Must. Have.

I went to the Beaba USA website today for the first time {even though I have been in love with their Babycook forever} and immediately was like.....WHOA!  That's Hot! and I Must. Have. That.

Introducing the Bib'expresso....

Be sure to check out the Demo to see all the features.  I just hope it comes out before my little one turns 1 and stops drinking formula!

And the Cribsie goes to....(cont.)

Stroller Traffic, A-List Mom and Diapers.com are hosting a fantastic Awards program right now. I've been listing my votes and commenting on the selection. But as I said before, the list is loooonnng.  So I had to break it up.  Here's the rest:



GEAR:
Ultimate Do-It-All Stroller - Baby Jogger City Series
 
Chicest Diaper Bag That Doesn't Look Like A Diaper Bag - Timi& Leslie {great if you are going incog-mommy and don't want your bag to advertise it contains nappies and milk and wipes and things}

Best Way To Recycle Used Baby Stuff - BrightZoo

Comfiest Infant Tub - Puj Tub {Best infant tub hands down}

Most Necessary Car Seat Accessory - Safe Fit Baby-In-Sight Mirror

Coziest Winter Must-Have - JJ Cole BundleMe

Best Diaper Pail - Munchkin Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail

Coolest Stroller Add-On - Think King Mighty Buggy Hook {these make mall shopping a breeze}

The One Thing You Can't Leave Home Without - gogo Kidz Travelmate {soooo much better than buying a travel car seat or having to rent one at your destination}
 
Most Comfortable Way To Wear Your Baby - Sleepy Wrap {a life-saver when your newborn just won't settle}

FASHION:
Cutest Socks To Build An Outfit Around - Trumpette {a better description would be the cutest socks for every outfit}

Gentlest Detergent For Baby Togs - Dapple

Best Shoes For Developing Feet - Pediped

Loveliest Layette Essentials - Pixie Lily {they make the most beautiful and softest layette...love them}

Most Darling Dress-Up Duds - Ralph Lauren {for boys, but my real vote goes to Matilda Jane, who should've been nominated}

Ultimate Street-Cool Appeal - A For Apple {their clothes for boys are actually cool and not just....strange looking}

Best Way To Score Mad Deals On Luxe Labels - Gilt Children {for the bargain fashionista in us all}

Comfiest Pajamas - Hanna Andersson {their PJs are amazing. they are super soft and last FOREVER even after many many many many MANY washes in HOT water. love love love them}

Most Durable Basics That Don't Look Like Basics - Mini Boden

Best Inside Track On Kids' Wear Trends - Child Mode

WEB:
Best Place To Connect With Other Moms - MomsLikeMe 

Most Addictive Celebrity Baby Site - Celebrity Baby Scoop

Top Go-To Resource For Expecting Moms - The Bump

Coolest Design Ideas For The Nursery - Nursery Notations

Yummiest Toddler Recipes - Weelicious {this has been such a big help for me because I have such a hard time coming up with new meal ideas for my little ones}

Sleekest Family E-Zine - Babiekins magazine

Best DIY Announcements And Invites - Tiny Prints {there are lots of imitators now but Tiny Prints is still the best}

Most Trustworthy Product Reviews - CoolMomPicks

Smartest Family Travel Tips - PoshBrood

Easiest Place To Spend A Paycheck - Giggle  {their store is so soothing an easy to shop in. and I LOVE that their CEO is a woman!}

 *   *   *

Phewww......now that's a lot of top picks.  Happy shopping!

And the Cribsie goes to....

Stroller Traffic, A-List Mom and Diapers.com are hosting a fantastic Awards program right now. Even if you're not into voting {and this is a loooonnng list of categories} the list of nominees is a great way to find a lot of fantastic products and websites all in one place. Almost every one of my favorites is nominated in their respective category. The best of what you need all in one place!

So go vote or browse.  To make things easier {or influence your vote ;-)}, I've listed my votes below with some commentary to go with it:

MEALTIME:
Next Best Thing To Pureeing Your Own Baby Food - Ella's Kitchen {I would have voted for Plum Organics if they were nominated, and they really should've been}

Best Baby Bottles - The First Years Breastflow {definitely the best if you're breast feeding}

Most Stylish Way To Pack A Lunch - Kids Konserve Lunch Sack

Frozen Meals That Don't Make You Feel Like A Bad Mom - Dr. Praeger's Littles

Ultimate Leak-Proof Sippy Cup - BornFree Training Cups

Most Helpful Feeding-On-The-Go Accessory - Phil&Teds MeToo

Best Crowd-Pleasing Toddler Snack - Plum Organics Super Puffs

Handiest Cooking Gadget - Beaba Babycook {LOVE thing thing....you should get the carrying case too!}

Coolest Feeding Sets For Picky Palettes - thinkbaby

Best High Chair That Isn't An Eye Sore - Peg-Perego Prima Pappa {love this because it comes in colors that don't scream "BABY IN THE HOUSE NOW!"}

NURSERY:
Best Skincare For Babies - Earth Mama Angel Baby {Aveeno Baby is a close second for me and is more economical}

Coolest Cribs for Modern Tots - Oeuf {not so much into the "cool" crib trend (round?!?), but these are cool and practical}

The One Baby Gadget You Won't Regret Buying - Nosefrida Snot Sucker {of the nominees, there's no contest on this one in my opinion, but the Itzbeen timer is definitely second}

Most Reliable Video Monitor - Summer Infant BabyTouch {in a word....awesome. this coming from an admitted gadget geek}

Snuggliest Security Blankies - Little Giraffe Chenile Blanky {I have lots and lots of favorites...like Shi Shu Baby...but of those nominated, this one is the cudliest}

Best Infant Diapers - Huggies Overnites {this was a weird category. overnights vs. swaddlers vs. green vs. cloth. very confusing. my real choice for best disposable is Huggies Pure & Natural}

Safest Cleaning Products That Actually Work - BabyGanics {there's a lot of competition in this category, but I just really like BabyGanics for everything so I went with them}

Statement Crib Bedding Worth The Splurge - Ollie & Lime

Best Sleep-Inducing Swaddle Blanket - Aden + Anais {love, love, love their blankets AND wash cloths}

Cutest Nursery Wall Decals - Pop & Lolli {haven't tried them, but like their name :) and really like the fact that they are 100% Made In The USA}

PLAY:
Most Stimulating Activity Gym - Tiny Love Gymini Super Deluxe

The Toy Every Teething Tyke Needs - Sophie Giraffe {thought this was overrated until my 2nd little one wouldn't stop chewing on it!}

Best Distraction When You Need To Shower - 4moms mamaRoo Infant Seat

Catchiest Kids Tunes - Putumayo Kids {Laurie Berkner is a close second. love Telephone and Buzz Buzz Buzz}

Favorite Show That Won't Fry A Tot's Brain - Sid The Science Kid {and of course Sesame Street too...I'm a purest}

Most Entertaining Tub Toys - Alex Toys

Coolest Way To Keep Track Of Their Stuff - Mabel's Labels {Wish they were a US company, but their labels hold up really really well so I have to give it to them}

Wooden Toys They Won't Want To Share - Melissa & Doug {I love everything they make. THE best toy company for young children.}

Most Inspiring Art Supplies - Miss Brittany's {so glad they are getting noticed!}

Best Thing On Wheels - Radio Flyer Wagons


To be continued....

A Picture's Worth $1000 Words

Okay, maybe not $1000, but at least half.  The Sony Alpha NEX-3 is just awesome. When my son was born we purchased a Canon DSLR.  I love to take photographs, but I hated the slow shutter speed of the pocket digital cameras {at the time}.  I knew that to really capture infants and small children, you need very fast response time.  So we splurged and and purchased the big bulky DSLR and I haven't regretted the purchase to this day.  

What I do long for is the size of the pocket cameras. When you have 2 kids and all the myriad things that come with them, the last thing you can afford to add to it is a big, bulky, fragile camera.  But I've done it, it's just not fun.  And I've missed a lot of photographic opportunities solely because I didn't have enough hands {or energy} to pull out my DSLR. 

This Christmas I was helping my mom pick a gift for my dad.  Now, he's still using a Cybershot from 2000.  Needless, to say, it's slooowww.  But as I looked for a new flicker, I stumbled across Smile Shutter from Sony.  It's on a number of their cameras, but I liked it best paired with the Sony Alpha NEX-3.  The Smile Shutter, when enabled, makes the camera take a picture when the subjects smile.  

This is incredibly useful when your subjects are little people who smile quickly and out of the blue. So I was eager to try it out on Christmas Day.  Unfortunately, that did not happen because Sony does not include memory sticks with their cameras {can we say cheap! geez}.  A few days later, after I received the memory stick from Amazon I took the Alpha NEX-3 out for a click.  The results were so wonderful! 

My seven month old is the most adorable little one ever {yes, I'm biased} and looks even more amazing when he smiles.  But it's difficult to catch him cracking one.  I'm always so busy trying to get him to smile, I often miss the smiles or catch them on the tail end.  But with the Smile Shutter set, I just held up the camera while I made funny noises and faces trying to get my little one to smile.  And just as advertised, as soon as he flashed his pearly 2 whites, the shutter snapped.  The picture is the best one I have and I can't wait to take many many more.

SMILE!
{not my little one, but he's still cute}

Boutique Magnifique

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 A Dirty Job

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. :)

To watch or not to watch....

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!


 

Itzbeen three minutes since I last fed him and he's hungry again!

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!