Parents often neglect hanging Christmas decorations and participating in other Christmas festivities with the belief that their baby is too young to enjoy them. What many parents don’t realize is that the lights, smells, and sounds of Christmas help boost baby’s development. Below are some helpful tips to ensure that your baby has an enjoyable and safe holiday.

Treat Christmas as a Learning Experience for Your Baby

Hang lights on the Christmas tree – Your baby will be mesmerized by the colorful lights, and it’s a good way to boost development.

Capture the holiday with baby Christmas ornaments – Immortalize baby’s first Christmas by purchasing or making a baby Christmas ornament to hang on the tree. Your child will enjoy hanging his or her first ornament on the tree every year.

Play Christmas music – Your baby will enjoy dancing and wiggling to the beat of the music. Play fun, upbeat Christmas music to set the mood.

Choose a few baby toys or baby books for your child to unwrap on Christmas day – Choose age-appropriate toys and books that your child will enjoy, and help him or her unwrap the gifts on Christmas day. The tearing of Christmas paper is another great activity that boosts motor skill development.

The holiday season offers many opportunities to get your baby involved, creating lasting memories for years to come. Your baby will be excited and stimulated by the lights, sounds, and activities of the holiday season. Most of all, parents will be pleased to witness the joy and wonder on their child’s face when exposed to new and exciting stimuli.

Make Sure Your Expectations of Baby’s First Christmas are Realistic
Avoiding unrealistic expectations of what your baby can handle during the holiday season is important when it comes to ensuring that your baby has a safe, enjoyable holiday. Below are a few tips for avoiding common holiday drawbacks.

Avoid over stimulating your baby – Babies can easily be overwhelmed by all of the excitement and activity during the holidays, therefore it is a good idea to develop a routine. If you sense that your baby is becoming cranky during your holiday celebration, take him or her to a quiet room for special time with mom. Also, consider adding a fan to your baby’s room to limit guest noise that may disturb him or her from much-needed rest.

Skip the visit with Santa if your baby is sensitive around strangers – If your baby is hypersensitive to strangers, skip the visit with Santa this year. Instead, get photos of baby experiencing other Christmas-related activities, such as tearing wrapping paper or tasting age-appropriate holiday foods for the first time. These events will be just as special for your baby and less traumatic.

Baby-proof your house – The holidays bring additional household hazards for baby, however, there are steps you can take to make your baby’s first Christmas a safe, enjoyable event. One of the most important baby Christmas safety tips involves anchoring the Christmas tree to the wall or ceiling to ensure it won’t topple over when the inevitable tugging occurs. In addition, ensure that there are no ornaments or decorations within your baby’s reach containing small pieces that he or she might choke on.

Hang glass and other breakable ornaments on the top of the tree – Place plastic ornaments and other trinkets that can withstand exploration at the bottom of the tree (ensuring that the ornaments do not have small parts that baby might choke on).

Preserve Holiday Memories
Perhaps the most important baby’s first Christmas tip involves preserving holiday memories. You will want to have something to look back on for years to come, and fortunately there are a variety of ways to keep the memory alive. Below are some tips for preserving holiday memories with baby.

Take plenty of pictures – You will want to have a memory of baby’s first Christmas, so take plenty of pictures of your child participating in holiday festivities.

 Keep a holiday journal to record the happenings – Include a list of baby’s presents and other holiday memories you don’t want to forget.

Develop holiday photos as soon as possible – Transfer holiday photos to your computer as soon as possible to ensure that they are not accidentally deleted. Once this has been done, get holiday baby photos developed and place them in a scrapbook or photo albums.

Don’t let the significance of your baby’s first Christmas pass you by. Follow the above tips for a fun and memorable holiday.

Conratulations to Beth from Arizona — our lucky grand prize winner!

Beth has won a bugaboo bee stroller, svan high chair, dante beatrix diaper bag, skip hop pronto mini changer, prince lionheart bebePOD, prince lionheart silicone bottles, mama mio boob tube, prince lionheart back to sleep bear and little twig baby powder.

Also, congratulations to Kaite, Kristen, and Tania for being our runner-up winners — each will receive a storksak diaper bag!

We hope you all enjoy your gifts!

Share your Halloween spirit and enter for a chance to win a $50 Twilite Moon gift certificate.

Pregnant nuns, dogs in dresses, babies dressed as toys – we’d love to see anything that shares the spirit of the season. All you have to do is send your Halloween theme pictures to goodies@twilitemoon.com. It’s that simple. Our contest ends at the stroke of midnight on November 3rd.  The three winners will be announced November 6th.

We’ll select one winner in each of the categories listed below. The winner in each category will receive a $50 gift certificate for Twilite Moon merchandise.

•  $50 gift certificate for the best bump photo. We know you’ve got it, so flaunt it!
•  $50 gift certificate for the best baby Halloween costume.  Little pumpkins or little goblins…we love them all!
•  $50 gift certificate for the best family photo. Trips to the pumpkin patch? Trick or treating? Hay rides? Show us how your family celebrated the season.

Submit your photo today: goodies@twilitemoon.com

Although your baby will be too young to understand the concept of Halloween, baby’s first Halloween can still be fun and festive. From Halloween party ideas to trick-or-treating safety tips, this guide will provide all of the information you need to ensure that you and your little one have a safe and memorable Halloween.

Ideas for Baby’s First Halloween

Plan a Halloween Outing
An outing at a local pumpkin patch or fall festival is something that baby and family can enjoy. Most fall festivals have costume contests, arts and crafts for kids, and other fun activities. Locate seasonal events in your community, and don’t forget to take plenty of pictures!

Have a Baby-Friendly Halloween Party
Consider hosting a baby-friendly Halloween party for family and friends. Invite your baby’s playmates over for a costume party and Halloween treats. Encourage guests to dress up in costumes and provide age-appropriate treat bags and activities for the children. Below are a few ideas for baby’s first Halloween party:

Play music and dance – Your baby will enjoy dancing and wiggling to the beat of the music. Play fun, upbeat Halloween music to set the mood.

Read Halloween stories – Choose an age-appropriate book filled with Halloween stories and have the kids gather around for story time. Make sure the stories aren’t too scary, though.

Take pictures – You will want to have a memory of baby’s first Halloween, so take plenty of pictures of your child in his or her Halloween costume.

Prepare finger foods and Halloween-themed snacks for kids – Consider festive snacks such as pumpkin-flavored yogurt, pumpkin pie, or other soft treats that babies can eat.

Have parents bring their favorite dessert or candy – Grown-ups will want to indulge in Halloween treats, too, so have each adult brings something to share.

Trick-or-Treating Tips
If you decide to take your baby trick-or-treating, make sure you go when it is still light outside. That way, your baby will be able to experience trick-or-treating with other small children before the older kids come out. Babies may also be more easily frightened by scary costumes or decorations at night, which is why it is better to go before dark.

Take Pictures!
No matter what you have planned for baby’s first Halloween, take plenty of pictures. Visit a local pumpkin patch and take photographs of your child dressed in his or her Halloween costume. If you would prefer to stay close to home, decorate a seasonal scene in your house or yard for a convenient Halloween photo opportunity.

Halloween Safety

Choosing a Costume – Whether you buy or make baby’s first Halloween costume, keep in mind that you want your child to be safe and comfortable. The costume you choose for your baby should fit well, not too large or small. It is also a good idea to choose a costume or material that is flame retardant. Also, beware of loose strings that baby can choke on.

Halloween Masks – Halloween masks should be reserved for older children. Wearing a Halloween mask can be frightening and uncomfortable for babies, and should be avoided. Masks that fully cover the child’s face can also cause difficulty breathing.

Face Paint – Refrain from applying make-up or face paint on babies. Babies have sensitive skin and may develop a rash or experience a bad reaction if face paint is applied. If you decide to use face paint on your child, choose a non-toxic face paint and use caution when applying the paint around your child’s eyes and mouth.

Stroller Safety – If you decide to take your child trick-or-treating, make sure that he or she is securely fastened when riding in a stroller. Sidewalks and streets can be crowded on Halloween night with trick-or-treaters and adults. Don’t leave your child unattended in a stroller and beware of the traffic as you cross the street.

These tips will ensure that you and your baby have a safe and enjoyable first Halloween. No matter what you decide to do with your child during Halloween, make sure you take plenty of pictures as a keepsake. Also, be sure to check back soon for an opportunity to show off your child’s Halloween costume in our Halloween Costume Photo Contest!

When Foo Fighter front-man, Dave Grohl, accepted his Grammy two weeks ago for rock album of the year, he thanked his daughter, Violet, for providing him with the inspiration for writing the award winning songs.  It was an important reminder that some of the greatest songs have come from musicians who found inspiration from their children.  Each of our recommended tunes were written by musicians who were inspired by their pride and joy. 

Together, these songs could make great playlists for a baby shower, a delivery room, or even for a relaxing evening at home with your family.

“Lullaby,” Dixie Chicks

“Hold You In My Arms,” Ray LaMontagne

“Goodnight My Angel,” Billy Joel

“Call me Papa,” Donavon Frankenreiter

“Isn’t She Lovely,” Stevie Wonder

“Save Room,” John Legend

“Blackbird,” The Beatles

“Lullaby,” Jack Johnson & Matt Costa

“Your Smiling Face,” James Taylor

“I’ll Stand By You,” The Pretenders

“Little One,” Beck 

“Baby Mine,” Bette Midler

We’ve made this playlist available for you on iTunes.  Hope you enjoy!

All I am or can be I owe to my angel Mother.  -Abraham Lincoln

On Earth Day, Disney released their wonderful new documentary, Earth.  Narrated by James Earl Jones, this masterpiece is filled with dazzling images of polar bears, elephants and leaping ducklings (a personal favorite), and offers beautiful insight into the wonderful planet that we call home.

While the full length documentary contains much of the same footage as seen on BBC’s Planet Earth television series, these amazing images are even more breathtaking on the big screen.  Also, for every movie ticket sold during the opening week of the film, Disney will plant a tree in your honor.  Earth day may be over, but it isn’t too late to see the film and make a difference by giving something back to mother earth. 

To learn more about the movie visit:

http://disney.go.com/disneynature/?hbx.hrf=http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft%3Aen-US&q=Disney%27s+Earth+Movie

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