As you may know, I recently started writing the “Inspired” blog for Paper Culture. Before I started my job, I did some research — I looked at the site. I checked out the assortment of cards and designs that were available. But I hadn’t really experienced Paper Culture until now. My daughter is turning four next week and I am making, as my Aunt Aleen from NJ would say, a party for her. This year I am doing the tried and true “age of the child plus one extra guest.” I have gone to too many 4-year-old birthday parties recently, where the birthday child has been in meltdown mode for the last half hour of the party. Also my daughter just started a new school, so I wasn’t really sure, who to invite. Here is my experience:

1. Register: I went on paperculture.com and registered, which was a piece of cake.

2. Pick your card: I had a terrible idea and let my daughter pick her invitation. She was very opinionated and a difficult customer to boot. “Fairies don’t have green wings. The princess’ mouth is too big.” And she didn’t like the line that went through the letters – disliking fonts at her age???! We finally settled on a card that she liked. It had scoops of ice-cream on it. Needless to say, she likes sugar.

3. Input text: I filled out the pertinent information. And then the site quickly sends you a proof and asks if everything is ok, or if you have questions about the design. I wasn’t sure if the text should be in all caps or not. I sent my proof back with my question. 30 minutes later I got a new proof and the designer had fixed everything: the “headline” was in all caps, and the other text was capitalized as needed. I also asked if the card could be more pink. Voila! I got a new proof, which had a pink background. We were good to go.

4. Order: I ordered 10 cards as this is going to be a small fete.

5. Mail: I hadn’t realized that Paper Culture offers a “Mail & Message Service.” The cards can be sent directly to you for you to send out, or the “Mail & Message Service” addresses and sends out the cards for you! You only pay for the stamps. I figured I would try it, as my handwriting leans towards being illegible. You can either type in your addresses – there is a nice little intuitive form – or you can import your addresses by using the paperculture.com excel address template. The Paper Culture people will assist you if you are stuck, but really it was so logical that I didn’t need help. And it didn’t take very long to do.

6. Message: Then I came upon the most magical part of the process. You can type individual notes for each guest which will be printed on the back of the card. Or you can send everyone the same key information and either personalize it a bit, or not at all. You never want to fill the front of your card with important, but non-festive information like directions and/or parking instructions. And you don’t need to with the “Message” part of the “Mail & Message Service.”

7. Purchase: I bought ($32.54 including tax and the cost of stamps) them on Tuesday and my daughter received her invite in the mail the next Wednesday. Not bad at all. Actually, it was quite a wonderful experience. And the word on the street has been amazing. My daughter’s friend, Sasha, told her that she had taped it to her wall. And two Moms told me that they loved everything about it.

Now I just have to figure out how to keep six 4-year-olds busy for two hours. Any thoughts? Suggestions?

But before I regale with my poop anguish, I did think about what our Top 5 list would be. It’s not the coolest or most original list, it’s just the ones that really stood out for me.
I’d love to hear what your top 5 list is (and as a bribe – yes, I’m not above that – I’ll give a $50 Paper Culture gift card to the best response by EOD Sunday):

1. Angel Dear Blankets:
   These are Baby B’s security blankets. One of the best pieces of advice I got as a first time parent seems so obvious now: pick a security blanket that’s small, easily washable and easily replaceable.  Angel Dear has a whole set of animals. We have some friends who rotate animals, but Baby B is only about the elephants. We literally have 20 of the blue elephants (excessive perhaps). It’s not so much that we’re fooling Baby B into thinking there’s really only 1 blue elephant, it’s that she’s accustomed to swapping them in and out. In fact, she’s become addicted to our fabric softener so she demands a new one after a few cuddles. And when one gets lost, a few clicks on Amazon and we’re fully replenished.
2. Zoli’s Buzz B Nail Trimmer:
   Have you ever wondered how your baby’s fingernails grow so fast? I remember when Baby B was a wee one and it was never the diapers I dreaded, it was always cutting her nails. I felt like one bad snip and my poor Baby B would be a four finger wonder. The Buzz B is the ultimate solution. Imagine a circle shaped emery board that spins and is soft enough to not hurt your precious one, but has enough grit to file down your baby’s nails with its battery powered spinning action. Just touch the spinning head to the nails and you get a beautifully filed and perfectly trimmed nail with no worries about hurting your little one. But it is true that I worry I’m turning Baby B onto Mani-Pedi’s waaaaaaaay too early!
3. Halo Organic Cotton Sleep Sack:
   
   As we moved from the swaddle to a sleepsack, initially I thought it was cool just because it was easy and quick. I soon learned that a sleep sack has a lot of ancillary benefits as well. Yes, it does dramatically reduce the worrying you do that your baby is getting cold because her blanket fell off in the middle of the night, but that’s the predictable part. The part I didn’t expect: as your baby grows up and becomes a climber, the sleepsack makes it darn difficult to scale the crib barriers. So, we have an almost three year old that hasn’t even started to attempt to climb out of her crib. Our friends who have long since converted to a toddler bed are jealous. The secret is the sleep sack – and organic cotton to boot!
4. Orbit Stroller:
   For the first year with Baby B, I LOVED the Orbit Stroller. With one hand carrying Baby B and the other hand free, I could collapse the Orbit stroller with a quick flick of the wrist and shove it in the trunk in under 5 seconds flat (try that Bugaboo owners!). And in the constant suburban car rush, it seems like life is about getting into and out of the car. The car seat that snaps off the base instantly and just as easily snaps onto the stroller is especially awesome when you have a sleeping baby that you’re moving into and out of the car. The only complaints about the infant stroller was that it was a bit heavy and if it’s value you’re looking for, this is not your leading candidate. But, eventually, Baby B grew out of her infant seat and the concept that she’d grow up with an equally modular Toddler Car Seat was cooler in concept than reality. You see, the toddler car seat weighs a ton (almost literally) and is NOT something you want to be moving in and out of the car. So, we actually have one, but it sits in the car permanently anchored to the seat no different than any other car seat that’s half the price. In theory it snaps onto the stroller base, but I don’t know of anybody (at least in their right mind) that would actually move that thing in and out of the car.
5. Paper Culture Stationery:
   
   OK yes, I’m TOTALLY biased, but I kid you not, I never realized how much stationery we would go through. My wife and I have always loved stationery, but we’d send maybe 30 cards a year typically. With the arrival of Baby B, the number of thank you’s for baby shower gifts, for housewarming gifts (we moved when Baby B was born) and for birthday parties seems never ending. It’s fun to create a design that captures your little one’s personality and so convenient to have them on hand at any time. We don’t just use them for thank you cards, but we also use them as actual birthday cards when we’re in a pinch.

But if those were the 5 things we loved, there were 2 that seem indispensable, but that we never really found the product we loved. We’re married to the concept, but are still in search of the ultimate one. We’d love your suggestions, who knows, we may do this again someday!

1. Baby Monitor:
   We have baby monitor addiction. We are the classic undisciplined parents that if we heard Baby B scream, we would be checking in on her every 5 minutes if we didn’t have the video monitor. However, we have the Summer Infant Handheld monitor and the battery is dead so it only works when it’s plugged in. To me the priorities are long range, good night vision. Color is a nice to have and if you have an infant, the new features that have motion detection might be nice, though we’re far beyond that with Baby B. Any thoughts?
2. Diaper Disposal: We have the diaper champ, and let me tell you, it definitely is appropriately part of the diaper discussion because it always smells like poop and functions like the much more un-PC term for “butt.” We initially picked that one because we could use it with any other bag (unlike the Diaper Genie which we’ve tried and not liked any better), but the diaper flipping mechanism always gets caught and it does next to nothing for the odor. It doesn’t even look good – at least if it doesn’t function, it could have some redeeming quality as a piece of furniture, but no.  Our only saving grace is Baby B has been basically potty trained for about a year. But if we ever do this again, we need to find a better solution! Any ideas? (No, I’m not providing a link because you really should NOT buy this product). Just think, we’ve lived for almost 3 years with that terrible poop smell. Help!

And don’t forget, leave your Top 5 list in the comments below and I’ll pick my favorite one for a $50 Paper Culture voucher.

UPDATE: And the winner is Christina Taylor who said:
1. Boppy pillow – Not only was it a back/shoulder/arm saver during nursing, but I turned it around and propped my lil one in it when she was an infant. As she’s grown, she’s used it as a pillow in her playroom.
2. Ergo and Baby Bjorn baby carriers – Ergo worked better for mom, Baby Bjorn fit dad better.
3. Sophie the Giraffe – This teething wonder never left my daughter’s side. And because she started teething at 3 months, it’s her oldest friend
4. Kiddopotamus SwaddleMe blanket.
5. Newmann’s Nipple Cream – Kinda graphic, I know, but this handmade salve worked much better than lanolin and didn’t leave the sticky residue.
I went over these with my wife and we were marveling that we could have added almost all of those things to our list – and yes, I had to consult her on #5 . I’m still amazed at how many people have Sophie the Giraffe – you’d think how hard could it be to produce another chewable toy? But, somehow, Sophie is everywhere! Christina, email us at contact@paperculture.com and we’ll send you your $50 voucher. Congrats and thanks to everyone who participated.

How could anyone not have loved watching Scout Masterson and Bill Horn (aka “The Guncles”) as they shared their commitment and their journey towards parenthood in “Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood?”

Their story and beautiful daughter Simone Lynn Masterson-Horn are a Hollywood fairy tale. So I was thrilled to hear that they “love” Paper Culture’s stationery and note cards.

And while I love fairy tales, I also love health nuts. Dr. Gabe makes taking care of yourself not only digestible, but fun! From why sugared drinks cause weight game to explaining how vaccines work, The Dr. Gabe Mirkin Show makes any health topic an interesting read — or live-streamlisten.

So what could a well-known physician possibly have to say about Paper Culture stationery and note cards? “You’ve covered all the bases with this one! Your stationery is a top shelf product and has great utility for our planet! Earth thanks you!”

Kali Rocha’s role as the flight attendant who had a humorous fight with Ben Stiller‘s character at the airport in the 2000 hit comedy Meet The Parents has a special place in my heart: it was that year that I brought my now husband home to meet my parents for the first time. That movie provided perspective to make an otherwise very stressful experience a very funny one. Years later, I was happy to see Rocha play the resident surgeon, Dr. Sydney Heron, at Seattle Grace Hospital in one of favorite shows, Grey’s Anatomy.

Being a Kali Rocha fan, I was thrilled to see a note from her about her experience with her Paper Culture note cards: “I literally gasped when I opened the box containing my new thank you notes today. The delicacy of the design, the subtle and unique color combination, the refined beauty were, literally, breath taking. Already a paper-goods junkie, I am already more excited to purchase more!”

At the opposite end of Kali’s sugar-dipped Dr. Sydney Heron, we find JAG’s tough-as-nails Marine Colonel Sarah Mackenzie, played so memorably by the exquisite Catherine Bell from 1996 – 2005. Showing an understanding of military life, Catherine made the switch to Lifetime’s ensemble drama series Army Wives in 2007 as Denise Sherwood, the wife of a US Army major, who is enduring domestic violence at the hands of her teenage son.

What’s the connection between Kali’s funny-bone inspired performances and Catherine’s deep-rooted emotional roles? It’s simple – Paper Culture. Just like Kali, Catherine is a fan of our note card’s modern designs and clean lines. She even went so far as to say, “We love our Paper Culture stationery. So beautiful and classy. It really makes a statement.”