Toddler Girl Fashion: My 3 Year Old Dresses Better Than Me

A collection of the cutest and most stylish toddler girl fashion statements I've seen lately. Already picked up a new pair of brown boots for Paige's fall wardrobe. Now just need the cute clothes to go with them... ready, set, SHOP!

Disney Fan Mail: Have Your Child Send His or Her Favorite Disney Character a Letter and Get an Autographed Postcard in Return

Calling all Disney Princess fans!  Lightening McQueen and Tow Mader fans! Mickey Mouse Clubhouse fans! A bit of scoop for you and your precious Disney-loving children: If your child writes his or her favorite Disney character a fan letter, he/she will receive an autographed postcard in return. SHUT. THE. FRONT. DOOR. How exciting would that be for a kid? To receive a real-life autographed postcard from Cinderella? Or Merida? Or Lightening McQueen? Or the big cheese himself, Mickey Mouse? If I did this for Paige and Deacon, I could very well become the best mom they've ever had ; ) So here's the addresses where you can send your child's "Disney Character Fan Mail":

Walt Disney World Communications
P.O. Box 10040
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-0040

or

Disneyland Resort, Guest Communications
Attn:  Character Fan Mail
PO Box 3232
Anaheim, CA 92803-3232

Note: Disney recommends allowing 4-6 weeks for a response. The characters are awful busy, after all!

 

Will this TV Season's New Character Names Influence Baby Names? Nameberry Thinks So!

Nameberry.com - the #1 source for all things Baby Names - thinks this year's Fall TV lineup has some fabulous baby names. My personal faves: Astrid, Lola, Violet, Sawyer (for a girl or boy!) and Dash. Paige and Deacon aren't named after TV characters, but Lenni Lulu (our pup) is named after the late, great Detective Lenny Briscoe from the ORIGINAL Law and Order. I've been told there are two TV characters named "Deacon" - one on King of Queens and one on Nashville. And of course Reese Witherspoon's son is named Deacon. But my husband chose that name LONG before he met me based on the best defensive end (football player) to ever live - Deacon Jones. Paige isn't named after anyone in particular, but her middle name - Karolina - is from my favorite fashion designer, Carolina Herrera. So what about you - is your little one named after a TV character? 

Posted by Nameberry.com on September 25, 2013

The names of TV characters have had an influence on baby naming since the era of must-see daytime soaps and Dallas and Dynasty, and more recently we’ve seen the effect of the Mad Men midcentury matrix and individual names like Finn and Dexter and Addison and Aria and Arya taking hold.

Things are a little different now, with fewer people glued to their TV screens—or even their tablets or phones—to watch ‘appointment’ television.  And yet, with the new season beginning, I can’t help wondering if any of the more distinctive names of the characters on debuting shows might catch on.  The one freshman period program, Reign, offers some possibilities, as do The Originals—a spin-off of The Vampire Diaries and the sci-fi The Tomorrow People.

And with two hunky ex-models playing characters named Killian on two different new shows, I think I’d put my money on him.

So here are the promising names on new shows, bearing in mind that some of these series might be here today and gone tomorrow, and a lot also depends on the appeal of the character:

GIRLS

• Astrid—a sympathetic and supportive (and attractive) character on the sci-fi show The Tomorrow People.
• Aylee—one of several interestingly named and gorgeous ladies-in-waiting to Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots,  in Reign, set in sixteenth century France.
• Clarissa—a mysterious young woman in Reign, a name not new to TV.
• Davina—a 16-year-old witch with a dark side in The Originals.
• Freya –one of the young generation of witches in The Witches of East End.
• Greer—see Aylee—an Old Hollywood name beginning to be reconsidered.
• Ingrid—see Freya—another Old Hollywood name, this one with a Nordic touch.
• Kenna—see Aylee—an original name with some potential as a successor to Jenna.
• Lisette—a non-Hispanic appellation for a Latina mom in Welcome to the Family.
• Lola—one of Mary Stuart’s main ladies-in-waiting in Reign.
• Lulu—an attractive ‘former trophy wife’ in Back in the Game.
• Marika—one of Rebel Wilson’s nerdyish pals in Super Fun Night.
• Samira—a second-generation Pakistani immigrant character who’s a talented musician, in Lucky 7.
• Sandrine—a character named Sandrine played by an actress named Sandrine—exotic model Sandrine Holt—in Hostages.
• Sawyer—a little girl on Hostages—evidencing the growing gender-bending of the name. (Sara Gilbert and Diane Farr both have daughters named Sawyer).
• Violet—the young daughter/granddaughter on Mom. A name everyone already loves.

BOYS

• Alaric—In The Originals, he’s a dishy vampire hunter who goes by the nickname Ric.
• Archer—a somewhat intimidating ex-military guy in Hostages.
• Baxter—a typical TV ex-husband type on Mom.
• Crawford—a not very likable dad on Dads, played by Martin Mull.
• Dash—on The Witches of East End, yet another ex-model plays the brother of Killian.
• Dudley—an appealingly awkward pre-teen on Back in the Game.
• Duncan—the rogue FBI agent played by Dylan McDermott in Hostages.
• Jedikiah—an unusual twist on an Old Testament name, worn by a fierce, shape-changing robot in The Tomorrow People.
• Killian—the two groovy guys bearing this name are in The Tomorrow People and The Witches of East End.
• Kives—an unexplained offbeat name for a somewhat obnoxious chick-magnet type in Hello Ladies.  Guess we’ll have to watch for an explanation.
• Kramer—no, it’s not Cosmo Kramer but Kramer Delaney on Hostages.  Could Kramer be the next Cohen ?  Doubt it.
• Roscoe—a cute Nameberry-named child on Mom (shown in illustration).
• Thatcher—we may think of him as an up-and-coming baby boy name, but on Betrayal he’s an elderly father figure, just as Thatcher Grey was on Grey’s Anatomy.
• Wade—an LA-based best friend character on Hello Ladies.
• Warner—a successful video game developer played by Giovanni Ribisi on Dads.