Babies Gotta Have It

So recently I was all on about the Skip Hop Diaper Bags. Skip Hop makes, among many others, canvas messenger diaper bags that clip to your stroller and are awesome. I have one. I got it for Christmas. Thank you again, honey.

Skip Hop also makes different bags. Neat bags. Trendy bags. Even bags for Target. Check them out.

Recently, thanks to a fantabulous blog giveaway (I’m telling you people, these blog giveaways are awesome!) at The Lil’ Mommy That Could, I won a stroller bag by Mollyanna.com and it arrived in the mail. It was like Christmas in July. And let me say, this bag is awesome too.

Where the Skip Hop Bag is canvas and cool, this one is fabric and gorgeous. So simple. So chic. Where the Skip Hop Bag takes you back to the first day of school with zippers and clips and keychain holders and many many pockets (totally fun, right?), the Mollyanna bag has just two simple snap closures, two pockets for diapers and wipes, and a big central pocket. Mine is “Dark Chocolate” with a gorgeous autumny contrasting fabric liner. It is beautifully made and I love it.

And best of all, these are on crazy sale right now. Like, way better than Target prices sale. Hey, it’s back to school time! Don’t you deserve a new bag too? And at these prices, lust is within reach. Sometimes baby’s gotta have it.

I came home to Lewisburg, Pa this month for many reasons. Swimming lessons here cost thirty bucks. Period. Lots of family-and-friend love hovers above these rolling green ridges. A hotdog and a coke will run you a buck fifty at the Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays.  Hot tuna grinders at the House of Pizza a.k.a. La Casa de Pizza are better than any sandwich I have ever eaten in New York City, the deli capitol of the world.  Ever.

I expected all these things, and I have not been disappointed.

I did not expect, however, to fall in love.

But I did. On Market Street. In downtown Lewisburg.

You will too if you visit the Katie and Company outlet store which is, believe it or not, where the dollar store used to be which is, believe it or not, where the liquor store used to be. My familiy has lived here a long time.  Rest assured this well-appointed store bears no resemblance whatsoever to its predecessors.  It is simpy lovely.

But I digress. If you want a christening gown that will be used by your grandchildren’s grandchildren…if you want the most exquisite flower girl and ring bearers outfits you may ever lay eyes upon…if you just want a delicious little outfit for a gift or a splurge, then you too have come home.

Under the labels Katie & Co., Gordon & Co., and Pippa and Minnow, Tuechild Children’s Clothing offers some of the most gorgeous, most beautifully made, most sweet sweet sweet children’s clothes I have ever seen. And the company is based right here in my hometown.  What could be better?

Lust on the streets of Lewisburg, P.A. Yeah…sometimes baby’s gotta have it!

• Well not every product can be flashy. But very few baby items will be used day in and day out like these. Looking for a really practical baby shower gift that feels like a “gift set?” Put the Munchkin Deluxe Bottle Brush, Munchkin Deluxe Dishwasher Basket, and this super cool Splash Bottle Drying Rack by Skip Hop in a gift bag and get ready to play silly shower games, smug in the fact that your present will be unique. Heck wanna be a rock star at the shower? Throw in some BabyGanics Foaming Bottle and Dish Soap. Now that’s something baby’s definitely got to have.

Every little girl wants to be a princess. Perhaps now more than ever. At least in my family of girls.

I tell myself that I could make a tutu. Get some tulle, attach a waistband, glue on some flowers. I’m fairly crafty.

But I’m pretty sure that even if I tried, it wouldn’t turn out like this.

I first stumbled upon Karin Alexis’s Upper West Side boutique on an incredibly hot July day when I was 8.77779 months pregnant. It was tiny and cool and charming and utterly delicious. Since then she has opened an Upper East Side location, expanded into women’s clothing and housewares, and I have been back many times. Her burp cloths have become my go-to baby gift for my husband’s work friends. They, like many of her products, are made with beautiful vintage inspired fabrics and are just so fun and cheerful. After all, why should your burp cloth be covered with duckies? You’re the one wearing it. Not your baby.

Maybe if we all write to her she will offer more of her products in her online store. But I digress…

These tutus are made with the finest tulle and finished with a satin waistband. The velcro waist closure allows the tutu to grow with your little ballerina, and the tutus come in three sizes. Halloween? Birthday gift? Just want to say I love you? Baby Lust is all about spoiling your little princess. Karin Alexis Tutus. Sometimes baby’s just gotta have it.

• Look for Skip Hop Diaper bags at Target and at SkipHop.com.
• Skip Hop Diaper Bags make wonderful gifts. I got mine at a neat little Upper West Side boutique called Roam. They don’t offer Skip Hop bags online but they have lots of other wonderful items for Mama and baby.

So if you read or watch this vlog, you know I’m into music for babies. I can’t say for sure that “The Mozart Effect” will turn your kid into Einstein, but it’s a heck of a lot easier to pop in a really good CD than it is to give your ten-month-old flash cards. And frankly, it’s much more enjoyable.

As I said in my first vlog post about music If Music Be The Food of Love…Rock On music for babies is supposed to be complex, involving many instruments and/or a clear melody and harmonies. It should also be rhythmic without being overwhelming (might want to save the AC/DC for her sweet sixteen), and well structured. The songs on That Baby CD and DVD are all that and more.

Thanks to Rob at OyBaby, my baby girl and I have been listening to and watching That Baby CD and DVD all morning, and I gotta say, I’m loving them. Here are eight reasons why:

1. The music is awesome. This is one cd that you won’t pop out of the car stereo even if you’re driving without your baby. The songs are kid-friendly covers of music by Fleetwood Mac, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, Natalie Merchant, The Beatles, The Pretenders, and more. If you’re over 30, you probably know most of them. If you don’t, you should. I especially love “Happiness Runs”, “Pony Boy”, and “St. Judy’s Comet.” (Two of which, in all honesty, are new songs to me) Listen to samples here.
2. The music is kid-friendly, kid-themed, kid-appropriate but not about meatballs, funny hats, elephants, or fruit. These are grown-up songs for kids.
3. My baby loves the DVD. No joke. And she’s a bit of a DVD snob, actually. Not a big fan of lots of them. But she was rapt from the get-go and watched attentively for quite a while before returning to her toys. She’s ten months old. Granted she’s a genius so take that into consideration. But she really did enjoy it.
4. The videos themselves. Again, “Happiness Runs.” So beautiful. The whole DVD is a combination of animation and live action film, and the animation is really varied in style and content. The video for each song is designed to tell a simple story, really. “Sunday Sun” by Neil Diamond becomes a story of a day in the park with your family. “When We Grow Up” (Yup, the one from “Free to Be You and Me”) is about going to work with Mommy and Daddy. “Inch by Inch” by Peter, Paul and Mary is all about gardening. You can see samples of the videos here.
5. OyBaby, makers of That Baby CD and DVD, is a parent-run company.
6. That Baby CD and DVD are manufactured in the good old U.S. of A. using recyclable materials.
7. They have a “no questions asked” return policy and offer free replacement of discs that get scratched, fingerprinted, or smeared with peanut butter.
8. The CD actually looks like a little record. Way cool.

The DVD is designed for kids ages 0 - 5 and runs 35 minutes. The CD is great for all ages and runs 42 minutes. Put both together and you have a kickin’ and crazy-unique shower or baby gift.

Baby’s Bottom Line: That Baby CD and DVD totally rock. Need I say more?

Special Offer for Babies Gotta Have It Readers! Use promotional code “gottahaveit” when you buy That Baby CD or DVD and get 20% off your purchase. No kidding, 20%! Did I mention that Rob rocks too? He totally does. Thanks to Rob and everyone at Oybaby!

When did craft fairs become sexy? Certainly not back in 1982 when my mom and I were selling thumbprint drawings, dried flower arrangements, and plastic canvas Christmas ornaments from folding tables in steamy East Texas. All they were then, was hot. The craft fair is hot now, but in a whole new way.

Etsy.com is smokin’. The New York Times has called it “a crafty cross between Amazon and Ebay.” Martha’s a fan. I am too.

Etsy is a humungous online craft fair. Minus the lemonade, fresh rolls and funnel cake. Vendors set up shop, you the buyer peruse the shops online, and buy. Many of the artisans will do custom work for you. They take paypal. It’s so easy.

Etsy started in Brooklyn which I’m just generally on board with as a New Yorker. It has thousands of sellers, hundreds of thousands of members, and such a wonderful selection of amazing homemade products for Mamas and Babies that I could spend hours perusing it. And I have. Want a unique and wonderful item of clothing, baby quilt, toy, or piece of art for your nursery? Looking for a one-of-a-kind baby or shower gift? Don’t go to Toys R Us. Go to Brooklyn…metaphorically speaking. I’m just sayin’.

I gave Etsy a thorough perusal for my post: Kids Love Puppets, and I found an amazing selection of unique and whimsical puppets. The adorable felt finger puppets at Gowheele immediately caught my eye. These little fellas are full of personality and charm. And Gowheele’s Gwynne, designer and craftsperson extraordinaire, is exactly what Etsy is all about.

Gwynne is a Computer Animator by day (how cool is that), toymaker by night, and she brings her training in character design to her puppets. Just look into the faces of her little creations and you can see her unique vision smiling right back at you. In fact, Gwynne particularly loves creating custom finger puppets! How awesome would it be to have a personalized set designed after your family and pets for puppet shows in your house? Gwynne is currently expanding her inventory to include other soft toys and blankets which should be in her store soon, so stop by again in the weeks to come! Ultimately she’d love to have her own toy shop. I’d say she’s well on her way.

Baby’s Bottom Line: Had it with “Made in China”? Etsy.com is a wonderful source of unusual, handmade baby items.

And here’s your chance to win Gowheele’s “Circus Collection” of three adorable finger puppets: The Lion, The Monkey and The Elephant complete with the Circus Train Storage Pocket seen in the pictures above.

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:

1. Just take a swing by Gowheele’s Etsy Shop
2. Come back, and leave me a comment naming your favorite finger puppet other than the ones featured in this giveaway. It’s that easy!

Want an extra chance to win? Blog about this giveaway, cite the link in your comment, and I’ll put your name in the hat twice! Make sure you include your email address with your entry.

Giveaway open to those with U.S. and Canada mailing addresses. Giveaway begins on Monday June 23rd and ends on Tuesday July 1st at midnight Eastern Standard Time. On Wednesday July 2nd my baby girl will draw the winning name and I will contact you by email immediately. Thanks for entering!