Baby Shower for Alison Sweeney

MiniMe BabyGear has sent a gift for Alison Sweeney, host of the Biggest Loser and soap star extraordinaire!

Included in the girly gift box:

a fabulous Shopping cart cover from Itzy Ritzy, Retail $65.99. The softest and most plush on the market. Ms. Sweeney will be receiving the cocoa damask.

Minkee Tag cuddlebug, in the pretty pink, $22.95. Soft with a variety of textures for your little one to cuddle.

Wet Happened? wet bag in the carnival bloom fabric. Retail, $17.95

Congrats on your new little girl, Alison! Celebrate your little diva by giving them the above items, available now at MiniMe BabyGear.

Thrush

We have breastfed for five months with no problems. However, last week Thursday I started having a lot of pain with feedings. As my baby is getting more active, I thought that maybe he was irritating me more.

As the weekend progressed, and I just got more and more sore, I called the lactation consultant at the hospital. Almost in desperation, I told her that I was thinking about giving up breastfeeding. Her reponse impressed me. She told me to come in and she would work with me immediately if we could not work it out over the phone. As we went through my symptoms, she thought we might have thrush. After speaking with the after-hours pediatric nurse, sure enough, we both have thrush. Common symptoms are blister or white spots on the cheeks or inside of the infants lips. For me, I was also blistered and red, and had deep throbbing pain almost constantly.

Now, I am so glad I did not give up on breastfeeding! One thing that is making it much more manageable for me is Lotrimin, oddly enough. Who would have though to use athlete's foot cream?

If you are having pain, or thinking abuot giving up, please give a lactation specialist a call. I am so glad I did!

So, what goes into a great baby product?

Unless I am approached, I rarely have time these days to search for new baby products to put up for sale. I am in the "Baby Industry", so I come across a lot of great products through online blog reviews by other moms, but hardly ever have time to sort through the endless sea of baby inventions.

One of my favorite places to scout for new and unusual baby products are craft shows. Minkee tag cuddlebugs, fluffies, tie onesies, and pillowcase dresses were all great craft show finds. So, what do I look for when I am scouting out a new baby product? It must meet at least one of the following criteria:

~something unique. The minkee cuddlebugs were a different twist on an already loved item. I had seen minkees with tags; I have never seen one built so adorable with the satin wings, side "tag" wings, and mix of various soft, textured fabric.

~an item I bought for my own child. My baby looks stinken' adorable in the onesies with a tie. Naturally, I feel my customers would love this item as well.

~an expensive looking product at a great price. The blue dot silky mixed with the fluffy minkee material for the fluffy blanket looks rich, soft, and completely snuggle worthy. I desired an adult size.

~beautiful fabrics. K Bella Bambino uses the best coordinating fabrics. Each fabrics compliments the other, and her shapes and lines are to die for. With two boys, I am desperate for dresses if they look like this.

~organics. I love anything organic right now.

These are just some of the things that will entice me to carry a baby product. So, what are your favorite items for baby? Something that makes life easier? Beautiful to look at, soft to touch?

Bitzy Burpers and Ja*Lu organic burps, Mitetees and Baby K'Tan

One of the things I am constantly trying to find to offer on my site are eco-friendly products. Both of these burp cloths that I have added recently fit into that category, and are so adorable and well crafted. I go through many burp cloths in a day- my older son spit up a lot, and so does my four month old. It is great to have a cute one handy for all of life's little messes.

The Bitzy Burper is made from baby bamboo and accented with a splash of our designer fabrics – seriously the softest, yummiest, and most sophisticated burper!

Ja*Lu organic burp cloths are also a great find. 100% certified organic cottons, beautiful prints, and absorbant French terry cloth make these a new favorite.

I also love these Mitetess, new to MiniMe BabyGear. With adorable designs like "A Turner and Turner production", "Copyright 2008", or "Madions' little sister". Anything personalized to this extent is a plus in my book!

Also new is the Baby K'tan baby carrier. I must admit that in the past I was not a big sling lover. The idea always intrigued me, but each one I have tried over the years was uncomfortable and difficult to use. My baby never looked comfortable; they were either falling out the top, or way too deep in the pocket. My back and neck ached ( I have large babies anyway, so to carry them was heavy). That was not even the biggest problem. Many of them are so difficult to use and get comfortable in. I always felt the sling was either too high or too low, none ever fit me right.

I found Baby K'tan, and I can honestly say I love this sling. I have the basic black, thinking my husband could also wear it. Wishful thinking. Anyway, it is so simple to use due to the double loop feature. It is comfortable and holds the baby secure. The material is like a soft t-shirt, and my son loves to ride in the facing front position. As he gets older, I will try out the eight others, but for now, this saves my back and arms from carrying a 17 pound baby! I cannot say enough things about the ease of use and durability of this item.

Please see here for other new products, and happy shopping!