What are the names of your kids and how did you choose their names?

I have four kids….Kara (27) – My mother wished she had named my sister Katherine, so I named Kara for her. Plus, it means little friend in Gaelic and I loved that. Laura (25) – I loved Little House on the Prairie growing up and loved the name…a classic. Allison (22) – She was the third girl so I wanted her name to be special. She’s named after my grandmother, Alice, who was so funny and always made people laugh. Allie is a lot like her in that way. Michael Edward (20) – my husband’s name is Curtis Michael so we went with Michael with him and Edward for my Dad. I still love all of my children’s names. Everyone loves to see their children’s names in print!

The best piece of advice you have ever received:

Don’t worry about holding your baby a certain way or doing something wrong…however you do things will feel right to them!

What is some good parenting advice or tips you would give to new moms?

Have confidence in yourself. Don’t worry about people judging you and don’t judge yourself. Just do your best and love your kids. A great tradition I had with my kids was reading to them at night….till they were in middle school! There’s something very bonding about reading together in bed and sharing thoughts about the stories. It was so fun reading chapter books and them, begging for one more chapter! Different books we read together come up in conversation, even now years later.

If you had one free day all to yourself, what would you do?

I would sleep in, read the paper with a cup of tea, meet a good friend for lunch, browse in a few antique shops, take my dog, Reilly, for a long walk and then have a nice dinner with my family.

What is your favorite way to spend time with your kids and family?

We love to travel! We’ve been to Boston, San Francisco and Napa Valley, Washington DC, Southwestern states, London, Paris and this summer we are going to Mount Rushmore!! We’ll spend some time in Colorado and Wyoming while we are out there. We are hoping to visit Ireland next year together.

What are some of your interests?

I love spending time with my family and friends, baking, reading, traveling and doing crafts. I love the history which is why I love to travel and see places that I have read about. I’m an accountant…..but I’m not sure why…..

Which Baby Be Hip product is your favorite to send as a gift?

I love the personalized bloomers!! Someone had given me one for my daughter, Allison, when she was a baby 22 years ago. I put them on her all the time. When she outgrew them, I gave them to a friend who had just had another little Allison. So after reading about Baby be Hip in a Philadelphia Inquirer article, I was curious to learn more about the company. I checked out the website and the first thing I looked for was bloomers!! Now I send them to all of my friend’s new little granddaughters. I also love the personalized burp cloths and towels. I’ve sent filled buckets and totes to new little baby boys. Everyone has loved the unique gifts you provide! Plus the service is fantastic. Even though it’s online you get a real sense of a close family business who knows their customers.

Thanks to Joanne for being our featured customer this week!