Me and Mommy Boutique Blog

[bump] Maternity Clothing has arrived just in time for Christmas!

stephanie@meandmommyboutique.com (Me and Mommy Boutique) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:35:00 +0000

That's right!...We now carry the original [bump] clothing line. They manufacture fun maternity dresses, tees and more that state the not-so-obvious [bump] in the beginning months of pregnancy.

"[bump] babies specializes in providing expecting mamas, papas and the bump in question with sexy, funny themed apparel to let everyone know that you are expecting and not just slacking off with the workout regimen! [bump] baby under manufacturing process, is a sexy, comfortable and hip maternity line designed by Renae Plant and is designed with the haute mama in mind. Our [bump] tees make great gifts for mom and our [bump]daddy line is perfect for the dad to-be."

Read more below about how [bump] was conceived:
"Renae Plant was born on March 13, 1971, in Eumundi, a small, rural town in Queensland, Australia. Her mum, proclaimed, “There’s no way I’m going to lie on my back and push against gravity for hours--that doesn’t make any bloody sense to me.” Her mum gave birth to Renae on all fours in a mere 20 minutes (yes, you can hate her.)

Eighteen months later, Renae’s brother was born their sister followed 10 years after that and was jokingly nicknamed “The Afterthought.” Their father often rescued sick or injured wildlife and nursed them back to health at home. Occasionally, in an attempt to educate his offspring, he’d hold up an extremely venomous snake saying, “Kids, if you ever see this snake, don’t go near it. It’ll kill ya!”

Helping to care for her siblings and all of the other wild creatures in her home, Renae discovered her maternal instincts. Though she treasured her time cuddling koalas, caring for kangaroos and playing with possums, she always knew she wanted to go out into the world and explore.

Before she could do so, Renae was diagnosed with cervical cancer and at the age of 18, underwent laser surgery to remove the cancerous cells. Undaunted by this life-threatening challenge, Renae worked hard to follow her passion for creative expression.

In 1994, Renae moved to New York City to pursue a modeling and acting career, but found that living on a diet of carrots and coffee just wasn’t cutting it. It was during this time she developed her own sense of style and nurtured her knack of turning junk into artistic creations. In the urban jungle, Renae often rescued discarded items left out on the city sidewalks, recycled and transformed them into treasures. She turned an old TV set into a fish tank, bird cages into lamps, doors into tables and windows into mirrors. Her one-of-a-kind, handmade pillows were sold at the prestigious ABC Carpet and Home, the largest single retailer of floor coverings and home furnishings in the world.

In 2000, Renae planted herself in Los Angeles and in 2002 with the help of her best friend opened her own talent management company, Nebula Management: “the birthplace of hot new stars” (www.nebulamanagement.com.). Working with both new and experienced talent, Renae used her years of first-hand experience to help her clients navigate the difficult path to showbiz success.

With her biological clock ticking and Mr. Right nowhere in sight, Renae decided to donate her eggs to help infertile couples. During one of the egg retrievals, a doctor commented on her cancer surgery, “Your uterus looks like it has been run over by a truck. You’ll be lucky to have kids of your own!” The doctor’s prognosis was insignificant compared to how she felt when reading a card sent from the couple after their twins were born. The father wrote: “I never thought I’d see the day when my wife would become a mother.”

After a few false starts, Renae finally met the man of her dreams in Amsterdam. In 2003 he moved from his native Spain to be with her and when he did, sparks flew. After their wedding in Cuba, the couple quickly proved the egg-retrieval doctor wrong when they returned home pregnant.

Renae was incredibly excited about her [bump], but like most moms-to-be, she was concerned that most people just thought she was letting herself go. She wanted to scream, “I’m not fat--[bump] on board!”

Disappointed to find that nothing catered to the first four to five months of pregnancy before the [bump] finally “pops,” Renae decided to create and wear her own maternity designs on her growing belly that reflected her sense of style and humor. That’s when [bump] was born!

Renae’s [bump] designs quickly garnered such an amazing response from friends and strangers alike that she realized she was onto something good. Pregnant again within a year of her first child’s birth, Renae refined and expanded her [bump] line and for the next several months, the world at large became her focus group. Since then she has had her [bump] tees worn by celebrities like Jenna Elfman, Matt Damon’s wife Luciana Barroso, Gillian Anderson, Brooke Burke, Jennifer Meyer, Sarah Wayne Callies, Nancy O’Dell, Poppy Montgomery, Jaime Lynne Spears, Jason Preistly & Ali Landry.

Currently, Renae juggles three young children, her husband and soul mate, her talent management company and [bump] babies. Oh, and she most recently saved her kids local preschool Camelot Kids - so now she runs that as well. www.camelotkids.org!

Huge End of Summer Sale ~ 50% off!!

stephanie@meandmommyboutique.com (Me and Mommy Boutique) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:12:00 +0000

End of summer is here! We will be rolling out our winter line over the next month and need to clear out space for it. Everything "summer" is on sale for 50% off! No code needed, just click and purchase. Get them while they last.

Giveaway ~ 10% off Boutique Graphics Web Design and More!

stephanie@meandmommyboutique.com (Me and Mommy Boutique) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:42:00 +0000

I have blogged about Maggie before and the wonderful work she has done for me and for many others. She has now offered 1 lucky winner 10% off any of her services on her website (Boutique Graphics only). In addition to her giveaway, she has graciously offered some great tips to market your website or blog. One thing that I haven't told you in the past is that she also owns and operates Bliss Photography where she specializes in on-location photography for newborns, maternity, children, seniors, families, groups, engagements and commercial product photography as well as modeling services. I have worked with Maggie on the design of my website, blog and Top 100 list and I can tell you that she is a joy to work with. Please read her tips below and visit her site or blog for even more advice.

Tips on Marketing Your Website
Written by Maggie Phillips at Boutique Graphics and Bliss Photography

If you build it, they will come... right? I wish it was that simple! In order for people to find your store, you will have to market it. Word of Mouth Tell people about your store! Talk it up, make it sound absolutely irresistible... the great products, the easy ordering, etc. Make sure you tell them both your business name AND your domain. For instance: "....my store, ABC Baby Stuff - it's www.abcbabystuff.com..."

Even if you talk to someone who isn't interested in your kind of products, they may be impressed enough to pass it along to someone who is!

A great place to start is with your friends and family - they are sure to tell people about your incredibly awesome store!

Banner Advertising

Paid banner advertising can be a great tool for marketing online. Be sure to check out the site first and make sure the traffic they claim is the traffic they get! Two good places to do that: http://www.alexa.com/ http://www.compete.com/ I've found the following sites give good return on your advertising investment. It is generally a good idea to plan to advertise for about 6 months continuously before you see big results from your ads.

http://www.journalmodiste.com/
http://www.boutiquecafe.com/
http://www.jamesgirone.com/
poshmomboutiques.gotop100.com

Print It Everywhere

Your logo, business name, and domain name are very important when branding your business. Add them to your packaging (think stickers, tags, etc), your business cards, forum signatures and all email correspondence. A nice touch can be to send a small "thank-you" gift that also works in your domain name, business name and/or logo. Newsletters/Mailing Lists Newsletters, aka Mailing Lists, are an amazingly effective tool in marketing to your existing customer base. If you don't have a mailing list with a sign up form, start one today.

You can get a free mailing list account at http://www.bravenet.com/; another good option with reasonable fees is http://www.constantcontact.com/.

Discounts and giveaways are a great way to encourage new sign ups.

Link Exchanges

Reciprocal link exchanges are a great way to advertise and promote your business. The WAHMShoppes Link Directory allows you to set up a fully dynamic exchange, wherein anyone who adds their banner to your site must first add your banner to their site. Your store keeps track of this for you! Your best bet starting out is to visit other WAHMShoppes stores that would provide relevant links with yours. By relevant, I mean that if you sell baby stuff, then linking up with a store that sells candles is not all that relevant. It won't hurt to link with that store, but it probably won't help either. Click here for a tutorial for setting up your WAHMShoppes link exchange. If you don't have a WAHMShoppes store, you can still have a link exchange. Just set up a page on your site to add banners to, and start searching for other stores to link with. Handle the link and banner exchange by email, and be professional and business-like when you contact them.

Top List Sites

Top Lists, Top Sites, Top 100... they are all the same thing, but not all created equal! These can be a great tool for getting lots of traffic to your site, as long as your are selective in the ones you join.

The objective is not to add your site to as many Top Lists as you can. Choose carefully, and add your site to the Top Lists that are attractive and well laid-out. Busy Top Lists with flashing graphics, messy banners in disarray, tons of missing links and missing banners are not going to convey an upscale image to your site.

When you join a Top List, you submit your banner, business name and a description of your site. In exchange, you put their banner on your website. The banner you place on your site is coded so that when someone clicks it, the user is forwarded to the top site and you get credit for a "hit in". When someone visits the Top List and clicks your banner to visit your site, you get credit for a "hit out". The more hits in and out, the higher your banner will appear on the list.

The "hits in" carry the most weight for ranking purposes, so the more prominently you display the banner for the Top List, the more clicks it will get, so the more credit you will get, and the higher your banner will appear on the Top List, thus resulting in more exposure for you and more clicks to your banner.

A couple of good Top Lists:

Posh Mom Boutiques
Haute Mama Shoppes
Victoria's Chic Boutique
Top 100 Snazzy Sites
Trendy Me and Mommy Boutiques

Just click on any of the banners and find the [Join] button. You will need a 468x60 banner before you start. (Need one? Click here) You'll also need to provide an email and password for your account. Use the same information for all your top lists and it will make it much easier to remember!

Your vote counts too! Most Top Lists restrict you to one vote in 24 hours, so each day, click both the Top List banner on your site, and your banner on the Top List.

The best part is that joining a Top List is free! Many have additional advertising spots as well, and these can be a great value as they are usually inexpensive and appear above the free ads.

Track Your Stats

A stat counter, or hit tracker, traffic meter, etc will allow you to keep track of the traffic your are getting, and where it comes from so you know which of your advertising is paying off. Try http://www.statcounter.com/... if you need help configuring it and adding it to your store, click here.

Know Your SEO

I'll keep it simple and short here, because SEO is an extremely complex subject. The most important things you can do to improve your ranking are to update your Meta Title and your home page text. Meta Keywords are so close to being obsolete that you may as well say they are obsolete. Please don't obsess over them; they are not affecting your ranking. Have 2 or 200, it makes so difference. The Meta Description affects what shows on a search engine below your Title. It has little impact on ranking but can have a big impact on if your link gets clicked, so use it to name your best brands, most impressive products, etc and make your store sound irresistible. OK now, the Meta Title. This needs to about 12-14 words, include your business name, and the MOST IMPORTANT keywords for your site. Put the most important keyword first, right after the business name. This is not a site description... it's a keyword fest. For instance... Jack's Kid Stuff - Offering Tons of Great Kids Clothing at Great Prices - WRONG!!!! Jack's Kid Stuff Boutique Clothing Little Mass Le Top Psketti Deux Par Deux - RIGHT!!!! There is no "perfect" Meta Title. The "RIGHT" example above could be done many different ways. The trick is to think about the keywords people are most likely to type in Google if they are looking for your site. Then use those in your title. Your home page text is the most important text on your website and hugely impacts your SE ranking. Make sure you have as many keyword-rich paragraphs of text as you can possibly come up with. Simply listing keywords is not powerful here; incorporate them into a body of actual sentences - the SE's are very intelligent and they penalize you for what they consider "keyword spamming". So amp up your text, but do it the right way! Research your competition, the ones appearing in the top 10-20 of the rankings, and check out what they are doing. Also, keep in mind that time plays a big role in ranking. The longer your site is around, the more credence it's given and the more your ranking will improve.

Keep It Up!

Running a successful business requires management and upkeep. Placing web banners for one month will not mean you get traffic thereafter. You need to make a constant effort to have your name out there. Small businesses have exploded in recent years, so there's more competition than ever. However, this means the industry as a whole has gained recognition and status, and that people are looking for these businesses and want to support them. Nothing happens overnight in the world of eStore marketing. Expect it to take some time as customers and SE's wait to see if you're here to stay. Their trust will build over time and so will your business!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Entering the Giveaway~ How it works:

*Visit Boutique Graphics and check out what Maggie can do with website and blog design, product photography, graphic design and print marketing; then leave a comment on my blog stating what services you found most intriguing. Extra Entries (you may do any combination of the following):

* Grab my button (leave a comment that you did this) * Tweet about this giveaway (Unlimited entries - leave a new comment for each tweet)

* Blog about it (5 entries - leave 5 comments with a link to your blog post)

* Subscribe to or "Follow" Me and Mommy Boutique Blog

* Become a Fan of Me and Mommy Boutique's Facebook Page (Unlimited entries - leave a new comment back on my blog once you've joined MAMB's FB page)

*Join Boutique Graphics Facebook Group (Unlimited entries - leave a new comment back on my blog once you've joined BG's FB group)

* Purchase something on my site, Me and Mommy Boutique, and let me know on the comment section when checking out that you are entering for Boutique Graphics Giveaway; also come back to my blog and comment about what you purchased (You will also receive 20% off your total purchase by entering Boutique Graphics in the discount code section at checkout ~ this is only during the Boutique Graphic's Giveaway time frame)

*No Resident Restrictions

Closes: July 20, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time

Winner will be determined on Random.org and then posted here; the winner will also be contacted via email; which means that you have to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win. Thanks! :-)

Yunginz Are Here!

stephanie@meandmommyboutique.com (Me and Mommy Boutique) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 04:49:00 +0000

They have arrived!! The newest in kids shoe fashion. Click here to order your pair today! (More styles coming everyday) Here is what the 2 "mums" of Yunginz have to say:

"The Yunginz™ brand came to fruition in 2007 when Jenny Celebrin got frustrated with not being able to purchase trendy shoes in small sizes for her daughter. All the decent fashionable shoes seemed to only be available from a size 12 and upwards so the challenge was on!
Teaming up with Yolanda La Gorcé - another mum (also good friend and designer extraordinaire!) Jenny and Yolanda combined their marketing and design skills and Yunginz™ was born.
We want all young children to look cool in Yunginz™ shoes - that’s why Yunginz™ is all about being able to provide trendy, comfortable fitting shoes at prices that are affordable to everyone, and easy to find!
We are extremely proud to be able to fill the gap in the market and assist those other parents who have also struggled to find stylish shoes for their small children. After all, happy child means happy parents!
We are constantly designing new footwear and providing a point of difference in the market. Go on, check out our range and treat your kids to a pair of Yunginz™ shoes - we guarantee your kids (and their feet) will love you for it!"

We Are Selling Our House!

stephanie@meandmommyboutique.com (Me and Mommy Boutique) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 02:40:00 +0000

Our Realtor, Jason Mazzurana, has now taken pictures of our house and has it listed. It is official...our house is FOR SALE! You can click here if you want to print out our flyer. If you are interested, please visit the blog for it at LaisslesHouseForSale.blogspot.com

Baby Kissing (Biting) Her Cousin

stephanie@meandmommyboutique.com (Me and Mommy Boutique) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 03:08:00 +0000

I just had to share this...My youngest daughter would do the same thing to us and it was always so funny!

Giveaway~ Day Planner from Busy Body Book

stephanie@meandmommyboutique.com (Me and Mommy Boutique) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:30:00 +0000

Are you a busy mom? Well, whether you are organized or not, these great organizers can get or keep your busy schedule on track. Busy Body Book is giving away a FREE organizer to two lucky winners! Click here to enter the contest.

Giveaway~ 10% off Boutique Graphics & Tips on Marketing Your Website

stephanie@meandmommyboutique.com (Me and Mommy Boutique) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 03:16:00 +0000

Even if you talk to someone who isn't interested in your kind of products, they may be impressed enough to pass it along to someone who is!

A great place to start is with your friends and family - they are sure to tell people about your incredibly awesome store!

Banner Advertising

Paid banner advertising can be a great tool for marketing online. Be sure to check out the site first and make sure the traffic they claim is the traffic they get! Two good places to do that:

www.alexa.com
www.compete.com

I've found the following sites give good return on your advertising investment. It is generally a good idea to plan to advertise for about 6 months continuously before you see big results from your ads.

www.journalmodiste.com
www.boutiquecafe.com
www.jamesgirone.com
poshmomboutiques.gotop100.com

Print It Everywhere

Your logo, business name, and domain name are very important when branding your business. Add them to your packaging (think stickers, tags, etc), your business cards, forum signatures and all email correspondence.

A nice touch can be to send a small "thank-you" gift that also works in your domain name, business name and/or logo.

Newsletters/Mailing Lists

Newsletters, aka Mailing Lists, are an amazingly effective tool in marketing to your existing customer base. If you don't have a mailing list with a sign up form, start one today.

You can get a free mailing list account at www.bravenet.com; another good option with reasonable fees is www.constantcontact.com.

Discounts and giveaways are a great way to encourage new sign ups.

Link Exchanges

Reciprocal link exchanges are a great way to advertise and promote your business. The WAHMShoppes Link Directory allows you to set up a fully dynamic exchange, wherein anyone who adds their banner to your site must first add your banner to their site. Your store keeps track of this for you!

Your best bet starting out is to visit other WAHMShoppes stores that would provide relevant links with yours. By relevant, I mean that if you sell baby stuff, then linking up with a store that sells candles is not all that relevant. It won't hurt to link with that store, but it probably won't help either.

Click here for a tutorial for setting up your WAHMShoppes link exchange.

If you don't have a WAHMShoppes store, you can still have a link exchange. Just set up a page on your site to add banners to, and start searching for other stores to link with. Handle the link and banner exchange by email, and be professional and business-like when you contact them.

Top List Sites

Top Lists, Top Sites, Top 100... they are all the same thing, but not all created equal!
These can be a great tool for getting lots of traffic to your site, as long as your are selective in the ones you join.

The objective is not to add your site to as many Top Lists as you can. Choose carefully, and add your site to the Top Lists that are attractive and well laid-out. Busy Top Lists with flashing graphics, messy banners in disarray, tons of missing links and missing banners are not going to convey an upscale image to your site.

When you join a Top List, you submit your banner, business name and a description of your site. In exchange, you put their banner on your website. The banner you place on your site is coded so that when someone clicks it, the user is forwarded to the top site and you get credit for a "hit in". When someone visits the Top List and clicks your banner to visit your site, you get credit for a "hit out". The more hits in and out, the higher your banner will appear on the list.

The "hits in" carry the most weight for ranking purposes, so the more prominently you display the banner for the Top List, the more clicks it will get, so the more credit you will get, and the higher your banner will appear on the Top List, thus resulting in more exposure for you and more clicks to your banner.

A couple of good Top Lists:

Posh Mom Boutiques
Haute Mama Shoppes
Victoria's Chic Boutique Top 100
Snazzy Sites

Trendy Me and Mommy Boutiques

Just click on any of the banners and find the [Join] button. You will need a 468x60 banner before you start. (Need one? Click here) You'll also need to provide an email and password for your account. Use the same information for all your top lists and it will make it much easier to remember!

Your vote counts too! Most Top Lists restrict you to one vote in 24 hours, so each day, click both the Top List banner on your site, and your banner on the Top List.

The best part is that joining a Top List is free! Many have additional advertising spots as well, and these can be a great value as they are usually inexpensive and appear above the free ads.

Track Your Stats

A stat counter, or hit tracker, traffic meter, etc will allow you to keep track of the traffic your are getting, and where it comes from so you know which of your advertising is paying off.

Try www.statcounter.com... if you need help configuring it and adding it to your store, click here.

Know Your SEO

I'll keep it simple and short here, because SEO is an extremely complex subject.

The most important things you can do to improve your ranking are to update your Meta Title and your home page text.

Meta Keywords are so close to being obsolete that you may as well say they are obsolete. Please don't obsess over them; they are not affecting your ranking. Have 2 or 200, it makes so difference.

The Meta Description affects what shows on a search engine below your Title. It has little impact on ranking but can have a big impact on if your link gets clicked, so use it to name your best brands, most impressive products, etc and make your store sound irresistible.

OK now, the Meta Title. This needs to about 12-14 words, include your business name, and the MOST IMPORTANT keywords for your site. Put the most important keyword first, right after the business name. This is not a site description... it's a keyword fest. For instance...

Jack's Kid Stuff - Offering Tons of Great Kids Clothing at Great Prices - WRONG!!!!

Jack's Kid Stuff Boutique Clothing Little Mass Le Top Psketti Deux Par Deux - RIGHT!!!!

There is no "perfect" Meta Title. The "RIGHT" example above could be done many different ways. The trick is to think about the keywords people are most likely to type in Google if they are looking for your site. Then use those in your title.

Your home page text is the most important text on your website and hugely impacts your SE ranking. Make sure you have as many keyword-rich paragraphs of text as you can possibly come up with. Simply listing keywords is not powerful here; incorporate them into a body of actual sentences - the SE's are very intelligent and they penalize you for what they consider "keyword spamming". So amp up your text, but do it the right way!

Research your competition, the ones appearing in the top 10-20 of the rankings, and check out what they are doing. Also, keep in mind that time plays a big role in ranking. The longer your site is around, the more credence it's given and the more your ranking will improve.

Keep It Up!

Running a successful business requires management and upkeep. Placing web banners for one month will not mean you get traffic thereafter. You need to make a constant effort to have your name out there.

Small businesses have exploded in recent years, so there's more competition than ever. However, this means the industry as a whole has gained recognition and status, and that people are looking for these businesses and want to support them.

Nothing happens overnight in the world of eStore marketing. Expect it to take some time as customers and SE's wait to see if you're here to stay. Their trust will build over time and so will your business!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Entering the Giveaway~ How it works:

Visit Boutique Graphics and check out what Maggie can do with website and blog design, product photography, graphic design and print marketing; then leave a comment on my blog stating what services you found most intriguing.

Extra Entries (you may do any combination of the following):

* Grab my button (leave a comment that you did this)
* Tweet about this giveaway (Unlimited entries - leave a new comment for each tweet)
* Blog about it (5 entries - leave 5 comments with a link to your blog post)
* Subscribe to or "Follow" Me and Mommy Boutique Blog
* Become a Fan of Me and Mommy Boutique's Facebook Page (Unlimited entries - leave a new comment back on my blog once you've joined MAMB's FB page)
*Join Boutique Graphics Facebook Group (Unlimited entries - leave a new comment back on my blog once you've joined BG's FB group)
* Purchase something on my site, Me and Mommy Boutique, and let me know on the comment section when checking out that you are entering for Boutique Graphics Giveaway; also come back to my blog and comment about what you purchased (You will also receive 20% off your total purchase by entering Boutique Graphics in the discount code section at checkout ~ this is only during the Boutique Graphic's Giveaway time frame)

*No Resident Restrictions

Closes: June 18, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time

Winner will be determined on Random.org and then posted here; the winner will also be contacted via email.

Giveaway~Roxio Easy : VHS to DVD software~Ends June 26, 2009

stephanie@meandmommyboutique.com (Me and Mommy Boutique) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:55:00 +0000

Vhiel over at Living in Style is running a giveaway for Roxio Easy: VHS to DVD software! Click here to go to her giveaway.

Three Pieces of Breastfeeding Advice to Ignore

stephanie@meandmommyboutique.com (Me and Mommy Boutique) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 02:38:00 +0000

I came across this article posted on Twitter by Melodie (bfmom)and wanted to share it. It was written by Carrie Lauth, “retired” La Leche League leader and host of Natural Moms Talk Radio. While I don't necessarily agree with everything in this article, I do feel like information is a valuable thing that we all need and deserve to make informed choices throughout our lives. Plus, being a mom is the most important job anyone can have and that is why we have the option to decide if we are going to breastfeed or bottle feed and how long.

I actually breastfed my first daughter for the first 6 weeks because at that time, I did not work in an environment conducive to pumping, therefore did not continue after going back to work. I tried very hard to breastfeed my second daughter, but after getting extremely engorged causing me pain and my daughter not to be able to latch on properly, I unfortunately had to stop after just 2 weeks. We also found out that she was allergic to cow's milk meaning that if I ate any dairy products it caused her a lot of pain in her tummy; she also had acid reflux and colic to top it all off. Her pediatrician put her on Nutramigen formula and that worked great for her.

So read the article and let me know what you think.

Three Pieces of Breastfeeding Advice to Ignore
Written by Carrie Lauth

Don’t nurse your baby all the time or she’ll become too dependent. You must wait and feed your baby every few hours.”

This is possibly the most damaging piece of breastfeeding advice you’ll ever hear. Not only can following this advice lead to clogged milk ducts and breast infection, it can sabotage your entire breastfeeding relationship.

In short, don’t do it.

"Don’t breastfeed your baby like a bottle-feeder. Scheduled feedings apply to formula fed babies, not nurslings. Unlike formula, breastmilk is quickly digested and since babies have small stomachs, expect your little one to “cluster feed” through most of the day—and night—in the early weeks. It’s normal for newborns to appear hungry every hour or so for part of the day.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, newborns should be nursed whenever they exhibit hunger cues: rooting, putting hands to mouth, mouthing, fussing, or crying, which is actually a late sign of hunger. Listen to them.

Unlike formula, breastmilk works on the law of supply-and-demand. The more baby nurses, the more milk you’ll make and vice versa. Babies on scheduled feedings may not nurse enough to build up an adequate milk supply.

And as for the line about babies becoming dependent? Babies are supposed to be dependent on you. After all, there isn’t much a baby can do for himself. So throw those schedules in the diaper pail.

“Whatever you do, don’t let baby sleep in your bed.”

While co-sleeping may not be the answer for all families, it can make nighttime breastfeeding (and sleeping) less of an ordeal for parents and babies. Most families throughout the world sleep next to their babies. The US is one of a few countries where this act is considered taboo. But why?

According to the Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame, babies and mothers who co-sleep receive more sleep than those who sleep separately.

But what about long-term negative effects of co-sleeping? Research shows there aren’t any. While some parents seem to have an irrational fear of “over-lying”, this simply isn’t an issue unless a parent is under the influence of mind altering substances - in which case, they shouldn’t be caring for a baby anyway.

Actually, babies who co-sleep tend to have something in common—they’re thriving—both physically, mentally and intellectually. And they’re nursing well. Babies who co-sleep tend to eat more at night, maintaining mom’s milk supply and promoting natural child-spacing.

Co-sleeping makes nighttime nursing much easier and is safe, provided you take some safety precautions and are nonsmokers. If baby wakes during the night, all you have to do is roll on your side and let the nursing begin. Then you can continue getting your snooze on while baby nurses back to sleep.

Ignore those people who say you might roll on your baby (highly unlikely if you’re sober) or are being a sap. People talk like sleeping next to your baby is a slippery slope—do it once and you’ll never have a child-free bed until the teenage years roll around. But this isn’t necessarily true. As with everything, do what works in your family’s situation.

“Babies shouldn’t breastfeed beyond [six months, one year, etc]. Mothers who nurse their toddlers are doing it more for themselves than for their babies.”

There is nothing wrong with breastfeeding toddlers. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) claim there’s no evidence of psychological or developmental harm in babies who breastfeed beyond age one.

In addition, extended nursing has many benefits. Research shows that babies over a year old still receive substantial amounts of nutrients from breastmilk. Even though toddlers need nutrition from solid foods, breastmilk is still a valuable part of their diet, providing high amounts of vitamin B12, vitamin A, folate, vitamin C and protein. The composition of milk even changes to fit baby’s growing needs.

Even though the sight of nursing toddlers isn’t at the forefront of society, extended breastfeeding isn’t extreme. The AAP recommends breastfeeding for at least a year and longer as mutually desired by mama and child and the World Health Organization urges moms to nurse for at least two years.

Find out more myths and truths about breastfeeding as well as cute nursing wear - because motherhood is too short to wear an ugly nursing bra!

My Little Princess

stephanie@meandmommyboutique.com (Me and Mommy Boutique) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:06:00 +0000

I just couldn't resist sharing pictures of my Avery. When she was younger she was not into the princess stuff, but once her Pama (grandma) gave her The Little Mermaid video, she was hooked! Her Grana ended up getting her one of each of the princess dresses with the shoes and wands and I got her each of the crowns to match (you can tell from the pictures that she puts her own crowns on~lol). She practically lives in her princess dresses and has tons of regular clothes that have all of the Disney Princesses on them. She is also dressing up her baby sister, Sydney, already too (Sydney is only a year old so she will be hooked from the beginning). This is just a collection of pictures that I have been able to get; she wears a dress for about a week and then the next week she will be another princess which she insists on being called that princess' name also. It is really cute. Thank you all for letting me share these with you. ~Stephanie Laissle

New Blog Design Coming Soon!

stephanie@meandmommyboutique.com (Me and Mommy Boutique) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 03:09:00 +0000

I wanted to let everyone know that you will soon be seeing my blog undergo a major overhaul! I am so excited because it will look similar to my retail site at Me and Mommy Boutique. Make sure that you "follow" me so you can get updated as soon as the new design is added as well as when I run new giveaways, post new recipes, announce special running at Me and Mommy Boutique, etc. I will have a new button to grab for your own site/blog as well. A few people that I want to recognize and offer their services:

My Website and Blog site designer, Maggie Phillips

Christy, aka The Write Gal, writer of current and future pages on my retail site

Cool New Giveaway at Venezie Bags

stephanie@meandmommyboutique.com (Me and Mommy Boutique) — Sat, 30 May 2009 02:50:00 +0000

I am a member of BG Network, a cool social networking site for moms and business owners. I am always looking for great giveaways and came across some really cute items at Venezie Bags. They have a giveaway for a super cute fabric card case, tissue case and mini key fob in your choice of fabrics! It will last until May 31, 2009, so hurry!

My email is back up

stephanie@meandmommyboutique.com (Me and Mommy Boutique) — Sat, 30 May 2009 02:37:00 +0000

Thank goodness for the email Gods! I still don't know what happened, but my email is back up and running, so everything is back to normal. Stephanie@MeAndMommyBoutique.com

Sorry ~ My email is down.

stephanie@meandmommyboutique.com (Me and Mommy Boutique) — Fri, 29 May 2009 06:21:00 +0000

I wanted to let you all know that my email is down at this time, UGH! So if you need to contact me or have sent an email and haven't received a response from me, I have set up a temporary email so please email me at MeAndMommyBoutique@hotmail.com until further notice. Thanks!

FREE Advertising oportunity!

stephanie@meandmommyboutique.com (Me and Mommy Boutique) — Thu, 28 May 2009 19:52:00 +0000

As some of you know, I have added Trendy Me and Mommy Boutiques listing site to my family of Momprenuer resources and shopping sites. For those of you who are not familiar with what a listing site is, it is a website that will list companies and blogs that are geared towards moms who own businesses, companies that carry products relating to maternity, baby and children clothing and accessories, businesses that offer services to other businesses such as web design and hosting, mom and business social networking sites and pretty much any blog that is family oriented. I have recently changed pricing on ad spots for the paid advertisments and there are also FREE ad spots for anyone that wants to sign up their company and then as people click on your ad then your ad goes higher and higher in the free listings. You will receive a "Seal of Approval" that you will place on your blog or website or anywhere you want to place it to show others that you advertise on Trendy MAMBS and if they click on the Seal then they are directed to the listing site and can vote for your ad in order to rank you higher in the free listings making you more visible to visitors and directing traffic to your sites. I currently advertise Trendy MAMBS on another site and plan on getting more ad spots soon which will direct more traffic to Trendy MAMBS thus directing more traffic to you as well.

If you do not have a banner for ads please contact Maggie at Boutique Graphics. She can create banners, websites, blogs, print marketing, and much more. She has template websites to choice from or she can do custom designs also. Maggie is not only very affordable but she is awesome to work with; very clear on her directions and very friendly and prompt.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Wee Squeek ~ Fun Shoes for Kids ~ Giveaway!

stephanie@meandmommyboutique.com (Me and Mommy Boutique) — Tue, 26 May 2009 08:13:00 +0000

A little over a year after the birth of my first daughter, Avery, while managing an apartment community, a family came in to view our apartments with one of my leasing consultants. While working on financial reports, I kept hearing this squeaking noise and could not for the life of me figure out what it was and where it was coming from. So after a couple more minutes, curiosity got the best of me so I went on the hunt for the squeaky little noise. After walking through my office and foyer, I entered our resident cybercafe and low and behold, there was this little girl about 18 months old walking around with her family and my coworker; just squeaking away with every tiny little step. I asked her parents where they found her shoes since I had a toddler at home and they stated that they had bought them in India; however, they did not know where I could find them here in the states. The mother had also explained to me that they help to teach children how to walk because the child can hear the squeaking noise every time they step down with each foot which encourages their development. So when I got back to my office, I of course started searching online for these wonderful adorable little shoes. I was never able to find the shoes online for sale here in the states; they were all in other countries. So when I was a contacted by the representative, Cara, with Wee Squeak, I was delighted because I now have a second daughter, Sydney, who is 12 1/2 months old and learning to walk.

They come in tons of colors and styles and their squeak comes from a cushion in the heal that squeezes air through a tiny nozzle making the squeak sound. Another awesome thing about these shoes are that they have been tested for lead and have passed all requirements. Click here to view their lead testing reports. They come in sizes 3-12 and when you don't want them squeaking, say maybe in church or the library, you can pull the squeaker out. Wanna see the shoes in action?:

I wanted to share these shoes with you, and Cara was gracious enough to offer a pair of shoes to one lucky winner! She will be offering a boy or a girls pair of shoes depending on which gender the winner's child is. Here's how it works:

Visit Wee Squeak, browse around for a while and then leave a comment on my blog letting me know what else you were fond of; don't forget to mention the gender of your child and if you have more than one, unfortunately you will have to pick which pair of shoes you prefer ~ boy or girl (actual shoes not pictured).

Extra Entries:

Tweet about this giveaway (Unlimited entries - leave a new comment for each tweet)
Blog about it (5 entries - leave 5 comments with a link to your blog post)
Subscribe to Me and Mommy Boutique Blog
Become a Fan of Me and Mommy Boutique's Face Book Page at http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2383006&id=516111212&ref=nf#/pages/Me-and-Mommy-Boutique/66158724184 (Unlimited entries - leave a new comment back on my blog with your name so I can find you on my "Fan List" on FB)
Purchase something on my site, Me and Mommy Boutique, and let me know on the comment section when checking out that you are entering for Wee Squeek's Giveaway; also come back to my blog and comment about what you purchased (You will also receive 20% off your total purchase by entering Wee Squeak in the discount code section at checkout ~ this is only during the Wee Squeak Giveaway time frame)
Grab my button

US residents only

Closes: June 9, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time

Here is an excerpt from Wee Squeak's website (WeeSqueak.com) : "As parents of infants and toddlers, our inspiration for WeeSqueak shoes was watching our children in these shoes. We discovered these little gems while in China adopting our oldest daughter, Chloe. However, during the adopting of our youngest daughter, Ellie, we had the idea to bring some shoes back for our friend's children. Our company, WeeSqueak, was born! We are fun parents, with fun shoes for fun kids! Wee Squeak donates 5% of our profits to Half the Sky and to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society."

And the Winner is........#52 rhonjerm!! Congratulations.

Yunginz Coming Soon!

stephanie@meandmommyboutique.com (Me and Mommy Boutique) — Tue, 19 May 2009 02:38:00 +0000

That's right!...We have a fabulous new line of shoes coming soon. They are designed in Australia and are specially made for ages 1-6.

"Cool shoes, designed for cool kidz"

As Yunginz enter their second season this Winter, their reputation is fast gaining strength. Their shoes are built to last, and made only from fine materials shaped to nurture little feet, designed in consultation with podiatrists. Although these shoes are designed in Australian sizes, we will have a sizing chart attached to the description of each shoe style to assist you in choosing the proper size.
Look for our news additions coming soon!!

Super Cute Toddler Lip Syncing

stephanie@meandmommyboutique.com (Me and Mommy Boutique) — Wed, 13 May 2009 20:26:00 +0000

Here is a video of a too cute little boy lip syncing to a country song. I just thought it was so cute that I needed to share it with you all. Enjoy!

Country Toddler Lip-Syncs Perfectly - Watch more Funny Videos

Great Mommy Blog ~ plus a FREE Giveaway!

stephanie@meandmommyboutique.com (Me and Mommy Boutique) — Tue, 05 May 2009 19:07:00 +0000

If you've been looking for that "feel good" mommy blog that offers you tons of product reviews and much more, then check out Sarah at Ohana Mama. I am also doing a giveaway for a FREE JP Lizzy Diaper Bag...Check out Sarah's blog for more details! www.TheOhanaMama.com Best of luck to all that enter the giveaway!

~Stephanie Laissle, Me and Mommy Boutique

March of Dimes, March for Babies

stephanie@meandmommyboutique.com (Me and Mommy Boutique) — Tue, 05 May 2009 06:05:00 +0000

My family and I are walking because of a very special little boy named Wyatt Paul who was born early and with the grace of God pulled through to become a very healthy and happy toddler who just turned 2 yrs old! Not all of the premature babies born are so lucky and with the money raised from March for Babies, we can all do our part to help researchers find a way for....

one day... all babies to be born healthy today... too many moms and families know the heartbreak of having a baby born fighting to survive I've joined March for Babies because the March of Dimes champions the needs of moms and babies in our community and across the nation.

The money we raise for March for Babies will help:

~ support all-important research offering preventions and solutions

for babies born too soon or with birth defects

~ educate women on things they can do to increase their chances

of having a healthy baby

~ provide comfort and information to families with a newborn in

intensive care

~ push for newborn screening and health insurance for all pregnant

women and children

Please help by donating today!

It's easy, safe and secure - just click here to make your donation.

The mission of March of Dimes is to improve the health of

babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.

~Stephanie Laissle, Me and Mommy Boutique

Mother's Day Sale! 20% off ALL!! JP Lizzy Bags

stephanie@meandmommyboutique.com (Me and Mommy Boutique) — Mon, 04 May 2009 20:53:00 +0000

Have you been looking for a diaper bag that can double as your purse? Look no more, Me and Mommy Boutique has every kind of JP Lizzy Bag that does just that! Our Classic Totes are roomy and spacious without being too large. If you are looking for a great tote to take to the beach that can carry your towels, lotion, snacks, extra clothes as well as all of your kiddo's beach toys; then our Leisure Totes will be just what you've been searching for. For the mommies who work outside of the home and need a more professional looking bag, our Cate Tote Collection is just the right bag and comes in 5 different but very sleek looks. And last,...for those of you who just want a Diaper Clutch that you can throw in with your existing bag/purse then we have those too! They even coordinate with our full line of JP Lizzy Bags for that complete put together look. On sale for Mother's Day ONLY for 20% off; get them while they last!!!

Did you lose your job? Do you want a great way to organize all those upcoming interviews? FranklinCovey is GIVING AWAY a FREE PLANNER!!

stephanie@meandmommyboutique.com (Me and Mommy Boutique) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 11:50:00 +0000

I am a big believer in organization and have used FranklinCovey for almost 12 years. I would be lost if I every lost my planner! I recently received an email from FranklinCovey stating that they are giving away free day planners to anyone who has lost their job by stopping by your local store and providing them your former employer's name from where you were laid off, phone number as well as your supervisor's name. Here are the details from FranklinCovey:

As our last Leg Up Campaign was so helpful, we’re running the event again this Friday and Saturday, April 24th and 25th.

Have you recently lost your job or know someone who has? We know looking for a new position can become a full-time job, and we’d like to help.

Drop by any FranklinCovey Retail Store nationwide this Friday and Saturday to receive a free 2009 Franklin Planner. If you do not live near a FranklinCovey Retail Store, please contact our Call Center on Friday only between the hours of 7:00am-6:00pm (MST). We’ll be able to ship you a planner, if you help pay for the shipping. (Our Call Center is closed on Saturday.)

To contact the Call Center on Friday, please call 800-654-1776.

Please provide the name of your former employer and your supervisor’s name with the date you were laid-off to receive the free planner.

For FranklinCovey Retail Store locations, see here.

FranklinCovey wants to help those who have recently lost their job get a leg up during these recessionary times, so join us this Friday and Saturday at a FranklinCovey store near you!

Note: Specific products and availability differ per store.

Mom Blogs Contest!!!

stephanie@meandmommyboutique.com (Me and Mommy Boutique) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 08:16:00 +0000

I have come across a fantastic "Mom Blog" at MomDot.com. They offer blog and boutique listings for all the different mom topics you can every think of. Right now they are also offering a contest for a FREE PRESS RELEASE sponsored and written by Christy at The WriteAdvice. Christy is a freelance business writer and consultant. Press releases are not only for business owners but now for bloggers as well. Here is an excert from Christy's article on MomDot.com:

Businesses have been using press releases for years to market their products or services. If press releases can be used to increase sales for a business, then as bloggers we can certainly use them to increase our readership. As bloggers continue to want work with public relations representatives and the media, a press release can be used as an invaluable resource to get your blog noticed and your statistics increased. ~Christy Benson, The Write Gal

The contest ends on April 24th so hurry and enter to win a wonderfully written press release that will surely launch your business or blog!

Cudos to Maggie Phillips at Boutique Graphics

stephanie@meandmommyboutique.com (Me and Mommy Boutique) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:26:00 +0000

I stumbled upon Maggie at Boutique Graphics after trying to make my own website from a very drab template with another company. After spending a lot of time on her website researching everything she has to offer, I decided on a budget friendly one-of-a-kind template and I could not be happier!!! She got everything set up for me very fast and is very clear on all of her directions and tutorials on how to upload product and maintain my site. She responds extremely quickly to my emails and is very patient with any questions that I have. I have purchased not only my website from her, but my business cards, banners, logo, car magnet design, etc. and I will continue to do business with her as well as refer Maggie to anyone I come across! Thank you Maggie and I look forward to a long business relationship with you!!