You might be thinking it's a bit odd to bathe a baby in a "bucket" ...in a Tummy Tub? Take that up with the Dutch mid-wives who have made it common practice, also known as "bucket therapy"! They found that newborns were much more comfortable & relaxed being bathed in a "bucket" versus an infant bath, as the babies remained warm & contained, much like their time in the womb!
The Tummy Tub is available in 4 colors and has an optional stand, the 2 Step Stool. Unlike traditional baby baths, the Tummy Tub has an extended life after baby is done with it -- as a toy bin, waste basket, or storage container and can even be recycled!
To view the full Tummy Tub collection, click here.
Baby chic at it's finest. Petunia Pickle Bottom has a snap to them. They know what colors your like and they know how many pockets your really need in a "diaper bag". They also knew that yes, a fold out changing pad would be really helpful.
Petunia Pickle Bottom's Original collection features 4 bag styles: the Boxy Backpack (above, left), the Shoulder Bag (above, right), the Touring Tote (middle) and the Town Clutch (not shown).
The color combinations and fabric designs are spectacular. If pink & brown is your thing, check out Morning in Machu Picchu... or perhaps my new fav? The turquoise and yellow combination of Tranquil Tibet.
Next month fawn&forest will debut Bumbleride's newest member of the family, the Flite. This super compact, light weight umbrella style stroller will even accommodate a newborn using Bumbleride's carrycot! Flite's slim profile will allow you to quickly maneuver through any situation. Kind of like having super powers.
The Bumbleride Flite will be available for pre-order February 1st & will start shipping early April.
Deals! We’re moving out the Bumbleride Indie & Indie Twin 2009 models to make room for the new 2010’s. All Bumbleride Indie & Indie Twin strollers are 16% off! Offer good while supplies last.
Project Sugar Cookies. All kids love making sugar cookies. Cookie cutters, rolling out dough... squirting frosting.. sprinkles.Eating...
My 2 boys had a great time making the first batch of sugar cookies of the season recently. Even 18 month old Owen totally got into cookie cutter. Your family is likely to have the sugar cookie recipe you turn to, my favorite is Nigella Lawson's.
It's always fun to add to the cookie cutter collection, this year I am really loving this Northwoods set. And this year forget all about messy icing! These squeeze bottle are absolutely amazing and a lot easier for little hands to use.
Today's pick fits right in. Tea Towels by Tikoli. For Mom, because it's always nice to have towels that are lovely.
fawn&forest is excited to be included in Instyle Magazine's "Best of the Web" --as one of their favorite websites for shopping. Excellent!
Here's what they said about fawn&forest:
"Gorgeous and Green: Even if the goods wern't enviromentally legit, we'd still flip for this adorable collection of kid stuff."
Check out the November 2009 issue of Instyle to read all about it & get an exclusive 10% discount code.
Sakura Bloom is all about the love. Giving & receiving as you hold your little one snug as a bug in a rrr...... sling. Lynne Banach, mother of 2 and founder of Sakura Bloom incorporates fashion forward colorways (i'm sold on all the greys!) and down home cuddly goodness. In the image above (right) Lynne is carrying her youngest while playing putt putt golf!
when you were a kid, what were your top 5 things?
1. Sewing with my mom. I would take the name brand labels out of clothes and sew them into the clothes I made for myself!
2. Nita Andi , my Cabbage Patch doll,. She is now my daughter’s favorite doll. One year all I wanted for Christmas was a Cabbage Patch doll. Our local toy store was re-stocking their shelves with them and doors opened at 7. My mother and 10 year old brother, who was on crutches at the time, got in line at 5 am. My brother had to bat away grown women with his crutches to get me one, but he did! Love her!
3. Bright yellow wooden play kitchen my dad and grandfather built for me (this is now in our play room!)
4. Gymnastics on my pink carpeted balance beam my dad made for me.
5. Playing at the brook deep in the woods behind our house. There were great big rocks to lay out on and it was/is beautiful.
what are your top 5 favorite sites?
1. creature comforts
2. Gridskipper
3. New York Times
4. The Babywearer
5. Twitter -- follow us at @sakurabloom
what are your top 5 favorite words?
1. graceful
2. auberge
3. vegan
4. love
5. mommy
what are 5 things you want to do in the future?
1. Figure out a way to give back to my parents all that they have given to me.
2. Continue to travel the world with my children. Two spots I am especially looking forward to sharing them with them are Caves Branch in Belize and Thailand (all of it, from Bangkok to Koh Phangan, from Chaing Mai to Krabi).
3. I dream of a lanai and would love to reside in a place with year round outdoor living.
4. I would love to travel to Nepal with my sister to meet all of her friends and see the country she loves so much.
5. Make sure that every baby has the opportunity to stay close to mom and dad with a Sakura Bloom sling.
what are your top 5 favorite sakura bloom slings?
1. Jewels from our Silk Artisan collection
2. Chocolate~Violet from our Silk Essential collection
3. Licorice~Lavender from our Silk Essential collection
4. Pomegranate Stripe from our Silk Artisan collection
5. Rioja from our Luxe Silk Collection
Can you tell that I am a silk girl? haha!
Thanks Lynne! Be sure to check out & join in on the Sakura Bloom Triathlon over on the blog Adventures in Babywearing.
The classic frame baby carrier, updated! The Kokopax carrier features a lightweight anodized aluminum frame and 100% cotton canvas in contemporary prints.
The Kokopax is casual and ... everyday. Designed by a mother of 4 children who knows what it's like to never have free hands set out to make everyday life easier. The Kokopax Carrier was born.
And for those moments when don't want your toddler running around touching everything (err.....), the Kokopax is suitable up to 35 lbs.
Excellent.
Whoo! Everyone's favorite plastics (Boon!).... now come in a new color combo: ocean blue + lime green! How refreshing.
The new Boon goodies will arrive on the f&f virtual shelves mid to late July. Excitement!
Love to the Dad! Give him a Scout bag by PPB for Father's Day -- functional, edgy and nobody will know little Timmy's diaper + paci is in there.....?
Available in felt and leather + in 2 sizes.
I think now that Pam from the Office is pregnant, Jim will have to have a Scout... don't you think?
If I was going to be stranded on a dessert island and had to pick my top 3 baby things...... a sling would be my #1 thing I would pick. My 2 boys have made me into an official babywearing advocate.
So I am super crazy excited to now be carrying Sakura Bloom's amazing slings on f&f -- I am knocked out by all those greys! Available in a wide range of linen and silk fabric options (even organic!) and endless array of colors.
Wow. My favorite? This one in storm.
Happy Friday! We've decided to get cozy with the much beloved Dwellstudio. f&f now carries the complete dwellbaby and dwellkid collections, including all the matching do-diddies, decor and soft play toys.
I am totally loving the yellow of the Gio Lemon (above bib and crib set, right) and of Dragonfly. And having 2 boys myself, the Transportation pattern is really quite fun.
As if Beaba wasn't already cool enough with their Babycook they have recently added the Multi Portions to their lineup.
Made of BPA-free silicone, the Multi Portions has 7, 2-oz. cups with a tight fitting lid for freezing your baby's favorite sweet or savory foods. And you know what else it'd be good for? A toddler snack tray.
Brilliant. Available in 4 snappy colors, that green is fantastic.
Also, be sure to check out My Life With The Beaba Babycook!
What's a top selling stroller at f&f? It's a hotty at a great price. The Bumbleride Indie and Indie Twin.
Bumbleride came out with some dashing new colors for 2009 (vita and lava!) plus something else new: a carrycot for your newborn. Swoon!
I personally have the Indie Twin for my 3 year old + 10 month old and use it for my daily walks. The only time in the day that everyone is quiet + content to listen to the birds and hold pinecones.
Bumbleride love!
Richard Hutten is one cool cookie. He's designed quite a handful of spaces, furniture pieces and objects... including the Dumbo Cup for kids.
Hutten's work is part of the permanent collections of, among others, Central Museum Utrecht, Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art Amsterdam, Vitra Museum Weil am Rhein, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Ever heard of Droog? He's part of that too.
The Dumbo Cup is big and clunky.... and a lot of fun to use and eat snacks out of too!
Boon makes for a happy day! Boon Scrubbles make for a happy bath. Scrubbles are a set of 3 toys with interchangeable lids + bulbs. Twist them apart, fill the bulbs with water and squirt.......... your brother?
Are Scrubbles sorta rascally?
The Oh-Plah! Teething Bracelet was an "AH-HAH!" moment of brilliance. It's no secret that a baby is more interested in your watch-keys-bracelet than his own toys. So basically, Caryn Paradis, the designer, is a genius. My baby Owen thinks he's chewing on Mom's bracelet when actually..... Thank you Caryn!
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
That would have depended on the day you asked me; it was something I was constantly changing my mind about. Looking back design and business were always a consistent theme. I grew up in a pretty rural area: you had a travel a bit to find a playmate, so I came up with the idea to create a local “play club” so at least all the kids in the area could meet at a specific time to hang out. We even named it: The Sunshine Club (ok, ok, it was the seventies!). I had everyone design a t shirt and we had a fundraiser so we could buy the t shirts and supplies. I created these little dolls from clothespins that someone could use as an ornament, toy, whatever. We made a bunch of them and sold them door to door (we must have walked 8 miles-houses weren’t close together) selling them for .25 each. I think we made about ten dollars, which we gave to my mom and she bought the tees. Come to think of it, she probably subsidized our little venture. I also wanted to be a firefighter.
You are so innovative! What is your favorite part of the process? What inspires you?
Thanks! I love design development, or as I like to call it: the mulling over phase. It’s after I have a path to go down (a hint of a solution for an idea) but I haven’t really done anything with it, but the doors are wide open and the skies the limit. It’s very exciting. I’m one of those people that has trouble sitting still, so when I’m designing something I’ll take a walk or pace, or walk circles inside my house. Seems like when my legs are moving I can focus, and an idea that has been sitting for a bit takes off too. Inspiration for me is so spontaneous and comes from the silliest and most mundane stuff. I once had an “ah-ha” moment from a stick of butter. Don’t ask. I have a hard time segmenting my life, so I tend to be designing in the back of my head while I’m doing other things, but I think that’s the best part: you never know what’s going to create the spark.
What does the rest of 2009 hold for you?
This year is design development: the possibilities are endless. At Roundhouse we’re ramping up, developing more Oh Plah! and other new and exciting products. At home I’m getting my 5 year old ready to start Kindergarten and my 6 month old is getting ready to crawl. We also have this 100 year old house that we’re renovating ourselves (helps to have a carpenter-turned-architect husband!) so I’d love to have a closet this year.
If you are in the market for a new lifestyle, Petunia Pickle Bottom is perhaps what you are looking for. And if you want to style your motherhood differently, PPB has a myriad of options. With lots of color, fun fabrics and innovative designs.
I have never before seen a changing pad pop out of a clutch, have you? The Cake Collection (above right) has a fancy little clutch with a surprise pop-out changing pad.
You have most likely seen the classic Boxy Backpack. It's a classic that belongs in the diaper bag hall of fame, but also on your shoulder (or attached to the stroller). And have you met Scout? A leather or wool felt bag that could be for Dad.... or Mom.
Meet Moby, the amazing plastic whale by Skip Hop. By day, he is a bathtub spout cover. By night, Moby might be out having a whale of a time! Ha!
Moby has some notable features. He's dishwasher-safe and mold and mildew-resistant as well as being BPA, Phthalate and PVC-free.
Plus, he is crazy cute.
If you have ever wanted something with a pneumatic lift, now is your chance! The Flair Highchair by Boon not only glides smoothly in all directions but has a pneumatic which lift allows for an effortless height adjustment. Sounds like fun to me!
The Flair's seat is made of BpA-Free, Phthalate-Free, PVC-Free plastic and is available in 3 likable colors -- blue, white and pink. Flair has all the other bells + whistles you'd expect, like a 5 point harness and a seat pad that's not going to get all grody.
Pneumatic Flair!
The Bumbleride Flyer in action at Mio Gelato in Portland, OR.
Color: Seagrass
Favorite Feature: Adjustable handlebar so I can "face baby". Baby Owen liked that too.
Unexpected awesomeness: The zip-pocket on the front of the footmuff has ended up being quite useful. Pacifiers, toys, etc.
Also nice? The footprint of the Flyer does not take up the whole walkway at Anthropologie!
Boon really knows how to make bathtime more fun: Splat and Water Bugs.
Splat is the bathtime take on horseshoes or ring-toss. Water Bugs reminds me of water-skippers on a lake. Except Boon equips the kids with a cool net to catch the little buggers.
Also: Boon's plastic is happy. It's BPA, Phthalate + PVC free. And the pricepoint won't break your piggy bank at $7.99 each.
I recently gifted myself with a Bumbleride Flyer. In the name of research, of course. I have a handful of different strollers and so I am not easily impressed. But I have to tell you, the Bumbleride Flyer really blew me away.
It has an amazing amount of features for a very reasonable pricepoint ($329). My top 3 favorite things about the Flyer: 1. The handle reverses so you can face your baby or have the baby face outwards. 2. It comes with a lot of cool standard accessories including a raincover and infant carseat adapter. 3. Super easy fold! Fits in the trunk!
Also, new for 2009: New Colors: Lava (black) and Vita (pink). Redesigned canopy, wheels and footprint of the Bumbleride Flyer. New 1 touch harness system. The raincover is also now a standard accessory. Cool!
The proof is in the pudding: my 7 month old sat in the Flyer for 1.5 hours during a recent Ikea outing. Amazing! No tears. Total happiness for all involved.
The start of the new year is always exciting. New products + product updates...new colors + fabrics. Quite fun! Bumbleride's collection for 2009 is no exception. Starting with the Queen B, a modern approach to the classic pram style stroller.
What's new? Lava! The new black color with grey accents. Also, the Ruby has been updated with new interior accent fabric.
Other new features for 2009:
- New, one push harness system
- Redesigned canopy
- Now comes with a rain cover
Also note that we still have a sale going on for the 2008 Queen B.... free toddler seat and bassinet with purchase of the Bwana Queen B.
So, the battle is officially on: who is better? The longstanding favorite, the Boon Frog Pod or the sleek newcomer, Skip Hop's Tubby? Ohh, it's like Bobby Flay's show, Throwdown! Well, almost.
The Skip Hop Tubby does have a couple exciting selling points:
1. Low pricepoint ($20).
2. Made of neo-prene, so it's machine washable.
3. BPA Free, Phthalate-Free so the kids won't get poisoned.
I just hung up the Tubby (in orange) in our bathroom tonight. So far? Eliot thought it was a great new toy. Hmmm.
Sneak Peek: the Bumbleride Flite!
"In Spring 2009 Bumbleride will welcome this new addition to the family. [The Bumbleride Flite] 12 pounds of pure function and design, this little tyke is Bumbleride's take on a traditional lightweight stroller. Smaller, faster and full of energy, Flite is perfect for that urban family on the go." -- Bumbleride HQ
Also for 2009, Bumbleride shows a fresh new side. Debuting 2 new colors (Vita, vibrant pink and Lava, sleek black) as well as a new wheel design for the Indie (pictured above, left). 2009 is all about function, color and style for Bumbleride.
And I am personally looking forward to meeting the Bumbleride Flite (pictured above, right)!
A lovely little resting spot for your babe, the Svan Bouncer :: now in a brand new model with a few extra features. In addition to a few new colorways (and that gorgeous balloons Baby Star fabric!) the new Svan Bouncer has a recline that lays almost flat and has velcro instead of a snap enclosure. And see that bent wood? That allows the bouncer to gently bounce with the tap of your foot.
You know what else? The original model is on sale!
For the happiest Monday -- 2 new products from Dress Me Up: an Organic Cotton Cloth Ball + an Organic Cotton Burp Cloth Set.
Organic Cloth Ball is printed in their own signature fabric, using water-based, non-toxic inks. We have one. I think the baby thinks it's cool and my toddler thinks it's fun to throw (aahh! not at the baby!) because it's so soft + doesn't hurt. And the baby laughs!
My first son, as a baby was not a drooler or a spitter. My baby son, however is both. This organic burp cloth set (sold separately from the blanket + burp set) is by special request as I totally love these burp cloths, using them daily.
Happy happy organic cotton. Good for the babies.
I'll tell you straight up: i'm fascinated. The Boon Squirt "baby food dispensing spoon" is absolutely fascinating. A very tidy + convenient way to feed your child -- all you do is put up tp 3 oz. of baby food into the flexible bulb-end piece, which firmly attaches to the end spoon piece. Squeezing the bulb squirts a tad of food onto the spoon and baby eats. I'm fascinated! Bite by bite.
And apparently with no mess, that child in the image above isn't wearing a bib! Check it!
To the kudos of Boon all plastic is BpA-free, Phthalate-free and PVC-free. Happy Squirting.
Bebe au Lait (get it?) gets a big thumbs up. While I am a fan of print + pattern, I am a plane organic cotton + organic linen fabric (in the loveliest muted yet cheery colors) type of gal. And we're talking nursing covers! Did I ever think I would get excited about an organic linen nursing cover? Heck!
But oh how thrilled I was to see the latest shipment from Bebe au Lait as I had ordered myself the organic linen nursing cover in Peacock. Dreamy! The organic version has the same great features as the other Bebe au Laits: rigid neckline, generous sizing and adjustable neck strap.
And as my friend Sara demonstrated this past weekend, the Bebe au Lait also doubles as a cape if one is needed in a pinch.
New to fawn&forest, Polkadot Papoose baby slings! A classic take on the pouch style sling with fresh new fabric and a very thoughtful design. They're reversible!! Double style = double value! Polkadot Papoose "fuses classy cute with sensible chic, for a shamelessly adorable modern take on mankind's oldest accessory".
My favorite Polkadot Papoose sling s "Adele" (pictured above, right), love the grey + gold with a touch of pink. And that pocket? Officially a binky pocket but unofficially could hold a myriad of other small items (credit cards, cash or toy car).
The other fun bit? Tara of Polkadot Papoose names each sling after a character -- Marianne from Sense and Sensibility (above left) and Adele from Jane Eyre (above right). Totally fun!
So there was a time in my life that I had a minor obsession with handbags. These days? Strollers. Strictly for product testing reasonings, I have accumulated quite a few. And while I don't currently own a Micralite Toro, it is one beautiful stroller, I must say! And it's next on my list....
The Micralite Toro is the sweet sister to the Micralite Fastfold. Both the Toro and the Fastfold are an inventive twist on umbrella style strollers, with a few more bells + whistles. And a lot more versatility.
Versatility indeed. Not only does the Toro accommodate an infant carseat but also has a Newborn Carry Cot (when purchased as the Toro Newborn System) in addition to the fully adjustable seat. While the sun & bug shield is sold separately, The Toro comes standard with a zip on rain cover and a foot muff.
And in case you want all four tires to be air filled, not a problem as you can now purchase the all terrain kit making the front wheels air filled instead of solid rubber. And the whole set-up only weighs 19 lbs.
You can view a short clip on how the Micralite Toro works on this You Tube video.
I am totally intrigued by the concept of what these Joy by Mel Lim totes are made of: take 80% recycled cotton + 20% recycled plastic soda bottles and there you have it, a nice canvasy tote.
I have been test driving the yellow Sweet Dream 3 tote bag for the past few weeks. it has given me the suggestion of total style while keeping me sufficently discorganized. Just the way I like it. While I have been using the Joy by Mel Lim Tote as my everything purse turn toddler tote, it would also make a great library book bag or for quick errands when perhaps you don't need to bring diapers, O's and a toy Mini-Cooper Car.
The Sweet Dream Collection is a bit odd, yes. Bunnies, unicorns and a flute playing girl. Totally dreamy.....! The Sweet Dreams are produced in limited edition, get em while they last.
Happy Monday! After doing loads of laundry over the weekend I am now fully convinced I should be using more bibs. Bib usage = cleaner shirts = less laundry. Hmmmm.....Baby Star?
We are now starting to add the Baby Star line to fawn&forest. I am totally loving the bib collection for both boys + girls. Plus they have some amazing new fabrics out for 2008.
Baby Star bibs add style to the basics, catch the drool and the mac + cheese. Made 100% formaldehyde free cotton fabric. Features decorative fabric on front and super soft corduroy on back with a velcro closure.
And would even fit a toddler at 10"x14! Yo!
I met with my Doula/s yesterday as I am due in a few weeks. A lot of fun, instant friends who love to talk birthing, breastfeeding + baby carriers as much as I do! Delightful, the three B's.
So I am thrilled to announce that fawn and forest now carries the full line of Mod Mum slings. If the fit is correct, a pouch style sling (such as Mod Mum's) is perhaps one of the most versatile baby carriers as it can comfortably be used from birth into the toddler years.
Mod Mum slings was created by two stay-at-home moms who designed their baby slings for optimum comfort, while their designer fabrics help every mom to feel hip and chic as she carries her baby.
Which, you know, C'mon. When you've been spit up on for the 80th time today or have had mushy bananas wiped on you, wearing your child in a pretty floral or colorful graphic patterned Mod Mum sling makes you at least look like you have a relatively clean shirt on.
I am totally loving the greens of the "Madison" pattern, it has been put on my list! Shown above is "Emily" (left) and "Chloe" (right).
Ahh, yes. The ultimate do-good toothbrush. The Kid's Preserve Toothbrush by Recycline.
The Preserve Jr. combines thoughtful engineering with fun colors and shape to make a toothbrush that both kids and parents enjoy. Designed for children ages 2 to 8, Preserve Jr’s ergonomic, pea pod shaped handle makes it easy for young hands to grab on to while the soft bristles protect your child's teeth and gums. The Preserve Jr’s handle is made from 100% recycled plastic, including Stonyfield Farm® yogurt cups, and is recyclable when mailed back to Recycline.
The Preserve Jr. is available in 3 colors at $3 each or 3 for $8. Brusha brusha brusha.
It's Mutsy Stroller time, kids. fawn&forest now offers the entire Mutsy stroller collection. And an impressive collection it is!
Mutsy Strollers can basically be broken down into 4 stroller styles: Mutsy Urban Rider, Mutsy 4Rider, Mutsy Slider and Mutsy Spider, with variation options within the Urban Rider and 4 Rider lines. Available in a wide variety of colors and with maximum versatility (hello seat + carrycot!), impressive tire options and deluxe maneuverability.
Under the brand name of Mutsaerts, Mutsy Strollers have been a household name as a manufacturer of "pushchairs" since 1937. The image above left is a Mutsy pram from 1968. Image at right is the from the current Mutsy collection, the Urban Rider. How times have changed!
Even if you decide to go the minimal route in baby gear, you will most likely have a bouncy seat on your list. Most are ugly + don't fold up and are just plain clunky. You know the ones. Thankfully, the Svan Bouncer is different. Made of bent birch plywood with a non-toxic finish. And that cushion? Totally wipe-able and PBDE free.
And it folds up nearly flat to look like a sled! The fully adjustable seat allows your baby to lay down for naps, sit up to observe their surroundings, or lounge anywhere in between. Rock that sweet child to sleep with a gentle tap of your foot or allow it to bounce with your child’s own movement. Available in 6 colorways.
And, while there are no lullaby music options or moving plastic gizmos, a free set of Cloud B soft hanging toys will be included with your purchase through May 15th. That's nice.
As we are about to bring on 3 new stroller collections, I can't help but give a shout out to the Bumbleride Queen B. The Queen B happens to be a bit more urban than the rest of the Bumbleride collection. It weighs a bit more + is well fit for the Mom who walks about town rather than drives.
That being said, I have underestimated the versatility of the Queen B! So let's review: Air filled tires? Yes. Reversible handle (baby faces you or the world)? Yes. Five point adjustable safety harness + 4 position backrest? Yep! Smooth ride suspension? Oh yes. Infant car seat compatiable? Check. Spacious cargo basket and easy fold for storage? Yes!
Want a little icing on the cake? The Queen B comes standard with a foot muff, cup holder, safety belt for infant car seat and an air pump. You can also purchase optional accessories such as the bassinet and the toddler seat (shown above, left).
And about that toddler seat: it instantly transforms the Queen B into a double stroller. Wow. The Queen B is available in 3 colors: Bwana (shown left), Ruby (shown right) and a lovely chocolate brown called Koa.
Thank you to everyone who signed up for the twice monthly newsletter! Last month's newsletter sign-up giveaway contest for the FrogPod was such a huge success, I've decided to do it again! This month's giveaway is for a notNeutral snack set, pictured above in green+blue.
The notNeutral snack set is made of melamine + is available in 2 color options: green+blue or orange+red. With all the information out now about plastic safety, I was curious about the safety of melamine dish ware. While melamine has dozens of applications of use, Wikipedia states it has a similar acute toxicity level as that of table salt. notNeutral states the snack sets are made of the finest quality melamine and are produced in Thailand. From the bit research I have done, melamine dish ware is generally considered "non-toxic, non-allergic and safe in use", though melamine should never be microwaved.
While I am not a fan of putting hot food on any plastic, I have found the snack set very accommodating for my all-day, small-bite grazing toddler. The 6 piece set is dishwasher safe on the top rack + I find it's simplistic design refreshing.
Enter to win a notNeutral snack set of your choice by signing up for the newsletter. Contest ends April 20th, 2008.
The Boon bath toys are vibrant, playful + a welcomed change from all those other random bath toys that end up in the tub. The Boon set includes fifteen bath appliqués, three balls + two mini-scrubbies, perfect for little hands. And even though these designer bath goods leave the tub looking stylin', they are not exempt from the bathtub-sludge.
I was fixing Eliot a bath the other day, and noticed a tad-bit of slimeyness on the toys. Uh, gross. I am not so into the chemical cleanser genre and find good ol fashion vinegar often does the job. According to vinegartips.com: "White distilled vinegar is a popular household cleanser, effective for killing most mold, bacteria, and germs, due to its level of acidity. Cleaning with white distilled vinegar is a smart way to avoid using harsh chemicals. You’ll also be glad to know that it is environmentally friendly and very economical."
Perfect! You can of course clean the Boon bath toys in the tub or sink, but a bowl works as well. Fill a large bowl (tub or sink) with water, add a big splash or 2 of white vinegar and of course the slimey bath toys. You can add some dish soap as well, but it's not necessary. When you remember to rescue the toys from their bath, give them a rinse + air dry.
Meet the all around most basic + simple to use sling, the Hotslings. Hotslings are a pouch style sling designed to carry your tiny newborn and wiggly toddler. As a first time Mom, I originally became a sling convert out of desperation. Due to acid reflux as a newborn, my son would relentlessly cry unless he was held. 24/7 for almost the entire first year. Needless to say, Eliot + I had endless hours for major bonding. I'm thankful and the Hotsling quickly became the most used piece of baby gear. Ever.
Available in 2 designer prints (shown above right, top + bottom and at left), natural organic (shown middle) and 2 solid colors (chocolate + black) and in 3 sizes. As with all pouch style slings, wearing the correct size is important and size chart is shown on each product page. If you need help, don't hesitate to ask.
You know what Eliot says now? "I cry, momma hold me." Indeed.
Making your own baby food is not time consuming, is actually quite fun + so simple, that once you have the basics down, recipes become inspiration. In addition to a pot + steaming basket, a few simple tools are needed: a pureeing device (food mill, blender or food processor) and fresh baby food trays. Forget the icecube trays.
Fresh Baby's trays may look like icecube trays but oh, how they are not. They are made of FDA-approved food-safe plastic, #4 LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) and #2 HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) + contain no PVC, Bisphenol-A, or Plasticizer. Not so sure you can say that about icecube trays? And the fitted lids keep your baby food tasting like baby food in the freezer.
In addition to making 1 ounce single servings of homemade baby food goodness, you can also conveniently portion out your frozen breastmilk for the stash. This past summer I also had the bright idea to use the trays to make fresh organic raspberry popsicle-cubes; the perfect toddler portion. And yes, when you are all done with the baby food making times, you can use them as icecube trays.
The Frog Pod is the ultimate bathroom scoop-it-up + store-it-pretty solution to wrangle all the bath toys + soapy bits. Enter to win your very own Frog Pod by signing up for the fawn&forest newsletter. You have a whole month to enter but go ahead + take 12 seconds and click here.
The fawn&forest newsletter will cheer you 2 times a month. No spam + no junk. Happy Monday! Contest ends March 18th, 2008.
The P-Sling is a ring style sling that provides mom + dad ultimate flexibility and urban-dapper. A ring style sling is made of one piece of fabric and is fully adjustable because of the ring. Being fully adjustable not only accommodates the various carrying positions of a growing child but also allows for both parents use of the sling. If you are up for sharing.
Fostering a close relationships between parent + baby is the vision of PSNY for the P-Sling, viewing it as a communication tool to use with your baby before he even speaks. And with the quality + variety of fabric options + colors, the P-Sling is all about wearing your baby love in style. Each sling is sewn by one craftsman from beginning to end in Japan. The method of sewing used assures an even distribution of the baby’s weight as the 'pouch' where the baby is held, is designed to snugly wrap the baby in fabric to prevent him from jumping or falling out. Yes!
Available in cotton, linen and a bamboo + linen combination in over 50 colorways. My pick? The bamboo + linen (pictured above left) in sea blue.
Being a first time mom you are not quite sure what you will need. Every other mom you know seems to have her own sturdy opinions of must-haves + do-withouts. So much information can become overwhelming in a flash. Most would agree, however, you will need some sort of contraption to carry that sweet baby of yours.
The Moby Wrap, shown above, is a wrap-style carrier. It uses both shoulders + your back to carry the weight of your baby and is 1 continuous piece of 100% cotton fabric, 18 feet long. The Moby Wrap is quite versatile as you are able to carry your baby in 9 different holding positions, including nursing + carrying twins (at the same time!) and is suitable for preemies up to toddlers (or 35lbs.). Available in a variety of colors. The lovely gal + her baby in the images above show the Moby Wrap in chocolate (via Flickr).
The new 2008 Bumbleride collection has made it's debut. The Indie + Indie Twin (new for '08), featured above, are two very sweet rides.
The biggest draw for an "urban style jog stroller" is maneuverability + the air in the tires. Air in the tires is essential for the smoothest of rides over any terraine. The new additions to the color palette are amazing too: seagrass (green), spice (orange) + the limited edition bwana (navy blue). Koa (chocolate) + ruby (red) have also carried over into the '08 collection. The colors alone are refreshing but it doesn't stop there. All the bells + whistles are included: carseat adapter, footmuff, cupholder and removable bumper bar. Plus a fully adjustable backrest and check it, the foot rest + handlebar height is adjustable too.
You can even purchase an infant carseat cover for those who want their carseat to coordinate with their stroller to create your own version of a "travel system". I am due with baby no.2 in June + the Indie Twin in seagrass has my name on it.
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