Gugu Guru

“J” Is For Jugs

Continuing our series on pregnancy struggles, we turn our focus to the letter “J” for jugs. Whether or not you plan to breastfeed, your breasts will go through some subtle and some really NOT so subtle changes during pregnancy. Plan to see a big increase in your cup size. And while your partner may be smitten, we classify this as a #PregnancyProblem – especially when it comes to ill-fitting bras and other wardrobe issues.

Did you know that around week 6 of your pregnancy, your nipples may become more prominent? And that is just the tip of the iceberg. Your breasts are growing because they’re getting ready to nourish your baby. After week 22, your boobs have grown so much that it might be a good idea to get some new bras at this point. Cake Maternity has you covered, mama. Now you can make this potentially ginormous #PregnancyProblem an ancient “mammory”. (See what we did there?)

Cake Maternity designs supportive and comfortable pregnancy and nursing wear to complement your lifestyle. With an extensive assortment of maternity and nursing bras, Cake has your every need covered – from t-shirt, contour to lace, soft-cup to moulded, sports, comfort to sleep nursing bras. Highly engineered and produced in a wide range of colors, Cake Maternity design for every stage of your journey.

Here new mama and fitness superstar, Christina Vargas, models two pieces that were her favorites during pregnancy from this deluxe maternity brand.

Black Cotton Candy Sleep & Yoga Nursing Bra

Made with unique, silky-soft yarn for ultra comfort, the Black Cotton Candy Sleep & Yoga Nursing Bra comes in four easy sizes, as well as fashionable colors and a designer look. It features an innovative low t-back for medium levels of support and fabric moulded cups for smooth seamless comfort. Once you have the baby, you can use the side sling for discreet feeding & shape and utilize its adjustable hooks & eyes for fitting preference as your breast size changes.

Shake Tankini Set

This 2-piece tankini with brief is the ultimate summer pregnancy must-have. The soft flexible-wire for shape and support your goods up front and the racer back design provides additional support from behind. The drawstring sides with beads at the ends offer a nice touch for styling and height adjustment. We also love the beautiful apple green lining that gives a surprise pop of interior color. Moms will appreciate the easy dropdown swimwear clips as well as its UPF50+ UV Protection & chlorine resistant features. Like other Cake Maternity pieces, this suit transitions perfectly from pregnancy to nursing fashion with its supportive side sling. Boobs really get some “heft” during pregnancy? No worries, the suit is ideal for DD-G cups!

Product Discovery: Finn + Emma

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When registering for baby items, and here at Gugu Guru, we often look for products which are not only safe on baby’s skin, but stylish too! Which is why we’re big fans of Finn + Emma, a 100% organic baby clothing, toys, play gyms, and accessories one-stop-shop. Finn + Emma is a blend of classic and contemporary, modern and whimsical, stylish and utilitarian baby items, all of which are free from any toxic chemicals. Finn + Emma believes that beautiful and healthy baby items can be both sustainable and stylish; there is no need to sacrifice style to keep your baby safe from chemicals!

As baby spends a lot of time rolling around on the floor, Finn + Emma has designed a play gym which will follow your little one into toddlerhood. Made from a 100% birch wood frame finished with non-toxic stains and lacquers (free of lead, phthalate, nickel, mercury, and VOC’s), the play gym is both helpful for baby to learn motor skills as well as stylish for any room in your house. All of the attached wooden toys, beyond being adorable, are non-toxic, made from all natural untreated indian hardwood buffed with vegetable seed wax. The knit dolls were made with phthalate-free rattles inside and hand knit from organic cotton. All of the toys from any of the gyms are interchangeable and can also be used on your stroller bar or a high chair!

As a perfect companion to the play gym, baby will love spending tummy time and beyond on the colorful and non-toxic play mat. Finn + Emma’s play mats are made from super soft organic cotton and non-toxic, eco-friendly dyes. The light padding makes it also a perfect changing mat or stroller liner; as an added plus, the play mats are easily washed in your regular washing machine.

The new Robot Collection is a modern twist on classic apparel and baby toys. Adorable for both boys and girls, this collection features clothing, bandanas, teethers, play gyms, play mats, and toys – all with a fun robot and space theme!

Using a more subtle pink-toned palette, the new Hipster Collection, chock full of toys, clothing, rattles, blankets, and more, is perfect for the baby girl in your life. Full of adorable little dolls, bikes, and geometric shapes, this stylish collection would make a perfect baby shower gift. Both the Hipster and Robot collections feature dolls, teethers and rattles which have loops on them, and will attach to any of Finn + Emma’s play gyms or mats.

C is for Chloasma

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Continuing our series on pregnancy struggles, we turn our focus to the letter “C”. Sunscreen is important for everyone at any age or stage but is especially important for expecting moms. Sun exposure can result in unsightly discoloration and uneven skin tone – called Chloasma. Here Rallie McAllister, MD, MPH, mom of three, a family physician, and coauthor of The Mommy MD Guide to Pregnancy and Birth talks about the #PregnancyProblem of Chloasma – also known as “Mask of Pregnancy”.

Have you heard of “pregnancy mask?” Many women haven’t. During my pregnancy, I’ll never forget how horrified I was when I first noticed a brown discoloration on my upper lip. I thought I was growing a mustache! On closer inspection, I realized that it wasn’t facial hair, but rather a change in skin pigment.

Three-quarters of pregnant women develop dark, blotchy areas of skin, called chloasma, melasma, or pregnancy mask. The blotches often appear on the upper lip, cheekbones, and brow. They usually arise around the 10th week of pregnancy.

photo credit: A Little Londoner

Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do to prevent chloasma. It’s caused by increased levels of a pigment called melanin. That’s the same hormone that causes your skin to darken in the sun. So it won’t surprise you to know that the one thing you can do to minimize it is stay out of the sun and wear sunscreen.

However, some sunscreens contain oxybenzone and nanoparticles and those ingredients should be avoided during pregnancy. Physical barriers like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are safe and effective when you’re expecting. It is best to stick with a sunscreen that is teratology-screened. Teratology screening is the process of reviewing scientific research and avoiding ingredients with links to birth defects or miscarriage.

Similar to when you get a tan or sunburn, there’s nothing you can do to get rid of chloasma. All you can do is take a tincture of time for it to fade. Once you have pregnancy mask, the only thing you can do about it is to, well, mask it. I found mine was pretty easy to disguise with makeup. Fortunately, it went away a few months after my baby was born.

To help prevent Chloasma, the team at Gugu Guru loves the Belli Pure Radiance Facial Sunscreen. Pure Radiance Facial Sunscreen is a teratology-screened broad spectrum, physical barrier, mineral SPF 25 with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Oil-free and lightly tinted to blend with most skin types, it may be worn alone for sheer coverage or under makeup.

Want to promote healthy, glowing skin during pregnancy? Enter to win a Healthy Glow Skin Perfecting Kit, Fresh Start Pre-Treatment Scrub, Healthy Glow Facial Hydrator, Pure Radiance Facial Sunscreen and Eye Brightening Cream – a value of $119.00!

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About the author: Rallie McAllister, MD, MPH, is a mom of three sons, a family physician, and coauthor of The Mommy MD Guide to Pregnancy and Birth, in Lexington, KY.

Trend Spotter: Just For You

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1. Limited Edition Personalized Mint & Salmon Headwraps ($20) available from Jennifer Ann Put your little girl’s name on one of our headwraps and she’ll have a truly one-of-a-kind and unique headwrap! Great for babies and toddlers.

2. Organic Personalized Baby Blanket and Hat Set ($17.50+) available from Petunia on Etsy. Super soft and stretchy organic interlock knit fabric printed with my digital designs. They look so cute tightly wrapped around your little one. It makes a brilliant baby gift and looks wonderful in pictures. It is sure to be an instant favorite.

3. Personalized Pacifier clip ($16.422) available from Boiteadoudou on Etsy.Handmade with wooden beads and acrylic or wooden letters, the pacifier-clip measure 8 inches to avoid any risk of strangulation of the child. The cord used is a 100% Polyester.

4. Custom Wooden Name Sign available from lucysletters123 on Etsy. (Starting at $50) Our name signs are 100% customized just for you and make wonderful keepsakes for your homes and nurseries. Each custom sign is hand-cut, hand-sanded and painted by me.

5. St. Tropez Stroller Blanket ($12) available from Pottery Barn Kids. This soft design keeps little ones comfortable and stylish with its tile-inspired pattern.

6. CUSTOM ‘STANDARD BANNER’ ($9) available from Daydreams and Dandelions. All custom banners are hand painted and custom made to suit your wishes.

7. Little Miss – Little Mister($19)available from Newborn Must Haves. The onesies are made of 100% cotton and will be made every friday. All orders before thursday 11:00 AM are made and send on Friday. Newborn Musthaves print the onesies themselves, with professional equipment (no iron).

Mother’s Day Gift Idea: Casetify by Happily Eva After

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We are just going to admit it. We have a mom crush going on over here and our crush is on the gorgeous and witty Eva Amurri Martino of Happily Eva After. A couple weeks ago, she announced her latest collaboration with Casetify and we happened to be on the hunt for some cool gift ideas so we thought we’d share. (Update: since we wrote this post, Eva also announced her pregnancy #2 so congratulations to her and her family!)

If you didn’t know, Casetify is the world’s first social design platform that turns your Instagram, Facebook and personal photos into custom cases for mobile phones and tablets. It’s the simplest way to capture and take your favorite moments with you, everywhere you go.

Just in time for Mother’s Day, here are some fun designs from this collection as created by Eva herself. (She hopes they make you HAPPY and we do too!)

Starting with our favorite – Lipstick Mafia. “Are you like me where a swipe of perfect lipstick transforms your attitude from Blah to BOOYAH? Are you a strong empowered woman who isn’t afraid to be smart, savvy AND gorge? Are you and your girlfriends a pack of fierce and fabulous women who stick together no matter what? Then the Lipstick Mafia case is for you!!”

Mama, Lady, Lover, Friend – which is truly perfect for a Mother’s Day gift. “[My] Happily Eva After mission statement, my goal in life and in Motherhood. I wanted to create a case that represented and honored all sides of ourselves as Mothers. That reminded us that while we love our children completely and wholly, that we are also vibrant Women who have so much to offer everyone in our lives. If you feel this way, or need a little reminder from time to time, then the Mama Lady Lover Friend case is for you. I LOVE this one, for everything it reminds me to be.”

And the super fun YASSSS Cream. “We all scream, “YASSSSS Cream!“. This one is just silly– if you think that an outta control love of soft-serve is SILLY (How dare you). But seriously, I just couldn’t resist a little ice cream cone and a lot of sprinkles. Could you? Let me serve it up to you cold– Yasss, Queen!”

Cleaner Diapering

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Spring is here and summer is around the corner: time to dress your babe in that pristine white eyelet gown or perhaps a crisp new christening outfit. You keep these items hanging in the closet in anticipation of when you can break them out. It’s the big day and baby naps, baby feeds, baby is ready to get dressed. You carefully put the outfit on and pick up baby only to see that facial expression and hear that dreaded sound.

Oh, and by the way – there’s something on your shirt.

You know what we’re talking about: the diaper blow-out. Has this happened to you? Well, we have the cure to your poopy wardrobe malfunction ails: the award-winning BabyBackups.

Utilizing a hypoallergenic, wedge-shaped pad, BabyBackups fits securely to any diaper brand to effectively absorb and contain excess liquids, eliminating messy clean ups and ruined clothing. If you want to keep your baby (and you) clean, fill that diaper gap with BabyBackups. BabyBackups is a disposable pad that adheres to a regular diaper and keeps the poop where it belongs.

Here are some tips that the folks at BabyBackups put together to help make changing a diaper a bit easier and cleaner.

Set the mood. Don’t startle your little bundle of joy in the middle of the night by turning on a bright light to change a diaper. Use a low wattage blue light bulb instead of a white light bulb to keep the room darker. It provides enough light to let you do what you need to do but doesn’t trigger party time for your baby.
Keep them occupied. Keep a special toy nearby to let your child play with while changing their diaper. Keeping them focused, even for just 30 seconds, will allow you to at least get them cleaned off and ready for a new diaper.
Wrap the wrap. Lay a new diaper under the old diaper before changing it. In the event that you missed a spot on her little tush while wiping it, the mess will end up on the new diaper instead of the changing area.
Avoid a tinkle fountain from your little guy. Keep a cloth diaper around the changing table so that you can quickly toss it over your little guy’s privates if he starts to let loose. Or simply use a wipe.
Keep the mess where it belongs. Protect your baby, their clothes, and the changing table from messy diaper blowouts by using BabyBackups. Put one on at night and wake up to a clean baby and crib in the morning, even if your little one was trying to work one out while in dreamland! Plan ahead and apply a few BabyBackups to new diapers in advance so you’re always prepared.

Say Goodbye To Dirty Rugs and Big Dry Cleaning Bills

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Saying goodbye to dirt and clutter is an incredibly liberating experience. However, even if you do a weekly house cleaning, chances are you’ve neglected some of the smaller details in your home that don’t get scrubbed as often like ceiling fans, windows, TV screens, ceiling corners, ovens and, of course, rugs.

Months of winter and indoor play dates mean your rugs could really use a good cleaning. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars on professional cleaners, Lorena Canals beautiful, hand made, all natural non-toxic rugs and cushions have made cleaning easy-peasy and affordable.

Simply throw your Lorena Canals rugs and cushions in the washer and voila, they’re as good as new! Let’s face it, kids can be messy so Lorena Canals decided to make the clean up just a little easier by launching their innovative, washable rugs and cushions. Moms and dads everywhere are jumping for joy!

The spring season is also the perfect time to refresh your house by rearranging the furniture and updating a few home decor items to help brighten up the mood. Lorena Canals’ rugs and cushions can help in that area as well. They are beautifully handmade, all-natural, good for the environment and great for your kids! Their designs are fun and happy which kids love, but executed with a contemporary flair so they will style up any room.

7 Tips For A Clutter-Free Life with Kids

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Professional “life de-clutterer” Shira Gill shares seven tips for parents for living a well-edited life filled with fewer, better things…

Invest in well made items that will stand the test of time (e.g., wood instead of plastic) instead of cluttering your home with the latest trendy gadgets. Play kitchens, dress-up clothes, toy trucks, building blocks and art supplies will invite open-ended creative play, keeping little hands occupied for hours!

Create an air-tight, labeled box for memorabilia for each child. Use it to store sentimental items, first outfits, special cards, etc.

Stay clutter-free during holidays and birthdays by requesting one big-ticket item from relatives or suggesting an experience such as a membership to the zoo, a trip to a museum or tickets to a puppet show or children’s theater.

Invest in functional open bins or pretty baskets to make both toy storage and clean-up a breeze. Group similar items together in separate bins to stay effortlessly organized – i.e building blocks, stuffed animals, board books, etc.

Create a diaper-bag check list so you can make sure you are stocked up on the essentials before running out the door. Make sure to include healthy snacks, hand sanitizer, lip balm, etc. for your own self care.

When you are creating a gift registry, remember that children actually need very little to stay healthy and happy. Once you have covered the essentials, try requesting meal or grocery deliveries, a cleaning service or even a massage to lighten your load during the first few months with your new baby.

An organized entry station is essential to staying sane as a busy mom. Make sure you have a designated space for shoes, coats, diaper bags, baby carriers, mail and keys. Wall mounted hooks, shoe cubbies, and labeled bins go a long way in creating a functional and clutter-free entry.

It’s never too early to develop a consistent morning and evening routine for you and your little ones. Keep it simple, and make sure to include a quick clean-up before bed so you don’t wake up to a stressful mess.

About Shira Gill
Shira is the founder of Shira Gill Home and loves helping clients create a “well-edited life” filled with fewer, better things. Since founding her business, she has transformed hundreds of homes. For information please visit: www.shiragill.com. Follow Shira on Instagram @shiragill for weekly tips and inspiration.

Spring Cleaning with Well Rounded

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We have partnered up with the awesome ladies of Well Rounded again – this time for the “season of cleaning”. In Well Rounded’s latest post, three parents share their experts tips and spring cleaning registry picks for Gugu Guru. After reading the post, find their list of picks here and add them to your registry:

Jenny Greenstein of Your Soul Style, personal stylist, style coach and mom
Closet Cleaning Registry Picks:

1. Loyal Hana Marni Jumpsuit: This style works both during pregnancy and beyond with both enough room to flex with your changing shape and with hidden zippers that accommodate breastfeeding. This jumpsuit can also be dressed up with heels or down with sneakers and can be worn as-is in warmer temperatures and with a chunky sweater or blazer during colder months.

2. B&Me Booker Coat: If you’re into baby-wearing, the booker coat is a must, allowing you to be out and about while keeping baby cozy and warm. The coat can be worn as-is or underneath a heavier style like shown here.

3. MZ Wallace Bag (available at Bloomingdale’s): Both the Sutton Oxford tote and Metro Backpack are key “diaper” bags for new mamas. Super lightweight, functional, durable, water-resistant, these carry-alls will hold all of your baby essentials while keeping style on point.

Gunnar Larson, NYC Interior Designer and dad
Simple Nursery Registry Picks:

1. When it comes to toy storage, I love baskets. They can easily be moved around from room to room and be gathered in a corner out of the way while looking good together in a grouping. I love Eliza Gran’s baskets as they add a pop of color and look good anywhere in the house, especially the nursery. These Eliza Gran Venice-pom-pom-baskets can be easily paired with, cb2 Parkay Hamper for more toy storage.

2. A coat rack might seem like a good fit in the hallway but this CB2 Hidden Channel Wall Mounted Coat Rack works great in the kids room. Display cute books on hidden track and use the hooks for their bath towel, diaper bag and for displaying the cute outfit on a hanger that you can’t wait for them to wear. This allows for display and organization.

3. We all know that a perfectly clean Pinterest nursery can be hard to maintain. Sometimes we just need a place to throw all the excess. This is when 3 Sprouts Wall Organizer comes in handy. Whether it is for toys, wipes, books or socks; this wall organizer can be the perfect hiding place mounted on the wall behind the door or get a couple of them and hang them on the inside of the closet door. This helps keep all the small clutter off the floor or any other flat space in the room and keeps it hidden out of sight, but when you do see it, it’s cute.

Spirit Demerson, founder of Spirit Beauty Lounge and mom
Non-toxic Beauty Bag Registry Picks:

1. The only thing proven effective in preventing or reducing stretch marks is not cocoa butter but Vitamin E. I used this combo on my belly and tush every morning and night and even though I have always been stretch mark-prone, I didn’t get a single one.

2. I used this serum for my hair, nails, face and everything before baby arrived. Now I use it for his everything.

3. A lot of women are afraid they have to stop using anything effective when they switch to pregnancy-safe beauty. On the contrary! I would never give up my anti-aging skin care or my signature lipstick color! These non-toxic beauty heroes are even better than conventional because they’re high-performance and nourishing at the same time.

New Mom Series: Disposable Diapering

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This is our fourth post in Gugu Guru’s New Mom Series, where we provide helpful information for new and expecting moms about preparing and registering for baby. For this Disposable Diapering feature, we have partnered up with new mama Lindsey Bonnice of Live Sweet Photography and Bambo Nature.

You may remember Bambo Nature from our allergen-free round-up post. Why do we place such a high importance on allergen free specifically when it comes to diapering? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, an allergy to diaper material is a common cause of diaper rash. But there are lots of other reasons we dig this diaper brand. Here’s a breakdown:

Per the brand’s website Bambo Nature “is produced from high quality, certified, safe and eco-friendly materials that safeguard the health of your child and the sustainability of the raw materials used in production.” You really can’t get more responsible than that. Plus they fully disclose all of the materials used to produce the diapers on their site.

When you are planning for a baby’s arrival – especially your first baby- one of the questions that you will likely have to ask yourself is: “cloth or disposable?” There are some moms who feel that living a natural and organic life is very important to them but they don’t want to cloth diaper. This can present a bit of a parenting dilemma and we’re here to help. It is the moms who fit this profile, whom Gugu Guru is likely to recommend an eco-friendlier solution to disposable diapering like Bambo Nature. Bambo Nature may also be recommended to you if you’re looking for a high quality, premium disposable diaper.

Lindsey Bonnice of Live Sweet Photography was preparing for an incredibly exciting time – she was about to fly to Florida to bring her new son home. According to mom.me‘s recent article about best methods for preventing diaper rash, one of the simplest ways to keep baby rash-free is to just keep him or her dry. Sounds easy right? Anyone who has traveled with an infant – especially a newborn – knows that keeping a baby consistently dry is often a futile exercise. We’ve mentioned this before – babies pee and poop. A lot. A whole lot.

We recommended that Lindsey try out Bambo Nature diapers because we knew that these premium diapers were up to even an air travel challenge. Unlike many other diaper brands, Bambo Nature diapers are super soft, breathable and skin-friendly. And, really, does anyone want anything but the softest and safest diapers against a newborn’s sensitive skin?

Bambo Nature is constructed with a super breathable textile and its top dry layer ensures a fast absorption by quickly wicking away wetness, helping to keep the child’s skin dry. The side guards also offer leak protection, while not restricting movement and the diaper’s flexible side panels offer a perfect fit every time.

Want to find out if Bambo Nature are the right diapers for your lifestyle? Enter to win a case of Bambo Nature diapers in this week’s giveaway:

Lindsey Bonnice is a NY and PA based portrait and newborn photographer and mother. Follow her beautiful family (including a bunny and a pig!) and their adventures on her Instagram at @LiveSweetPhotography

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