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Joy & Chaos

BABY NAMES

Cool Baby Names of January

Welcoming 2018! This year started off with even more quirky, cool, totally unique baby names! We’re only 1 month in so we haven’t been able to pinpoint any significant name trends yet, but here are three things that stood out to us about this month’s batch of babies!

  1. There’s something delightfully old-fashioned and charming about several of these names… Cosette, Whit, Alton & Gideon. What do you think?
  2. Viva l’Italia! We have amore for these two names: Tosca means “from Tuscany” and Gioia, an Italian name which means “joy.”
  3. We’re very seriously hoping little girl Ripley is named after Sigourney Weaver’s character in Alien… but if not, it’s still a super rad name!

Click here for all of 2017’s crazy baby names & do the cupid shuffle on over to our Valentine’s Day Shop for personalized baby & kids Valentine gifts, party favors and more!

RECIPES, SPORTS

3 Superbowl Game Day Recipes + Win A Custom Towel!

Superbowl 52 is just around the corner… whether you’re coming for the snacks and staying for the game, coming for the half-time show and staying for the snacks or some other combo – we’ve got ya covered! Since Da Bears aren’t involved, we’re not as invested as we could be… and our minds have turned to what we’re gonna eat rather than who is gonna win! (And J Tim, of course…) Check out these three rad recipes for a yummy dip, hot wings, and a classic chili! What do you make sure is on your Superbowl snack table every year?

Contest closed – thank you! 

Check out all our personalized recipe towels and our football pinboard for even more sport-tacular fun!

BABY NAMES

The 100 Most Unique Baby Names of 2017

 

As 2017 comes to an end, we gathered up the 100 craziest, coolest most unique names we saw this year!  Here’s the three major trends we noticed in 2017:

  1. The year of Z! Z ruled over 2017 with standouts like Zowie, Zeth and Zahryn leading the charge.
  2. K names were a klose second. (Sorry not sorry.) K showed up all over, at the beginning, the end, and in the middle of *tons* of names, Kasen, Lyrik, and Skai are just a few. (Check out previous months for even more K-names!)
  3. Our overwhelming takeaway from this year was you guys are getting more and more creative, we saw more names for the first time than in ANY other year, and we’ve been open for a loooong time, people!

In case you forgot someone on your holiday shopping list – it’s never too late to send an awesome  personalized baby gifts or personalized kids gifts!

BABY NAMES

The Most Unique Baby Names of November 2017

 

Here are the 20 most unique baby names we saw in November! It’s our busiest season, leading up to the holidays, so we are seeing more cool and crazy names than ever before.

3 baby name trends we noticed this month:

  1. Strong boy names and fancy girlie names – we’re fans of both with a shoutout to Colt, Dutch, Quaid for the little dudes and Elliette, Athalia and Pippa for the little ladies.
  2. O-K! K names (and names featuring a K) ruled this month with Kael, Kendy, Kaizo and Skai. Is K taking Z’s throne as the go to letter for baby names? We’ll have to wait and see…
  3. FOURTH month in a row that we’ve seen more brand new names than ever… add Venetta, Fintan, Mylene, Kendy, Skai, Athalia, Rhonin, and Kaizo  to our list of “first ever” sightings!

We’re in the thick of it now, so pull out that list and get ready to check it twice – we’ve got you covered for the coolest personalized baby gifts and personalized kids gifts whether the kiddos are naughty or nice!

RECIPES, THANKSGIVING

HELP! How Do I Cook This Turkey?

Help! How do I cook this turkey? Which turkey should I get? Well, we weren’t sure either, so here’s a handy dandy guide to help you out this Thanksgiving. Also available as a tea towel (Let’s Talk Turkey Kitchen Towel), so you will never have to crack open that dusty cookbook or Google it again!

 

For something fun to do while you wait for your bird to cook – click here to download our free printable “I Am Thankful For” cards – have everyone fill one out and then read them aloud! Good luck with the cooking and have an awesome T-Day!

 

CHRISTMAS

Chicago: 2017 Holiday Smiles Toy Drive

Chicago friends: Share the holiday spirit by supporting Humboldt Park’s Association House and their Holiday Smiles Toy Drive! Bring an unwrapped gift in to our Custom Shop for the gift drive and receive 20% off your next purchase at Psychobaby!

See below for a list of items they are hoping to collect to make this year merry for many Chicago kiddos in need.

Association House’s Holiday Smiles Toy Drive Wishlist of Most Needed Items:

Dolls & Action Figures:
o Disney’s Frozen, Hello Kitty, Barbie, Minnie Mouse, and cultural dolls
o Superheroes, Ninja Turtles, Anime/Dragonball Z
General Toys:
o Kitchen sets, Small collectible cars, Remote-control cars, Disney-themed toys & sets
o Board Games, Lego sets
Arts/Literature:
o Crayola products, Sketchpads, Craft kits, Brush/Oil sets, Coloring Books,
o Series Books (Wimpy Kid, Judy Moody), Adventure/Fairytale books & comics
Items for baby:
o Large-motor toys, Blocks, Plush dolls, Stacking toys, Blankets
o Educational Toys: Fisher Price, Leap Frog
Music/Electronics:
o Audio sets (mP3 players), Headphones, Digital Cameras
Fashion:
o Fragrance sets, Costume Jewelry, Sport watches/ timepieces
Sports:
o Skateboards, Basketballs, Footballs, Soccer/Volleyballs and gear
Gift Cards (for places in Chicago):
o Clothing stores (i.e. Gap, Forever 21, Marshalls)
o General goods (Target, Walmart)
o Restaurants (i.e. Subway, Starbucks)
o Music (i.e. iTunes)

Please bring your unwrapped item(s) in by December 7th. We are open Weds-Sat from 11-6PM.  Visit associationhouse.org for more info on all the services they offer our community!

 

CHRISTMAS, HANUKKAH, RECIPES, THANKSGIVING

Zucchini Pie Recipe

 

Out of all the things that I cook, this Zucchini Pie Recipe is the number one recipe that I get asked to share!
My mother in law gave me this recipe over 15 years ago and I have been making it ever since. It has become a favorite side at Thanksgiving and an easy weeknight meal with the addition of a salad and some bread.

I shortened the recipe a bit to fit on our custom recipe towel but have written it in detail below. Enjoy!

Ingredients

4 large zucchinis, shredded

1 onion, finely chopped

1 cup Bisquick

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 stick melted butter

3/4 – 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp Season Salt

Large handful parsley, finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 13 x 19 inch baking dish.
  2. In a food processor, shred zucchini. You can also shred zucchini with a hand shredder. Transfer to a bowl.
  3. In a food processor fitted with a blade, pulse onion and parsley until very finely chopped or even almost pureed. You can also chop both the onion and parsley by hand but I have found the food processor to be faster and I prefer the texture. Transfer into the bowl with zucchini.
  4. Lightly beat eggs in a small bowl.
  5. Add Bisquick, melted butter, parmesan cheese, eggs, season salt, salt and pepper to your bowl with the shredded zucchini, onion and parsley. Mix
  6. Add mixture to your greased baking dish and bake for 40. minutes or until lightly brown on the top.

You can make a day ahead if serving as a Thanksgiving side and reheat at 325

Do you have a favorite recipe that you’d like to see on a personalized recipe towel? Share yours with us for a chance to be featured on our blog and win a keepsake towel to enjoy for years to come! Share your recipe to psychobabyonline(at)gmail.com

BABY NAMES

October 2017’s Coolest Baby Names

October is the best month, full of tricks and treats and unexpected things around every corner… so it’s no shock that these 20 names we printed are some of the most surprising we’ve seen all year!

3 baby name trends we noticed this month:

  1. Rock and roll is here to stay! We see you, Legend and Vedder! We’re pretty big fans of both John and Eddie, so these two cool baby names have our official stamp of approval!
  2. Although part of the reason we love October is all the horror movies… we are giving cinema in general a shout out this month for the names Vesper (namesake of James Bond’s special martini) and Lyndon (the protagonist of Kubrick’s 1975 film Barry Lyndon).
  3. Third month straight we’ve seen more brand new names than ever… add Sibilina, Solley, Elonna, Vannevar, Sheeka, Hyleigh, Kieghan, Sashu, Rasmus and Barlow to our list of “first ever” sightings!

Holidays are coming up – get ready to make your list and check it with the coolest personalized baby gifts and personalized kids gifts!

Check out September’s most unique baby names here

See August’s best baby names here

View July’s coolest baby names here

Check out June’s coolest baby names here

View the 20 best baby names of May here

Check out the coolest baby names of April here

Check out March’s coolest baby names here

Check out February’s coolest baby names here

Check out January’s coolest baby names here

BABY NAMES

20 Unique Baby Names From September

The 20 coolest names of September – what do you think?

3 baby name trends we noticed this month:

  1. Aaaaaaay! We’re digging these cool girl names that end in A, like Avalina, Augustina, Brisa and Sohila.
  2. Switchin’ those letters up again – we’re looking at you, Kemberly with an E, Byrdie with a Y and Lyrik with a K!
  3. Like last month, a lot of these names are totally new to us! We’re again impressed with your creative, clever takes on baby names: Tyce, Pio, Brayah, Hagen, Brisa, Jetty, Sohila, Alder and Brayah. Have you guys heard any of these before?

As always, if you know a little one  with a super cool name, we’ve got the best ever personalized baby gifts and personalized kids gifts!

See August’s best baby names here

View July’s coolest baby names here

Check out June’s coolest baby names here

View the 20 best baby names of May here

Check out the coolest baby names of April here

Check out March’s coolest baby names here

Check out February’s coolest baby names here

Check out January’s coolest baby names here

KIDS BIRTHDAY, SPORTS

Kids Football Birthday Party Must-Haves!

Football-Themed-Birthday-Party

Clockwise from top:

Have a total touchdown of a birthday with these awesome personalized football birthday party ideas! Rock your custom football birthday shirt like the MVP you are, whether you’re a first birthday rookie or a old pro. Make your party team-mates feel like superstars too, with our personalized gift bags and gift boxes. Every seasoned player knows it’s important to stay hydrated (although we do NOT recommend taking Tom Brady’s water drinking advice), so make sure you have plenty of custom labeled water bottles on hand for you and your crew. Are you planning a football themed party? Let us know what football favors and sporty snacks you and your kiddo chose!

Check out all our party printables here

View our entire collection of personalized football gifts here

And visit our football party ideas pinboard for even more fun football birthday inspo!