It appears that Angelina Joile has given birth!….NOT. ET put out a story stating that Angelina Joile and her boyfriend Brad Pitt had welcomed twin girls to the world on Friday from reportedly a source who was in the delivery room. They had also announced the girls names in a report from another web site source. Turns out this was indeed not the case! The babies are due in August and as far as speculation is concerned we do not know the sex of the babies yet.

Brad Pitt was supposedly seen at a sporting even this past weekend which would be a strange place for a new father of premature baby girls to be. Especially a father who is so involved in their children’s care and deeply passionate about them. Seems like a trick was played on ET.

Looks like the tabloids are getting a bite taken out of their credibility. It doesn’t seem to be keeping fans from delving into the latest news about the babies though. I’m sure this will be one of the biggest celebrity baby stories this year. Even Clay Aiken’s baby story can’t beat this one, as strange and disturbing as it may be to many.

Often our blog posts are about products or fun little boutiques but today we find ourselves posting about what we deeply care about….our children.

It’s not often that we share troubles that our children have or we have for that matter because we often want society to look at us as mother’s or parents as perfect or at least doing very well. I’ve learned through observation that the illusion of perfection can damage our children more through control and trying to make things appear perfect. Life isn’t perfect and while our kids don’t need to know every facet of the pains of life they do need to learn about dissapointment in an age appropriate way so when the become adults they don’t wonder what happened to their lives.

As a family we just discovered that one our children has Asperger’s syndrome. It’s on the autism spectrum however these children do not have cognitive delays. Its has more to do with Social Skills development which can be lacking. With a society now that communicates based on networking, reading people and social interaction it won’t be as easy for him as it once might have been. While most of our family has been supportive we all have one or two who are ignorant or incapable of dealing with these situations. So how do we teach our children that sometimes dissapointment is OK because it strenghten’s us and makes us better people? I say we start with kindess and most of all awareness. Children with these issues are on the human spectrum. They are living breathing miracles in our lives.

The one thing that disturbs me most is the lack of commraderie that mother’s have with each other. We are not all part of a constant competition to see who does better. Our children are not markers or prizes of our acheivements, they are simply children. Growing beautiful gifts from whatever God we choose to believe in. While my post today may be controversial I think it’s important to end with something Ellen Degeneres said on her most recent show with John McCain. “Many of us are operating under the illusion that we are not all the same. We are all the same.” It’s as simple as that folks. Let’s all look at each other as what we are, human beings. Every human being want’s compassion, Every human being want’s love and Every human being needs acceptance.

I wish you and your beautiful children the blessing of peace. I’m not a strongly religious person but I am spiritual. I believe that awareness opens the doors. Let’s be aware of those around us and be kind. We may find ourselves in the position where someone else’s kindness helps save a life.

The debate about using plastic bottles is in full force with some moms reverting to glass and other’s using disposables. I don’t know about any of you out there but glass in my home isn’t going to work and disposable aren’t good for the environment. So how do we keep our babies safe and still allow ourselves to have the convenience that plastic baby bottles provide?

Green to Grow has the solution. Their baby bottles are made from PES plastic, which gives them a natural golden color. They are free of phthalates and free of bisphenol A – a suspected hormone-disrupting chemical used in polycarbonate plastic, from which most baby bottles are made. This is a fabulous organic alternative and a great way to keep baby safe without sacrificing mom and dad’s great need to have convenience! You can purchase these at Green to Grow.com, prices start at $7.49-$10.49.

I received a Beethoven’s Gift Basket sent by a vendor and it was simply exquisite to say the least. Included was the vendor’s unique product, a luxury soap, bath salts, gourmet white chocolate popcorn, salted pretzle sticks as well as lovely plates and napkins. Not to mention the beautiful tub that came along with it. A fantastic promotional tool I must say!

Many gift baskets come along with items that are barely edible or too unusual to be widely enjoyed. This basket was truly unique and simply gorgeous to say the very least. You can customize your baskets and their new website is coming soon to assist customers in choosing baskets that make your loved one or family member feel like you picked every detail of their gift. In the meantime they can customize one over the phone. To be honest I was never a fan of gift baskets at all, however Beethoven Wraps Baskets has completely changed my mind!! Call 610-995-9550 or visit them at Beethoven Wraps Baskets.

Without a doubt the best Fondant cookies I have ever tasted are from Flour Pot Cookies. Margie and Abbey Greenberg are the mother-daughter team that started The Flour Pot, a cookie decorating company based in Ambler, PA. Margie’s love for design and sweets, plus Abbey’s stellar business skills have helped The Flour Pot grow into a thriving business with customers like Polo Ralph Lauren, Saks Fifth Avenue and The Omni Hotels. The Flour Pot has garnered praise and well-deserved attention since its inception, and has been featured in countless national magazines as well as on The Food Network and Entertainment Tonight.

The best part of these cookies was captured by Al Roker from the Today show “…These cookies taste as good as they look.” Grab a box for Dad this Father’s day and watch the entire family smile.
Gift boxes from the Flour Pot start from $22-$90. Buy one today and they’ll ship it later!

Sama Baby is a mother/daughter team in love with wellness and organic living. They admit they don’t always do it perfectly themselves but that babies deserve the best. I used Sama Baby on my son who has terrible Asthma. He usually wakes up in the morning with the sniffles. We can’t afford to put in all hardwood flooring which kills me but I desperately wanted him to feel better when he woke up. I tried an air purifier and everything but nothing worked. I put him in Sama Baby for 3 nights and I’ve never seen such a happy baby. He LOVES his Sama clothes. They are 100% Organic Cotton and come in adorable soft baby colors. SAMA is designing a gorgeous line for Fall 2008 but you can see their introductory line at Bugs & Blossoms at 20% OFF!

Bugs & Blossoms has partnered with David & Margaret Home to make donations for this great organization. B&B has formed a link on their site where customers can donate 1 outfit and Bugs & Blossoms will donate an outfit as well! This is a great program and can only work if people hear about it and pass it on. Bugs & Blossoms. In the meantime, browse for yourself and receive 10% off your first order LUX07. Don’t forget to Donate!! $10 can go a long long way.

We recently had the opportunity to speak with Children’s Room designer and muralist Lou Marshall of Lou Marshall Design and LouLou’s Whimsicals (www.loulouswhimsicals.com) who just lent her talents to the team from ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition for a home remodel in Wilmington, DE.

“Yes, Ty is cute… Paul is great and Paige is a sweetheart. The [stars] were not seen on a daily basis… but working with the Anderson crew and 1000 volunteers was a great experience.”

According to Lou, the Makeover team and volunteers had the old home demolished and the new home completely ready for the family in under 106 hours. Yes, do the math, that is less than five days from old to new. Lou herself, “jumped hard into three kids rooms. Sharks in one bedroom, wood graining in the daughters and graphics on the recreational therapy room for another. I loved every minute of it.”

Along with her recent involvement with Extreme Makeover, Lou’s work has been gaining a lot of attention lately, “I recently received an offer from The Schiffer Book Publishing Company for my own 128 page picture book of illustrated rooms, complete with how-tos and tips. The book will be out Spring 2009 in Borders Book Stores.”

If you would like to learn more about Lou’s work and maybe even have her complete a room in your home in time for inclusion in her new book (your kids could be in the pictures too – Lou reminds us), visit her website at www.loulouswhimsicals.com. You can read more about the Wilmington, DE house at Anderson Homes special project website www.andersonextreme.com.

Appaman’s 2008 spring line has arrived in stores and online. The spring line has an urban metro flare and includes birghtly colored solid cotton polos, boldly printed t-shirts (including racecars, bulldogs, and starfish), and super cool and comfortable track suits bearing the Appaman ape logo. Also included in the release are short sleeve versions of Appaman’s signature plus-minus shirts, proudly displaying your child’s age - a great birthday gift and outfit!

The spring 2008 line is now available at Bugs and Blossoms online boutique in toddler sizes 2T - 4T. Visit http://www.bugsandblossoms.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=389&Click=12477 to see the collection and shop today.

Fast Fact - Did you know that the Appaman brand name was inspired by the childhood corduroy ape carried by the brand’s founder and designer Harald Husum when he was growing up in Norway?

The high cost of in-vitro fertility (IVF) treatments has caused many to explore options including lower-cost IVF treatments outside of the US. IVF clinics and treatement centers in locations such as Canada, Israel, Thailand, and the Czech Republic offer services to potential US patients. One Ohio couple has even created a business (IVFVacation.com) arranging trips to the Czech Republic following their own successful experience with IVF in the Czech Republic.

According to their website, Craig and Marcela Fite, founders of IVFVacation.com, found that a single round of IVF treatment in the US cost between $10,000 and $15,000 with medications - a price that is out of many want-to-be parents price range. However, on their annual trip to visit Marcela’s family in teh Czech Republic, the couple found a more affordable solution at the Clinic of Reproductive Medicine and Gynecology in Zlin. The cost for the treatment with medication was $3,800.

Now, the couple assists with arrangement of services and accomodations for other couples, who travel to the Czech Republic for 21 days - quite a commitment, but perhaps small when compared to the affordability… and the results. At the time of this article, the cost of the treatement, accomodations, and Craig and Marcela’s service totals about $6,600 + airfare or about $8,100 + airfare if an egg donor is needed.