Big Day In Baby Planning!

The International Baby Planner Association (IBPA) is something I'm very proud to be a part of.  I was recently featured on their site for being a Premier Member! 

Today, the IBPA released that they have celebrated another successful year in establishing the Baby Planning & Maternity Concierge Services as a new industry. 

As an organization, the IBPA is the premier organization for professional baby planners and has truly established this industry to help and empower new and expectant parents. 

In keeping with professionalism and taking baby planning to the next level, the IBPA has joined forces with some of the best known experts and professionals in the country.  The IBPA's prominent Trusted Advisory board members are nationally known for their industry knowledge and include: Kara Forney founder of The Bump®, nationally recognized Pediatrician/Author Dr. Alan Greene, and organizations such as Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA), Environmental Working Group (EWG), International Association for Child Safety (IAFCS) and Stroller Strides.

Here at Newly Nested (as well as with other professional baby planners) you can expect me to provide new and expectant parents with guidance, support and offering the best advice when it comes to choosing baby gear, furniture, and products, finding the best pre- and post-natal care, birth planning, nursery design, non-toxic/green baby care, childproofing, parent coaching and more.

As the the world changes and the baby planning industry continues to grow, so will the services baby planners offer.

For a list of the IBPA Premier Baby Planner directory featuring Newly Nested and businesses in the USA and abroad view it here: Premier Baby Planning Members.

You can find the full press release here. 

Also, today, in the world of baby planning, there was a new novel released by Josie Brown called The Baby Planner.  Josie wrote the book after being inspired by many professional baby planners in today's industry.

Additionally, Rosie Pope, a maternity apparel designer, mother of two and now a Reality TV star, has her show Pregnant In Heels premiere tonight on Bravo.  With a tagline of "Drama On Board", I'm sure the verdict is still out on the show.  But if it's like any other "reality" show - we'll have to take it as it comes.  But, I'll be watching!

Medela Acquires Bravado Designs

Medela, a leading company for breastfeeding products, acquired Bravado Designs.  Bravado makes nursing bras and accessories and makes nursing a lot more accessible - literally! 

I own and have personally used products from both Medela and Bravado Designs and I highly recommend them to my clients. 

I am looking forward to what these two companies will be able to offer together to pregnant and new parents to support breastfeeding.

I am also proud to be a Medela Mom Maven. 

My New Gig

I'm so excited to share that I'm a new writer for my local Patch.com site!  I'm the new featured "Mom's Talk" columnist.  It is a weekly column where I get to write about all things parenting, kids, babies, products, tips, tricks and more.  

See the feature of me on Cheshire Patch.

About Patch (from the web site):

Simply put, Patch is a new way to find out about, and participate in, what’s going on near you.
We’re a community-specific news and information platform dedicated to providing comprehensive and trusted local coverage for individual towns and communities.
We want to make your life better by giving you quick access to the information that’s most relevant to you. Patch makes it easy to:

• Keep up with news and events
• Look at photos and videos from around town
• Learn about local businesses
• Participate in discussions
• Submit your own announcements, photos, and reviews

Cribsie Awards Announces Winners

Image provided by Cribsie Awards web site


The Cribsie Awards are just like the Oscars - only for baby products.  However, for baby planners, it's kind of exciting!  After much anticipation over the long nomination process, collecting votes and waiting - the winners were announced today. 

From the best diaper bags to products mom's can't live without - every type of category was covered.  

Did your favorite products win?  A few of mine did and some of them did not.  :sniff: 

There's always next year, I guess!

See the full list of winners by category here.

Book Review: One Year To An Organized Life With Baby



Image courtesy of Regina Leeds site via Google images



Every now and again, I come across something - a product, web site or book - that I wish I had known about before I was pregnant and had my two children (currently ages 2 1/2 and 15 months). 

I often do not find these said items very often.  When I do, it's much like those Ah-Ha! moments where the sun shines down from the sky and glorious music plays in the background (you get the picture).

As part of my mission to be an informed mother, as well as a good baby planner, I am always more than happy to pass along these goodies.  It just so happens this new goodie fell into my hands just this past week.  

Fortunately, thanks to a new book, you do not have to experience the same wishes and woes I that have had when it came to finding a parenting/pregnancy book that is worth your time and money. 

One Year To An Organized Life With Baby is a book in a series from Regina Leeds,  a professional organizer for 20 plus years.  It is written with Meagan Francis, writer and mother of five children.  In a nutshell, this book is genuinely refreshing, helpful and complete in preparing for life with baby. 

However, you'll want to keep this book apart from the other "must-reads" you've come across or have yet to discover.  (Some are better kept un-read.  You'll have to email me if you want to hear some opinions)

Image via Google Image search



One Year is filled with great information from both the perspective of a professional organizer and a mom's perspective.  I found it to be a smart combination and collaboration of ideas for the solutions and suggestions you'll find in the book.  From the easy to follow break down of pregnancy by weeks and what to do and when coupled with the time lines and checklists, it is one of those books I wanted to grab my highlighter and dog-ear page after page.  However, I could not bring myself to do so to this book - it's far too pretty to do that to!  So, I opted for those Post-It Flags instead :) 

One quote I found early in the book that really struck home with me was Regina recounting a conversation with a client.  The client said: "I get organized on a regular basis, but it never lasts." Regina responded with this (which I love and is totally me): "You didn't get organized. You tidied up."  Let it sink in...repeat.  Not organized, just tidied up.  Big difference.  I found myself implementing their advice immediately. 

Then, as I kept going through chapter by chapter, I found wonderful things in this book.  They touch on topics ranging from green cleaning to co-sleeping to fun and creative ideas and way too many to list.  Regina and Meagan also discuss and call attention to topics that are not always thought of in the grand scheme of having a baby - including sections on remembering to focus on your partner and making mom's emotional and physical health a priority.  From personal experience, I can say both of these can get lost when you're caught up in the utter cuteness of your newborn baby and all the change that comes with it.

All of which are presented with bits of humor and realistic advice.  There are checklists for everything you need to get organized for real and not just simply tidy up.  It is truly atop my new must-have resources for new and expecting parents. 

Hopefully after reading this book, you'll find yourself wanting to buy this for all your friends and family who are currently pregnant or even those who have had their babies.  

While I tell my clients that nothing can truly prepare you for life with baby (except your baby), I do feel you can do your best to educate yourself through reliable sources as much as possible.  I share my knowledge of products, tips and tricks with everyone to the best of my ability and cut out much of the leg work and research.  However, this book comes pretty close to taking what I feel is a great approach for preparing parents from pregnancy and beyond!

Note:  I was offered my own copy of One Year To An Organized Life With Baby for free by the author.  However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.

BIG Car Seat News

Image provided from Google images

The American Academy of Pediatrics released new recommendations for car seat and booster guidelines yesterday, March 21, 2011. 

The new policy advises parents "to keep their toddlers in rear-facing car seats until age 2, or until they reach the maximum height and weight for their seat. It also advises that most children will need to ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until they have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years of age."

Prior recommendations were to switch children to forward facing after one year of age and 20 pounds. 

This study has confirmed what car seat safety experts have said for quite some time - rear facing for as long as possible is safer. 

However, age 2 is the minimum and does not mean you should not continue to rear face for longer.  

Children under the age of 13 should remain a passenger in the back of vehicles.

For the complete report, findings and more information, please go here.

Newly Nested featured on IBPA web site!

I am so proud and happy to share Newly Nested was the featured Baby Planner on the International Baby Planner Association's web site this past month!

In the feature, you'll also see this picture of my wonderful family.  (For once, I'm actually in a picture with my family instead of being behind the camera!)

Here's the link to the full feature.

So what is IBPA, you ask?  The IBPA was established in 2007 to support professional baby planners by setting standards, providing networking opportunities and sharing resources thereby promoting the maternity and baby industry overall. 

I am honored to be a part of this organization as well as the opportunity to have been recognized among my peers.  Many who have paved the way for people like me to have the pleasure of being a baby planner.