Bump and Beyond

We’ve joined forces! Premier Baby Planning has partnered with St. Joseph Women’s Medical Center. The only hospital located in downtown Houston, St. Joseph has recently celebrated its 125th anniversary and is super convenient for working parents! We are adding events with flare to St. Joseph’s solid birth prep program. Events include dinner, information, fun and giveaways!

Click here to view the press release. Check our events page for details and registration information!

Buying Halloween costumes year after year can get expensive especially with babies and toddlers. At least with older children they use the costumes for dress of play throughout the year. Every year my local moms groups has a Halloween Swap. It’s great because you exchange costumes saving money and the environment at the same time! If you don’t have a costume, you can purchase a donated one for just $5!

 

Shakti Dalal, President of Excel Educational Consulting, lead our Private School Workshop on Monday, September 12. Shakti covered all the basic facets of private school including, major entry points, montessori versus a traditional setting, costs, and the standard process. 

This workshop was invaluable! Shakti spent 2 full hours answering questions from parents of toddlers. She has amazing insight to Houston area schools. As a former teacher and private school admissions counselor, Shakti knows the private school process and options inside and out.

Key points:

• Montessori allows a child to learn at his own pace
• If your child is in a Montessori program past the age of 5 or 6, he may have some difficulty transitioning to a traditional school setting
• Many private schools offer financial aid programs
• Fees are all inclusive at some schools meaning tuition, books, lunch, field trips, etc are including in the price. However, some schools operate in an a-la-cart manner. Consider this when searching for a private school within your budget.
• Take your child’s personality into consideration when searching for a school. A child may be able to cope academically, but the school must be a good fit for the child personality.
• A good private school will be able to recognize learning disabilities right away and provide you with guidance on how to move forward
• There are private school options for children with learning disabilities
• Many private schools include values in the curriculum
• Apply to your preferred 3 to 4 schools. You don’t want to overwhelm your child with testing. Also, the application process can be exhausting and expensive.
• You want to consider placing your child in a mother's day out or child care program prior to applying to a private preschool. Separation anxiety could make it difficult for your child to complete the preschool testing process.
• The right fit for you child is most important. The wrong fit could be detrimental for the entire family because you will have to start the process over again.

Excel Education Consulting offers hourly consulting or placement plans from preschool through high school. If you are feeling overwhelmed or misguided, Shakti Dalal can do the research and legwork for you. Visit http://www.excelprivateschoolconsulting.com/.

Yesterday, Dr. Michele Pola led our Navigating HISD

workshop. Unlike many other public school districts, the Houston Independent School District offers choices. Yes, we have a system that allows parents to choose which school their child will attend! Dr. Pola dispelled many myths about the system and offered guidance on the process, options and the future of our public schools. She did an amazing job! Dr. Pola even explained terms like Magnet, Vanguard, and Apollo. Whether you choose public or private school, all children deserve to get a quality education.

Key Points:

• HISD offers Montessori and Traditional structure programs
• HISD offer language immersion programs and will soon offer a Chinese language immersion school
• HISD is required to accommodate special needs children
• HISD offers International Baccalaureate programs
• HISD offers early college programs allowing students to earn a high school diploma and associates degree in 2 years reducing college tuition costs
• All HISD school buses have GPS tracking systems, air-conditioning and cameras
• Many HISD schools have after care programs to accommodate working parents
• HISD is introducing a new ground breaking testing to raise standards
• HISD is committed to giving all children in Houston a quality education

Visit http://www.houstonisd.org for more information.

Whether you are looking for bargains or to make some extra money, Just Between Friends is a great way to do it! Just Between Friends is a huge consignment sale that only happens twice a year! There will be loads of gently used baby, children’s and maternity gear for shoppers.

This is the best time of year to clean out your closets! If your children have outgrown gear or toys, consign them. Consignors get to name their price and keep majority percentage. Volunteer and get an even higher percentage of the sale! Whatever doesn’t get sold, goes to charity. It’s a win-win for everyone!

The Just Between Friends of West Houston fall sale is September 30 - October 1. Click here for specific times.

Premier Baby Planning is giving away exclusive pre-sale passes. Sign-up for our Balanced Family Newsletter for a chance to win!

I had a blast on Tuesday night speaking to a group on Moms at a private event. We talked about the dirty dozen and clean 15 courtesy of Healthy Child Healthy World, my take on going green with ease, and some of my favorite green products! Going green for me is staying away from harmful chemicals and using long-lasting or dual purpose products so I am not making too much of a contribution to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

  

Green Sprouts Disposable Compressed Wipes 
Discount available for Premier CityCard Members!

Clean Well Hand Sanitizer and Wipes

Oh Baby Organic Skincare Baby Butter

Episencial Soothing Cream

MD Moms Sunscreen and Silky Liquid Powder

Naturepedic Lightweight Series

Nook Sleep Systems Mattress, Toddler Pillow and Blanket

Green Buds Crib Mattress

Sprout Baby Food 
Click for Recycling and Environmental Details

Happy Baby Breakfast Smoothies
Click for Eco Packaging Details

Dapple Dish Liquid

Little Remedies Fever Reducer

My Carry Potty

Bibagogo Roll and Go Bib

Go GaGa Nomad Changing Pack

Premier Baby Planning packed up and drove to Fort Worth for the All Baby & Child Spring Educational Conference and Trade Show. We are thrilled to share a few of our loves with you!

Green Sprouts - Disposable Compressed Wipes

New! Soft and absorbent disposable wipes expand when moistened. Just dab a little water and voila! Free of alcohol, harsh chemicals, chlorine, and perfumes. Antibacterial and hypoallergenic. Made from plants! Perfect for travel. Includes reusable travel tube for easy-to-go. Especially perfect for little ones with sensitive skin.

Olivia B - Ventilated Bumpers

New from Olivia B are patent-pending VENTILATED SLAT BUMPERS, or "SLAT BUMPERS".  Olivia B’s Ventilated Slat Bumpers were specifically designed to address the concerns of medical professionals regarding the lack of air circulation in a crib when a traditional bumper is used. Medical research has shown that the more oxygen surrounding your baby during sleep, the safer your baby is from re-breathing exhaled carbon dioxide. Hence, the safer your baby is from suffering from SIDS. 

The bumpers are absolutely beautiful! To top it off, they are machine washable on gentle cycle and dryer safe using low heat. You can even iron the ties.  Check out the video that shows how the bumpers work!

Joovy - Tricycoo

The Joovy Tricycoo is cute as a button! Starting at 18 months, your child can can enjoying their very first vehicle and get some help with balance and coordination at the same time! The Tricycoo has a removable parent push handle so it grows with your child. When engaged, the parent push handle overrides the steering on the Tricycoo. 

• It has 4-positions and is adjustable from 32.5 to 38 inches high
• The front wheel pedals can be unlocked so the pedals to spin freely without force and “go” without the need to pedal. 
• Removable ‘baby surround arms’ safely enclose your child on the seat and the fold down footrest gives more stability to the child when riding. This gives them confidence and support while they perfect their balancing.
• Tricycoo sports injection-molded wheels with urethane treads
• A bell on the handlebar
• Large rear basket for take along play
• The Tricycoo frame is constructed of steel and it supports a child up to 44 pounds

The No-Compromise™ Organic Cotton Lightweight matches the strength and durability of an innerspring without the added weight. Layers of luxurious organic cotton batting create the perfect balance of firmness and comfort. Get the best of both worlds; firm and durable for baby, easy crib changing for mom, dad and caregivers! I especially love the dual firmness option. Perfect for the infant and toddler stage.

• Wipe clean waterproof surface
• Organic cotton fabric & filling
• Firm comfortable support
• Hypoallergenic design
• Non-toxic fire protection
• Seamless design
• 2-stage dual firmness option
• Safe expert design
• Weighs 10 to 12 lbs

This concept is the sweetest ever! The "i like book" is natural, pure and from the heart. It is designed so that each child has their own book and the adults in their life write something they "like" about them. Whether you make an entry once a week or once a day does not matter. The biggest suggestion is to try and make it as interactive as possible (let them know what you "like" about them). Life can be so stressful and feel hurried so it’s nice to take a step back and say something nice about your child. I love that it is in a book so that you have memories for years to come.

The Childrite Seat - Chair for Special Needs Children

The Childrite seat is a support chair for special needs children. Aside from a wheel chair, a lot of special needs children don’t have a variety of options. It has a high back with a wrap around style to provide support for your child to help strengthen their trunk muscles. The Childrite™ seat measures 10.5 inches across in width and the depth from the interior edge of the pommel to the center back is 10 inches. Height of the seat measures 11.5 inches from the deepest point of the scooped seat to the top of the seat back. The Child Rite Seat was designed to meet the needs of both children and their families. 

• Compact
• Durable
• Portable (with one hand)
• Easy to clean
• Made of a soft comfortable foam material

Healthy Child Healthy World

Premier Baby Planning presented Healthy Child Healthy World hosted by Farrah Braniff Photographs! Check out our sponsors! Click here for additional information or visit healthychild.org for more information.

Premier Baby Planning attended the 8th annual ABC Kids Expo this year! There were over 900 exhibitors showcasing any and everything baby! We spent four full days covering one million square feet of products from car seats and strollers to bibs and sippy cups! We loved meeting with manufacturers learning about current products and knew ones too. 

About the ABC Kids Expo

The ABC Kids Expo is the premier juvenile products specialty show in the nation. It was founded as a partnership between independent retailers and the manufacturers who support them, to promote the long-term growth of the industry and to provide valuable opportunities for networking and education.

Baby Bjorn

The perfect transition cup for a toddler!

• The plastic is certified safe for foods 
• PVC-free and contains no bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates, cadmium, lead, bromine or chlorine
• The plastic is recyclable
• Microwave, dishwasher and freezer-safe
• Large, wide, rubber base helps baby keep cup upright
• Perfect size for small hands
• Best feature of all are the graduated markings in ml and oz

Undercover Mama

A must-have for all nursing moms!

• Turns any nursing bra into a nursing tank
• Keep using with regular bras after nursing
• Nice long length
• Soft stretchy slimming fabric
• Machine washable
• Many nursing moms are self conscious nursing in public showing their bellies and bums. This takes care of that!

MD Moms

Safe products for baby’s skin and safe for mom too!

• Silky liquid powder
• Great for hot days and humid climates
• Contains no phthalates, lanolin, mineral oil, petroleum or waxes
• Paraben-free, preservative-free
• Non talc
• Smooth on like lotion, then dries into a powder

Bibagogo

The bib that does everything! Perfect for traveling.

• Catch-all pocket
• Rolls up easily into a small fold
• Hidden pockets for utensils and wipes
• Long and wide
• Adjustable nap making it difficult to remove
• Machine washable

B Box

The ultimate portable diaper caddy!

• The Essential Baby Box
• Dual access to wipes with one hand 
• Holds wipes, diapers, disposable bags and changing pad
• BPA, Phthalates and PVC free
• Small and easily fits into a handbag

Fabulous Products Coming Soon...

Nook Playmat

Perfect playmat from birth and beyond! Beautiful, safe for baby, and waterproof!

• Machine washable
• Organic
• Folds easily for storage
• Assymetrical breathable pebble pattern
• Stain resistant and water resistant

Medela Freestyle Attachment

Soon you will be able to pump directly into bags using your Freestyle breast pump! 

• Bags take up less room than bottles
• No transferring from bottles to bags for freezing

My Carry Potty

The ideal potty for home and travel!

  

• Perfect size
• No plastic bags equals less waste
• Leak proof, odor proof
• Durable, high quality plastic
• Lightweight so little ones can carry their own potty

Visit our facebook page for ABC Kids Expo photos!!!

The 9th annual B.I.R.T.H. Fair will be Saturday, October 2 from 11am - 4pm at the United Way Center of Houston. There will be panel discussions on topics such as nutrition, breastfeeding and birthing options, as well as, door prizes and many local vendors.

This free event is organized by B.I.R.T.H. (Bringing Information and Resources to Houston), a non-profit organization of parents, midwives, physicians, childbirth educators, doulas, professional labor support and lactation consultants.  B.I.R.T.H. works to create the emergence of a Houston community which promotes healthy, natural and safe birth for mothers and babies by providing access to information and resources in person, in print and on-line. B.I.R.T.H. encourages high standards and provide a support network for Houston's birth community.

For more information visit houbirth.org or call 832.318.9654.