February 12th, 2012 Comments(0)
Finding really cool and fun coloring books has become a bit of an obsession of ours. Not that we don’t love coloring Cinderella’s dress for the ball or Iron Man’s red suit…again, but finding a coloring book that teaches and engages our kids as much as it impresses us is more our speed. We’ve found that checking out your local museum or art gallery is a fabulous way to get started. Most of them have an amazing collection of coloring and activity books. We just cracked open MoMA’s “The Color Play Coloring Book” at our house and can say without a doubt that it’s a major hit with us & the kids. The Museum Of Modern Art in NYC isn’t our local museum unfortunately, but this particular coloring book is available through Chronicle Books, as are other original MoMA products. Large and easy to share with 2 or more people at a time, this coloring book teaches you about mixing shades and experimenting with color. It’s chocked full of prompts that will keep you and the kids busy and happy on the rainiest of days. To be honest, it’s more of a painting book, as the author gives lots of advice and kid friendly tips on painting. Whatever your choice of color expression is, MoMA’s found a way to keep you interested and learning. We think it makes a fantastic birthday gift for that 5 year old on your list…or anyone with a love of coloring.
February 05th, 2012 Comments(0)
It’s that time of year mommies when we start to think about summer time clothes. We have swimwear on the brain this cold February. It’s getting us through the next few months of winter and it’s always good to be prepared….you never know when a tropical trip might just fall onto your lap, so you should always have an up-to-date passport and a fabulous swimsuit ready to go…at a moments notice. Same goes for our kids too. Our little man of the house is all ready for our much anticipated trip to Florida with his new swim rashie from the brilliant folks at SwimZip. What makes this rashie so special and sets it apart from the rest, aside from the fact that celebrities like Sarah Drew own one too? It zips off just like a jacket, so no more pulling and struggling getting a wet bathing suit top off and on your wee one. Simple and brilliant solution, right? Wish we’d thought of it…lucky for us that celebrity baby trend expert extraordinaire Rachel Florio-Urso sent us one to try out and see for ourselves. These super cute UV 50+ protective swim shirts were created by a skin cancer survivor who knows first hand how important covering up while having fun in the sun is. Love that this company has a mission that we can fully support and promote. This addition to our son’s swimwear wardrobe is going to make our summer safer, easier and worry free…what more does a mommy want? Don’t answer that…..
January 31st, 2012 Comments(1)
As a New Years resolution we’re trying to lower our impact on Mother Earth. That means more recycling, more reusing and being more responsible with what we toss out and how we toss it out. So far…so good…but there’s always room for improvement. Baby & mommy have a ritual in this house of going to our local coffee house everyday after we drop our eldest off at school. We’ve been guilty of always getting a takeout cup for our jo because as you know, babies are super unpredictable and always seem to want to leave just as you sit down and take you coat off. A momma always has to be prepared to leave ( unexpected diaper mishaps & complete infant meltdowns can happen when you least expect it…or need it), hence the takeaway cup. If we calculated how many cups we’ve tossed since school started in September…well…that’s just too embarrassing to admit to. We tried using our tall stainless steel travel mug, but it’s tippy, heavy and doesn’t fit well in our buggy cup holder. Thank goodness baby and I were sent some reusable cups from KeepCup, a fabulous Australian company dedicated to helping the environment and keeping takeout cups out of our land fills. Keepcups are super cool looking and more hip then your average travel mugs, and they are made to standard barrista size (that means they fit effortlessly under the espresso machine, and the barrista can make a better tasting coffee because it’s a cup size they are used to working with ). The cups are BPA free and are very light weight. The best part? You get to design your own cup by choosing from different color combos, so every cup is an original. We have a “mommy” sized one and an extra small one for our wee baby girl. She likes her steamed milk and a warm muffin, while mommy sips her latte and skims the headlines. It’s a morning ritual made even better now that the guilt of all those tossed out cups is a thing of the past.
January 22nd, 2012 Comments(0)
We are very obsessed with Toms Shoes. As a mom, we appreciate that they slip on, look chic, and feel super comfy. We have three pairs already and can’t wait to try out their new ballet flats this Spring. Have you seen their kid’s line? So adorable…in a sophisticated, stylish way. Love the easy on and off with their fuzzy grip closure, and the colors and designs to choose from are amazing. We’re a bit infatuated with this pink herringbone pair. Perfect for a casual day of playground fun, or sightseeing on vacation with mommy & daddy. In addition to being the coolest shoe on the block, Toms is all about the charity. For every pair of TOMS shoes you purchase, they will provide a pair of Toms Shoes to a child living in poverty. So giving and so necessary. Celeb moms that choose Tom’s too are Jessica Alba & Angelina Jolie. Smart choice ladies.
January 08th, 2012 Comments(0)
Want to know how to ignite the desire of travel in your little ones ? Just plunk them down on the couch with the new series of travel books from the travel experts at Lonely Planet, called Not For Parents and they’ll be planning the next family vacay in no time. This new series consists of several smaller books about big cities like Paris, NYC, London & Rome, titled “Everything You Ever Wanted To Know…”. The main book in the series covers about 200 countries and gives the craziest facts, the most interesting tidbits and most jaw dropping info you could imagine. The pictures are vibrant and the text is super easy to read while staying interesting and relevant. Our 5 year old, who is just learning to read asks us to read from one of the guilds each night before bed. She sits there totally captivated…or disgusted, depending on the history or fact we’re reading about (she still shudders that a mommy rat can have 285 babies in a year according to the NYC guild). They have become a fabulous addition to our kids library. Best part? The cheeky “Not For Parents” stamp on the front covers. Love it! Lonely Plant has gotten us parents through rainforests in Costa Rica, sunny beaches of Oz and the temples of Cambodia…now they’re teaching our kids the joy of travel too. Check out the addictive series out at Raincoast Books or on Amazon.
January 02nd, 2012 Comments(0)
As busy moms, we have zero time or patience for shopping. When we get a free minute, the thought of a mall or super sized department store makes us beyond cranky…so now we shop online for wardrobe staples and necessities for the kids. It can become a bit of a problem when our favorite companies send sale and coupon codes to our email account…but there are worse problems to have. With our little one growing like a weed we needed a few new footed sleepers from The Childrens Place this week. They were having a sale and we sat down with a hot cuppa at nap time and shopped in our slippers. They honestly make the best zippered sleepers out there. After three babies we think we know a thing or two about baby sleepers and TCP sleepers are our fave. Love that they get softer with each wash and that they last…our baby wears hers passed down from her school aged sister. They retain their color well, and who doesn’t love a zipper for a 3am diaper change? Buttons and snaps are for the birds….they break, malfunction and will drive even the sanest parent crazy. Sure the patterns aren’t the most original, but the quality and the price are perfect…at least we think so. They’re even our go to gift for new mommies.
December 12th, 2011 Comments(1)
Who knew that finding smart, hip and extra cool clothes for boys could be such a challenge? If you want them durable and functional in addition to stylish, then your quest has just gotten that much more difficult. Thank goodness we heard about the amazing threads from Tom & Drew, and we have been lucky enough to get to try them out. The designs are super original, and completely awesome. With a love of bulldogs and a fine eye for detail, the clothes are perfect for days spent at the park playing on the monkey bars and tag, and also not of out place if your outing involves using fancy silverware and extra polite manners. We absolutely love their brilliant cardigans…manly, yet quite playful with the lion striped back and patched elbows. When worn with the bear hat with attached paws, your little boy will spend the entire day playing make-believe…the entire day…trust us. Our adventurous toddler has been crawling around for days wearing his new bear hat…it’s cute and it keeps him busy (magical words to a mommy). Also on our radar are Tom & Drew’s Japanese jeans. They look fabulous when paired with one of their classic Bulldog tees. It’s a simple yet classy look. We’re not their only fans either. Just flip open a celeb mag and you’ll see the Jolie-Pitt clan sporting their favorite T & D pieces. Kingston Rossdale’s mommy, Gwen Stefani also has a love of all things Tom & Drew as her son has been photographed wearing the line numerous times. Tom & Drew most definitely has the best boy’s designs we’ve scene this year. We feel so lucky that we got to see how cool they are for ourselves.
December 05th, 2011 Comments(0)
Simple and sweet is the way to go when choosing the perfect doll for your little girl at Christmas. We like classic looks and an old school feel to our kids toys, so when we discovered the jersey and embroidered dolls and stuffies from Parisian brand Jacadi we fell instantly in love. Well…we fell in love three times and decided on the Madeleine, Little Red Riding Hood and The Big Bad Wolf . Love the retro look and rag doll appearance. The attention to detail in the stitching is amazing and the hidden extras like Red’s jingly basket add to the lux feel . They may look sweet on your tot’s dresser, but don’t be fooled as these dolls are made to be played with and loved (they make the best tea party guests). Such a timeless Christmas present that looks like it was handmade by Santa’s hard working elves.
November 30th, 2011 Comments(0)
How will we begin our first day of December ? The same way we have been doing for years….by opening day 1 of our Lego Advent calender. Perfect way to kick off the official countdown to Christmas Day. This year the theme is Star Wars, and even though mommy (me) may not know her droids from her storm troopers we’re quite sure that it will be a huge hit with the kids. The Lego Advent calender has become a Christmas tradition in our home, replacing the yummy chocolate one. It only took us one holiday season and one over active 18 month old girl to discover why a calender filled with chocolate was not the best of ideas. Not to worry if you haven’t got one yet, cause even though Lego is sold out and times ticking away, amazon has it listed as available, and it makes a great gift even if you have to catch up on the first few days you missed. The hard part will be you and the kids having enough self control not to open all 24 days at once.
November 21st, 2011 Comments(0)
We’ll admit it…we actually like getting the kids ready in the morning for school. We said it…and we can’t take it back. It’s fun when you can pick out cool outfits together and get it ready the night before. Keeps the drama and tears to a minimum. We love it when we pick out something super hip like the threads from Ada Ada. If you’re tired of traditional pinks and blues for your little ones then this is the collection for you. Gorgeous designs and muted tones set the stage for clothes that look great anywhere from a casual playdate to a fancy party. Love their new tights for girls and the moon hoodie for boys. They wear well and are totally functional in addition to being sophisticated and full of originality. We think the moon hoodie and tee would also look sweet paired with a skirt and fancy tall boots for your little girl. In fact, we think this line is very “Jolie-Pitts”…worldly yet completely approachable. Wouldn’t be too surprised if little Shiloh or Maddox were snapped sporting the designs. Ada Ada’s current F/W 11-12 collection, inspired by Nights & Shining Armour, encourages imagination and dreaming…two things all children should do.
Your Baby Style Source for all the Latest Baby Fashion and Celebrity Baby Apparel News!
