10. Gnomeo & Juliet (February)

This most recent take on the Shakespearean classic pits unlikely enemies (garden gnomes) against one another in an imaginative animated musical that is perfect for small children

9. Hop (April)

Perfectly released around the Easter season, the story of a bunny who doesn’t want to inherit the responsibilities of the Easter Bunny successfully combines live action with animation.

8. Rio (April)

This story about a rare blue macaw who discovers his heritage and himself has some adult themes, but even the smallest children will love the fanciful colors, variety of talking animals,

7. Kung Fu Panda 2 (May)

Suitable for older children because of the animated violence and mature themes, this film continues with the tradition of Dreamworks’ quality storytelling and animation and the perfect execution of a stellar ensemble cast.

6. Mr. Popper’s Penguins (June)

Children of this generation will probably not believe that this was a book from decades past and has never been made so successfully before.  With Jim Carrey leading the way, though, this promises to be a fun and joyful blast from the past for parents.

5. Cars 2 (June)

Kids love to watch movies about familiar things that do extraordinary acts.  This is one reason why the original Cars movie was a success.  Of course, do you ever doubt the Disney/Pixar team?

4. Winnie the Pooh (July)

The classic honey-loving bear is back with his Hundred Acre Wood friends in another all new adventure.  Sometimes the best new ideas revisit ones that should never be forgotten.

3. Smurfs (August)

One of the biggest surprises of the year (and recent film history) is this upcoming reimagining of one of the most interesting and simple cartoons of the eighties and nineties.  It will be interesting to see if children of this generation are as interested as their parents will be at the theatre.

2. Puss In Boots (November)

Technically, this is Shrek 5, but since it’s a prequel about a minor character from one of the films it doesn’t actually qualify as part of the series.  Nonetheless, children and parents alike will appreciate another successful installment from Dreamworks Animation.

1. Happy Feet 2 (November)

More dancing penguins?  It worked the first time!  Cute babies love cute animals!

Those are the 10 best movies for babies in 2011. Surely, you and your little one will enjoy at least three of these movies on this list.

There are many wonderful prizes to be won by competing in a baby contest. First, casting calls, modeling contracts, and advertising spots are all up waiting for the right kid, which could very well be yours. Additionally, many contests will award cash prizes for babies taking 1st place. Sometimes, the amounts of these awards can extend into the five-figures! When you really think about it, this can truly be a life-changing decision for your family, paving the way for a career in the spotlight for your little one. Not only can this pay a few bills along the way, but it can also fund a really nice college education for baby when that time comes. Who said babies are expensive?

Naturally, the topic of morality almost always arises when it comes to this particular subject. Is this an unethical move, making such a big decision for your child before he or she has a say in it? The answer to this question depends on you. What kind of parent are you? Are you going to push your child to go in a direction that is harmful are purely self-eserving? Nearly all parents who are open and loving with their kids never run into any ethics problem. Taking the first step… The internet sure has made things easy, hasn’t it? You can literally enter your son or daughter into a baby contest right now.

You don’t even need to stand up. By simply heading to the appropriate website(s), uploading your favorite baby photo(s), and paying a small entry fee of around $20 per photo you upload, you can have the entire submission process completed in a matter of minutes! Then, you wait and depending upon what time in the month you enter the baby contest, this may not be a long wait at all.

Submissions are generally accepted any time, and judging usually takes place on a monthly basis, beginning on the first day of the month following your submission. It typically takes less than a week for judging to commence and winners to be notified. You have bragged about your kid. You’ve told all your friends, family, and coworkers that you have the cutest kid in the history of planet Earth. Now is your opportunity to prove to everyone that you’re not crazy! Good luck and have a wonderful time.

About The Author

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The first few weeks of a new baby’s life are a busy time for parents. But this is also a great time to take photographs of your baby.

Here’s how to make the most of this opportunity:
• Dress the baby in an outfit that fits just right. If the outfit is too big, your baby may wriggle down into it and obscure the face.
• Take pictures in an area of your home that benefits from great natural light. Filtered sunlight through windows helps produce wonderful images.
• Placing the baby on something like a beanbag gives great natural support while you take your photographs.
• Get close, then closer. It’s OK to take a close-up shot. You want to see more of your baby and less of your room.
• Zoom in on specific feature: a hand, a foot, an ear and those perfect tiny toes. They will never be that small again.
• Use a parent’s hand in the photograph with the baby. Contrasting the different sizes of an adult hand and a baby’s hand makes for an interesting image. You could use a sibling’s hand, too.
• Photograph your baby on a solid-colored, or lightly-patterned, blanket.
• Include a favorite toy or blanket in the shot.
• Photographs of sleeping babies can look very cute. So plan ahead and create a space for your baby to have a nap where you can take a good picture. Leave yourself space to walk around to get unobstructed shots at different angles.
• Take lots of photographs. The more you take the better the chance of taking ones that you really like.

ENJOY A STRESS-FREE SITTING
As babies get older, and stronger, they are better able to pose for a portrait sitting. At around six to eight weeks babies may be lifting up their heads. At approximately six or seven months they can probably sit up. At this stage you could also consider using the services of a professional photographer who can bring their equipment to your home. This is less stressful for the baby than traveling to a studio and so can lead to better portraits. It also means both parents can participate with the baby in the sitting.

LEARN FROM A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER
Professional children’s photographers are used to interacting with babies and have accumulated a variety of tricks to get babies to smile for, and look at, the camera. Parents may use the opportunity to watch and learn how the photographer interacts with the baby to get the most from the sitting. They will see how the lighting is set up, how the sitting area is prepared, how different outfits and favorite toys are positioned close at hand. When the session begins, the photographer starts talking to the baby. The baby responds with a quizzical look and then with a smile. Snap. A toy appears in the photographer’s hand and the baby giggles. Snap. After a short while, the baby has been photographed in different outfits, in different poses, with a favorite toy and a favorite blanket, with mom and with dad. The result is an album’s worth of beautiful portraits that capture a special moment in a family’s life.

One company with professional children’s photographs in major metropolitan areas throughout the country is Our365 Portraits. They have been taking portraits of babies in their own homes since 1948. You can learn more about its approach to taking beautiful in-home children’s portraits at our365portraits.com, or by calling 1-877-850-5437. Mention The CuteKid for a special deal.

• Diapers – Bring a package or two of diapers. They are pricey and newborns go through so many. Think about getting each guest to bring a pack as well, and as a motivator, you can enter everyone who does into a prize drawing.

• Load of laundry – Find a cute laundry basket (or something similar) and load it with everything laundry. Include laundry detergent, stain remover, fabric softener, and a mesh laundry bag for baby socks (that way they don’t get lost in the washer).

• Baby Monitor – Everybody needs one of these. Some parents even set up one in every room of the house. It’s such a reassurance for new parents to be able to hear their baby at all times. Now they even have video monitors but they are a little on the pricey side.

• Crib – This is a great gift to purchase together with other partygoers. Everyone can pitch in a certain amount of money and the guest of honor gets a beautiful and necessary gift.

Since there’s never a shortage of clothes or bottles given at a baby shower, try something different. Have fun and use your imagination when trying to come up with baby shower gift planning and ideas. These gift ideas are very practical and can be used by every new mom and her precious little baby. And always remember you don’t have to break your budget to get a great gift.

Another one of the many Disney babies that are out there, is Molly, Andy’s little sister from the first Toy Story movie.  Early on in the film, we see Molly playing with Mr. Potato, who doesn’t like her playing with him.  At the end of the film, we see a shot from inside the car, where Molly and her mother are listening to “Hakuna Matata”, a song from The Lion King.  Molly looks in the side mirror and sees Buzz and Woody riding the RC car.

Almost all of the famous Disney babies have names given to them, except for one.  The baby in Lady and the Tramp was not given a name, but then again, neither were her parents, who were just referred to as their nicknames for each other, Darling and Jim Dear.  Even though the baby’s name is never revealed in the film, it still played an important role.  The baby was the cause of all the problems that started for Lady.  Darling and Jim Dear started ignoring their dog when they had their child, which took up all of their time and attention.

Another group of Disney babies are the Cupid babies seen in Fantasia.  They were seen in the musical segment called “The Pastoral Symphony” which featured the music of Ludwig van Beethoven.  This scene has a Greek mythology theme, with centaurs, pegasi, fawns, gods, Mount Olympus and other mythical creatures.  And finally there is Boo, who is technically a toddler, but close enough.  Boo is seen in the movie Monster’s, Inc. where she follows Mike and Sulley back into the monster world, thinking that Sulley is a giant kitty cat.

Another way to overcome baby sleep issues is by finding out where your child can sleep the best at. Some may sleep better in their crib in their own bedroom, other might be better off with a bassinet sleeping in your bedroom. Some might even sleep better when lying right next to you in your bed. Parents usually cycle through many different sleeping arrangements within the child’s first 2 years trying to find the right one. It is also good to make sure you use many methods to get them to sleep, because they want to go back when they wake up the same way they originally fell asleep. So it is good to cycle through rocking them to sleep, nursing them sleep, singing or reading them a story. Both parents should take turns doing these things as well.

Another suggestion to help you avoid baby sleep troubles altogether is to set a nap schedule and stick to it. You can even set the times around when you are most tired throughout the day, just make sure to stick to that schedule. Lie down with your baby at these times every day and after a week or so, they will fall into the same routine with you. For your own sake, take this time to grab some sleep yourself, rather than trying to get something accomplished while the baby is napping.

To keep baby sleep issues away you and your child, get them in a routine of going through the same bedtime rituals every night. As your baby gets used to them and remembers them, they will be able to sleep more peacefully and will stay asleep longer too. Getting into a ritual of bath time, rocking, story, and song will get to realize that sleep is coming next.

If your baby has the opposite problem and can’t go to the bathroom, mix 2 ounces of Karo syrup with four ounces of warm water in a bottle.  This should help loosen their stools and get them moving again.  If your baby has croup, a breathing condition, have them breathe the moist, warm air that comes from either a vaporizer or hot shower.  If you baby comes down with a case of colic, other health remedies for babies include filling a hot water bottle with warm water, only about 1/3 full.  Put a towel over top of the bottle.  Gently lay your baby down, so that they are lying across the bottle.  This should help ease their stomach pain.

Other health remedies for babies can help with the common cold.  If your baby gets a case of the sniffles, mix some camphor and lavender oil with some warm olive oil and rub it on their chests.  You can help the cold go away faster by boiling water and adding some freshly squeezed orange juice to it for some extra vitamin C.  You can also mix a couple drops of eucalyptus oil with some hot water.  Put this in a close proximity to where your baby is sleeping, but make sure it is out of their reach.  This not only smells good, but it should help clear up any nasal passages that are blocked.

Health remedies for babies can help with things like teething too.  Using something called oil of cloves, found in any health food store, is great for healing toothaches.  Rub a small amount where the tooth is coming in at.  To help with constipation, add some prune juice to water.  Chamomile oil can also be rubbed on their belly to help ease them of their constipation pains.

If you decide to take your child to participate in baby casting calls, here are some tips from those who work in the industry.  First, know that legitimate agencies do not accept every single applicant.  They only want the ones that have a real shot of being used for acting or modeling gigs.  When people hire babies for these jobs, they are looking for a certain look, size, personality and availability.  Part of their availability falls on you, the parent, as a parent needs to be present for whatever gig their baby lands.  There are rarely times when people do baby modeling or acting jobs on weekends, so you will need to schedule your time through the week accordingly.

Another tip for winning at baby casting calls is to know that work offered for infants is very infrequent.  This is due to the fact that infants are constantly changing on a day to day basis.  Usually jobs for infants come up right before holidays, like Christmas and Easter.

While the people who hire babies at baby casting calls do take things like looks into consideration, they are not just after the best looking baby.  You shouldn’t think of this as a beauty pageant, because it isn’t.  They might want a certain look, but that doesn’t always mean the prettiest.  They also look at your baby’s temperament, how they behave, their personality, their talent, as mentioned above, their availability.  If you want any real shot at your baby having a successful acting or modeling career, the really good opportunities are most often found in New York and Los Angeles, and occasionally in Tokyo and Paris.

One organization that was created specifically for this relief effort is the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund.  It was created by 2 of our former presidents, President Clinton and the second President Bush.  These two individuals represent exactly the way others react when they see people suffering, and realize that it is pointless to let petty differences get in the way of helping those in need.  That is just what Clinton and Bush have done.  Two people, both on opposite ends of political ideology, have set aside their differences to come together to help the more than 3 million people of Haiti who need assistance.

Another way people can help is by donating to the American Red Cross.  This perhaps the largest organization and humanitarian group that is often times one of the first to respond when disaster strikes.  You can donate either money or supplies to the American Red Cross.  You can donate money with a credit card right from their website, or you can find information about what supplies you can provide and how to send it.  To date, the American Red Cross has provided over $65 million in aid to the people of Haiti, including food, fresh water, and other items like blankets, sleeping mats, and tents.

While most people only have good intentions in mind when they hear about something as devastating as the earthquake in Haiti, there are a few who use moments like this to try and take advantage of others.  They know that people are in a more giving mood, so they try to scam people into giving out financial or other personal information.  Never give out any credit card, bank, or other information to someone that contacts you through email or by telephone.Effects of Haiti’s Earth Quake on Society – How to HelpEffects of Haiti’s Earth Quake on Society – How to Help

One of the largest organizations, and perhaps one of the best ones, that you can donate to, is the American Red Cross.  Money that is donated to them will go to providing the people of Haiti with emergency assistance, like food, water, medical supplies, as well as providing a ground force of people to help with the recovery efforts.  To date, the organization has donated $67 million in recovery aid.  This includes sending pre-packaged food items, providing them with fresh drinking water, and giving out shelter items like blankets, tarps, tents, and sleeping mats.

Another good charitable organization to donate to is the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund.  This relief effort was started by former President Bill Clinton and former President George W. Bush.  These have been able to put aside the petty differences that put them on opposite ends of the political spectrum.  Clinton and former President George H. W. Bush got together previously to create funds that went on to help the relief efforts of Hurricane Katrina in 2006 and a fund that helped victims of the 2004 Asian tsunamis.  In just the couple weeks the fund has existed, it has already had more than 160,000 donations made.

Other charitable organizations you can donate money to in order to help with the relief efforts include AmeriCares, a non-profit humanitarian organization that specializes in providing medical supplies to help in disaster recovery efforts.  To date, they have donated over $11 million in medical aid to Haiti.  Another organization is Doctors Without Borders, a humanitarian group devoted to sending medical professionals to places when disaster strikes.  And finally, another is Operation USA.  This is a group that works to provide aid to those affected by disaster, disease, and poverty.  Money can be donated to any of these organizations and many others simply by going to their websites and filling out a form to give money with any major credit card.