SOSS (Save our Stars Sanity!!)

Parenting even makes the stars crazy
I saw two unrelated story that made me feel better about my middle class,
working mom of two life. Yes, Virginia, parenting even makes famous people
nutty. From names like Apple and Mowglii to $500 jean and suing stroller
companies, no flock of private planes, all organic diets or Grammy awards
can apparently SOSS (Save our Stars Sanity!!).

Story #1
Kevin Federline refuses to pay $500 for toddler jeans. Well, this story was definitely a shocker to me. First
of all let’s be real, it’s not even his money he would be spending. So does
Kevin really care if he’s spending $500 of Brit’s money. The answer? No. He
is trying to launch his own children’s clothing line, which I find a whole
different sort of frightening and can only hope Bellani does not carry the
togs.

Story #2
J.Lo and Marc Anthony sue Silver Cross strollers. Silver Cross makes nice
strollers, not my favorite on the market but definitely a competitive
brand.So how did the stroller company cross the power-due and their twins?
The -gasp- used a picture of the twins in a Silver Cross stroller in an
advertisement.

This according to J. Lo and her attorney’s is worth $5 MILLION dollars.
Wow. They can use Zoe’s picture and all’s I would want is a free stroller.
Maybe if you have nanny’s and assistants, and don’t have to go to the
grocery store or pick up your own dry cleaning you have time to sue a tiny
stroller company for big bucks.

So tell me what YOUR favorite celeb-parent gone mad story in the comments
section below, and maybe I will drop off the latest issue of People and Us
Weekly at Bellani for you.

PS – Nichol Richie is pregnant again…

Starting Sunday, R.I. will allow breastfeeding in public

From Today’s Providence Journal
Starting Sunday, R.I. will allow breastfeeding in public
7:11 AM Fri, Feb 27, 2009

A new state law that takes effect Sunday allows women to breastfeed or bottle-feed their babies in public places.

An earlier law exempted breastfeeding mothers from indecent-exposure laws. The new law goes a step further and explicitly allows breastfeeding in public. Forty-one other states have similar laws.

“There is a long history of women being asked to leave public places to cover themselves up or to stop breastfeeding,” says Erin Dugan, breastfeeding coordinator at the Rhode Island Department of Health.

Breastfeeding protects mothers and babies from numerous health problems and can lower the baby’s risk of obesity later in life. But breastfeeding is a demanding endeavor. An infant needs to eat eight to 12 times every 24 hours, and the mother needs to feed her baby whenever the baby is hungry to maintain her milk supply.

That’s why public breastfeeding is necessary, Dugan says. “We want to normalize breastfeeding in Rhode Island,” she says.

Under the new law, if a person or business attempts or plans to bar breastfeeding, a woman can obtain a court order to prevent future violations and also can get compensation and attorney’s fees.

The Health Department has been notifying business organizations about the new law and has fact sheets to help guide employers.

________________

This makes me very happy. As a new mother, and a nursing mother, I would panic when I was out, and my daughter needed to nurse. I felt the need to hide myself. I nursed at the far end of parking lots, in dressing rooms at the mall. I remember the first time I needed to nurse in public. I was at dinner with several of my friends and their babies. There were two other moms nursing. I noticed one mom with the nursing cover, and the other I barely noticed even though she didn’t use a cover. So…I did it. I grabbed my fussing daughter, and latched her on without my cover, just making sure my sweater came down to her cheek. No one noticed! No one was staring at me. Then and there I started to get over my fear of public nursing. I know it’s not for everyone. I felt like I should be able to feed my daughter when and where she needed it. Milk or formula, breast or bottle. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that we’re providing nourishment for our children.
Amanda

Life without technology

It has been a weird week. I feel like I have been getting signs to stop, think and slow down.

Since the beginning of the holiday season (yes- I am going back to November) – I have been on a treadmill at full speed getting through my day and the work that I do.

I am a Mom, a blogger, a teacher, an author and I was beginning to realize that the thing that got the most eye contact from me these days was my computer. I had to check facebook (needed to hear everyone’s status), check emails and generally keep the world running. Ha, ha!

Last week, when I tripped over my cord and my NEW laptop came crashing down on the ground – I almost wept! What was I going to do without it? I had a mental breakdown when my husband said it would take over a week to repair it and that my files may or may not exsist anymore. I looked at my week ahead and wondered what I would do with my time. How would I keep up with my writing, etc.?

I recommend everyone tripping over their cord. Go ahead and do it!! You will see that life will go on and even get better. I don’t know if I want it back – seriouslly. I have stopped, I have thought and I have slowed down – and the world is still running.

Go figure.
Lisa

25 reasons to take a class at Bellani next session…

1. The instructors are super cool.
2. You don’t have to be an artist, a singer or a yoga person – just a caregiver that wants to have fun with their baby!
3. You need bright colored rooms to block out the gray – dismal winter.
4. You enjoy watching your child try something new.
5. You like having other caregivers around you – to listen and to support you.
6.Having something to look forward to each week lightens the load of daily parenting duties – diapers, laundry, cooking, cleaning, diapers.
7. You like to laugh.
8. You like to tell others about all the little things your child is learning to do.
9. Exposing your child to other children is sweet, hillarious and so important.
10. Bellani has the feeling of home – filled with people that care and are so happy to see you.
11. You love how each classes’ hello song makes you feel.
12. kelly and Shannon can give advice and insight into any product in their store – a class and personal shopping assistants – yeah that works.
13. We truly want to know you and your baby.
14. Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name…and they are always glad you came.
15. Your child is a sponge and wants/needs to experience new rhythms, places to crawl, colors, shapes and more!
16. Winter is still here.
17.If you are a member you get 10% off.
18. “Music is a valuable activity that contributes immensely to the development of a child.”
19. Learning to be fit as a child = a fit adult later in life!
20. “Participating in art activities helps children to gain the tools necessary for understanding human experience, adapting to and respecting others’ ways of working and thinking, developing creative problem-solving skills, and communicating thoughts and ideas in a variety of ways.”
21. In Little Explorers they are moving their bodies, socializing and problem solving all in 45 minutes!
22. Being part of community builds self-confidence.
23. You and your child are not interrupted – truly a bonding time.
24. Your only job is getting here – not even on time just in time.
25. The instructors are super cool.

Namaste,
Lisa

I’ve got rhythm…

A new study now says babies are born with rhythm! As a music teacher, I find this fascinating. Researchers played rock music for babies while monitoring their brain activity. They found that the babies were able to detect when the song dropped a beat. The babies had an innate expectation of the beat, proving that they are born with a central rhythm. From there the bridge from music to language is easily connected. In fetal development the auditory system is one of the first sensory organs to develop. A baby knows the voice of its parents, and can recognize songs that were sung to them in utero. A child can tell the difference between their own language and a foreign language in utero just from its rhythm! Even if you listen to the difference in people speaking the same language, but from different countries you will hear a different rhythm. (American English, Canadian English, British English). Music is a language too!
There are so many benefits to exposing children to music. There are physical benefits such as helping with gross motor skills through movement to music. The concept of sharing can be taught through sharing musical instruments. But the greatest benefit is believed to be in brain development. Music benefits the areas of reading, math, and science when they‘re older. I love that Bellani offers a variety of music classes, including Music Together and Kindermusik. Start em’ early! The benefits of music are a great reason to make sure that I incorporate daily musical activity into my daughter’s day , even if it’s just serenading her during a diaper change.
Amanda

Dr. Brown’s Bottles and Training Cups are here at Bellani!

Dr. Brown’s bottles are the latest and greatest addition to our collection of bottles and training cups here at Bellani! They of course are free from pthalates, bpa, pvc and lead but they also contain a special patented internal vent system which allows for the sustainability of nutrients. Excessive air flow within a bottle can lead to the oxidation (loss) of certain nutrients. Dr. Brown’s bottles have been found to lessen the oxidation of Vitamin C. Vitamin C being an antioxidant then prevents the oxidation of vitamins A and E which are extremely important for your baby. These findings apply to both breast milk as well as formula. So putting aside all of the scientific jargon…these bottles help you in your endeavors to provide your baby with the best nutrition!