A new mom soon discovers that the joy of motherhood often comes with sleepless nights, all-too-frequent feedings and constant clothing changes (including yours). Humor goes a long way when you’re in the middle of this post-partum period, and Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s Post Partum Cards dispense it in just the right dose.

“If you’re a new mom, you’re probably too delirious with joy (read: sleep deprivation) to spend much time writing notes, Here is a set of postcards designed to help you stay in touch with the outside world, even if you’re too exhausted to finish your own sentences.” (I couldn’t have said it better so I let Random House do it!) This wonderfully funny set of cards includes one that reads “Lost! My waist. Last seen ________” and my other favorite, “Party at my house! B.Y.O.B. (bring your own baby). I’ll supply the wipes!”

During those first few weeks - and sometimes months - after labor and delivery a new mom might find herself a hermit without the energy to reach out to the outside world. (I found this even truer after the births of my third and fourth.) A little humor can go a really long way, and Post Partum Cards are the perfect tongue-in-cheek-but-oh-so-true shower gift for the new mom. You can purchase a 32-pack of her cards for $8.95 from Amazon.com.

Rosenthal is also the author of Duck! Rabbit!, a great new kids' book published by Chronicle Books and being given away by ZRecs in their ZRecs Newsletter Giveaway tomorrow. Head to Punnybop to read a review of the book, or sign up for our network's newsletter and a chance to win. - Emily H.

When my twins were born, my goal was to make each of them a scrapbook chronicling their first year. Well, they are turning three in less than a month, and those books are still not finished. Now that I have a third child, I figured it would take me until he got married to finish his first year book!

Then I heard about How Fast They Grow, an online scrapbooking company that claims that you can create a scrapbook page in seven minutes using your digital pictures and their free online Digi-Scrapbook software.

Seven minutes? It seemed too good to be true, but I had to check it out.

I joined the site (free), uploaded some pictures, and got to work. Sure enough, I was able to crank out some pages that I am really proud of in five to ten minutes per page, depending on how long I spent thinking about what to write.

The sample page I have below is just one of six I created in under an hour.


How simple is the process?

1. Upload pictures to Digi-Scrapbook (the most time-consuming part of the whole process).


2. Choose a layout from over 480 page designs.


3. Drag your pictures into the page - it is easy to zoom in or out and move around as necessary.


4. Type text on the page and add your own title.

That's it! Once your page is finished, you can publish it to share online with family and friends or print. Printing costs just dropped as of December 1, and now pages cost just $5.50 each. When I think of the time saved and the money not spent on more scrapbook supplies, it is definitely worth it for a busy scrapbook lover, especially for such a great finished product. The 12”x12” pages are printed with Kodak printers on 110-lb. cardstock, and they should last for generations if well-stored.

If How Fast They Grow sounds like something you or someone you know might be interested in, check out their website for a ton of great example pages and to view all of their templates. The company is currently running a special with free ground shipping on gift card packages using the code GIFT4U. Each package comes with the gift card as well as a sample 12”x12” page to see the quality of their product.

Maybe there is hope yet for my little one's baby book! - Sara I.

When I was pregnant with my first child I had books about what to expect, lists for what to buy and websites for answers to my questions since I could never remember them during my check-ups. I would’ve loved having everything in one place, and though I did a little less research my next few pregnancies I still would have benefited from a little prenatal organization.

The Essential Pregnancy Organizer is an easy-to-use organizer for every stage of pregnancy. Its stylish cover hides a wealth of prenatal tools: a detailed pregnancy calendar, suggested interview questions for caregivers, prenatal check-up pages and even questions to help you formulate a birth plan. You’ll also find a practical - "practical" being the keyword - baby shopping list for parents, gift tracker, feeding and diapering records and a handy pocket for paperwork.

The Essential Pregnancy Organizer fits nicely in your handbag or purse so you can easily take it from bedside to office waiting room. With a little extra space for answering questions about your pregnancy and your baby’s birth, this little organizer turns into a journal of your pregnancy, childbirth and early weeks as a new mom. That is something I wish I had way back when. Those 40+ weeks will be over sooner than you think and it’s not always easy to remember the little things that made it so wonderful. You can purchase The Essential Pregnancy Organizer for about $14 from Amazon.com. - Emily H.