Happy Trails With a Toddler: What I packed in Alice’s travel bag

Posted on 19. Jan, 2012 by Princess Lasertron.

Who: Alice, 20-month-old toddler
What: A 2.5 hour flight to visit my grandfather in Phoenix
Where: On my lap in the middle seat of a packed airplane, 40,000 feet in the air
Why: I do not want to be one of those parents.

1: Pets Sticker Book (I have a “Getting Dressed” one for our return flight) 2: Pipe cleaners 3: “At the Zoo” wipe-off book 4: Noise-reducing headphones for toddlers 5: Crayons 6: Bee Backpack from Skip Hop 7: Ugly Doll bat keychain 8: Gallop! by Rufus Butler Seder 9: Silly Putty 10: Applesauce in a squeeze packet 11: Lemur stuffed animal 12: Cool wooden puzzle 13: Hello Kitty Band-Aids 14: Travel Kleenex

Not pictured: Empty sippy cup (to fill up after security), peanut butter granola bar, Annie’s fruit snacks to help her popping ears

When my brother and I were younger, our family traveled a lot. On each trip, my mom took care to pack a special airplane bag for each of us full of new treats and distractions to keep us content on a long trip. Sitting with a nearly two-year-old on my lap for the duration of a packed flight was my idea of hell, but the backpack helped a lot.

The biggest hits with Alice were the pipe cleaners, snacks (of course), and band-aids. We’ll save the rest of the stuff for the ride home on Sunday!

What do you take on long trips to keep your kids happy? Is there anything I should grab for next time?
xo
meg

Continue Reading

you asked for it: new pins and baby headbands in the shop!

Posted on 12. Nov, 2011 by Princess Lasertron.

What I’m working on now, mainly, is building up inventory for Christmas shoppers! Every year we do something for Cyber Monday (the Monday after Thanksgiving) and I have some great ideas for that–we’re also launching a few totally new kits on Cyber Monday.

In the meantime, I’ve been making headbands for babies by popular demand! I don’t like a lot of baby headbands and Alice won’t wear them, so they have never really been on my radar as far as a product that I identified my brand with. But the requests kept coming and I decided to challenge myself–what does a Princess Lasertron baby wear? Here’s what I came up with–just these four at first:

bee baby headband - $35

drew baby headband - $40

sasha baby headband - $35

lucille baby headband

All of these little beauties are available at shop.princesslasertron.com now! I also uploaded a few new embroidered flower pins, so check those out too.

Today I had a great photoshoot with Daniel Muller and the girls who are planning Lovestruck 2012 with me–I haven’t said much about that yet because I like to wait until the website is up for things like that, but I’m working with Candace Kalasky and Lesley Pick to bring a nontraditional wedding fair-type event to the Midwest here in Omaha. In the next few weeks we will launch the website so I’m sure I’ll say more then. In fact, I’m sure you’ll get sick of hearing me say more.

As always is the case.
Thanks for reading and make it pretty!
meg

Continue Reading

pretty pregnant: a maternity fashion round-up.

Posted on 16. Oct, 2011 by Princess Lasertron.

When I was pregnant with Alice, I did what many expecting moms do and took a picture each week to show the growth of my baby. They were also a great way to show how I was able to find versatility in the different pieces I had in my wardrobe as my body changed, and how I used some creativity to still feel put-together without having to buy a completely new wardrobe of maternity clothes.

So I know a lot of you are longtime readers, but for those of you who are new and expecting, I give you my week-by-week maternity outfit roundup. Next week I’ll also do a future post as well about my favorite key wardrobe pieces for any cool maternity wardrobe, so keep an eye out for that!

xo
meg

Week 18 :: Week 19 :: Week 20 :: Week 21

Week 22 :: Week 23 :: Week 24 :: Week 25

Week 26 :: Week 27 :: Week 28 :: Week 29

Week 30 :: Week 31 :: Week 32 :: Week 33

Week 34 :: Week 35 :: Week 36 :: Week 37

Week 38 :: Week 39 :: Week 40

Continue Reading

a photo story about alice and the pool, her favorite place in the world

Posted on 11. Aug, 2011 by Princess Lasertron.

Loves the pool. Hates going home.

Continue Reading

1 year + 2 months with Alice

Posted on 26. Jul, 2011 by Princess Lasertron.

Dear Alice,

This month you are fourteen months old. I put off writing this letter to you for a while because I haven’t found the motivation. It’s been such a busy month full of unexpected changes and successes and problems and expenses and great news and anxiety and nervousness…and you’ve continued to grow and develop and learn faster than I can keep up with you. Every day–absolutely every day–I tell myself that these are the best times of my life. That I must pay attention to everything going on, absorb the details of my surroundings, and appreciate the rarity of each moment. I think I am doing okay, but it’s so amazing how everything becomes more significant after you become a mom.

It’s been a super hot month, with the heat index over 100 degrees most days. This week our air conditioner broke so whenever we are home, you get totally naked. We play with cool water in the tub, eat frozen watermelon, and yell into the fan Dad bought for us and hear our voices change in modulation. We also go swimming at least once a week in Blair where Grandma and Grandpa live. The pool there is really nice–there’s a free baby pool, where you swim and play by yourself, and there’s the big-people pool where you can go when we are holding you. You HATE being held in the water, and you want to swim by yourself. Sometimes I let you go, thinking that when your body submerges and I pull you out of the water you will learn that you have to hold on to me, that you can’t swim by yourself yet. But as soon as your head is above water you push me away again, reaching and straining for the open water.

That’s been the growing theme of the last few months–pushing off, clamoring for your own independence and learning about what happens when the safety net is taken away. Hey Alice, I hear what you are saying. You don’t need your food cut up. You can use a fork. Yes, you can get out of your stroller. You can go down the stairs by yourself. You can play with the hose. And you’re right–it’s okay. You have to try.

What else is new this month?
…Your new favorite snack is frozen watermelon.
…You like to make piles and put things away.
…You can find your eyes, nose, hat (top of your head), hair, ears, lips, teeth, tongue, toes, and belly button.
…Still nursing. That’s not new.
…You could eat 25 bananas a day.
…I can no longer put you to sleep–only dad can get you to go down for the night.
…You love climbing.
…You hold my camera up to your face.

…There are lots of little chairs for you at our house and CAMP that you are so satisfied to sit in.
…Your love for animals is growing. You want to hug every dog, kitty, bird, and toad you see. And everything is a “woof-woof” until we tell you the right word.
…You are starting to take on more of my personality aspects–bossy, curious, needing to be involved in everything–and you have learned to be so sociable.
…You sleep with your finger in your belly button
…Four teeth on top and two on the bottom, but your top teeth never show when you smile.
…You snore and sigh loudly in your sleep.
…You are so fearless. You jumped off our coffee table onto a pile of pillows. You want to touch every animal.
…But you don’t want to be held by anyone but mom, dad, grandma, or grandpa. Starting to warm up a little to Shannon and Emma.
…And you are so TALL!!! I think you’re already half my height.

Right now it’s two o’clock it the morning and we are at Grandma and Grandpa’s house and you are asleep upstairs in my old room in the wooden trundle underneath my bed, surrounded by soft pillows, your crocheted blankie, and Flocki the Bunny. It took forever to get you to sleep. I can see that you have trouble calming your mind and quieting your thoughts. I watch your eyes trace the room, your hand involuntarily reaching out for things you long to touch and investigate. “Heh?” you ask absentmindedly, as your brain continues to work and learn and your limp, tired body relaxes on my shoulder.

We’re waking up early to go home and get ready for a 9am photoshoot and interview. Someday I hope you remember these times with me as you grew up, shadowing me at work, as fun and special. I know that not every little girl gets to do interesting job things like this with her mama, but not every mama gets to have a sweet little baby sidekick either. We’re both lucky.

I’m going to go jump into bed now and fall asleep listening to you snore. When you wake up in the morning I will listen to your little song and baby coos and I will tell you everything that happened while you were dreaming. Everything you do is significant, and it’s my greatest gift to be the keeper of these memories, the nurturer of your wonder and fascination, and the shadow standing behind you who gives you the courage and fearlessness to try everything for the first time.

I love you.
mama

Continue Reading