Last week, we were absolutely thrilled to win Boston Magazine's 2007 Best of Boston award for Best Baby Gear Store. This came on the heels of both the A-List award for Best Children's Gift Store and the Community News Corp Reader's Choice Award for Best Regional Toy Store. We'll be blushing until next year, at this rate.

It's always a nail-biter, but once again our friends at the State House have approved the annual Massachusetts Tax-Free Holiday, coming up this weekend on August 11th & 12th. Join us at Magic Beans to take advantage of the 5% governmental gift. It's a great time to buy your next-step car seat, a new stroller, or that nursery furniture you've been considering. Any single item priced under $2,500 is included, so clear your calendar and shop till you drop.

If you want to avoid the crowds during the weekend, we are pleased to offer a preorder service. Simply contact Brenda Robbins (brenda@mbeans.com) and she will be happy to coordinate your purchase for you.

World Breastfeeding Week just wrapped up, and this year's message is all about the timing. Initiating breastfeeding within the first hour after birth is so critical that advocates claim it could save the lives of over one million babies - if supportive measures were practiced in hospitals and birthing centers worldwide. Although the vast majority of those affected are in developing countries, the facts are interesting nonetheless.

Studies found that breastfeeding in the first hour cut 22% of neonatal deaths. Also, in addition to benefiting the mother's milk production and helping to stem postnatal bleeding, breastfeeding right away is hardwired - a baby's sucking reflex is strongest during the first hour after birth.

It sounds so simple. But for most of us, it's not. It can be a struggle to get breastfeeding on track during the first day, let alone the first hour. But the most important thing for a new mom is not to get discouraged. Breastfeeding may be natural, but that doesn't mean it comes naturally. Whether in Boston or Botswana, new moms often need someone to show them the ropes. If you're expecting and you've decided to breastfeed, it's a great idea to connect with a lactation consultant before your baby arrives. That way, if things get off to a rocky start, you know exactly who to call.

To find breastfeeding support in the Boston area, visit the resource locator at the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition or call the Center for Early Relationship Support Intake Line at 781-693-5668. Not from around here? Try the International Lactation Consultant Association for a complete listing of Board Certified consultants.

We are grateful to Gail Levy RN, IBCLC, of the Center for Early Relationship Support, for her help with this article.

Breastfeeding in public can be seriously intimidating for new moms. But hungry newborns don't like to be kept waiting. That's why we love the Bebe Au Lait nursing cover. This clever invention affords privacy, but also features a patent-pending rigid neckline so mom and baby can maintain eye contact.

Free Falling

On August 12th, if the weather cooperates, conditions will be ideal for viewing the annual Perseids Meteor Shower. This year, the celestial exhibition comes on the same night as the new moon, so the sky will be nice and dark - an ideal backdrop for shooting stars.

Postpone bedtime - just this once - and head outside after 10pm. Find a nice, dark spot facing south, and then keep your eyes on the sky.

Boston Area Kite Festival

Bring your family to the Millennium Park in West Roxbury for the annual Kite Festival and Sport Kite Championships. Watch competitive kite flyers, learn how to fly a kite and catch a glimpse of some huge show kites. Bring a picnic lunch. August 11th and 12th from 9am - 4pm.

If you're on Cape Cod this coming weekend, don't miss the world-famous Falmouth Road Race. Magic Beans is a race sponsor and Team Beans will be there, eating the dust of the many elite runners who come to compete for the $10,000 winner's prize. 8,000 runners will take to the streets, and an estimated 70,000 spectators will come to watch. There are family-friendly activities all weekend. For more information, visit falmouthroadrace.com.

Sure, you can buy bubbles at any store (including Magic Beans), but for those massive backyard bubble bonanzas, it can be fun to mix your own. Your success will depend on the quality of dishwashing soap you use. We like Dawn Ultra Concentrated.

½ cup liquid dishwashing soap
4 cups water
½ cup corn syrup or glycerin

Mix gently but thoroughly. Do not shake. Solution will keep in a covered jar for several weeks.

Do you have a nursery to decorate? Magic Beans carries a handpicked assortment of modern nursery furniture, including Stokke, Duc Duc, Nurseryworks and Celery. We are also the exclusive Boston-area dealer of Naturepedic Organic Crib Mattresses. We recommend their No-Compromise model, which features organic cotton filling with a waterproof polyethylene (a food-grade, non-toxic and environmentally friendly plastic material) cover.

Now through the end of August, when you purchase your crib at Magic Beans, we'll give you an Amazing Miracle Blanket for free.