Ambajam’s Pink Ribbon Blanket in Honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month
In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month we are excited to announce the launch of the Ambajam “Pink Ribbon” Jumbo Cuddle!
Click here to take a peek inside the book.
Giving Back: For every Pink Ribbon Jumbo Cuddle blanket sold, Ambajam will be donating blankets to children whose parents are going through cancer. We hope that the blankets will offer the children comfort and hope during a difficult time in their young lives. 30% percent of the sales of “Cup Half Full” will be donated to breast cancer education and advocacy.
4 Beautiful Baby Accessories from Around the World
While celebrity children like Maddox Jolie-Pitt and Suri Cruise may have popularized the faux-hawk and glittery ballet flats as adorable and fashionable baby accessories, everyday babies from different cultures have been rocking gorgeous trinkets long before Violet Affleck slipped into her first pair of striped tights. The wonderful thing about cultural baby accessories is that they are not only beautiful, but they also often come with a fascinating meaning behind why these trinkets are traditionally bestowed upon the tiniest of newborns. Here, we have found 4 beautiful baby accessories from around the world.
1. The long-life lock from China. When a child turns one month old, family members typically throw a huge celebration, during which they adorn the infant with either a bracelet or necklace bearing the long-life lock. The long-life lock is a pendant made of silver or gold, usually in a cloud-like shape and adorned with characters and symbols representing wealth and longevity. Some of these pendants also have three small bells attached to them, which jingle to delight the young child. The pendant could either be hung on a silver or gold chain, or on a red string because red is considered a lucky color in Chinese culture. As high infant mortality rates were an unfortunate reality in the past, the long-life lock was traditionally given to infants to grant them luck for a long and prosperous life.
2. Talismans from Egypt. When a baby reaches about seven months of age, he or she is showered with gifts from relatives in a tradition known as the Sebou Ceremony, which is a traditional naming ceremony for the baby. Though the ceremony begins soon after the birth of the child, it is only several months later when the infant is given talismans. Talismans are written prayer scrolls, typically tucked into delicate gold or silver cases that are then pinned to the baby’s clothing. The cases may also be adorned with precious stones, such as turquoise, as blue is considered a lucky color in Egyptian culture. These are believed to protect the child against any bad luck and illness that he or she may otherwise encounter.
3. Evil eye charms from Greece. Infants are typically given small glass charms and pendants called evil eyes when they are just a few 
days old, and will continue to wear these charms into adulthood. The evil eye charms are typically hand crafted and circular in shape. It is blue, with concentric white, blue, and black circles within it to represent an eye. The charms are typically pinned to the infant’s clothing until the child grows old enough to wear it as a necklace or bracelet. These pendants are believed to ward off the evil eye, which is a curse that can befall anyone who receives a glance in an unfavorable way, such as glances from those who are jealous or generally malevolent. The evil eye curse causes dizziness, confusion, headaches, and other undesirable effects, so pinning an evil eye pendant onto a baby’s clothing will protect it from suffering any such curses.
4. Baby papoose from Native Americans. Though it is not a trinket as bracelets and charms are, the papoose is still a beautiful accessory. Native Americans used the papoose to transport their infants as well as a way to keep their helpless babies with them as they went about their daily routines. The papoose is made from carefully selected young tree branches, which were bent into an oval cradle-like shape in which to nestle the baby. The cradle structure was then usually lined with lichens and moss to keep the baby snug and secure in the papoose. The entire papoose can then be carried as a sling or on the mother’s back. The flat cradle board is typically decorated in the tradition of the parents’ particular tribe.
The next time you are thinking about the perfect baby shower present or something for your own little one, consider some of these traditional and beautiful baby accessories from around the world.
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This guest post is contributed by Alisa Gilbert, who writes on the topics of bachelors degree. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: alisagilbert599@gmail.com.
