Beep! Beep! It's a Jeep

One of my favorite kids' stationery shops, Inkspot Workshop, just released this brand-new Jeep-Themed Boys' Party Invitation Set. How cute is this? Love the color combo (red plus navy plus khaki always looks terrific) and those plaid-lined envelopes. The design is actually based on an old Pottery Barn Kids jeep-themed bedding set (which, naturally, I remember). There are matching thank-yous and favor tags, too. Prices start at $23.50 for 12 invites plus envelopes at Inkspot Workshop.

Bargain Alert: Lands End White Tees

Need a few more cute, clean, comfy white T-shirts to get you through the summer? One of my summer staples- this girly Modern Short Sleeve Shirred Scoopneck Top from Lands End- is on sale for just $8.99 (regularly $19.50). I wear them in summer with everything from capris to skirts and they wash very well. Stock up on a few at Lands End. Tip: they run big; order a size down from what you usually wear.

Trend Alert: Colorblock Shoes

I saw this photo on Just Jared yesterday. Jessica Seinfeld hosted a party at the Balenciaga store in East Hampton, NY to benefit her charity Baby Buggy (which is a fantastic organization, by the way). More interesting than the star power here is....those shoes! Jessica's and Gwyneth's, I mean (the third lady in the photo- on the right- is still working the tiresome gladiator trend, which I never understood to begin with). Are "colorblock" shoes the next big thing? Ever since I saw The September Issue where Vogue's creative director Grace Coddington rocked a colorblock photo shoot, I have adored this fashion trend. You'll find lots of colorblock-style garments, by the way, in the Boden catalog (like this Colourblock Milano Coat). But I haven't seen colorblock shoes before. Me likey. Though I'm guessing these shoes are priced wayyyy beyond what I ever would (or could) spend. I'll investigate the knockoffs...

What do you think of Jessica's and Gwyneth's shoes in this photo? And, let's be a little catty...what do you think of Gwyneth in this photo? Her pose, her dress, etc.? I think I'd rather be friends with Jessica.

Top photo courtesy of Just Jared. Bottom photo (detail of Jessica Seinfeld's shoes) courtesy of ABC.

Bargain Alert: Splendid Littles at The Mini Social

I'm posting this late in the day, but if you hurry over to The Mini Social you may still score some huge deals on gorgeous summer clothing by Splendid Littles. This fave celebrity brand makes sumptuous, soft all-cotton playclothes for babies and kids in trendy, fashion-forward designs. Splendid is pricey, but you can score great deals at this sale, such as these checked shorts and tee (regularly $66 for the set; on sale for $28 for the set at The Mini Social, sizes 2T-6x/7). Lots has sold out already, even though the sale will remain posted for several more days. Act fast! Visit The Mini Social (it's a "members only" site, but if you're not already a member, this link will provide a free invitation).

Jellio: Watch Them Giggle

I read about Jellio, a furniture designer for kids-at-heart, a few months ago in Time Out NY. How fun are these pieces??? The prices, though, are anything but child's play. Shown from the top are my favorites: Ice Cream Bench ($950), Music Table ($800), and Gummi Lights ($125 each). Browse all of Jellio's design pieces- which do you like best?

Channeling Charlie

I've had this "Charlie" Zig Zag shirt from Etsy bookmarked for awhile now. Isn't it a great idea for a Peanuts-lover? People are sure to get a kick out of it. The shirt is available in a range of kids' sizes (check the Royal Kane storefront for infant sizes, too) and costs just $18.99. The same shop sells Twilight tees), too (Team Jacob, anyone?), but that's one fad I have managed to avoid. I'll stick with the classics.

Blast from the Past: Sunshine Family Dolls

While scouring for some vintage toys on Ebay, I found this blast from the past- Sunshine Family dolls. Did you have these? My sister and I had these (in addition to Barbie dolls, of course), and pretended they were the shorter (and less sophisticated) cousins of Barbie and Ken. And their grandparents (second photo). I did a little online research about Sunshine Family dolls and at this kinda nerdy site Doll Reference learned that they were produced between 1974 and 1982 (prime doll-playing years for me and my sister). Seeing these photos from the website takes me right back- I remember every little detail down to the little plastic green baby bottles and teddy bear. Oh, and I remember this- that since our Barbie dolls didn't have babies of their own, we pretended that "Little Sweets" (the red-headed cherub in the yellow gown) was actually Barbie's daughter and we made Barbie "carry" her around. Go figure. Anyway, if you have fond memories of Sunshine Family dolls, check out the current selection available for sale at Ebay; you can buy your own Little Sweets with nursery accoutrements for a whopping $119.00 (new in box). I guess I'm not the only one who remembers them fondly!

Photos courtesy of Doll Reference.

Rock On, Silly Bandz

S's 4th birthday party is next weekend and I let R. (who turns 7 two weeks later) invite some of her friends, too. Not surpisingly, she wants her friends to get a more sophisticated party favor than these Yo Gabba Gabba! Coloring Books which all of the preschoolers will receive. She chose Silly Bandz. Of course. So in keeping with the Yo Gabba Gabba/music theme, I found these packs of Silly Bandz Rock Bandz at Amazon.com for just $2.72 per pack of 24 band (regular retail price $5.99). Hopefully these will please the picky second-graders. By the way, I noticed that this particular pack of Silly Bandz is the #3 top seller in ALL of Amazon.com's toys and games. Wow.

Wordless Wednesday

Who knows what/where this is?

Guess What's 3 Months Away?

Dare I start posting about Halloween when it is more than 3 months away and I haven't even started back-to-school shopping yet? Of course! After all, I am a Halloween baby myself. Here are some picks I've bookmarked so far:

Boys' Zombies Tee ($32; sizes 2-16) by Wes & Willy at CWD Kids . Since I was born on Halloween '72 (go ahead, do the math), I may have to buy this for my little guy once it goes on sale.


Popcorn Costume ($59; sizes 2T-3T, 4-6 or 7-8) at Pottery Barn Kids. PBK makes the best food-themed costumes (remember 2 years ago when my kids wowed 'em as a burger and fries?). This one is going to be a hot ticket (pun intended) this Halloween.

Wikki Stix Trick or Treat Pak ($21.50 for 50 handouts) at Amazon.com. You'll be less of a grinch for withholding candy if you hand out these fun black-and-orange Wikki Stix sets (always a hit with my kids).

Trendy at Gymboree

If you've ever checked the customer comments on Gymboree's Facebook page, you may have noticed some complaints that Gymboree keeps recycling old styles and designs. Not anymore. I noticed in their fall transitional lines that they are starting to branch out from their trademark cotton appliques and to offer a select few trendier pieces, like this Pintuck Embroidered Romper (on sale for $24.79, just reduced from $34.75, sizes 3-12). I like it a lot- if I hadn't spotted it on the Gymboree site I would've thought it came from somewhere else. There are more outside-the-box looks for Gymboree on the way, too. Click on the Fall Fashion Trends Sneak Peek on Gymboree's homepage and you'll see "jeggings" (you know, jeans+leggings) paired with tunics on the way this Fall. I hate the term "jeggings", but the look is actually pretty stylish. And since my own daughter is outgrowing some of Gymboree's more babyish clothes, I am excited to see they are branching out in this more fashion-forward yet age-appropriate direction.

Moms who shop at Gymboree, what do you think? Have you gotten tired of some of their styling? What would you like to see there instead?

Rikshaw Design Sale

Rikshaw Design is having a sale (up to 50% off) on its Indian block-printed baby clothing and accessories, now through August 3rd. I think the baby bloomers are absolutely gorgeous. They're on sale for $15 (regularly $22) and make a great baby shower gift. Visit the entire summer sale at Rikshaw Design.

What Brings You Here? Part Two

I posted a few months ago about some of the funnier/more interesting Google searches which lead certain readers to this blog. Here is some brand new material (and what I would respond if I could):

"How old is my mom?"
Unless my sister wrote this one, I couldn't tell ya.

"How do I make a tooth?"
Wait for your kid to grown his own.

"I dress my son as as girl"
I wouldn't, but I don't judge.

"My mom turned me into a girl"
Same kid?

"I feel less sick"
Glad you're feeling better.

"How do you spell baby?"
Like you just did.

"Please mail me summer fall land'end catalog"
Try contacting Lands End directly.

"Save the world it's the only planet wth girl scout cookies"
One of many good reasons.

"What to wear to Chuck E Cheese"
From what I've been told, earplugs. But my daughter will wear this.

"Who owns bridesmaidaid?"
I do. Got a question?

"I love my mirrored table from Target"
Oooh, this one? I love mirrored tables too.


p.s. Seriously, though, want to know what searches lead the most of you here? Mini Boden Fall 2010 Preview, Talbots Kids, Gymboree fall lines, and Chasing Fireflies coupons.

p.p.s. Thanks again to Liz Gumbinner from Mom 101 for this idea.

Tea for Mom

Tea Collection has not only expanded its sizes to go up to 12 years (hooray!) but it also just introduced its first line of women's clothing. So you can look effortlessly chic just like your little ones. It's a small collection so far. I like the belted cardigans best, but they're priced way too high for me ($198). I'll just window shop for now. Check out the new women's clothing collection at Tea.

Wake Up, Don Draper

I'm pretty sure my grandparents had something like this moonbeam clock in their small Brooklyn apartment decades ago. I love the retro, low-tech look, right down to the font used for the numbers. Maybe it will show up as a prop on Mad Men? Buy it for $39.50 in your choice of five pastels at LL Bean (by the way, it offers your choice of alarm bell, gentle light, or both as a wake-up call).

Remember, Mad Men Season 4 premieres on AMC tonight at 10pm/9c.

Need Another Summer Hostess Gift?

I've been admiring these Linen Hemstitch Guest Towels by Pottery Barn all summer. They're priced at $19 for a set of two plain towels (you have to order monogramming to get the graphic, though). So I suggest that you spend the extra $6.50 for the graphic plus personalization. Shipping is free, after all, so it's still a good deal. I like the Adirondack chair design best- it's the perfect gift to take to someone's beach or lake house. Buy them at Pottery Barn.

Right on Target

New York City frugalistas like me rejoice this weekend with the opening of Manhattan's very first Target, on East 116th Street in East Harlem. Sure, we have Fifth Avenue with Tiffany's, Cartier, and Prada. But this is much more my kind of place. I'll probably wait a bit to check it out in person- I imagine it will be mobbed this weekend- but you can see some fantastic preview photos posted at Racked a few days ago. It looks swell, doesn't it?

Baby Takes a Map

I read about these baby "soft maps" made by Brooklyn architect Emily Fischer in yesterday's New York Times. They're a labor of love- each is hand-embroidered and hand-knotted, and shows a child's city or neighborhood which can be personalized further with the child's name, birthday, home, and favorite local sites. Choose from a handful of city "soft maps" (including San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Dallas, Chicago and Miami) or, closer to my heart, New York City neighborhood "soft maps" (Brooklyn moms, rejoice...these are for you). Shown above: the Prospect Park soft map. For an amazing custom gift like this, the price is about what I'd expect: $125 for a ready-made blanket, or $150 for a blanket with personalized details and locations. Check them all out at Haptic Lab.

I Remember Ramona

I am really excited for this weekend's opening of Ramona and Beezus. The Ramona series by Beverly Cleary was one of my absolute favorites when I was my daughter's age (7 years old). It is the only paperback series that I saved in its entirety in my childhood bookshelves at my parents' house. I have just about every book in the series, including my favorites Ramona the Pest , Ramona and Her Mother, Ramona and Her Father, and, of course, Beezus and Ramona, which was originally written in 1955. I bought my own copy c. 1980 (for a mere $1.75) and my reward for consistently good behavior was another book from the series (wish this worked with R., who is probably more interested in watching Despicable Me than reading Beverly Cleary). Want to introduce your kids to the spirited little imp who is called Ramona? Try this The Ramona Collection, Vol. 1 boxed set which costs just $9.99 at our affiliate Amazon.com.

Did you read the Ramona series when you were a child, and are you seeing the movie this weekend? And does anyone else remember the short-lived 1988 TV series Ramona starting a young Sarah Polley?

LikeWear Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to entry #22 (chosen by Random.org) "BSB", who wrote, "Love the silly bandz t-shirts and so would my daughter!" and has won a $20 gift certificate to LikeWear. Please e-mail me within 72 hours to claim your prize.

Didn't win? Don't worry. All MyMomShops readers get a generous 25% discount on any purchase (except sale items) at LikeWear with coupon code MYMOMSHOPS. So that Silly Bandz tee can be yours for much less. Enjoy!

Fall 2010 Preview: Boys' Clothing Picks

Last week I presented some of my top picks for Fall 2010 girls' fashion. This week, it's the boys' turn. Here are some threads that caught my eye:

Boys' Cotton Striped Rugby ($50; sizes 2-7) at Polo.com:



Appaman Knit DJ Hats (pre-order for $27; sizes 12-24mos to 7-14 years) at Arte Bebe:



Glug Boys Corduroy Pants (pre-order for $44; sizes 2-8) at Moxie Kids:



Pieced Puffer Vest ($32.75; sizes 6-12mos to 4T/5T) at Gymboree:



LL Bean Deluxe Book Pack (temporarily on sale for $31.96; reduced from $39.95) at LL Bean:



Adidas Infant Tracksuit (on sale temporarily for $29.90, reduced from $45; size 9-24 mos) at Nordstrom:



Little Boys' V-Neck Sweater Vest and Painter Jeans Outfit (Vest $16.50; jeans $11; sneakers $16.50; backpack $15.40) at Old Navy:



Boys' Microfleece Half-Zip Pullover ($38, European sizes 80-160) at Hanna Andersson:



Cork Print Hoodie ($60; sizes 2T-7) at little maven by Tori Spelling:



Plaid Woven Shirt ($14.50, sizes 6-9mos to 4T) at The Children's Place:



Appaman Skater Blue Puffy Down Coat ($95; size 12mos-7 years) at Psycho Baby:



Science Tees and Cargo Pants (Tees $26, 2T-14; Microfiber Cargo Pants 2T-14) by Mulberribush for CWD Kids:


Winter Water Factory Toolbox Hoodie (pre-order for $50, sizes 2T-6) at Black Wagon:



Car Double Sleeve One Piece ($24.75; sizes 0-3mos to 18-24 mos) at Gymboree:

For Writing (De)Compositions

R. has a school supply list a mile long for when she starts 2nd grade (2nd grade!!) this September. It includes several composition books. I wonder if she'd go for this cool, retro-style "Decomposition Notebook" which I spotted in-store at Kate's Paperie. It's made from 100% recycled paper with bio-gas derived energy, and, of course it's standard sized and college ruled. Love that faux-woodgrain cover and old-fashioned font. If you're in school supply mode already, check it out (it costs just $5) online at Dream in Plastic.

p.s. There are a couple of other Decomposition Notebooks online at Kate's Paperie, too, but they priced them higher- $9.

Bargain Alert: One Ruby Lane sandals at Zulily

Speaking of summer shoes, Zulily has a winner sale of One Ruby Lane girls' summer sandals, which are the ultimate in girly footwear. There's pink, sparkles, butterflies, and hearts galore. Zulily's last sale of this brand was so popular that they are repeating it now- but hurry, the sale ends on Friday, July 23rd. My favorite pair is shown at left: "Olivia" sandals reduced to $21.99 from $48, sizes 8-13 remaining. Buy them at Zulily.

p.s. Also check out the just-posted sale of gorgeous Inglesina prams...I love love love these.

I Could Spend Hours Here

I paid a visit recently to one of my favorite places on earth, The Container Store. In addition to spending too much time admiring various storage solutions (top photo), I also bought a few new rolls of fun gift wrap including the cute sock monkey pattern (top row middle, bottom photo) which is perfect for just about anyone's birthday. It's not available online but you can pick up a roll in-store for about $4. I also like these two gift wraps which you can buy online: Far Out Birthday Gift Wrap ($4.95) and Modern Cubes Gift Wrap ($4.99). Check out all of the gift wrap at Container Store.

Wordless Wednesday

(I took this photo last Saturday- I plan to turn it into a card, too).

Please Watch This

This post is not at all about shopping, but I know that a certain number of you can relate to it all too easily. And I hope that others will understand it, too. I just stumbled onto this stunning video, "Holland, Beirut & Holland, Schmolland" by Christianne Pollock and had to share it.

As Christianne explains, if you have a child with special needs you have almost certainly been told by well-meaning friends about the essay "Welcome to Holland." But, unfortunately, that essay sometimes paints a rosier picture than the reality of your everyday life. Your world may more closely resemble Beirut or "Schmolland" particularly if your child has autism (as Christianne's son does). I have several close friends who can attest to this. Click on those links and read those essays about Holland, Beirut, and "Schmolland", and you'll start to "get it" too.

Take a look at what Christianne has done using bits of text from these essays which are now famous among moms of children with special needs. It is inspiring and uplifting.

(JR, this one's for you)

Holland, Beirut & Holland Schmolland from Christianne Pollock on Vimeo.

Bargain Alert: More Kids' Deals at Amazon.com

Many readers have requested that I sniff out more bargains for babies and kids at Amazon.com (like the last one I posted about, these Melissa & Doug sticker collections). Happy to oblige!

Melissa & Doug Triangular Crayons - 24 pack (reduced to $6.40 from $17.19)


Paul Frank Pacifier Patch" Cap & Booties Set (Size 0 - 12M) - blue, one size ($4.99)


Educo Gourmet Chef Cuisine (reduced to $20.17 from $49.99)


P'Kolino P'Kolino Puzzle Stacker, Full Size (reduced to $16.26 from $38.50). Update: the price went up since I wrote this post a few days ago, but keep an eye out...Amazon often drops the price back down again.


The Baby Bunch Large Blue Bucket (reduced to $22.33 from $54.95)

I'm always finding more, so keep an eye on my bargain alerts.