Boston Mamas: BPA & Baby Bottles Get the lowdown on Bisphenol A (BPA), and which baby bottles are or are not BPA-free

Car & Caboodle: Lost in Austin with Dadlabs’s Clay Nichols Clay shares his worst car moment and more

Coochicoos: Y Water - Drink, Design & Toy Designer Yves Behar designs bottle for new kid’s drink called Y Water

Healthy Bump: Affordable, Trendy Maternity Tees If you are looking for a comfortable yet trendy maternity tee then you need to take a look at the adorable tees at Baby & Momma.

Moms Buzz: Parenting Style 101 - What’s Your Parenting Style? Promoting self-discipline and self-esteem of one’s children often requires an emotional juggling act by parents. It is not easy to be firm and demanding one minute, then warm and affectionate the next. What’ Your Parenting Style?

Taia Hair Clips: Taia hair clips are simply adorable and designed to stay put in even the finest of hair! They are so sweet and have just a touch of bling! A girl’s’ gotta have bling! Lots of cute styles to choose from, your little girl will be a dazzling diva in her Taia clips! Also, Swanky Moms’ readers receive 15% off their first order with coupon code “swankymoms”.

Parent Blog Roundup Giveaways:

Classy Mommy: Win 4 Board Books from the Good Night Our World Series
3 Winners will be chosen! Prep for bed as you read about your very own city, favorite vacation spot, or a future destination you are planning to visit. Classy Mommy loves this series! Almost every major city in the US is featured (along with AMERICA) and new cities are being added frequently. They also have books with more generic destinations like The Beach and The Zoo.

MomFinds: Win a Haute Kiley Bag from HMR by Christine Price Didn’t get what you wanted for Valentine’s Day? Tell us how you spent V-Day for a chance to win this fabulous bag.

One Chic Mama: Be Our Valentine “Beauty Bag” Giveaway We’re giving away a Gold Heart Envelope from Dante Beatrix packed full of beauty products you’re gonna love!

Disney Dream Vacation Giveaway from Modern Mom We’re on-location at Walt Disney World all week to kick off our Dream Vacation Giveaway! Read our blog + watch our videos for your chance to win!

Maybe I watched JAWS once too many times and as a result I have a curious love/hate relationship with these animals. At the beach, I incessantly scan the horizon for fins and constantly try to get my kids closer to shore, yet every time a shark/human encounter makes headlines, I obsessively tune in!

The good news is shark attacks are rare and infrequent. Sharks are generally not bloodthirsty maniacal killers. Considering that tens of thousands of people come in close contact with sharks each year while swimming, surfing, or boating, numbers of shark attacks are negligible. Still, if you are concerned about your kids in the ocean, here are some simple tips to avoid a ‘close encounter’ with a shark: Read the rest »

You’re trekking over what seems like miles of unforgiving sandy terrain, hauling pounds of gear and apparatus, your arms start to tremble from the strain, your knees begin to buckle, your voice is hoarse from yelling at the kids to slow down and then…you see it. The perfect patch of sand that is not too close to the water, not to close to other people. You call to the rest of the family with undue excitement, “This is our spot! Drop everything here!” Blankets, umbrellas, coolers, beach bags, shoes, shirts all tumble into a pile and everybody bolts to the water. But, wait. You’ve not only missed your chance to slather everybody with sunscreen, you’ve missed your best opportunity to stress to your kids that in the event that can’t find you, they should look for your stuff, head there and stay put. In the myriad of supplies that you’ve toted, you should bring items that will easily distinguish your area from the hundreds of other sunbathers on the beach. Here is a list of very visible markers to choose from to mark your spot:

· Pick a spot near a lifeguard tower. This serves as a visible landmark as well as keeps you close to help, if needed.

· Choose a bright-colored beach blanket with distinctive markings. Or, instead of a beach blanket, use a Queen sized flat sheet. They’re lighter to carry, easier to clean, and bigger than most beach blankets. Also, distinctive, bright colored designs are easy to find on a flat sheet (we bring along my daughter’s old Hello Kitty sheet – the brilliant pink kitty faces are easy to see and the only one on the beach!) Read the rest »

Spas used to be ‘adults only’ destinations. Once a woman had children, a visit to a spa with her girlfriends might be a once a year event that had to be carefully orchestrated around the schedules of husbands, grandparents, and babysitters. Thanks to a new breed of spas that are equipped with on site childcare for babies, camps and activity centers for kids of all ages, and manis, pedis, and massages for preschoolers, tweens, and teens, a day at the spa can be yours any time you wish. The past five years has witnessed an explosion in the number of spas that welcome babies and toddlers. The spa industry has responded to the needs of Generation X women who want to spend a lot of time with their children, yet don’t want to sacrifice adult friendships, by making their facilities kid friendly, without sacrificing quality, style, or décor.

The Ojai Valley Inn & Spa in Ojai California (www.ojaniresort.com) has recently undergone a $90 million renovation. “Since May 2003 when we began this project,” says Managing Director Thad Hyland, “we’ve demolished a dozen buildings, laid 15 miles of cable, buried 5 miles of pipe, and installed 200,000 square feet of Saltillo tile and 20,000 pieces of decorative tile. Now, more than 5,000 gallons of paint, a half dozen new fountains and 125 trees later, we can really see the results of our labor.” Camp Ojai for children ages 5-12 offers supervised educational activities with a focus on learning about the Chumash Indians, and a daily visit to the Ranch’s small animal farm and a pony ride. Likewise, the Hotel Del Coronado (www.hoteldel.com), located just outside of San Diego, keeps young guests busy at their Tent City Kids Camp (ages 4-12) where kids can do arts and crafts, learn to surf, and practice paddle boating, or make their own tye-die t-shirts while mom gets a Seaside enzyme wrap ($185 for 80 minutes) or deep cleansing facial treatment ($130 for 50 minutes. The camp costs $45 dollars for one child, $40 for each additional, and $65 for an extended Kid’s Night Out. Read the rest »