In our growing concern about the environment, everyone should do their part to make the world a better, greener place to live – including baby!

Switch to cloth – Disposable diapers and wipes are a huge burden on landfills. Switch to cloth and save money and resources at the same time. (A good laundry service can help you keep them clean.)

Walk to work – Babies come equipped with all manners of alternative transportation. If you have to run a quick errand, why not strap baby to your chest or put her in the buggy and walk? Or you can place older babies in a bike trailer or seat attached to your bike and ride for errands a bit farther away.

Switch to organic materials. If you dress your baby only in organic materials you’ll know she’s in the most natural and comfortable clothing available. You’ll also be promoting good citizenship.

Remind others. It’s hard to not look at a passing baby, so use your baby’s clothing as a small, adorable billboard to remind others to go green as well. A single shirt might make a profound impression on plenty of admirers in a day.

Brushing baby’s tiny teeth is an area of hygiene that many parents simply skip. It’s not that you don’t want your child to have perfect gems of white in his mouth; it’s that your baby is simply uncooperative with the whole tooth brushing process.

For a little one desperate to put things in his mouth, when the toothbrush comes out, it’s almost impossible to pry his jaws apart. All hope for brushing is not lost, however – it’s just a bit trickier than you might have originally thought.

Let him brush. If you hand your baby the toothbrush, he might be more willing to chew on the fun, scratchy bristles. While this might not be the best way to get teeth clean, it does clean them a bit more than you did without ever getting the brush in his mouth.

Brush teeth together. Older babies love to imitate. If you brush your teeth together, he might be willing to do what you do – and maybe even let you help a bit with the process.

Skip the brush. If the toothbrush is causing concern, skip it all together. You can do a passable job with a washcloth over your finger or with a finger glove toothbrush. If you choose this route, however, be sure to avoid getting your finger caught between two pearly white razors.

Much of the discussion revolving around family time is in reference to families with older children. Rarely do you see a commercial where a toddler isn’t free to sit down at the table with her parents. (Although she might not want to.) This lack of publicity shouldn’t stop you from ensuring your child gets enough time with her entire family.

In many households, the only time the entire family is together is at mealtimes and after dinner. In households with babies, this might not be the case as young babies often eat at different times and might be with one parent after dinner while the other takes care of household chores or finishes up a project.

While most households develop family routines at some point, the earlier you establish these times together, the more powerful your family connection with be. Make it a point to spend at least thirty minutes together with all members of your family. You can achieve this easily by:

Bathing your baby together every night. While cramped, the bathroom offers great fun and laughs – especially if you have two children in the tub.

Taking a family walk. After dinner is the perfect time to get outside. The temperature has dropped a bit and the light exercise gives everyone a chance to catch up on the day.

Playing together. Turn off the television and pull out some of baby’s favorite toys to play with together as a family.

Sept 7, 2008 marks Grandparents’ Day in the United States. While this innocuous holiday is overlooked by most of the population, those with children understand just how important it is to honor the family members who not only raised us to be parents, but love our children as dearly as we do. This year, find a gift idea that is truly special.

Picture Collage
Grandparents love pictures, but on this special occasion don’t just present them with snapshots. Create a full picture collage of a special event, a single photo shoot or perhaps a montage of photos showing your children together with their grandparents.

Grandparent Letter
Your baby might not be able to speak a word, but you can help put words in her mouth. On a heavy sheet of paper, write a short letter thanking your parents for all they do in the life of your child. Write it from your little one’s perspective and then sign it with her handprint.

Figurine
There is something especially meaningful in the beautiful figurines of parents and grandparents with children. These mementos are always a perfect gift, but there is no better time to find a beautiful statue of a grandmother and child than Grandparents’ Day.

It’s amazing how quickly a pregnancy is gone when you look back over the almost ten months following delivery. During these months, time drags while waiting to meet your baby, but after the fact, you might feel more than a bit nostalgic for your large belly and mood swings.

It’s important to capture pregnancy in as many ways as possible as this is a stage of your life represents the most important transition you can achieve, yet the details are often forgotten over time. Preserving your pregnancy can be as simple as:

Journaling
Write a few sentences in a journal every day or every week of the pregnancy. Some baby books and pregnancy journals have a space designed exactly for this reason.

Taking Belly Pictures
Every few weeks or every month, take a new belly picture. Stand in the same position and be brave enough to lift your shirt above your belly. Some day you’ll miss those stretchmarks. Plus seeing evidence of how big you really got as your belly grew is almost overwhelming.

Using a Tape Measure
If you buy a new tape measure, you can use it to chart your pregnancy. Wrap the tape around your waist every week and mark the spot with a permanent marker. As your belly grows, your marks will get farther apart. Then, when your tummy is returned to normal someday, you can marvel at how large it once was.

When summer heats up, the temperatures can become unbearable to both mothers and babies. Young babies are too fragile to go traipsing through triple digit temperatures and older babies would love to play outside all day, but the heat is dangerous for these little ones as well – not to mention Mom would much rather stay inside. When it gets too hot outside, it’s time to arrange fun inside.

Head to the AC
If your home is getting a bit confining, head to a place that is interesting for baby that has plenty of cool air conditioning. The mall is an excellent choice as it presents so many air conditioned options. Put baby in the stroller and walk the mall with the other mall walkers in the morning to get a bit of exercise. Or bring baby out in the afternoon to marvel at the fountain, shops and all the interesting people who walk by.

Invite Entertainment
Your home can become more exciting if there is something exciting there. Babies love other babies, so invite a friend and her child over for a playdate. It doesn’t matter if the children aren’t that close in age. Toddlers will entertain baby while playing with his toys and you can catch up with a friend.

Stick to the Water
Water is a great way to cool off, and if your baby enjoys the water, you should let him experience it as much as possible. Set up a low sprinkler or wading pool for older babies. Younger babies can play on special water mats or float with you in the pool while you swim around. Just remember sunscreen and a hat to protect that ultra-sensitive skin!