No Fear
Don’t be afraid to snap away because as they say, ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again’. Not only does that statement hold very true in this particular instance, but it’s also some of the best advice you can heed while attempting to master the art of taking black and white baby photos. As a matter of fact, you might want to first consider practicing by taking pictures of various types of other of images to get accustomed with the process. It can save you a lot of time and effort before actually getting baby all ready and positioned for shots you’re not certain will come out correctly. This way too, you can take your black and white photos of baby with the utmost confidence and assurance that you’ll end up with your desired results.

The Benefit of Natural Light
Natural light is one of the best ways to get great results when taking black and white baby photos. Everything you see through your lens is pretty much exactly how it’s going to appear in your picture, e.g., shadows, tones, etc. So whenever possible, use this organic element to your benefit as it will greatly assist in your black and white baby picture taking endeavors.

The Eyes Don’t Lie
Trust your eyes and utilize them as the best judge for light and dark tones on your image – in this case your beautiful baby. Because our eyes naturally determine contrast and shadows for us, this is one very helpful, ‘built-in’ attribute you possess that will greatly assist in achieving perfect black and white shots of your baby. And although you may have to ‘train’ your eyes slightly in effect, to imagine the shadows and contrast in black and white tones, a little practice goes a long way and you’ll get the hang of it in no time.

Foreground and Background
Try to snap your black and white baby photos against as ‘unbusy’ of a background as possible. Because these images are basically in monochrome tones, things tend to blend together if there’s too much going on in contrast. At the same time, try to keep baby’s outfit simple with solid patterns and colors. You want your baby to stand out in the picture so keep in mind that less is more for obtaining the most appealing results when it comes to backgrounds and foregrounds in black and white photos.

Black and white photos are especially perfect for capturing all those special facial features and expressions. They also add a degree of extra drama which results in a truly artful impression of your baby that will stand the test of time for years and years to come.

Trick or Treating

1. Keep it Simple – At this age your toddler won’t appreciate much of what is going on around them so you don’t want to spend a fortune nor a lot of your time in preparing for the day. Of course this won’t apply if you have older children in the house.
2. Create a Fun, Happy Theme – You don’t want to traumatize your baby with scary witches, dark costumes or blood and guts. Create a happy theme that is bright and cheery. For example, ensure that the jack-o-lanterns have happy smiley faces and the costumes you choose are more in line with fairies or princesses rather than scary witches or ghosts and ghouls.
3. Costumes – If you want to dress up your baby or toddler in a Halloween costume then look for something that is easy to put on and take off. Look for costumes with zips, velcro or buttons that are easily undone and of course a costume that allows for easy diaper changes. The costume also needs to be soft and flexible so that your baby isn’t uncomfortable. Avoid costumes with masks. This may restrict their view and cause them to topple over.
4. Keep it Safe – Be aware that most candies at this stage will probably be a choking hazard for your baby or toddler so be careful in your choice of sweets. Ensure that the costume you choose for your baby is flame retardant as you may be around real candles during this time. You should also ensure that the costume does not have too any dangly bits that your infant could place into his or her mouth.
5. Trick or Treating – If you are going to be trick or treating then follow these few tips:
   • Carry a torch and if your toddler is old enough, allow them to carry one too. Attach the torch to your child’s costume to ensure it doesn’t get lost.
   • Glow in the dark neck or wristbands are another way of keeping track of your toddler.
   • If you are taking a stroller then attach some reflective tape so it can be easily seen in the dark.
   • If you are worried about losing your toddler then buy one of those cords that attaches your wrist to your toddlers wrist. This allows your toddler a little freedom as they don’t have to constantly hold onto your hand and it means that you can feel secure that they are close by.

Your first Halloween with your toddler is likely to be a fun time that will be remembered forever. As a memento of the experience purchase a gift box and place in it your baby’s first Halloween costume, their first Halloween gift and any other little item that will serve as a memory in years to come.

About the Article
Article provided courtesy of Only Cookware – a resource for cookware sets, stainless cookware and enamel cast iron cookware.

If you have curbside recycling pick-up services, count yourself fortunate. Many communities still do not offer this service, so people who wish to recycle not only have to know where to take their items, they have to make a special trip on a regular basis. If you’re in such a community, maybe you could write letters to the editor or contact your local authorities to alert them to the need for curb-side recycling pick-up.

Whether or not you have curbside pick-up, organization ideas that work in other parts of the home will also help with getting your recycling challenges under control. For instance, you will want to have your sorting bins in the most convenient area, which means it will need to be close to where you are working when you are cooking or whatever. If you have a handy trash can for the non-recyclables, but the recycle bins are downstairs in the basement or out in the garage, it will require more motivation on your part to take those items where they need to go instead of just tossing them in the trash.

“Do it now” is another good slogan for all aspects of an organized life. If you procrastinate about taking your cans and bottles to the recycling bin, you will wind up with your counters cluttered. Then when you get around to going through it all, you’ll have a big job on your hands. Rinse that item and take it to its bin just as soon as you are through with it.

If you are remodeling the kitchen or utility room, consider having a built in area for keeping recycling bins. Just make sure they are easy to access so that you can remove them and clean around them easily when you need to.

Finally, don’t forget the importance of reducing the recyclables before you even bring them into the house. Get yourself off junk mailing lists. Buy bulk beans and grains and see if your health food store will let your bring in your own containers for them. They can weigh the container before you fill it and then again after you fill it, eliminating even the plastic bags you usually go home with. Think before buying plastic junk. Do you already have something you can use instead? Look for foods and toiletries that come in simple packaging that doesn’t include numerous needless boxes and wrappers.

With a little organization and care, you can keep up with recycling even when the kids are small. And just think what a good example you will be for them!

PLANNING

Keep it simple
At all ages, simple events tend to be successful and more fun. Complicated parties usually require extensive planning with little additional fun-value. What’s most important to the kids? Friends, goodies and gifts!

Watch your numbers
To keep things under control, the number of guests should be equal to one to one-and-a-half times your child’s age. (A four-year-old would have 4 to 6 guests, an eight-year-old can handle 8 to 12 guests.) For a sleepover party, divide that number in half. (Multiply the number of guests times three to determine the number of vacation days you’ll need to recover from the event!)

Involve the guest of honor
Involve your child in the planning and set up. Your child will be happier with the results and you’ll be forced to delegate some of the responsibility! Keep in mind that in case of a disagreement, YOU are the ultimate decision maker for the event.

Create a schedule of events
Things will go more smoothly if you have a planned schedule. If you know that cake-eating should be done by 2:00 you can move things along if the kids are dawdling. The schedule will keep you more calm.

YOUR KID

Plan ahead
Discuss the details of the event with your child a day or two before the party. Talk about what behavior you expect from your child. Review appropriate manners regarding arrival of guests, games and activities and opening of gifts. When you clearly describe your expectations, you can avoid the behavior problems that arise when a child is brimming with the excitement of the party environment.

Handle misbehavior wisely
Despite the best preparation, many kids become overly stimulated at their own party. You may find your usually well-behaved child jumping on your new sofa. If this happens, calmly take your child to a private corner. Acknowledge that you understand today’s excitement. Then, clearly identify two things: what you don’t want your child to do, and more importantly, what you DO want done instead.

Pick your battles
Relax your regular rules a bit. This isn’t a good time to insist that your child clean his plate before dessert.

OTHER KIDS

Know WHY they misbehave
If you understand why some of your little guests are acting “goofy” you can keep the proper perspective. First, the excitement of the event can wind kids up. Second, some kids get jealous of the guest of honor. Third, some are just acting normally, but it doesn’t match up to your idea of proper behavior.

Calmly correct bad behavior
If you see something you don’t like, take the child aside and make a specific request for change. Be polite, but clear and firm. “We don’t climb on our furniture. Please stay off the table.”

Re-direct their energy
Distract a misbehaving child by giving him a task to do, such as passing out the cake or assembling parts of a game. A busy child is less likely to be disruptive.

End on a good note
Lots of parties fall apart at the very end, when the planned activities are complete, but parents have not yet arrived. Have a quiet fill-in ready, such as coloring, bead-art, or even a video movie.

Copyright Elizabeth Pantley. (McGraw-Hill, 2003)

About the author:
Elizabeth Pantley is the author of several books, including Gentle Baby Care : No-cry, No-fuss, No-worry — Essential Tips for Raising Your Baby, The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night, Kid Cooperation (with an introduction by William Sears, MD), Perfect Parenting, as well as her latest The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers and is also president of Better Beginnings, Inc. She is a popular speaker on family issues, and her newsletter, Parent Tips, is seen in schools nationwide. She appears as a regular radio show guest, and has been quoted in Parents, Parenting, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, American Baby, Working Mother, and Woman’s Day magazines. Visit Elizabeth’s web site http://www.pantley.com/elizabeth.

A person’s name is something they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. Selecting a baby’s name is an important, but often difficult decision for many parents. Follow our guide for a simple process in selecting your baby’s name.

Most people have some ideas for good baby names and have thought about it on and off throughout their entire lives. Remember that the other parent and people around you will also have opinions about baby names, so sometimes it is a good idea to consider these opinions. If by some chance you do not have enough ideas for baby names, then search the internet for a baby name directory.

Remember that your new child will be stuck with whatever name you give him or her for the rest of their lives. Common names are “normal” and “safe”, but sometimes easily forgotten, especially when you meet a lot of people all at once. Unusual names are hard to remember at first, but once remembered usually stick to memory much better. You may want to choose a name that is easily pronounced from the spelling. When trying to pick a name, decide whether you want the child to have a common name or an unusual name.

If you want a not too common name that is easy to remember, try to think of names of people that you have never met before. For example, I’ve never personally met anyone named Darien, so perhaps that name is not too common. Although this method is far from scientific, it is a good way to brainstorm.

Want to avoid common names? Check out the following website that allows you the search for the most common names by year: www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/.

Once you have a list of names, you can move onto the second step in the process – picking the best name for the baby. It should be noted that in most cases, the two people who have authority of a new baby’s name are the mother and father. The opinions of friends, family members, and other associates can be taken into account as well, but ultimately the parents should make the final decision. The name should be one that both the mother and father like. Here are some methods for selecting a baby’s name:

1. The most obvious way to select a name is to just have both parents talk about it until they reach a decision. Most parents can come to agreements this way, although others may be more fixated on their own name choices. If selecting a baby name becomes difficult, try the methods below.
2. The father picks a boy name and the mother picks a girl name before the gender of the child is known (or vice versa). If either parent does not like a name, they can veto the name. For example, if the father picks “John” for the boy’s name and the mother does not like it, she can veto. The father then has to pick another name. This process continues until both parents pick names that are mutually acceptable. This method works best for parents that are not too picky about names. Otherwise, the process could last a long time.�
    
3. If you want to involve friends and family, what you will need to do is make a list of names. Choose the names that you are most passionate about and make the list as concise as possible. Have friends and family rate the names on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being best (or rank them from favorite to least favorite). The parents can easily print out these surveys on paper or send the by email. Total up the scores and see what people around you think.

The reach a decision, parents must agree on a process and then follow it. In summary, following these simple steps can take the stress and difficulty out of selecting a baby’s name.

About the Author:
Criss White is a professional web writer on baby and new mother topics for baby and pregnancy websites. For more personalized gift ideas, go to Personalized Baby Shower Favors and for more candle gift ideas, see Baby Shower Candle Favors.

Selecting toys for a baby can be quite a task for any parent. Numerous selections line the shelves but we never really know which toy is suitable for our baby. Wouldn’t it be much easier if babies could point out to the toy that tickles their fancy?

Here are some tips that can help you choose a good toy to help with your baby’s growth and development:

Safety First
Whatever babies can get their hands on has a very good chance of ending up in their mouths. Make sure that toys for babies do not have any small parts that can be swallowed accidentally. Also, painted toys should not contain toxic substances. Baby toys should also not be able to break easily. Broken toys can end up leaving sharp edges which can injure your baby – not to mention injure you if you accidentally step on one!

Sight Development
In the beginning, babies have very poor eyesight. You need to be about a foot in front of your baby’s face for him to be able to see your features. Toys with contrasting colours can help develop your baby’s eyesight. Couple contrasting colours with motion and you get a toy that can improve your baby’s vision focus and tracking.

Look At It From A Baby’s Perspective
Since babies have no say as to what toys they enjoy most, they cannot be targeted for sales. So, toy campanies target the parents instead. Take the toy mobile for example. The mobile is designed to be pleasing to look at from a parents point of view. When you walk into a store, the mobile needs to capture your attention to be able to sell. Nothing wrong with buying a mobile that looks nice from your angle – just make sure that it is also interesting from your baby’s point of view. After all, he is lying down on his back and staring at the mobile from the bottom!

Keep it Simple
Various marketing gimmicks are used to sell toys. One that has been around forever is using popular cartoon/TV/movie characters/themes. A child of 2-3 years and older will be able to identify with these characters and can appreciate them. For a baby, they mean nothing. Babies are just interested with the desirability of a toy. If they smack it, it makes a funny noise, they smack it some more. It makes no difference if the toy they just smacked is a generic dinosaur or a popular purple one.

I hope this short article helps to shed some light on baby toys. Good luck on your next purchase!

To read more about toys and children, please visit The World of Toys.

Resources:
babyproducts.about.com/od/sleepbedding/ht/HTcribmattress.htm www.firstbabymall.com/product/mattress.htm

Although we have strived to ensure information in this article is accurate and up-to-date, the information contained therein should be used as general reference only. Use the information in this article at your own risk.