Babies Gotta Have It

So it’s Black Friday. I love Black Friday.  Maybe I’m the only one.  But my mother and grandmother and I have always enjoyed a big shopping day on the day after Thanksgiving.  When I was small we went to a wonderful downtown department store called Hess’s in Allentown, PA  (sadly no longer in existence) and dined at a restaurant inside the store!  I remember eating french fries and drinking vanilla cokes while very glamorous models strode by our table wearing clothes you could actually buy right there at Hess’s.  My mother is so committed to Black Friday and the amazing door busters that she once waited in line at 5:30 am to get a free ten dollar gift card…in a wheelchair!  She had broken her leg while hiking and insisted that my brother and I wheel her there in the freezing pre-dawn madness of late November anyway.

But I understand that we may be alone in this view.  I am aware that the mall on the day after Thanksgiving can be something of a nightmare.  I love to shop as much as the next gal, but I do feel that we may be going a wee bit overboard in our holiday purchasing these days.  At least in my family.  My mother also used to say “Well, you know, the Kennedys just write each other poems for Christmas!”  Needless to say, the Kennedy kids probably weren’t really lacking for socks and underwear and Ataris so poems probably were okay by them.  I thought that was a horrible idea at the time.  Now, I start to wonder…

I’ve been on the quest for some gift options that won’t contribute to the stuffification of my tiny apartment and might even give a little bit back to the world.  Now I’m not saying I want to get rid of Christmas presents entirely…but maybe I can pepper in a few greener, more generous, gifts as well.   Want to join me?

Check out Oxfam America Unwrapped.  I totally love this idea and I totally love this site.  Oxfam America is an international relief and development program, dedicated to creating lasting solutions to poverty, hunger and injustice.  Among leading humanitarian organizations, they are unique in that they are completely independent and accept no government money or money from any other sources that would compromise their ability to speak frankly about injustice.  How awesome is that?

So go to Oxfam America Unwrapped, and you can buy gifts that will truly help those who need it most–and still stay within your budget!  For only $12 you can contribute much needed soap to stop the spread of disease and keep a child healthy.  $18 buys a pack of seeds or mosquito nets.  For $20 you can contribute two school uniforms or irrigate a farmers’ fields for two months.  And those are just a few of the gifts available for under $25 (the selection is really super fun and I just have to mention that I’m totally giving my brother manure for Christmas this year).  When you buy a gift from Oxfam Gifts, your recipient gets a card with an image of your specific gift, and your donation profoundly affects the lives of people around  the globe.  Check out the Gifts in Action page on the Oxfam America Unwrapped site to see just how these donations help people in over 100 countries worldwide.

Manure for your little brother.  Chicks for your favorite Chicks.  Yeah, that’s something baby’s definitely gotta have.

Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Oxfam America Unwrapped and received a credit for a gift on the Oxfam site.

“No Nasty Chemicals.” What’s not to like about that?  I’ve talked about the all-natural, non-toxic baby, personal and household care products from Ecostore USA in the past.  And now, I’ve tried a whole bunch more. Check out the video to learn more…and the secrets of the Eco Village in New Zealand are finally revealed!

You know you want to try some of these products!  In honor of the arrival of Ecostore products at Duane Reade Pharmacies near you and the opening of the new Duane Reade in Herald Square on October 23rd, one lucky Babies Gotta Have It reader will win a $25 ecommerce Gift Certificate to do just that!  Thank you Ecostore USA! Want to enter?  Read on!

To Enter the Ecostore USA $25 Gift Certificate Giveaway

• MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Watch my video review and check out the Ecostore USA website.  Browse around, come back and leave a comment on this post letting me know which product or products you’d choose if you won the $25 ecommerce gift certificate.  Entering is that easy!
  

***Want extra chances to win? After you have made your first entry as described above, do anything listed below and leave me additional comments for each one letting me know what you did!  Maximum of seven entries per person.

• Follow me on twitter (click the birdy button on the left to do so easily) and Twitter this giveaway (I’ve even made it easy for you, just cut and paste):  Ecostore USA is coming to Duane Reade Pharmacies! No Nasty Chemicals! Win a $25 gift certificate @BabiesGottaHavT http://tinyurl.com/ygtkaln
• Blog this giveaway (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
• Subscribe to my blog using the button on the left
• Grab my button and put in on your blog or website! Button code is in the right sidebar. Leave the link in your entry.
• Become a Fan of Babies Gotta Have It on Facebook–just click the link on the left sidebar!
• Email your friends about the giveaway and link to the giveaway post! cc me in the message (babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com)–I promise I will not spam you or your friends. Cross my heart

Your email address will remain private and not be shared with anyone. Giveaway only open to those with U.S.  addresses. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway begins on Monday October 19th and ends on Monday November 2nd at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Tuesday November 3rd,  Random.org will select the winner I’ll email you immediately. After my daughter called Larry the Cable guy the last time she did a drawing, we have decided to take a little vacation from her choosing the winner. Random.org is in no way as cute and unpredictable as my daughter, but it is much more efficient and does not use any pieces of paper, even recycled ones. I am sure you will understand. Thanks for entering! Disclosure: Ecostore USA sent me all of the products shown in the video to review and they are providing the $25 gift certificate for the winner of the giveaway.  I was not compensated in any way for this post. All views and opinions with regard to the product or company itself are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by the company prior to posting.

Update: We have a winner.  Random.org says “Result: 1“  Congratulations Kim!  Thanks so much to everyone who entered!

If I learned anything from the Babies Gotta Have It Online Baby Shower, it’s that you guys are as eager as I am to surround your babies with eco-friendly products.  From bamboo onesies and all-natural baby wash to sustainably made toys and organic cotton crib sheets, today’s Mamas are going green.  And  we’re always on the hunt for a great source to find these products at a price that’s right.

Well Mama Greenies, I’ve got the site for you.  All Modern Baby will make you drool non-toxic saliva until you need to wipe it off your laptop with a bamboo nursing pad.  Their products are beyond gorgeous.  The modern furniture is contemporary but not so out-there that you can’t imagine it in your home.  The fabrics are to die for.  And the selection of unique toys is so beyond what you’d find at Target.  I saw this Eames Elephant at a super fancy store in the Meatpacking District (one of those stores that makes you think, “I totally don’t have on the awesome pair of shoes I would need to enter this establishment”) and fell in love.  I love that I can buy it at All Modern and not have to worry that my wardrobe is only outlet chic.

But don’t go thinking that  All Modern Baby only offers three hundred dollar splurges.  The collection of Eco-Friendly Toys is remarkably affordable.  Honestly, I was surprised just how affordable.  Looking for a birthday present for one of the six million parties your ultra-social toddler has been invited to?  Just visit All Modern Baby, click on the “Go Green” button in the upper right hand corner, and you’re buying eco-friendly in seconds.  75 of the green toys offered are $30 or less!

Green baby products. All natural.  All safe.  All cool.  All Modern.

And here’s the cool part…the swell folks at All Modern Baby are giving away one of their super eco-friendly toys, the 50 Piece Block Set by Wonderworld, to one lucky Babies Gotta Have It reader!  Building blocks are a definite must have.  And you know and I know that they’re going in the mouth before they go into a tower.  This beautiful blocks set is made from eco-friendly rubberwood and painted with non-toxic water-based paints.  For ages 2 and up.

To Enter the All Modern Baby Giveaway

• MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Take a swing by All Modern Baby and check out their extensive offering of Eco-Friendly Baby and Toddler products.  Come back and leave me a comment on this post sharing which product, besides the Wonderworld Wooden Block Set is your favorite.  Entering is that easy!
  

***Want extra chances to win? After you have made your first entry as described above, do anything listed below and leave me additional comments for each one letting me know what you did!  Maximum of seven entries per person.

• Follow me on twitter (click the birdy button on the left to do so easily) and Twitter this giveaway (I’ve even made it easy for you, just cut and paste): @BabiesGottaHavT is giving away an eco-friendly block set from All Modern Baby Enter today! http://tinyurl.com/qcecjs
• Blog this giveaway (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
• Subscribe to my blog using the button on the left
• Grab my button and put in on your blog or website! Button code is in the right sidebar. Leave the link in your entry.
• Become a Fan of Babies Gotta Have It on Facebook–just click the link on the left sidebar!
• Email your friends about the giveaway! cc me in the message (babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com)–I promise I will not spam you or your friends. Cross my heart

Your email address will remain private and not be shared with anyone. Giveaway only open to those with U.S.  and Canadian addresses. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway begins on Wednesday  September 16th and ends on Wednesday September 30th at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Thursday October 1st,  Random.org will select the winner I’ll email you immediately. After my daughter called Larry the Cable guy the last time she did a drawing, we have decided to take a little vacation from her choosing the winner. Random.org is in no way as cute and unpredictable as my daughter, but it is much more efficient and does not use any pieces of paper, even recycled ones. I am sure you will understand. Thanks for entering!

UPDATE! We have a winner!  Random.org says… Result: 49 Congratulations Kristin L.!  I hope you love your blocks set.  And thank you to everyone who entered!

I am aware that this blog is called Babies Gotta Have It.  I am also aware that in one month, my baby girl will turn two.  She recently fell headfirst off a seemingly harmless foam kiddie chair, and there’s no denying it.  This baby is now a toddler.

We are having a garage sale at my parents’ next weekend. So sad to see so many of the baby toys go. Yeah, I’m saving some for friends…making a point to pass along things that were passed along to me (cuz it’s wrong to make money on stuff your friends handed down to you…right?).  But pretty exciting to see the toddler toys take their place.

It’s easy to find baby toys. It’s easy to find preschooler toys.  But toddler toys that are safe and age appropriate?  Kinda tough to find. Seems these days like everything I pull off of a Target shelf says “For Ages Three and Up.” So I was absolutely delighted to discover Play and Bounce–an online toy store that specializes in toys for toddlers!

The site categorizes the toddler toys by type, and I have to say, one of the things I’m most excited about is watching my little girl’s imagination start to develop. The fine folks at Play and Bounce sent the Little Bean the Dinner Time Set and Casserole Set from their Play Pretend Toys and you can see in the video just how much fun they are.  Plus they are colorful, durable, not made in China, and dishwasher safe.

Toys for pretend play.  Yeah, that’s something toddlers just gotta have.

I love craft fairs.  I love flea markets. I love shopping online.  I also dabble in selling  online now and again. Is it any surprise that I’m digging the new online marketplace, Silkfair?

Silkfair is Etsy meets Ebay without the listing fees.  And let’s face it, it’s a big online world out there.  There’s room enough for everyone.  Sometimes I want to hit a New York City street fair.  Sometimes only the Lewisburg Arts Festival will do.  And I can always dream about Brimfield.  Maybe you’re hungry for funnel cake.  Maybe you want an antique quilt. I’m all for variety.  I’m all for choice.  And I’m all for browsing antiques, collectibles and handmade items in a well-ventilated, air conditioned room that doesn’t smell like a hot dog vendor.  Plus, there’s some pretty cool stuff at pretty low prices to be found at Silkfair.

So what can you buy on Silkfair?  Their selling categories (on Silkfair they’re called “departments”) range from “Antiques”, “Vintage”, and “Collectibles”, to “Eco-Friendly”, “Handmade”, and “Personalized”, to “Wholesale.”  Right now there are almost 150,000 items listed.  274 of them fall in the category “Baby” including these incredibly hip faux suede patchwork baby boots (called “Tutties”) and the matching bag.  In other words, it’s not as totally overwhelming as the other sites but still has a nice variety.

Feel like going shopping?  Can’t bear to think what the summer humidity is going to do to your hair? Here’s the great news! The fantastic folks at Silkfair are giving one lucky Babies Gotta Have It reader one free online purchase (up to $30 value) from the Silkfair community!  Want to enter?  Sit back down in your chair, pour yourself a limeade and read on!

To Enter the Silkfair Giveaway:

• Take a swing by Silkfair. Check out all the items they have to offer (your purchase is not limited to any category) and let me know which one, including the link to the item, you’d like to buy!  Maximum value of the item must be $30 to qualify for the giveaway.  That’s it! Entering is that easy!

***Want extra chances to win? Do anything listed below and leave me additional comments for each one letting me know what you did!  Maximum of three entries per person.

• Follow me on twitter (click the birdy button on the left to do so easily) and Twitter this giveaway (I’ve even made it easy for you, just cut and paste): Meet  @BabiesGottaHavT at the fair! Win a $30 purchase at Silkfair! http://tinyurl.com/otjdkv
• Blog this giveaway (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
• Subscribe to my blog using the button on the left
• Grab my button and put in on your blog! Button code is in the right sidebar.

Your email address will remain private and not be shared with anyone. Giveaway only open to those with U.S.  addresses. Giveaway begins on Wednesday May 20th and ends on Wednesday June 3rd  at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Thursday June 4th,  Random.org will select the winner I’ll email you immediately. After my baby called Larry the Cable guy the last time she did a drawing, we have decided to take a little vacation from her choosing the winner. Random.org is in no way as cute and unpredictable as my baby, but it is much more efficient and does not use any pieces of paper, even recycled ones. I am sure you will understand. Thanks for entering!

Update! We have a winner!

Result: 32

Congratulations Jennai!  Enjoy shopping at Silkfair!  And thanks to everyone who entered!

It’s April!  Happy Spring!  Happy Earth Day!

In honor of Earth Day, here’s a list of the green baby products I use every day.  And when I say every day, I pretty much mean every day.  There are lots of natural and organic baby products you’ll use every once and a while.  These?   Daily. Check these out!

Organic Bamboo Kid’s Fork and SpoonI’m starting to get a little creeped out by plastic.  Much of it appears to have nasty stuff in it that, over time, leaches out.  Ick. And though there are lots of BPA free spoons out there, these days I’m liking using a natural product for my little bean.  And how green is this company? Bambu products are made from Certified Organic bamboo that is sustainably harvested and free from pesticides or fertilizers.  Why choose bamboo? As one of the Earth’s fastest-growing plants it’s a remarkable renewable resource with an incredible growth cycle of three to five years.  I literally use these every day.  The spoon is a nice size for feeding toddlers. My babe loves eating from a fork like a big girl. They aren’t dishwasher safe but they wash up in five seconds.  Love them.

I reviewed the Miessence Organic Baby Bottom Mist a few months ago and I’m still loving it. I spray it on my eco baby’s sweet bottom every single day. It is Certified Organic, it comes in recyclable non-leaching plastic, and it works beautifully.  Why choose organic baby skin and hair care products?  No nasty chemicals contacting  your sweet baby’s skin and no nasty chemicals used in manufacturing ending up in the soil or the air or the grass under your sweet baby’s feet.

The Safe Sippy Okay it’s not cheap. I’ll say that right now. But I really dig this sippy cup. You gotta love the way it looks. It’s awesome. Oh yeah, green can be super sleek and cool. But more than that, I love that this safe sippy cup is made from non-leaching stainless steel, and all the plastic parts are certified free of free of Bisphenol A, phthalates and DEHA. Bye Bye BPA. I can’t say for sure that the process to make stainless steel is any less damaging to the Earth than the process to make plastic.  But, oh yeah, plastic is made from oil. So there’s that too…

I’m sure my definition of “green” could be seriously challenged by someone.  But in my eyes, if a product is made from a natural substance (bent birchwood in this case), through an environmentally friendly process, and if all materials used in the making of the product meet federal regulations and are not harmful to my child, then I feel good about buying it. The Svan High Chair meets these criteria.  To top it off, the plastic play tray is Phthalate-free and the optional cushion (which we bought in sage green) is PBDE-free.  I love it.  Also, the  Europeans argue that their products are made to such high standards of quality that they can be used over and over for many years.  My baby can use this chair as a high chair and later a booster chair until she’s 8.  Then, theoretically this quality chair will still be good enough to pass along to someone else who needs it, reducing waste.  Look for one on Craig’s List. In my eyes, buying quality products that will last for years, is a green choice.   And I feel good about that.

Seventh Generation Baby Laundry Liquid Detergent My skin is crazy sensitive.  My baby? Remains to be seen. But I think this detergent has helped, I really do.  Think of all that gray water that goes down our drains and back into the ocean.  I don’t want all kinds of nasty stuff in it, do you?  This product is (deep breath): biodegradable, safe for septic and greywater systems, phosphate free, hypo-allergenic,  non-toxic, not tested on animals, and perfectly effective.  Worried about the extra cost of these organic household goods?  Go to SeventhGeneration.com, register to become part of the Seventh Generation Nation, and print valuable coupons right from the site! In fact lots of these green companies offer coupons online!  Go to Earths Best, Mrs. Meyers, and Horizon Organic online for money-saving offers and coupons!

Now that’s saving some green!

Ok I’m gonna come right out and say it.  I loved getting Baby Gifts.  Loved loved loved it. When baby gifts start coming, it’s like a little miracle. You come home from the hospital, you can’t quite walk, you’re still wearing maternity pants, you’re sitting on the couch with cabbage leaves plastered to your aching boobs, and then a magical thing happens. Present after present arrives at your door.  It’s fantastic.

And then, gradually, the gifts trickle down to one or two a week.   And then, like all good things, they come to an end.

But what if they didn’t have to?  Cuz let’s face it, you will eventually get to the place where you can breastfeed while hailing a taxi during rush hour, and you will one day fit into your pre-pregnancy pants again (yes, yoga pants count).  But round about seven months post-partum, when you’re soaked in spit up, the baby just won’t sleep, and you haven’t left your apartment in four days, a baby gift would really hit the spot.  So knowing this, what if you could send your daughter or granddaughter or sister or best friend a baby gift that would just keep giving and giving and giving…for an entire year.

The adorable online baby boutique The Bean’s Closet can help you make the new baby celebration last the whole first year of baby’s life with its amazing “Bean’s Best Basics Gift of the Month” and “Little Luxuries Gift of the Month” clubs.  Once a month, for an entire year, Mama will receive a giftwrapped baby present, specifically selected for the month in which it’s given.  A custom gift tag accompanies each gift describing the item and why it is perfect for Baby and Mama that month. Check out these packages. But wear a bib.  I guarantee you they will make you drool.

Throwing a shower for someone at work?  The Bean’s Gift of the Month Club is so much more personal than a gift card!  It’s the perfect choice for a group gift to a special new mom.  Or just looking for something really luxurious, really unique and just plain lovely for an extremely dear friend?  To me, this gift collection sounds like a little piece of heaven.  And dads?  Get this for your wife and new baby and bask in brownie points for months to come.

I love The Bean’s Closet.  I love it because I call my baby “little bean” too.  I love it because they have a delightful selection of quality baby products. And I really really love it because they have offered an extremely amazing giveaway to one lucky Babies Gotta Have It reader: your choice of any of the adorable and totally luxurious Margery Ellen Baby Outfits they offer in their store.  That’s right, I said your choice of any Margery Ellen Baby Outfit The Bean’s Closet sells. I am not joking. Read on to enter!

To Enter The Bean’s Closet Margery Ellen Baby Clothes Giveaway:

• Take a swing by The Bean’s Closet.  Check out the Bean’s Basics Gift of the Month Club and The Little Luxuries Gift of the Month Club.  Then check out their selection of Margery Ellen Outfits.  Come back and leave me a comment with one favorite gift item from either one of the Gift of the Month Clubs (meaning one present that they send), and what Margery Ellen outfit you’d choose if you won.  Entering is that easy!

***Want an extra chance to win? Blog or twitter about this giveaway, leave me an additional comment letting me know you did (please include the url), and I’ll put your name in the hat twice! Not a blogger? Subscribe to my blog using the button to the left, leave me an additional comment, and you’re entered twice. Or, email a friend about the giveaway, cc me in the message at babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com (I promise I will not spam you or your friends - cross my heart) and you’ll have two entries. Make sure you include your email address with your entry.***

Giveaway only open to those with U.S. addresses. Giveaway begins on Thursday February 12rd and ends on Wednesday February 18th  at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Thursday February 19th, my baby girl will draw the winning name and I’ll email you immediately. It’s not a terribly scientific drawing, but I assure you it could not be more random. Thanks for entering!

We have a winner!  My baby drew #37 Holly from Mommies With Cents as the winner!  Congratulations Holly and thank you to everyone who entered!

My baby has learned a new word. One I had seriously hoped she might avoid for at least, oh say, another six months.  At most, I was hoping for twelve years or so.  Any guesses?

No?

Bingo.

It doesn’t matter what I ask her.  It doesn’t even have to be a question. Simply phrase a declarative statement with an upward inflection: “Mama loves you?”  “Time to feed the kitty?”  “There’s a lot of non-biodegradable trash floating around in an area called the North Pacific gyre?” And her little rosebud mouth funnels into a teeny weeny donut and emits an unmistakable “no.”

However, when I decided to feature BabySteals.com on Babies Gotta Have It, I was so torn about giving this particular secret away, that I actually went to the baby for advice.  “Little bean, should I tell everyone about BabySteals.com?” “No.” Conundrum resolved.

But after three or four days of procrastination I knew enough was enough.  I couldn’t let this site exist and not tell you about it. It is, quite simply, the best.

Every day at 9am Mountain Time (that’s 11 am NYC time), BabySteals.com offers one quality, name-brand (often high end) baby or maternity item at an incredible (and I mean, IN-credible) discount.  We are talking 50% - 80% off!  Today’s steal was 64% off the original price.  And if you live near Salt Lake City you can pick it up for free and avoid the shipping fee! Around 11 the site is usually rather flooded and it can sometimes take a few tries to see what’s up to steal that day.  But if you subscribe to their daily email alert, you’ll get a heads-up about what is available, and you can either click on the link to steal or not.   And I must advise you to act quickly. Quite often they sell out in a heartbeat.  Honestly, it’s kind of thrilling. Thrilling like the Filene’s basement wedding dress sale but without all the pushing and shoving and getting naked in public.

BabySteals.com.  Can you afford to miss the deal of the day? Just ask the baby…