So this is what a massage is supposed to feel like.

I've had a handful of massages in my life - a couples thingy on our honeymoon (a sort of confusing mish-mash of not-very-relaxing and not-very-romantic), a prenatal massage (nice; hard to get comfortable despite presence of funny donut pillow for stomach), and a couple others here and there - but I've always felt very weird spending upwards of eighty dollars for an hour of what amounts to lavender-scented naptime.

This was worth eighty dollars. The difference between a therapeutic massage and a spa massage is basically that a spa massage focuses on relaxation, while a therapeutic massage focuses on getting to the root of your problem. The bells and whistles are gone - no robes, candles, or pretty little extras - but what you get is a massage that targets exactly what's wrong (as an example, the pre-massage questionnaire is fairly extensive). I went in with no specific problems other than the fact that I tote around a very large seven-month-old all day and have the aches and pains that come along with that - and I left feeling not just chilled-out...but better.

If you go to Eastside Massage Therapy, ask for Sarah. She is amazing, and she is the only massage therapist I have ever found who is capable of getting around my very annoying tickle reflex (as she said, "even ticklish people deserve massages").

Q. Hi Jordan! My godson's first birthday is at the end of the month and I'd like to buy him something special to have/keep/remember. I'm not opposed to spending a little extra since it's his first birthday. Do you have any suggestions?

Maura

A. I not only have "a" suggestion...I have the suggestion!

(via)

Above, Meg Allan Cole's how-to for a super easy, customizable (and fast!) DIY gift that's perfect for a new mama: a DIY Growth Chart (with optional felt appliques).