Need an extra reason to giggle this morning? Watch little baby Ethan crack up while playing with his dad! It’s the perfect way to start your work week with a smile.

Pregnant mothers and their partners are typically voracious readers who devour everything from What to Expect When You’re Expecting to Baby Bargains in order to prepare for the arrival of their new babies. In addition to books and magazines, the internet offers a wealth of extra information for savvy parents-to-be. Check out these fantastic sites for extra tips on pregnancy, the health of your newborn and the products you need to stay on top of your parental duties:

• If you love all the great money-saving tips in Baby Bargains, check out the book’s online blog, aptly named the Baby Bargains Book Blog, for even more updates on recalls, product reviews and important industry news.
• The classic pregnancy guide What to Expect When You’re Expecting has also migrated to the web with a fantastic site that offers a week-by-week pregnancy calendar, opportunities to participate in community forums and fun contests for future parents.
• Ever-popular and always on top of the latest trends in all things baby-related, BabyCenter offers a wealth of articles on a variety of pregnancy topics. You can also sign up for their newsletter to get weekly email updates about the growth of your baby in the womb!
• Parents.com also features great info for future parents. Currently, the site’s slide show features common pregnancy fears, great ideas for a beautiful nursery and fun holiday tips!
• If you want to stay current on the health topics affecting your new baby for the first five years of his or her life, bookmark the American Academy of Pediatrics. This renowned medical site offers great info on all the most important health topics for infants and their parents.

This clip was forwarded to me by another member of the Tiny Prints staff, and it’s definitely a silly way to get your Monday morning started! You can’t help but giggle along with these happy babies!

Fridays are for fun times dreaming about the weekend! So let’s get you started with these unusual finds on the Internet.

1. These colorful and unusually shaped products are called, “Whizz Kid Weeblock” and are from Bel Bambini. Can you figure out what they’re for? Yes, if you have a baby boy these washable cups keep you from getting wet during diaper changing.

2. This looks like your ordinary coffee paper cup so you’ll do a double take when you find out it’s “Not a Paper Cup.” From Paper Source, it is a porcelain cup that’ll let you grab your nonfat decaf coffee without wasting cup after cup.

3. This will keep you entertained throughout the day. Another funny find from Paper Source, it’s a magnetic tape dispenser that keeps your business cards, pencils and paper clips all together.

4. Imagine brushing with flavors like Bitter Chocolate, Lemon Tea or Cola? How about using a Sweet Potato or Blueberry mouthwash? Made in Japan, these breath palettes are an unusual combination of sweet flavors with toothpaste and mouthwash.

Instead of the traditional guest sign-in, why not do something different and give out blank note cards to have guests fill in their favorite recipes? A great idea would be to ask other mothers for their homemade baby food recipes. Then, either send them the cards early for them to bring to the new mom’s big day or bring them to her shower. Each guest copies down the recipes with their name. That way mom can bring back something from the shower that will last a lifetime!

If your guests are clueless about cooking, give them a list of links to search for recipes. Check out Wholesomebabyfood.com for recipes like Sweet Potato and Pumpkin baby food! Or serve pear puree with recipes from Simplybabyfoodrecipes.com. We’re never disappointed by whatever Martha Stewart does. Check out her recipe for homemade baby food.

Then, just choose your card!

You moms are always carrying that big diaper bag everywhere you go. Why not tote one with style? Take a peak at these designer bags that help you carry everything you need in style.

The Slide Diaper bag from Go Gaga is popular with celebrities for its sleek style, ergonomic strap and versatility.

This zermatt stevie baby bag from Kate Spade also comes in black, is waterproof and includes a changing pad.

Petunia Pickle Bottom is hot with celebrities and I can see why. These beautiful bags come in a variety of fun, stylish designs to choose from and include everything from a detachable dirty diaper pouch to a monogrammed wipe case.

These Storksak Diaper bags have been sported on the shoulders of the famous Brad Pitt Angelia Jolie pair.  The Storksak Alex Khaki/Army Diaper Bag is great for dads and the Claire Red Label Diaper Bag is perfect for stylish and practical moms.

A gift basket is a thoughtful and easy way to give a birthday or shower gift. The only downside? Gift baskets can cost a lot, running up to $200 a pop! But, there are some great ones out there that are much more affordable as well. Here are a few that I love, including one for baby and one for the new mom:

The Little Seed is a celebrity haven for eco-friendly baby and children’s specialty boutique items. It was started by Soleil Moon Frye and Paige Goldberg Tolmach. Here is their cute (if a bit pricey at $200!) Little Toddler Gift Basket.

This Basket of Wisdom by Martha Stewart has everything the new mom will need such as a thermometer, booties, and tea and candy for her.

When researching fresh designs and cool styles for traveling, I discovered a lot of adorable travel gear for kids and new moms. Here are a few modern ones that will are sure to make traveling fun!

Photos from top: Kate Spade Classic Noel Henry baby bag, O Yikes Slingback Diaper Bag from Go-Baby, Pottery Barn Kids Personalized Terry Travel Bag, Sammie’s by Samsonite “Funny Face” Collection from Macy’s, Li’l Lewis Gorilla neck pillow and Maw Maw Panda luggage tag.

I’ve been getting a lot of baby registry links these days which are really cool. In a previous entry, I explained that these types of registries are similar to wedding ones. The couple adds things they’ll need to prepare for their baby and friends and family can go directly to sites and stores to find exactly what they want. A few sites such as Myregistry.com and ThethingsIwant.com offer couples the option of choosing items from various companies and online stores at one place. Then of course there are more common online registries for Target and Babies “R” Us with contents specifically from their store.

Regardless of which registry you choose, I’ve heard that the process can be overwhelming. One friend told me how shocking it was to find out just how much stuff a little baby needs. For all of you new mommies and daddies in the same boat, check out this article on Pregnancy.com for advice on how to make shopping for your new baby fun and not overwhelming.

There is a ton of reference in our society for storks as the deliverers of newborns. It was how all the baby animals including Dumbo was born and is a popular icon that can be found in a multitude of designs at showers and in stationery. But how did two things that seem so completely different become associated with one another?

Although they mean vastly different things depending on what part of the world you are in, in European countries they have symbolized springtime and childbirth. These ideas merged when parents attempted to address children’s curiosity about where babies came from. Rather than get into the uncomfortable details, they answered in a conservative way appropriate during Victorian times. In addition, based on a superstitious belief that storks were omens for good luck and prosperity and seeing storks nesting atop chimneys, the idea was formulated that storks dropped off babies to new parents this way.

Whatever the reason, we’re glad this stork story was born. They make our birth announcements so cute!

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stork