#weespring

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Allyson Downey of weeSpring will be at Toybrary Austin this Saturday, early afternoon. She'll speak briefly and sign copies of her book "Here's the Plan." Stay tuned for details about time! #allysondowney #weespring #workingmom #austinmom #austintoddler #austinsahm #austin #atxlife #austinmom #austindad #parenting #carreer #careergoals

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We're partnering with @weespring to give a new mom (or mom-to-be) a head-to-toe makeover, from a hair stylist house call to a week's worth of cute, playground-friendly shoes... and everything between). Enter at wee.co/win #weespring #contest #freebies #betterthanbarefeet #shoesday #makeover #shoefie #instashoes #instakicks #shoeaddict #shoelover (at wee.co/win)

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Guest Blog: Even professionals have a hard time nailing that holiday card.

Lara Levine is an all-around pro: she’s served as a contributing photo editor at Town & Country, Oprah, and Real Simple, and most recently, she ran the photography department at Baby Talk, First Months, and Mom-to-Be. But she’s also honed her baby-photographing chops as a mom of three. You can see more of her work at laralevinephotography.com.

Last weekend, my family and I went on our annual expedition to take the perfect holiday card photo. This is a something I take super seriously: in the past, we have planned out the kids outfits, scouted the perfect locations... the whole bit. For last year’s card, we even made and styled a snow woman in the background:   

Pro lesson one: Be willing to let go of what you envisioned. Their cute smiles will speak for themselves (or so we can all hope!).

We walked down to our favorite park at the Seaport in Manhattan and figured we'd let the kids play and then shoot the picture. Plan going well! Until it started raining.

Pro lesson two: Check the weather before setting out. You definitely don’t want rain, but bright sun isn’t ideal either because your little one will be squinting.   

The good news was it wasn’t hard rain, and the kids didn’t care. We soldiered on!

At the park we love, there’s a bright red tower the kids love to climb that’s also well suited for a card background. I always tell clients to keep the background as clean as possible, so putting type around the cuties on their cards won't be an issue.  

Pro lesson three: Find a simple, bright background that leaves room for a holiday message.

I plopped down Raphael (age four) and Charlie (nine months) in front my perfect background while Gus (age three) was careening down the slide, head first, at 50 miles an hour. This gave me a chance to test the lighting and my camera settings.

I could definitely work with these two, cooperating and hamming it up. The problem was going to be Gus. How to get him off the slide?  

Pro lesson four: Be prepared with bribes! Most kids simply can’t sit still for a photo shoot. Rewarding them for cooperating makes it 100x easier for mom and dad.

But sometimes ever bribes aren’t enough. Gus is coming in the next photo, but note his ill-fitting outfit. Note his expression. Note everything. This is my Gus, otherwise known as crazypants GUSMAN.

Ummmm...

Yup, he's doing the head shake now.

Even baby Charlie thinks he's crazy…  WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?!?

Back to pro lesson one, again! Not everything will go according to plan. Roll with the punches, and embrace what you’ve got.

That’s it, folks! As soon as the shutter clicked on this shot, Gus was off… back on the slide, head first, as on-lookers gasped.

I decided I love this last picture, and there’s a good strong chance it will make the cut for our holiday card. These are my kids. Holiday cards don’t need to be picture perfect; they’re a snapshot of your family. And in our family, Charlie likes her binky, Gus is nuts, and Raphael is four. I can’t help but laugh out loud every time I look at this picture (note Raphael's fly is down). These are my kids. They are goofballs, and I love them, and if I made them look perfect it would be weird.

And I know that when all my friends and family get our card, they’ll laugh out loud too.

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Choosing a Pediatrician

Guest blogger Jaime Bedrin is a Journalism professor at Columbia University and Montclair State University. She's a mom of two very active boys.

There’s a lot at stake when it comes to choosing a pediatrician. You’re going to rack up many visits during those first few years of your kids' lives -- when they're healthy and when they're not. So, it's a good idea to feel comfortable with whomever you choose to care for your little snot factory.

When my husband and I were looking for a pediatrician for our first-born son, we asked friends who they recommended. Then we set up a prenatal consultation with that practice. We liked all the doctors in the practice. But we especially liked the convenient location. It was a good fit all around.

Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Sometimes parents clash with their children’s doctors. A lot of this could be avoided with research. Figure out what’s a deal breaker and what’s negotiable. For example, do you need to be able to email your physician or are you okay calling the office? My current practice does not use email to communicate with patients. I wish it did. However, my practice is staffed 365 days a year. And every weekday there are sick children walk-in hours from 7:30-8:30 with no appointment necessary. Genius!

Here are other questions to consider before signing on with a practice:

What happens when your physician is away? Is there a back-up doctor?

Is the office staff helpful?

How long does it take to reach your doctor?

Are you and the physician on the same page when it comes to vaccines? Some have very strict policies about vaccines, so it's better to find out before you’ve committed to a practice.

Where are the admitting privileges?

Is there a sick child waiting room? 

Can you access and download health records online?

Bottom line: Ask around. Talk to your friends and their friends about their doctors. Trust your gut. And if you are unhappy, change. Chances are, you will be there a lot, so you want to be happy.

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Calling all supermoms (and superdads)...

Over the next couple months, we’re hiring a handful of weeSpring parent ambassadors* in cities around the country.  What’s that entail, exactly? Well, anything you want it to… We’re bringing on self-starters who will help expand our community by brainstorming creative ways to get the word out -- and then implementing them.

About the ideal candidate: a go-getter who thinks outside the box and is as good at execution as she is at idea generation.  Super-connected in the community, not at all shy about sharing what an amazing resource weeSpring is, and loves setting aggressive goals -- and then blowing them out of the water.

About the role: freelance for now, but with the potential to grow into a full time, high-level management position.  Totally autonomous with flexible hours, plus the chance to work with a really fun and creative team -- and really make a difference for parents.

Interested?  Apply here… (heads up, though, that in lieu of a resume/cover letter, we have an assessment that'll take about 40 minutes).

*First task… come up with a better name than “parent ambassadors.”

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3 Reasons To Turn Story Time Into Family Story Time

Guest Blogger Krista Baum and her husband Nick created StoryWorth, a service that makes it easy to record your family stories.

“The single most important thing you can do for your family may be the simplest of all: develop a strong family narrative.”

Those are the words of author Bruce Feiler, explaining how stories strengthen our families in his New York Times article "The Stories That Bind Us". Here are three reasons that, in addition to learning about a family of three bears, you should tell your child stories about your own family. 

1. You Will Raise Happier and Healthier Kids: Psychological studies at Emory University found that children who knew their basic family history (where grandparents grew up, the story of their birth, etc.) felt more in control over their lives and had higher self-esteem. They also coped better with stress because of the confidence that comes from being a part of something bigger than themselves.

3. You'll Learn Lots Yourself: Now that you’re a parent, chances are you appreciate your parents more than ever. You may even be the age your parents were when you first remember them. But how much do you know about their lives before you were born? Showing an interest will enrich your relationship, and you might be surprised by the things you learn.

Knowing the value of recording family history, my husband and I created StoryWorth.com, a service that makes it super easy to record your family stories. Each week, StoryWorth will email your parents a question about their lives. All they have to do is reply to that email with an email or a voice story. StoryWorth saves their stories in a beautiful online biography, and shares them with your family.

And because you're part of the weeSpring family, we'd like to give you 10% off your first year.

Email me at [email protected] and let me know what you think!

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weeAsked: What are grandparents’ top 10 baby products?

Grandma and grandpa often stock up on gear to make babysitting, sleepovers, and out-of-town visits easier. In this week's survey, we received some great feedback from grandparents on their top 10 baby products. Easy swaddles, babyproofing essentials, and bibs that minimize messes topped many lists. A great camera, Cheerios, books, and special toys from the parents childhood were some honorable mentions. Check out "Gramma" Thalia's Top 10 (+1) List:

2. Foam Puzzle Piece Mat: Our floors are tile and using the mat allows baby to safely play on the floor.

3. Pack n Play: It's compact and allows baby to comfortably sleep at Gramma and Papa's house.

4. True Sounds Digital Audio Monitor: We purchased one to keep at the house for when baby visits.

5. Fisher Price Infant to Toddler Rocker: It's great for babies and grows with the child.

6. Outlet Covers: Seems like a small thing, but so important.

7. Cloud b Sleep Sheep: It makes a soothing noise when putting a baby to bed for sleep and signals time for sleep :)

8. Soft plastic bibs: These are easy to wipe off and keep handy for mealtimes.

9. Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometer: Keeps me from wondering if baby is running a temperature and it's so easy to use.

10. Boogie Wipes: So much easier on baby's little nose. We have the Grape Canister.

11. Hyland's Teething Tablets: I'd do anything to help ease the pain of teething. These help so much and are 100% natural.