Vintage Parenting Advice: Cover Your Mouth With Toilet Paper

Since I’ve been pregnant, I’ve gotten a lot of advice, and not all of it has been helpful. My brother-in-law, for example, told me not to touch my cat anymore. It’s easy to excuse the advice of well-intentioned relatives (and I’m sure I’ll be grateful for their input later on), but I find it despicable when companies use fear to try to sell their products to anxiety prone parents-to-be. Open up any parenting magazine and you’ll see dozens of examples, but this is hardy a new technique. This ScotTissue ad from 1944 tries to move product by encouraging mothers to make ad-hoc surgical masks out of toilet paper for any infant caretakers who have cold symptoms.

Here’s a close up:

I’m pretty critical of parenting paranoia now, but will that change once Robot Jr. arrives? Will I be crafting double-ply TP masks and forcing them on the faces of friends and family? I guess we’ll find out in three months.

Vintage Pregnancy Euphemism

I’m not “expecting,” I’m a “Lady-in-Waiting.”

Don’t tell me I can’t be royal, Lorde.

Basic Baby Registry List for 2014

Wow, for something I can do without leaving my couch, registering for baby has been pretty overwhelming. There’s so much baby stuff and only so much money and space.

I found this ask metafilter question helpful in not only determining what to get, but also what to leave off the list. I thought it might be helpful to post my basic registry list as a sample registry for anyone who wanted to see it. These aren’t by any means product recommendations, but I did check product reviews and did a bit of research before making selections. I looked for budget-friendly baby options whenever possible, and I’m sure that IRL I’ll end up getting some stuff from Craigslist or consignment stores. Hopefully, I’ll be able to follow up eventually and talk about what gear worked out well for us. Feel free to post a warning if I’ve inadvertently registered for any baby traps/torture devices!

Basic Baby Registry List

Graco LiteRider Classic Stroller

Graco SnugRide Classic Connect Infant Car Seat

Graco Pack ‘n Play On The Go Travel Playard

Graco SimpleSwitch Highchair and Booster

Fisher-Price Deluxe Bouncer

Badger Basket Elegance Round Baby Bassinet

My incredibly generous friend Luz already sent us this bassinet, and it’s charming.

Stork Craft Milan 2-in-1 Fixed Side Convertible Crib and Changer & Crib Bedding

Sealy Waterproof Crib Mattress Pad, 2-Pack

Circo Jungle Stack Crib Musical Mobile

Giant Box of Newborn Diapers & Wipes

Eddie Bauer Diaper Tote – Clearbrook

Receiving Blankets

Boppy Pillow & Poppy Cover

Bibs & Burpcloths

Fisher-Price Precious Planet Whale of a Tub

Ergo Wrap

Baby Towels & Washcloths

Assorted Toys & Clothes

Vintage Maternity Style: Lauren Bacall

Since becoming a Host* to a little sprocket, I’ve been scouting around for vintage maternity inspiration. Resources are scant. A lot of vintage maternity looks just aren’t that appealing. Think lots of boxy tunics.

The June 22, 1953 edition of Life magazine featured a spread on (barely pregnant-looking, like seriously, five weeks max) Lauren Bacall, who designed her own maternity wear, because you don’t put Bacall in a boxy tunic.

Lauren Bacall smoking her prenatal cigarettes in her Victorian-inspired maternity jacket. Don’t worry–the cigarettes are filtered. Only the best for Jr.

Here’s Bacall in one of Bogie’s shirts–stiffly starched. This seems like a easy-to-recreate vintage maternity look. I might pick up some of these Mother Maternity shorts for summer, some heavy duty spray starch, and then go raid my husband’s closet. That’s how I roll Old Hollywood style.

*Some might call me a mother-to-be, even. Don’t say pregnant–that’s uncouth. I’m 26 weeks uncouth, to be specific.

The Little Free Library

Look what I saw on the way to campus today!

Are all the Game Of Thrones books are already checked out? Is there a waiting list?