The Children’s Place, as usual, is making back to school shopping fun and fabulous. This fall, they’re focusing on modern classics, with lots of color and layering. For the girls, they’ve incorporated floral, leopard and snake skin into key pieces like jeggings. For boys, graphic tees, athletic wear get a lot of playtime at #PlaceFall.
According to The Children’s Place lead designer, Michael Giannelli,
Back to school comes earlier than past years. The weather is still warm, and we want to ensure our clothing is wear-now appropriate. From our brand you’ll see more short sleeves, shorts, skirts, which will all be in store through September. Kids will have a lot more wear-now options.”
In fact, we picked up a few short-sleeved graphic tees that we love to use as undershirts. Since fall can be so unpredictable, it’s a given to have a short-sleeved tee underneath.
Even though, baby doesn’t go to school for quite awhile, my absolute favorite piece from our #PlaceFall haul was the robot backpack for the little guy. Perfect for preschool and totally suitable for throwing the essentials for the day.
Prince Lionheart recently added the bebePod Basix to its line of baby and kid products. With a safety belt and chair harness, this plastic infant seat/booster seat combo provides a multi-function seating solution for babies. The seatbelt and chair harness give this seat added security to prop baby up onto a chair for feeding time, offering a viable alternative for a high chair, which is often known to monopolize precious kitchen space.
The seat is a basic plastic seat that provides just enough back support and form in the front and sides to help even babies who aren’t quite sitting yet the opportunity to sit upright for dinner.
We’ve been testing out this seat for a few weeks now, and it hasn’t been until recently where we’ve actually been able to enjoy it. Baby’s muscle tone seems low and he can’t quite sit up on his own yet, so the bebePod Basix helped him sit upright and enjoy playtime from a different angle. We have two high wooden highchairs that I’ve talked about in the past, so we never really had a need for a booster seat, except when we travel. But what I love about this seat, is that it can be used anywhere, just as Prince Lionheart suggests. We’ve enjoyed using it while Biggie and I are in the playroom, as well as outside while we’re playing outside.
It’s a versatile infant seat and booster, and one that is a better option than foam seats that have been in the news for yet another recall.
Speaking of that recall, I wanted the uproar to simmer a bit before sharing my two cents. The thing is, it’s not always parents using a seat incorrectly. Sometimes, it’s just the way it is…
(coming soon! Im having wifi issues, so I’ll upload this as soon as I can!) Here are my thoughts on a vlog I did today on the bebePod Basix. I’m going to try to share my thoughts more regularly on products, parenting and beyond—all while baby is napping. So, here’s my first installment of Nap Chat:
There are a few types of baby gear: the kind that will do the job for now, and there’s the kind that works well AND makes things a little easier.
And then, there’s 4moms, the baby gear company that’s shaking things up with products that are changing the marketplace. Their latest innovation, the Breeze play yard, is shifting the whole paradigm…with just a push of a button.
Parenthood, at least for me, isn’t about the most stuff, or even the flashiest stuff. For me, it’s about well-designed products that are safe, efficient and are built to last. Throw in a little innovation and I’m sold!
By now, you may already know that our family is quite fond of 4moms. We’re continually dazzled by the Origami’s power folding abilities and super cool dashboard. And without getting the waterworks started, the mamaRoo is just as functional, as it is special to us. I’m fortunate enough to see and experience the latest in kid products, but when it comes to merging efficiency and innovation, 4moms is absolutely making their mark.
And when I think of convenient and efficient baby gear, rarely does a play yard come to mind. Otherwise known as a Pack n Play or playpen (if you’re old school,) 4moms has redefined the play yard concept with the Breeze. After unfolding, the Breeze is put together in less than 30 seconds. With a simple push, the entire play yard locks into place and is ready for baby’s nap, or if you’re my kid, roly poly time up and off of the floor where cat hair and dust breed before my eyes.
The Breeze is so Easy my 4 Year old Can Do it(?)
I wanted to say that the Breeze play yard is so simple my 4 year old could do it, but A) the kid willingly helps with the laundry after watching me all the time B) his arm isn’t long enough to reach into the Breeze and C) the 4 year old thing just isn’t a good example at all. Nevertheless, the Breeze is so easy, people; all baby products should be this breezy.
And speaking of 4 year olds, he was my director and camera man while I filmed these videos. We did quite a few takes, so you might be able to hear him saying “cut,” many thanks to my awesome editing. We had fun chatting it up about the Breeze, so be sure to check us out in action! Please excuse the shakiness, a sometimes crying babe and my child begging to go to the beach.
I’m so excited for the Breeze! I’ll let the video do the talking, but just a few things I love about it that I don’t think I mentioned are, the sleek aesthetics, clean lines and cool aqua/black color scheme. It complements my modern/classic decor without being offensive. I used to swear that baby and kid products wouldn’t overrule my living room, but to be quite honest, the Breeze may take up a good amount of space, but thankfully, goes beyond cutesy patterns. As for the overall physical presence of the Breeze, the frame is solid once its locked into place, yet its not too rigid. I love the convenience of the bassinet feature and changing pad; it’s streamlined without becoming a bulky addition.
As with any product, there are always a few caveats, and the same goes for the Breeze. At about 30 lbs, the Breeze is heavier than what I was expecting. And because it’s so new, sheets aren’t accessible yet, but thank goodness for the waterproof padding. I tried to use a Target brand pack and play sheet, but it didn’t fit. Having used their other products, I’m certain 4moms products are safe; however, because the Breeze is still so new, like all most products newly released to market, safety ratings aren’t available right away. (Reminder: I’m not a safety professional) And finally, pricepoint is something I can’t not include. At $299, the Breeze is more expensive than mid-range play yards, but it is true when they say, you get what you pay for, and the Breeze would most certainly last for multiple children, whether it’s siblings or passed down to friends and relatives.
Ready or not, here it comes! As summer starts to wind down, the back to school frenzy begins…just like that. All summer however, I’ve been checking out the latest and greatest in back to school trends. I’ve seen a lot of looks ranging from retro, classic and edgy. But of everything that’s new for the season, the best look we’ve found, ultimately, is the one that lets kids be kids.
A brand that gets it right by offering a myriad of styles while remaining age-appropriate and affordable is The Children’s Place. And so, when TCP, one of my favorite retailers, asked me to take part in a back to school promo that involved styling Biggie, it was a no-brainer.
As I studied their back to school lookbook, I couldn’t help but get nostalgic about The Children’s Place. I remember my mom perusing the racks when shopping for our back to school outfits. And so, being tasked to style my soon-to-be school age son for a promo for TCP, I must admit, it was supremely surreal, considering I wore their clothes as a kid and a vast majority of my childrens’ basics are from this same brand.
Back to school looks for everyone
The back to school looks, as I mentioned, seem to assuage all tastes, shapes and kid sizes. The girls’ pieces, though strikingly pink, retro and sparkly, also offer classic and more subdued styles as well. As a mama of boys, I usually have tunnel vision for the more rugged and edgy styles. The Children’s Place tasked me with styling my boy for some back to school looks. They gave me about a $150 price range to work with, which was more than enough to pick and create many looks.
I had a fun time picking out styles that I thought suited Biggie. He’s an outspoken four-year old, and one who just happens to have a penchant for clothes. It doesn’t matter what it is, this kid loves clothes. He’s obsessed with cool pjs, wearing sporty clothes for playing outside and even, getting “fancy” when we go out. This could be my doing, but hey, you can’t fault a boy who appreciates being well-dressed.
The pieces I chose were a mix of preppy and classic, with navy blue as the dominant hue. I try to buy timeless and durable clothes that would potentially be in style and in great shape four years later for baby bro. I like to layer because the weather in northern Jersey is very unpredictable in the fall and because he’s a boy. Hello, ketchup on the top shirt. Thank goodness for that undershirt! As for accessories, I went with items that Biggie loves: a skateboard bookbag since he loves skateboarding; a striped tie because they make him feel “fancy”; and classic navy sneakers. The sneakers, by the way? They look like they’re regular laces, but they’re not! They’re actually elastic, which makes them easy to slip-on–perfect for kids who can’t tie their shoes yet!
I love the way his looks came together! Biggie was such a great sport, considering it was 80 degrees on the day I took these pictures, and according to Biggie, he had “too many clothes on,” yet he still managed to cheese it for every photo! We shot these pictures at this tiny red school house in Florham Park, NJ, as suggested from a friend.
Getting him all dressed for this mini photo shoot got me all excited and anxious for the first day of school! Do you guys like this time of year as much as I do? What sort of clothes do you buy?
Check it
As part of their Mom Knows Best back to school campaign, Biggie will be featured on TCP’s FB page! If you feel so inclined be sure to vote for us and the styles I chose! I’ll be sure to link when it goes up.
With summer just a few weeks away (yay!) and just in time for National Learn to Swim Day on May 19, I’m so excited to announce that we made the SwimWays Swim Team. This is another fun ambassadorship that will allow us to give you the scoop on great kid gear.
So, this summer, both kids will be learning how to swim with SwimWays gear onhand. The big kid will be learning with SwimWays Swim Step 3 and the babe will be floating along with Swim Step 1. The SwimWays’ Swim Step program is a three-step approach that include swim-training aids to help parents teach kids to swim at home.
Raising Water Babies
I spent endless summer days in our family’s swimming pool and then, as I got older, I lived it up at the beach. Growing up in a beach town, my summer days were routinely spent in the water, from sunrise to sunset. So, now that I’m a parent I hope to enrich my kids’ summers with the same love for the water.
We live in a lake community now, so swimming at the “beach” aka our lake, fills our summer days. Even though the Big Kid has the basics of swimming down, he doesn’t officially know how to swim yet. That said, I cant wait to help him learn the fundamentals of swimming and how to stay safe in the water.
And now that we have the baby, the wee one can’t be forgotten. Baby will be along for the ride on our swimming adventures, where we’ll nurture his activity in the water with Level 1 Swim Steps.
Celebrate National Learn to Swim Day
It’s going to be a fun summer, and I can’t wait for our beach days and teaching the boys how to swim with the help of SwimWays. Speaking of which, to help usher in those summer days full of swimming, SwimWays created National Learn to Swim Day to help raise awareness about the importance of teaching kids to swim. On that end, SwimWays is hosting the first annual National Learn to Swim Day Event at the Greenbrier Family YMCA in Chesapeake, Va from 1-3 pm. The event will not only be a grand opening of the YMCA’s outdoor pool for the summer, but it’s also a way to celebrate National Learn to Swim Day. The event is open to members and non-members and will feature fun activities and goodies. If you’re not in the Hampton Roads area, you can still enjoy National Learn to Swim Day by visiting a community pool or simply enrolling the kids in swim lessons!
Facts and Tips
Here are some staggering facts that SwimWays passed along:
· According to the Red Cross, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14 years old.
· Statistics show that children ages 1 to 4 drown most often in home swimming pools.
· Children were often out of sight less than 5 minutes and under the care of one or both parents at the time of many home pool drownings.
For more resources on pool safety, tips and products for teaching the kids to swim, be sure to check out SwimWays’ TeachMetoSwim.com website.
With Easter and Passover right around the corner, bulky winter gear is thankfully being replaced with snazzy Spring outfits for the kids.
The Children’s Place, one of my longtime favorites for staples and dress clothes, has a great Spring line up filled with classic styles with plenty of details. This season has styles for everyone, from girls, boys, tots to babies.
We were invited to shop at TCP a few weeks ago to check out the latest offerings first-hand. With a big boy and a newborn to shop for, my biggest dilemma was deciding which items to take home. I have a weakness when it comes to shopping for kid’s clothes, which attributes to kids’ overflowing dressers and closets. We had a friend take family portraits shortly thereafter, which gave us a great reason to take the kids’ new clothes from TCP for a spin.
Boys clothes aside, TCP had the most beautiful dresses and outfits for girls, too. Admittedly, I’m not a head-to-toe pink fan for girls, so I was glad to see that TCP had dresses beyond shades of pink. Most dresses and tops were adorned with bling or some other eye catching details. My favorites were the classic white and black dresses. But most importantly, TCP gets it right with age-appropriate silhouettes for girls.
From Baby to Big Boy
For my own kids, I was excited to find dressy clothes for both boys in one spot. I haven’t been shopping for two kids that long, but based on my experiences as a kid, I was anticipating having to shop at multiple stores to accommodate different sizes and tastes. At TCP, we found plenty of jolly roger, pirate-influenced clothes, something my four-year-old is crazy about. He quickly snactched up some khaki shorts, a tie and collared shirt, all bearing small skull and cross bones details. I also grabbed some undies, a t-shirt and a nice dress shirt for the big kid, all items that have been getting great wear thus far. The dress shirt, I noticed, is a different quality from other dress shirts we’ve bought from TCP. This plaid shirt that looks much like “daddy’s work shirts,” is classic, but soft to the touch.
For the baby, I stocked up on portrait-worthy dress clothes, perfect for Easter Sunday. A Southern girl through and through, I always love dressing my boys in seersucker. I was excited to find baby pants and a matching hat, all in seersucker. I also picked up a dress shirt with anchor details and a few pairs of jammies for the babe.
Be sure to check out their latest in spring and summer clothes! And before you go shopping, make sure you Google for coupons. TCP seems to always have good coupons out there.
Full disclosure: We were provided a gift card to The Children’s Place as part of media shop day. As always, all opinions on NKT are my own.
With Spring now in full bloom, it’s time to update the kids’ closets with warm weather clothes. I’m always excited when we can finally replace the monochromatic shades of winter with a more colorful palette, full of weather-appropriate goodies. And with Spring comes all the fun new fashion lineups, including those for the most fashionable kids! Designers like Ralph Lauren have a penchant for outfitting the entire family with classic, yet versatile pieces, and that goes for the 2012 RL Gang Spring line.
Photo Credit: Momtrends
The line, which is out now, features classic pieces synonomous with Ralph Lauren’s Americana influence, and mixes it up with some edgy, girly or preppy flair. Like many of the kids who wear these pieces, RL Gang reflects this diverse spectrum. Whether it’s the tattered jeans, ruffled details or classic stripes that suits your kid, the expansive and super cute 2012 RL Gang Spring collection has it covered.
My favorites include the girl’s white blazer with pink detail and the boy’s dark denim paired with classic Polo stripes.
Because our entire family loves Ralph Lauren, I’ve mentioned RL Gang in the past; in fact, I posted about last year’s Spring debut. So, it was quite a treat to be invited to this year’s RL Gang Spring launch and video preview at Bloomingdale’s. The RL Gang Spring event was hosted by my friend, Nicole Feliciano of Momtrends, whom, I’m sure you know, is a style maven and fixture in the fashion front.
This was my first blog-related outing with both baby and big kid in tow, so it was quite fitting to preview this Spring line firsthand and meet some of the beautiful kids who comprise the RL Gang Class of 2012. The precocious little girl, dubbed Willow and epitomizes Bohemian chic, approached the baby and me and made small talk. I’m imagine she’s about four or five, and asked if she could carry the baby. Even though I politely declined, I got a little chuckle out of it.
The big kid, who waxes poetic about being a movie star/model/rock star one day, enjoyed all the fun treats and rubbing elbows with his “peers” at the RL Gang Spring event; he even has his Flipbook to show for it. To boot, one of the local tv news outlets, WPIX, was on hand to cover the event. The boys and I made a super quick cameo at the very end!
Be sure to check out the Spring RL Gang and the adorable Class of 2012 online.
The day is finally here: DVF for Gap Kids and BabyGap has officially launched. It’s the day that many fashionista mommas, their mini fashionistas and Diane von Furstenburg fans alike have been anticipating. Ok, so, the line has been seen online for weeks, and even hit Gap’s online site earlier this week, but today’s the day where we can pick up mini-wrap dresses for the smallest stylish set in-store.
The DVF for Gap Kids line ranges from $20-$85 and includes cute spring pieces such as rompers, dresses, leggings and assorted accessories. DVF for Gap Kids features bold, whimsical prints in silhouettes that DVF fans already know and love. The adorable line for girls was created exclusively by designer Diane Von Furstenburg for Baby Gap and Gap Kids and is expected to be a hot seller. So, if you’re hoping to pick up a fun spring dress for your own budding fashionista, run, don’t walk, to your local Baby Gap or Gap Kids!
According to tweets that I’ve seen from my blogging pals who cover fashion, it looks like the line is a big hit, as expected. Though I can’t see myself stocking my kid’s closet with $75 dresses that they’ll quickly grow out of, how can you resist an outfit or two when they’re this cute! I love that they’re modern prints with classic appeal and age-appropriate pieces. That romper (which as of this posting, I can’t find on the site,) that dress (same for this one pictured) and the bathing suits are so gift-worthy! Hello, cuteness! Thank goodness I don’t have any girls, otherwise I’d be even MORE broke! Ok, Gap, so what designer collaboration are we doing for the boys?
Judging from the fact that some pieces are already sold out online, from what I’ve seen, DVF for babyGap and Gap Kids lives up to the hype. But as a sidenote (and as a mom to boys I would’ve never thought about this,) I’ve seen a few bloggers who have mentioned that the wrap dresses with attached shorts for toddlers may be confusing for the potty training set. Nevertheless, it sounds like DVF for Gap Kids is so popular, that these adorable dresses won’t be on the racks that long.
DVF for Gap Kids is available in stores and online now.
Target’s become synonymus for partnering with a myriad of cutting edge designers to provide accessible, affordable, yet fabulous collections to the masses. And kiddie fashion is no exception.
Announced earlier this year, rocker turned designer and fashion icon, Gwen Stefani, partnered with Target for her upcoming collection for kids, Harajuku Mini. The collection, inspired by Stefani’s penchant for Japanese street-style, touts an eclectic, edgy, yet practical appeal for babies, tots and Tweens. I love that this collection is edgy, yet not over the top.
The Harajuku Mini for Target lookbook hit the internet last week, but I just got around to checking it all out myself. The collection is expected to hit stores next month and will feature cute items such as accessories, biker jackets, dresses, onesies and outfits that are totally Holiday worthy. While the animal print and plaid dresses for Tweens are cute, they don’t completely blow me away. The baby items, little girl outfits (where the pink and black color scheme dominates ) and the boy clothes are super cute. My faves are pieces that would be perfect for my guy and the new one on the way; at just $20 for both the Mayhem sweatshirt for boys and tuxedo onesie for baby! And of course, the pilot case for myself!
I never hopped on board the Missoni madness from earlier this fall, but I’ll be the first to incite a little panic for Harajuku-Mini. The clothes are THAT cute. Expect the best of the Harajuku Mini line to go quick in stores!
Ranging from $4 to $30, the entire collection will be in stores November 13. Check out more of my faves from the Harajuku Mini lookbook.
Like most preschool-aged kids, my guy has been practicing his letters and numbers. There’s so many great toys and tools that promote reading and writing-readiness, and Aquadoodle‘s mess-free mat is one that’s become a mainstay in our lesson enrichment stash.
This toy has been around for a few years, but it just recently found its way into our inbox. There’s so many reasons to like this educational toy, but I especially like the fact that it promotes kid-powered creativity and brain power. With just water and the included pen and mat, the Aquadoodle Draw ‘n’ Doodle Mat is both fun and educational, while remaining virtually mess-free. The kid loves the pen; it’s ergonomic shape for littler hands and cool water “ink” were quite the novelty for my 4 year old. He loved seeing the different colors appear within the various sections of the mat.
Not too many complaints with Aquadoodle, although, I will warn that the pen will leak water if you don’t twist it tightly. The water filling, too, can become a preschooler “I can do it myself” nightmare, as I’ve learned. No really, kid, you don’t need a refill after writing one letter!
Here’s a little video where I try to get the kid to draw an “A” on the Aquadoodle. Ten requests later, he finally complied. Sheesh!
In the $20 range, the pricepoint of the Aquadoodle classic Draw ‘n’ Doodle Mat is very reasonable and a great pick for toddler and preschooler birthday presents. In addition to the Aquadoodle Draw ‘n’ Doodle Mat, Aquadoodle has several products in their line, such as the Travel Doodle, Plush Doodle Pet and the Doodle Wall Mat.
You can find Aquadoodle products as retailers such as Target, Toys R Us and Amazon.
Full disclosure: I was provided with product samples for purposes of this review. As always, all opinions on NKT are my own.
