Thought this might interest you...

I woke up early this morning to return some emails before meeting a dear friend for coffee. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that I had received an email from Ms. Betty Aberlin...Lady Aberlin from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood!

If you've read the About Me section of this site, you know that this Ugga Mugga blog was named in honor of my son's favorite character from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Daniel Striped Tiger. Him and Lady Aberlin would affectionately rub noses (Eskimo kiss) while saying "ugga mugga" in the Neighborhood of Make Believe.

So this morning I opened my inbox and saw an email with the subject line "thought this might interest you...." from "Betty Aberlin." In the email, Ms. Aberlin directed me to The Neighborhood Archive: a collection of all things Mister Rogers. The specific post she linked to was a collection of Daniel Tiger observations and details, in which she posted a reply explaining the origin of Daniel Tiger and her use of "ugga mugga." Here it is:

"my first boyfriend's mother, Bessie, had told me that 'ugga-mugga' was a catchphrase from the roaring twenties. I brought it, and the Eskimo kiss, to Daniel's clock, and at first Fred did not like the expression of affection. I had been raised with Kukla, Fran & Ollie, and Fran often expressed her love for Kukla and Ollie by touching them. This made them more real to me. Daniel, who came more and more to embody the earliest of the Early Childhood Development stages, was very real to me, and very dear. Since Fred was not physically demonstrative, and did not want me to be touchy-feeley with the puppets, I was able to honor Bessie, to bring my profound fondness for Daniel, and my grateful appreciation of Fred into the 4 syllables of "nonsense". It was always hard to say goodbye to Daniel, and the "ugga-mugga" became a loving ritual for us.

Since Daniel was a growing tame tiger, and his new stripes sometimes itched, Lady Aberlin sometimes scratched the new stripe....

and I believe that 'by his stripes we are healed' pertained to Daniel, and his unguarded vulnerability, truthfulness, and humble candor. He is a precious soul, as all children, young and old, are.

thanks from

Betty Aberlin"

I quickly replied to Ms. Aberlin thanking her for taking the time to contact me and doing my best to humbly explain just how much her, Mr. Fred Rogers and ficticious Daniel Tiger mean to me. She quickly replied once again. As you can imagine, it was a memorable day for me!

I hope you enjoy learning the origin of this blog's title as much as I did. And as I said in my email to Ms. Aberlin, "Who would have guessed that all of these years later that simple conversation where she (Bessie) mentioned 'ugga mugga' would touch so many? It's proof that even the smallest gesture can have a huge impact...from a mighty acorn..."

So choose your words and actions carefully...who knows what or whom they will inspire!

Visit The Neighborhood Archives (neighborhoodarchive.blogspot.com) for much, much more interesting Mister Roger's insights!

Sprout

Who wouldn't want Food Network chef Tyler Florence to prepare their meals for them? I know I would! Although this dream can not become a reality for me, it can for my baby Hazel thanks to Sprout.

Sprout is all organic baby food that comes in a pouch instead of a jar. Their special packaging is constructed of layers of BPA-free materials with one foil layer to preserve the nutritional profile as well as the flavor and color of the food.

Because Sprout's packaging cannot be recycled (although they are making finding a way a priority), I think the pouch design is perfect for traveling...which is when I use it. There's no need to worry about glass jars breaking in your diaper bag, and the slim pouch design doesn't take up much room. OK, now on to the food...

Sprout Organic Baby Food is delicious. Absolutely scrumptious! The fruits are roasted bringing out the natural sweetness and the pairings are flavors that compliment each other in a natural way. Whenever Hazel is eating her Sprout pouches, my other two children ask to taste them. I've already had to make them sweet potatoes with white beans and roasted apples with blueberries...their two favorite. But Hazel, she hasn't met a flavor she doesn't like yet!

Visit sproutbabyfood.com to purchase pouches for your little one! You just might find a new food pairing for yourself (like peas and green beans with a hint of mint). Now if only Tyler Florence could cook for us parents!

Boden Labor Day Deal

Boden has a great offer this Labor Day weekend: buy any 3 items and choose a 4th item for only $1...plus FREE SHIPPING and FREE RETURNS! But you have to act fast because this offer is only available through September 7!

If you're like me, this deal is coming at a great time as back to school shopping is in high gear! I just realized this week that my son's legs have grown a lot this summer and he's in desperate need of new pants. And now is also a great time for winter coat shopping for your whole family! It would be great to get a jacket for a buck!

Use this link to activate this great offer: bodenusa.com.

First Milestones Frames

As my regular readers know, I'm sentimental. My son's first day of kindergarten this week was no exception. And although I had pictured it getting easier each morning I walked him to school, it's not. Perhaps it's even getting more difficult. To ease my pain, I'm researching milestone products...here's the first product in a theme that will reoccur over the next few days.

I found this First Milestones Frame on Chasing Fireflies website. For $18.00, you receive 9 mat inserts perfect for capturing your child's first birthday, bath, haircut, meal, friends, steps, smile, tooth, and yes, first day of school.

Although this set comes with one white wood frame (measures 6" by 10") to update with each milestone, these would be great all hung together on a wall!

Available in pink or blue at chasing-fireflies.com.

Skip Hop Zoo Packs

My children love to play with backpacks. They go on adventures in the backyard and in pillow forts wearing them, they explore with flashlights stored in them, and they carry all sorts of found pine cones and rocks, art supplies, and lovies inside of them. And the better looking the backpack, the more it's used. Here's a perfect candidate: Zoo Packs!

The newest member to Skip Hop's family are these four lovable Zoo Packs any child would be proud to carry! Each one has zipper pull details, an insulated pocket for snacks, an adjustable side water bottle pocket, a place to write your child's name inside, and all are executed in the excellent quality you've come to expect from Skip Hop! All of that and they're BPA-Free, Phthalate-free, and PVC Free!

Available at amazon.com for $20.00 where they're eligible for FREE SHIPPING!

Flip & Tumble

I LOVE these reusable bags from Flip & Tumble! The colors are bright and cheerful and they store up small as a bug...maybe a bit bigger, but you get the idea! And they fold up without the use of a separate holder bag that is sure to blow away or get lost...these simply fold up inside a pocket located on the inside of the bag when it's unfolded...genius!

Oh, and the name is fun...say it with me: "Flip and Tumble!"

Visit flipandtumble.com to purchase. Prices start at $9.00 each and go down with the more bags you order.

FIT2BMOM Coupon Code

FIT2BMOM has a great new fall collection available! It's perfect for taking your older children to school in the morning and for afternoon prenatal yoga classes! Oh how I wish I had these great pieces in my maternity wardrobe last year!

Here is some other exciting news from FIT2BMOM...they contacted me with a great coupon code to pass along for you lucky Ugga Mugga readers! Use code FITFALL09 on any order of $75 or more and you'll receive 15% off through September 30, 2009!

Visit fit2bmom.com to start taking advantage of this great deal!