OKAY...I know it has been a veryyy long time since Never OutGrown has posted.
Just to keep everyone up to date...the Never OutGrown Official Mascot....Nora is 9 months old! She is huge and getting bigger by the day!
Also, we are in the process of redoing our website. We are adding new merchandise and hopefully making the page easier to use. You are able to access our current page and (shop or become a part of our resale and consignment program) but just be on the lookout for a new and improved site!!!
Thanks for all of your support. Hope everyone is doing well
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Happy Five Month Birthday Nora
Nora Face...I can't believe you are 5 months today. I know to the world that doesn't seem very old...but to me I feel like I am going to be dropping you off at college any day! It's amazing all that you have learned in this short amount of time. Not too long ago you just laid around..wailed a little bit when you were hungry...and then laid around some more. Now you set your little eyes on something and reach for it...you try to grab your bottle, your toys, you even try to capture bubbles in your grasp. You know what you want and you go for it...I hope that continues forever. Never give up little lady...
In 5 months you have found your toes, your tongue and your ears. In 5 months you have found your voice and have figured out how to express pleasure and displeasure. Keep that up too....learn to be tactful yet firm in your needs and wants. Stand up for yourself when you need to but know your place too.
It won't be long now before you are crawling around and exploring your world (our house) all by yourself...so my wish for us is to do it together while we can. I promise to cuddle and hold you as much as you want...and not to pass you off to grandma and daddy when I get tired. I want to hold you and smell that baby smell as long as I can....I promise I will
In 5 months you have found your toes, your tongue and your ears. In 5 months you have found your voice and have figured out how to express pleasure and displeasure. Keep that up too....learn to be tactful yet firm in your needs and wants. Stand up for yourself when you need to but know your place too.
It won't be long now before you are crawling around and exploring your world (our house) all by yourself...so my wish for us is to do it together while we can. I promise to cuddle and hold you as much as you want...and not to pass you off to grandma and daddy when I get tired. I want to hold you and smell that baby smell as long as I can....I promise I will
Love you Nora Face
Happy 5month Birthday
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Happy Grandparent's Day
Top 6 Reasons Grandparent's Are Special
6 - Free and reliable babysitting service. With grandparent’s you never have to worry about the babysitter canceling at the last minute or coming home after a way overdue date night to find the sitter on the phone and a pile of dishes in the sink. Oh, and it’s free!
5 – They never get tired. It is amazing! They can swing, rock, and walk with a crying baby for hours. After you have tried everything and just can’t rock or hush anymore – grandma will willingly take over to soothe that little bundle of joy. Grandparents relieve us from our duties temporarily. It gives us a chance to gain our composure and even take a shower!
4 – They indulge your child’s gratuitous appetite. In a world of homemade baby food, tofu, and organic everything there is an extreme amount of pressure to feed your kids properly. While this move towards educating ourselves and our children about health and nutritious is warranted and desperately needed in this country it can be exhausting. And let’s face it…it is expensive. Grandparents give your children a chance to enjoy a can of Chef Boyardee without the guilt. No one is going to lecture a grandma on the preservatives and artificial ingredients in Americana comfort food. So, let grandma and grandpa wield off the stares from the other parents as they indulge your kid in a Happy Meal with fries instead of apple slices!
3– They put the current parenting trends into perspective. As parents, it’s natural to want to provide the best life possible for your children, full of opportunity and stimulation. It seems like everywhere we turn around another expert is trying to convince us to follow their parenting method or to buy their product. It is exhausting trying to keep up. Grandparents remind us that the best thing for our children is genuine love, genuine attention, and genuine time. We don’t have to buy the trendiest educational toys or take every parenting class offered at the hospital. Know that education and stimulation begin in the home first. You can make anything a learning game – use fruit loops to teach colors and counting. Use words to teach language. Grandparents take you back to a simpler time when a cardboard box was all that was needed for a day’s worth of fun.
2 – They allow us to make mistakes. The fear of making mistakes in parenting choices can be a crippling one. Parent’s struggle everyday to make the best decisions for their kids and families. When to reprimand, and when to let it go… when to stand your ground and when to give in. Parents will inevitably make the wrong decisions sometime despite their valiant efforts. Grandparents remind us that we turned out okay! It is through remembering our childhood that we are reminded that children will remember some of our mistakes into adulthood but many will become a forgotten memory. We are good parents and good people despite our parent’s mistakes. ..and our kids will be too.
1 – Your children experience an entirely different kind of love that parents cannot provide. Yes it is unconditional and yes it is all consuming like a parents love…but it must be different somehow. A child is the product of love…a grandchild is like the product of love but doubled. For a grandparent, it must be a constant reminder that they found love in their lifetime and their child has also. What an amazing accomplishment.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Can Someone Please Explain Craigslist Police?
Okay! Enough is enough...I have had it with the Craigslist police. I know there are rules and guidelines on what you can post and how you can solicit but I am so confused on what they are. Everytime I post something "my post has been flagged for removal." Everytime I get that e-mail my feelings are hurt...aw like when your friends abandon you and you have to eat lunch alone. That's how it feels when someone flags my post.
Now...I am a very nice person...Honest too. Oh, and an upstanding citizen. Not some crazy person stuck in Nigeria looking for people to wire me money so that I may come to America to study medicine! Ugh! All I would like to do is tell moms and dads that are looking to purchase baby clothes - to visit my website or e-mail me.
I include all my contact information...along with my facebook account...twitter account...and blog. They can find me...obviously I am not trying to be a nameless person just soliciting business. I'm confused
Can someone please tell me why Craigslist hates me?
Now...I am a very nice person...Honest too. Oh, and an upstanding citizen. Not some crazy person stuck in Nigeria looking for people to wire me money so that I may come to America to study medicine! Ugh! All I would like to do is tell moms and dads that are looking to purchase baby clothes - to visit my website or e-mail me.
I include all my contact information...along with my facebook account...twitter account...and blog. They can find me...obviously I am not trying to be a nameless person just soliciting business. I'm confused
Can someone please tell me why Craigslist hates me?
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Yay! Never OutGrown Received Online Press
Okay...so I am thrilled. Never OutGrown received its first bit of online press through an Eco Friendly Community. It is a small feature but I am totally proud.
Visit it if you have chance...
http://www.factorydirectpromos.com/blog/eco-friendly-community/never-outgrown-is-a-practical-store-for-stylish-kids/
Visit it if you have chance...
http://www.factorydirectpromos.com/blog/eco-friendly-community/never-outgrown-is-a-practical-store-for-stylish-kids/
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Beyond the Video Game Cycle - Cheap, Active, and Educational Ways to Entertain You and Your Family
Ideas on how to entertain your baby, toddler, or walking age child! Perfect for stay at home moms and the 20-something moms itching to get out of the house despite the struggling economy. If you have other suggestions please feel free to add them in the comment section =)
Entertaining kids in this fast paced world is getting more and more difficult. The days of card board box trains and building forts in the back yard have been replaced with a consistent influx of digital media bombarding children from the house to the car. If you and your children are disillusioned with with video game and television entertainment but are struggling to find inexpensive age appropriate activities here are five hidden hotspots for family entertainment in your neighborhood.
Utilize your local community both county and city wide; local governments spend tax dollars to discover and fund ways to entertain you and your family. In efforts to ensure that local communities are thriving and to draw more families to the area, your county/city is actively planning cultural and family events. You can often find clown performances or ice cream socials at your local park; open plays at your local gymnasium or city center; and even moonlight music on your riverfront (good for a free date night)! Visit your city and county webpage to take advantage of events in your surrounding neighborhoods also. While you’re browsing be sure to check out the city’s Parks-and-Recreation webpage which will also list parades, firework shows, carnivals, and other local festivities.
If you are looking to introduce your child to the arts, get in touch with your local museum and inquire about their children’s activities. Again, in efforts to increase visitor traffic, your local museum offers a number of classes and events that are often free or of minimal cost. Art museums usually provide drawing or painting sessions for toddlers and young children – allowing your children to express their artistic tendencies without finger painting on your freshly mopped tile floor. Science museums provide interactive experiments in their classrooms. Children’s museums usually provide free passes to the schools that are made available to the parents . And most museums offer guided tours of their exhibits geared toward specific age groups. Some museums even offer summer camps!
Another great resource is your local library. Mastering literacy at an early age is not only a significant developmental milestone, it is essential for success even in mundane daily events. Today, libraries have moved beyond just story times to teaching literacy through multiple forms of age appropriate media . Although, not every activity will suit your needs as different events are geared towards different age groups, libraries have made great strides to increase their community appeal. I have found interactive puppet shows, “carnival” type festivals, and even live music shows for your babies, toddlers, and young kids. For your older children many libraries offer SAT prep classes, tutoring, even Driver’s Ed. Check out your counties library webpage for a list of age appropriate events. Events often differ at each location so you can make the “rounds” and have an activity for everyday.
If you are still searching for ideas, your local baby store is an undiscovered treasure when it comes to activities for you and your baby and toddler. As a clever marketing strategy, many baby stores offer in-store classes and events that are often times, free or of little cost. While all stores vary, you may find lactation classes, infant CPR, even pre and post natal yoga. In addition to classes, I have found many stores that offer age-appropriate story times and open plays…even “Mommy and Me” style classes. These are often ideal ways to spend the morning because they do not require a steep financial or time commitment and they are geared towards the needs of both you and your child. Ask for a calendar of events next time you stop in for binky.
Finally, investigate your area school district. Many districts offer community classes at very low rates. They range from “Mommy and Me” classes for babies and toddlers to reasonably prices tennis or ballet lessons for walking age and above. If you are looking to do something for yourself and your partner will watch the kids – look into a class for yourself. These life-long learning programs run cooking, computer, foreign language, ballroom dance, and even cake decorating curriculums.
Getting out of the house, enjoying the fresh air, and involving you and your family in your local community is a great way to build neighborhood and family morale. Take advantage of your tax dollars and enjoy wholesome education fun for the family whole tuckering out the kiddies.
Entertaining kids in this fast paced world is getting more and more difficult. The days of card board box trains and building forts in the back yard have been replaced with a consistent influx of digital media bombarding children from the house to the car. If you and your children are disillusioned with with video game and television entertainment but are struggling to find inexpensive age appropriate activities here are five hidden hotspots for family entertainment in your neighborhood.
Utilize your local community both county and city wide; local governments spend tax dollars to discover and fund ways to entertain you and your family. In efforts to ensure that local communities are thriving and to draw more families to the area, your county/city is actively planning cultural and family events. You can often find clown performances or ice cream socials at your local park; open plays at your local gymnasium or city center; and even moonlight music on your riverfront (good for a free date night)! Visit your city and county webpage to take advantage of events in your surrounding neighborhoods also. While you’re browsing be sure to check out the city’s Parks-and-Recreation webpage which will also list parades, firework shows, carnivals, and other local festivities.
If you are looking to introduce your child to the arts, get in touch with your local museum and inquire about their children’s activities. Again, in efforts to increase visitor traffic, your local museum offers a number of classes and events that are often free or of minimal cost. Art museums usually provide drawing or painting sessions for toddlers and young children – allowing your children to express their artistic tendencies without finger painting on your freshly mopped tile floor. Science museums provide interactive experiments in their classrooms. Children’s museums usually provide free passes to the schools that are made available to the parents . And most museums offer guided tours of their exhibits geared toward specific age groups. Some museums even offer summer camps!
Another great resource is your local library. Mastering literacy at an early age is not only a significant developmental milestone, it is essential for success even in mundane daily events. Today, libraries have moved beyond just story times to teaching literacy through multiple forms of age appropriate media . Although, not every activity will suit your needs as different events are geared towards different age groups, libraries have made great strides to increase their community appeal. I have found interactive puppet shows, “carnival” type festivals, and even live music shows for your babies, toddlers, and young kids. For your older children many libraries offer SAT prep classes, tutoring, even Driver’s Ed. Check out your counties library webpage for a list of age appropriate events. Events often differ at each location so you can make the “rounds” and have an activity for everyday.
If you are still searching for ideas, your local baby store is an undiscovered treasure when it comes to activities for you and your baby and toddler. As a clever marketing strategy, many baby stores offer in-store classes and events that are often times, free or of little cost. While all stores vary, you may find lactation classes, infant CPR, even pre and post natal yoga. In addition to classes, I have found many stores that offer age-appropriate story times and open plays…even “Mommy and Me” style classes. These are often ideal ways to spend the morning because they do not require a steep financial or time commitment and they are geared towards the needs of both you and your child. Ask for a calendar of events next time you stop in for binky.
Finally, investigate your area school district. Many districts offer community classes at very low rates. They range from “Mommy and Me” classes for babies and toddlers to reasonably prices tennis or ballet lessons for walking age and above. If you are looking to do something for yourself and your partner will watch the kids – look into a class for yourself. These life-long learning programs run cooking, computer, foreign language, ballroom dance, and even cake decorating curriculums.
Getting out of the house, enjoying the fresh air, and involving you and your family in your local community is a great way to build neighborhood and family morale. Take advantage of your tax dollars and enjoy wholesome education fun for the family whole tuckering out the kiddies.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Remembering to Make Memories - Modern Day Alternatives to the Traditional Baby Book
The changes and developments babies experience in their first few years are life are rapid and precious. One day they are drinking formula out of a bottle and the next day they are vocal enough to express that the food from your dinner plate looks more appealing. Of course, these cherished moments are sprinkled in the chaos of everyday life; the meltdown at the supermarket, the sleepless nights during teething, and running out of diapers just before bedtime. With all that parents have to handle on a daily basis it’s no surprise that the task of recording milestones in that beautiful baby book is often set aside for another day.
Parents often find themselves in the cycle of trying to remember whether their baby rolled over for the first time on a Wednesday afternoon or a Tuesday morning. Rather, than get caught up in the guilt that may come along with neglecting the baby book, a couple of modern day alternatives may help parents record these milestones in an increasingly hectic world.
First, it is important to always have the camera charged and ready to go. For new parents this is an easy step to accomplish. The camera does all the work…it captures the moments and stamps them with the time and date. Take pictures at restaurants, parks, malls, office buildings…just keep snapping. Develop the pictures regularly, make it part of the routine. If grocery shopping is done on a Sunday arrange to pick up the pictures at the store on Sundays also. After picking up the pictures, write a small caption on the back of each picture. If baby got fussy while shopping in the produce section or spit up on a blouse at the mall that you didn’t intend to buy…write it down. Try not to worry about always capturing the big events like rolling over, but rather the daily events that capture your baby’s unique and individual personality. Store the pictures in photo albums with clear sleeves. Only put one picture in each sleeve so that as you flip the pages you are able to read the caption on the back. Once the album is full, write the month and year on the outside cover and then you can keep them stored chronologically.
Another great way to remember milestones is through your cell phone’s video recorder. This function often allows its users to record very short videos at the “touch of a button.” This is a great option are quick ways to make lasting memories without the commitment of lugging around a large video camera. Record your baby when they are happy and again make it a ritual. Maybe do it every morning just after the first bottle or right after bath time…just pick a time when you are both typically calm. As you record, have you or your partner do light hearted narration in the back – you can do this from the parent or child perspective. For example, “Today is April 9th, and Mommy and Daddy changed lots of diapers and fed baby with a spoon” or “I have my first cold today. I am all stuffed up and Daddy keeps bugging me and wiping my nose.” Technology has progressed so much that worrying about the date or time is usually not necessary, as the phone will likely record that as well. What makes this option so special is that the baby has an active rather than passive role in the process. Download the videos onto your computer and make sure you back them up and you can play them for a lifetime. Put them on a disk and give it to your child as a gift when they have their first baby.
If you are a fan of the traditional baby book or want to scrapbook your baby’s memories here are a few pointers that may aid you…
Keep an item in your diaper bag that will help you keep track of moments that are important to you. It can be a notepad where you can quickly jot down dates and note. Maybe a small calendar so that you can write the event on the specific day. Even a check book would suffice. If the thought of taking notes reminds you too much of school, invest in a voice recorder for your keychain. These gadgets are small and allow you to record a verbal note quickly and on the go. Since your keys are always with you it is a convenient way to remember, “baby tried carrots today April 9th and liked them.”
Then pick a special time of day or week that you are able to dedicate to transferring all of that information to your baby book or scrapbook. Try and make sure it’s during nap time or when grandma is babysitting so that you don’t get distracted and forget any important details.
As a new parent it is natural to want your baby to have the best of everything and to be the perfect person to provide them that experience. However, “spit up happens,” and constructing the perfect baby book can become stressful and next to impossible. These tips are designed to help you cherish the hiccups during Sunday service and the smiles during nightly bath.
Visit http://www.neveroutgrown.com/
or email directly at kate@neveroutgrown.com
Parents often find themselves in the cycle of trying to remember whether their baby rolled over for the first time on a Wednesday afternoon or a Tuesday morning. Rather, than get caught up in the guilt that may come along with neglecting the baby book, a couple of modern day alternatives may help parents record these milestones in an increasingly hectic world.
First, it is important to always have the camera charged and ready to go. For new parents this is an easy step to accomplish. The camera does all the work…it captures the moments and stamps them with the time and date. Take pictures at restaurants, parks, malls, office buildings…just keep snapping. Develop the pictures regularly, make it part of the routine. If grocery shopping is done on a Sunday arrange to pick up the pictures at the store on Sundays also. After picking up the pictures, write a small caption on the back of each picture. If baby got fussy while shopping in the produce section or spit up on a blouse at the mall that you didn’t intend to buy…write it down. Try not to worry about always capturing the big events like rolling over, but rather the daily events that capture your baby’s unique and individual personality. Store the pictures in photo albums with clear sleeves. Only put one picture in each sleeve so that as you flip the pages you are able to read the caption on the back. Once the album is full, write the month and year on the outside cover and then you can keep them stored chronologically.
Another great way to remember milestones is through your cell phone’s video recorder. This function often allows its users to record very short videos at the “touch of a button.” This is a great option are quick ways to make lasting memories without the commitment of lugging around a large video camera. Record your baby when they are happy and again make it a ritual. Maybe do it every morning just after the first bottle or right after bath time…just pick a time when you are both typically calm. As you record, have you or your partner do light hearted narration in the back – you can do this from the parent or child perspective. For example, “Today is April 9th, and Mommy and Daddy changed lots of diapers and fed baby with a spoon” or “I have my first cold today. I am all stuffed up and Daddy keeps bugging me and wiping my nose.” Technology has progressed so much that worrying about the date or time is usually not necessary, as the phone will likely record that as well. What makes this option so special is that the baby has an active rather than passive role in the process. Download the videos onto your computer and make sure you back them up and you can play them for a lifetime. Put them on a disk and give it to your child as a gift when they have their first baby.
If you are a fan of the traditional baby book or want to scrapbook your baby’s memories here are a few pointers that may aid you…
Keep an item in your diaper bag that will help you keep track of moments that are important to you. It can be a notepad where you can quickly jot down dates and note. Maybe a small calendar so that you can write the event on the specific day. Even a check book would suffice. If the thought of taking notes reminds you too much of school, invest in a voice recorder for your keychain. These gadgets are small and allow you to record a verbal note quickly and on the go. Since your keys are always with you it is a convenient way to remember, “baby tried carrots today April 9th and liked them.”
Then pick a special time of day or week that you are able to dedicate to transferring all of that information to your baby book or scrapbook. Try and make sure it’s during nap time or when grandma is babysitting so that you don’t get distracted and forget any important details.
As a new parent it is natural to want your baby to have the best of everything and to be the perfect person to provide them that experience. However, “spit up happens,” and constructing the perfect baby book can become stressful and next to impossible. These tips are designed to help you cherish the hiccups during Sunday service and the smiles during nightly bath.
Visit http://www.neveroutgrown.com/
or email directly at kate@neveroutgrown.com
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