Cute Gift Idea – Truffles by JellyCat

A few years ago we went to a gift trade show @ Javitz Center in New York and walked past the JellyCat booth. To our delight, Kara grabbed the first toy/blanket she saw and was absolutely in love with it. The sales person wasn’t so thrilled that we were getting our grubby hands all over his product, but it was hysterical watching my baby’s delight in the softness and cuteness of these animals.

Ever since then, I’ve been in love with these toys/blankets and highly recommend them. They are a pure joy to give and to receive! If you have any baby gifts you need to buy, check out JellyCats Traffles and you will be in love forever!

Part over-stuffed security blankie, part stuffed animal, these adorable animals make a wonderful first toys  for baby. Made of ultra soft, non-allergenic materials, the toy can lay down flat or sit upright. We love the sheep’s yummy soft body and gentle smile. The slightly weighted feet make it a delight to carry around or simply hang on the edge of a crib or armchair.

You can purchase one for yourself at Oompa Toy Store here.

Cute Gift Idea – Baby Clothes By Anthropologie

Anthropologie makes some of the most adorable baby clothes out there. Well made and absolutely fabulous. The only thing missing from this dress is sizes for toddlers and up.

This is a fantastic gift for a little baby girl or even for your own child to wear.

It’s festive and colorful and you can stay away from velvet or plaid.

A whimsical scene of crimson mums, blue sky and golden branches unfolds atop a ruffled frock. By liaMolly.

A+++ from us!

Best Kind of Christmas Trees For The Season

If you’ve ever agonized over what type of tree to purchase for the holidays, fret no more. Here we have outlined for your the top 4 Best Voted Christmas Trees in North America.

So sit back, relax and enjoy Christmas tree shopping this year.

Voted #1 – Fraser Fir – Fraser fir is a native southern fir and very similar to Balsam fir. Some say it is a southern extension of the Balsam fir species and naturally grows at elevations above 5,000 feet. This fir has dark green needles, 1/2 to 1 inch long and ships well. The tree has excellent needle retention along with a nice scent. Fraser fir was named for Scot botanist John Fraser who explored the southern Appalachians in the late 1700′s.

Voted #2 – Douglas Fir – Douglas Fir is not a true fir but actually has its own unique classification. Unlike true firs the cones on Douglas fir hang downward. Douglas fir grows cone-shaped naturally, has 1 to 1-1/2 inch needles that are persistant and has a sweet scent when crushed. The Doug fir tree is shipped to and found in nearly every tree lot in the Unites States. The tree was named after David Douglas who studied the tree in the 1800′s.

Voted #3 – Balsam Fir – Balsam fir is a beautiful pyramidal tree with short, flat, long-lasting, aromatic needles. Balsam fir and Fraser fir have many similar characteristics and some botanists consider them extensions of the same species. Their geographic ranges do not overlap and the Balsam fir has to have cold winters and cool summers. Balsam fir has a nice, dark green color and very fragrant. The tree was named for the balsam or resin found in blisters on bark and which was used to treat wounds in Civil War.

Voted #4 – Colorado Blue Spruce - The Colorado Blue Spruce is most familiar to people as an ornamental landscape tree. The tree has dark green to powdery blue needles, 1 to 3 inches long and a pyramidal form when young. Colorado blue spruce is very often sold “living” and with an entire root ball – to be planted after the holidays. The spruce was chosen in 1978 and planted as the official living White House Lawn Christmas tree. The young tree is pleasingly symmetrical, is best among species for needle retention and the state tree of both Utah & Colorado.

Adorable Holiday Baby Gifts Idea – Socks

Love these little socks from Little Miss Matched. Under $25.00, colorful, fun and useful, they are the perfect stocking stuffer for little baby! Includes 6 pairs of mismatched socks for your little out of the box kid.

The company is also offering free shipping on orders over $75.00 or more. Stock up on pajamas, leg warmers, socks and more.

Don’t Play With Your Food Kids! How to Get Your Toddler to Eat Their Veggies & More!

If you have trouble getting your kids to eat their veggies or anything edible for that matter, like I do, this absolutely clever plate will do wonders for your feeding times.

My daughter loves to decorate the character’s face in imaginative, clever and fun ways. Hey, I even like to do it myself.

You can find this item on this site:  Scents of Delight. ** Note **, I have not been paid or sent a free sample to endorse this product. It’s simply unique enough and makes lunch & dinner time almost bearable with a picky toddler!

Now I just have to figure out what to cook that will have  entertained enough to eat and play and miss the broccoli and asparagus on her plate! HA!

Fun Indoor Activities For Toddlers & Kids To Aid Development

The leaves are turning, the wind is blowing and a ton of leaves are sprinkled all over our lawn, waiting for their yearly clean-up! It’s fall in New Jersey! That means I have to come up with countless activities to keep our active and busy 2 year occupied, entertained and happy.

Since putting her in front of the TV is not typically my style, I’m always on the lookout for intelligent fun toys for her to play with.

Some of our favorite indoor activities right now are art, finger painting, puppet shows and reading! This clever art easel from Moma can be used as a chalkboard, a white dry-erase board, and even a puppet theater. Great for toddlers!

Pretend play and art stimulate children’s imagination and strengthens their language skills and aids in proper social development. We enrolled Kayla in pre-school a few weeks ago, and they seem to be doing an art project every time I take her there. We are signed up for 3 times per week, 3 hours per day. The arts and crafts they seem to create are fantastic for their age. It’s awesome!

These cityscapes templates from the MOMA store could be a little too advanced for a child under 2 1/2  to trace around, but they can definitely occupy a 3-year old. A set of four, these templates feature iconic images from New York City, London, Tokyo, and Paris. For ages 3 and up.

So there you have it. A few ideas on entertaining your toddler indoors. Hopefully, you have prepared yourself for the winter months with tons of activities up your sleeve and a ton of patience!

Product Watch: Rock-a-My-Baby on a Door Top

We love ingenuity around here at Gigi’s Crib and this new crib by Swedish company Mawok has definitely met our high standards!  It seems babies would naturally embrace this bed… smooth rocking motion to remind them of momma’s belly, soft padded mattress and the added convenience of hooking up right next to your bed for nightly feedings and cuddling. Ahh…who could ask for more?

Here is the product description from the company:

“Soft hammock

A soft and enfolding hammock is a prerequisite for the baby to lie safely when Mawok smoothly rocks up and down, and in addition we know that babies like sleeping snugly. Furthermore, although no known cure for SIDS exists so far, pediatricians recommend back sleeping, and in Mawok babies lie safely on their back, the SIDS recommended position. The mattress is made out of styrofoam, measuring 29 x 78 cm, with a cotton canvas cover (washable at 60 degrees Centigrades).

Suspension

Two new modes of suspension are offered, one permanent which is attached to the wall and one mobile which is simply hung over a door. The mobile solution is a safe and neat solution which is easy to suspend in new places, a solution unique to Mawok. The hammock is easily and quickly alternated between the two modes of suspension. This means that your baby always sleeps in its ”own” bed, day and night and even if the place changes.”

My only concern would be what if someone opens the door and you have the baby hooked up on the inside? It’s not very idiot proof and I am not sure if this will get approved in the US. No pun intended, but I can just see how this can go wrong if unattended or if attached to unsafe locations.

I wish they would come up with one of these for adults! And it even comes with a mosquito net so you can hang your baby from a tree for a good nap in the park.

What do you think about this product?

If you own one, what can you tell us about it?

Peekaru? Who? Baby Carrier or Baby Cover? What is it?

For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out how this thing worked!!! I hated anything resembling a baby carrier when my daughter was born and when I saw this, I was really intrigued. It seems like other baby carriers on the market were more tortuous than breast feeding. Did I mention my daughter was born at 10lbs 02 oz and measured 21 inches long with a 15 inch head circumference?

Yeah, I thought you would sympathize.

Anyway, so my sister is 38 weeks pregnant now, and I am looking for a good baby carrier for her so I can inflict some additional pain on her innocent ignorance of what’s coming next ….. (insert evil laughter here), and came across this Peekaru baby carrier/cover.

At first I thought it was the carrier itself not just a sweater to go over it.

Then I thought it was some kind of Sigourney Weaver/Alien joke.

Then I thought, it actually looked promising. I thought it was like a big sweatshirt with a huge pocket where you stick the baby. (You know like a kangaroo type of thing.)

Then I realized, it couldn’t possibly be sturdy enough to support the baby’s weight so there had to be some other contraption underneath where the baby would sit.

Indeed there is.  And let me tell you…for those of us who HAVE attempted to insert an infant into one of these contraptions —- HAHAHAH (evil laugh again), Good Luck to all you chickies out there!

It does seem like a good idea though for keeping baby warm if you are the outdoorsy type and like hiking, running, shopping or have a sadomasochistic streak in ya! Guuurrr….Me? I prefer something called a stroller. You know, it’s got wheels and you can push it around. You should check it out. I save the S&M for the bedroom.

I wish I had one of these to test out so I can give you a play by play review….maybe I’ll get one for my unsuspecting sister as a new baby gift?!? HAHAHA! (pure evil)

If anyone wants to send me the Peekaru to a full review, please contact us here.

Convertible Stroller Turns into Bicycle & More

Wish I lived in the Netherlands or at least someone would make this in the US! Hint hint Bugaboo and Graco!! Come on keep up with the Europeans! This stroller really does seem like something I would use! I do have to admit, there are a lot of gizmos and convertible kid furniture and such that seems somewhat pointless to me, but I think this Dutch company Taga hit on something awesome here! It’s reminiscent of the Bugaboo slim and modern design but with an extra kick! And it seems to store well in a smaller trunk for those of us who don’t drive 18 wheelers and would like some space for our groceries. It also promotes healthier living for those of us who live in walking distance to the market or in a city. Also, since it is completely carbon emission free, Taga is a smart and convenient substitute for a car in large cities such as New York. It will allow you to reach greater distances throughout the city while still caring for the environment and getting some needed exercise.Gosh… I can soo see myself with this thing if I still lived in the city!!! I wouldn’t need a car for those short trips to the drugstore or supermarket but I could still use SOME type of transportation! I have to admit, it’s brilliant! Taga also won a Red Dot Design Award for their ingenuity. Child seating can be reclined for a sleeping little one, and there’s both a hood and rain guard for protection against the elements. Future options will include seating for two children, a car seat adapter, a cart mode, a wooden double seat and extra front-end protection. The Taga is available in stores throughout Europe and the UK, where pricing is GBP 1,695. It’s available in Red, Orange, Blue and Green! Sighghhh…… I have 7 words?? When is it coming to the US???? Whom am I kidding – I live so far away from civilization, this would only be useful for getting our daily mail!

Fashion Failure: The Gap

So today I went to the Gap. See you don’t know it but that in itself is funny, because many closet clean outs ago, you know when I had some style I used to laugh my @ss off at people that shopped at the Gap. I never understood why anyone would pay $34.50 for a T-shirt. Now I totally get it. First off all the Gap used to be like this step down (you know what I am saying – you used to get the basics from the Gap because you didn’t want to pay $54.00 for a T-shirt from the places you bought your clothes at.) We only used to know the Gap for two reasons – it was wear like…um “MOM’s” shopped, and it was a hilarious skit on SNL (just get a belt and SYNCH IT!!!) Anyway, now Gap is the step up: because now we go to Old Navy for the basics. Don’t even pretend you don’t go there – you all know very well that their t-shirts are THREE for $34.50. Which means we no longer sit around and roll our eyes and call it cheap; We call our girlfriends to tell them about the sale so they can get ten pairs of toddler socks for $10.

So I went to the Gap because I decided I was so tired of looking frumpy and feeling like I wear the same thing all the time. As I walked into the store, I had visions of me buying a cheerful, springtime array of those dainty yellows, pale pinks, ocean blues. I was about to SJP it with matching flip flops and maybe even a headband just for that retro chic feel. The Gap looked like a box of Lucky Charms – all happy with the little shirts all in a row to make rainbows every where I turned. I loaded up. Once I got into that handicapped dressing room with the three kids and the baby stroller I was NOT coming out until I was looking like a maiden of the Spring – decked in cheerful array of warm colors. I envisioned the 6 foot posters in the front of the store with the smiling crew on them – Oh yeah, I was joining THAT club. (Side note: When you are wrestling with strollers trying to get into a dressing room, does it make you realize how tough it must be a handicapped person to get around? Do you know how freaking annoying it is to try to get those damn wheels through a tight spot holding 40 lbs of clothes in pastel colors while two other small people try to push past you at the same time?? Of course you do – your not my husband. LOL.) Anyway, I went in, and wrestled with it all – I exposed my bare behind to my three boys (all in an attempt NOT to embarrass them with ugly clothing in public), I unbuttoned, I rebuttoned, I sucked it in, I pulled it up and you know what I came out with?

My spring wardrobe now contains 4 black tank tops, 4 black t shirts, 4 black puffed sleeve t shirts and two pairs of pants in black and gray. Black. Black is it. Sure I tried on the pinks, the blues, the yellows. And they made me look cheerful, and all that but you know what the black ones made me look? SKINNIER. And that is what it all comes down to. Paris Hilton can rock the daisy print sundresses in lime, pink and yellow. Skinny wins out over fashionable every time these days.

I saw the sadness in the bouncy little sales girl’s eyes, as she picked up black shirt after black shirt that spit in the face of her lavender eyelet peasant skirts, and yellow crop jackets. It was as if with each black tank top, someone was taking the pin from her cheerful little “Ashley” name tag and was stabbing her with it. As she handed me the receipt, I had a hard time looking at her in the eye (not only because one of the twins was trying to see how many dirty coins he could fit in his mouth and my other son was screaming out the word “ICE CREAM” like he had terrets) but because I knew she was on to me. Not only was I the suburban mother of four they marketed too, I couldn’t even get it right in her eyes.

So are we no longer the fashion snob and can agree that we love the Gap now? Absolutely.

Afterall, where else can I can buy about ten different shaped shirts all in black?

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