We still have a few morning and afternoon slots available for our Limited Edition Mini Sessions! This is an amazing opportunity because it is my VERY LAST WEEKEND AVAILABLE for holiday portraits. If you have been waiting for the perfect time to get your photos done, wait no longer!

For just $199 you receive a 15-20 minute mini family photo shoot. You will receive an online gallery of up to 10 images from which to choose your favorite image. With that favorite image you will receive an 8×10 print and your choice of 50 holiday photo cards with envelopes OR one digital image with printing rights. (you can also purchase additional images from your gallery, too!)

This is a one-time, special offer with very special pricing. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to have your family photos done in a beautiful setting with an award winning photographer! Expecting parents, new parents, grandparents… everyone can send gorgeous holiday cards this year!

We are scheduling sessions every half an hour from 9am-11am, and again from 1pm-4pm. These are by appointment only and once they are gone, they are gone! Call Jessie at 219.8166 or email jessie@speckledbirdart.com ASAP to ensure your reservation!

The Beco Butterfly II Carrier is the new definition of style, function and safety in soft structured carriers. From infancy through toddler hood (7-45 lbs), fast and simple on and off, front and back carry, designer fabrics, durable and machine washable; you can’t go wrong with Beco. AND IT’S MADE IN THE USA

• From newborn to toddler
• Front and back carry
• Comfortable and stylish design
• 100% cotton
• Machine washable
• DVD included
• Made in the USA!

Special Features:

• Removable infant insert that allows baby to sit upright
• Removable headrest
• Security inside panel

Special Values:

• Stylish designer prints and fabrics
• For use from infant to 45 lbs, no need to purchase more than one carrier!
• Fits users from 4′9″ to 6′2″
• Easy to use with minimal learning curve
• Easy on and off
• Folds compactly for easy storage and packing
• Retail packaging made from recycled material

The carriers are designed by a babywearing parent, active sailor and rock climber, Gabby Caperon. Beco combines perfect ergonomics, excellent weight distribution and stylish design from top quality fabrics. Each carrier is handmade by a skilled seamstress in facilities which apply high social and economical standards. Sustainability and minimal impact of our production on the environment is important to us. We strive to provide the best quality, safe products and friendly customer service.

The Safe Sippy is here! Finally a toddler drinking cup that is safe, functional and pretty cool looking!

The Safe Sippy is a stainless steel 11oz sippy cup created by concerned parents. The unique sippy is made from clean, inert and non-leaching medical grade stainless steel. So what you put in is what you get out!

* Features a great rubbery sleeve to provide a comfortable grip for baby and help prevent dents
* All plastic used is certified free of Bisphenol A, DEHA and phtahlates
* The sleeve insulates little hands from cold and warm liquids
* The combination of stainless steel along with the protective sleeve creates the most durable, ding-free cup available on the market

Interested in cloth diapering but not sure where to start? Get a Starter Kit! It contains everything you need to get started with reusable diapers. We also have extra covers and bamboo diapers in stock too! Come in to see, touch and learn a little bit about using modern cloth diapers.

Wee Can Sign Workshop

Tuesday September 30th 10am

Come and enjoy a free baby sign language class for parents and children, ages birth - 3years. Learn how to introduce signs to young children using books, songs and toys!

Long before they can speak, children can communicate using their hands. Babies and toddlers can show you what they want, what they need, and what they are thinking about using American Sign Language. Signing allows a child to communicate effectively with his or her parents and caregivers reducing frustration and reinforcing positive communication and behavior.

Enter now to win an Olive and Bean Gift Certificate!

Teensygreen is a hip modern blog that strives to bring smart and practical innovations of all things eco for modern parents, whatever your shade of green.

We are giving away three gift certificates for three winners! Two gift certificates are for $50, and one is for $25. Visit Teensygreen and leave a comment with an answer to this - what would buy with your Olive and Bean gift certificate? Winners will be chosen at random. This contest will be open until next Friday, October 3rd at midnight, PST. Good luck!

Fads in names may come and go, but trends are destined to stick around for a while. Here are some of the trends that are influencing the names that parents are bestowing on their babies.

The Last Shall Be First

Here’s one for the guys: Almost one-quarter of today’s 100 most popular boy baby names are common last names. That’s about twice the rate seen in 1980s. Many of these last-names-first are longtime favorites like Thomas, Alexander, and Charles. But the trend is bringing many less traditional names to the front of the line, including Connor, Tyler, Logan, Dylan, and Jackson.

Top Tip: Looking for something different, yet familiar? Check out the last names listed in the white pages of your phone book.

What’s Old is New

Give credit to Jane Austen for the upsurge in popularity of Emma, the second most-dubbed name for girls in 2006. But there are plenty of other names with the patina of age. The trend is especially common for girls, and includes names like Abigail, Victoria, Olivia, Hannah, Alexandra, Claire, and Grace.

Top Tip: Scout out popular fiction from the Revolution onward to find names with a place in history.

Welcome to Hollywoodland

Celebrities have always been a popular source of baby names, and not just stars: The name Truman peaked in 1945 at No. 249 in the hit parade. But with today’s Hollywood-gossip drenched society, its no surprise that Tinsel Town has produced a bumper crop of baby names. Among the top 100: Angelina, Jennifer, Sofia, Faith, Nicole, Mariah, Jada, Ethan, and Aiden.

Top Tip: Avoid names that are too closely associated with a single celebrity. Think of those little girls who will grow up hoping they were named after Paris, France.

From Foreign Shores

Names with a distinctive ethnic or cultural lilt are emigrating into the lists of popular names for both boys and girls. Caitlin — in all its glorious incarnations — is probably the most popular name for girls. Among the most common ethnic and foreign names are Isabella, Ethan, Chloe, Hailey, Gabriel, Mackenzie, and Alexandra.

Top Tip: Rent a few foreign films from places that intrigue you and mine them for baby name possibilities.

Places and Things

At one time, you needed a name dictionary to decipher the meaning of a name. For many of today’s top monikers, no translation is needed. Baby Madison might be named after the city or our fourth President, but either way there’s no danger that her name means “lover of wheat” or a similar obscure origin. Among these places and things names are: Grace, Savannah, Angel, Trinity, Faith, and Brooklyn.

Top Tip: Anyone for a game of State Capitals? Hmmm…Pierre, Montgomery, Phoenix, Dover, Denver, Helena….

For more baby naming articles click here