So Cute You (Almost) Won't Eat Them

I just ordered a bunch of these chocolate character lollipops from Etsy as birthday favors and they look fantastic (and taste great, too...I just had to sample one). They are bigger than I expected and for an extra twenty cents per lollipop I got personalized favor tags. I couldn't choose among all the characters so I got an assortment of Elmo, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, and Blue from Blue's Clues. I think my 3-year-old and his pals will love them. And quite likely their moms, too. Order 10 for just $12 at My Sweeties.

Linaloos Barrettes Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Amanda McGhee, who wrote, "These are adorable. i would chose the red sox, cupcakes for dinner and lobster." Please e-mail me to claim your prize!

A Peggy or a Joan?

My Mad Men obsession is on the rise as the show returns for its third season on AMC on Sunday, August 16th. Jon Hamm, we have missed you! I just played this silly but fun game at Mad Men Yourself where you can see what you'd look like as part of the Sterling Cooper advertising team in the 1960s. Check me out! Transport yourself back to old-school Madison Avenue at Mad Men Yourself.

MyMomShops Sponsor: Scribbles-n-Giggles

Our newest sponsor, Scribbles-n-Giggles, is an online stationery and gift boutique started by mom Tera Castro, a fellow stationery-phile. After spending hours online searching for just the right baby announcements, party invitations, and stationery (hmmm...can anyone relate to that?) she started designing her own and having them printed at a local paper shop. Now, her designs are available at her shop Scribbles-n-Giggles.

There are two types of cards available- print-your-own or ready-made. The latter are digitally press printed on heavy card stock with a smooth matte finish. You can also have the reverse sides printed for an additional fee. Here are some of my favorite designs in either format:

"Gone Fishin" print-your-own invitation ($25 for digital image which you can print yourself as often as you'd like).


Blue Vines Return Address Labels ($18 for 36 labels, many other designs available).


Floral Print Personalized Notecard (starting at $9.90 for 10 cards with envelopes)

Modern Circle Art Photo Birth Announcement (starts at $1.77 per card)


Visit Scribbles 'n Giggles and enjoy 15% off your entire order with code "MMSHOPS".

Spit Up and Touch Down

There aren't a lot of great gifts out there for new Dads, but I love this Football Field burp cloth I stumbled onto at Flying Peas. Perfect gift for a Dad who might be on feeding duty during Super Bowl season! It's organic cotton, too. $17 at Flying Peas.

Little Prepster

A million thanks to S's pal M.A.K. for S's first birthday gift this season, this gorgeous Tipped Pullover Sweater from Baby Gap. It's just his (or my?) style- a little preppy, a little retro, and perfect for layering this Fall. $29.50, sizes 12-18mos through 5 years at Baby Gap.

I Could Eat You Up

My kids' birthdays are coming up fast so I'm in full party-planning mode. I've stumbled onto many cool party supplies that I'd love to share with you. The first are these party hat cupcake toppers from Etsy. You supply the photo, date, and color choice, and they do the rest. A pack of 12 costs $10 and it is sure to be a conversation piece at the birthday party! See this and other party supplies at the Etsy.com storefront of Petit Elefant.

Board Books for Boys

Several people gave me board books when S. was born, which I really appreciated so that he wasn't stuck with his sister's chewed-up copies of Goodnight Moon and Happy Baby Colors. Relishing my first time as mom to a boy, I especially loved the boy-themed books people gave me (I know this doesn't sound politically correct...I recognize these books are great for girls, too, but having grown up in a family with just daughters, I liked getting these recommendations). Here are some of S's favorite books that he received in his first year. He is nearly 3 and we still read these all the time:

My Car Board Book($6.99). The author, Byron Barton, has some other great board books too. The main "character" in My Car has the same name as S., so we love it even more.


Sports A to Z($5.95). From archery to zamboni, this book was educational for Mommy, too.


That's Not My Train (Usborne Touchy-Feely)($8.99) This book has lots of touch-and-feel parts which S. enjoys. It's part of a whole transportation series.


Diggers: Usborne Touchy-Feely Series ($15.95). This is our favorite of the series.

Any other suggestions for fun board books for boys? Post them in the comments!

City Pride

I've always like the popular "city" tees, hoodies, and hats by City Threads, though they are on the expensive side. I checked back at their site and found this New York Thermal Tee on sale for 50% off (was $38.50, now $19.25; sizes 3-6mos, 6-12mos, 5, and 6 remaining). The navy color with orange trim is perfect for Fall. By the way, City Threads also makes "city" clothing for Hollywood, Brooklyn, and Chicago; check them out at City Threads.

MyMomShops Giveaway: Linaloos

Boston mom Jennifer Malone founded Linaloos when she started receiving compliments on the hand-made barrettes she had created for her baby daughter (who has twin older brothers). Jennifer started selling some of the barrettes and now Linaloos is sold in boutqiues throughout New England. The sweet hair clips and pins are handmade using vintage sweaters (so they are eco-friendly and "upcycled") with added felt and embroidery. Most designs can be ordered as a baby barrette, little girl barrette, elastic hair band or pins.

What I especially like about Linaloos designs is that in addition to the usual pretty pink barrettes you'd expect, there are some more unusual but equally attractive (and clever) ones. Check out the Peanut-Free Zone barrette, or the Red Sox Nation barrette, or the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle barrette, to name a few. Each costs $8.

It's also worth mentioning that even as a small business, Linaloos feels a responsibility to give back to the community. Linaloos has partnered with the Childhood Leukemia Foundation and donated hair accessories to them for their Hugs U Wear program, which collects donated hair and uses it to make wigs for children undergoing chemotherapy treatments. Each purchase you make from Linaloos is matched by a donation to the Hugs U Wear program so that a child can receive a special hair clip to wear in their new hairpiece.

Note: Linaloos is offering MyMomShops readers a $1 discount per barrette if they mention "MyMomShops" in the "notes to seller" section at checkout. Please note: after you do this, choose the "pay later" option so that Linaloos may first send you a revised invoice reflecting your discount.


Win it! 1 MyMomShops reader will win her choice of 3 barrettes from Linaloos (total retail value: $24). Here are the contest rules:

1) To enter, please comment on THIS post (click on "comments" below), indicating which 3 barrettes you'd choose (click here for all of the choices).
2) Post your comment by 11:59pm EST Thursday, July 30th. One entry per person, please. US addresses only.
3) Two winners will be chosen at random and announced on Friday morning, July 31st.
4) NOTE: If you wish to be contacted by e-mail if you win, please include your e-mail address in your comment. Otherwise you must check back on Friday to see if you won. Unclaimed prizes are forfeited after 72 hours.

Good luck!

Rush Hour

I loooove this rush hour wallpaper. While it might be a bit much for an entire room, it would look fantastic as an accent wall. Designed in Denmark (of course) and manufactured in Sweden, it costs the princely sum of $115 per roll. Check it out at Rare Device.

The Buzz about Mommy Blogs

(Above: "Baby S" at age 4 months on January 17, 2007, the day I started this blog. No, Fresh Direct did not pay me to include this. But I do love Fresh Direct!).

There's been a lot of talk (not all of it nice) recently about "mommy bloggers" and whether or not they are "selling out" by writing about freebies they receive- everything from laundry detergent to cars (yes, cars). Even The New York Times is talking about it. And though I don't consider MyMomShops a "mommy blog" as much as a shopping blog, I thought I should let my readers know where I stand on all of this.

I started this blog for fun during 3am feedings with my infant son in early 2007, because I (was told) was a wealth of information about where to shop online for the perfect gifts (a skill I had honed during two pregnancies on bedrest). And I still write the blog for fun, not profit (and, it also happened to become a good distraction from more serious stuff that happened in the past 2 years).

My blog gets very good traffic (not as high as the gals in the The New York Times article, but up there), and though I've never been offered luxury goods like cars, that the blog has attracted the attention of lots of stores and PR people. So, yes, I am occasionally sent products to review, though they are most often some clothing or toys or stationery- i.e. nothing lavish. And I only say "yes" to sample items which are products that 1) I might use in my daily life as a single mom to a 3-year-old boy and 6-year-old girl (toys yes, breast pumps no) and/or 2) are gift-worthy (stationery yes, bathroom sprays no). Also, I accept a small amount of advertising (which I clearly label as "MyMomShops Sponsors") and affiliates (where I earn a small commission on purchases through links). But, I never accept advertising for a product I wouldn't use myself or recommend to someone else. In fact, I turn down a majority of advertising or product review requests, because it takes up my time, your time, and steers this blog in a different direction from what I intended. There are "mommy blogs" out there that are specifically designed to review a slew of products (and sometimes those moms are compensated for any or all reviews). Mine doesn't fall into that category, but I don't have a problem with those that do. There's room for all of us.

As I mentioned in an article about this blog in Time Out NY Kids last year, most items (I'd say at least 75%) that I write about here are things that I stumble onto myself (sometimes at 3am, just like I did in the early days). Because that is what is most fun for me to write about, and hopefully what is most fun for you to read. So it will remain that way. I hope you like it that way, too.

p.s. By all means, please keep your product tips coming, whether you are a shop owner, a PR person, or just a mom who has some great ideas. I am happy to hear from everyone- but please understand if I don't get a chance to respond- I get so many e-mails and I do my best to keep up. If I am interested in the product (or a sample that you offer) you'll hear from me- and if I'm not, I just might recommend other bloggers who are.

p.p.s. Many bloggers have written much more eloquently on this topic than I have. One I'd like to commend is Liz Gumbinner from Mom-101. Liz, thanks for encouraging me and other bloggers to clarify our our positions.

Fall Preview: CWD Kids

CWD Kids is one of my favorite clothing sites to browse when I've tired of chain stores like Gymboree or Baby Gap. They have a great collection of US-made brands including Mulberribush, Junk Food, and Anita G. I'll be posting this Fall more about their Halloween apparel, but in the meantime here are some back-to-school threads that caught my eye:

Brianna Rugby Dress by Ralph Lauren ($60 sizes 3T-6X, $65 sizes 7-14)


Dress and Leggings Set by Flapdoodles ($39, sizes 2T-14)


Floral Corduroy Dress by Hartstrings ($59, sizes 2T-6X)


Transportation Tees and Cord Pants by Mulberribush ($29 tee sizes 18mos-7, $29 pants sizes 12mo-14)


Play Guitar Tee by Wes & Willy ($24, sizes 2t-14/16)

p.s. The CWD Kids Halloween catalog just arrived in my mailbox yesterday. Love it! My favorite picks TK soon...

Princess Hideaway

My daughter is begging for this little princess tent for her birthday. I'm fairly certain it will become one of those gifts that my she doesn't play with enough to warrant its large presence in our living room, but at least it's not too expensive ($29.95). She is turning 6 and is craving privacy, so maybe this will do the trick. The tent has a pop-up design (hooray) with fiberglass poles for stability. Buy one at Young Explorers.

Elmo is Happy to Carry Your Books

I'm not sure what the target age is for this adorable Elmo Messenger Bag but frankly I might consider carrying one myself. It's a new arrival at one of my favorite sites, Psycho Baby, and it costs $31.

Don't Throw in the Towel

For a mid-summer beach treat, check out Haba's cute mermaid and pirate beach towels at Maukilo. Same colorful European design as Haba toys, this time printed with embroidered faces on plush terry cloth towels. Great birthday gift for a summer kid, too! $26 each at Maukilo.

Use code "green2me" for 10% off your order (non-sale items) at Maukilo.

Bed Head

I'm searching for a new headboard for R's bed. I'm not getting this, but I wanted to show you Target's Girls' Personalized Headboard, shown here twin-sized in Hot Pink (lots of other colors/styles for boys and girls are available here). Compared to what you might pay for a personalized headboard elsewhere, these wood frame headboards with polyfoam fill are a pretty good deal at $129.99. But if your daughter's name is not Abigail, Alexis, Alyssa, Anna, Ashley, Ava, Brianna, Chloe, Elizabeth, Emma, Emily, Grace, Hannah, Isabella, Jessica, Kate, Madison, Megan, Mia, Natalie, Olivia, Samantha, Sarah, or Sophia (or "Princess"- I hope that's a nickname), you're out of luck like my daughter R. (unless you want to buy the non-personalized version). Check them out at Target.

She Was a Showgirl

I've never heard of this designer (Stella Industries) before but I'm glad I have now. Their Lola Dress is newly available at Arte Bebe. I love that it's comfy and lightweight but still has fun flounces and ruffles making it a great party dress. $48 (sizes 2T-4T), $50 (4-6X), or $52 (7-8) at Arte Bebe.

Tiny Prints Lowers Its Prices

I know that many of you love to order personalized kids' stationery, party invitations, birth announcements, and holiday cards from Tiny Prints. So do I. The designs are fresh and modern and the prices are reasonable. And now I'm guessing Tiny Prints will have even more happy customers with the introduction of its new "Studio Basics" collection, featuring cards and invitations by the same talented Tiny Prints designers but at lower costs passed on to you. These cards start at 59 cents each, compared to about $1.19 for the original Tiny Prints designs. If you're inviting a classful of kids to a birthday party, this will save you more than a few bucks.

I have two Tiny Prints coupon codes to pass along to you (I'm not sure if you can use both, but you can choose whichever one saves you more money):

Enjoy $10 off orders of $49 or more, or $20 off orders of $99 or more (applies sitewide) with code JULYEMAIL now through 11:59 pm (PT) on 7/27/2009.

Enjoy flat rate $3 shipping on all Studio Basics orders with code SBSHIPSALE now through 11:59 pm (PT) on 8/3/2009.

Baby Juicy

One of my dearest friends is expecting her long-awaited 2nd child, and when she was in town recently we lunched and browsed the layette clothing at Bloomingdale's (I should mention that we are both busy moms of special needs children, so going to lunch and browsing at Bloomie's felt downright decadent). She doesn't know if she's having a girl or boy, but one item we were ogling was this Juicy Couture Infant Girls' Crown Jogging Set. I'm normally not a Juicy fan, but I happen to love their baby clothing. This french terry jogging suit has adorable girly details like front pockets with bows and gathered sleeves. It's even more adorable in person. It costs $98, sizes 12-18m or 18-24 months left. Browse other infant girls' Juicy clothing too at Bloomingdales's.

Etsy Birthday Tees

You know I love kids' birthday tees, and of course I'm turning to Etsy to find just the right ones for my kids this summer. Here are three Etsy shops whose birthday tees I love, love, love (each store offers other ages, sizes, and colors, too):

Sew Silly Designs. Cute vintage fabrics, and you just can't beat this price ($12).


Happy Family. Another great deal for just $16- the raglan sleeves work well year-round, too.

Firedaughter Clothing. Trendy vintage-style royal blue burnout tee...and the fabric is sooo soft, too. $24 (with free shipping).



Psst! We will be hosting a giveaway for one of these tees soon. If you are subscribed to our newsletter, you'll get a reminder. Not subscribed? E-mail me with "newsletter" in the subject line so you don't miss anything!

MyMomShops Sponsor: The Scholastic Store

I'm excited to introduce you to our newest sponsor, The Scholastic Store, located right here in New York City. My kids and I have hopped on the subway to Soho to visit The Scholastic Store several times (including once for an awesome birthday party- thanks Zach G.!). Much more than a kids' bookstore, the Scholastic store is a destination in its own right for NYC kiddies and visitors. Less cloying than American Girl or The Disney Store, though equally popular, The Scholastic Store is a 6,200 square foot wonder that features books, toys, plush animals, arts & crafts, videos, games, and gifts featuring some of your kids' favorite characters, including Clifford, I Spy, Harry Potter, and Magic School Bus. There's an Activity Loft, demonstration areas to test out toys and games, and even a teaching resources area for educators and parents. Best of all for stuck-in-the-city-all-summer kids (like mine), there are free events every Saturday. Check these out:

Saturday, July 25 @ 3pm
Camp Klutz Kick-Off: Face Painting. Ages 5+. FREE. Staying in NYC this summer? Come be a part of "Camp Klutz", a series of crafts and activities for kids all summer long. Become a prince, princess or even a fairy! Kids will be ready for their close-ups, so bring your cameras to capture all the fun! (Note: I am hoping to take R. to this one- come find us and say hi!)

Saturday, August 1 @ 3pm
Camp Klutz: How to Draw Funny. Ages 6+. FREE. Calling all kids who love to draw and those who'd like to learn! Kids find their inner funny in this hands-on class where they can make their own comic to take home.

Saturday, August 8 @ 3pm
Camp Klutz: Crazy Crayons Rubbings. Ages 4+. FREE. Kids can make crazy creations with new coloring books and sparkly crayons. Who knew coloring could be so much fun!

Saturday, August 15 @ 3pm
Camp Klutz: Wacky Window Art. Ages 5+. FREE. Window decoration is as much fun for adults as it is for kids. With a freshened up palette of paints, sun-sparkly glitter and new designs, kids can create all kinds of window masterpieces to hang up.

Saturday, August 22 @ 3pm
Camp Klutz: Origami. Ages 5+. FREE. Kids can create everything from exotic parrots to beautiful star boxes even hopping frogs that really hop, all out of paper!

Saturday, August 29 @ 3pm
Camp Klutz: Velvet Art. Ages 5+. FREE. Kids get to make fuzzy photo frames, a tactile maze and other "feel-good" projects to take home!

Even if you're going to be nowhere near NYC anytime soon, you can shop online at Scholastic Store's Online Shop for Kids. Here are a few goodies I found (in the clearance section, no less):

Colorforms 50th Anniversary Edition (reduced to $15.97 from $29.99):


Leapster: Clifford Reading (reduced to $9.97 from $24.95):


The Chronicles of Narnia Boxed Set (reduced to $22.97 from $45):

Visit The Scholastic Store at 557 Broadway (between Prince and Spring Streets), open M-Sat 10am-7pm and Sunday 12-6pm. Call 877-287-0137 for store and event information.

If Real Simple Ain't Simple Enough

You know that life has changed quite a bit when you are devouring the latest issue of Woman's Day instead of Cosmo, but, such is the life of a thirty-something mom of two young children. Don't laugh, but I am really enjoying my subscription to Woman's Day magazine. It has been a wonderful replacement to my Real Simple subscription, which I let expire because it was stressing me out too much with its Martha Stewart-level ideas. Woman's Day has more manageable decorating tips, recipes, money-saving advice, organizational strategies, and more. It arrives every 3 weeks rather than every 4 weeks which is an extra treat. And, gift subscriptions are ultra-affordable; you can buy two of them for $14 total, making it an easy and inexpensive birthday gift for a friend. Try it, I think you will like it. Visit Woman's Day.

Where Should We Park?

Once in a while I turn to my readers for some shopping advice! My son is about to turn 3 and I would love to buy him a toy parking garage. Preferably a wooden one, since his plastic Fisher Price Little People Garage pretty much fell apart immediately (my daughter had an FP garage three years earlier that I wish I had saved since it was much better...has anyone else noticed that the FP sets seem to have declined in quality?) Anyway, I am deciding between the two garages shown above- at top the Parking Garage by Melissa and Doug ($65.95 at Fat Brain Toys) and at bottom the Parking Garage by Plan Toys ($66.99 at Amazon.com). S. has a large collection of little cars of various brands (Matchbox, Vilac, Fisher Price, etc.) so either garage must accommodate cars from his eclectic assortment. If anyone has purchased either of the above garages for their kids, I'd love to hear your feedback. Thanks!

Chasing Fireflies Till You're Broke

As much as I love the beautiful selection of clothing and accessories in the Chasing Fireflies catalog, I am starting to wonder how this place stays in business (remember I posted last February about their sky-high prices?) Some of their offerings are so overpriced that I can't believe many people in this economic climate would really buy them. Here are some examples of what I mean, taken from the latest catalog:

Light Up Carousel Letters. $198 each. Yes, each! I'd rather put real fireflies in my kids' rooms to give them some extra sparkle! Six hundred dollars to spell a three letter word is not "F-U-N".

The Wizard of Oz Trunk Set. $290. Sure, it's Madame Alexander, but even my 6-year-old daughter still manages to destroy half of her dolls with crayon marks and missing limbs. Thanks, but I'll stick to Fisher Price.


Personalized Candy Corn Favors. $98 for a set of 36 favors. One hundred bucks for candy corn? I'm no Martha Stewart, but as a Halloween birthday girl I've hosted plenty of parties and I've always made candy goody bags for about a tenth of this price.


I've oohed and aahed over many an item at Chasing Fireflies (including some more reasonably priced clothing), but overall the prices have kept me from placing an order. Ever. I'm curious, how many of you have ordered from them and were you pleased with the value of what you bought?

The Little Experience Giveaway Winners

Congratulations to:

Allison, who wrote, "I've got boys, so i think they would love the finger puppet monsters!"

Aimee Friedrich, who wrote, "Awww, hard to pick; build your own rocket for the boys and castle for my little girl."

Please e-mail me with your name, mailing address, and choice of 1 kit to claim your prize. Enjoy!