Its that time of the year when friends gather together, barbecue, sit outside listening to the sounds of kids laughter, and enjoy a beautiful display in the sky once the sun sets. It’s fun for most everyone there, but your ideal gathering should also include ways to protect those, especially babies, not wanting to be in the warm weather or outside in the loud noises.

Keeping things safe for kids and babies should be one of your top priorities this July 4th, and below are a few simple ways to make sure everyone has a great time while being safe and protected.

1. Prepare your backyard celebration with lots of shade and shelter. Make sure there is enough shade for everyone and never ever place a baby in the direct sunlight uncovered.
2. Make sure food is up high enough and contained so little ones don’t stick their fingers in it or grab something they can choke on. Hot dogs especially have been known to be the number one food toddlers choke on, so make sure an adult is watching kids during eating time as well.
3. Keep water around at all times. Juices and sodas do not hydrate so make sure kids get enough water- and if you are still breastfeeding baby- make sure you drink plenty of water as well, its easy to get dehydrated in the sun.
4. When nighttime comes around make sure that if you have sparklers, fireworks, or even a fire pit you make sure that ONLY adults participate. Never ever give a child fireworks- even sparklers are dangerous for young kids and can burn or light other objects on fire.
5. Be prepared. Even if it’s the simplest of fireworks, always have a water source close by, and make sure you have a garden hose or bucket of water close to you.
6. Be aware of your baby and kids and make sure they are not alarmed by the loud noises. If you are in a crowded location and the noise is too great it can actually cause hearing damage, so stay away from really loud venues and fireworks.
7. Most importantly have fun, and share with your kids the thrill of the Holiday along with safe ways to celebrate it. Young kids might not understand fireworks or be a bit alarmed seeing them for the first time, so its easy to explain it all first and then let them enjoy the rest.

If you are having a new baby, one of the most important things you’ll purchase is a baby crib. Your baby needs a comfortable and safe place to sleep, especially since babies spend so much time sleeping while they are young. There are many available options to choose from, which can make it tough to pick out a crib. Here is a closer look at some considerations to remember as you choose from the baby cribs available.

Keep Safety in Mind

First, you need to keep safety in mind as you look for the right crib. When you buy a crib, it should meet the minimum safety standards of the government. Of course, there are times when cribs are recalled for safety issues. Make sure you check crib recalls before buying so you don’t purchase or use one that has a problem. You should be looking for a crib that has a mattress that fits tightly to the frame, slats that are less than 2 3/8 inches apart, and you need to ensure there are not slats or hardware that are broken or missing.

Drop vs. Stationary Sides

As you are looking at cribs, you’ll find that they come with either drop sides or stationary sides. Many people like the drop sides because they make it easy to reach the baby. However, some think that there could be issues with safety. You may be better off to simply choose a crib with stationary sides.

Where to Purchase

You’ll want to consider where to purchase your crib as well. If you want a big selection, choose a mega store for babies. Smaller stores for babies usually only have a few brands to choose from. You may want to consider purchasing online, since you’ll have a wider selection. The only problem is that you can’t actually see and touch the product before you buy it.

Colors and Styles

Of course, you’ll want to keep color and style in mind as you are making your choice as well. Today you can find many different colors. Many cribs come in wood grain options, and you can choose the wood look that you purchase. Others come in colors, which you can choose to go along with the rest of the baby nursery décor in your nursery. Various styles can be chosen as well. Consider something in a country style or maybe a crib that is modern and sleek.

In the end, you’ll also need to consider your budget. Cribs vary in price, depending on the brand, the size, and more. To get a better deal, it may be a great idea to compare prices before making your purchase. Just make sure you get high quality. Sometimes spending a bit more is worth it to ensure you get a safe and quality crib for your baby.

Shown here: Baby Cribs: Natural Andersen Baby Crib

Every parent wants their precious baby nursery to be perfect, and finding the right decor, wall art, and color patterns is a huge part of creating that perfect place. You have probably heard of the benefits in having creative nursery wall art on the walls- it stimulates babies brain, it create a familiar environment, and invokes a personality attraction to beauty and design.

Nursery wall decor offers a multitude of choices and styles and range from paintings, prints and plaques to decals, vinyl stickers, wallpapers, and paint colors. Your inner design guru will have a great time indeed decorating your baby’s nursery with such wide selections.

For another thing, your pockets will not suffer simply because all of these choices are very affordable, no matter the budget involved. You may even have the same room as the designated nursery and just change the decorations to achieve a new look to an old room with each addition to the family.

You can enjoy all of these benefits if and when you know how to choose the right nursery wall decor! You cannot just purchase anything and everything that takes your fancy, slap them on the walls every which way and then honestly say that the whole arrangement looks fine.

With that being the case, you can adopt the following tips in choosing the right wall decor for your nursery:

* Stick to a theme. It may be a specific color like green or blue, a specific activity like baseball or trains, and a specific object like animals or baseball bats. The important thing is that the theme is adopted for the entire nursery.
* Think safety. Although wall decor for the nurseries are baby-friendly in most instances, you want to ensure safety in many ways. For example, you have to research a particular product for toxic substances like lead.
* Stimulate the mind. Your baby’s eyes will dart from one place in the room to the next. Wall decor, colorful artwork, intriguing designs are all a good way to exercise their senses although it must also be emphasized that it is not a good idea either to cram the walls with objects as babies are prone to over stimulation.

Ultimately, you want your babies nursery to be a balance between activity and rest, between mother’s sense of style and baby’s needs and between beauty and practicality.

Whether you are celebrating your own baby boy’s birthday, or have been invited to share in the joy of another little man in your life, it can be difficult to know what to bring for a gift. Girls like dolls and frilly clothes, but boys have a reputation for being hard to buy for. Actually, that isn’t the case at all. There are plenty of options to choose from. In fact, your biggest challenge will be narrowing down the choices. What are the top baby boy gifts? How can you ensure that your gift is memorable and original?

Handmade is Hip

There was a time when handmade was not very popular. Luckily, society has made a complete turnaround, largely due to the plethora of online forums that provide an outlet for high quality, handmade fare. Places like Ebay and Etsy showcase beautiful gift ideas for the baby boy in your life. These options are highly favored by celebrity moms. If you are skilled yourself, you can recreate your favorite listing, using your own personal touch.

Keep Them Moving

If little boys fit into any mold, it’s the one of activity. Boys just like to go! Many of the top baby boy gifts tap into this energy, providing your little man with toys and activities that stimulate that active and energetic part of his personality. Boys like anything that rolls and makes noise. For a first birthday gift, it’s your job to pay attention to quality and safety. Wooden toys with natural finishes are worth the investment. These are not only safe for babies who still chew, but will stand up to use and abuse for quite some time.

Presents with a Purpose

Another category of top baby boy gifts are those that are useful. These aren’t always the most interesting gifts in the mix, but they are often the most appreciated. A baby boy is likely inundated with toys on his first birthday, but still has plenty of other needs that can be met. If you are not the parent, it’s perfectly acceptable to ask for suggestions as to what the little man needs. A pair of quality shoes, clothing or even a new coat can be a great choice.

Bath-time Enjoyment

By the time a little boy hits their first birthday, they have spent a lot of time bathing. Most babies love taking a bath. Tub toys are some of the top baby boy gifts for one-year-olds. With recent safety concerns, it’s imperative to purchase tested products. Heat can cause toxins to release quicker and at a higher rate. Always double check tub toys for lead testing and phthalates.

Don’t Forget Books

Studies show that children who regularly share reading time with a parent find it easier to learn to read. While your baby boy is much too young to grasp the complicated aspects of the written word, now is the time to set the foundation for mastering this necessary skill. Books are magical- even babies feel this. For a top baby boy gift, look for hardback books with beautiful illustrations and engaging text. Many parents make purchasing a special book a tradition, with their collection of special books growing as their child does.

For any gift-giving occasion, there will always be choices to be made. Your gift should be age appropriate, engaging and appreciated. By paying attention to these top baby boy gifts, you can be sure that whatever you present will be a favorite for both the parents and that special baby boy.

Owls are definitely very trendy these days and a big hit with parents as well since the style itself has that slightly retro feel. The nice thing about owl nursery decor is that it allows for many colors and additional themes to be used along side. You can create an entire forest theme, a jungle theme, or a sweet garden setting for your baby nursery decor.

DwellStudio’s Owl crib bedding set is a modern take on the wise woodland creature and recalls classic versions updated with a sweetly playful sensibility. DwellStudio prints are all low-impact fiber-reactive dyes. They contain no heavy metals or other known toxic substances, they are AZO free and Formaldehyde free, and they meet all the criteria for being eco-friendly pigments.

A coordinating boudoir pillow is available to pop in the crib for additional styling or you could consider adding an additional crib sheet in a coordinating print. This cute owl set includes the bumper with applique,  reversible play blanket, fitted crib sheet and crib skirt. This set matches well with many neutral and natural colors. Owls are a fun decorative design for your baby boy bedding and makes a great eco-friendly feathery nursery theme as well.