Franklin Goose

Nature Inspired Baby Shower

(sheri)

A few weeks ago we threw a baby shower for pregnant moms in Richmond. This is our favorite event in the store so far and this year was no different. Stefanie came up with doing a nature theme based on some amazing pins we found on pinterest. We had so much fun planning how to decorate the food table:

 

 

Herbs and greenery from our backyard

 

 

 

Our drinking glasses

 

 

 

One of our birdie rattles does double duty as decoration

 

 

 

The Plan Toys Snail Measuring tape hides out on the wood slabs

 

 

 

An Under the Nile Mushroom hides out next to the pastries

 

We were so lucky that the local Panera Bread donated pastries, hot tea and cold tea for our guests! We also served fresh organic fruit as well.

 

Moss, birds nexts, wood slabs and natural toys set the theme for the shower

 

 

We played a lot of games! OXO Tot donated a Sprout high chair as a gift! Nook donated an amazing body pillow (which the mommy to be has reported back she is now fighting her dogs for every night because it is so comfy!), Bamboobies donated breast pads, Bumkins donated an All In One diaper, & Ergo donated a carrier! What lucky mommies we had!  The SWAG bags were filled with great stuff, too: Boon odd ducks, Kushies skull caps, Sage Creek washcloths (and awesome tote bags), Bumkins diaper inserts, and more!

A local auther, Caley Cantrell came to talk about her book, "You're Bringing Me A Baby?" This book is a great gift for parents who have a dog and need help introducing the new baby. (It's also a great way to introduce older siblings to your new additions!) Jennifer Kyzer talked about how to ready your dog for a new baby:

1. If your dog has a fear of strollers, put your stroller in the room you are in the most in your house with the brake on. Just leave it there until you can see that your dog is comfortable with it in the room. Then let the brake off, and move it slightly in the room. Leave it this way until the dog is comfortable. Once he/she is comfortable, try pushing the stroller a little several times a day/night. Do this again until your dog is comfortable. Once they are then you can have them next to you and try to move around the room with the stroller, or take them for a walk once you see they are comfortable being next to the stroller.

2. Jennifer suggested getting your dog on a routine before you deliver. It will help them with adjusting to the new addition.

3. Bring something of the babies home from the hospital before the baby comes home so the dog can get used to the way your baby smells.

4. When you bring baby home you should enter the house first without the baby, then go outside and come back in with the baby. (This often works great if you have an older child at home as well )

Linda Churmside, a local lactation consultant, talked about breast feeding, giving great tips, advice, and ideas: 

1. Linda suggested using a bed pillow or sofa pillow for breast feeding rather than a breast-feeding pillow. She stated that many people find these standard pillows allow the baby to be in the perfect position while feeding. Also, some of the breast-feeding pilllows do not put the baby in the right position for feeding and are highly toxic.

2. Linda says if you are having trouble breastfeeding pumping can often help your milk come in.

3. Also, we learned if you had problems breastfeeding your first child you may not necessarily have those same problems with your second. Each child and each pregnancy is different.

Lastly, we learned alot about choosing an organic crib mattress. We have written about this before, you can read about it here, here and here. We would also be happy to talk to you in person or on the phone (804-355-0595) about how to choose the right mattress for your new little one.

We wanted to say a BIG THANK YOU! to everyone who donated gifts, time, food, and advice! It was a great event!

 

 

 

8 Indoor Activity Ideas for Kids

(sheri)

We know that as winter gets into full swing the kids are getting restless, and you are too. It can be hard to keep everyone entertained and out of trouble when shut in the house. So, we started a list of indoor fun & activities to make the winter days speed by until you can get the whole family outside to run around.

 

1. Make bouncy balls with the kids.  (courtesy of  Curbly blog) You can use household items and make bouncy balls for the kids to play with. When I was young we would decorate boxes and create little rooms and special boxes to hold our bouncy balls. All you need is cardboard boxes, paint, paintbrushes and some newspaper for the floor. You can also use markers and/or crayons as well.

 

 

photo courtesy of Leslie Burger-http://lb.princetonlibrary.org/stories.html

 

2. Have scavenger hunts at the library. Think of different things for your child to hunt for at the library. They can be books they collect, things they need to "spot" in the library or information they need to learn from books at the library. This can add a lot of fun to library visits and keep the kiddos busy for a while!

 

 

image courtesy of What to Expect blog

 

3.  Create Indoor Games. The What to Expect Blog has a great post about how to play outdoor games indoors. All you need is masking tape and a few odds and ends from around the house. It looks like great fun!

 

4.  Build a Fort & Play inside.  I have the best memories of building forts and houses out of sheets and blankets with my sister and grandma. Simple Mom blog has a great post on how to build a fabulous indoor fort with your family. Get ready for some nostalgic moments!

 

Courtesy of The Ramblings of a Crazy Woman blog

5. Make a Forest. With toilet paper rolls, construction paper and paint your kids can make a forest fit for action figures, dolls, or fairies. This activity is pretty straightforward so I think it would be easy for kids of most ages. Thanks to The Ramblings of a Crazy Woman for this idea!

 

6. Paint flowers. This activity is great because it uses stamping, finger painting and paint blowing. These different techniques will make the activity challenging, interesting and fun for your little ones. It also makes it a great activity for any age child. Thanks to Hands On As We Grow for the great idea!

 

7. Have an indoor snowball fight! Use crumpled up newspaper or other paper. Give everyone equal amounts, and then fire away!

 

 

Courtesy of Dirt and Boogers blog

8.  Make a Bean Bag game together and then see who can make the most shots. (If you aren't into sewing you can always buy bean bags. The kids can help paint and decorate the bean bag hole to be whatever they want it to be.  Thanks to Dirt and Boogers for this great idea!

 

Have fun!