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.

Do you question the organic food movement and whether or not its worth it? Read The O’Mama Report (theorganicreport.com/index.cfm) to learn more about organic food for children. Did you know immature infant organs and body systems are more susceptible to damage from toxins in foods? Infant digestive tracts absorb toxins more easily, and young kidneys are inefficient at excreting toxins, allowing them to circulate longer in the body. Children cannot withstand that level of exposure. The goal is to have fresh, organic, local food. But oftentimes that’s not possible with our busy lives. Here are a few companies bridging that gap for new moms: Homemade Baby (homemadebaby.com), Bohemian Baby (bohemianbaby.com), Loving Spoonfuls (lovingspoonfulsbabyfood.com), and Little Potatoes (littlepotatoesbabyfood.com). These are baby-food manufacturers, small companies specializing in freshly prepared organic food for infants and toddlers