Farewell 2009

I'll be taking the next week and a half "off", but first I wanted to wish you all a very happy and healthy New Year. I am grateful for everyone who takes the time to read MyMomShops- some of you have been reading since the beginning which was almost 3 years ago! Speaking of, shortly after we return in January, we'll be celebrating our 3rd annual "Blogiversary" Giveaway Week with some major prizes...stay tuned.

I'll be posting again on Monday, January 4th, and there will be a giveaway right away to cure those post-holiday blues. If you want a reminder to check back when we return, just e-mail me with "newsletter" in the subject line.

Best wishes to you all for wonderful holidays and a terrific 2010! See you then!

Photo: R. and S. in NYC's Central Park, September 2009, by Jelly Bean Pictures.

MyMomShops Nominated for a 2009 Homie Award!

I just found out MyMomShops has been nominated for a 2009 Homie Award (in the "Kids at Home" category) at the ultra-popular Apartment Therapy network of home design blogs. The "Homies" are awards given to design blogs (or "shelter" blogs) that stand out in the blogosphere, not just to give accolades, but also to introduce design-minded readers to more great new blogs. So if you're one of MyMomShops's fans, and you like my past decor posts, please head over to Apartment Therapy here and cast your vote for MyMomShops (www.mymomshops.blogspot.com) as the best Kids at Home blog.

Why was I nominated? Hopefully it's because people have enjoyed my posts about kids' decor and accessories- such as those about how to copy (for less $$) Tori Spelling's home decor or daughter Stella's nursery, how to create a wall gallery of your children's artwork, how to choose trendy mirrored endtables, how to incorporate the popular elephant motif in kids' decor, and how to choose personalized throw pillows for a child's bedroom. Check out hundreds of our past decor posts from the past year or two. Unlike many other blogs, every single post has been written by me. It is a lot of work, but it is a labor of love!

How to Vote: Click here and scroll down to click "mymomshops.blogspot.com" in the list of nominated blogs. You will be asked to create an account in order to vote (which is also called marking as a "favorite") and then you can return to the link to vote. If you have any trouble, please e-mail me for instructions. Thanks!

MyMomShops Best of 2009

This is one of my favorite posts to write each year. I love looking back through twelve months' worth of finds and reminding myself which ones I loved most (and sometimes I even consult my own blog when stumped for a gift...I often have forgotten my own favorites). Here are over 2 dozen of my top picks (and runner-ups) from 2009:


1) Favorite baby gift:. No contest. This one remains the same year after year- Fill in the Blankie.


Runner up: Personalized Onesies in Wooden Gift Box by Handmade Jig.


2) Favorite Etsy shop: Le Papier Studio

Runner up: Brown Eye Blue (my own Etsy shop), of course!

3) Favorite Toy: Limited Edition Obama Air Force One Collectible Toy Plane.


Runner up: Fisher Price Little People Lil Movers Bus. I can not tell a lie: this has been my son's favorite toy all year.

4) Favorite home accents: Pillows by Alexandra Ferguson


Runner up: "Twitter" pillows by Craftsquatch.

5) Favorite magazine that is no longer: Domino

Runner up: Cookie.

6) Favorite nurseries: (How to Copy) Stella Doreen McDermott's Nursery


Runner up: The NYC nursery of another Stella.

7) Favorite personalized kids' gifts: Anything from Frecklebox.

Runner up: Personalized Plates at Happy Chickadee.


8) Favorite stationery: Personalized Notepads by Linda & Harriet.


Runner up: Monogrammed sticky notes by Galison.

9) Favorite women's clothing & accessories: Boden. These sandals made me feel like a starlet all summer.


Runner up: LOFT (formerly Ann Taylor Loft).

10) Favorite clothing for boys: little maven by Tori Spelling.


Runner up: The Children's Place.

11) Favorite New Kids' Clothing Site: Lil Swanky.

Runner up: Polarn O. Pyret, a favorite Swedish brand for years, newly arrived in the U.S.

12) Favorite eco-friendly Holiday Cards: Paperspring

Runner up: My Good Greetings


13) Favorite jewelry: State Jewelry by Maya Brenner.

Runner up: Envelope Necklaces by Looka Jewelry.


14) Favorite Retro Gift: Sesame Street "Old School" DVDs

Runner up: Retro Barbie Dolls.


Did I miss something? Did you spot something here this year that you really loved? Leave it in the comments. Also take a look back at this year's favorite gifts, plus the "Best Of" from 2008 and 2007...many items are still available to purchase now.

Huge on Twitter

I've always loved the slogan shirts (like these) at Uncommonly Cute. One of their latest additions is the very turn-of-the-decade "I'm Huge on Twitter" design. It's available as a onesie ($22), short sleeve tee ($22), or long sleeve tee ($24) in sizes up to 6T (they're printed on American Apparel garments which run small; when in doubt, order a size up). A great gift for cyber-savvy parents and their offspring. Buy it at Uncommonly Cute.

p.s. Are you on Twitter? Follow me here for up-to-the-minute shopping finds, sales, coupon codes, and giveaways. And the occasional tidbit about my kiddos.

The Last Minute E-Gift Card. It's OK, Really.

Today is December 22nd, and if you're reading this blog there's a good chance you're still searching for some holiday gift ideas. And fast. At this point, you may need to consider sending a gift card (unless you want to pay rush shipping fees). There's nothing wrong with doing this, and in fact, many people appreciate receiving them- they're as easy to use as they are to buy. The surest bet is an Amazon.com gift card. Where else can you use a store's gift certificate to buy anything from books to DVDs to toys to clothing? It's just about as good as cash. You can choose from a number of colorful e-cards, or you can print one out from any printer and tuck it into a card or package yourself. Personally, if you've chosen to give a gift card, I say go for the immediate effect and send the e-card. It may not be tied with a pretty red bow, but who doesn't like to be able to shop on someone else's dime right now? Order one at Amazon.com.

Spring Preview: Mini Boden

Each year I grow fonder of the clothing at Mini Boden, particularly since the boys' designs are just as strong as the girls', so I am able to buy for both my kids here. And they seem to be running coupons more often- which always helps. Right now you can click on www.bodenpreview.com to get a sneak peek at the spring lines for women, men, boys, girls, and babies. You can pre-order any item for January delivery. For babies, these twin-pack shirts ($28 for two, sizes up to 24months) and baby dungarees ($34, sizes up to 24 mos) caught my eye. Nothing cuter than a baby in overalls, in my opinion! Browse more spring clothing at www.bodenpreview.com.

Not too Late for New Year's Cards

Is it too late to order holiday cards? Sort of. But don't worry, you can save face and send New Year's cards instead. I like this Simple Message Card from Tiny Prints. It costs $1.34 per card and is available in four colors. Check out all the Tiny Prints New Year's Cards here.

Viva Terra!

I just got my first catalog in the mail for Viva Terra, an eco-friendly home decor site. I love it. I haven't bought anything, but here's what caught my eye:

Ochre River Stone Placemats ($59 for a set of 4)


Leaf Night Light (on sale through 12/23 for $34, reduced from $39)


Fiesta Sol Recycled Glass Dinnerware (individual pieces start at $39)


Solid Acacia Puzzle Board ($59)

Visit Viva Terra for more eco-friendly housewares- they make great holiday hostess gifts, too.

Spring Preview: Little Maven

Oh, I'm so happy that I just discovered this! I thought that my kids were now too big for little maven by Tori Spelling because the fall/winter collections only went up to 4T (S. has outgrown his few pieces of Little Maven clothing). But when I was browsing the awesome new Lilly Pulitzer-esque "Palm Springs" collections for both girls and boys, I discovered on the drag-down size menu that some pieces go all the way up to 6x for girls (my daughter just makes the cut-off) and 7 for boys. You can't search by size yet on the navigation bar, so you'll have to check each item individually to see what the largest size is. But I'm thrilled to see that I can possibly order this terry striped dress ($58) for my 6-year-old girl and this water print tee ($34) for my 3-year-old boy (who, at the 100th percentile for height, wears a size 5). At least, that is, when the prices come down or I get a good coupon code.

Thanks, little maven by Tori Spelling for extending the sizes to bigger kids!

Update: For a limited time only, all Little Maven orders ship for free (no mininum required, no code needed).

It's Been Tabled

I love this Fundy Play Table by Argington at Mimmo Baby. This cool table-on-casters is available in light blue or orange with your choice of chalkboard or dry erase tabletop. But, it costs $399, and not many parents (myself included) can spend that on a table these days- it doesn't even include chairs! Nice design, though.

It's Snowing!

Here's another holiday gift that kid of all ages will love- a photo snow globe from Lands End. The globe- which sits atop a silver-plated ceramic base- has a plastic insert for a wallet-sized photo. And you can record a 10-second personal message, too (uses 3 AA batteries- not included). On sale for $22 (was $29.50) at Lands End.

It's snowing- but barely sticking- here in New York City. My urban kids are eagerly decked out in full winter apparel!

Holiday Traffic

If photo cards aren't your thing, check out these cute Holiday Traffic cards from one of my all-time favorite letterpress shops, Eggpress. A pack of 8 offset printed cards on recycled paper costs $13.50, including matching holiday red envelopes. Check out the rest of the shop's holiday cards here.

Up to 80% off at CWD Kids

There are some great deals on boys' and girls' winter clothing right now at CWD Kids, like this Ralph Lauren Down Outerwear. The Lewis Down Jacket is on sale for $89.99 (reduced from $140), the Down Vest is $69.99 (originally $90), and even the scarf is half off ($16.99). Other items to check out: the Ralph Lauren Briana Rugby Dress (on sale for $18, originally $65) and some heavily discounted clothing that I've purchased myself, including threads by One Kid and Wes & Willy.

Use code CFYBCK for $5 flat shipping at CWD Kids- through Christmas only.

Quotable Cards

You've probably spotted gift products by Quotable Cards in some stationery stores. Since 1993, this company has been making greeting cards, journals, wall canvases, and more with inspiring (but not cheesy) quotes. I like the quotes themselves and the design aesthetic (mostly black-and-white, with just occasional color) and think these make really thoughtful gifts for friends. Here are some of my favorites.

Your Journey Has Molded You folded greeting card ($2.95). Reads "Your journey has molded you for the greater good, and it was exactly what it needed to be. Don't think that you've lost time. It took each and every situation you have encountered to bring you to the now. And now is right on time." Asha Tyson. I bought this card for myself- it has much personal significance to me.

"What Lies Within Us..." Colored Canvas ($21.95). “What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us” - Ralph Waldo Emerson. I think this was one of my high school yearbook quotes. So true today, too. The design is printed on premium stretched, wrapped canvas and is ready for hanging. 10" square. See other canvases here.


Life is Not Measured Boxed Card Set ($16.95). This sampler keepsake box contains 5 cards each of these 4 designs, plus envelopes.

Visit Quotable Cards.

Fun with Jane

I've always loved the "brainteaser" plates by Jane Jenni, and just spotted these new ones including "Starving Artist" and "Hippie Chick" at Unica Home (wish I had found the "Talk Turkey" one before Thanksgiving). I also love the sweet "Bear Family" plates. All of the plates are made of shatterproof melamine. They are dishwasher safe (but not microwave safe) and cost $9 each at Unica Home. Some coordinating cups, tote bags, and lunch bags are available, too.

Who You Calling Chicken?

This chicken tape dispenser by HABA is possibly the cutest desk accessory I've seen. The wooden chicken includes one roll of tape and can be replaced by any standard-sized tape refill. $18 at Plastica.

Mr. Fix It

My 3-year-old son just got this Home Depot Tool Box as a Hanukkah gift from his speech therapist (thank you, Michelle!) and he LOVES it. During the day, he carries it around and stops to "fix" things- "I fix dat, Mama?" is his oft-repeated question. There are 18-pieces inside the sturdy orange box, including hammer, screwdrivers, pliers, saw, nails, and (S's favorite) a tape measure. It is a great toy for creative play and I think it may become one of my go-to birthday gifts for little boys (or girls). It's temporarily sold out but expected back soon Toys R Us, where it costs $9.99 (a great deal).

p.s. It's currently in-stock, but way more expensive ($29.99), at Amazon.com.


Amazon.com.

Mom's Sticker Book, Redux: Part Two

Remember the sticker book gift idea I told you about? I gave the personalized Frecklebox.com notebooks books to my kids and their cousins for Hanukkah- along with Ziplocs full of stickers for each kid- and they were a hit.

Here's a peek inside R.'s Volume 2 stickerbook so far. The "smelly stickers", especially, bring back so many memories for me.




Find out where to get the notebooks, smelly stickers, and more here.

Hands Off

Got a frequent flier on your holiday gift list? Check out these tongue-in-cheek "Mine" Luggage Tags by Graphic Image, a high-quality leather goods manufacturer. The owner's contact info. is handily hidden inside. Available in pink, orange or lime for $25 per tag at Cambria Cove.

Spring Preview: Crazy 8

It's not even Christmas yet, but many clothing stores are introducing their spring transition lines. I'll be previewing some of them here. At Crazy 8, I like the "Peace, Love & Flowers" collection, particularly the sleeveless Flower Shift Dress shown here (sizes 4-14, $24.50). Click on the homepage for more spring styles. Bookmark the ones you like for later- they're sure to go on sale over the next month or so.

Dear Santa

While mailing a package at a nearby Mailboxes Etc. store last week, I picked this letter from a basket of "Dear Santa" wish letters. This one- sent by a mother in the Bronx- had already been opened but not chosen by anyone.


It read: Dear Santa, I'm a single parent of three wonderful children. Santa, I work part time and I go to school full time and my budget doesn't allow me to give my children the things they truly deserve for Christmas. Santa, my oldest will be 11 soon. She wants a baby alive newborn, the dora all grown up, and she wants some Nintendo DS games and she is in need of winter clothes. Her favorite color is pink. I also have a set of twins, they are 6 years old. My girl twin wants a play beauty salon, she also wants a baby alive and a princess doll. Santa, she also needs winter clothes. Her favorite color is purple. My boy twin loves transformers and spider man and he also wants remote control truck and a train raised track. His favorite color is blue. Santa please do not overlook this letter, my children are looking forward to Christmas. They are really good kids!


This letter really got to me since I, too, am a single mom, but fortunately I am able to buy my kids at least some of the gifts they want. So I took this letter home and got to work seeing how many of these wishes I could fulfill for this mom's kids, within my own budget. I came up with the following, along with some other small items:

Rubgy Sweaters for all 3 kids, on sale for $5 each (reduced from $16.50)


Spiderman Crime Cruiser ($24.99)

Baby Alive Better Now Baby ($24.99)


I wasn't able to get everything (if you want to help complete the gift list, please read all the way to the bottom), but I did my best. I had a few small cartons of gifts to mail- here is one of them:


I mailed it from the postal store last weekend, and had a very nice "Pay it Forward" moment. The packages that I had assembled cost a lot to ship (over $40) because of some heavy items. Another woman in line- who had several shopping bags full of luxury gifts to mail to her own family- offered to pick up the cost of shipping for me, so she could participate in helping this family, too. Thank you!

Want to answer a child's (or mom's) Dear Santa letter yourself? Learn more here.

P.S. I wasn't able to buy everything that these particular kids wished for, nor was I able to include a gift for their mom (which she undoubtedly deserves but didn't ask for). If any readers or vendors out there want to send an anonymous gift from "Santa" to the hardworking mom (perhaps some warm winter accessories for herself?), or one of the remaining items to her kids ("grown up" Dora, a princess doll, a remote-control truck, or winter clothing for any of the kids) please e-mail me and I will provide you the family's name and address). Thank you.

Two Tinas Sample Sale

Two Tinas- a company which makes popular initial baby blankets- is having a sample sale where you can scoop up the signature blankets for just $29 (their regular price is $48). Each machine-washable blanket measures 30" x 30" and has a plush reverse side. Check out the remaining patterns and initials here- they make great baby gifts.

More Pink?

Remember my post about "too much pink"? Well, here is another example I just spotted. Playskool's "Busy Ball Popper" has been a popular toddler toy for several years now. And now Playskool is marketing a pink version for toddler girls. While it's not quite as obviously "girly" as a pink Baby Bjorn or a pink carseats- items of limited use for a future baby brother- I'm still not a big fan of "girl" versions of toys that seemed perfectly fine in primary colors. What do you think?

Years of Photos

My best friend/college roommate E. is not only a busy pediatrician and mother of three kids, but she also has managed to keep her photo albums up to date, and arranged each year by color, to boot (photo above). How's that for impressive? She swears by the Felicity Memo Albums by Exposures Online. They are available in a rainbow of colors, in either 2-up format ($44 per album, holds 200 photos) or 3-up format ($49 per album, holds 300 photos), with room for writing captions or notes. You can also choose optional personalization on the cover or on a spine patch to identify each volume by year. If you're a Type-A mom when it comes to organizing family photos, this just may be the system for you. Me? I'm two years behind with my photos, I'm ashamed to admit. Check out the albums at Exposures Online.

Tip: Exposures Online albums can be pricey, particularly if you add in personalization. Check out CouponChief.com or RetailMeNot.com for coupon codes, or the company's own Facebook page for the latest deals.