Category: tips

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Spoil An Amazing Mom-To-Be: The Best Way To Make Any Pregnant Woman Feel Loved!

The Stork bag - Spoiling Your Favorite Mama-To-Be: Our Favorite Ways To Make Any Pregnant Woman Feel Good!

 Pregnancy is tough, like really tough. As if growing human life isn’t hard enough, it also makes you feel nauseous, tired and really huge, just to name a few things. And let’s be honest, the baby showers are fun but they are mostly about the baby and all the things the baby needs. So today, we want to talk about how to spoil the new mom-to-be! If you know a pregnant woman in your life, now is the time to pamper her. Here are our favourite ways to accomplish this task!

Pamper her with a Spa Day: What’s better than having someone else paint your toenails when you can’t reach them anymore?  A trip to the spa would be a wonderful way to make her feel like a queen!  Manicures, pedicures, and massages- oh my! If you can’t join her, grab a gift card to her favorite place and send her there or some much-needed pampering. If you are still what to do, check out our Goddess spa line, by the Barefoot Venus–sure to excite any mom to be.

Hire a little “help”: The only thing worse than cleaning your house at any given time, is cleaning the house when you are pregnant. Feeling exhausted and not being as agile as you once were, makes cleaning a bigger chore than ever before.  Help a pregnant mama out by hiring her some help to clean! There are many verified, local cleaning companies in your area, or indepdent cleaners.  Or better yet, send her to the spa while the work is being done!

Meal Train has arrived early: We have all heard about the meal help that new parents truly need once the baby has come, but what about meals before? Help out a new mom, particularly if she already has other kids, by offering to come over and cook her dinner! Or better yet, just bring over dinner. Let her put her feet up and enjoy some down time!  Be sure to make extra so there are leftovers for another time she is too tired to cook.

Pre-Baby Getaway: Hitting the road with a few friends might be just the thing a pregnant woman needs to get some major rest and relaxation! Plan a fun trip before baby comes for a couple of days: head to the beach, hit the mountains or just rent a cabin to for the girls for a few days! Serve some mocktails and create wonderful memories for her, before baby arrives!

Order her The Stork Bag: We definitely saved the best for last.  In our eyes, there is no better way to spoil any pregnant mama than by getting her one (or more) of our gift boxes from The Stork Bag!  These bags will take the guess work out of gifting because each bag is tailored to fit her exact needs based on her trimester of pregnancy. From teas to belly butters- we have everything she could possibly need, and more!  And don’t forget to continue the spoiling with the Post Bump Bag for after the baby’s arrival!

What are your favorite ways to spoil a pregnant mama-to-be? Let us know in the comments below! Reach out to us at hello@thestorkbag.com with your comments.

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Want To Help Hurricane Harvey Victims? Here’s How You Can Make a Difference

the Stork Bag - Want To Help Hurricane Harvey Victims? Here’s How You Can

Many families have been impacted by Hurricane Harvey in Houston,TX and surrounding areas. We’ve located a few fundraisers to make it easier for you to donate.

The Stork Bag has has pledged to assist families in need and we encourage you to give as you see fit. We stand behind our Houston friends and want you all to know that we’re here to help! 

There are many other organizations and families that you can donate to as well. If you would like to share those on our website, please feel free to do so in the comments section. 

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Our Top 5 Most Exciting Activities to Make the Most of Your Summer!

The Stork Bag - End Of Summer Fun: Our Top Five Favorite Activities To Get In With The Kids Before Summer Ends!

 Schools are starting back up and the leaves on the trees are starting to gently turn to the lush colors of autumn. Fall will officially begin in one month which means you have a little bit of time left to get the most out of every minute of summer.  We are all about memory making, and these are our top five, can’t miss activities that if you haven’t done yet, you should go out and do them before the temperatures start to drop! You will be making memories with your kids, and most of these activities are low-cost or no cost, which makes it easy on the wallet.

  1. Splash Pads: All kids love splash pads, even babies. It’s a great chance to cool off without the worry of keeping an eye on multiple children in a pool.  Make sure to visit one near you before they get shut off for the season, which usually happens around Labor Day! Better yet, make it a date and meet up with a friend, pack a lunch and make it a half day trip. The kids will love having a playmate and you will love having some company.
  1. Local Parks: Make a list of all the parks in your area that you haven’t visited yet this summer and hit a new one every couple of days. Pick a new favorite and come back with a few friends and a picnic lunch or dinner! Let the kids roam and play with their friends on the equipment, play some ball or frisbee on the grass, while you sit and re-connect with friends. It is a total win-win.
  1. Zoos: This is a must do if you haven’t been yet! It’s such a fun way to learn about animals while keeping the kids entertained! Keep in mind that many zoos begin to shorten the hours that they are open during colder months, so summer might be your last chance to make a full day of it!
  1. Fruit Picking: This is a fun one, especially for the fruit lovers in your family! Find a local berry farm, apple farm and take everyone out for a fun day of picking fresh fruit. The older ones will have fun finding the perfect fruit and the younger ones will enjoy all the free samples! Now is a wonderful time for blueberries, nectarines and of course, apples!
  1. Backyard fun: Summer got you drained and don’t feel like leaving the house? Never underestimate the “end of summer” fun kids can have in their own backyard. Throw a themed party, put out a kiddie pool and invite over some of the neighborhood kids. My kids can spend hours playing with thing like bubbles, sidewalk chalk, kites and water guns. 

What have we forgotten? What are your must do activities you still want to do? Let us know by leaving a comment!

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Last Month Of Pregnancy Checklist

This article originally appeared on Pregnant Chicken.

We know that pregnancy isn’t easy, as you near the end of your journey, you might need some additional tips and info.

There is a great list here ,and let us know in the comments what your last month of pregnancy checklist includes!  And don’t forget to order yourself a Post Partum Box from The Stork Bag!

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10 Tips For Back-To-School With A Newborn At Home

The stork Bag - 10 Tips For Back-To-School With A Newborn At Home - school supplies

This article originally appeared on HuffPost

Back-to-school time is back. If you have a newborn and also have children attending school, it’s a lot for everyone in the household to deal with. Over the summer, you probably had more time to give everyone what they needed. Now, the days will be going quickly as the school schedule moves forward and you will want to keep up with it.

There are many things you can do so that the family doesn’t feel overwhelmed during the school year. While sleep is at the top of the list, it’s also about sticking to a schedule, keeping life balanced, knowing where to find things in your home and more. Here are 10 back-to-school tips for parents with a new baby and a school-age child.

1) Rest on the Same Schedule: Put the kids in bed and then get in bed as well. No TV watching. You will probably have to get up in the night for a feeding. By the time the baby is going to be fed at night, you will already have had some rest. Do the feeding and get back to sleep. People start resenting each other when they are tired, so rest is more important than anything else for you and your spouse.

2) Ride to School Refreshed: In the morning, mommy will feel refreshed if she went to sleep right after the children did. Put the baby in the car seat and drive the kids to school. The sleep was important because you want to get behind the wheel with your family in the car feeling rested in the morning.

3) Organize to Save Time: It doesn’t matter how much space you have, if you are organized it can work. One of the hardest things to do during the school year is to get the children’s clothes together. When each child has their own drawer or a cubby hole, you can easily find things rather than spending time searching through a hamper.

4) Pre-Pack Lunches: At night while daddy is holding the baby, you should lay out the children’s clothes for the morning as well as pack their lunches before you go to bed. Remember to refrigerate their lunch boxes.

5) Restock on the Weekends: Weekends are a good time to get restocked on everything your family needs in the house during the week. Make sure the laundry is done, the snacks are available and so on.

To read the rest of this list, head over to http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marva-soogrim/10-tips-for-back-to-school-with-a-newborn-at-home_b_3932347.html

What are your tips for Back-to-School?  Let us know in the comments below!

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New Breastfeeding Emoji Could Help Normalize Nursing

The Stork Bag - New Breastfeeding Emoji Could Help Normalize Nursing - woman breastfeeding

 (This article originally appeared on Scary Mommy.)

On Thursday, the internet powers-that-be, specifically Unicode, “the computing industry standard for encoding,” are gifting us with 56 new emojis for 2017. These include a zombie, a bowl of cereal, an elf, a bearded dude, a woman with a hijab, men and women in lotus positions, gender non-binary adults and children, and — may the heavens open and lactation consultants rejoice — an emoji of a woman breastfeeding.

Sisters in boobage, we have an emoji.

I don’t have to tell you this is a big deal. Unicode approved a baby bottle emoji in 2010, and since then, that bottle’s been the only way to use emojis to express infant feeding. And this has been a big deal, for several reasons: According to the proposal for the breastfeeding emoji, the baby bottle ranks in the top 50% of emojis used. It’s also important when U.S. breastfeeding rates are only 49.4% at six months, and 40.7% exclusive breastfeeding at three months — meaning 59% of mothers are supplementing by three months (this can include formula or food). So more than 50% of mamas do need that bottle emoji by then. Nobody is taking issue with that, I promise.

The CDC’s goals for 2020 have 60.6% of mothers nursing at six months, and 46.2% nursing exclusively at three months. The only way we’ll accomplish that is to make breastfeeding more accessible, and one of the key ways to make it more accessible is to make it more acceptable, more normal, more woven into the fabric of society.

Cue our new emoji.

The breastfeeding emoji was submitted for just that reason by Rachel Lee, a registered nurse at University College of London Hospital. She argued that it would fill a gap “given the prevalence of breastfeeding in cultures around the world, and throughout history.” She cites the frequency of breastfeeding, especially at birth (nearly 80% in the United States), and argues that other apps and sticker packs include breastfeeding moms. Apparently a breastfeeding emoji was one of the top 30 emoji requests, and inspired a Change.org petition, in addition to many tweets asking for it.

To read the entire article, please visit the link below:

http://www.scarymommy.com/new-breastfeeding-emoji-could-help-normalize-nursing/

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Airline Policies For Pregnant Travelers (Practically Every Airline In Alphabetical Order)

The Stork Bag - Airline Policies For Pregnant Travelers

This list was originally posted on twindoctorstv.com. To view the entire comprehensive list, please click here to view this article on twindoctorstv.com.

All airline policies for pregnant travelers can be found here. If you are pregnant, please know your airline’s rules before buying your ticket.

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Aer Lingus

BETWEEN IRELAND AND THE UK

You may travel up to week 32 of pregnancy with your doctor’s written permission. Between weeks 32-35 your doctor must complete an Expectant Mother Travel Advice Form. 

Click here to access this form: Expectant Mother Travel Advice Form. Aer Lingus will not carry any passengers over 36 weeks for any part of their journey, outbound or return.

ALL OTHER ROUTES

You may travel up to week 28 of pregnancy with your doctor’s written permission. Between weeks 28-33 your doctor must complete an Expectant Mother Travel Advice Form. Click here to access this form: Expectant Mother Travel Advice Form. Aer Lingus will not carry any passengers 34 weeks or over for any part of their journey, outbound or return.
Ireland, UK and Continental Europe originating passengers will need to fill out the Expectant Mother Travel Advice Form signed by their doctor and send it by fax to 00 353 1 886 6868. Click here to access this form: Expectant Mother Travel Advice Form.
Passengers are required to provide a minimum of 48 hours notice of their intention to travel.

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Aeroflot

Aeroflot transports pregnant women up to 4 weeks before their due date. Please contact your doctor to sign an affirmation, which must not be older than 7 days on the day of the flight.

Click Here to View The Entire List on twindoctorstv.com…

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Getting Out! Our Summertime Diaper Bag Checklist!

The Stork bag - Getting Out! Our Summertime Diaper Bag Checklist!

Summer is now officially in full swing and warmer temperatures means fun things like festivals, parades and picnics! New parents can sometimes be overwhelmed by the thought of trying to leave the home “bubble” where you have everything you need for baby but if you know the right things to pack, it should be like you never left home (almost)! Here is our checklist for packing the perfectly prepared diaper bag!

  1. Extras! Having a spare set of clothes (including socks), diapers (swim and regular), wet wipes, pacifiers, and bibs is crucial. Even one extra set of these things, excluding the diapers which you will need more of, will help you in a pinch regardless of where you are headed. It wouldn’t hurt to throw in an extra shirt for mom and because mom-brain is a real thing, an extra set of car keys and some cash doesn’t hurt either!
  2. Plastic grocery bags: These pack easily and are so helpful in an emergency. They can be used for dirty diapers, wet or soiled clothes, or anything that needs compartmentalized in a diaper bag. Throw 3-4 in the bag and I promise you will use them!
  3. Light blanket: Rolled up nice and tight, this takes up hardly any space at all but it can have many uses including a space for baby to stretch or play, a clean place to change a diaper, or even a nursing cover if needed in a pinch.
  4. Sun protection: Sunscreen and a hat for sun protection are a must for summer and baby’s vulnerable skin. Keeping these items in your bag means never being unprepared and risking a sunburnt baby!
  5. Snacks/beverages: No matter where we go and regardless of the last time we ate, my kids are always hungry and thirsty. Bottles, snacks, and water are always good to have no matter if you think baby will be hungry or not. Better to have them and not use them then desperately need them and not have them!

What are your diaper bag must-haves for Summer? Let us know in the comments!

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Superdaddy! 5 Reasons Why Daddies Are The Real Supermen!

The Stork Bag - Superdaddy 5 Reasons Why Daddies Are The Real Supermen - father and child sitting in front of a pond

It’s almost time to collectively celebrate some of the most powerful men in the world, daddies! It’s true you know, daddies have a lot of power and we’re not just talking physically, we’re speaking of mentally and emotionally too. Here are 5 reasons why WE think daddies are the real supermen!

  1. Daddy is “literally” (in a figurative context of course) stronger than any other man! At least that’s what his kids think. Kids tend to look at dad as being an indestructible, giant who has no weakness and that’s exactly what they need. Dad’s play an important role in making children feel secure and this is one of the reasons why we think dads are the real supermen!
  2. Man of Steel: Daddy doesn’t get hurt, right? For my kids, they think that it is virtually impossible for daddy to incur any injuries. This is so innocently inaccurate but most children view their father’s as this force that doesn’t bleed, ail or cry (moms know otherwise).
  3. “Daddy let’s me fly!” And by “fly” we mean, daddy throws them up in the air (against mom’s wishes) and catches them like no other. Daddy’s shoulders are also the best for sitting as he allows them to pretend they’re on top of the world. Only a superman could be strong enough to do that, right?!
  4. Move over Clark, Daddy rescues too! Who do you call on when you fall off your bike? Why, daddy of course. You don’t have to be a damsel in distress to know that daddy will rescue you if you need help. Dads also play a big role in gearing children up, when the time is right, and teaching them the independence needed for self-reliance.
  5. Contrary to what we see on TV, daddies are involved in too. Although we typically see dads being portrayed as clueless, daddies are really great partners in rearing up children and their role is paramount in the overall development of children.

Here at The Stork Bag, we believe daddies are the real Supermen and this Father’s Day, we celebrate Dads around the world.

Happy Father’s Day, Daddies aka Supermen!

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Registering For Baby: The Top Five Favorite Items According To Moms Like You!

The Stork Bag - Registering For Baby: The Top Five Favorite Items According To Moms Like You!

My sister in law, who is due with her first child later this summer, recently came to me overwhelmed.   She needed to register for baby “stuff” and as a first-time parent, was full of questions regarding the list of items she was told she needed to have. Let’s be honest, it’s really hard to figure out if you need something without ever having used it before or on some items, not even knowing what it is. With the help of myself and a few friends, my sister in law was able to figure out her list but it had me wondering, what do other moms love? Obviously, what works for some mamas doesn’t work for others but we asked anyway and below are the top five favorite baby items, as told by our tribe of mamas!

  1. Rock N Play: This was the overwhelming winner. Moms love this because it’s great for sleep or play and babies really seem to love the gentle vibrations.
  2. Infant swing: A close second, this is a variation on the Rock N Play. Moms love this because of its ability to rock side to side, as well as front to back. This was a big time favorite of my babies as well.
  3. Bobby Pillow: Another favorite in our house, the pillow has so many versatile uses: feeding, sitting, corralling, etc. Per our mamas, having an extra cover or two is very helpful!
  4. Burp Cloths: While it’s not higher on our list, these are so critical and mess saving for most mamas. Most (if not all) babies burp and spit up and these can be used anywhere, anytime. Advice from our moms: cloth diapers can double as burp cloths and whatever number of burp cloths you think you need, double it!
  5. Nasal Aspirator: A snotty baby is a sad baby for sure! There are a few different versions of this but they all accomplish the same goal. Having a useful tool like this is so helpful with little ones that it managed to make the top five with our moms!

Other items that didn’t make out top five but still got lots of votes: baby carrier or sling, swaddling blankets/receiving blankets, and the diaper caddy! What are your “must have” baby items? Comment below!