You no longer have to search for that perfect gift. Take a peek at our gorgeous gift baskets!

Shop Peatoes gift baskets now!

The following steps will help you to enjoy this special family event:

1) Take a good Christmas picture. Invest in taking your baby to a portrait studio or have a do-it-yourself photo shoot at home. You will want to have an updated picture to share with family and friends that you see over the holidays.

2) Send out a photo Christmas card. Sending out a card with your baby's photo is a great way to celebrate your baby's first Christmas. Choose a catchy phrase like "Santa's been good to us this year" to announce your baby's first Christmas.

3) Start an annual ornament tradition. Purchase a plain globe ornament, dip your baby's hand in non toxic paint and apply it to the globe or you can also visit a pottery studio to have a ceramic hand print ornament made. Starting a collection of ornaments beginning the first year is another way to celebrate.

4) Dress your baby in an outfit that says "My First Christmas." This is a great way to show off your yuletide spirit.

5) Take your baby to get her picture with Santa. Start a special book where you can collect photos with Santa for years to come.

6) Purchase your baby a special gift. Since babies can't yet open and enjoy gifts, limit your gifts to one or two nice purchases. Good gifts for a one-year-old include board books or Christmas themed musical CDs.

Tips & Warnings:

1) Limit the festivities. A tired baby that is off schedule won't enjoy celebrating her first Christmas.

2) Be careful with holiday decorations. Christmas trees with hot lights and glass bulbs can be a danger to young children."

For more information on this article, visit eHow Family.

We encourage you to take a picture of your wonderful pumpkin and post it on the Peatoes Facebook Fan page. The winner of the most creative pumpkin will receive a 150$ gift card from Peatoes, to be used on items of your choice. Just in time for the new Imps & Elfs Fall-Winter Collection!

Think of the fun you’ll be having with your children when they’ll see their creation on our Facebook Fan page. It’s a family activity that everyone will enjoy. We are so eager to see your family creations.

Happy Halloween!

-----------------------------

To thank you in advance for all your wonderful pumpkin creations, here’s a Halloween promotion you won’t want to miss!

Get a $15 gift card with the purchase of a 3 Sprouts Storage Bin!

And

Get a $10 gift card with the purchase of a 3 Sprouts Storage Box, Organizer or Caddy!

All 3 Sprouts storage bins, storage boxes, organizers and caddies are adorable and 100% organic! Perfect for toy storage, nursery storage or gift giving – even for Christmas! And we just received some new models, each adorned with a charming little animal. For those avid fans of 3 Sprouts storage products, you won’t want to miss such a rare offer.

Hurry up! Promotion ends October 31st, while quantities last. Gift card to be used on your next purchase only.

The 3 Sprouts organic caddy makes the prefect storage solution for a nursery. Made of organic cotton canvas with a fully lined interior, its ideal size allows you to store all nursery essentials, such as diapers, wipes, baby powder and lotions. And they are each adorned with an adorable animal! This is a unique and modern gift that will be greatly appreciated by all parents.

All 3 Sprouts products are organic, beautifully designed and of high quality. You won’t regret it!

Come see our new 3 Sprouts arrivals at Peatoes!

"The What and Why of Organic

Unless you have been in hiding for the past decade you know that the term "organic" has gained incredible status. What does organic mean? According to the National Organic Standards board, "Organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on the minimal use of off farm inputs and on management practices that restore maintain and enhance ecological harmony." Certified Organic is a title that is given to an item only when strict guidelines, made by The National Organic Standards Board, are met. Every step in the production of the item must meet the guidelines, from the soil where the item is grown to the processing facilities in which it is created.

Even in local grocery stores there are often sections specifically created for organic products and foods. There is one sign cant reason that has major corporations and manufacturers making the switch to producing "certified organic" products: consumer demand. Why is there such a huge consumer demand for these products? The simple and honest answer is for health. People choose organic for health, not just for their own health but also for their children, communities, and the environment. Choosing organic is a way of life for many people, and is a lifestyle that is quickly catching on.

Buying Organic: From Cauliflower to Clothes

What about the farmer and farm workers? Very few if any safety measures are taken to protect the workers from these toxins. Did you know that certain pesticides were first developed and used in World War Two as biological weapons? Now think about going to work everyday knowing you will be exposed to these types of toxins.

Cotton crops alone account for $2.6 billion in pesticides used each year and the cotton crop fits the definition of a chemically dependent agriculture. Even though cotton only uses 2.4% of all cultivated land, 25% of the world's pesticides and 10% of the world's insecticides are used on it yearly. In other words, for every one pair of jeans and t-shirt produced, 1 pound of pesticides and chemical fertilizers are used. The problems with clothing production do not stop in the field. During the conversion of conventional cotton into clothing, numerous toxic chemicals are added at each stage - harsh petroleum scours, softeners, brighteners, heavy metals, flame and soil retardants, ammonia and formaldehyde - to name just a few.

Cotton and Your Baby

How does this affect our children? Did you know that a baby's skin is more porous and thinner than an adult’s skin? That means that their skin absorbs things very easily. Johnson and Johnson states on the their website, "A baby's skin is thinner, more fragile and less oily than an adult's. A baby's skin also produces less melanin, the substance that helps protect against sunburn. It's less resistant to bacteria and harmful substances in the environment, especially if it's irritated. Babies also sweat less efficiently than the rest of us, so it's harder for them to maintain their inner body temperature." This means that children are at greater risk for pesticide-related health problems than adults. Lotus Organics states that, "Millions of children in the US receive up to 35% of their estimated lifetime dose of some carcinogenic pesticides by age five through food, contaminated drinking water, household use, and pesticide drift".

Think how much choosing organic clothing for your children cuts down on their exposure to toxins. Organic clothing uses cotton that is not farmed in the conventional ways. Pesticides are not used; rather, other safer methods are used to produce the crops, such as crop rotation, physical removal of weeds instead of use of herbicides, hand hoeing, using beneficial insects to counteract the bad and many more. Therefore, workers have better working conditions, water quality is not compromised by run-off, and strong healthy soil is built. The end product is a cotton fabric that is toxin free.

Organic cotton also has other perks besides being toxin free. It is safer, sturdier, cheaper and it feels great! Organic clothing may be more expensive when you first buy it, but when compared to the cheaper cotton product it gives you your money's worth. Conventionally produced cotton material lasts 10-20 washes before it starts to break down. An organic cotton material lasts for 100 washes or more before it begins to wear down. This is because the cotton fibers in conventionally produced cotton take so much abuse in production because it goes through scouring, bleaching, dying, softeners, formaldehyde spray, and flame and soil retardants before it is even shipped to be cut for patterns.

Why Organic Clothing?

Creating a pure, natural environment is a vital decision for a growing number of parents. With our children exposed to pollutants in many aspects of life, choosing organic fibers is another step towards natural living, both for our sensitive babies as well as our environment.

In summary, here are the top 10 reasons why organic clothing should be on your shopping list:

For more information on this article, visit www.expectantmothersguide.com.

And remember that we just received the new 100% Organic Imps & Elfs Fall-Winter Collection at Peatoes! Their new fair trade collection is urban and truly exudes a European vibe. You'll simply love it!

Created for both kids and parents, Goodbyn lunch boxes are designed to help you create organized and convenient lunches. Available in a variety of vibrant colors, these brilliant containers are reusable, dishwasher-safe, microwave-safe, fun and roomy. Dinner leftovers can easily be stored for an amazing lunch for school or work.

Bulky lunch boxes are a burden for your child to carry. With Goodbyn lunch boxes, you can pack snacks, lunch, desert and utensils in a single container. The lid closes the container tightly to avoid spills. Goodbyn lunch boxes can then be directly inserted in your child’s backpack, in mommy’s purse or in daddy’s suitcase. It is a 2-in-1 container and lunch box.

Say goodbye to bulky lunch boxes with our cute and eco-friendly Goodbyn lunch boxes.

Come discover our amazing Goodbyn lunch boxes at Peatoes!

Here are some advices that have helped me enjoy this not-so-easy time of the year:

1) Bath time is generally a long process. I highly suggest that you integrate this ritual to your nighttime routine. Time is very limited in the morning and eliminating this task will take a lot of weight off your shoulders.

2) Early bedtime is key. Children should have a good night of sleep. It will be much easier for them to wake up and roll out of bed. You don’t want to hear the famous “Mommy, 5 more minutes!” sentence.

3) Lunches should be prepared the night before. If you don’t have time to complete their entire meal at night, I suggest that you prepare basic snacks at night and the main course in the morning. Dividing this task in two will help you gain some time.

4) Allow your children to help you! They enjoy learning new things and feeling needed. Doing everything yourself is not necessarily the solution. Include them in your morning routine.

5) Homework should be done and reviewed the night before. Ensuring that your child has completed the work appropriately should not be done in the heat of the morning. You might miss some basic mistakes and you will likely lack the time to explain certain topics to your child. Learning should never be rushed.

6) Try to prepare certain parts of your children’s breakfast in the evening. For example, fruits can be cut and refrigerated the night before. Try to simplify your meals and prepare part of them the night before. Doing so will save you a lot of time, believe me!

Mornings are precious moments that should be enjoyable and hassle-free. Starting on the right foot will set the tone for your entire day. Time spent with your children is so valuable and those rushing mornings can also be turned into fun. Organization and structure will help you achieve this goal.

Good luck!

Preparing for Separation Anxiety

"Starting school is a big deal, and your list of worries may outnumber your child's. Will she cooperate at circle time, share the blocks, talk back to the teacher? But scariest of all: How will she handle leaving you? "You can expect a range of reactions," says Parents advisor Robert Pianta, PhD, dean of the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia. "On the first day, some kids say 'See ya later' and take off. Others cry, and it could take as long as a month before they feel comfortable at school."

Unfortunately, you can't predict whether your kid will be fine or freaked out, so it's crucial to prepare for both.

What to Do Before School

1. Start counting down the days on a calendar two to three weeks before school starts. Kids need time to get used to the idea of leaving you.

2. Give your child a sneak peek at a schoolday. Try playing pretend school, says Sharon Landesman Ramey, PhD, director of the Georgetown University Center on Health and Education, in Washington, D.C. Practice saying goodbye, calling on her the way the teacher will, and having snacktime.

3. Keep your anxiety under cover. If you're worried that your child will cling to your leg on the first day, keep it to yourself. If he thinks you're nervous, he will be too.

4. Schedule playdates with some of your child's future classmates. "It's a huge relief for a kid to see a familiar face on the first day," says Dr. Ramey. If you can, get a class list, or ask friends if they know any kids who'll be in your child's class.

5. Don't skip orientation. If the school doesn't have a special day for kids to meet their teacher, see whether you can drop by before the first day. Take a tour of the building while you're there: "Ideally, the only new thing your child should have to deal with on the first day is the fact that you're not there," says Susanne A. Denham, PhD, professor of psychology at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

6. Learn your child's schedule in advance. "It's important to give kids a clear sense of the structure of the day," says Dr. Denham. If she has no clue about what goes on at school, her imagination and fears may take over.

7. Pack something soothing. Mementos from home will calm your kid, but don't give her a potentially taboo item (blankies and stuffed animals may not be welcome; photos are usually okay).

8. Take the drama out of goodbye. Give your child a hug, say "I love you," and say you'll be back at the end of the day. Then leave. He might cling and cry, but lingering won't help either of you.

9. Don't hang around. Peeking into the classroom to see if your child stopped crying or to offer her a reassuring look will just send her into a meltdown, says Dr. Denham. "She'll think, 'If Mommy's so worried that she has to watch me, this place must be scary!'"

10. Don't overdo your reunion. Follow your child's lead at pickup time. He may run to you for a hug, he may just say "Hi, Mommy," or he might even be upset that you're taking him away from the fun. "If you go on and on about how much you missed him, your child may feel guilty for making you sad," says Dr. Pianta."

Originally published in the September 2008 issue of Parents magazine. For more information on this article, visit www.parents.com.

Though it's tempting to look for a quick answer to this question, to read a list of skills for instance, and say, "Yes my child can do these things, he's ready," that method isn't foolproof. The best way to decide is to spend time thinking about your child and to talk to other people who know him well, such as your partner, your pediatrician, and your child's caregiver. The following questions provided by Patricia Henderson Shimm, director of the Barnard College Center for Toddler Development in New York and co-author of Parenting Your Toddler, will help you think about the most important factors for preschool readiness.

Is your child fairly independent? Preschool requires children to have certain basic skills; most will want your child to be potty-trained, for instance. Your child should also be able to take care of some other basic needs, like washing his hands after painting, eating his lunch without assistance, and sleeping alone.

Has he spent time away from you? If your child has been cared for by a babysitter or a relative, he'll be better prepared to separate from you when he's at preschool. Kids who are used to being apart from their parents often bounce right into preschool with hardly a backward glance. If your child hasn't had many opportunities to be away from you, you might want to schedule some — a weekend with grandma, for instance, or a day with your sister and her kids. But even if you can't work out your separation issues up front, don't worry too much; many children leave Mom or Dad for the first time to go to preschool and they do just fine. The trick is to help your child adjust in short doses. Many preschools will allow you to drop off your child for an hour or two during his first few days there; as he gets more used to his environment, you gradually work up to a full day. Some experts believe that preschool may even be more important for kids who've been at home with their parents, to help get them ready for the move to kindergarten.

Can he work on projects on his own? Preschool usually involves lots of arts and crafts projects that require concentration and the ability to focus on an individual task. If your child likes to draw at home or gets engrossed in puzzles and other activities on his own, he's a good candidate for preschool. But even if he's the kind of child who asks for help with everything, you can start getting him ready by setting up playtimes where he can entertain himself for a half hour or so. While you wash the dishes, encourage him to make creatures out of clay, for example. Gradually build up to longer stretches of solo play. Your goal here is to keep yourself moderately preoccupied with an activity so that he'll get on with his own without too much hand-holding from you.

Is he ready to participate in group activities? Many preschool activities, like "circle time," require that all the children in a class participate at the same time. These interactions give children a chance to play and learn together, but also require them to sit still, listen to stories, and sing songs. This can be very difficult for kids under 3 who are naturally active explorers and not always developmentally ready to play with other children. If your child isn't used to group activities, you can start introducing them yourself. Take him to story time at your local library, for instance, or sign him up for a class such as tumbling to help him get used to playing with other children.

Is he used to keeping a regular schedule? Preschools usually follow a predictable routine: circle time, play time, snack, playground, then lunch. There's a good reason for this. Children tend to feel most comfortable and in control when the same things happen at the same time each day. So if your child doesn't keep to a schedule and each day is different from the last, it can help to standardize his days a bit before he starts preschool. Start by offering meals on a regular timetable. You could also plan to visit the park each afternoon or set — and stick to — a bedtime ritual (bath, then books, and bed).

Does he have the physical stamina for preschool? Whether it's a half-day or full-day program, preschool keeps kids busy. There are art projects to do, field trips to take, and playgrounds to explore. Does your child thrive on activities like this, or does he have trouble moving from one thing to the next without getting cranky? Another thing to consider is how and when your child needs to nap. Preschools usually schedule nap time after lunch. If your little one can keep going until then or even all day like a wind-up toy, he's set. If he still needs a mid-morning snooze, it might not be time yet to go to school. You can work toward building his stamina by making sure he gets a good night's sleep. If you have some flexibility in your schedule, you might also want to start him off in a half-day program to ease him into the hustle and bustle of preschool life, and gradually increase the length of his school day as he gets more comfortable.

Why do you want to send him to preschool? Think carefully about what your goals are for sending your child to preschool. Do you just need time for yourself or daycare for your child? There may be other options if it seems he isn't ready yet for the rigors of school.

Are you worried that if you don't enroll him in preschool he won't be ready for kindergarten? Most experts agree that there are plenty of other ways for children to develop the skills necessary to be successful in kindergarten, including attending a good daycare facility or spending quality time at home with you or another loving caregiver. A study by the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development found that children do best if they're cared for by someone who is genuinely concerned about their well-being and development, and who makes sure they're doing a variety of age-appropriate activities. They needn't be enrolled in an organized preschool for that.

If you find that the main reasons you want to send your child to preschool are that he seems eager to learn new things and explore, he isn't getting enough stimulation at home or daycare, or he seems ready to broaden his social horizons and interact with other children, chances are it's the perfect time to start school."

For more information on this article, visit the Baby Center.

Things to keep in mind when choosing your bag:

There are so many variations in size, form, pockets that it can get daunting, I mean do you really need all those pockets on one bag? Here are some tips and tricks to finding the right one for you:

Figure out what your budget is and what you are willing to spend. Remember that this is an investment on you and your kids. If you buy a good quality bag it will last and take you through many diaper changes.

Try different styles on and see what suits you and is comfortable. There are backpacks, shoulder bags and so on. Think that you will be carrying this everywhere so make sure it fits well and doesn’t slide ff all the time.

Features! Yes, all those pockets come in pretty handy. Think of all the things you need to put into the bag; bottles, diapers, wash clothes, a change of clothes and even some of your onw personal items. Figure out a routine for yourself and how you use things, this will help you organize things accordingly.

Don’t forget to keep tings in perspective. You don’t want to overload your bag and make it heavier than it should be. It is always good to be prepared and to have some extras but don’t go overboard.

Fathers, take this time to choose a diaper bag that is functional, fits your lifestyle and personal style. Having style while carrying all the essentials for you and your baby, now that's a cool Dad! Feel good about what you’re wearing so you can focus on more important things in life like your little peatoe!

Our story starts with me, Julie, a working mother of two young kids trying to juggle life, children, and work. Wanting to live a balanced life, somewhat organized and in good fun I tried to find time to shop for things that were needed for my kids and for myself. I didn’t want to compromise my sense of style, my time with my kids and their well being so I searched for a one-stop shop where I could find everything I needed. Unfortunately I had no such luck and began imagining a destination where I could dive into a world of easy online shopping filled with great healthy and safe products, easy ordering and delivery right to my doorstep, and all this while the kids were snug in bed. I wanted to feel good about my shopping experience and decided to create it myself. Hence, Peatoes was born! Finally, an online retail destination for stylish baby, tot, and Mom!

I was inspired from little feet with perfect tiny toes the size of peas! Undiscovered and full of life! Toes small like peas are a precious symbol of our responsibility as a parent. I think that parenthood is a responsibility but style is a choice, a way of being, and something you could have fun with. This is what Peatoes is about. Our philosophy is simple whether you’re a Mom, Dad, grandparent or friend looking for something different we are your destination for style for baby, tot and Mom! So you can go back to what you do best…taking care of the little Peatoes in your life!

A major component of our products is how they are chosen. Peatoes Cares certifies that they are carefully chosen with simplicity, functionality, good quality, style and importantly bearing in mind the environment and its impact on the well-being of our children. That is why most of the products on this site are ecologically and environmentally friendly. Peatoes believes in giving back, so we are partnered with 1% for the Planet. All your purchases with us go a long way. Teaching children to give back from a young age makes this world a better place everyday. Feel good about buying on Peatoes.com. 

Wishing you many Peatoes to love and admire!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy