The 50 Best Middle Names for Elizabeth

A girl looking at bubbles

Picking a first name is hard, but a lot of parents forget one thing until the last minute.

Picking the right middle name!

The good news is this: Once you’ve picked the first name, it’s not too hard to find a good middle name that sounds good with it.

All you need is a few options to get you started.

Without any further ado, here are the best middle names for a girl named Elizabeth.

Read more

The 49 Best Middle Names for Eleanor

Baby girl lying down

You know how some people just “look” like their name?

Well, it turns out that the name you choose for your baby actually has a big impact on how people see them as they grow up, and even how they see themselves!

Picking a first name is beyond my pay grade, but I do think I can help you pick a good middle name to go with it.

It all comes down to how it flows with the first name, so now that you’ve picked Eleanor, the rest should be easy.

Without any further ado, here are the best middle names for a girl named Eleanor.

Read more

The 50 Best Middle Names for Elijah

Boy in chair in yellow room

Deciding on the perfect name for your baby is not an easy choice.

After all, your baby’s name is a big deal. Not surprisingly (at least, according to Parenting.com) a person’s name is a big deciding factor in how he is perceived by others, as well as how he thinks about himself.

So it’s no wonder that you want to find the perfect name for your son. You can easily lose hours and hours of time searching on Google and reading books for the best first name for your baby, and in the process, little time is left for finding the best middle name.

That’s why I’ve been putting together my How To Pick A Middle Name series. So with a quick glance, you can find the perfect middle name for your son!

Without any further ado, here are the best middle names for a boy named Elijah.

Read more

12 Romantic Anniversary Ideas for a Pregnant Wife

Pregnant wife and husband kissing

Happy Anniversary!

Whether you’re planning a special celebration of your marriage (or honestly, any kind of date night at all) during pregnancy, you’ve probably run into some roadblocks.

The unfortunate truth is that there are so many things you and/or your wife can’t do when pregnant, depending on how far along, including:

  • Drink wine, beer, or cocktails (a big one!)
  • Eat sushi or raw meat/fish
  • Ride rollercoasters
  • Fly
  • Sit in a hot tub
  • And the list goes on

There are other challenges, too, like unpredictable appetites and cravings (or anti-cravings) during pregnancy, nausea and other related ailments.

If you’re here looking for some anniversary ideas for your pregnant wife, I’ve got some tips and activities to help get your creative juices flowing.

Read more

Baby Bouncers vs Baby Swings: What Are the Differences, Pros & Cons?

A mother kissing a newborn baby

If you have a new baby on the way, chances are you won’t be able to hold it in your arms 24/7.

(As much as you might want to at first… Trust me, it gets tiring!)

That’s why there are products out there like baby bouncers and baby swings, specifically designed to simulate the movement your baby feels when you hold him — without you actually having to do it!

Placing your baby in a bouncer or swing is a safe, comfortable way for both you and baby to be happy while you attend to other things.

But which one is the safer, better choice?

In this article, I want to break down the differences between baby bouncers vs. baby swings and help you decide which one is right for your budding family.

Read more

Rocker vs Glider: Which Chair is Right for Your Nursery? (Differences Explained)

A nursery rocking chair
M Sundstrom/Flickr

Oh, the excitement that comes along with having a new baby; there’s just nothing quite like it!

Of course, along with all of that joy also comes a lot of questions:

  • How many diapers will we use each day?
  • What if he cries all of the time?
  • How do I get him to calm down when he’s upset?

Look, it’s a given that your baby is going to cry, and probably cry a lot. One of the ways you can calm your baby is by using a gentle rocking motion or some other form of movement, which is one of the reasons people buy rockers and gliders.

It might seem like these two items are one and the same, but they actually have their differences.

In this article, I want to break down the differences between rockers vs. gliders and help you decide which one is right for you; and it might be both!

So…what is the difference between rocking chairs and gliders?

Read more

Swaddles vs Sleep Sacks: What Are the Differences, Pros & Cons?

A baby sleeping in a swaddle blanket

It’s common knowledge that when a new baby arrives, sleeping parents become a thing of the past; at least for a little while.

Therefore, it’s no surprise that parents want to try everything possible to help their little darlings sleep for longer periods of time. Quite often, what works for your baby might be different than what works for another bundle of joy; so knowing the different options out there is essential.

Some of the many things that parents use to help their babies sleep are swaddles or sleep sacks; or perhaps even both!

Babies are used to being snug and cozy inside the womb for roughly nine months; therefore, when they come out into the big, wide-open world things can be a little jarring.

Swaddles and sleep sacks are designed to help mimic that tight, comforting squeeze but to varying degrees.

In this article, I want to break down the differences between swaddles vs sleep sacks and help you decide which one is right for you. So what’s the difference?

Read more

Training Pants vs Pull-Ups: What Are the Differences, Pros, and Cons?

Congrats!

You made it through all of the questions and surprises that come along with having a newborn–because now you have an extremely enthusiastic toddler on your hands!

Caring for a toddler comes complete with a whole new set of questions like:

  • When did he learn to say “no?”
  • What’s the best breakfast to give him a good start to the day?
  • What is the deal with this whole potty training thing?

A toddler boy running

Yes, nothing quite tops one of the biggest milestones your toddler will face, potty training.

In this article, I want to break down the differences between training pants vs. pull-ups and help you decide which one is right for you; and it might be both!

So…what is the difference between training pants vs. pull-ups?

Read more

Mini-Crib vs Pack ‘n Play: What Are the Differences, Pros, and Cons?

A stuffed animal inside a small crib

When you’re planning for a new baby you’re faced with all sorts of questions, like:

  • What will his middle name be?
  • Is there a bottle that’s better than others?
  • Will he sleep in our room at first?

When it comes to where your baby will sleep, many parents choose to have their bundle of joy sleep in the same room for the first several months.

In some cases, the baby might be sharing a room with an older sibling, or perhaps you’ll move your baby around to different rooms in the beginning. In cases like these, it makes sense to look at smaller sleeping options like the mini-crib and the pack n’ play.

In this article, I want to break down the differences between a mini-crib vs. a pack ‘n play and help you decide which one is right for you; and it might be both!

So…what is the difference between a mini-crib vs. a pack ‘n play?

Read more

Bottle Sterilizer vs Dishwasher vs Hand Washing: Which is best for cleaning dirty bottles?

If you’re bottle-feeding your baby or using formula, you’ll find one of the most challenging parts of your first couple of weeks at home…

… is keeping up with all the dirty bottles!

There will be close to a dozen of them per day, at the beginning, which can be tricky for anyone to stay on top of.

(You haven’t lived until you’ve realized baby is hungry and you don’t have any clean bottles. Good times!)

When it comes to keeping them clean, you have a few options:

A bottle sterilizer vs the dishwasher vs hand washing. Which one is best?

A dad loading a dishwasher

Read more