Despite the different stages in life each are in (20s, 30s, 40s & 50s) there seems to be the general over harking struggle with guilt. I don’t have enough time for my friends, boyfriend, partner, fiancé, or husband.

I never feel like I get ahead.

“Me time” does not exist.

Enjoying some quality beach time this summer on a weekend off

I work too much. I am home too little.

I should go to the gym more.

I didn’t eat all day or I have been over eating.

I don’t get to see my family enough, I can’t keep up with everyone’s birthdays, celebrations, etc.

Even though this sounds like complaining, it was actually a relief to hear that all these women are feeling the same types of pressure. Sheryl Sandberg wrote a lot about guilt in her book, Lean In. Even as successful as she is now, she still struggles with balancing work with personal, while trying not to feel bad all the time.

I think making small adjustments such as no phones at the table with your fiancé or setting call dates with mom every other day is the step in the right direction of balance, but I am still trying to figure out what works for me.

Lindsay Bell, President of Bell Family Company

She has done a million amazing things, all in the blink of an eye.  I remember when I got married, people told me to savor each moment…..take it all in because it happens too fast they said.  This is exactly like that times 365 days a year for the next sixty years!  Yes, the celebrations for her recognition of mommy & daddy or her accurate animal sounds on command will be replaced by graduations and job promotions, but there will always be celebrations.

We just spent a luxurious three weeks with my parents who celebrated 45 years of marriage while we were there.  The rest of our family joined us and between three daughters, there are three sons-in-law, four grandkids, five grand dogs and too many cousins, aunts & uncles too count.  My parents NEVER stop celebrating their loved ones’ accomplishments.  They never stop marveling at what each of us is doing and now they have been infused with even more joy and energy by their grandkids.  I get the impression that this feeling of overwhelming love and pride will never go away, it will just amplify and that blows my mind!  I can’t wrap my head around how fast time has flown, how many things my little girl has learned, how much our life has been enriched and how this is just the BEGINNING!

I think I’ll savor each moment and take it all in because this happens waaaay too fast.

-Jolynn

Kidding (sort of). Baby-proofing is extremely tricky. Once you think you have it figured out, those little explorers beat the system again and again. The climbing is the worst. What are you supposed to do? Remove all of your furniture and turn your house into kiddie playland? My toddler twins love climbing on the couch and waving out the window to people passing by; of course it’s accompanied by the sweetest sounding “hi.” Because of this, I’ve had to take the cushions off and line the floor with them. This helps, but then the jumping on the cushions begins. Sigh. Then I thought, what about a major distraction? Insert ball tent with tunnel that takes up my entire living room.

Oh well, I’ll just have to accept the fact that this is what it is until they move out.

-Courtney is a Sitter2mom, mother of the most adorable twins, and sister of BFC President, Lindsay. 

What is Be Mini Couture?

Be Mini Couture is the premier online children’s apparel ecommerce website – basically, a designer store for kids with prices up to 60% department store retail prices.  They make it easy for parents to dress their children without the hassle.  We carry the premier designers in children’s fashion and thousands of styles for both girls and boys, ages 6 months to 5 years.  They have 35 of the most popular children’s fashion brands including Stella McCartney Kids, Appaman, Crewcuts, Baby CZ and are adding products everyday!

You can browse by season, occasion, and the usual category options (gender, size, brand, type). The selection is fantastic, but it’s the customer service that’ll keep you coming back: they offer free shipping, free returns, and designer-specific sizing charts (so helpful).

They make gift-giving easy with free shipping, free gift wrapping, free gift card and gift receipt included with every purchase.  Additionally, if you are unsure of what to get, you can have them include a return shipping label in the gift or just buy a Be Mini Couture gift card!

How did you come up with the idea for Be Mini Couture?

A few years back, my husband and I were invited to a wedding with their one-year-old son, Cobb.  We wanted our baby to look dashing for the big event, but quickly found out how hard and inconvenient it is to dress a little one for a special occasion.  It took days of searching to find anything that was of the quality we wanted for the occasion. I knew there had to be a better way, so Be Mini Couture was born.

What’s the most exciting part of the business for you?
Waking up in the morning excited to go to work because you are working for yourself.  Also, talking with customers it is only clothing but I love when mothers are excited for our items and services.  I have 2 sons, 3 and 1, so I know how important they are to me and making sure they have comfortable, quality clothing.

What’s unique about Be Mini Couture?
We have over 35 of the top designers in children’s fashion in one spot.  It is very convenient for parents on the go or parents that do not want to “shop” with their kids.  Our prices tend to be quite a bit less than the department store retail prices.  Additionally, we provide detailed descriptions, size charts and visuals of all items so people always get it right the first time.  Our free shipping/free returns has also been a draw.  We are growing fast and adding new things every day!

Exclusive Promotion: through August 1, save $25 when you spend $75 or more with promo code “DARLINGS25″

Want to learn more? Visit us at our website or social media accounts:
Website: http://beminicouture.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeMiniCouture
Twitter: twitter.com/beminicouture
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/beminicouture/
Instagram: @Be_Mini_Couture

We also forget that the most secure way to have heirlooms is through prints. Whether a print is from a digital image or from film, printing on archival paper will give us memories that we can pass down to our children and even grandchildren.

There are two ways that are readily available to make prints from digital photographs. One type of process, the digital C-print, is the same as that used for color negatives. Your digital file is printed on a continuous tone printer that uses silver-based paper and processes that paper with traditional chemistry. These type of prints can last up to 60 years.

A new form of printing is done with pigment-based inks. This is different than inkjet prints. Pigment based inks are often called archival and are rated to last 100 years depending on the paper used. You must use a paper that is also rated archival for the print to last. I recommend that you work with a trusted professional lab for both the digital C-print and the pigment-based ink print.

It is advised to keep prints away from direct sunlight. If you wish to frame them, using an archival mat to separate the print from the glass or acrylic is a must. Without a mat, the print may stick to the glass and be ruined. The glass and acrylic can also come in UV protective forms.

Albums have been a traditional way to store prints and have the advantage of being able to group prints by event, trip, or keeping track of the growth of your child or children. Look for albums that are archival. For mounting the photos there are a multitude of products from archival corners, tapes and archival glues. Prints can also be stored in archival boxes. There are also archival plastic sleeves. These products are very popular and easy to find. The images I am using as illustrations are prints mounted to an archival paper in an album, one with archival corners and the other with archival glue  tape.

Although printed books are fun, they are not archival. Do not consider them for heirloom pass alongs.

Canvas prints, on the other hand, can be top coated for longevity to prevent fading from sunlight and scratching or scuffing. There are several top coating options that have UV inhibitors and waterproofing. Have your canvas prints done professionally and ask about the top coating options. These options may also offer you a choice in finishes from matte, satin, semi-gloss, or gloss.

-Alice Garik creates photographs and art for her clients: maternity and families. She works with her clients to uniquely tell their stories. Visit www.alicegarik.com and contact her for a consultation.

Happy Easter & Passover from everyone here at LLD
Wishing you and your family a great holiday! Let us all hope that spring is here to stay! If you need an extra pair of hands during your family travels, or are looking for help during the summer or want to start your nanny search, just give us a call!

Sitter of the Month: April

Congratulations to our April Sitter of the Month, Monique K.! She says “I have enjoyed so much becoming a new sitter for LLD (Bell Family) and have met so many wonderful families.”

Our New Homepage!

Out with the old & in with the new and improved. Bell Family will soon be launching our mobile friendly, real time booking platform. We will soon be referring to LLD as Bell Family. Keep a look out for our new email address @bellfamilycompany.com!

Need help with your upcoming event or party?

LLD can offer stellar sitters & staff for your family or corporate events! Call us to help with birthday parties, wedding, or baby showers, corporate retreats and more! Our custom made Kid Zone can be plugged into any event and is the perfect solution to excite kids when you are not sure how to entertain.

Mama Bell

However, it is clear that quite a bit has changed since the day I was just a wee one.  Tomorrow is my daughter’s 3-month “birthday” and as her “gift” we will be putting her in the crib for the first time.  For the past 3 months she has been less than an arms length away from me in a bassinet so needless to say I think I am more nervous about the transition then she is.  I digress though, so in preparation for moving her to the crib I have heard from countless friends/doctors to take out the bumpers (the very cute bumpers that really tie the room together if you ask me!) so that she does not suffocate.

This is where my mother comes in, and similar to other things that have changed since I was a baby she is confused and surprised that I have to take them out and instead just tells me repeatedly that I had bumpers in my crib as a baby and I survived!  Another piece of advice she is pushing is to have my daughter sleep on her stomach, which I have also been told, is a big no no, but that my mother did with all 3 of her children all the time.  And when I hear these conflicting pieces of advice I hear my mothers voice in my head saying, “it’s amazing you all survived!”  Moving forward I will continue to take the advice of my pediatrician when it comes to my daughter’s safety, however, my mother will continue to be on speed dial for all other matters of motherhood.

-Samantha 

Four days later, it hit the other one- not as badly, but bad enough. The timing was worse though since we were heading to Ohio the next day for my sister’s wedding. She seemed to bounce back quicker which was good. But, we brought the flu over to the Midwest to attack the rest of my family, and conveniently enough it hit the bride the night before the wedding! So, the lesson here is:  if you haven’t gotten the flu shot- do it immediately, or the plague will get you too!

-Courtney Bell

This year was especially great because we were able to take Henry to a pumpkin patch! We visited Kuiper’s Family Farm, which was quite a hike to get to, but worked because Henry got to nap on the way there and the way back. My only criteria for visiting a pumpkin patch was being able to take Henry on a hayride out to an ACTUAL pumpkin patch. There are so many places now where they pick the pumpkins for you and hand you one on the way out—I did not want that!

Kuiper’s was FANTASTIC! They had a ton of activities for kids of all ages. Henry loved the “corn box” a better version of a sandbox He also got to run through a corn maze tunnel, navigate through a straw maze, and got to pet a llama! It wasn’t super crowded and there were an abundance of pumpkins.

We had a great time on our first family trip to the pumpkin patch. I’m looking forward to all the “firsts” and “seconds” to come! Henry had a great time and so did his parents!

-Maureen is the Chicago City Coordinator and mom of Henry