We are now introducing a new feature to our blog, the Customer of the Week spotlight! Baby Be Hip has such loyal customers that we deeply value, so we want to get to know you all better & share your wonderfulness with everyone! Many, many thanks to this week’s great Customer of the Week, Carolyn Borlenghi Harris! Keep reading to find out more about Carolyn…

What are the names of your kids and how did you choose their names?

I have two boys.. Massimo Luca (4) and Giacomo Noel (2). I was raised in an Italian family and I married into a family with a strong American sounding last name, Harris, so it was important to me to pass along my Italian roots in my children’s names. The older was named after my father and the younger with a take on my father-in-law’s name. We call the boys Massi and Giac (pronounced Jack) but my family in Italy calls Massi “Max” because it sounds American!

The best piece of advice you have ever received:

Spend time focusing on yourself. This has been a hard thing to live by. I always want to put others before myself, but as I have grown I have begun to understand the wisdom to the words. To be a good wife, mother and friend it is important to take time out for yourself and recharge.

What is some good parenting advice or tips you would give to new moms?

Sleep is important both for baby and mama and teaching children good sleep habits begins early. When your baby stirs in the middle of the night, even in those first few weeks, don’t go running into the room. You’d be surprised at how often they will end up putting themselves back to sleep.

What is your favorite way to spend time with your kids and family?

My favorite days are Sundays. We usually spend the afternoon in the pool with the boys. They are both little fish! Then the boys help us cook a nice dinner. They help open cans of pureed tomatoes for a pasta sauce, clean vegetables, and make salad dressing. We set the table together and enjoy a nice dinner as a family. The boys love feeling like they’ve contributed.

What are some of your interests?

I thrive on finding ways to stay creative and my outlet has always been photography. I have a blog, Daily Photo Conversation, with two girlfriends, both of whom are also photographers that we started over three years ago; each day we post a photo that is taken with our iPhones. Spread apart in different areas of the country we maintain a conversation of our lives through the images we take and ultimately choose to share. It has been not only a way for me to remain creative on a daily basis but often a therapeutic outlet.

Professionally I have been able to carry over my passion and stay behind the lens. I currently focus primarily on portraiture, which has long been my favorite subject, in Miami FL. I photograph expectant mothers, children and families in their environments, striving to capture moments in their lives for them to preserve and cherish. www.carolynmaraphotography.com

Which Baby Be Hip product is your favorite to send as a gift?

I send a bucket with burp cloths to every friend that has a new baby… and every single person is blown away! Not only are the buckets adorable, but they are fun to put in the nursery and fill with whatever the mother wants. And the Baby Be Hip burp cloths are the softest, best made, monogrammed ones out there… and I searched around. It has been a few years since I discovered them and I haven’t looked back once! For a few of my nearest and dearest I add a monogrammed polo for a boy or monogrammed underwear for a girl or maybe even a tote. Honestly I can’t go wrong!

One of the reasons I keep coming back to order presents from Baby Be Hip, besides the fantastic selection and quality of their gifts, is the people and service I receive. Questions are answered quickly, issues resolved without problem, and all the extras that are thrown in. I love getting an image of my order before it ships out to a friend. Although I have never met Colleen or any of the staff at Baby Be Hip I feel like I am treated like a friend and admire their mom and pop mentality.

Thank you so much to Carolyn for sharing a little bit about herself & for being such a fabulous Baby Be Hip customer throughout all these years!