MyMomShops: Best of 2007

Before MyMomShops returns full speed ahead on New Year's Day (with a giveaway perfect for 2008!), I thought I'd highlight just a handful of my favorite products & posts from the past year. Hope you enjoy them too...

Favorite Baby Gift: Sonya Bebe Baby Blanket (if you can spend $50+) or Craft-E-Family Personalized New Baby Block (if you are on a budget or want an add-on gift). Both are lovely, lovely keepsakes.



Favorite Stationery: Egg Press. As loyal readers know, I am obsessed with the texture of beautiful letterpress cards. I discovered Egg Press at the National Stationery Show in May and, boy, am I glad I did.



Favorite Kids' Outfits: Birthday Outfits by Lilliputians NYC. My kids wore Lilliputians signature "number" outfits for their joint birthday party last summer and they were beyond cute (natch).



Favorite Gift for Mom: Photo Bag by Gina Alexander. I received this last summer and the quality (both of the photo reproduction and the bag itself) is truly superb. I get compliments everywhere I go with it.



Favorite Toys: Oompa.com. Even before the toy recall scares, Oompa.com took the prize for the best European toys out there. Their toys are pure eye candy, and some are even educational, too.



Favorite Etsy.com seller: Creative Cupcakes. This seller turns fabulous photographs into the cutest stationery ever. Great for year-round use.



Favorite Post: Pride & Joy. In September, I posted about my son's progress in Early Intervention, and told you about a great baby book as well (the easiest one you'll ever find, I promise!)


Hungry for more highlights? Scroll down the right-hand sidebar to "labels" and click on "favorite gifts" or any other category that tickles your fancy...that should keep you plenty busy till I return on Tuesday! Happy New Year!

Steals & Deals: Garnet Hill

I'm not officially back yet, but just had to share these great deals at Garnet Hill Kids with you.

First, this Ralph Lauren Polo Dress. R. practically lives in this dress every summer so I scooped one up for her. Sizes 2T through 16, on sale for $28-$34 (reguarly $45-$55). They run small- buy a size up.


Then, remember this fantastic movable pegs hanger I posted about last spring? It's 50% off now, on sale for $24 (regularly $48). Love it.


In fact, Garnet Hill has so much great stuff on sale right now. Click here for their winter sale and clearance including kids & women's clothing, home decor, and toys.

The Wheels on the Bus

This hand-knitted School Bus with Finger Puppets by I Golfini Della Nonna is awfully pricey but sew darn cute (sorry, couldn't resist). 100% pima cotton bus comes with 10 finger puppet "students." $70 at Forest & Zoe.

P.S. I'm on hiatus from posting until January 1st so I can do some "blog improvement" including playing around with some new designs, like this one. Love it? Hate it? Let me know by posting a comment. Don't be shy! Also, if you want an e-mail reminder when the posts return on January 1st (with a giveaway that very day) e-mail me with "newsletter" in the subject line. Happy Holidays, everyone!

Best Bins

I've had my eye on this Mini Bin Set by Tatutina for a while. Tatutina is a family (actually, mother/daughter) business based in Massachusetts that creates adorable hand-painted children's decor and accessories. This set of bins is a very cute way to organize small toys or knick-knacks in your child's room. The largest box measures 7" x 6" x 4.5". $24 for the set of 3 at Tatutina.com. (They are also having an end-of-year sale with HUGE discounts- check it out!)

Enjoy an additional $5.00 off your order at Tatutina with code "HMwinter".

Little Man

It is so much fun dressing up baby boys like "little men" with accessories like these vintage print necktie bibs. These fashion-forward bibs are not only funny, but also very practical, made of machine washable 100% cotton terrycloth. They are handmade in New York (yay!) and are available in striped and 50's space exploration patterns. $20 for each one at UncommonGoods.com.

Find the Right Word

Thanks to Sapling Press, a lovely letterpress stationer I discovered at (where else?) Etsy.com, for sending me samples of their "definition" greeting cards. The 9 cards in this series offer just the words you're looking for...whatever the occasion. Choose from love (i love you), apology (i'm sorry), happy (happy birthday), late (happy belated), thankful (thank you), kudos (congratulations), apart (i miss you), well (get well soon), and farewell (goodbye and good luck). Each 4.25" x 5.5" card is printed on handmade paper and layered on top of french's craft cover stock. The cards are thick and yummy (that's what I love about stationery like this), and each arrives wrapped in a clear cellophane bag $4/card (envelope included). Indulge your inner wordsmith at Sapling Press.

MyMomShops Giveaway: Ready, Set, Deliver!

This contest is now closed. Congratulations to Kira, who wrote, "This is fabulous!" Kira, please e-mail me with your name, address, color and size choice to claim your prize.

I was (annoyingly) organized with both of my pregnancies and had my hospital bags packed by 32 weeks (good thing since I ended up with preterm labor both times). However I must say my packed bags were extremely boring and practical with very few indulgences for myself (just thong sandals for the icky hospital showers). I would've enjoyed one of these kits from Ready Set Deliver. This e-boutique provides "ready-to-go" kits for moms to bring to the hospital for the Big Day- including fuzzy slippers for non-skid tread, a sleep mask (a MUST!), lip balm, a headband (boy I could've used this for my post-delivery photos), a chic nursing gown (size s/m or m/l with plenty of stretch), all packaged in a nifty, stylish drawstring bag you can use later for just about anything at all.

Batter Up!

I spotted this Plush Baseball Set with Sounds at my neighborhood Pottery Barn Kids store recently. Cute gift for a toddler boy. Built-in sound chip chirps four sounds including "You're outta here!" and "Steeerike!" Bat and ball are filled with polyester foam. The set of two (one bat, one ball) is on sale for $19.99 (reduced from $29.99) at Pottery Barn Kids.

MyMomShops Holiday Sponsor: CWD Kids

Our latest holiday sponsor, CWD Kids, has definitely become one of my favorite kids' clothing sites over the past year. First, they have a great selection of age-appropriate clothes for my tall four-year-old girl (I am finding it increasingly frustrating finding size 5 clothing that doesn't scream "teenager"). Second, I loooove their sibling clothing; big sister/little brother clothing can be tough to find but CWD Kids has made it possible for me to dress my big girl and little boy in matching clothes from time to time (like for Halloween). Third, the clothing is great quality (brands like Lilly Pulitzer, Polo Ralph Lauren, Mulberribush, and Room Seven) and the in-season sales are fantastic. Here are some of my current picks from CWD Kids:

Seashells by the Seashore Collection by Hartstrings. Boys' polo ($26) and tropical print swim trunks ($32). Girls' tropical reversible dress ($48), sleeveless seahorse top ($26), and reversible skirt ($40):


Corduroy Schoolgirl Dress by Jeanine Johnson (on sale for $29.99, reduced from $44):


Free Rider Flannel Sleeve Tee by Wes & Willy (on sale for $19.99, reduced from $32) with Twill Cargo Pants ($29/pair of $50/two)


Blue Felted Wool Princess Coat by Room Seven (call for size availability; on sale for $99.99, reduced from $216):


Like what you see? I'll bet you will find even more stuff when you browse CWD Kids's current sale items. Happy Shopping!

Chocolate Cardigan

This Hooded Cable Knit Sweater from Elegant Baby is a perfect unisex baby gift. The chocolate brown color is ultra-stylish and a new mom will appreciate that the sweater is 100% cotton and machine washable. Available for $39 in sizes 6mos through 24mos at Elegant Baby.

A Cut Above

I think these Custom Cutting Boards from Room Service Home would make a fantastic (yet practical) hostess gift or even wedding gift. Made of solid maple wood with "sure grip" rubber feet, each board is customized with an initial monogram. Available round, rectangular, or scalloped; prices start at $89 at Room Service Home.

Gift That Keeps Giving

You know how by January your kids are bored with the toys they received for the holidays? eBeanstalk.com's trademark Gift Series is a great answer to this yearly dilemma. The company has created age-appropriate gift series that will last a child throughout the year. Each series contain four high-quality, developmentally appropriate toys based on your child's starting age. Gift series are available for infants, 1-2 year olds, 2-3 year olds, 3-4 year olds, and 4-5 year olds. That takes care of about half the kids on my holiday gift list! Oh, and there are also themed gift series like "Travel" and "Space Savers" (for cramped apartment dwellers like myself). Love this concept. And the toys happen to be very high quality. Think how happy your kid'll be when a new toy arrives every 3 months. Visit eBeanstalk.com

All orders over $75 get free shipping with code "FREESHIP" and all Gift Series are 15% off with hcode "GIFTSERIES".

It's a (Gift) Wrap

Ready to wrap your gifts? The Paper Source always has a superb selection of gift-wrap, especially at the holidays. Here are some fun designs; each roll costs about $2.25 at The Paper Source.

Pizza for Sale

Pizza Party Elmois by far my kids' favorite Hanukkah gift this year. And it is on sale big-time at Amazon.com, reduced to a mere $7.50 (I paid $29.99). Yes, I know I often blog about high-quality, European, wooden toys. But sometimes you just can't argue with your kids when they want Elmo. Mine are smitten with this dancing, opera-singing Elmo who serves (a talking) pizza in a cardboard diorama of a pizza parlor. I must say that Elmo and his talking pizza are growing on me. And at this price I will stock up on a few as birthday gifts for toddlers and preschoolers. Buy one (or more) for your own gift-giving while it's on sale (and eligible for free shipping) at Amazon.com.

Itti Bitty Kid

I recently stumbled onto IttiKid, a site that offers colorful modern playclothes, decor, and accessories imported from Denmark and Sweden. Think of it as Hanna Andersson gone trendy. I love the colors and patterns and the fact that almost everything is unisex (I love being able to buy things for my daughter that my son can wear someday too). Check out these goodies (how 'bout that Viking shirt!) and more at Ittikid.

Greetings from The Windy City

I received this lovely holiday card by Smudge Ink from one of my oldest and dearest friends, N. (mom of Y.), who is living in Chicago for the year. Smudge Ink is known for thick, yummy letterpress cards and these are a great way to send holiday greetings from far and wide. Available cities include New York, Boston, San Francisco, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Each card is 6 1/4" x 4 5/8" (when folded) and comes with a red envelope. $14.50 per box of 8 at Smudge Ink.

Goal!

Sports-obsessed dads will no doubt give this David Fusselganger "Goal!!" Blanket a thumbs-up. The generously sized blanket (56" x 80") can be enjoyed by fans both small and big. It's made of cotton/rayon/acryclic blend, is available in pistachio green (shown) or charcoal gray, and costs $79 at Modern Seed.

MyMomShops Holiday Sponsor: Lou Lou's Corner

Our newest holiday sponsor, Lou Lou’s Corner, is a delightful specialty boutique hailing from Hickory, NC (they have an e-boutique as well). They carry cool, clever items for babies, kids, grown-ups, and even pets. Love a store that has something for everyone. They carry some of the trendiest brands including Automoblox, Built NY, Barefoot Dreams, Petunia Picklebottom, and Barefoot Contessa. Here are some of my favorite holiday picks from Lou Lou's Corner.

Night-Time Pals Lamp: Petey the Puppy. Cute way to keep the boogeyman at bay. ($25)


Built NY: Gourmet Getaway. Much more stylish than throwing all those snacks into a Ziploc. ($25)


Room Seven Crimson Patchwork Dress. Oooh, I would love to have this for R. this winter. ($98)


Holiday Hand Warmers. Great stocking stuffer!($5)


Browse for holiday gifts at Lou Lou's Corner. Also, if you sign up for their newsletter, you'll receive a thank-you confirmation e-mail with a 10% off coupon (one-time usage).

MyMomShops Giveaway: Birdlette

This contest is now closed. Congratulations to the two winners:

The Saunders Family, who wrote, "These are too cute!"
Michele, who wrote, "What great graphics"

Winners, please e-mail me your name, address, design choice and size to claim your prize.
Birdlette is a terrific new graphic design shop based in Cold Spring, NY. Designer/mom Andrea Latvis makes silk-screened baby onesies and tees. I saw the Birdlette line at the ENK Children's show last July and, boy, was I impressed. The tees are 100% cotton and double silkscreened by hand. The designs are fetching; I'm particulary taken by the showering bear and the frog with umbrella. I wasn't surprised to find out that Birdlette has recently been named by Print Magazine as one of the best new designers in the U.S.

Most of the designs are available as either short or long-sleeved onesies or tees in sizes up to 6T; the average cost is about $28. Check out all the designs at Birdlette.

12 Days of Christmas

These Twelve Days of Christmas Plates from Rosanna are sooo beautiful for holiday entertaining, and fun to look at, too! There's a partridge in a pear tree, 12 drummers drumming, and everything in between. Made of refined porcelain, they are available as sets of 12 appetizer plates ($96) or 4 dinner plates ($60). They also look nice as wall decor (see photo). Browse these and other holiday dinnerware at Rosanna.

MyMomShops Holiday Sponsor: Huddy Buddy

Holiday sponsor Huddy Buddy is a brand-new company started my mompreneur (and MyMomShops reader) Robyn Feldberg. After noticing that their four-year-old son was dressed like every other kid in the playground, Robyn and her husband decided to create fun and unique tees for "Huddy" and his friends. The result is a fun, casual line of playwear with original silkscreened designs- plus coordinating comfy playwear (I always appreciate when funny onesie sites offer "bottoms" too). The shirts are printed on top-quality 100% cotton, ethically-made garments. And- a nice touch for the holidays- a percentage of every sale is donated to the Huddy Buddy Fund supporting The Hospital for Sick Children.

Here are some of my favorite Huddy Buddy designs:

Long Sleeve Christmas or Chanukah Tees (on sale for $15- buy ahead for next year!)


Meltdown Warning Onesie ("I didn't nap today") ($24):


Boys' Rock On Onesie or Tee ($24):


Big Sister Shirt ($24):


Check out all the wares at Huddy Buddy.

Eco-Friendly Fleurville

What a steal- these stylish, eco-friendly Fleurville Re-Run Stroller Bagsare on sale at Amazon.com for just $20 (regularly $69.95). I saw them in person at the ENK Children's Show last July and was very impressed. They are sporty-looking and handy for toting baby's essentials; even more, they are PVC-free and each is made from 8 recycled water bottles. Includes changing pad and wipes container, too. Pretty good deal, wouldn't you say? I like the olive color best, but it's also available in slate gray, red, and black. Check it out at Amazon.com.

Snoozing After Santa

I am a big fan of Lands End and I think this applique throw and sham for kids looks terrific and cozy. Made of fleece, the throw measures 50"w x 60"l and the pillow cover is 16" square. Perfect for that post-holiday snooze. Lots of other cute holiday designs available, too. The throw costs $39.50 and the sham costs $14.50 at Lands End.

MyMomShops Holiday Sponsor: Pure & Honest Kids

Our holiday sponsor Pure & Honest Kids is a charming e-boutique that offers wholesome and youthful kids' fashion (up to size 6), furniture, and accessories. Mother/daughter team Debbie Koontz and Molly Ridenhour have hand-selected stylish but age-appropriate items for children, as well as gifts for moms. They carry some of my favorite brands including Tea Collection, Bla Bla, and Serena & Lily. Take a look:

Daily Tea Akira Shirt ($18)


Fruit Rattles (set of 5, $45)


Daily Tea Amethyst Stripe Dress ($22)


Trike Renditions Wall Art ($100)


Visit Pure & Honest Kids and enjoy free shipping on orders over $75, and complimentary gift wrapping!

Whistle While You Shop

I spotted these adorable Zenius Whistles at Ona.com and think they would make a great stocking stuffer (they can be used as ornaments too). They are hand-carved and painted and arrive in a linen pouch. Personalization is available. Each is 4.5" long and costs $7.99 at Ona.com.

Little Tree Tote

I love the fun, winter-y look (like trees, right?) of this little triangle tote from Three Potato Four. The 100% natural, machine-washable cotton canvas tote is just the right size (16.5"w x 15"h x 4"d) for running errands and has a handy quick-access exterior zipper pocket. $22 at Three Potato Four.

Holiday Gifts: Growing Up Garnet Hill

I dog-eared just about every page of the recent Growing Up Garnet Hill which has so many cool gift ideas for kids. Here are some of my top picks:

Labyrinth Balancing Board. My four-year-old has a balancing board like this and loooooves it.($98)


Wooden Walking Penguin. European-made and so adorable. ($32)


Band in a Bag. Includes sleighbells! ($34)


Fill-in-the-Blank Thank You Notes Make etiquette a little easier. ($9 for set of 10)


Browse around all the holiday gift selections at Growing Up Garnet Hill.

Fancy Networking

These are out of my price range, but I loved these scalloped leather business card holders by Lauren Merkin when I saw them in Real Simple and People (yes, I confess, I read People magazine). They are available in a bunch of colors (including black patent leather for when you want to network at a black-tie affair...) and cost $48 each at Lauren Merkin.

MyMomShops Holiday Sponsor: Petit Baby

I must confess that on the first night of Hanukkah I gave R. a toy she has been begging for- "Pizza Elmo." Have you seen this thing? It is fairly creepy but she loves it. Nonetheless, I will do my best to provide higher-quality (and quieter) toys for my kids. Like the selection at our newest holiday sponsor, Petit Baby (you may remember they sponsored this giveaway back in September). This charming family-owned shop carries a lot of my favorite European brands like Haba, Vilac, and Moncalin. These are toys you can feel good about...and, with luck, your children will appreciate them just as much as you do! Here are my holiday picks from Petit Baby:

Moncalin Butter Yellow & Baby Blue Stripe Pig ($62)


Haba Celia Rattle ($12.50)

Vilac Animal Counting Game ($44)


Sevi Pull-Along Cowboy ($45)

MyMomShops Giveaway: Turtle Papers

This contest is now closed. Congratulations to Gabrielle who wrote, " Wonderful stationery. My sister would love this!" Gabrielle, please e-mail me with your name, address, design choice & personalization choice to claim your prize.

If you are a stationery fanatic like I am, now is a great time of year to treat yourself to new personalized notecards (you'll have all those thank you notes to write after receiving holiday gifts, right?) Check out these lovely designs from the Etsy.com storefront of turtle papers, a small studio based in Seattle, Washington. The pink blossom is my favorite but they are all beautiful. Each set of 20 cards (printed on highest quality cardstock) costs $25 and includes matching colored envelopes. Visit turtle papers.

Have Yourself a Mod Christmas

If I did Christmas entertaining, I would surely use these Mod Christmas Dessert Plates & Mugs from The Company Store. Perfect for cookies and hot chocolate (or something stronger)! Each set includes 4 plates or 4 mugs with 4 different designs. Made of bone china, but they are dishwasher and microwave-safe, too! $25 for plate set; $20 for mug set at The Company Store.

The Blue Card

Since it's the season for giving as well as receiving, I'd like to tell you about two non-profit organizations here in New York which are close to my heart (I serve on the board of each). The first one (I'll post about the 2nd one soon) is The Blue Card, an organization I learned about from my late grandparents (they were the "original" R & S, and my children are named in their memory). They escaped Nazi Germany at the last minute in the late 1930s and met and married here in NYC. They arrived penniless and The Blue Card- established in 1934- helped Jewish refugees just like them. These immigrants faced enormous challenges in building new lives, but did so with a deep appreciation for their freedoms. To this day, The Blue Card serves the needs of Holocaust survivors and refugees from Nazi persecution, a group of elderly people whose needs skyrocket as they age. Many Blue Card clients live at or below the poverty level, and cash grants from the Blue Card pay for things as simple as groceries, eyeglasses, and transportation to and from doctors' appointments. Many of them suffer mental health problems such as depression or post-traumatic stress disorder triggered by the events of 9/11.

I have proudly served on the Board of The Blue Card for four years now, and I take seriously the job of spreading the word about this small but outstanding organization. I do this especially in memory of my grandparents, and especially on a day today- the 1st night of Hanukkah- when I am lucky enough to have the freedom to celebrate the holiday with my own "R & S".

Please take a moment to visit The Blue Card and learn about how you can help. Happy Hanukkah.

MyMomShops Holiday Sponsor: Pacifier

Welcome to the first in a series of MyMomShops Holiday Sponsors- Pacifier! This honest-to-goodness bricks 'n mortar store in Minneapolis offers cool baby gifts, clothing, toys, decor, and gear. They have a superb selection and, in fact, I have posted about them before here and here. Pacifier has even just been named "best baby store" in the Twin Cities by Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine. Here are my picks for their best holiday gifts:

Merry Xmas Socks by Trumpette (0-12mos, $5)


Long Sleeve Snowman Onesie by Childish (3mos, 9mos, 12mos, $32)


Biofina Store Buon Appetite Pizza by Haba


Wooden Fire Engine with Fireman by Plan Toys ($42)


Want to see more? Visit Pacifier.

MyMomShops Giveaway: Nonchalant Kids

This contest is now closed. Congratulations to Ann, who wrote, "What fun shirts! They look like artwork!" Ann, please e-mail me with your name, address, color and size choice to claim your prize.

I've posted before about a fantastic kids' boutique called Nonchalant Mom. The site is very popular with New York moms like myself. Owner Carina Schott has recently launched a kids' clothing collection called Nonchalant Kids. Carina is not only talented but thrifty; many of the fabrics she uses come from Ikea! These funky long-sleeve thermal tees ($34, sizes 2T, 4T and 6T) caught my eye when I browsed the new collection. Made of machine-washable cotton/poly blend, they are handprinted in Brooklyn so each tee is slightly different. Take a look:

Flip It

Baby S. is toddling away (you know how kids first walk like they are Frankenstein? It is beyond cute; I can't stand it!). I have taken lots of short movies on my digital camera to commemorate this milestone, and I'm thinking of making one of these Flip Clips books. Flip Clips will turn your digital video clips into paper "flipbooks" to carry with you for fun (and for bragging). Remember how much you loved these kinds of books as a kid? Fabulous photo gift idea (how about for computer-unsavvy grandparents?) Visit this link to get $2 off your order (otherwise approximately $8.99) at Flip Clips.

This is Not a Diaper Bag

A perfect diaper bag for the mom who steadfastly refuses to look like she's carrying one, this Sky Blue Classic Shoulder Sak may fool everyone. Made of nylon satin with finished leather trim, the bag has dual pockets for bottles and a padded changing mat concealed neatly inside. 15.4" H x 15.4" W x 5.5" D. Currently on sale for $100 (was $175) at Sparkability.net.

Circling Around

I stumbled on this pretty Simple Circles Ring at Etsy.com. It's part of a sample sale and now costs $59 (was $79) in size 7 1/2. Take a look at this and the other lovely jewelry by Colleen Baran at Etsy.com.