As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.
We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
That said, PassPorter is not going away. Most of the resources will remain online for as long as we can support them, and after that we will find ways to make whatever we can available. PassPorter means a great deal to us, and to many of you, and we will do our best to keep it alive in whatever way we can. Our server costs are high, and they'll need to come out of our pockets, so in the future you can expect some changes so we can bring those costs down.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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It's been 7 years since I've glanced at baby stuff and jeesh- the changes and new things that are out there...
So, recent new mommies.. share your must haves in case I miss something or am just trapped in the past....
And my pants are too tight... Grr. I tried complaining to my OB but she said that was a fact if one has lots of babies. But it's not all peanut, I wasn't exactly Heidi Klum small either- so I accept my part in my busting waistline.
Two things - a good MayaWrap and a half dozen nursing bras. I had a shower sling, too, but they're pretty optional. Everything else I used because it was given to me, but didn't really need it. I made decent use of a portable battery-powered swing that I could bring into the bathroom to hold DJ while I showered - until I found the shower sling. 2 birds/1 stone. Been a few years for me, too, but I was never one for baby gear, play yards, cribs, walkers, etc. Too much clutter. I had a Boppy, but didn't use it much after the first 6 weeks. I've heard great things about the Bumbo seat!
I couldn't live without a swing and pack-n-play. I set up the bassinet part for her to nap in and stored diapers, changes of clothes, and other stuff in the big part that she played in later. Also, bra strap extenders. I NEEDED those. It saved a ton of money.
A car seat, some diapers and a really good baby carrier (had a Maya Wrap w/ dd-now 6yo and LOVED my Kangaroo Korner Adjustable Fleece Pouch that I used w/ ds- now almost 2yo).
Dd was all about her swing (Fisher Price cradle swing), ds could take or leave it.
I used a boppy pillow and nursing stool w/ both of them.
After three different Land's End diaper bags... I like the backpack one the best.
Both loved the ultrasaucer we had.
Dd could care less about the bouncer, ds liked it more but it wasn't essential.
Used an Arms Reach Cosleeper w/ both... LOVED it. Never used it as a pack n play and never had a separate one.
Hands down the most useful thing I had for either child was that Kangaroo Pouch carrier.
I'm multi tasking with the Boppy *right*now*. We also have gotten a lot of use out of our bouncie chair, and I'm a huge advocate for Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers. I don't know if you'll be pumping, but I love my Medela Pump in Style and the Playtex One-Step system for pumping right into the drop-in liners. We also use glass bottles for storage b/c there's a big scare with see-thru plastic bottles. A lot of moms still feel safe using them, but we'd just rather be safe than sorry. My friend's baby won't go anywhere without her Taggies blanket. I use a Snugli (the Maya wrap just wouldn't work for us ) and DH knows to get me an Ergo for Christmas. Keep us updated with your fun finds! I myself was soooo happy to move into maternity jeans, they're so comfy!
Robeez! They are great leather booties that keep babies tootsies warm in winter but do not have stiff soles so they don't impede them learning to walk. Also bowls with suction cups on the bottom to keep baby from flinging the bowl off the table.
Congratulations! I definitly agree that the boppy was a lifesaver especially after a c-section and breastfeeding. Also, the cd crib player, not a necessity but it sure helped a lot. DD is now almost 3 and still uses it. Ofcourse the only cd that has ever been in it is Disney Lullabies!
Good luck and have fun.
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Invest in a stroller/pram/pusher that suits you and your lifestyle. My friends tried to get me a huge jogger stroller for my last baby but it just seemed so bulky and when measured was going to take up most of my car boot space. We ended up with Pliko3 (Peg Perego) and it has been perfect. Being number three I wasn't interested in the huge nappy bag that holds everything so I got a compact backpack that my DS2 now uses for daycare. Only other essentials are a safe, comfy carseat and Huggies nappies. The rest I could go without.
Congratulations and have fun shopping!