The Daily Stroll

Keep It Clean

A Performance Bib. That is what we all need. Well not us, but our little people in our lives who tend to spatter peas on everything. As I was scraping bananas off of my expensive wallpaper this morning I wished that everything could be covered in a lovely soft terry with a waterproof backing. At least if my wallpaper can't be during infant feeding time, my infant can be and she sure needs it.

Baby Chaleco makes Performance Bibs. They cover up baby or toddler in a cute, and flexible way. No more starchy or hard plastic bibs- I mean who wants to sit in their high char with that on? They even cover the shoulders which can get just as messy as everything else when baby is trying to avoid said peas and such by nodding her head side to side. A few different styles are available, The "Dribble Buster" is cute, the "Frock" is fitting, but my favorite is the "Shoulder Shield" for those sticky pea incidents we keep having.

I also got to thinking that Baby Chaleco bibs make a great first birthday party bib. When you let junior at the cake you will want to protect his first birthday outfit that you spent a fortune on and fantasize about turning into an heirloom.

designer:: baby chaleco

Priority shipping is standard on orders of two or more products.

Well Nested

Babies are small. Yes this is a fact. My babies were both under 7lbs and surprisingly it was tough to put them in what I thought were regular newborn outfits. The second time around when baby E was born I wised up and purchased quite a few 5-8lb tops, hats, and gowns. This was very helpful since she was 3 weeks early and stayed under 8lbs for her first month or so. If I hadn't found companies that really knew how to dress a lightweight newborn she would have been swimming in clothes that were too big, unsafe, and not cozy. A un-cozy baby? Oy- what a thought.

Westcoast Baby has the right idea with their nesting kit. Complete with Infant Kimono (great for not having to put something over baby's head), Infant Beanie Hat, and Cocoon Blanket, the complete set comes in a handful of hip and cozy colors. Sizing 5-9lbs, or 8-12lbs. The nesting kit comes in a keepsake tin (so when they are done wearing their cozy outfit you can preserve it forever), and all pieces are made from a super soft knit jersey fabric.

designer:: westcoast baby

receive 15% off of your purchase by using the link above. expires 4.30.08

Personalitee

It is after all all about the kids. They want everything for themselves so why not indulge?

Resa design has a super cute way of coupling modern fabrics with a vintage twist. Appliquéd lettering, shapes, or numbers on whiter than white tees for your tot are as fresh as their baby bottom. Celebrate a birthday with a numbered tee  or bring out their personality with the first letter of their name on a keepsake shirt. Does your little cutie love turtles or birds? Stars or hearts? They are in luck. Oh luck- maybe they should do a clover?

No matter what Resa dreams up it is sewn with perfection and her custom pieces are the proof. Checkout other items like clothing, burp cloths, changing pads, and great "mom tips" scattered about the site.

designer:: resa design

daily stroll readers mention March STROLL at checkout for 20% off of your order. exp 3.31.08.

Baby Shower :: GREEN

 

Do you have a baby shower around the corner? Is it for you? For someone else? Whether the theme is blue, pink, or gender neutral I just thought I would throw together a few days worth of cute gift ideas for mom-to-be and new baby. If you missed BLUE or PINK check it out-but today is GREEN!

- The new mama is going to need this- Mother Effer's Va-J-J Jelly. Trust us. LeastLikely2Breed

- Cake Cosmopolitan Carryall. Our pick? Pistachio Layer Cake. YUM. PetuniaPickleBottom

- The parents to be want to wait and see if baby is going to like pink or blue so give her a green invite for her chic shower with a bit of chocolate on the side. PaperStyle

- Help the new mom keep track of baby's firsts with the unique Baby Tales gift set from Tiny Tales

- Take the mystery out of swaddling and give mom a blanket from the new modern squares line complete with instructions on this ancient way to calm baby. Super soft and invented by a nurse!
swaddle designs

Delicious little hippos and owls

Well I just can't get over the cuteness. Who knew that Ultrasuede could look so good? Now we know where the material went after the clothing trend of Ultrasuede went out years ago (thank goodness). It looks so much better cut up into small pieces and made into hippos and donuts and such!

b.delicious is a great collection of accessories and clothing for small people. With tiny scissors (I imagine) and a nimble artistic hand, Jennifer Talbot creates whimsical beings, and on clothing she applique's unique designs some of which help to bring out the personality in your little "King Pin" or "Chatter Box".

Talbot suggests using these owls as bookends in your child's room which is just genius, and she also has a feeling that hippos are going to be BIG this year. Applique can be seen in many designer's collections but this 3-D use of Ultrasuede is something that only a true artist can achieve.

designer:: b.delicious

dailystroll readers receive 10% off of their order. use code: URDelicious at checkout. expires 4.30.08.

Does Your Baby Have A Case Of BAD ASS?

It happens. Bad Ass. Some kids get it, some kids don't, and whether yours is a Bad Ass Baby all of the time or just on occasion it is nice to be prepared. Be prepared in a healthy, paraben free, safe way that is.

The founders of this cute little company which insures that you have every sort of ointment you could need for those unmentionable baby and women parts has a great marketing technique, and the dedication that most designers and new biz owners don't realize they need. When the sample arrived it was delivered in the cutest way (not going to give away any secrets here) and made the publicist in me giddy. The website is delightfully funny and contains some very interesting facts along the way. This comes as no surprise from this self proclaimed "mom + pop" operation. Mom is well, a mom so an expert on those hurting unmentionable women parts, and an art consultant as well as a previous small business owner. Pop is a collaborative artist and website programmer. I smell success people. Bigtime.

Immediate application to baby "e"'s own Bad Ass was a success (she recently started 1st stage table foods and -YIKES). The company is going to be a hit, the products most importantly are going to bring a lot of relief to some tender breasts, bad asses, raging roids, and upset va-j-j's.

designer:: least likely to breed

dailystroll readers receive 10% off the Bad Ass Booty Balm. secret word: "stroll" at checkout. exp. 4.30.08.

Kice Kice is Nice Nice

Twin sisters with a passion for design and for filling the void in modern children's wear put their heads and hands together and came up with Kice Kice. I love it. What a breath of fresh air and a celebration of childhood!

The Spring 2008 line is a collection of hand appliqued tops and bottoms all made of 100% organic cotton. The perfect playwear for your dancing, whirling, fashion concious child. Sizing ranges from 3-6 mos to 6 years (thank goodness!). Washing and drying will result in a slight curling of the hand applique's which is a characteristic of the garments. A clean, modern look to compliment the upcoming Spring season.

designer:: Kice Kice

available for online purchase at:: nonchalantmom

Snuggle Bug Baby Company

A good blanket. It can mean the difference between sleeping baby and not so sleeping baby. It can bring comforts of home with you on a road trip, and add instant style to the nursery.

Snuggle Bug Baby Company designs blankets with the entire families needs in mind. Like they say on their homepage, their blankets are high quality with super soft fabrics, and they give you the choice of any of their simple designs to fit your lifestyle. They make less than 100 blankets in each design to insure that your baby has the most unique blankie on the block.

Measuring in at 35"x37", each blanket has 100% cotton designer fabric on one side and white ultra-soft marshmallow fabric on the other. Yes, Marshmallow. That being said- if you think you are in love with one of them you better scoop it up. They are selling out like hotcakes.

We like the blankets, the designs, the websites unique way of showing you all of your choices, and most of all we love Snuggle Bug for giving every 9th blankie made to charity.  They call this the Magical 9th Blankie and we couldn't agree more.

What is your favorite design? Match it with your baby's personality. I think I have a "Clara" (ruby) and a "Tula" (elkë) on my hands!

designer:: snuggle bug baby company

daily stroll readers:: Order any Snuggle Bug Baby Company blanket now through April 2008 and get a free newborn hat and free domestic shipping!

Looks Silly But It Works

It looked silly. I mean would she like it? Would she even chew on it? Would it be too big for her mouth? In a moment of teething desperation these questions go out the window and you will try anything. This is the true story of how we finally tried the RaZbaby Raz-Berry teether.

I had seen this product before. I mean hello, I am who I am. However I just passed on it because when you see it up close it looks like something out of a science fiction movie. It is a GIANT raspberry on a rubber leaf that resembles a pacifier but is half the size of my baby's face (not really).

Elkë is 6 months now and teething hardcore. Ruby did not cut her first tooth until she was 15 months old and never teethed. I am not sure which I would trade. The not knowing if your child will ever get her teeth and taking them to the dentist to discuss dentures, not to mention the fact that Ruby still hardly eats a thing because she missed all mechanical digestion practice that infants get. Or would I rather have the up most of the night, inconsolable, rash faced infant who is on a Motrin drip and we still can't see any buds poking through. Which of these would you choose? Like any of us have a choice.

So about 2 weeks ago I was ready to try anything including this kind of odd looking teether. I found one to my surprise at my local grocery store for only $3.99 and scooped it up. I got home and washed it and handed it to Elkë who immediately took a liking, no scratch that- a lovin' to it. She is RaZlovin' and although it doesn't take her pain away or make her teeth come any faster it keeps her mind off things for a while and she looks so cute trying to fit it into her mouth. The soft silicon filled "Raz-Berry" is nubby and perfect for their gums. She can suck on it if she wants or she can sort of chew on the flexible berry. The leaf and loop are easy for her to hold and the whole thing is bigger than a regular sized pacifier so it is safe for all ages. The colors also keep her interested.

I highly recommend this product. I am probably the last mom in the world to try it and God knows they don't need the media buzz as it's on almost every drugstore and grocery shelf in America, not to mention Amazon.com, but if you are hiding in a closet of "scary baby gear that looks like a disease" shame and you haven't forked over the $4 for it. Please do you and your unhappy infant a favor and go get one. Comes in blackberry too- so I hear.

designer:: Razbaby - check here for stores in your area

BABY SHOWER : PINK

Do you have a baby shower around the corner? Is it for you? For someone else? Whether the theme is blue, pink, or yellow/green I just thought I would throw together a few days worth of cute gift ideas for mom-to-be and new baby. Stay tuned for\gender neutral next week  and if you missed BLUE check it out-but today is PINK!

- baby shower invite (or can be customized for bridal as well) by Sweet Pea Ink. I love the vintage illustration and Sweet Pea Ink has many quality cards available.

-hand made mama + baby elephant stuffed toys by Maiden Love
one of a kind and a beautiful nursery decor item that is also a safe friend to play with

-honey jar personalized baby shower favor from Shower Foundry. Give something that everyone can use. Jordan Almonds are so 1980.

-go in on a gift together (because we would never suggest that one person give a gift this large) and purchase the mom-to-be the hottest stroller on the market. I love the sherbet-esque combo of these colors. The Quinny Buzz with accessories at Modern Tots


-Dwell baby has hit the shelves both in-store and online at Target and their collection is both stylish (of course) and affordable. This receiving blanket 3 pack has the most modern design and coordinates with the entire Olivia bedding collection. Under $10.