Babies Gotta Have It

We toured our first preschool last Saturday. I was choking back tears the whole time like a total sap.  And I so didn’t think I was going to be an emotional wreck about the Bean starting preschool.  I really thought I was cool with it.  Wrong.

When I profiled the awesome eco-friendly reusable lunch kits from Citizenpip in my Back to Preschool Post last month, I fessed up to the fact that imagining my little girl eating lunch at school was enough to make me weep.  Maybe I’m just having flash-backs to when I threw away my retainer with my lunch garbage…twice! But when I finally have to embrace the fact that it’s time to send the Bean out into the world with a nut-free, waste-free, as organic-as-I-can-muster lunch, I’m so glad to have a lunch kit that is up to the job. Citizenpip’s reusable lunch kits are eco-friendly, muck-free (i.e. no BPA, PVC, Phthalates or anything else you don’t want mingling with your kid’s hummus), easy for wee ones to open, and dishwasher safe.

Citizenpip was started by a mom of three boys who believes that even a small change, like eliminating one family’s contribution of plastic baggies to landfills over the course of a child’s education, can make a difference.  But she also wanted a safe, practical, and cool bag for her kids to use.  She couldn’t find a lunch kit that satisfied her needs.  So she created one.  Complete with an insulated lunch box, matching stainless steel fork and spoon set, and cloth napkins. I think the results are pretty great.

Buy It! Baby’s gotta have a lunchbox now?  Use coupon code babiesgotta10 when you purchase a Citizenpip Reusable Lunch Kit between now and October 31st for ten percent off any order over $40!

Win It! Wanna take one of these lunch kits for a test drive?  You know you do.   Christine from Citizenpip has offered one lucky Babies Gotta Have It reader a Square Meal Kit!  Yippee!

To Enter the Citizenpip Reusable Lunch Kit Giveaway

• MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Take a swing by Citizenpip and check out the Square Meal Lunch Kit.  Come back and leave a comment on this post sharing which style (Yum, Eat or Tasty) you’d choose if you won.  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): I just entered to win a Citizenpip Reusable Lunch Kit @BabiesGottaHavT Enter today! http://tinyurl.com/yb6vkxr
• 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. addresses. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway begins on Wednesday September 30th and ends on Wednesday October 14th at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Thursday October 15th,  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! Random.org says…Result: 77  Congratulations Jamie!  Hope you love your Citizenpip Lunch Kit!

Ok so we were handed down the most adorable baby clothes.  I expounded upon my love of hand-me-down clothes in a video back in May of 2008.  They were, and continue to be, the best.

But then your little beauty does the unthinkable.  She (or he of course) grows out of her clothes! And suddenly you have tubs of too-big clothes your wee one has yet to wear mingling with tubs of outgrown clothes, and heartbreaking as it is to say goodbye to that teeny tiny baby layette, you risk suffocating in an avalanche of rompers if you don’t pay it forward. So what are you gonna do with all those groovy duds?

Try a clothing swap! Get together with your moms group or the daycare parents or the other gals you met at pre-natal yoga.  The more the merrier.  And honestly, you’ll want women with kids of all ages so that there’s a big selection of sizes.  Spread out all those delicious outfits on sofas and chairs, and go for it.  Anything unclaimed by the time you’ve downed your iced lattes goes to goodwill.  Voila. You have closet space again.  Let me say, my friend Anna has demonstrated that this works for grown-ups too!  While you’re at it, bring all the clothes you’re done with, spread them out in the bedroom and Mama leaves with a few new pieces too!

And if you’re in the NYC area, man do I have a clothing swap for you!  Clear your day on Saturday October 3rd, pile those gently used, freshly washed baby clothes in a cloth bag, and head down to the Metropolitan Pavilion, North Pavilion (110 West 19th St.).  Clothing Swap Inc. founder Suzanne Agasi will be on hand as will McGreeny himself, Josh Dorfman host of the Sundance Channel’s “The Lazy Environmentalist.” No admission will be charged, however all swappers must register in advance and bring at least on article of children’s clothing (Newborn to age 12) to swap (click HERE to register).  There is no limit to the number of clothes or accessories attendees can cram back into their cloth bags to take home in exchange.  And all “swappers” will take home samples of GreenWorks Natural Laundry Detergent.  So that’s cool.

Green.  Free.  Fun. Clothing swaps.  Now that’s something baby’s totally gotta have.

Hello. I’m Wendy. And I’m a stationery snob.

I like the feel of nice paper. I like tasteful designs. Call me old fashioned, but I still like to hold a piece of mail in my hands. I’m online as much as the next Mama, but when it comes to inviting folks to weddings and birthday parties, and especially announcing the arrival of new babies, nothing beats a beautiful card in a beautiful envelope, lovingly addressed and stamped. Yes I like the pretty stamps too.

I luxuriated in the search for the perfect birth announcement for the Little Bean. We chose the “Forget Me Not Announcement” from Simply Put. It was right for us. But there are so many wonderful companies making exquisite cards now.  I’m looking forward to introducing you to a few of them in the weeks and months to come.

So let’s make a proper introduction.  Mamas, meet PeaPod Announcements. PeaPod Announcements, meet the Mamas.

PeaPod Announcements was founded on the principle that all things can be stated beautifully.  Their cards feature fresh designs, printed on the best paper offered.  Choose from their kodak matte endura photo paper (it resists fingerprints and will last more than 15 minutes on your fridge!) or their luxurious linen cardstock that allows the design to be carried over to the back of the card.  PeaPod is a small company with a big heart, and they put customer service and customer satisfaction at the top of their list of priorities.  The women behind the cards are designers, artists, businesswomen and moms. What’s not to like about that?

I have seen and held a sample of their announcements and cards and the papers are truly very very nice.  The print quality is lovely on both the photo and the linen cards.  And the unique designs range from the delightfully whimsical to the elegant.

I’d be remiss, however, if in this discussion of PeaPod’s products, I omitted the completely unique Keep In Touch or “K.I.T.”  Cards they offer! You know the feeling…you meet a super cool and funny Mom on the playground.  You think to yourself, “hey, I bet we could actually be friends.” But amidst finding the sand toys and wrenching the sidewalk chalk from your toddler’s fingers, there’s no way you can take the time to pull out your phones and exchange email addresses.  Voila!  Tuck a Keep In Touch card or two in your diaper bag, and you can easily pass on your information to that  Mom you don’t want to have passed like two ships in the night!

Babies are being born. Birthdays are being celebrated. Friends are being made.  Honor them with exquisite cards.

All this gorgeous stationery making you drool?  Guess what. The lovely gals at PeaPod Announcements have offered one Babies Gotta Have It a gift certificate for $50 towards a purchase on their site. Want to enter? Read on!

To Enter the PeaPod Announcements Giveaway

• MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Take a swing by PeaPod Announcements and check out their beautiful assortment of stationery products.  Come back and leave a comment on this post sharing which product you’d use your gift certificate to purchase.  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 a $50 gift certificate to PeaPod Announcements! Enter today! http://tinyurl.com/kuk3pt
• 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 Sunday September 20th and ends on Monday October 5th at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Tuesday October 6th,  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: 2   Congratulations Kristin L.  Random.org must love you!  Thanks so much for entering everyone!

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!

The summer has ended.  My baby girl just turned two.  And I’m going back to work.  There are changes afoot here at Babies Gotta Have It.  My baby is no longer a baby.  “Babies Gotta Have It” is gradually becoming “Babies and Toddlers Gotta Have It.”  Over the next weeks and months I’ll be thinking a bit about this blog and how to continue to make  it a resource for new and expecting parents, while also allowing it to grow and develop with my family.

But I’ll be doing much of that work between shows.  As some of you know (check out my blog, Mama Act for more) before having the Little Bean I was a sometimes-working actress here in NYC.  I have traveled around the country to do shows (ask me about the Thanksgiving Blizzard of Buffalo 1999) and also performed here in the city.  I have done some commercials and said one line in a movie (only to discover when I went to see it that, yup, it was cut).  But mostly I have been a theater actress.  And as it turns out, I still am.  For a few months, anyway, I’ll be juggling childcare and work and fitting blog posts in between rehearsals and performances for a new play I’ll be doing here in New York.  You’ll notice lots more product reviews and giveaways in the weeks to come.  But my archive of videos will still be available for you to laugh at enjoy.

I love the theater.  So it’s kind of wonderful that right at this moment, I have the opportunity to share my love of live theater with all of you.  Planning a trip to NYC this fall?  New York is lovely in the autumn.  And there are a whole crop of wonderful new shows coming to Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway theaters this fall.  Whatever your taste, trust me, there’s something for you.  Now theater tickets, just like sandwiches, are crazy expensive in NYC.  But there are deals to be had if you know where to look.  And a new resource has just become available to purchase discount theater tickets at a significant savings!  Welcome to the “Season of Savings!” Just visit the Season of Savings website, browse their selection of shows, purchase your tickets using the coupon codes provided, and you’ll still have money for dinner (email me for restaurant suggestions please!).  At this very moment, tickets are available for: The 39 Steps, Burn the Floor, Bye Bye Birdie, Chicago, Fela!, Finian’s Rainbow, HAIR, In the Heights, Mamma Mia!, Mary Poppins, Next to Normal, Phantom of the Opera, Rock of Ages, Shrek the Musical, South Pacific, Superior Donuts, Wishful Drinking. as well as some wonderful Off-Broadway shows and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. I just saw “Next to Normal” and it was brilliant. If you’re more of a traditional Broadway fan or you want to take your in-laws for their anniversary, try “South Pacific” for a wonderful night of theater.  All these discount broadway theater tickets are available at Season of Savings now through December 20th (and you can get coupons for discounted parking, hotels and more there too!).

So…want to have some fun? You know I think Mama needs a night out every now and then.  And for some of you, an evening  of Constantine Maroulis and the music of the 80’s might be just what you need to bust those Back to School Blues!  Thanks to the wonderful folks at Season of Savings, I am giving one lucky Babies Gotta Have It reader two tickets to “Rock of Ages”, Broadway’s hit musical featuring the music JOURNEY, REO SPEEDWAGON, STYX, FOREIGNER and more! The winner and a guest will attend the Sunday September 27th 7pm performance, at the Brooks Atkinson Theater located at 256 West 47th Street here in New York City.  Want to enter?  Read on!

To Enter the Season of Savings “Rock of Ages” Tickets Giveaway

• MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Leave a comment on this post sharing your favorite Broadway musical or play (whether you’ve seen it live or in the movies or on TV or just heard the soundtrack) .  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 Tweet this giveaway (I’ve even made it easy for you, just cut and paste): Ready to Rock? @BabiesGottaHavT is giving away a pair of tickets to ROCK OF AGES on Broadway! Enter today! http://tinyurl.com/meb2pt
• 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.  addresses. Must be 18 or older to win. Tickets are only good for the Sunday September 27th, 2009 7pm performance of “Rock of Ages” at the Brooks Atkinson Theater on Broadway, New York City.  No refunds or exchanges.  Giveaway begins on Tuesday  September 8th and ends on Wednesday September 16th at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Thursday September 17th,  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! Result: 6 Congratulations Michelle!  Enjoy the show!  And be sure to check out Michelle’s blog, There Must Be More To Life Than Dishes and Laundry.  Thanks so much to everyone who entered!

This post is so not about baby products.  It is, however, about Facebook.  And back to school.  And it’s definitely for a good cause.  So stick with me here.

Billy Ray Cyrus (yup, Mr. Achy Breaky, Miley’s Dad, sans mullet, ah how I miss the 80’s, himself) came to NYC on August 20th to announce that he has teamed up with Hellmann’s Mayonnaise and Feeding America to provide lunches to hungry Americans.  And you can help!  All you have to do is visit Facebook.com/hellmanns, create a virtual sandwich (check it out…all will become clear), and Hellmann’s will donate seven lunches to Feeding America.

I mentioned in a previous post how the idea of my baby girl (okay I still know she’s two) eating lunch by herself  like a big girl at preschool next year was enough to send me into conniptions.  But here’s a reality check.  According to Feeding America, one in six children in the U.S. resides in a house that is food insecure and can’t count on having lunch at all.  During the summer, nearly 18 million children lose access to the free and reduced price lunches they receive at school during the school year.   And if we’re talking preschoolers and day care aged kids?  Between 2005 and 2007, on average 3.5 million children under the age of five were food insecure.

So while I’m prepping to pack my Little Bean’s lunch in a green lunch kit and fretting over her beige diet, some Mamas are struggling to provide lunch at all.

All this to say, next time you’re Farkling on Facebook, take a break from your middle school boyfriend’s beach vacation photos, make a sandwich, and help feed a hungry child right here in the USA.

In this vid My little bean is sporting the Polliwalks Fish Lips waterproof sandals for toddlers and kids.  Thank you Polliwalks! Like all Polliwalks, Fish Lips come with fun “footprint” treads that allow your kid to leave a unique print in the sand. Also like all Polliwalks, they are machine washable (yeah you heard me–machine washable), easy to get on and off, waterproof, and packaged in an environmentally friendly way.  What makes them unique…well check out the video and keep your eye on those fish lips!

It may be September, but where I live, it still  feels like summer.  I’m guessing there are lots of you who will  be hitting the beach and the pool and the backyard sprinkler for another month or more.  Have some fun.  Wear some Poliwalks. Bring out the animal in your kiddo!

And here’s the best part…one lucky Babies Gotta Have It reader will win a pair of Polliwalks in the style and size of his or her choice!  Want to enter?  Read on!

To Enter the Polliwalks Giveaway

• MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Watch my video and then stop by Polliwalks and browse the adorable assortment of waterproof sandals they have to offer.  Come back and leave me a comment on this post sharing which pair of sandals, style and color, you’d choose if you won and what you like about them.  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 a pair of Polliwalks waterproof sandals for kids! Enter today! http://tinyurl.com/ox7c4o
• 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.  addresses. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway begins on Tuesday  September 1st and ends on Tuesday September 15th at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Wednesday September 16th,  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: 23 Congratulations Angela H from Just An Army Wife and Just a Mommy!  Hope you love your Polliwalks!  Thanks so much to all of you who are such loyal entrants!  I love you all!