Announcing the latest addition to DC Baby Planners

Photo by Pat Jesten, www.pixiememories.com

If you've been wondering why I haven't posted often... Besides being busy with my fabulous clients, I gave birth to my third son, Reilly Carter Macias, on Friday, February 11th.  What fun it has been to be experience the joy of pregnancy just like my clients! I am beyond blessed to have another healthy child. While this is my third time having a child, I'm still in awe of this miracle I created and I learn something new every day.

How blessed am I?!

Channel 8/TBD Interview: How To Survive the Holiday Chaos With Your New Baby

What fun I had yesterday! I was interviewed by the wonderful Melanie Hastings on TBD's Let's Talk Live. I shared a few tips on how to get through your first holiday season with a new baby.  

Baby Bargains Event featured on WUSA9

Our favorite reporter, Angie Goff reports on the fabulous Baby Bargains Celebration Event. Thanks Angie!

DC Baby Planners to be on the Ask Coach Lynn Show

I had the pleasure of joining Lynn Johnson live on her radio show last week. I shared with Lynn my advice on what parents-to-be and new parents should do to best prepare for their child's arrival. What fun! We will share the radio air date when it becomes available. The Lynn Johnson Show is syndicated and airs in over 100 countries and has over 10 million dedicated listeners. She also has a popular blog and featured a story on baby planners this past week. Thanks Coach Lynn!

Lynn Johnson is an award-winning international motivational speaker. She has been the subject of newspaper and magazine features including highlights on the front page of The Washington Times, NYC Parent Guide, The New Yorker Magazine, Essence Magazine, Heart and Soul Magazine and many others. . . . Lynn has been called one of the most powerful speakers in the world. She is able to address an audience, captivate them and move them both to tears and self realization at the same time.

Baby Bargains Celebration Event

Alan Fields signing a free copy of his best-selling new parent-to-be must-have book, Baby Bargains.

Wow! What a great day we had on September 25th at Great Beginnings. Thanks to the many businesses who joined us for the fabulous event including All Things Nanny, Ashley Tutors, Buggy Bonnets, C and C Gift Baskets, Cake Dreams, Capitol Baby Planners, Capital Hill Doula, Carolina Baby Co., Clever Container, Cultural Au Pair, Diaperbuds, EcoBabiesOnline, Ergo Baby, Happy Baby, Holy Cross Hospital, Malek Naz Freidouni Photography, Momma's Jewels, Onesies DC, Regal Lager, Scandinavian Child, Shady Grove Hospital, Spendalla, Stork Vision, Stroller Strides Montgomery County, Urban Tastes and ViaCord.

Fabulous photos of the event as well as some footage are now online. Hope you'll be able to join us at the next event!


Rachel

Tomorrow's Baby Bargains Celebration Event

Hard to believe, but tomorrow will be the event for new parents and parents-to-be in the DC area. It's the Baby Bargains Celebration Event, in which DC Baby Planners is a co-sponsor along with Britax and Great Beginnings. It's truly a not to miss event - come celebrate with us!

Prizes, raffles, over $10,000 in giveaways and much more. Meet & greet with representatives from many top companies featured in the Baby Bargains book.

Giveaways Including Dream Nurseries & Baby Gear!!
Book Signing ‐ Alan Fields, Author of the Baby Bargains Book, 10:30 a.m. ‐ 1:30 p.m.
*Great Beginnings will be giving away the first 400 Baby Bargain Books FREE!*
Britax Introduces New Car Seat Technology & New, Innovative Stroller Line
20% Off Everything in the store!
Up To 30% Off All Briax Products
Over 30 Local Vendor Tables, Groups & Booths
Time : 10:30 am - 4:00 pm
Date : September 25, 2010 - September 25, 2010
Great Beginnings
18501 N. Frederick Road
Gaithersburg MD 20879

DC Baby Planners featured on WUSA9's News

I had the pleasure last week of joining WUSA9's traffic and entertainment reporter, Angie Goff, on air to share my top baby registry picks. Angie is a first-time mom-to-be due in December and, like most in that position, unsure of what she needs. I enjoyed being able to share my recommendations with her!

Announcing Top Pick of the Week!

Followers and friends, my apologies for not posting recently. Where has the time gone? Let's see, to marketing a new business, my two boys, husband, old house, vacations, etc. Oh, did I mention that I'm pregnant with my third child? What is up with the pregnancy amnesia I've developed? I had completely wiped from my memory how tired I was with my sons' pregnancies and everything I did took twice as long. Well, I'm happy to report I'm in my 12th week and looking forward to my second trimester shortly as well as feeling a bit more human.

Trudging on despite falling asleep an hour ago on my laptop, I am happy to announce DC Baby Planners's top pick of the week. Each Thursday beginning in September, I will share with you my favorites whether they are products, places or events. I will have a short write-up and links for more information, where to purchase, etc. Comments are always welcome and encouraged.

If you'd like to see a particular type of item (e.g. stroller, bottle) or event (e.g. mom-friendly festival, baby class) featured, let me know and I'll be sure to cover it in the coming months.

Enjoy the rest of your summer! I will.

Rachel

NazPhotos

Celebrate Mamasitas!

Looking for a fun way to spend this coming Sunday? Celebrate Mama! is a free event for mamas of all ages and stages and will be held from 10 -4 on June 13th at GW's Courtyard on 20th Street between G & J Streets. Stop by DC Baby Planners to enter a drawing for fun prizes and giveaways. The event will include performances by: Little Maestro's (children's band), Barely Five Feet (80's/90's cover band) and The Singing Lizard (a singer with a twist on children's classics).

20% Off ALL Nursery Items at Babies"R"Us through May 27

Wow, I just came across this sale. Since many parents-to-be register at Babies"R"Us for nursery basics, I thought I'd share this great deal. 

Babies“R”Us Helps Parents Save While Planning Their Baby’s Nursery with
Biggest Nursery Sale Ever

THE Baby Products Authority Offers 20% Off ALL Nursery Items

Parents know that planning the perfect nursery is among one of the most important – and exciting – steps in preparing for the arrival of a new addition to their family. Nursery furniture and décor help express a personality for every baby’s room, creating a soothing environment for a child’s earliest years. To help parents find the perfect nursery items at prices to fit any budget, Babies“R”Us stores nationwide are offering the Biggest Nursery Sale Ever beginning Friday, May 7 and continuing through Thursday, May 27.

To participate in the Biggest Nursery Sale Ever, shoppers should stop by any Babies“R”Us store to receive a shopping pass. This pass offers customers 20% off of each item needed to fill a nursery, including ALL furniture, bedding, décor, mattresses, gliders and ottomans.* With 20% off every nursery item purchased, parents can truly decorate their baby’s entire room.

As an added bonus, customers visiting Babies“R”Us stores or Babiesrus.com will also find additional deals, including savings on apparel, feeding items and more.

Following are examples of deals valid Friday, May 7 through Thursday, May 27** in Babies“R”Us stores nationwide, while supplies last:
·         Up to 50% OFF ALL Carter’s Clothing
·         40% OFF ALL Koala Kids and Koala Baby clothing***
·         25% OFF all swimwear, canvas, beach and aqua shoes
·         BUY ONE GET ONE 50% OFF ALL Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature 2-pack and
3-pack bottles
·         BUY ONE GET ONE 50% OFF ALL Munchkin toddler mealtime items
·         SAVE $20 on ALL JJ Cole diaper bags priced at $69.99
·         SAVE $5 on Playtex Diaper Genie II Elite System
·         SAVE $5 on Swimways Baby Spring Float with Canopy

* Cannot be combined with any other offer. Excludes toddler furniture.
** Dates for this promotion vary by market. Check individual store for details.
*** Excludes swimwear and denim

Expecting? Expect to be Expecting?

Check out this free and fun event coming up this Sunday at Shade Grove Adventist Hospital. I'll be there!

Think Baby Expo

Inspiring Mom and Event

I want to tell you about the amazing Beth Nonte Russell and a great event coming up in a few days in DC at Apres Peau. I hope you will join me at this event -- the invite is posted below.

Beth is an author, psychologist, philanthropist and fragrance creator who resides in McLean with her husband DC lobbyist Randy Russell and two children. She wrote the best-selling book, Forever Lily (published by Touchstone, Simon and Shuster and currently being adapted into a screenplay), about the unexpected adoption of her daughter from China (Lily is now ten and Beth has since adopted a second daughter) and founded the Golden Phoenix Foundation which aims to end child abandonment worldwide.

Most recently, Beth created a fragrance called foreverlily, which was inspired by her book. The fragrance is worn by celebs like Dana Delaney and Jessica Alba. A portion of the proceeds from all sales are donated to the foundation. Beth just returned recently from China where she visited orphanages, met with governing officers and set forth plans, through her foundation, to build Lily Houses for girls who "age-out” of adoption homes.

This week, her fragrance will be launched at Apres Peau at an event hosted by Dr. Tina Alster. Beth will offer an introduction and autograph books. For every bottle sold, ten dollars will be given to the Golden Phoenix Foundation.

Hope to see you this Wednesday!

Rachel

ApresPeau

DC Baby Planners on ABC!

The fabulous Amy Tara Koch, author of the must-have book for pregnant women, Bump It Up, Transform Your Pregnancy Into the Ultimate Style Statement, was interviewed on DC's Let's Talk Live weekday news show earlier today.  She talked about her book, fashion tips for moms-to-be, useful pregnancy items and DC Baby Planners. Thanks for the shout out, Amy! I only wish your book was around before I had my babies.

Here's the nine-minute video. We are mentioned around 7 minutes 30 seconds into the story.

http://www.letstalklive.tv/n_videoplayer.cfm?video=ltlpregnancy041210.wmv&id=733

Mamasitas-to-be: Join DC Baby Planners at this free, fabulous event!

 BumpItUp_DC_v3

Seminar: DC Baby Planners is in its third trimester and hosting our third event for expectant and new parents.

DC Baby Planners will offer tips, advice and information on how to design, stock and set up the baby nursery of your dreams at a seminar on March 20th.  I’ll walk parents-to-be and new parents through the basics and how to get started.  I'll even give you tips on how to save money as well! 

Setting up your baby's nursery is one of the many joys you will have as an expectant parent. Deciding on what items you need to buy to fully furnish your baby's nursery however, can be a bit of a challenge, particularly if you are a first-time parent.  There are actually very few things a baby will truly need during his first few weeks of life other than clean diapers and food.  That doesn't mean, however, that you can't go all out when setting up your baby's nursery.  In fact, most parents take great joy in setting up their baby's nursery. Exactly which items are essential in a nursery vary from parent to parent.  There are some items that are unarguably indispensable to have in a baby's nursery.  DC Baby Planners will walk you through these basic essentials to get you started.


DC Baby Planners Seminar
Saturday, March 20, 2010, 5 - 6:30 PM
The Story Tellers
308-D Poplar Alley
Occoquan, VA
Cost: $15

To register: info@3storytellers.com or 703-494-1994
Questions: rachel@dcbabyplanners.com or 202-596-6378

Inspiration - Who inspires you?

Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.
-- Judy Garland

It's been a while since I posted, but I'm back. Did I mention I have two young boys who keep my life full and busy?

So here we are, it's the middle of March and Women's History Month. I've been thinking this last week about women in my life who have inspired me.  There have been and are many fabulous women in my life who help me to be the best I can.  These women are not necessarily my closest friends and family or the famous, but are often acquatances who are the same as me.

Last spring, I came across a listserv of mom business owners in the DC area called The Enterprising Moms. I was still exploring whether or not to become my own boss, and I signed up for this listserv and have been lurking on the list for about a year now. I don't know these women very well, but I think these women are inspirational.  Their businesses run the gamut from jewelry-making to writing books to accounting. They are truly inspirational every day women - they are not only managing their businesses, but raising their children and trying to have a work-life balance. I think they are terrific. What about you? Who inspires you?

Easy and Informative Event for Pregnant Women

Here's a wonderful, affordable option for pregnant women. No need to leave your home to learn!

Mary Oscategui, The Baby Planner presents:

A Zen Approach to Staying Healthy and Fit
throughout and after your pregnancy

An Online Webinar
Wednesday, April 7 2010
9pm-10pm est
$25

Join Mary to learn simple and effective ways to stay healthy and fit throughout and after pregnancy. She will share various techniques to reduce stress, maintain a healthy weight, and combine optimal nutrition.


To register:
mary@thebabyplanner.com
or 415-937-1602

Family Fun - The White House Easter Egg Roll

The White House announced today that there will be an online lottery for the limited tickets available for the White House Easter Egg Roll.  The annual event is open to children 12 and under. The lottery will be open from Feb 25 - 28, so log on and put your name in the running. I will!

Traveling with your little ones

I'm home, back in the snow-covered dc area. My six-month old and I just returned from a week spent visiting family and friends in Maine (where there was hardly any snow!). Each time I travel with my children, I try to figure out how I can make the overall experience better and more efficient. My nature is to be as prepared for whatever I can. I like spontaneity as much as the next mom, but not when it comes to traveling.  Usually, I learn something new each time I travel. This trip I decided to wait til I got there to buy baby supplies. I brought enough for the plane ride and then went to a Target after we got there and bought diapers and other needs. Made my luggage lighter and didn't have to worry about bringing enough. A great move and I will definitely do this again on future trips. On the downside, I tend to over pack clothes when I travel. This trip, I only brought my son six outfits this time as I decided I'd wash clothes halfway thru the trip. Well, this was the trip my son was sick and I could have used a few more outfits on hand. All I can say is thank you for the simple blessing of washing machines and clothes dryers.

What are your secrets for successful traveling with young kids? Any new tips for my next trek? I figure by the time I have a third child, I will be so dang good at traveling with kids!

Want to be an effective parent? Here's a mom with a lot of inspiration.

My friend, a reporter based in the Annapolis area, recently told me about a mom she had interviewed for a feature story. This mom of grown children is and has done it all. She has a syndicated one-minute radio series called "Front Porch Parenting" (available on  her website), more than 40 books published with over 2 million copies sold, and an informative blog. She is a sought after speaker and consultant. I've been reading through her blog and am enjoying it as well as the radio program. Now, I need to get some of her books for my boys.  Note, her work has a christian-based theme. Anyone read her books? Recommendations?

Book Recommendation for Parents-to-be

Can eating too much licorice in pregnancy cause a shorter pregnancy and decreased placental function? Can drinking cough syrup increase fertility rates? Got Milk? Do you need to drink milk during pregnancy or this is a vision from the powerful milk lobby?

Learn the answers in one of my favorite books that I recommend to clients these days. It's called "Hands Off My Belly: The Pregnant Woman's Survival Guide to Myths, Mothers, and Moods" by a husband and wife who are both obs and parents to four children. You can also follow their tweets on twitter at http://twitter.com/PregnancyMyths.

Seminar Tomorrow! DC Baby Planners Launches Seminar Series

Join DC Baby Planners for the first in a series of informational events for tips to save money in the early years of parenthood.  Whether you’re expecting your first, already have a toddler or two, you will walk with away with ways to dramatic cut costs or trim spending here and there. We prepare parents how to navigate the overwhelming baby industry without breaking the bank. The event is $15 and will be held at The Story Tellers in Occoquan. 

Having a Baby on a Budget

Saturday, January 23^rd, 5 – 6:30 pm

The Story Tellers

308-D Poplar Alley

Occoquan, VA

To register: info@storytellers.com or 703-494-1994

Questions? info@dcbabyplanners.com  or 202.596.6378

Recommended Wash Post Articles on Moms

This week, the Washington Post ran several articles on moms that are worth a read. The first, The Test of Time: A busy working mother tries to figure out where all her time is going by Brigid Schulte, is the author's account of trying to track the 30 hours of leisure time us working moms allegedly have each week.

The second article is Petula Dvorak's regular column and the title is More women in the workforce make bigger bucks than husbands. Her piece talks about a recent Pew Research Center study on changes in the economic balance of today's marriages.

What are your thoughts? Do we have 30 hours of leisure each week? Do our hubbys have it easier these days?

International Academy of Baby Planner Professionals Launches

I'm pleased to announce a fabulous new organization to help baby planning professionals every where. Founded by The Baby Planner, Mary Oscategui, The International Academy of Baby Planner Professionals will serve as the go to source for our industry. I'm honored to be a part of it as it launches. I will serve on the Board of Directors and head up business development and corporate relations.

Anyone interested in becoming a baby planner? Drop me a line!

Press Release:

East Meets West! Two Baby Planners Join Forces To Move The Baby Planning Industry Forward.

San Francisco, CA— January 20, 2010 The International Academy of Baby Planner Professionals launches their website and welcomes Ingrid Prueher of Savvy Mom On Call to join Mary Oscategui, as Co-President.

Ingrid Prueher established Savvy Mom On Call in 2009 and participated in the international academy’s first certification program for established baby planners. Her incredible passion to empower expectant, new, and seasoned parents through education and guidance really impressed Mary and the members of the academy. Once Mary began her search for a partner to run the academy, she saw Ingrid as the perfect fit. “I can’t say enough great things about her!” says Mary, “She carries a wealth of talent and knowledge, and delivers it with a warm and positive attitude. We are all really excited and feel extremely honored to have her on our team.”

Mary and Ingrid also happen to share a few additional things in common, although Mary is currently residing in Northern California, and Ingrid in Fairfield, Connecticut, both women are native New Yorkers, with a Hispanic background, and are fluent in Spanish. They are also first-time moms whose children are only a few months apart, and often times find themselves sharing the same thoughts. “It couldn’t have been a better match”, says Mary. "I cannot say enough about Mary and her idea about forming an international academy for baby planners. Unification in any industry is the key to growth. It is my honor to be part of such a wonderful team. We work incredibly together and with our education and work backgrounds our visions are endless." says Ingrid.

Rest of the press release

IABPP web site

New Mom Magazine Launched

Just heard about a new mom-focused magazine that just launched called, appropriately, Mom. Apparently it is geared towards the everyday mom not the camp targeted by the now defunct Cookie magazine. I plan to pick up a copy this week to check it out. Anyone read the magazine yet? Thoughts?

www.mom360.com

A free copy can be found thru this link -- http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LLTSVTR

Joining the Mom Blogoshere...

Welcome! Yup, it's official. I've joined the mom blogosphere. I'll be sharing my opinion, ideas and relevant stories to help you on your parenthood journey. I encourage comments and input from my readers and am looking forward to getting started.

Rachel
DC's Newest Baby Planner