Bespoke rugs!

Well sort of bespoke rugs....initial rugs available in 2 different sizes and 2 different colors ( blue and pink) both with chocolate brown lettering. All you have to do is choose your 'chic one's' initial. Available in 3' x 5' for $ 149 and 5'x8' for $379 from Restoration Hardware.

The magnet that sticks to everything!

Ok, refrigerators are no longer made of basic matierials, we now have stainless steel models, etc, ...so where does a 'chic parent' hang their 'chic baby's' artwork? our own memos & lists? emergency phone numbers? Enter the newest, patent pending product from Mayfair Lane...the Happeez Clip. It attaches itself to mirrors, stainless steel and other slick surfaces. It is sold indiviually, $6 or in 3 packs, $15 with over 115 different designs to choose from. Great stocking stuffer gift or hostess gifts

We made it onto our favorite crafting blog!

Aren't we lucky, 2 days in a row we're getting a little bit of fame! Our craft ideas were posted on our favorite crafting blog, "no time for flashcards", which is written by Allie, a mom and former teacher. So check it out, as well as all her other wonderful ideas.

My article is in the newest magazine, The Observer Playground!

Just to let my readers know, I was delighted to be an official 'momtributer' to the 2nd edition of NY's newest family magazine from the NY Observer, called Playground.

A couple of the things I wrote about ( on pages 26 &27) in the NY Observer Playground, are the personalized melamine plates from LaPlates.com...with these amazing plates, transitioning from bottles to solids has never been easier. There are 19 designs, different colors to choose from and tons of fonts available, which makes the design possibities endless. $22.

The other item I wrote about is the personalized wooden train. The blocks spell out your child's name ( up to 7 letters). The same blocks come out of the train, so your 'chic one' can stack and play with them, making it a double functioning toy. Available at Good-byes on the UES (E 78th) or at the manufacturer's website Tag Toys. $ 42.95.

Last but not least, the wonderful, multi tasking Editor of Observer Playground, Lyss Stern, has cowritten a wonderful book for moms, called 'If You Give A Mom A Martini'. It is a great read and a fabulous gift for either yourself or any mom you may know this holiday season. Available at Amazon.com

Gives a new meaning to the saying 'Santa Baby"

Personalized Santa hat from The Baby Bump Shop...enough said ( well almost, it is on sale for $9.99)...now it's enough said!

Play dates in NYC that are stylish.

Love this intial shirt with matching bottoms from Playdate NYC, a NY mom based business. Everything is hand sewn and made to order ( love crafty home made clothes). Which means you can choose the color of the intial, star, shirt, ... you get the picture. Comes is girl colors too! The set is $40. And makes Playdates in NYC that much cuter. Great holiday gift.

Personalizing your chocolate!

Personalized chocolate bars for all the different seasons this holiday. At Personal Creations, you can choose from chocolate candy bar wrappers for Hanukkah, Christmas or the all inclusive "Season's greetings". They start at $14.95 for 24 wrappers, plus a one time personalization fee of $3.50 whether you order 1 or more products. So get out your chocolate bars to make the holiday sweet.

PS. When the wrappers arrive, make the holidays a little more family festive and sit down to wrap them with your 'chic baby', if they are old enough to try. And then let them distribute to everyone on your list!

Reaching size 24 months doesn't mean saying goodbye to lap t's!

I love lap t's...but all the sizes only go till 24 months and then you must bid farewell to that wonderful envelope closure. Enter the lap t's from Estella, available in 9 colors and up to size 6. Costs $ 30.

Mom gifts!

Since I have a blog, it is kind of funny to write about an actual paper product...but since it's cute, here goes! I saw this type of 'from the mom of' stationary years ago and hearted it instantly. I really think they are a great gift for any mom, dad or grandparent. Here are a couple of versions of them, the memo sheet that comes in a crystal clear holder has 375 sheets and costs $23.95 and you can choose any ink color. The notepad version, with the check box next to each child's name ( perfect for school notes to a teacher!) come in 4 pads of 50 sheets each and cost $26 and comes in various paper colors. Both available at Noteworthy Notes.

One of the reasons that moms want to have daughters!

This chair is divine! This pink, scratch resistant chair is made from a collaboration between Kartell and Barbie, featuring Barbie's signature profile. Available at Barney's for $170.

Bring on the Holiday gifts!

I received the Uncommon Goods catalogue at home and went looking through it. They have some really cute gifts for the holidays. The puzzle above hit me right away because as most parents, we are told so many conflicting things about teaching our 'chic ones' the alphabet...start teaching only lower case, start with caps only, don't teach the names of the letters instead just teach how to sound it out, etc.... Well I have taught the caps approach and it is so hard to find puzzles with cap letters only...enter the Animal Spelling Puzzle from Eeboo for $15( one of my favorite toy companies).

The construction plate and utensils set, makes eating fun and creative. The plate is $15 and the utensils are $18.

Every parents knows that a mistletoe is indeed never needed to give your 'chic baby' a big kiss. This 'no mistletoe needed' onesie is $25 and made from 100% organic bamboo, limited quantities available.

Who wants to make traveling easier?

The Holidays have begun...that means traveling by car, plane or for the eco conscience, the train. Well the 'chic ones' need to be entertained. Try the doodlebag from Its Personal Stuff for $28. It comes personalized and contains: chalk, crayons, paper, chalkboard and an eraser, sure to give plenty of entertainment till you reach your final destination. And speaking of final destinations, if it's to family or friends, don't come empty handed, get them a personalized monogrammed long sleeve tshirt, available in sizes ranging from babies to adults for $30. Or just get them the doodlebag that gave you some quiet time along the way.

Just makes me want to go to Paris!

For those who like the panache of Europe and are bilingual or let's face it, wanna be multilingualists...Atsuyo et Akiko, a Brooklyn based company has adorable clothes. The tshirts above are both $34, at Milkshop, one T is Paris's zip code ( or the 7th for you francophiles) and the other is the days of the week...makes you just want to go away and shop in Paris..A bien tot!

The Bugaboo new canvas diaper bag...finally arrives!.

It's finally out, after much anticipation...the new canvas Bugaboo diaper bag! And the best part about the Bugaboo diaper bag, in my humble opinion, is it has a zipper...the old bugaboo had 2 snap buckles to close it, making it challenging to open the diaper bag 9 or close it ) and hold your 'chic little one' at the same time. Available at Lullaby Lane for $129.95.

Because chemicals on your little ones nails is not cool!

Just discovered a new nail polish that is non toxic and chemical free and child friendly( also doesn't have that harsh nail polish odor, that we don't want near the little ones nose!). It's called Piggy Paint, comes in 14 colors and already is a celebrity hit! All the ingredients are biodegradable and there are no residues or traces left behind...the company actually has a tag line...natural as mud! So pig up some Piggy Paint and let the girlishness roll.

Because playing with castles and forts can be eco friendly!

Playing with castles has never been more green! This cardboard castle comes with a draw bridge and turrets which can be folded away after play, a perfect NYC apartment toy, if you ask me. Measures 27.5"x 27.5x 13" and made of recycled cardboard...attention all eco trendy moms...makes a great holiday gift! Available at greenpartygoods.com for $38.99.

A classic toy with a winter twist!

Barnes and Noble has the cutest snow man stacker from Melissa & Doug. A cute interpretation of the stacker classic and its a Barnes and Noble exclusive. They also have a deal if you buy 2 books, you get the snowman stacker for $ 5.95.

Maclaren Recall

Maclaren is conducting a voluntary recall of strollers due to a malfunction in the hinge when folding and opening the stroller. Go to this website to see if your models are affected...but there is so much traffic, you may need to try a couple of times. Or call (877)-688-2326.

Craftaholics come hither!

I have been the biggest fan of Michael's craft stores for years!!!! The annoying thing was it wasn't in the city and was always a drive to LI or NJ...well that has changed. I saw the signs last May and have been waiting for it to open and it finally did a few weeks ago!!! ( I can now replace that driving time with being creative instead). It is in the new Columbus Village on Columbus and w97th in Manhattan. It has a whole children's section and it boasts the biggest Crayola department out of its entire chain. The Michael's store is also almost 15,000 square feet and there is a birthday party room to rent! Oh how I would have loved to have a party there as a child!...so crafters or want-a-be crafters, go go go!

Learning Cause & Effect was never so well made

Naef, Naef Naef! This Swiss toy company has so many wonderful wooden products and are so impossible to find in the USA. So I was so excited to find a whole section of Naef products on Fawn & Forest ( they have 3 pages of offerings!). They are a bit pricey even for wooden toys, but they have such a big following because of their craftmanship. These Naef Color Balls are great as a mini mobile and teaches a cause & effect lesson with each touch. $65 but check out Fawn & Forest for other Naef toy options as well.

In honor of our great city and champions!

For our 2009 champions...and their 'chic baby' fans, here is a New York Yankees pacifier and clip for $7.95, so everyone can see your little one and know your proud! And for the older kids, who after watching the Yankees win and now want to become future champs themselves, try this personalized baseball bat, on sale for about $27. Enjoy and see you next October!

Cutting or serving in style.

Great personalized cutting board that makes a wonderful hostess gift or even a present for yourself. In this very room, an online shop, is offering many different sizes and shapes available. This one is $75 and measures 12"x 18".

For the little baby girls who like to pull off their socks

I am in love with these burberry infant tights, the classic Nova plaid pattern tights with bows sewn on. Not to knock Trumpette, because I love those too, but they've been around for about 4 years already so this is a breath of fresh air. Available at Saks for $45 and in 3 different colors.

Baby Bracelet

Beautiful personalized bracelet from Red Envelope. Comes in 2 sizes, infant and toddler. Costs $44.90 with the engraving.

P.S. Sorry about the picture, go to the website for a better look.

Get one, give one.

We all saw the AT&T commercials about TOMS shoes last spring and summer. Basically for every shoe you purchase, a child in need gets a free pair from the company. TOMS calls it their 'One for One program'. Great concept that has been quite fashionable as of late, for adults, but very soon they are coming out with their tiny TOMS which will feature shoes for the under 4 year old crowd. They decided to make that move after loads of requests and also weighing in on the irony, that the shoes they were giving away ( but not selling to the public) were actually made for little children's feet. Until Tiny TOMS comes out there is the youth version. The one above is sooo urban chic and sells for $34 from the TOMS site, in sizes 10-13.

Baby Tough!

I am not the biggest fan of skull & crossbones on babies or kids...but if it has to be done this hits just the right spot. Cute shoe slip ons for $26. Also comes in a girls version of black with pink bones. From Me In Mind.

Preppy newborn!

This beautiful monogrammed, wrap style, one piece is from Restoration Hardware Baby & Child. It comes in 3 colors and can be personalized with an intitial or monogram. Available in sizes 0 to 24 months. Costs $32 with personalization. makes a great newborn gift too.

Name your germs!

Mypacifier.com has come up with a cute way to personalize your 'chic ones' germs. The company will personalize your pacifier with your baby's name or special saying which helps with all the missing or switched pacies, that we all experience or cringe at, as moms. The pacifiers are the clever creation of a Danish company, that has affiliates all over the world ( I wrote about them on my British blog, a while ago). They come in fabulous colors and shapes, so take a look at the website. The price starts at $15.00 for a pack of 3 pacifiers and they would also make a really cute gift! Also if you need a pacifier case/box to attach for your stroller, they sell those too for $4.50 and you can not find them anywhere else in America and they are divinely handy!

Kickboard scooter fans...introducing Aqua

Kickboard or Microlite, whatever name they go by, just gets better and better. The Mini Kick scooter has always been my favorite, although I was always a bit annoyed that they were very gender stereotypical in the beginning, with the choice of only 2 colors...pink and blue. This summer they introduced gender neutral orange which sold out immediately and was on back order and now they have....Aqua. The scooter costs $79.99, the price keeps going up every season. Kickboard says its from ages 3 to 5 but in Europe, Microlite (the same company) actually say from 2 to 5, I wonder what that is about?

Lights and Action!

We love personalized items, so this lamp fits the criteria. This lamp can be personalized with any letter or name ( up to 6 letters). It is handmade and costs $110 and available at Romp, an amazing online shop that you can peruse their wonderful, unique and handcrafted items, for hours on end.

Monogrammed luxury

I fell in love with this as soon as I saw it. Comes in 3 colors, lt. blue, pink and camel and can be monogrammed with a name or initials. Also comes in 2 sizes 36"x46" and 28"x36" and costs $47.20 to $50.20 for the bigger blanket and about $10 less for the smaller receiving blanket. Perfect newborn gift! You do need to email or fax the monogram information separately from the online order to the company, A Soft Idea.

Because we all have friends that met online!

I laughed so hard when I saw this baby lap T shirt. Perfect newborn gift for new parents who met on the internet. Available from sizes 6 months to 18 months for $20.

You may accidently create good table manners!

I love all the designs behind Fred & Friends. It's whimsical and creative and just puts a smile on your face. The magic wand ice princess Ice Cube Tray and Straw is $9.99. The Stacking lego-like utensil set is $19.99... great gifts. Check out their other products as well.

Naartjie, anyone?

Naartjie is a South African company that has such a comfortable, stylish, bohemian vibe for kids. We have some of their clothes for a couple of years now, as well as having South African friends for longer who bought it for us! Naartjie has a few stores around the country, mostly on the West Coast. Unfortunately none in our area yet, although one is opening in New Jersey sometime soon. The fluffy jacket is $22, comes in a couple more colors and I adore it on a chic little one! The T shirt is on sale for $11, also available in other colors. Check out their site and if you are in LA, like I was, check out their stores...I spent an hour in there!

BTW, naartjie means a small clementine in South African, in case you were wondering.

Aden + Anais burp and bib muslin in one.

While we all have, in a moment of desperation transformed our burp cloth into a bib. It has now been made into an official product, called the Burpy Bib, from the minds of Aden + Anais, the muslin geniuses from 'Down Under'. They basically used their muslin magic wand to design a bib a little curved so that can easily be used as a burp cloth as well. Can not yet be purchased on their site but available at Buy Buy Baby for $ 8.99. Also, most of them have 2 different patterns on either side of the Burpy Bib, such as the one above, cars and airplanes.

Wooden Eco-friendly heaven!

Aren't these beautiful? It is hard for me to choose just one to showcase, so I included photos of a few...but just go to their Etsy site to see the whole collection! Little Sapling Toys are made from wood that is either reclaimed or FSC Certified hardwood and is sanded satin-smooth. They are all handmade and eco friendly. They use a local beeswax and organic jojoba oil finish to bring out the natural beauty of the woods. The teethers, however are left bare. The company plants a tree through Trees for the Future for every toy sold and they participate in Idaho Green Power Program to offset business and personal energy usage. They range anywhere from $8 to about $30 and shipping is free.

Cereal on the go!

How have I missed this convenient little Cheerios pack? Apparently its been around for at least a year or 2 and available at Duane Reade and other stores.