The most technologically advanced baby wear out there!

This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are my own; you cannot have them.

It was likely only a matter of time before some of the cool technology currently being used to make clothes entered the realm of baby wear. What could be better than combining cute styles with geeky antibacterial and moisture resistant properties?

Meet my lovely sponsor Julieta, co-owner of SanBelle:
Together with my father, we have created a family business focused on introducing the concept of health in clothing. Babies are in contact with their clothes all day so why not offer clothing that protects baby and keeps him/her comfortable at the same time?

Tell us a little bit more about SanBelle:

SanBelle is a unique, innovative new brand of infant clothing (newborn to 12 months) that uses textiles made with nanotechnology that protects babies and keeps them comfortable. We are the only brand on the market that use this kind of technology for baby clothing. Our soft, comfortable fabrics, which are imported from France, contain tiny particles of silver, making them:   

• Antibacterial: Using freshFX technology, our fabrics help the skin maintain a healthy balance of microorganisms which work to prevent irritations and infections, and fight bacteria and fungus.

• Moisture resistant: CoolMax technology makes our fabrics fast-drying and helps keep babies (and their clothes) moisture-free.

• UV resistant: The fabrics we use contain permanent UV 50+ solar protection, meaning it does not come out in the wash - perfect for babies with sensitive skin that cannot tolerate sunscreen.

• Static resistant: Our clothes repel dust and animal hair, ideal for babies with allergies.

What is your personal favorite item?

I just love SanBelle pajamas, they are really soft and adorable!! Babies look so cute in them.

Here's Aurelia sporting the long sleeve bodysuit. It's pink with white trim, and is super soft and slightly stretchy. The material is reminiscent of a more lightweight and flexible swimsuit. It's breathable and keeps Aurelia comfortable. The 12 Month size is just a little long on her arms and leaves plenty of room for her to grow.

SanBelle long sleeve bodysuit

I love that the clothing provides sun protection because I have been known to forget the sunscreen (oops!) and repels animal hair, as our two rather long-haired kitties get hair everywhere imaginable. 

SanBelle clothing is available on Amazon and you can find them on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

So comfy!

Now there's no denying my baby is a genius: Periodically Inspired - Review & Giveaway! CLOSED

Why is there no denying she's a genius? Well, because it says so on her shirt ;)

More than a year ago I expressed my love for the Baby Genius onesies by Periodically Inspired in one of my Geeky Find Friday posts. When your husband is a PhD chemist and you took chemistry for years what seems like forever back in college, you grow to have a certain fondness for the Periodic Table of the Elements and all its "this-stuff-makes-up-everything-in-existence" wonder.

When I saw that Courtney of Periodically Inspired began making toddler genius tees I knew there was one special geeky toddler in my life who absolutely needed to sport one...NOW.

Side note - yes, that's a binky in her mouth. I temporarily gave up.

If you're curious {I know I was}, here are the details:

★ Ge. Germanium is sold commercially in ingot bars that have an internal crystal structure, and is used in light emitting diodes and semiconductors.
★ Ni. Nickel's main form is pure nickel which is sold commercially. A typical use is in electroplating baths, where they are slowly dissolved and redeposited on products. Nickels (five-cent) coins are made of 75% copper. Only 25% is nickel, which makes the name a bit misleading.
★ U. Uranium is used in armor-piercing ammunition and counterweights. Only 20% less radioactive than natural uranium, it creates deadly hazards when used in anger.
★ S. Sulfur is one of the few elements found pure in nature. This "native" sulfur is probably of volcanic origin. Also called brimstone, it oxidizes and is responsible for the characteristic smell of many volcanoes.

The element symbols above, as well as the element names, atomic numbers, and standard atomic weights are screen printed in their own little mini-Periodic Table on Jersey Knit - 100% combed ringspun cotton right next door from us (in Rhode Island).

Okay you can stop taking pictures of me now, Mom. I'm too smart for this.

More about Courtney:
Hello! I'm Courtney and my company is Periodically Inspired™: original designs inspired by Dmitri Mendeleev, the creator of the Periodic Table of Elements! One of the fascinating parts of the Periodic Table Of Elements is that it depicts such order and makes so much sense when not everything else in the world does. There's nothing wrong with making something so practical into something stylish and fun...

The original Baby Genius Onesie

Periodically Inspired debuted with Baby Genius baby onesies in the late summer of 2010. Since then, I've brought in about 6-7 new designs for youth and adults. I've been working hard to grow the PI brand and I've been meeting some great people along the way! Melissa of Growing Up Geeky is one of those people. She's been a great PI fan and recently outfitted little Carina in a Genius toddler tee. Thank you, Melissa!

Check out Periodically Inspired on Etsy and on Facebook! And see retail locations and upcoming events here!  

Shop
Since it's back-to-school time, Courtney is celebrating with a 35% off discount! Just enter code WELCOMEBACKGEEKS at checkout.

Win

Courtney is offering one of my readers an item of their choice from her shop!

How to Enter:

This is a Rafflecopter giveaway. Click "Read More" below and then follow the instructions on the widget. Make sure to click "Enter!" after you complete each entry. All currents count! The giveaway is open worldwide and ends at 11:59 PM EST on Thursday, August 23rd.

The first entry is mandatory - Visit Periodically Inspired and leave me a comment telling me which item you would choose! Once you complete this entry, the widget will give you the option of completing the rest. Complete more steps for more chances to win!

Geeky Find Friday - Science Teethers!

Mad Scientist Laboratory Teething Set by WillametteHerring on Etsy

Why oh why have we been letting Carina gnaw on cheap ugly plastic instead of getting these eco-friendly flask and  microscope hardwood teethers?

Here's the description:
There's a little mad scientist somewhere inside your favorite baby genius and this microscope and beaker teether set is sure to inspire those painful teeth to finally break through - and they'll look smart doing it!

Our handcrafted non-splintering hardwood teethers are an excellent first toy for your baby genius to grasp, chew, and grow. All of our wood toys are made from locally and sustainably harvested maple. Wood is naturally anti-bacterial, non-toxic, and non-allergenic and is a great alternative for today’s eco baby.


Who else was a Biology or Chemistry major in college?

Have a geeky find to share? E-mail me at growingupgeeky@gmail.com

Return of Geeky Find Friday! Quantum Physics Dress

Last summer I posted my favorite "geeky find" on Fridays. I had so much fun scouring the interwebz for all things geek. Due to popular demand, I'll be bringing it back! It probably won't be weekly because most of the time I find myself with too many things to post about, but I'll try my best to give it a go at least once a month.

Quantum Physics Toddler Ruffle Dress by Waycooltshirts on Etsy

Here's the description:
Can you say "How adorable and brainy!" in the same breath?! Your little darling will light up the room with this bright and precocious dress with curly edges at bottoms of ruffles and sleeves.
This is our “Kids Chic-Ghic™”!

It’s never too soon to start teaching your kid about atoms and quantum physics—not if you would like the little tyke to grow up to become the next Albert Einstein (ok, the next Carl Sagan…ok, ok, the next Neil deGrasse Tyson)! So instead of warbling the usual macabre Mother Goose version of “Ring Around the Rosy” with those mysterious lines (what do they mean anyway? and what’s with the “ashes”?), you could be singing this 21st century version of "Rings Surround the Rosy" just as easily and your child will have just as much fun pretending to be the collapsing wave function! (Better than crumpling of the plague…no?) And then you can begin: “Now, Honey, everything, including you and me, are made of these tiny little bits called atoms….”

Cheat Sheet for Parents:
Rings surround the rosy: We are calling the center (nucleus) of the atom, where most of the stuff is (neutrons, protons, etc), the “rosy”. Elections swirl around the center in rings of differing energy levels (also called shells), creating a cloud of electron rings.

Electrons are supposy: The big change from Newton’s classical physics to quantum physics is that scientists can no longer predict the specific outcome of an experiment. At the sub-atomic level, all that can be predicted is the overall resulting pattern of elementary particles and the probabilities of where electrons will land, but not the actual destination of just one particle.

Dashes – Crashes: In an experiment, the particle, maybe an electron or a photon or an ion, is emitted from a source ("dashes"), like a flashlight or um, a Large Hadron Collider, and sent “crashing” onto some sort of measuring device, like a cardboard screen (our particle detector).

Wave function collapses: Once the particle has crashed onto the measuring device and we can measure its position, all the other possibilities of where it could have landed vanish. The wave function is an equation that represents all the possible places the particle could have landed, and has now “collapsed” into one reality.

OK, you real physicists out there, maybe this is simplified and controversial, but good enough to get the kids’ interest? Parents, this process is usually illustrated via the famous grade school double slit light experiment which I’m sure none of us properly respected when we first saw it. If we did, we would have spent our childhoods wondering how that other photon KNEW there was a second slit open?!


I love that Waycooltshirts goes so far as to explain the whole thing! I just might have to get this because I agree, it's never to soon to start teaching your toddler about atoms and electrons ;)


Have a geeky find to share? E-mail me at growingupgeeky@gmail.com

Geekiest post divider ever & a question

I would venture to guess that my new post divider just might be the geekiest one out there. I asked on Facebook and Twitter if anyone could figure out what it actually means. A couple of you got it! I figured I should explain here since some of you have asked :)

In the Chemistry world, it's a simple equation. Mg = Magnesium, Ca = Calcium, and Au = Gold.

In my life, Mg = Mike and Melissa G, Ca = Carina, and Au = Aurelia. And no, we will not choose any future children's names based on whether or not they are easily translatable to an element on the periodic table. We're not that crazy ;)

Ignore the coefficients and ions - I just wanted something stoichiometrically balanced. Sorry for the throwback to high school chemistry! Are you geeked out yet?

Thanks to Krista from ArmyWife-Style for the idea, and to Mike for coming up with something that actually made sense with those elements.

______

Okay, now for my question. What in the world is going on with my comments? Some of you can't see them while viewing my blog from your mobile devices, and it looks like they have disappeared from a number of my older posts. I think I'm going to rip my hair out and curse myself for ever installing Intense Debate in the first place.

Please tell me - what issues are you having with my comments? I need to try to fix this.

Jennifer =/= Sophia: breaking down baby name popularity

Were you one of 5 Jennifers, Jessicas, Sarahs, or Nicoles in your class growing up? Did you resent having a nickname like Jen #3 or Jessica B. in order to differentiate yourself from the others? I was one of 3 Melissas in my class, and while it was never a big problem for me, I did vow that I would choose more unique names for children someday.

The Social Security Administration just released 2011's Most Popular baby names list. While looking at the list, I didn't see any surprises. Many of the names were repeats from the last few years. Then, I checked out the total number of births associated with each name, and it piqued my interest.

What was the number of births like for the most popular names the year I was born?

Whoa! For most of the entire top 10, there were ~2-3 times as many babies born with each ranked name in 1984 than there were in 2011.

So Jennifer, (#1 in 1984 with 50,551 babies) =/= Sophia (#1 in 2011 with 21,695 babies)

Sure, they were both the most popular name each year, but looking at today's numbers - there just aren't nearly as many births for each name. Meaning, it's not nearly as likely that your Sophia, Isabella, Jacob, or Mason will have 5 others with the same moniker to contend with, like we Ashleys, Melissas, and Amandas did back in the day.

This is all just something interesting to keep in mind while choosing a baby name. While neither Carina nor Aurelia are in the Top 1000 for 2011 (whoa - guess we're really weird), looking at the numbers this way instead of only paying attention to their rank makes me feel confident that we still would have used both names, even if they had ended up on the Top 10 list.


Where does your baby fall on the 2011 list? Do/have you discounted a name because of its popularity?

BAZINGA! Geekling Designs Giveaway CLOSED

Meet Jennifer, owner and creative mind behind Geekling Designs on Etsy, which offers up the latest in fun and undeniably geeky baby wear. You might recall that I'm not a big fan of onesies in general. Well, that has now changed. Upon seeing Jennifer's creations I realized that I had just never found the right onesies before!

More about Geekling Designs and Jennifer:
I started Geekling Designs in 2008, after many (unsuccessful) searches to find something unique for my daughter to wear. I happened across a DIY screenprinting site, and thought "why not!" so got to work making my first onesies.

What started out as a hobby, turned into selling at local swap meets. We then progressed to Etsy, and have established an online storefront full of geeky goodies! Since setting up shop on Etsy, we have succeeded in outfitting geeklings worldwide, and have been able to convert and purchase our own professional screenprinting press to help keep up with production.

With rapid growth throughout 2010, I am now able to work full-time from home, making geeky gear for little ones, while raising my two geeklings as well. :)

Mama G's personal favorites:

Brilliant

Best.onesie.ever

This makes me laugh out loud

Whether you're a Star Wars or Star Trek fan, worship Harry Potter, or enjoy video games, Geekling Designs has something awesome for you. I promise.

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Check out the adorable geeky onesies and other adorable baby products at Geekling Designs! Jennifer is all set to launch her new website on June 1st and will be having a couple of giveaways during the first week of June, too. Follow Geekling Designs on Facebook for news, updates, and coupon codes.

Win
Jennifer is offering one of my readers a geeky onesie of their choice!

How to Enter:
This is a Rafflecopter giveaway. Click "Read More" below and then follow the instructions on the widget. All currents count! The giveaway is open worldwide and ends at 11:59 PM on Saturday, May 26th.

The first entry is mandatory - Visit Geekling Designs and tell me which onesie you would choose if you won! Once you complete this entry, the widget will give you the option of completing the rest. Complete more steps for more chances to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Mother's Day & OMG: A 19th Century Breast Pump

For Mother's Day we visited one of my favorite places ever - Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts. It had been at least 15 years since I last traveled there, but I remembered almost everything perfectly. OSV is one of the country’s oldest and largest living history museums, depicting early New England life from 1790-1840 with historians in costume, antique buildings, water-powered mills, and a working farm.

Just arriving - you can see how excited Carina is

I'm so glad she doesn't have my nose

Mike and his brother playing with the colonial kiddie games

Me and my mans

An early 19th century breast pump

Wait...WHAT?!?

OMFG

Mike spied this in the glassware exhibit. My best guess is that the cup on the end goes over your breast, and you suck on the tube? I really feel for the early 19th century Mommas; this does not look comfortable or efficient. I would imagine that it felt pretty weird to suck out your own breast milk, as well. Of course that's just a guess...I have no desire to try. Seeing this certainly made for an interesting end to a fantastic day.

So...anyone want to give this sucker a shot? ;)

Wordless Wednesday - Look out, Texas!

My Elementary School had a giant map of the United States painted on the asphalt of one of our playgrounds.  Each state was a different color, and had a star to mark the location of the capital.  My favorite game involved one person yelling out a state and then everyone running to it.  Sometimes we even got intense and did capitals instead.  I almost always won ;)

So when I saw this US Map Puzzle on Zulily, I knew I had to buy it.  I figure it will be a few years before Carina will appreciate it, but in the meantime she can touch it and bang on it...it has mostly been the latter, lately.

Oooh this looks fun

I can put a puzzle piece on the wand!

But I'd rather stick the wand in my mouth

Mmmm....Texas

Sinking into the ocean?  Nahhh...here's what California really needs to worry about

Any other Geography buffs out there?

Geeky Find Friday - Lab Geek BabyLegs

Lab Geek BabyLegs by LadyBeez on Etsy

Complete with flasks, goggles, molecules, microscopes. and more, these leg warmers are a science geek's dream.  How could you not want test tubes to adorn your baby's legs?

Here's the description:
BABIES, TODDLERS, & CHILDREN:
Keep baby legs warm
Make diaper changing easy.
Protect your crawling baby's legs.
Jazz up your little girl's outfit.
Potty Train without Pants!
Wear them as arm warmers.

I think these are ridiculously cute.  We have quite a few sets of BabyLegs for Carina, but they are all pink and girly, or seasonal (I think we got a set of Santa ones for free with an order of cloth diapers last winter).  I love these because they are unique and a fun conversation starter!

Do you have any fun patterns of BabyLegs?

Have a baby or child related geeky find to share?  E-mail me at growingupgeeky@gmail.com!

Geeky Find Friday - baby can wear Polonium in her hair

Periodic Table Barrettes by ShopGibberish on Etsy

Since we will likely teach Carina the Periodic Table of Elements shortly after she learns her ABCs, these barrettes couldn't be more perfect.

Here's the description:
These barrettes are sure to guarantee you a place on the coolest and hippest list on your campus, in your lab, or pretty much anywhere. Of course they are practical, in that they actually will hold your hair back, but more importantly, they are just the geekiest hair accessory EVER.

They are made from scrabble tiles and have a nice shiny glaze on top. The sample in this picture is of OK, or KO (the effect they will have on friends as well as complete strangers) but you can order them in any combination of elements that you would like. So, they make great monograms as well!

Available in the following elements: Ac, Ag, Al, Am, Ar, As, At, Au, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Bk, Br, C, Ca, Cd, Ce, Cf, Cl, Cm, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Dy, Er, Es, Eu, F, Fe, Fm, Fr, Ga, Gd, Ge, H, He, Hf, Hg, Ho, I, In, Ir, K, Kr, La, Li, Lr, Lu, Md, Mg, Mn, Mo, Mt, N, Na, Nb, Nd, Ne, Ni, No, Np, O, Os, P, Pa, Pd, Pm, Po, Pr, Pt, Pu, Ra, Rb, Re, Rh, Rn, Ru, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Si, Sm, Sn, Sr, Ta, Tb, Tc, Te, Th, Ti, Tl, Tm, U, Unh, Uno, Unp, Unq, Uns, V, W, Xe, Y, Yb, Zn, Zr


I am kind of sad that we can't do a monogram, as there is no element that has a symbol of "G".  And there isn't an "Ri" or else we could have done "Ca", that, and "Na".  Oh well.  I'm clearly having too much fun with these...

Geeky Find Friday - Baby can spit up on subtraction!

Math Test Baby Burp Cloth by laundrymonster on Etsy

When I was in Elementary School I was always that kid who finished their math "Mad Minute" way before a minute was up.  I rushed through it with 2 goals:

1. To be the first person done
2. To get all of the answers correct

I usually accomplished both.  Yes...I have always been this geeky.

Here's the description:
A very cute blackboard print with math equations is zig zag stitched to a hand dyed school bus yellow burp cloth. Great for math geeks, and the color couldn't be brighter.

I love that some of the print looks like little flashcards.  If you think baby will love Math, this is perfect!  If you think that he/she would rather eat brussel sprouts covered in cod liver oil, than do long division, then this might also be perfect...that is, for letting baby spit up on. 

Are there any Math lovers out there?  Did anyone do the "Mad Minute" when they were younger?  Bonus points if you rushed through it, too...

Geeky Find Friday - Solar System Mobile

Solar System Mobile by Serendipitee Design on Etsy

Growing up I was fascinated by the night sky.  I had books and books about the planets, stars, and constellations.  When I got straight A's in 3rd grade, my parents bought me a telescope as a reward and I vividly remember dragging it out onto our deck and oohing and ahhing at planets and lunar eclipses.

Here's the description:
This colorful solar system mobile is a stylish addition to any nursery and an excellent way to introduce older children to the planets. The mobile's base is an 18-inch lighted star form that plugs into the wall.

Forget our mobile with little animals and lullabies, this is so much prettier!

Geeky Find Friday - Baby's First Microbiology Book

Baby's First Microbiology Book by Verdant Violet on Etsy

I was a biology major back in college and really enjoyed my Microbiology class.  Except for the smell in the lab, of course.  Yuck.  I only hope that Carina will share a fervent love of bacteriophages and gram positive cocci.



Here's the description:
Microbiology for babies!

Cover: A microscope
Page 1: Amoeba!
Page 2: Bacteriophage
Page 3: Bacterial cell shapes and arrangements: bacilli (top) and cocci


The bacteriophage is my favorite.  Doesn't it almost look cute?  This shop has a whole bunch of different "Baby's First" subject books.  The molecular genetics one is pretty awesome, too.