Today’s new moms have no excuse for committing fashion “don’ts.” These days, there’s no shortage of hip baby accessories out there, including diaper bags. I can’t say the same for myself when I was a first-time mom. Back then, I thought my lame-o canvas bag in fire-engine red looked cool just because it didn’t have Winnie the Pooh or ducklings all over it. Little did I know the fashion police would be after me…With this in mind, we are loving the latest designer bags from our friends at Skip Hop: the Jonathan Adler Loves Skip Hop line. This collection is awash in bold graphics and a dizzying array of patterns–a signature celebration of the home decor giant’s Happy Chic modern style. The well-named Duo, Dash [&hellip
Gear for Baby Walnuts Archive
One of the most useful, unexpected baby gifts I received was a baby footmuff. I don’t recall the brand or name, but I do remember taking one look at this strange contraption and thinking, “Yeah, right. I don’t think I’ll be taking that out of the box anytime soon…” Little did I know that when my daughter’s first winter arrived, I’d be struggling to fit her puffy coat inside her car seat straps day after day. I imagine wrestling a crocodile was easier than this! After many failed attempts at getting her in her seat without any tears, I had a lightbulb moment and quickly ran upstairs to unpack that suddenly practical present. This is genius, I thought, as I carefully stripped off her bulky [&hellip
I don’t care if my daughter is closer to 4 than 3 years old; I’m not ready to part with her stroller just yet. A trusty, solid ride, her Maclaren Volo goes wherever we go, and has lasted us 7 1/2 years…and counting. While this stroller has seen its fair share of country roads, sandy beaches and other landscapes, it’s naturally had a few bumps and bruises along the way. If your pocketbook tells you that you’ll be hanging onto your own set of kiddie wheels for a while, it helps to maintain the look and feel of a sweet ride. Apparently, the folks at BuggyLOVE had this in mind when they created their line of organic stroller cleaning products. Whether the culprit is dried [&hellip
The first time we took my baby daughter on a long road trip, I dreaded the moment we’d have to pull over and stop to feed her. I kid you not, I must have spent the better part of the car ride wondering aloud if the bottle warmer we had just bought would actually work, whether it would fit into our car’s adapter outlet properly and how long it would take to heat up her formula. (Yes, you can feel sorry for my poor husband; I do, too–in retrospect.) As luck would have it, my concerns were right on the money: after sitting in a fast food parking lot for what felt like forever, the bottle was only mildly warmed. But, if we didn’t get [&hellip
When my now-preschooler was an infant, her pacifier was her best friend…and mine. It seemed like the only way to stop her frequent crying jags was with a translucent green pacifier that quickly soothed her spirit and helped dry her tears (even if it was only for a short time), as she suckled away, Maggie Simpson-style. Sometimes, my husband and I would hold our breaths when it inadvertently popped out of her mouth, and the sleeping babe failed to notice its absence, her little lips moving back and forth, no different than before. As she matured, but had not yet grown out of the pacifier stage, we feared those moments when she would realize exactly what had happened and cry her head off. Lucky for [&hellip
You don’t have to be a mathematician to know that babies need their tummy time. With so much of their day spent on the backs–sleeping, batting at toys under a play gym, etc.–during the early months, infants don’t have as much opportunity to develop upper body strength as they should. Hearing the call of eager-to-explore babies everywhere comes the Right Angle Tummy Triangle from Infantino. Designed by pediatric occupational therapists, this play gym is specially angled to promote muscle development in necks and legs, giving little ones a chance to flex their growing limbs. Ever try to get a baby to stay on her belly? It’s not as simple as it sounds. We like that the Tummy Triangle encourages this type of play with music, [&hellip
Today, as I looked out my daughter’s bedroom window, I noticed some yellow leaves at the top of a tree on our front yard. Before long, those colored leaves will multiply and then we’ll be seeing signs of Christmas in store windows. That can only mean that winter isn’t too far off, and that means I need to start tracking down those mittens and snow boots sooner rather than later. If you have a baby or toddler, you can appreciate the usefulness of a snowsuit during a blustery day of outdoor play. But what happens once you’re back inside, you’ve gotten your little one fully dressed yet again…and before you know it, he’s having a field day pulling off his socks over and over? Baby [&hellip
When you’re looking to buy something for a girlfriend and her little one, you inevitably wind up making more than one trip to the mall. Now that school has begun and we moms are more time-pressed than usual, we can appreciate a shopping destination that has it all. Enter Layla Grace, an online boutique that recognizes your discriminating taste for gifts that make lasting impressions. Stocked with everything from baby bedding to bubble bath, you’ll find no shortage of ideas for new arrivals, new moms in need of pampering and new homes that beg to be outfitted in style. In our quest for quality merchandise, we were particularly pleased by the Matteo line of linens for the nursery and the dining room (those linen napkins [&hellip
One crisp, fall morning at the bus stop is all it takes to have me start freaking out about the impending winter. Aside from the bone-chilling wind that whips down our street, a short walk from the Long Island Sound, my hands despise the cold weather more than I do. Doused with a recurring bout of seasonal eczema, I slather on more hand lotion from December-March than a masseuse. But enough about me…I can’t help but wonder what the mom up at the bus stop at the top of the hill will do. She’s got a newborn in tow every morning her third grader boards the bus, so she may just have to put that stroller away once the cold hits. Either that, or invest [&hellip
When I was a little girl, my dad would often rub my face and exclaim, “Oh, those cheeks!” There’s nothing quite like the feeling of a child’s soft skin, and if spa dollars are any indication of how eager we grown-ups are to return to those days of tender youth, then we know it’s no joke. And when you have a baby, you naturally want only the softest, most delicate things to touch their newborn skin. If you can extend that luxurious feeling well into adulthood, you’ve got it made. We think the folks at The Polka Dot Tot are on to something with their super-soft Posh Blankets. Wondering what lush fabric these handmade blankies are actually made from, we decided to investigate further. The [&hellip