Blog Posts by Disney Baby

It's no secret that I love a good throwback name. My own daughter's name is often referenced as a "little old lady name", so apparently I'm into them. A retro name can be a good way to give your little one a name that is unique, but not weird…there really is a fine line. The 1960's are a great place to start if you're looking for something that hasn't become trendy yet. Many of these names have been off the radar for some time now, but I think that's all the more reason that they're perfect - a good way to stay ahead of the baby naming trends! By Lauren Hartmann

MORE ON DISNEY BABY

20 tough-sounding names for baby boys

31 trendy-but-not-ludicrous hipster baby names

8 unusual baby names that are getting popular in 2013

Last month I shared with you newborn photographer Beth of Barnella Gooseberry Photography. Specializing in beautiful props and backdrops, she shared with us how to safely and uniquely photography your newborn at home. Today I'd like to share the work of Miranda of M. Shanti Photo with you all. Based in Long Beach, California, Miranda is actually our family photographer and I love her calm and soothing aesthetic. Her photos breathe serenity to me, and her calming and carefree nature always helps to set us at ease, no matter how nervous I am or how wild the kids are. I wanted to pick her brain a bit to find out just how she's able to capture a sense of fun and ease in her photos, and how you can too. By Andrea Howe

MORE ON DISNEY BABY

4 ways to work a photo session around your baby's crying spell

7 picture-perfect photo tips for spring

20 "tough guy" names for baby boys

My purse essentials.If someone would have told me almost 8 years into this parenting gig, and 3 children later, that I'd still be learning things as I go, I would have said "no way." Certainly after 8 years on the job all that experience would have meant that I had the job down pat and could do it with my eyes closed, right? Having come from a professional background, I speak from experience that there's very rarely any job you can't learn to do well and with near perfection after 8 years. But parenting, and mothering, oh how you are so tricky! Always throwing new challenges our way as the children reach a new stage or milestone. Here's the latest set of lessons that I'm finally learning, a bit late. But better late than never right? Let me tell you a little story.

Last Saturday my husband and I had a date set for the kid's school auction. Not the most romantic of dates planned in the history of marriage, but we knew we would have a fun time with friends and were looking forward to just being out. We

As a parent, you spend a lot of your time trying to teach your child things, but if you stop to think about it, they are constantly teaching you as well. Recently I've realized just how many great life lessons I've learned from my own little one. Click through to see what I've learned and then I'd love to hear what life lessons your little has taught you below in the comments! By Lauren Hartmann

MORE ON DISNEY BABY

5 amazing things babies can teach you

6 things I didn't know about my husband until he became a dad

"Cherish every moment": The parenting advice I didn't want to hear

6 months already!When my first two children were born, time seemed to move very slowly for the first year of their lives: in part because I was a new(er) mother, and in part because my babies had difficult stages, some days seemed to drag on. Eight years after the birth of my first child though, and time is going way too quickly for my liking. Hayden is almost 7 months old already, and between his sweet temperament that literally goes with the flow, and our busy lives involved with having two school-aged children, the days are flying by. Here are some things I'm already missing about Hayden being 6 months old, and reasons why I wish time would just slow down!

1. The empty baby book
I feel tremendous amounts of guilt over the lack of entries in Hayden's baby book. Everyday that passes and I realize that gosh, he's already 6 months old, I realize that if I don't get started on that thing soon, he'll be 6 years old before I know it and I will have forgotten all the important stuff to take note of.

2. I

Last Friday my mom and I took Fern to Disneyland for the first time, although that wasn't the specific purpose of our trip. I was in L.A. for work and my mom came along to watch Fern for me, but while we were there my mom really wanted to go to Disneyland. I tried to talk her out of it, saying we should wait to spend the money when she was a little older and could appreciate it more, but my mom insisted. So, with very low expectations we set off for Disneyland and I quickly realized that I made the right decision. Taking Fern to Disneyland was truly magical and so much fun - absolutely worth the cost. Here are some photos from the trip along with some tips, tricks and thoughts on why it was totally worth going with a baby. By Lauren Hartmann

MORE ON DISNEY BABY

How to stay sane during airport layovers with baby

5 reasons NOT to feel guilty about a baby-free trip

19 drool-worthy facts about the Disney Magic Cruise ship

A mess-free toddler snack!Our son is almost 15 months old. I still can't believe it. And with this new age comes a lot of new developments. One of which is his independence. He wants to do things himself, especially food related things. He wants to feed himself, he wants to use the spoon, he wants to hold the cup. My friend told me about this little trick after I was lamenting about how sticky and messy he always gets and it's so brilliant I had to share it with you! Say goodbye to sticky banana fingers!

Step One: Gather
You don't need many supplies. This is so easy you could even manage it on the go. You need your sticky finger food of choice (my son's favorite is bananas), a knife, a plastic baggie that seals, and your favorite toddler cereal.

Step Two: Prep
I cut bananas into 1/4 inch dollars and then into quarters. They are big enough for little fingers to grasp but not so big that they are hazardous. Do you own thing though and prep your sticky snack.

Related: How to make two-ingredient "ice cream" that

We are almost through the Passover week already! This Jewish spring festival is a seven-day holiday that runs from March 25th through April 2nd (for 2013). Since Passover is a spring holiday, there are plenty of themes you can use when naming your baby. You will find that most of these names are Biblically based. I was able to locate boy's names, girl's names and several gender neutral options (shown in green). If your baby is born during the week of Passover or shortly before/after, you may want to check this list. You'll find names taken from the Bible and Passover story as well as Hebrew names for "spring". Click through to view all 9 of these Passover-inspired baby names! By Nadia Carriere

MORE ON DISNEY BABY

10 Passover eats and treats for little hands

Start the dialogue: 15 Passover books for kids

40 baby names that literally mean "happy"