Roles reverse

There's been a rise in stay-at-home dads, as more fathers embrace the role of primary caregiver.  As a soon to be stay-at-home-dad friend of mine said, ‘In a nutshell - I did the manly thing, by volunteering to do the womanly thing.’  To give you some background, his partner is earning a lot more than him and loves her job, whereas, he hates his, so they both agreed it's the logical thing for them to do. It does suit their situation, especially financially, and my friend didn’t seem to convey any obvious feelings of inadequacy about not being the breadwinner.  But where his partner's concerned, logic aside, I wonder how she really feels about the arrangement, on an emotional level. Lurking behind the practicalities, are there some fears and doubts?  Unusually, in this case, I have been given more of an insight into the male perspective than the female's.

Bonding

Can the bond between mother and baby be simulated by father and baby? Maybe it's more likely to happen if the father becomes the primary caregiver and more prominent figure in the baby's life. I'm not trying to suggest that the normal bond between dad and baby is any less, or that men are incapable of effectively nurturing a child, I'm just guessing that the relationship is different. Maybe it's a common misconception that because, generally speaking, Mum spends more time with baby, we just assume that there will be e a stronger bond between them? Ultimately, cliché as it sounds, if you look beyond amount of time spent with baby, then that leaves the key component in forming a bond, which is love, something that both parents, regardless of their work/home situation I'm sure, will give in abundance. 

Time for change?

The perceptions and pre-conceptions surrounding the roles of motherhood and fatherhood are changing.  I personally believe that this shift in traditional roles can only be positive thing for future parents. Back in January, the government actually announced plans to offer families more choice, essentially making it more feasible for Dads to stay at home, even if just for the initial post-birth period, by allowing them to take up to six months paternity leave.

Calling all Dads

Whether or not you are stay-at-home or always-at-work, you'll be pleased to hear that the lazy husband myth has been quashed.  According to recent research, men contribute more than their fair share to the household. Unpaid work such as childcare and domestic work has been hard to quantify in the past, but according to Dr Catherine Hakim, we now have a much more accurate portrait of how families divide their ‘work.’ This new data has overturned the well-entrenched theory that, as a result of juggling family and work, women work longer hours.

Photo credit - via Flickr:  Emerille and Noam, Jemima & Lila

Scrapbooking is a great way of recording key moments in your baby’s life. Selecting those key moments is up to you, and there is no right or wrong way of doing this.

Where to start

If you have trouble getting started, try and keep in mind the scrap element of scrapbooking, so as not to restrict yourself. Nothing has to be set in stone. At the end of the day, pages can always be recreated, removed or torn out. In times of creative despair, try not to be too much of a perfectionist, and remind yourself who the book is for - for you and, one day, your child. Regardless of how much time you choose to spend creating the scrapbook, it should be fun and relaxing, not stressful. The finished product is important, but the more you can enjoy the making of it, the more satisfying and meaningful the whole process will be. And as it could take years to put together, it is worth making it a past time, and not a chore.

Set realistic targets

Set yourself some targets, it helps keep up the momentum and motivation, and it means you always have something to work towards. But, do be prepared to fall behind every now and again, and don’t punish yourself if you do. Ultimately, if you don’t allow yourself time to make the memories then you will have one very empty scrapbook.

Map out your scrapbook

Don’t put yourself under too much pressure. An occasion or event might trigger some sort of scrapbook inspiration when you are short of time, but as long as you scribble down some notes and put aside any pictures, souvenirs etc, then you can work on the finer details when you do have the time and energy to commit to it. You'll just be adding to your bank of potential scrapbook material.  It is also an opportunity to map out the scrapbook and make decisions on the order and layout. If you are creating a timeline of your baby or child growing up, and you want pages to appear chronologically, then you could mark up potential pages so you can come back to them.  Inspiration and ideas for some pages may come to you more easily than others, but don’t restrict yourself by thinking that you have to create the pages in the order that you want them to appear. If you have any sort of creative surge – just go with it!

Types of scrapbook

• Digital scrapbooking. This usually involves some sort of software, such as StoryBook Creator 3.0 or Photomix Digital, both free to download. These programs help you to organise photos according to subject, theme, event or date, ideal if you have all of your photos stored online. They also provide thousands of potential themes and digital scrapbook layouts.

• Traditional scrapbooking. There is an unlimited range of albums, scrapbooking papers, embellishments and tools. It might be best to start with a kit and then grow your collection from there. Basic kits are generally themed and include; papers, stickers and an ideas book. However, if you know what you want then go online or to a shop and put together your own kit. Be warned, there is a lot to choose from, and there will always a new must have gadget or scrapbooking tool.

Tips

• Start keeping hold of any ribbons, embellishments or paper from gift wrapping, wedding invitations etc, anything that might stand even a remote chance of being put to creative use.
• Collect any handmade cards you receive, they can provide a lot of inspiration for scrapbook pages, especially in terms of general design ideas, colour schemes and layouts.
• If you really don’t know where to start, a good introduction might be a scrapbooking class. There is no need to sign up for a course, you can just go to a one off session and get some tips and ideas.
• There are tons of books and magazines with ideas and themes, as well as the online library that is the internet. If anything, there is too much information. A good thing to do is adapt ideas or themes, simplify them or just add your own twist.

A seasonal idea

Flower pressing.  Pressed flowers are a really nice, simplistic touch. And now is the best time to pick them, while the colourful summer flowers are in bloom.  They work best when picked fresh. Alternatively, for an even deeper meaning, you could just choose whatever flower is in season at the time of your baby’s birth. There is no need to go out and buy a flower press, when heavy, hardback books work just as well.  It’s recommended that you place the flowers between two sheets of paper, before sandwiching them in between two heavy books (or amongst the the pages of a single book), and then it’s just a case of waiting a couple of weeks.

It's never too late to start

My Mum has just started compiling a scrapbook for me. In her retirement she has combined a newfound love of card making with having more time to wade through boxes of dusty photographs that she’s had hoarded away for years. So, if you do suddenly find yourself several years down the line, and running several years behind, then making a scrapbook when your baby has grown up is an alternative option.

Photo credits: Scrapbooking images, dada and t-love, used with permission from RellyAB Dorsolateral via Flickr

Here at Little One Prints we know how important it is for new parents to have beautiful photographs of their little one to treasure as he gets older and to share with family and friends. Whilst hiring a professional is definitely an option, it can get expensive and doesn’t follow baby as he grows. In this article, award winning Welsh photographer, Eleanor Jane shares her tips on taking gorgeous baby photos.

You don’t need fancy equipment or an expensive camera to be able to make stunning photographs of your baby. Here’s how it’s done.

Be ready

Abide by the first and foremost rule of the boy scouts and always be prepared! Pretty much all modern point and shoot cameras are small enough to slip inside a nappy bag and as you’re likely to be lugging baby essentials around with you for a good while yet, what’s one more item?

Keep baby happy

You know best when your baby is at his happiest. Make sure he is well fed beforehand and comfy and warm wherever you decide to pose him. With a floppy newborn, use pillows and rolled up blankets to position him for the picture but try to keep it natural. Three week old babies can’t sit up for themselves so forcing it can look a little strange and you risk a grumpy baby. Instead, overcome his restricted movement by seeking out new creative angles. Get down low to his level or stand directly above and shoot from a bird’s eye perspective.

The technical bit

Many point and shoot cameras now have a few manual settings that give you even more creative control over your photography. Some of the most useful ones to look out for are;

ISO setting – This changes how sensitive your camera’s sensor is to light. The higher the ISO number, the lower the level of light you will be able to shoot in without using a flash. Higher ISO numbers do result in grainier pictures though so don’t be tempted to go too high. An ISO of 100-200 is perfect for bright sunny days outside, 400 is good for overcast weather or shooting in a brightly lit room and 800 is good for shooting indoors without any natural light.

Aperture priority – The aperture is the hole that light travels through in order to record an image on to the sensor. If you have an aperture priority setting on your camera you will be able to manually adjust the size of this hole. The lower the number, the larger the hole and therefore the more light let through. This also affects the focal range in the picture – what is known as ‘depth of field.’ A low aperture will give you a shorter depth of focus. This is how professionals create the dreamy effect of a focussed foreground and blurry background.

Shutter speed – This is definitely one you’ll want to master once you’re baby is older and whizzing about the place! A slower shutter speed can result in a blurry picture, which is great for a creative portrait, but when you want to keep everything sharp and steady try to stick to a shutter speed of 125/s and above.

Focus – If you’re photographing a very young newborn then lots of sleepy pictures are inevitable. But if your baby is awake make sure you focus on the eyes and try to keep them as sharp as possible. You don’t need a fancy lens – most point & shoot cameras these days have a selective focus option which will allow you to move the focal point to baby’s eyes.

Lighting

Flash wont damage your baby’s eyes but is likely to be uncomfortable for him so be sure to switch it off whenever possible. Instead make use of that big old flash in the sky - the sun! Some of the prettiest natural light falls early in the morning, soon after sunrise, or towards the end of the day just before sunset.

Indoors, you can position baby in front of a large window that lets in lots of light and even hang a sheer white sheet to soften the light if it’s too bright. If you’re interested in getting a little more technical you could even make a simple reflector to bounce light back into the shadowy areas of the picture with a piece of white card or a sheet of ordinary kitchen tin foil. Move it around baby’s face and you’ll see the difference.

Outdoors, resist the temptation to stand in direct sunlight. Although it seems natural to position your subject wherever the light is brightest, this can cause unflattering harsh shadows and an uncomfortable squinting baby. Instead, pick a spot in the shade or wait until the sky is a little overcast when the clouds will diffuse the light in a far more flattering way. If this is impossible, use your flash. Yes, you can use your flash outdoors in the middle of the day! It will fill in any shadows on the face and even out the tones in the picture.

Black and white

No-one is perfect. Even new babies have the odd blemish here or there - cradle cap, snotty nose, blotchy red bits, etc - and while it’s obviously normal and expected it doesn’t always make for the most attractive of photos. Converting an image into black and white can soften the rough patches and transform your picture.

Most compact digital cameras have a black and white mode but for greater impact you could download a digital imaging program and tweak the saturation and contrast levels in post production.

For a classic dramatic black and white picture, zoom in nice and tight and photograph your baby against an uncluttered and very light or very dark background. Get as close as you can and use the opportunity to make a point of your baby’s features that wouldn’t be as prominent in a colour photograph – details such as his long eyelashes, tiny fingernails or wrinkly little feet.

Playing with colour

While black and white is classic and beautiful, a bright pop of colour is super contemporary. Wrapping a newborn in a brightly coloured shawl and placing him in neutral surroundings is so effective. A gleaming white background may be fashionable but seen so often these days it can get a little dull. A natural surface like a rattan rug or a wooden floor is much more interesting. There’s nothing more adorable and chic than a brand new sleeping baby tightly swaddled in cute fabric somewhere organic!

Make a personal statement

Making a baby together is probably the best expression of you & your partner’s combined personalities! But take the idea a little bit further by injecting your personality into the picture through props. Perhaps you’re baking or gardening crazy and have some appropriate props that could make a picture super interesting. I’ve seen sweet (and not at all tacky!) pictures of babies in gorgeous pastel coloured ceramic mixing bowls or sitting in a wheelbarrow.

So now you know how it’s done, it’s time to go and try it out for yourself. We’d love to hear how you get on and of course you can use your wonderful new photos in many of our beautiful templates for birth announcements and baby thank you cards.

When I had my first baby, I couldn’t wait to show him off to everyone. But I underestimated just how many friends and family I had until they suddenly all wanted to visit at once.

Nowadays, the internet and mobile phones make spreading the news of a birth easier than ever. Before you know it, your friends and family have heard about the newborn and of course, everyone wants to take a look. But the first few days of motherhood are overwhelming enough without opening the floodgates to waves of keen visitors!

To introduce a new baby to friends and family, there’s a long standing Christian tradition in the UK for parents to have their children baptised. Friends and family are invited to a church ceremony, usually followed by a gathering to celebrate. But if you’re not religious, why not have a party anyway; what better excuse do you need? I wanted to wait until I had regained some of my energy so I could throw a party myself, to celebrate the birth of my first child and more importantly, to show off how gorgeous he was.

I started discussing party ideas with a good friend of mine, who had spent a long stretch of time living in China. She got to telling me about how the Chinese traditionally celebrate the birth of their babies, and I started to wonder if I could convince my friends and family to take on the tradition here at home...

In China, they don’t celebrate the birth of babies until they are at least a month old. This practice is rooted in history, from a time when babies regularly didn’t survive past their first month (thankfully a rarity now). During this month, the mother is encouraged to rest and recoup her energy, which sounds like a great idea to me. At the end of this time the family throw a big party, where many friends and family will finally meet the baby for the first time. It’s also customary for guests to wish the parents and baby good luck by bringing red envelopes containing money.

I like the sound of the now that I could use a few red envelopes myself! But I suspect we’d all soon end up broke, when I consider that 3 of my friends are pregnant right now. I also like the idea of letting new mum and baby settle down and get to know each other before friends and family are eventually introduced.

I say that now, but when I had my baby, I would’ve needed an armed guard to keep my friends and family away. And in hindsight, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Did you or are you planning to celebrate your new baby in a unique way? We’d love to hear about it!

Photo credits : Meeting the grandparents – Izzard on Flickr, Chinese red envelopes – Cliffnotes on Flickr

Baby is the best blessing any parent would ever have in their lives. Thus, to make this special moment all the more extraordinary one should give grand birth announcements for their baby through various baby invitations for the people and a very special gift or card for the baby. Any baby means a lot to their parents and they definitely concern or care the most for them above all. It is a different feeling all together to be a parent, the little legs crawling towards you to hold them and care for them. This entire experience just can not be explained in words for sure. However, one can feel the most of it as an eternal bliss of god. Thus, bring out your happiness through celebrations and share the same with others.

There are various ways to baby invitations but one must understand the importance and relevance of the same:

1. Baby thank you cards are the best way one can show love to their babies, they might not understand the words but of course can very well get the concern of their parents for them.
2. Birth announcements should be grand, since they means a lot to you thus, you need to make them feel that how important are they in your life. Such announcements are one of the best ways to get together with family and friends and celebrate the happiness of your baby birth.
3. When it comes to your baby all you care is that what ever you gift them; should be the best. Thus, there are special portals which only have baby stuffs. Since they are the expert in this field thus, it would be a good choice to take the gifts and other regular essentials for your baby through them.
4. Apart from this if you opt for any baby stuff such as teddy bears and so on, make sure that they are quality oriented which means that they should be as soft as the babies and should make them feel comfortable at the same time.

Baby stuffs are easily accessible online thus, to save time and of course to get the best one should refer the net once and then decide upon to grab the perfect baby gift. Baby cards or relevant gifts gain their actual importance when your babies grow up. When they see their charitable memories in a form of they feel them selves to be blessed with the best parents ever.

Through these entire tips one can certainly make their babies feel the most loved and cared for. Thus, before opting for any sort of such stuffs make sure to compare all the available options and then only buy the best among them all so as to avoid any sort of regret there after.

It is a human psychology that when anything novel arrives in our life we rejoice and let thewhole world knows the reason for it. In life you will find various such reasonswhich will make you smile and feel that yes life is beautiful for all such reasons. Among all occasion the most beautiful emotion attached is the babyannouncement to all your near and dear ones. When a new life arrives thefeelings can never be shared or said as that can be only felt by the parentsand the family members. From ages baby announcement is in procedure but ofcourse the ways and manners are different and unique from places to place or person to person.  

Why do we let the world know that there is someone special? 

There is no limit or boundary of happiness when a little innocent baby comes in your lapwhom you protect with your warm arms. Therefore, there are few occasions inones life and one among them is the birth of your child. This, feeling is sopure and beautiful that hardly you can confine your happiness to yourself. As alittle one arrives you feel that the whole world should rejoice and celebrate but then as there are certain restrictions so you share your joy with yourentire near and dear one. Therefore, the main reason of announcing is out ofsheer happiness and the ways are various to let other know. But among them most important is through cards or invitation. 

Announcements cards are the vital way to rejoice with everyone: 

Thus, when you know that there are people who will love to be part and parcel of your happiness. In this case you can let them know through various communicationmodes but among all one of the best way is through baby invitation cards. Thisway you literally let the person know that even his or her presence will make a huge difference on this happy occasion. It is a formal as well as a proper wayof giving an invitation to enjoy and celebrate the happiness of the arrival ofthe new born. When the way of your invitation is so alluring and appealingevery invited person would love to attend the function. There arise several occasions and each of them holds a great significance in your life, as you liketo cherish each and every special moment of your baby. Therefore, special cardsplay a significant role:

1. It gives a formal appeal to your invitation
2. An attractive text and design of baby invitation cards shows the specialty of the occasion
3. As now you have customized card you can very well give your own child's picture which will obviously grace the occasion to a great height
4. A baby announcement card helps you remember the date and feel the importance of the invitee's emotion.

A new baby is not only the angel that brings immense joy , happiness and so much more in one’s life but also at the sametime a new baby prepares you to welcome the most beautiful gift of god in theform of a new life that demands nurturing in the most extraordinary manner and with great care. Also it is a great moment that calls for so much of a celebration to welcome the new member of the family. The arrival of a new baby is thereason for all the related people to celebrate with great joy and fun and for announcing this arrival in the most unique and extraordinary style there are service providers such as Little One Prints that facilitate and furnish the baby announcements in the most distinct style making this great moment all the more special from every perspective.

The caring and well designed facilities of LittleOne Prints present a wide range of beautiful options that help you in informing your near and dear ones about the arrival of the new baby so that they can alsobe a part of your immense happiness and join you in your celebrations towelcome the new member with great warmth and ecstasy of love and care. It also provides for amazing memories with the help of the beautifully designed cards that make the occasion of the bay arrival a sweet and cherished memory to recall forever.

Since the welcome preparations usually begin even before the arrival of the baby the beautifully designed cards informing about the baby arrival add glory to all the preparations in the most unusual style of immense and undefined ecstasy. Thedesigner patterns of these baby cards are facilitated in the style and manner if your choice and preference and therefore one can try our all the innovative concepts to make it seem as much beautiful as possible. Using the imagery ofthe last scanned picture of the ultrasound one can even personalize these sweetcards with the photograph of the baby to make it closer to the hearts of those who are being informed along with furnishing a beautifully memento that can addmore glory to the collection of their unforgettable memories.

The baby announcementcards are not the only thing on the block as there are other wonderful options such as, baby thank you cards etc. meant to express your feelingsand gratitude to all those who are equally delighted about the great news.

Baby thank you cards that feature the photographs along with some sweet messages make your family members feel special that your happiness is all the more special if they are a part of it.

Therefore if you are the proud and lucky person who is preparing to welcome a new member in the family then it calls for great celebration with friend and family and to begin with the perfect idea is that of baby announcement in the most distinct style.

If you are wondering what is the best way to let everyone know about the birth of your new baby, consider personalised birth announcements. These are baby cards that you can individualise to include what you want to say on them and a photograph of your beautiful brand new baby.

Letting all your friends and family know of the safe arrival of the new son or daughter is an exciting part of becoming a new mum and dad. Being able to send everyone baby cards with a photo of the new little one and your own message – perhaps you could include the birth weight and what colour hair they have – makes it so much more personal and interesting than just a phone call or message passed on by another family member.

Everyone is always waiting in anticipation for baby announcements because it is so important to everyone in your family and amongst your friends to know that it has all gone well and that you and your new baby are safe and healthy.

This makes it even more special for them when they receive the good news in baby cards from Little One Prints. Everyone will remember with pleasure the moment they opened their baby announcement card and were able to see what the new family member looks like. There is no doubt that seeing a photo of the new baby is even more exciting than just hearing that there is a new baby boy or girl in the family.