I recently moved to Washington, DC and while I was born and raised in this area, I have been in New York for so long now I feel like a New Yorker. So, returning to this area has been a huge adjustment.
Like any good New Yorker {read snob}, I think every other city is just not good enough. The restaurants are not as good. The shopping's not as good. The people aren't as interesting {read rude}.
For an urban-mom like me that includes the baby boutiques, activities and Mommy and Me groups. Will they be as trendy? Will there be tons of activities to choose from? Will I even want to join any of the groups?
Well the answer to the first question at least is a resounding Yes! I know that Georgetown has always been a generally cool place to shop, but I didn't know Capitol Hill was so fab! I particularly love the row of family-friendly shops near Eastern Market and especially Dawn Price Baby. They have all of the best baby gear, clothing and gifts that you could want. Her taste is impeccable. I strolled through their Capitol Hill shop thinking "I like that, and that and that and that, ooh and that too!" So, of course, I had to pick up a few things that I needed {eehhm yes needed} for my little ones -- French flash cards, mitten clips and an über cute cable knit outfit.
If you are a NYC-transplant in the DC area, be sure to check out Dawn Price Baby. And for a few minutes you may forget that you're strolling the shops in our nation's capital and think you've just stumbled across a cute new baby boutique in SoHo.
It's kinda gross, but during this marathon cold season, it's my most prized possession.
One of the hardest aspects of having a little one {and there are a lot of them} is dealing with colds. When my children were infants I worked really hard to get them as old as possible before they caught their first cold -- i.e., being a sanitizer nazi, refusing to let people get too near, much less touch, them when they were really young, etc. Because NOTHING is worse than a congested newborn. I do mean nothing.
Yes, there is the aspirator, but really who wants to stick that big bulby, sticky thing up that precious, moving target of a nose {they learn really quickly to start squirming when they see the thing coming}. In fact, I swear I remember that thing my from my own childhood; and believe me the memories are not fond.
That's why I love love LOVE the SNOT SUCKER 2000
{not the real name, but that's what I call it}. This nasal aspirator is ridiculously simple, but so effective. Particularly when you are attempting to remove snot {don't you just love that word!} by yourself from an uncooperative little human. I used to have my husband hold their heads while I tried to suck out the snot, but not anymore!
Oh and yes it seems gross that you are literally sucking the snot with your mouth, but trust me, it doesn't get anywhere close to your mouth. :)
Now that I have two children, my wardrobe has become increasingly static. Any money allotted in our budget for clothing goes exclusively to our kiddos who are growing like weeds. So I feed the shopping fiend within by outfitting my kids in cute clothing that they need {need, yeah need}.
There are soooooo many on-line kids boutiques out now claiming to offer stylish/posh/couture/one-of-a kind/[fill in the unique blank], but so few live up to their claim. Spunky Sprout, however, delivers. They have soooo many cute things, and for boys too! I have barely begun to scratch the surface of all they have to offer. But let's just say it was love at first sight when I saw these items {it was so hard to only pick a few}:
The boots have to be my absolute fav item! My sons will BOTH be getting those. I love the cable knit hats, mostly because I love anything cable knit, and these look nice, warm and soft. The taupe onesie looks plain, but for those moms out there you know how "different" this one looks. I love it! And the PJs are just cute.
Now you know I couldn't leave the site without {wistfully} taking a peek at the little girls clothes and shoes. They are, of course, even more fabulicious....*sigh*:
I can't wait until I have the time to check out everything else! {follow-up post may be in order}
I am happy to share with you a promo code to save 10% off your order. This code is for Spunky Sprout's loyal followers, which I'm sure you'll all be now. But use it soon because it expires December 14, 2010! CODE: fbspunky10
When we had our first child we were fortunate enough to have my husband's mother living with us who watched our little one. Now we have 2 and no longer have the luxury of live-in family help. So we are faced with the scenario that many working couples are facing, getting a nanny.
Once you get past the research, interviews and selection process and have settled on someone who {hopefully} seems perfect, the question invariably comes up "Should we get a nanny cam?" I mean this is a person you likely don't know at all -- except for what she has told you and what you may have heard from others -- who is going to be looking after your most precious treasure(s). It makes sense that you want to check-in on her. Of course my fear is, what if you see something that you don't like, but it isn't a fireable offense. You can't bring it up but it will eat you up just knowing about it. To know or not to know, that is the question.
In case you are in the "To know!" category, there are some great devices out there that you can rig up in your home and watch from anywhere {work, a restaurant, the spa, the mall}. Some, like the ones below, can be disguised as clocks, teddy bears, or stuck in small areas. Others, like the Avaak Vue Personal Video Network
, aren't shaped like a decoy, but can easily be hidden anywhere. The Vue
is the easiest and simplest nanny cam I've found. There is no software to load and you can view the cameras from any internet browser. It’s really that simple!
Courtesy of our favorite family photographer Willi Wong...theStoryteller
So you've been feeding {and feeding and feeding AND feeding} your little one nothing but milk every day, all day for months now. All of sudden he doesn't seem to be satisfied any more, eats more often, has more than doubled her birth weight, and chews hungrily while looking on as you gobble down your food {in between feedings}. He may even seem to try to grab your fork every once in awhile.
All of these are signs that the time has arrived for your babies palette to expand. No it doesn't mean she can start eating cheeseburgers and french fries, but it does mean that it's time to break out the starter food.
And if you want {and have the time} to give your baby the best, then homemade baby food is in order. It's not as difficult as it sounds. In fact, even my friends who can barely boil water have become consummate baby food makers. That's because babies are easy! They haven't developed the sophisticated palette that we have. They are happy with simple, wholesome, natural ingredients.
If you're still reading this in a daze and don't believe you can do it {or have time to do it} then you'll love Annabel Karmel's Top 100 Baby Purees baby food book. She'll have you baby food making like a pro in no time.
And when you add in all the new found baby food making gadgets that are now on the market -- Beaba Babycook Baby Food Maker, Reusable Baby Food Containers -- you'll feel like the next [fill in your favorite celebrity chef name]!
I just got a double stroller and was so excited about it......and then I saw this one. The City Select by Baby Jogger is so friggin' awesome!! It is amazing how many ways it can be configured {at least 16 as far as I can tell}. It basically is the answer to the few complaints I have with my double stroller: it's too big when I only have 1 kid or only 1 kid wants to be in the stroller; I want to use my bassinet AND be able to have the older 1 in the stroller. And what about when baby #3 comes along and baby #2 is still in a car seat too! The City Select is the answer to every parent's dream!
Okay, I'll admit the price tag is pretty insane {especially when you factor in all the optional accessories}. But if you have more than 1 kid the price of this stroller is as much as or less than all the different sized strollers you will accumulate trying to find the right combo that will fit your life. Too bad I already have all of those strollers because I now have no excuse to get one....sigh
Between sleep deprivation, food preparation, household maintenance and general mommy-brain, it's sometimes really difficult to remember how long ago you fed, bathed, changed or put to sleep your baby. Especially in the early days when you seem to feed and change your little one every 3 minutes. Throw in a few older siblings and it's a wonder how you keep your sanity.
That's why I love this little device {and not just because I love all gadgets} because it took one thing off my plate, having to remember when I last fed/changed my little one. If he was fussy I could quickly determine if he might be hungry, sleepy or possibly wet just by looking at my little Itzbeen timer! {Of course he could've pooped right after I changed him, so it's not full proof for those circumstances}
Of course the only downside is that it's as small as a large cell phone and just like a cell phone it can be easily misplaced. And with mommy-brain who knows where/when you will find it again if you lose it!
I have two little boys and I am obsessed with little girls clothes. I think God knew what he was doing when he gave me 2 boys because I would be completely broke from buying cute clothes for my little girl.
I especially love girls clothes that are different/original. If I had a little girl she would definitely stand out {and wouldn't look like a miniature teenager...hate those grown up clothes for little girls}.
That's why I LOVE Matilda Jane. I spotted one of their sundresses on a little girl in music class and I just fell in love. I even love their cute little labels {nice and big so I could tell who made the fab little dress}. I even love their name!
So if I am blessed to have a little girl next time around {third times a charm!} this will be my first stop....maybe I should buy a dress now just because...just in case ;-)
I guess you know by now that I love baby blankets...and of course anything personalized. So I really love Fill In The Blankie. They make great, keepsake blankets that include extensive personalization in the cost {you not only can include a name and date, but a message/saying too...all 4 sides of the blanket!}.
I've purchased 2 blankets from them for my sons' infant Dedications -- the As Good As It Gets and the Martha's Majesty -- and was super pleased. I also purchased one as a gift and the mom is still talking about how wonderful the blanket is. I just wish I could afford to get one for each milestone in my kids lives {okay maybe not high school graduation, but at least while they are babies☺}!
P.S. Save 15% with code: 031015
As a new mom you are probably inundated with reminders that baby is to be put to sleep on his/her back {although my dad swears my little one sleeps better on his stomach} AND not to put any loose blankets or sheets in the crib with the baby. As a result the "sleep sack" has emerged and taken the baby world by storm. {I really think those same doctors must have a stake in baby sacks} There are LOTS of sacks out there made of different material. But they are all visually pretty much the same. Or so I thought.
Olli & Lime realized that like all your baby's wear, you want their sleep wear to be cool and fashion forward as well. Boring, plain cotton with typical bears, trains or lions just won't do. So if you are a trendy urban parent, with a circular wooden crib, you will just love what Olli & Lime has done for sleep sacks. And if you want to take it a step further, they offer coordinating nursery decor too!
This bag makes me sad. Why? Because I cannot have it. I reached {okay surpassed} my diaper bag limit before I found this one. But it is so wonderfully perfect! Why did I not see it sooner ?!?! It's large and roomy, perfect for all the burp cloths, bottles, toys, binkies, change of clothes, snacks, sanitizer, napkins, disposable bags, oh and your stuff too. AND it's sooo cute! The Zanzibar print is my favorite. It looks like a bag you would actually WANT to carry. Did I mention that it is reversible! I. have. to. have. it. Maybe if I lost {yeah lost} one of mine, I would need to find a replacement. Hmmm. To be cont.....
If you are a mom you know that there is nothing trickier than bathing a newborn. They are small, floppy and slippery when wet. Oh and did I say that most of them hate taking a bath! That's why I love love LOVE the puj tub. All of the bath tubs I've tried are hard plastic, or your newborn is supposed to lay in a net {which makes them even more difficult to wash well, if that's possible}. The puj tub, however, is soft and cushiony. It cradles your newborn and makes them feel secure. It also is great because you can stand upright in your bathroom while giving your little one a bath, unlike other tubs which require you to bend over your tub, or set it up on the changing table. Such a great idea...I wish I had thought of it!
shi shu baby blankets
The best cuddling baby blanket ever! It is made of 60% cotton and 40% bamboo and the bamboo makes it feel so soft and luxurious. Perfect for cuddling your newborn.
There are different types of baby blankets {yes, I'm a baby blanket "connoisseur"...I love them so I have tons of them!} Some are great for swaddling {post about my favorite swaddling blanket from Aden + Anais to come soon}, others are thick and fluffy and perfect for cold winter days, and others -- like the shi shu blanket -- are just perfect. It's not too heavy so that your little one will get overheated on warmer days, but heavy enough to keep the chill off.
The bottom line is they are just plain pretty. Your little one will surely stand out from the pack with this wrapped around them.
. When he was just a few weeks old and we were ready to be out and about, I would carry him in the 
and they are fantastic! They make using the wrap even easier.
