New Mom Gift Idea – Timi and Leslie Diaper Bags

How can we resist the style of this adorable Timi and Leslie overnight diaper bag?

Made of quality leather, this fabulous diaper bag is loaded with accessories, all sporting a tasteful circus animal theme. Packed inside, you’ll discover a plethora of baby essentials including an insulated bottle tote, a detachable shoulder strap and a whole bunch of fobs to attach your keys too. Also, there’s a changing pad, a diaper mat, a wrist bag, a medicine case and a baby wipes bag. Other features that we like are the waterproof lining and the zip up bottom that opens up a big space to store baby clothes.

A celebrity favorite, this little number has been spotted sported by Kelly Ripa, Faith Hill, Cindy Crawford and many more.

We snagged ours from Baby Oliver Boutique for a bargain $85.95

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.

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.

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?

Coach : It’s not meant to be wallpaper

There are some upper end brands we all know just by glancing seeing a single letter. The special “G” for Gucci, the for Fendi, the LV pattern for Louis etc. – these are all excellent examples of marketing done well. I have an item (or two) from these designers, I am not opposed to overpaying for a letter to be on something – I too am not above knowing I am getting totally ripped off and wanting the item anyway. I get it, I promise. We have all accepted that when you want to show people you’ve got some cash, you sport a letter or a symbol. Fine. But please ladies, please, these things are not meant to be body wrap or wall paper. Today as I rolled into my daughter’s ballet school I was nearly blinded by the letter C coming at me. One of the fellow mothers there looked like one of those trippy wall art things where if you stare at the series of random dots long enough they become a picture of something in 3D. Well I stared and stared but all I got was dizzy, and a sudden hatred for Coach. Listen, a wallet, a bag, a scarf, some loafers with a little “C” here or there – fantastic. Chic. Luxury. Discretely upper class. ALL FOUR OF THEM AT ONCE – trying waaaay to hard. Honestly her outfit was the fashion equivalent of pulling out her income statement. I didn’t say anything – we all know I am a total wimp in real life – but I really WANTED to say – “PLEASE STOP ABUSING THE ONE LETTER OF THE ALPHABET LADY, there are 25 other letters in the alphabet, and plenty of designers for each. Instead, I told her……. I loved her shoes.

Back to Cool….

I fully recognize that I have some emotional issues because any mother that refuses to let her poor three year old daughter get the Dora backpack she wants because it is a “cheesy cartoon character” has some serious issues. I believe I was hugged enough as a child, I have my own sense of “fashion identity”, I am pretty secure in myself – I don’t have an overwhelming sense of self-loathing, but something inside me just can’t do it. I ask myself  ”Why do I REALLY care!?”

With it soon being time to go back to school, we decided it was time to get a backpack. Yeah, I know, a little late since every other mother bought them like fourth of July weekend, but hey, we work on a 24 hour schedule in this house – if it doesn’t have to be dealt with in the next day, we are not even THINKING about it.

So we roll into an adorable little boutique for girls. You know one of those stores where you know you are going to pay 5 times what something is worth, but you are just so damned psyched to have a girly girl you could care less?! Anyway Avery immediately spots the most horrific backpack ever and is like “THIS ONE MOMMY!” Really!? THAT ONE!? I mean what do you think was the most appealing characteristic? The shiny, Made-in-China plastic that was so cheaply made it just SMELLED toxic, or the bright fuschia and hot pink combo that just “popped” off flaming orange background, or the giant Dora next to the word “Vamanos”!!! To make it even MORE unappealing (if that is possible!), this backpack was the only total cheese ball one. This little “gem” was surrounded by the most adorable backpacks – ones with hand stitched bunny rabbits, and quilted patterns in soft pinks and blue, and little polka dot and ribbon combos…WHY AVERY WHY!??!

So I did what any good, well adjust mother would do. I negotiated and made an offer she could not refuse. I told her to pick any toy out in the store she wanted, she could sleep in my bed that night and just to seal the deal without a tantrum I even through in ice cream on the way home. I then I bought the backpack I wanted….and called my therapist about my self-esteem issues.

Target vs. WalMart

I need to shake the man’s hand that created Target. Not because I love the store so much or because what he did was so different because he really did not do anything different at all. But, the fact that he invented nothing new, is what makes what he did amazing. 

Face it, we all go to Walmart to get things but we never announce it. No. Because well… Walmart is kind of gross, and not the kind of place we want to identify with. YET, when we go to Target, basically the same exact store as Walmart there is just no shame in that game. I have no problem being at the nursery school and mentioning I am running to Target to get this or that. Or if I am sporting a fine shade of melon flip flops I bought there, I have no issue telling the ladies at the gym that I so smartly snatched them up at Target. Yet Walmart? Not so much. Walmart is the black sheep of the wholesale shopping family. Costco, BJs, etc. those are fine too – those are places we go to stock up our beachhouses, or boats or ski houses so they pass too. Yet, they are even scarier looking in some ways than a Walmart. So why? What is so different about Target that Walmart is shameful and it isn’t? Is it the simple little differences!?

Things like the fact that Target on the outside is the color red. Walmart is blue and there is an * for God’s sake in the name. KMart and WalMart both have “Mart” in the name – is that bad too!? Target has a cool nickname – we all refer to it as “tar-shay”. Target has done something that call us yuppies by our special shopping call – things like having STARBUCKS not McDonalds, and they serve things like organic yogurt and salads not cheese filled pretzels. They have great designers we knew – designers like Amy Coe, and  Isaac Mizrahi that say, “Hey I am someone that knows style, but I still shop at Target.” I don’t know what they did, but when I look at my AMEX statement I know they did it well. Now if only I could get the founder to reinvent me….

Save the Parking Spots

There are moments in any average day that I feel convinced the world is coming to an end. It usually is not big things like the threat of a major terrorist attack or some new virus but little things like what happened at the mall today. A dreary New Jersey day, and a bunch of errands to run, I knew my mission was clear. Where else would go? The home of Bloomies, a food court and endless children’s stores. As I slowly rolled through the parking lot, in my house-sized, black SUV, I looked at a very full parking lot, and realized pretty much every other mom in the burbs had the same plan. (Did NO ONE think to text me…sheesh?!) Anyhow, I see a spot, not even a prime location spot – you know one where I would still be completely drenched as opposed to slightly water logged by the time I got my four kids out of the car and into the Neiman’s foyer. As I begin the workout that it takes to turn my humungus steering wheel, an older lady, (okay I was still being nice here but I really mean OLD like 70s old) floors her silver, foreign made coup and cuts me off to take the spot. At first I am almost too shocked to react – face it there is some comedic material here – I mean nice to see the old girl has some spunk to her. But just as I am about to give her a confused look, or at least show SOME form of dissapproval for her cutting me off, she rolls down her window to say something. Now, I am so stupid I think she may be offering to give me the spot or at least apologize, when she FLIPS OUT. I mean seriously, like if she were a cartoon there would have been smoke coming out from her little ears that are surrounded by that blueish shade of silver hair, and her face would have been like the color of tomato. Grandma was FURIOUS with me. I mean swearing like a sailor, finger pointing, telling me how she was waiting for that spot – (she must have been psychically aware of the spot from the row before). I am not a push over, and I certainly like for my kids to see me stand up for myself but I was so shocked, and flustered, I just mumbled “sorry”. I then proceeded to spend my shopping trip doing 2 things – 1. constantly scanning the crowd terrified I was going to run into her becuase for some reason I was afraid to and 2. thinking of all the thing I SHOULD have said. Maybe I was nervous because if I did run into her, I would actually have to say something and I HATE confrontation. In the end, though I realized that if the world is coming to an end, parking spots should be saved first.