Hey, it's Mother's Day. Just because you're not a mommy yet doesn't mean you shouldn't take care of yourself like one. I can tell you from past experience, how you treat yourself while you're pregnant will very much impact how you take care of yourself (or don't) when you're a mom. And, take it from me, it's important to do both. It will make you a happier person and probably a better mom to do so.

MSN offers several keen suggestions for moms to be to make it through the day and keep on track. even if you're not a mom to be, and are already a mom (or not!) I think there is something in this list of suggestions that would benefit us all. So, if you have time after your Mother's Day brunch, check out these tips and see which ones you might like to give a whirl.

I myself am partial to the one regarding taking naps at lunch. I don't know how well this would fly at my office or anyone else's, but if you have the ability, I say go for it. Sleep during pregnancy is of the utmost importance. After you become a mom, it's downright essential. And it seems none of us parents ever gets enough. Heaven forbid those of us without TiVo stay up late enough to watch the latest episode of Lost!

Don't have your mother's day gift quite yet? Naughty, naughty child! Well, if you're like me and forever trying to pick out the perfect gift yet always feel like you're coming up short, why not try a different approach?

MSN's astrology website offers gift suggestions for mom based on her astrological--or zodiac--sign. If you can remember your mother's birthday, you're in luck. Suggestions run from the usual, such as brunch for the Taurus mom or hanging out with the family for the Cancer mom, to the very, er, unusual--such as skydiving for an Aries mom!

I don't know enough about the different personality traits to say whether or not the suggestions are accurate. It did seem to me, though, that the traits discussed for each sign were the kinds of things we'd like to see in any mom, regardless of her birthday. So, for ideas when you're stumped, for perhaps something different or something traditional you hadn't considered, or just to have fun, why not see what works for a mom based on her astrological sign? Still stuck? Well, maybe you should consult your magic eight ball. That always works for me!

Now that I've found myself plum in the middle of my second pregnancy, I thought it might be interesting to really take a look at all those wives tales we're always being reminded of when we find ourselves in the family way. The first pregnancy for me I was totally freaked out and had no chance at being able to separate fact from fiction--between what I read online and in books and magazines, what I was told by friends and family--and, ok, let's face it, complete strangers who for some reason are more than willing to share their pregnancy/birth experiences--and what information I got from my OBGYNs, I was basically confused. TMI (too much information) took on a whole new meaning.

I wanted to believe what my doctors told me--but, hey, they're not always right. Prime example? Caffeine. My first pregnancy I was told I could have up to two cups of caffeinated beverages such as coffee a day with no problem. This was even though I'd heard otherwise. Now, in pregnancy two (electric boogaloo), we're all reading about how caffeine is a no no (again), especially in the first trimester. Guess what--the info I got from my OBGYNs was the same.

Then there are all the hair-brained things we read on the Internet. I told a friend of mine who was having a rough pregnancy to just STOP reading ANYTHING on the Internet as it was all terrifying her. It did me, too. Hey--you never know--there are many times when the sages of the Internet speak the truth, or at least a version of it. So, who and what to believe as we--and I, as I go through pregnancy two--navigate our way through pregnancy and impending parenthood? Hard to say. My goal with this min-series, called "Pregnancy fact or fiction" is to not necessarily answer the questions, but rather to explore them and the multiple answers we find when we go looking,

Some of the old wives tales I whip out may seem unconventional or downright crazy, but so is the science of having a baby. Just think how complicated conception can be, and, coupled with the lack of knowledge we still have after all these years about how women and pregnancy, it's easy to see where some of those strange ideas came from...especially when the results continued to support the theory, scientific or otherwise!

In the few years I've been writing at ParentDish, I've linked to Rebecca Woolf's blog on numerous occasions. Rebecca, otherwise known as the dynamic voice behind the blog Girl's Gone Child, has an indescribable talent for putting very complex topics into simple, provocative words. She's been one of my favorite bloggers since 2004, when I first discovered this medium.

So, I was excited but unsurprised to hear that Rebecca had landed a book deal, and delighted to learn that she would be embarking on a book tour that would stop in my own city. I marked the date on the calendar and placed a call in to the shy babysitter down the road.

On the night of Rebecca's pit stop in Vancouver, I received a call from a suddenly sickly babysitter. Though the book signing started at 7:30, smack in the middle of my son's bedtime, I looked at him and asked: "Wanna meet some pretty ladies at a book store?"
"Yes!" he cried, though the "s" was a "th", and then we were off.

He's been potty trained for several weeks, almost a month, and so I didn't think too much about the fact that he was wearing his hilarious old-man briefs and no diaper. I kept asking him on the way to the store: gotta go, Nolan? Tell me if you gotta go."

Although initially excited about our destination, a two-and-a-half year old's enthusiasm is a fickle thing, and by the time we got to the store, my son was manic and destructive with alternating glee, boredom, and a fierce determination to wet-willy an unsuspecting participant.

We had to leave before we got to hear Rebecca read. Nolan had an accident in the middle of the bookstore. Rebecca, adorned in chiffon and softness, presented us with some wet naps. And, cringing, I bought a few books and limped out of the bookstore. On the way home I sneaked glances at the book during red lights and when I got home, I put Nolan to bed and inhaled the whole book.

Even if I didn't really like Rebecca as a person and respect her immensely as a blogger, I would still have to say this: Rockabye is perhaps the best book on Mothering I've ever read. And it's certainly the best memoir. Alternating between streaming-eye touching and stomach-hurting funny, the book is one of the first honest books I've read about the bumpy journey from woman to Mother. I feel proud that Rebecca is one of the blogosphere's own, and the trip to meet her and try to support her reading was definitely worth the accident on the steps of the bookstore.

I used to have long hair. Long, long, long, hair. The kind that you dream about having when you're a little girl--the kind that makes you look and feel like a princess or like you should always and only be seen riding atop a racing stallion on the beach. I loved my hair.

And I hated it. Frankly, I didn't look that great with long hair. It took a long time to wash and I never bothered to do anything more than pile it on top of my head in a makeshift bun with a pony tail holder. Depending on what time of year it was, it was various shades of color from the sun and the elements. And it cost just as much to get it trimmed or styled as it would with a shorter 'do but didn't ever really look any different.

I'd grown it out nearly to my elbows for my wedding, where I naturally wore it back in some sort of bun (this time sans the pony tail holder). After that I cut it. I kept it mid-length and styled in a way that was both easy to manage and that grew out well. 'cuz it was expensive.

Then I had a baby. Whereas I had little time to get into the city for a cut before now I had essentially none. When I finally made it back in to see my guy, I had him cut it short. Really short. It was the same hairdo, just a lot shorter than normal. This way it would eventually grow out to the cut I'd always had but give me plenty of time in between cuts without looking too shabby.

It seems to be all the rage these days: talk of teens, and tweens, and their primping. When is it too soon? When is it too much? I remember getting my ears pierced at a relatively young age--I think I was in the second grade--but makeup? Well, even though my mother and grandmother generously indulged in that, I wasn't allowed until I was much, much older.

These days, as you can tell just by walking down the street, watching Nickelodeon--Miley Cyrus, anyone?--or hitting the local mall or salon, beauty is not just for adults anymore. And primping isn't just about beauty anymore, either--it's about pampering. I don't know when pampering ourselves became such a pursuit, but it is, at least with many of the women--and their daughters--I know.

A recent article in the New York Times probes this phenomenon. Girls want to be like their moms and the women they know. They want to go to salons, too. They want to get highlights and whatever else done to their hair as well as having their toes painted and their colors done. One girl's mother interviewed for the article commented that her daughter works hard and gets good grades. Her mother contends, because of that, she deserves a trip to the salon--to get her hair highlighted, to be pampered.

When children learn to draw, suddenly every blank piece of paper is a canvas, and every masterpiece is a work of art. It's hard to part with children's art, but it's impossible to save every piece, especially if your little artist is enthusiastic.

Mother's Day isn't too far around the corner. If you know a mom who adores her child's handiwork, then Scribble Couture may just be for her. At Scribble Couture, moms (or grandmas, aunts, and babysitters) can choose from one of four purse styles. Then, their favorite child-made artwork is uploaded and used to embellish the bag. The process is not an inexpensive one, and bags run from $119-$329.

It's kind of like those mugs we used to make in the 80s, you know...the ones where you drew a picture then slid it into the frame on the outside of the mug? Technology has changed the way we express ourselves, but the sentiment is still the same.

When I was pregnant my husband and I had this running joke that I could get as big as I liked so long as I didn't weigh more than he did by the end of the pregnancy. It was more a self-imposed rule that my husband used to make fun of.

I'd started out with a pretty low BMI--one that I worked hard for, mind you. So when the pounds started piling on, all in a very healthful way (well, except for those cupcakes in the third trimester) my husband would tease me that by the end of the whole thing I was going to be bigger than he was.

Well, I managed to pull it off an gained somewhere between 35-40 pounds (I think, it may have been less) so I did not ever weigh as much as my husband. But, what about moms who are as big, or are bigger, than their husbands?

LilSugar has taken note of some of the more famous couples wherein the wife or woman is bigger--taller, curvier, whatever--than her husband or man. JLo and Marc Anthony, Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are all discussed.

Almost every day after 5pm, you will find me wearing an apron. Whether it be making dinner, feeding my toddler, bathing my toddler or the multitude of tasks that have a potential dirty factor, I prefer to keep my clothes as stain-free as possible.

My aprons are not what I call "attractive", so last night I starting searching for vintage-style aprons in pretty fabrics. I mean, if you are going to wear an apron, you might as well look cute, right? (I promise, I don't have a June Cleaver fetish.)

Anthropologie has some beautiful aprons for women, as well as for children. The Georgia apron is one of my favorites, and the Sewing Basket Print for children is about as cute as they get! Adult aprons are $32 and children's are $24 at Anthropologie.

Both Perez Hilton and I think this is a crock, but he's posting about it anyway, so I'm throwing my two cents in as well. Nicole Richie is purportedly (at least according to the LA Times, although I couldn't find the article) interested in designing a line of maternity clothes.

Well, I for one hope it's true! Look, let's get serious here for a minute. We've all been there and we know maternity clothes suck. That's right--they suck. No matter how expensive they are or where we get them, even when we try to select items appropriate for the office, we come off looking like something only Roal Dahl could dream up.

Nicole Richie, to me anyway, has a sense of style if nothing else. And she's been pregnant too. Perhaps she was also fed up with looking craptacular when with child. Pregnant women should look glorious and be supremely comfortable at all times, whether at the Oscars or the office. Perhaps Ms. Richie could find the time to merge those two worlds.

I don't know if I'd be able to afford anything she offered, but I would at least be interested to spy what she designed. So, uhm, Nicole, even if you weren't thinking of getting into the maternity clothes business, maybe you should???

About 1,200 Ellaroo Ring Sling Baby Carriers are being recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission because of a fall hazard. The aluminum rings on the sling have a tendency to bend or break, which can cause the fabric to slip through and the infant to fall out of the carrier. No injuries have been reported thus far, but there have been four reports of the rings bending and two reports of the rings breaking.


The recall involves Ellaroo Ring Sling baby carriers with item numbers 2101 and 2102 printed on the outside of the box. The sling has a fabric carrier with two aluminum rings and is worn to carry an infant up to 35 pounds. They were sold in mahogany, mango stone, brasilia and malay color prints. Only sling carriers with lot number 03/07 and 07/04 printed on the label (under the size label) are included in this recall.

These slings were manufactured in India for Ellaroo LLC, of McKinney, Texas and sold at juvenile product and department stores nationwide and online, including BabiesRUs.com, from June 2007 through February 2008 for about $100.

If you have one of these slings, you should immediately stop using it and contact Ellaroo for instructions on returning it for a repair or replacement sling. You can reach them by calling (800) 483-4902 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m CT Monday through Friday or by visiting their Web site.

Gosh, I need a manicure. Since like, at least a few months before I got pregnant--the first time. Between getting pregnant, being pregnant, breastfeeding, getting freaked out by everything I've read about toxins in nail polish and getting pregnant AGAIN I haven't had my nails done in over two years. And they look it.

I look like someone from the Dark Ages who roots around the cold hard ground all day looking for root vegetables and finding nothing but scraggly rocks. In fact, that's just what my nails look like: scraggly. I've never even considered the massive number of bottles of nail polish I have horded in my beauty closet--they're old and I fear they're full of chemicals that will harm me, my unborn baby, or both of us.

Now enter Priti Polish from expectant mom Kim D'Amato, who was also told to steer clear of nail salons. (I've also read that while the polish isn't so bad for you the fumes and other stuff flying around in the salons can be.) She created a non-toxic soy-based line of products known as Priti Organic Spa. The nail polishes are formaldehyde-free and contain no toluene or DBP. The polish remover uses things like corn, orange and vegetable oils.

If you're an expectant mom who wants to be glam--or keep your manicure up and not look like a wildebeest like me--and who wants to do it (relatively?) guilt-free, you may want to give Priti Polish a try.

And, if you've used these or similar products I'd be interested in hearing what you thought of the results!

Nail polish pic by Priki.

To celebrate the re-appearance of February 29th today, British clothing company Boden is giving away 29 online orders.

Load up your cart with cute kids clothes for spring and summer like the adorable hopscotch jersey vest or non-scary skull hoodie or treat yourself to something yummy like the contrast trim coat and you might be one of the lucky ones who gets it all for free! If not, you'll still LOOK good!

The leap year checkout lottery is only good for today and lasts until 11:59 PM EST.

Remember that scene in Best in Show where Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock are talking about how they met at Starbuck's while reading catalogs? I probably laughed as hard as anyone at that joke because I am exactly the sort of person you'd find in a Starbuck's rooting through a Crate and Barrel or J. Crew catalog.

Now, of course, I have my laptop with me. I spend most of my time writing but there are occasions when I can be seen perusing the new season at Banana Republic or seeing what's on clearance at Victoria's Secret. I rarely if ever purchase anything from any of these places, but it's nice to window shop. Being a new mom with a full-time job, a house that's a mess, and endless pile of laundry, a career as a blogger and a running gig, I have precious little time to actually visit any stores!

Reading about the clothes and such online is simply not the same, though, as leafing through a leaflet. And looking through catalogs requires even less of an attention span then what's needed to look through an actual magazine. Sometimes I am so pooped I can't even be bothered with that. Plus the magazines don't show you the myriad colors that top you just fell in love with comes in.

That's important information catalog shoppers need to know. In fact, we love considering each of those colors and the names of the colors as well. I'd never heard of "heathered" anything until I received my first J. Crew catalog. The only problem with catalog enjoyment is that it's really a waste of paper. That and the fact that once you're on the list it's for life. And then you somehow appear on other lists for catalogs you never heard of. It's a vicious cycle, really. I get my weekly updates online now, with only an occasional offering hard copy in the mail. I enjoy them when I can, reserving them as a special treat, but that's really it.

Call it an addiction or a vice, call it what you will, but I still love my catalogs. I never sign up for any, though, in an effort to be green. I recycle those I receive. I try to do my perusing online. For those of you who receive unwanted catalogs you can call the company's customer service numbers and ask to be removed from the mailing list.

Ikea love pic by pinkbelt.

The scale tells me I'm down about 15 pounds since giving birth to Dylan on the 4th, which leaves me with . . . oh, a few more pounds to go. You know, one or two.

I'm not stressing about it because hey, it's been like a WEEK, and my name isn't Brooke Burke. But I am kind of uncomfortable in my own skin at the moment, because I've still got a puffy post-pregnancy belly and I don't mean to overshare or anything but my boobs can be seen from space. None of my clothes fit worth a damn: the maternity stuff is weird and baggy, and the pre-pregnancy stuff is too clingy. Even my pre-pre-pregnancy clothes -- a pile of outfits from before I lost weight back at the beginning of 2007 -- don't really work; they're too tight in the waist, too saggy everywhere else.

I've been living -- and I do mean living, like wearing these things day in and day out -- in a pair of Liz Lange sweats, a Gap maternity shirt, a pair of Lululemon yoga pants, and an oversized fake vintage Aerosmith t-shirt. And lo, I am sick of my own self. I mean, I don't even like Aerosmith all that much.

What kinds of clothes did you find to be comfortable and non-ugly during your postpartum Awkward Stage? It seems like I could wear the same things I did during my second trimester, but it's like my body is an entirely different shape. I'm sure six straight months of ice cream have nothing to do with THAT.