cutler had revealed the sex of the baby yet, but sometimes news travels unexpectedly!

Cavallari did open up to Glamoholic recently and to discuss her surprise pregnancy.  She explained, “We weren’t trying to have a kid, but we weren’t not trying, we left it up to fate. I knew there was a possibility but I was really excited! Even if you are trying, just to see a positive result is shocking!”

This will be the first child between the two star celebs.

Pregnant Kim Zolciak: I’m Having a Boy!

Newlywed’s Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann have announced they are expecting a baby boy.

Zolciak, the Real Housewives of Atlanta star, and Biermann, Atlanta Falcons NFL player, have been married only 6 months, but this will be their second child together.

“[Kroy] and I are soooo excited we are having another BOY!!!” Zolciak, 33, tweeted. “KJ will have a best friend for life!! Thank u 4 all the Congrats!”

Drew Barrymore– Mommy-to-be!

It is no secret that actress, Drew Barrymore, is expecting a baby even though she has not revealed any information regarding her pregnancy.  Her recent photo shoot at the gardens of the Huntington Library in San Marino, California showed Barrymore looking lovely with her new baby bump.

With soft hues of greens, yellows and pinks along with flowing white drapes and crisp white bedding, this room has an open and airy feel.

Adding in some vintage touches like a repurposed white dresser or antique wall hangings add a shabby chic feel to the room, and a iron frame crib is a perfect final touch.

Happy May Day!

Links: 1. Here a Stitch 2. Lulla Smith 3. Aunt Dede’s Basement 4. Pottery Barn Kids 5. Corner Stork Baby Gifts 6. Buy Modern Baby 7. Restoration Hardware 8. Wee Decor

A family pet (or pets) can bring so much joy to everyone in the family.  They offer unconditional love and always provide a soft, furry shoulder to lean on when you need a friend.  However, they also play a very important role in the lives of young children.

You may never have thought about the lessons that your little one can learn from your family pet, but there are just some things that a pet does best.  Here are some real examples submitted from moms and dads around the world of lessons their children have learned from their family pet.

1. Hug Tight– “[My dog taught my baby] How to love.” — Sarah W.

2. Share– “Having a dog has taught our son to share (especially at dinner time)!” – Sadie K.

3. Imagine– “My daughter has learned how to crawl with the help of our dog, as well as how to bark (and unfortunately beg).” – Bonnie L.

4. Relax– “There’s more to relationships than words: just being together — watching, listening, and caring for another person or animal — is enough.”

5. Smile– Smiling is contagious– especially when exposed to happy pets.

6. Take a good nap– “[My dog teaches my baby] to feel safe.” — Sarah H.

7. Responsibility– “My kids have learned patience, kindness, and responsiblity from our pets. They have also, sadly, learned about death. … Sad to lose our sweet pets, but a good introduction into the idea of life and death for our kids.” – Kirstin Mix

8. Play hard– Eat, drink, sleep, and do not forget to play!

9. Stretch– Because it feels good.

10. Trust– Just because something looks different doesn’t mean it is scary.

See coverage on the story: Drew Cox, 6, Raises $10,000 At Lemonade Stand

This heartwarming story is inspiring and shows how friends, family, and community are still willing to come together to support those who are in need.

To donate to Randy Cox, visit Giveforward.com/randycox.

To donate to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, visit Alexslemonade.org.

With clean, white furniture and walls, what is more fun than colorful polka dots that splash fun details throughout the room?

From mobiles to blankets to onsies, these details are adorable + perfect for baby rooms.

Doesn’t that just brighten your day?

Links: 1. Puka Puka 2. The Land of Nod 3. Sincol 4.Lap Duvet 5. Kate Spade 6. Cornerstork Baby Gifts 7. Fishs Eddy 8. Zulily 9. Bean bag Chairs

Ripperger claims,

“Every parent has that moment when they say to themselves “Wow, I can’t believe that came out of my mouth.” For me this seemed like the logical thing to do to commemorate these unique times with my children in poster form. It’s a project that I did only for myself, to keep my creative juices flowing outside of my normal day to day video projects and graphic design work. I’ve been blown away by the response I’ve gotten from these, but I guess that shows how relate-able this experience is as a parent.”

Check out some of his latest poster samples:

If you are interested in purchasing the posters they are available in Ripperger’s Etsy shop.

For example, when a child is crying in their bed it is almost an instant reaction for parents to pick up their child and bring them into their bed to help them get to sleep.  Dr. Elsie Taveras of Harvard Medical School says, “It is very hard to let your child cry it out when they are toddlers, but if you approach it differently — ‘I am not even going to start my child making these sleep associations’ — it’s much easier to prevent [future problems].”

A new study by Valerie Simard of Hôpital de Sacré-Coeur in Montreal is centered on this issue.  The study was created to examine the link between the behavior of parents in relation to their bedtime rituals with their children, and the sleep disturbances in those children during infancy and early childhood.  There were nearly one thousand parents—all with children at the age of 5 months when the study began—chosen to be participants.  The parents were given yearly questionnaires which would describe their regular nighttime habits and track the sleeping progression of their child.  Simard found that the parents who were most likely to interfere with their child’s natural sleep adaptation—such as the mother staying with her child until he or she fell asleep, or the parent giving a child food or drink upon nighttime awakening—was linked  to the child’s sleep difficulties as a baby, at five to seventeen months of age.  Furthermore, those parental interferences, which parents reported continuing to practice from 29 to 41 months of age, led to disrupted sleep—bad dreams, short sleep time and delays in falling asleep — in children of preschool age.

To read more about the findings from the study you can find them published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Now if you are wondering about some advice on how you can get your baby to sleep through the night, check out these seven tips:

1. Play with your baby—by providing stimulation for your little one during the daytime, he or she will be much more likely to sleep longer.
2. Reduce your baby’s naptime—if your baby is sleeping more during the day than he is at night, this will help balance out his sleeping pattern.
3. Let your baby sleep in his crib—when your baby becomes tired but while he is still awake, bring him to his crib so he can associate the crib with bedtime.
4. Have a quiet time before bed—this will allow your baby to wind down and realize that it is almost time to go to sleep.
5. Have a scheduled bedtime—we are all creatures of habit, babies included.
6. Use a pacifier instead of a bottle in bed—this will comfort your baby, without any negative repercussions.
7. Wait to go check on your baby when he is crying at night—going in right away is a common response, but many times he will go back to sleep if you wait.
8. Increase your baby’s solid food at dinnertime—the feeling of fullness will help your baby to sleep longer.