Saturday, December 30, 2006

Sorry...I'm boring

This week I am a celebration of relaxation...hence I am slow to blog.
But heck, it is the holidays and there is no time better for down time now.

So relax people...I'll start posting more hip stuff next week.
But for now...If relaxing ain't your thang and you've got some time to burn
head over to ian's shoelace site and research cool new ways to tie your hipkid's sneaks...

pretty hip...huh?

P.S. checkerboard lacing sees pretty fresh!

Thursday, December 21, 2006

happy feet

do you know about Baby Loves Disco?

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All across the country, Baby Loves Disco is slowly but surely transforming the hippest night clubs into child proof discos as toddlers, pre-schoolers and parents looking for a break from the routine playground circuit let loose for some post naptime, pre-dinner fun. Make no mistake, this is NOT the Mickey Mouse club, and Barney is Banned. Baby loves disco is an afternoon dance party featuring real music spun and mixed by real djs blending classic disco tunes From the 70s, & 80s guaranteed to get those little booties moving and grooving.

The fun spills out from all corners of the club: bubble machines, baskets of scarves and egg-shakers, a chill-out room (with tents, books and puzzles), diaper changing stations, a full spread of healthy snacks and dancing, LOTS of dancing. But at it’s core, Baby loves disco is a community event that brings kids together with kids and parents together with parents. Started by professional dancer (and professional mom) Heather Murphy, the idea was to create an alternative to the pre-packaged world of entertainment for young kids. “We’re parents, we’re always looking for something new and different to do with the kids,” says Murphy whose lifestyle (like most of the baby disco parents) was changed when she gave birth to her 4 year old son Max.

The monthly event, which started in Philly where it has sold out club Fluid since inception, caught the ear of Brooklyn-based music guy Andy Hurwitz who brought the party up to New York City in the fall of 2005: “my kids had a blast, but the real bonus was that my wife and I had a great time too,” said Hurwitz, founder of ropeadope records and father of two young boys. He added, “It’s more than just something to do for the kids, Baby Loves Disco is fun for parents, we get the chance to mingle with other parents, dance with our kids and have a Saturday afternoon cocktail to boot.”


serious funk for groovy hip kids!!!

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

More FREE

This is info I poached from The Simple Dollar - go check out her blog.

It is about things the might keep your baby happy so you can get something done.
Hooray. We love FREE things that keep might H occupied!

Make a homemade rattle. We had tons of leftover baby food jars, so we simply turned one into a rattle. Put four pennies in a baby food jar, make the lid tight, and coat it in a few layers of packing tape (so that if the toy somehow gets broken, the glass will be contained). My son absolutely loves this toy.

Turn over your old unusable electronic devices. My son plays all the time with an old remote control and an old cellular phone. He pushes the buttons and talks on them.

“Laminate” pictures. Print off pictures of family members and laminate them heavily with packing tape (so (s)he can’t chew them up). Make sure the pictures are fairly large so there’s no choking hazard. My son loves these as well - he has a set of pictures of many family members and friends. We also make homemade flash cards, too, with letters and numbers and colors, using the same “lamination” method.

Make a soccer ball out of …. socks! Got some older socks that are starting to wear out? Clean them thoroughly one last time, then make a ball out of them by tying one in a knot, then putting them inside of each other. With the last one, tie a good knot to keep it closed. My son and I roll this “ball” back and forth to each other all the time.

Old plastic cups make great toys. My son has a set of measuring cups he plays with at Grandma’s house; at home, he has a big red plastic cup. He pretends to drink out of it and likes to talk into it because it makes his voice sound funny.

Fun Stuff people...F.U.N.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Toasty Baby...Mmmmm.

I have eyed this product for the past year.
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The Walk With Me Baby Carrier Blanket in soft fleece.
Super smart right?

You can buy it here

Monday, December 18, 2006

Bib Rant

Lately H has taken to pulling his bib off mid-meal and winding up a food covered mess. It is getting me down. The other bad bib nonsense is the velcro closures. When we do laundry the velcro sticks to our other clothes and has ruined a few pieces of clothing.

New Moms: Don't buy bibs with velcro closures. You'll regret it. Spend the extra time finding bibs that snap.

Wiser Moms: Where can I get bibs with double snaps (you know, baby proof snaps) or bibs that slip over the head?

Help...I'm in bib hell.

Friday, December 15, 2006

Victoria Staten - One Cool Mamma

I hadnt heard of her - but check out her site HERE

Following a 15 year career at Nordstrom, Dayton-Hudson, and most recently as Group Vice President for Kenneth Cole Productions, Victoria believed that it was time to start a company that could make the kind of baby gear that moms like her would prefer to purchase. Her prior success fueled her desire to build a team that will change the face of how baby products are designed, marketed and distributed across the globe.

Her goal is to provide sophisticated consumers with products that combine superior functionality, with a sense of style that is uniquely attuned to each consumer's lifestyle. She wants to ensure that everyone she touches enjoys the experience. Whether it is an employee, a vendor, or a consumer, her goal is to make sure that each and every one of them has a positive experience when touched by the brand.

Check out the Baby Carrier
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Really sweet diaper bag that you could definetly carry after baby is out of diapers
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The High Chair is very "Aspen Mountain House"
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and this is the coolest pack-n-play I have ever seen...
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If anyone is feeling super generous when our next baby comes, we'll take the play yard!

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Out with the old...

If you want to clear out some old toys to make room for new ones, I’d like to remind you about this worthy cause.

Asha from Parent Hacks has spread the word about sending our used stuffed animals and toys to children in Iraq. She was recently contacted by a member of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers who is currently stationed in Iraq. She offers to distribute any and all toys she receives.

Read more about Edmay Mayers’ passion for the Iraqi children and also about Asha’s toy drive.

The mailing address is as follows:
Edmay Mayers
USACE - GRS
APO AE 09331

Seriously, your kids probably have a bunch of toys they are through with...think of the joy one of these discarded goodies could bring to a child who's life has been destroyed by war.

Tis the season folks....

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

A table and a toy chest

We are considering this table from DucDuc for the big H.
It is like a play table and a toy chest in one as it has this cool center drawer that comes all the way out.
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This playtable provides two options: cool gray chalkboard on one side (for the kiddos) and smooth lacquered paint on the other (for you). Table top is specially sized to accommodate most train-set boards, and rolling drawer beneath is large enough to fit toys and train-set pieces. Rolling drawer can be removed and becomes a separate storage bin for maximum versatility. Made in the USA.

From our friends over at Sparkability!

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Music Together

Do you have a kid's music program in your area?
We have music together and H has been going since he was about 10 weeks old.
They have classes for babies, toddlers and bigger kids and it is AWESOME.

H loves music.
He dances when he hears a song on the radio - granted 'dancing' is a bit of head bobbing and bent knees. He loves the drum and shows definete interest in guitar.
When he is beside himself...a bar or two of a familar "music together" song seems to calm him right down.

They (the infamous THEY) say that music helps children with math...and between H's papa and I - he needs all the help he can get.

So music for babies rocks! You should check it out.

BONUS: Mamma gets to sing her heart out once a week in public in the name of baby love. Pretty groovy...right?

Monday, December 11, 2006

Fake Keys

Argh
We have an extra remote control, 2 fake cellphone and 3 sets of plastic keys...
But H only ever wants the real thing.

So for Christmas H is getting his own set of keys.
Real shiny ones from Home Depot.
Uncut keys are less lethal and so unnecessary that losing them is no big deal.
A few keys, a few bucks, one cheap key ring...hours of fun.

Genius, right?

Friday, December 08, 2006

Dollar Store Boredom

When we go to the mall, you know the ugly cheap mall, the one with the Spencer's Gifts and Forever 21, we like to hit the Dollar Store.

I am sure you have been to a dollar store so stop snickering...

Did you ever think that this store should be called the "Mecca of all things that only cost 100 pennies that might entertain my toddler for 10 minutes so I can...(insert dream here...take a shower, make a phone call, poop in peace...)

Things like a wide tooth comb, a plastic soap dish, a tooth brush, a pet toy, a fly swatter...

Who is snickering now...Miss Can't wait to hightail it to the hundred penny store...uh huh...right.

Get your tushie to the dollar store, spend a few and stock up for those precious moments.

Thursday, December 07, 2006

No More Tears

Check out this cool shampoo rinse cup...
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This easy-to-pour rinse cup helps keep shampoo and water out of your child's eyes during bath time. A soft, flexible edge along the front forms a watertight bond against the forehead.

Best yet, it is under 7 bucks at Baby Center

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

How to stay clean

Having a kid makes life so much more hectic..and dirty!
My house has never been such a wreck.
I vacuum everyday so H doesn't eat dirt off the floors...(love my RICCAR vacuum by the way!)

But thought I would share a site with you on cleaning
Mrs Clean
has lots of tipes for cleaning just about everything.

You never know when you'll need to know how to
get wax off hardwood floors or blood out of your new silk blouse.

Ahhh....kids.

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Blocks

H needs blocks.
Ones he can stack and especially ones he can knock over!

They are so many one the market so here are a few of our faves:

I am a fan of the plain blocks and they have to have a container or else they would be everywhere!
Melissa & Doug makes these great ones
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60 blocks for 40 bucks

And these are quite nice from Genius Babies
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These look strangely the same but more moohlah
60 blocks for 50 bucks

And how about some GROOVY BLOCKS
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These are cool too...32 blocks, 34 bucks

FUN!

Monday, December 04, 2006

Just the BEST!

Ok, I am in lurve with these new sleepers from Snugabye

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During the night, you cover the feet to keep em toasty warm. Then, for morning playtime, uncover and cuff so baby has good traction for walking.

We just bought our first pair at KMART and we're headed back for more.
I want to give my Carter's sleepers away and just use these.

Good Work Snugabye Folks!!

Oh and they make em for infants and bigger kids!

Friday, December 01, 2006

Baby Bumblebee

Has anyone heard of these Baby Bumblebee Videos

Baby BumbleBee and BumbleBee Kids provide parents and children with quality programming that is appropriate for a child’s earliest stages of development.
Real world images, children, toys and playful music are used to explore a broad range of early learning topics.

We're suckers for anything that we think might give H an edge. So after reading some pretty awesome parent reviews we bought the Vocabulary Builder 5-DVD Set
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But I have to admit I bought it on eBay and saved a few bucks.

You should check out the BabyBumblebee site.
They even have free flashcards to download and print out!
Go here immediately if you want smarter babies!