Today we have a guest post from Misty Weaver, Chief Editor BabySignLanguage.com. I hop you enjoy this post and check out her website for more in depth information.

Baby sign language is an easy and fun way to communicate with your pre-verbal baby. A simplified version of American Sign Language (ASL), it is easy to learn and easy to teach to your baby or toddler.  To make a start, all you need to do is learn some simple signs.

How To Get Started
Okay, first let’s learn some fun and easy signs.

• MOMMY: To make the sign for Mommy, extend and spread your fingers apart on your right hand. With your little finger facing forwards, tap your thumb on your chin. Mommy.

• DADDY: To make the sign for Daddy, extend and spread out the fingers on your right hand, then tap your hand on your forehead with your thumb. This is similar to the sign for Mommy but done higher up the head. Daddy.

• MILK: The sign for Milk is a lot like the action of milking a cow without the up and down motion. Just pretend you are just squeezing the cow’s udder. Make both hands into a fist, relax and repeat. Milk.

• MORE: To make the sign for More, make an O shape with each hand by meeting your fingers and thumbs. Bring your hands together and separate them a few times. More.

How To Teach The Signs To Your Baby
You need to make the sign every time you say the relevant word to your baby. As well as signing, it’s also important to say the word that goes with the sign clearly, making good eye contact, while pointing to the object or person you are describing. Sign when your baby is alert and not too tired, using an object which is exciting to him, such as Milk or Mummy. Practice the signs beforehand so you feel confident about what you are doing.

Repetition Is The Key
Repetition is the key to Teaching Baby Sign Language to your baby. Be sure to make the sign and say the word every time you do an action or use an object. You should find ways to build Baby Signing into your day so signing becomes second-nature. Your baby will learn the signs through repetition (and so will you), and eventually it will be natural for him to sign back.

Be Patient With Your Baby And Yourself
Don’t expect too much too soon. Your baby is unlikely to be signing for more milk if he is only 4 months old and you’ve been signing to him for a week! Research by Dr. Joseph Garcia, one of the founders of Sign Language For Babies, found that a typical baby who starts learning signs at seven months old needs about two months of repetition and exposure to a sign to start using it.

The post Introducing Baby Sign Language appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Moms are always multi-taking and it is nice when we can find a product that is versatile enough to keep up with many of our needs. The DRIA Cover is not only multi-functional, providing versatility for moms-on-the-go, but it’s also fashionable.  Adria O’Donnell wanted a solution to feeling comfortable and stylish when it came to maternity wear.  After being inspired by a beautiful Italian scarf she owned, she came up with the elegant DRIA Cover.  It was the perfect cover-up while she was pregnant, and after giving birth to her daughter she realized that it was great as a nursing cover as well.

The DRIA Cover’s flexible material is not only chic but breathable and light weight.  Its silky blend allows for the cover to veil the nursing infant while wholly covering the mom, creating discretion and comfort, unlike other nursing covers or aprons.  DRIA Cover fabrics range from casual chic to limited edition designer fabrics such as Roberto Cavalli or Missoni.  The luxurious swathe is wrinkle and button free, so women can just toss it in the diaper bag and throw it on whenever they need.

Not only is the DRIA cover great for nursing moms but it also acts as a shield from the sun and unfavorable weather while covering strollers and infant car seats.  The handle on the car seat and stroller can be accessed through the neck hole, while still allowing women to peek in at their sleeping baby.

Adria O’Donnell soon realized that more moms needed something like the DRIA Cover.  When she noticed a mother with twins on the side of the road struggling to provide coverage on the stroller from the fierce sun, she immediately pulled over and gave her a cover.

I wish the Dria Cover was around 15 years ago when I had my last baby…and I know what will be on my gift giving list for baby showers! The Dria Cover does so much and looks great doing it! The cover comes in12 beautiful patterns and is available at DriaCover.com for $49.95-$179.95 depending on fabric choice. Stop by the website and order one today.

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Fortunately today there are more choices in baby formula, for those who choose to use it. One of those choices is Parent’s Choice.

According to Consumer Reports:

“We found that the store brand of formula at a local Wal-Mart (Parent’s Choice) cost 50 percent less per ounce than a leading national brand (Enfamil). According to the FDA, all formula marketed in the United States must meet the same nutrient specifications, which are set at levels to fulfill the needs of infants.”

“This is a powerful endorsement for store-brand baby formula coming from an unbiased advocate that wants to help parents make wise purchasing decisions,” said PBM Products CEO Paul B. Manning. “We encourage parents to purchase this important guide and consider two options that make nutritional and fiscal sense: breastfeeding and/or store-brand baby formula.”

To see how much money you can save by using Parent’s Choice instead of other national brands you can use their baby formula savings calculator. I tried out the calculator based on what we used for our oldest son and WOW! I would save $59.99 per month or $13.79 per can of powdered formula. That is a savings of over $1075 in a year.

What to feed your baby is a very personal decision and should never be made lightly. Breast milk is best for your child’s health, but it is not always a plausible choice.

The post Save Money on Baby Formula appeared first on The Mom Maven.

BabySafeTravel.com has great information for traveling with infants, toddlers and with mutiples. There is a store full of safety products and blogs with first-hand information on traveling with young children. Check out BabySafeTravel for all of your baby travel needs.

This post is sponsored by BabySafeTravel.com

The post Traveling Safe with your Baby appeared first on The Mom Maven.

The post Vive Sana Organic Sunscreen Winner appeared first on The Mom Maven.

CHEMISTRY WITHOUT CHEMICALS

Starting from scratch is liberating. It’s where innovation is born.
We use photo-protective organic botanicals to triple the SPF provided by our natural minerals while providing deep moisturization. We use potent antioxidants to aid skin before, during and after sun exposure. We removed water, fillers and all synthetics. We were left with the first 70% organic high performance and baby sunscreen on the market, which also happen to be…

• Stronger, with higher SPFs – by far – than all other all-natural sunscreens.
• Greener, being the first high performance and baby sunscreen with over 70% organic, sustainably-farmed ingredients, and using domestic, BPA-free packaging
• Clearer, due to relatively low mineral content and a high level of photo-protective organic botanicals
• Safer, without synthetics, phthalates, parabens, nanotechnology, plastic tubes, or anything at all from China.

Vive Sana comes in a tube and is more like a thick ointment than a thin, runny lotion. It covers well and lasts a long time. It also has a pleasant herbal scent, which is a nice departure from the coconut scent of most sunscreens. You can purchase the full line of Vive Sana products at their website. Or.. You can win a tube of Vive Sana Solar to Polar Baby Sunscreen SPF 42 from The Mom Maven.

How to Enter:

Visit the Vive Sana wbesite and look around. Then come back here and tell me one interesting thing you learned about Vive Sana. (this is mandatory and must be completed to be entered in the giveaway).

Bonus Entries: Leave a separate comment for each one you complete.

• Subscribe to my RSS feed (click on the orange heart shaped button)
• Follow my blog-sign in on my Google Friend Connect widget
• Do any or all of these-Tweet, Stumble, Digg and/or Prop this giveaway

This giveaway is for US residents only and will end on June 2, 2009 at 8:00pm

The post Vive Sana Organic Sunscreen Review and Giveaway appeared first on The Mom Maven.

The muslin wraps, blankets and towels come in beautiful colors and prints. Muslin is so much more breathable than most other fabrics used in baby products. Babies wrapped in muslin are more able to regulate their temperature and less likely to overheat. Right now Aiden + Anais is having a sale on their Winter Warmth and Dream Blankets, just visit their website and use the promo code “wintersale” as seen on this flyer.

Aiden + Anais has also offered to give one reader of The Mom Maven a beautiful Winter Warmth blanket in gender neutral colors.

How to Enter:

1. Visit the  Aiden + Anais website and look around. Come back here and leave me a comment telling me which of their products, other than the Winter Warmth Blanket, you would love to own. PLUS you must click on the orange heart shaped RSS feed button and subscribe to my blog and leave a valid e-mail address or Twitter name so that I can contact the winner. The winner must respond within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen.

For additional entries, please leave a separate comment for each one of these that you do:

• for 10 extra entries make a purchase from Aiden + Anais
  and leave me a comment about your purchase
• for 3 extra entries-Place my blog button on your blog and leave me the link you your blog in a comment here
• for 1 extra entry each day-you can twitter about this giveaway and leave the URL of your tweet in a comment
• for 1 entry for each of these that you do-Stumble up with a review, fave on Technorati, fave on MomFaves

Good luck! This giveaway ends on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 at 10:00pm. US entries only please.

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