Michelle Horton

Michelle Horton is the founder of EarlyMama.com — a site that encourages and inspires anyone who started families on the "earlier" end of the parenting spectrum — and is a regular contributor to Babble.com, including their Family Style and Being Pregnant blogs. If she's not writing articles or testing out baby gear, she's most likely wrapped up in her toddler's imaginative role play. She lives in New York with her husband and son.

Baby Essential: Disney Baby Walkers

Our exersaucer was probably the most valuable piece of baby gear we had between months 4 and 6 because I could sit him there — right in that little seat — and watch him swat and rattle and completely entertain himself.

LIKE MAGIC.

And these sturdy Safety 1st walkers at Walmart have a world of (Disney) entertainment right on the tray:

Earth-Friendly Disney Baby Toys for Earth Day

Happy Earth Day, you guys. A day to remember our roots, quite literally, and prioritize our planet’s health — after all, it’s the only habitat we have.

And because of that, many new parents feel a more urgent need to make our world, our children’s world, a healthier and cleaner place. Yet I was SHOCKED at how much waste an itty-bitty baby can produce. From endless diapers to short-lived plastic baby gear, parenting can cause even the most eco-conscious parent to increase their landfill contribution.

So if you’re looking for ways to minimize your footprint-after-baby, eco-friendly toys are a good place to start. And that’s why I was super excited to see Disney Baby team up with one of my favorite eco-conscious toy companies, Miyim, with a line of toys — including this super-cute Winnie the Pooh and Friends Bowling Set:

eco-friendly disney pooh

Disney/Pixar Baby Name Ideas

Disney/Pixar is having (yet another) big moment right now — first with the upcoming Monsters University (a prequel to Monsters Inc, out this year) and the VERY EXCITING announcement of a Finding Nemo sequel, Finding Dory. (Eeeeek!)

And because we all know baby name inspiration can come from anywhere and everywhere, let’s look at the strong candidates from our favorite Pixar flicks:

25 Fun Spring Crafts for Little Hands

With springtime comes flowers and nature and — yes — quite a few rainy days.

For those afternoons where you’re stuck indoors, here are some spring crafts to keep the little ones busy and happy:

The Three-Month Difference

My nephew just turned three-months old, and it’s like someone flipped the switch from newborn to infant. All of those tell-tale signs of newness — the grunty noises, curled-up body, spastic movements — are slowly fading into a stronger, brighter, more baby-ish baby.

With my own son, I remember very distinct thresholds from one stage to the next — specifically at 3 months, 5 months, 9 months, 15 months, and 18 months. (Did you feel the same?) And it’s fun to watch these new phases roll in and out again. Only this time I remember how fleeting they are.

Here’s a little recap of Benjamin’s new 3-month self:

Rocket Fuel