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Today’s challenge: Find a park you’ve never been to that has baby swings. If you live in Berkeley, Terrace Park is a cute little park you might not know about.

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Whitney passed along this mama tip to me and now I''m telling you; if your baby is starting to skip that 10pm feeding and you want to stretch those sleeping hours to ones that are more convenient, try the dream feed. She says it didn''t work for them, but we used it for several months. Pssst, the Baby Whisperer also recommends it if her word is worth more to you. Now, it takes a very steady hand and I never tried it myself because I had the lucky job of pumping during feeding time (consequently, Alec is the pro in our house) ...

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If you are like I was, by the time my baby was 10 weeks old, I had not exercised for about 6 months. Baby Bootcamp was my re-introduction to sweating and I loved it. I am not a gym-goer in my normal life, and Baby Bootcamp was perfect for me. Here''s why: Exercising in the company of other sleep-deprived, temporarily overweight, leaky-breasted women is more fun. It was no problem that I walked the course rather than ran it much of the time. I had many excuses lined up for not running (all of which are somewhat valid and mostly shared by ...

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What better way to get folks attention with your beliefs than to plaster catchy slogans on your precious baby? Name your cause and I''ll bet we can find you some baby apparel. We''ll start with an easy one and move on from there. Find yourself in the list below: Breastfeeding. The Lactivist Store has many amusing bibs and tee-shirts. Nip/Suck cracks me up, but I never had the nerve. Conservative. Wee-publican onesies are the way to go. Liberal. Perhaps "President Poopyhead" or "My parents are big gay liberals" on BabyWit.com may be your speed. Us Weekly addict. Team Aniston or Team Jolie? Declare yourself. Against ...

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Holden and I tackled the old-timey carousel in Martha''s Vineyard this summer, and he was horrified for the most part. It was a super sweaty experience (heat wave!), too noisy and, to be fair, I had not properly prepped him on what to expect. For my local readers, there''s a merry-go-round at Tilden Park that''s supposed to be great. The merry-go-round is big, slow, and pretty, having been lovingly restored. There''s another historic carousel that''s part of the Zeum in San Francisco and it''s indoors-- a good winter outing. Your challenge is to find a local (US-only, sorry!) carousel at the ...

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I read on Lindsey''s blog that you can''t take a bad picture in a pumpkin patch. Good assignment, right? Find a pumpkin patch. Go. Take pictures.

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Jodie from the adorable new online magazine for mamas, Sunshine Peach, sent us a week of fun times in her city of Pittsburgh, PA. We love the idea of enjoying tourist activities in your own city. Thanks, Jodie! Monday - Ride the Incline and overlook the city Kick off your week by getting to know the city from a different perspective. Your little one will enjoy the ride on the Monongahela Incline from the Station Square shopping complex to the top of Mount Washington. This old cable car will slowly, slowly, slowly make its way up over the city while offering ...

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I just got off the phone with my sister-in-law who said that all her Manhattan friends have been entering the babyGap casting call. Enter your baby''s photo in the online contest for a chance to star in a sweet little Gap ad. Even if you don''t win the grand prize, there''s a decent assortment of second prize gifts: free holiday cards from Kodak and babyGap discounts. I can''t promise you that you''ll win or anything, but I can share some tips and tricks: Take pics when baby is in a good mood (rested, fed, comfy) Go to a happy place like the swingset ...

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I got off the phone with my sister-in-law and she said all her Manhattan friends have been entering the babyGap casting call. Enter your baby''s photo in the online contest for a chance to star in a sweet little Gap ad. Even if you don''t win, there''s a decent package of gifts just for trying with free holiday cards and babyGap discounts. I can''t promise you that you''ll win or anything, but I can share some tips: Take pics when baby is in a good mood (rested, fed, comfy) Go to a happy place like the swingset or sandbox Follow some of our arty ...

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My friend Samantha shares some of her favorite mom and baby activities in her hometown of Dallas, TX. She has two little ones now, so we should really listen to her: Monday -- The Dallas Arboretum The Dallas Arboretum Pack a lunch and head out to the arboretum for Mommy-and-Me Mondays. Typically the event includes the usual – face painting, petting zoo, music, strolling, picnicking. But autumn is extra special because so many things are going on. The Ultimate Tree House Exhibit is on display featuring 13 "extreme" tree houses that kids can stomp around in. The pumpkin patch and ...

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Last weekend we had a joint birthday party for the babies in my mom''s group. I volunteered to do favors because the magnets I did the year before were such a hit. This year, the favor was Mom''s Group Trading Cards. What you need: Current pictures & stats: Ask the moms in your group to email you a photo of their child and a few trivia facts. The trading cards: Purchase business cards that go in an ink jet printer. Avery makes a product that creates eight cards per sheet. How to make them: Use the word template that goes with your printable ...

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Holy crap, it''s fall! Here in California, the weather is still sorta summery, so I know I need to take advantage of a warm afternoon before I lose my chance. It''s time for a family picnic. (It is so much easier to clean up Cheerio crumbs when that involves shaking your blanket into the grass and leaving the rest to the bugs.) I like to keep it simple by splitting planning duties with friends or just hitting the great outdoors with my lunch and my baby: Pack up the requisite baby gear during a naptime. Pick up your lunch at a favorite deli ...

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This activity is courtesy of Photojojo, where we read a tutorial for creating a photo journal that might help you "see your life in a whole new way." I think this is a great activity to exercise your ability to engage in other interests besides your baby. Or to capture your whole world, and not just your baby''s smiles. Photojojo reminds me that it''s a way to document my haircuts as well. If I was prepared better, today I would have taken a picture of the mailman who delivered Julian''s birthday present - a huge Radio Flyer wagon. This man really ...

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Dutch from Sweet Juniper is psyched about passing on his love for thrift stores to toddler Juniper. His recommended outing sounds best for a toddler who will truly enjoy the piles of broken baby dolls, rusty toy cars and weird furniture that a thrift store has to offer. If you are all about the 80s, vintage dresses, and velour, venture out to a thrift store, and bring baby with you. We tried it this week and Holden really enjoyed hiding among the dusty clothing racks while Julian pushed the laundry baskets of books from here to there over and over. The ...

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If you have never posted comments on a web site before, today is the day for you to step out of your shell. Let us know your ideas or that you think we''re just great the way we are! Give us something to smile about today. Today is our one-year birthday of running rookiemoms.com and we''re going strong. We''ve almost got one activity for every day of the first year of motherhood for and we''ve each got a young toddler running around. We launched our fledgling site the day after I left my five-month old home with a nanny and returned ...

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Now that you have your very own baby, your Halloween costume options have really expanded. If your baby is pretty new, she can be carted around with you, with no regard to bedtime. Enjoy it while it lasts. A few ways use your baby as a fun prop or sidekick to your own costume. Some of these are very easy on the degree of dificulty scale and some require some more effort, so you can decide. I would love to hear from someone who incorporates some sort of gear - a backpack or stroller - into their costume. Mom is princess, ...

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Take some walks outside with your new stroller to get some fresh air. Most babies respond well to the rhythm of the stroller, the fresh air, and changing light. Don’t push yourself too hard the first month. C-Section sisters, no brisk walking for you, but you need to get outside. Have someone take you and your little bundle to a place other than your house for a change of scenery. My first walk was 2 blocks. Literally. One out, one back. Take it easy.

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If you don’t take a walk daily, take one today. Time yourself so that you can know what your baseline is for doing that walk. Then you can try to do it faster tomorrow. If you do take a walk already, focus on walking faster today. Wear a pedometer for extra fun. What''s a pedometer? If you want to become a pedometer nut, buy one and read this.

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Whitney tried the subscription newsletter a few months ago and deemed it unworkable for her situation, so when I said I was giving myself the four-week challenge to get my dinner (and life) back on track with the The Six O''Clock Scramble, she wished me well and got out of my way. Basically, I fell in love with the Scramble. Let me count the ways... I liked: having all my meals planned (without hurting my brain and feeling too neurotic) doing a week''s shopping in one go (or sometimes a second mini run to pick up fresh meat) putting ...

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Hey there - What do you think? Give us feedback. We''d love to know which activities you find funny, helpful, misguided, unrealistic, or too obvious. Thanks in advance :) Become a Rookie Mom. Some of you email us and want us to discuss your product or link to your site. Ok, but what are you going to do for us? We are committed to providing our readers with relevant activities that we ourselves actually enjoy. But your opinion is valuable. Tell us how you spend a week in your city or town with your baby. Write a short blurb for each ...

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Look at this woman. Where is her pump? Do you look like her when you express milk for your baby? If so, please explain yourself. One night this week, we sat in a cafe with two other moms and started comparing notes about where we pump at work and where we have pumped. Here in California, our employers are legally obligated to provide us with a room that locks and has a plug AND is not a bathroom. I am grateful. I realize many of you are not so lucky. We got the idea that we should collect pictures of these environments ...

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Remember how when you sorta grew out of Halloween, there were still times when you were able to throw together a costume with items you had on hand? This can work for a baby or toddler costume, too. Here are a few examples: 1- Tourist - hawaiian shirt, shorts, socks with sandals. Print a picture of a camera from the Web, paste it onto some cardboard, and make it a necklace for baby to wear. 2- 50s guy - black fake leather jacket (buy used at baby resale store or ebay), white onesie, jeans. Slick back hair for maximum effect. If hair is ...

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If I was the craftier Rookie Mom, I would have already made this for you to admire. You would love not only the creative idea, but also the skilled execution. Alas, I can sometimes get the iron-ons to work and my kid pants still don''t yet have elastic in them... Know parents who have two different interests or backgrounds? Make a fusion gift that represents both of them. Examples: Jewish and Chinese, or doctor and teacher. Keep it simple with a pillow that has a different fabric on each side, or get all crazy like La La Ling and contrast arms ...

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I did not read this statistic anywhere, but I will venture to guess that one out of four babies'' first word is "ball". The first time I showed Julian a ball and how it rolled, his eyes lit up and I could see that boys are not only made of snakes and snails and puppy dog tails, but also of balls. (Yes, you are supposed to laugh at that.) What could be more motherly than making your child a ball with your very own hands? Before you non-crafters throw up, let me suggest that the crafty among you try this and ...

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