I know we were just getting started here, but I'm off for a long planned and much needed vacation. Be sure to check back in the week after next. I'll have an interview with Amy Maurer, one of the founders of Smart Mom Jewelry, a review of the first line of children's stationary to be printed on environmentally friendly bamboo paper, some suggested summer reading, a great Etsy find, and much more. See you then!
It's exciting when high fashion comes to H&M, but it's even more exciting when it comes to children's bibs. Marimekko, a Finnish company, is known for strong and colorful graphic prints. The fashion house was most popular in the 1960's and 1970's, due in no small part to Jacqueline Kennedy's purchase of eight Marimekko dresses during her husband's 1960 Presidential campaign.
Before I actually became a mother, I decided that there were many types of mother that I was not going to be. I was not going to be the type of mother who sang loudly to her child in public and I was certainly not going to be the type of mother who spent hours cooking homemade baby food. Well, to the pre-baby me, all I can say is, it was nice knowing you.
I was doing my daily check-in at Design Sponge, my favorite design blog, when I spotted this beautiful nursery by DeNai Jones, the owner and designer of Petunia Pickle Bottom. Jones envisioned this nursery as a "place of tranquility" and she sites the modern glider chair by Monte Designs as her favorite furniture piece in the room. I love the color palette of grays and muted greens with a hint of yellow and cream, but my favorite design feature in the nursery is the single wall of wallpaper. It adds interest and texture to the walls without being overwhelming. To see the entire nursery as well as Jones' thoughts on the design, click here.
This Friday's inspiration made its way into my email inbox a few months ago and I've been thinking about it ever since. It's an excerpt from the book "Loud and Clear" by Anna Quindlen. In this excerpt Quindlen, who now has three grown children, reflects on her experiences as a mother. Looking back, Quindlen writes that she wishes she had listened to the overwhelming amount of advice in parenting books less and followed her own maternal instincts more. But what resonated most deeply with me were her thoughts about living in the moment or, as Quindlen writes, her wish that she "had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less." I often think of this comment when I'm doing something like trying to get a stroller and three grocery bags up a flight of stairs. I can't say I treasure those kinds of "the doing" but I do try and make time for some extra snuggling once I manage to get in the door.
It's Emily again, back with another favorite find.....Although I pride myself on being a savvy shopper, I have fallen prey from time to time and bought gadgets because my friends swear by them or they're written up in parenting magazines as "mommy must-haves." But often it's the simplest things like these sippy cup leashes, which sell for $9.95 online at Baby Bungalow, that remind me that the smallest things can make a big impact. As we make the transition from bottle to sippy cup, this ingenious invention will save me from continually playing go-fetch after my daughter tosses her cup overboard, and she'll love it because it's colorful and fun to chew on. Good things truly do come in small - and simple -packages.
I think gift registries are great for weddings, but there's something about baby gift registries that rub me the wrong way. Maybe it's because I love browsing in my local boutique baby stores for the newest (and cutest) products in baby land. On a recent trip to Tadpole in Boston, I found this little elephant. He's actually a leather book end and has a great weight to him - stout and sturdy. He's also available in pink and looks great hanging out on the floor or on a shelf. I think I have my new go to baby gift!
I've recruited my fabulous friend Emily to join me in my musings on modern motherhood. Read about Emily's first find, which is available on Etsy for $18, below:
There's a new baby in the mail today - the Restoration Hardware Baby & Child catalogue. The furniture is priced higher than average, but the bedding collections are wonderful with lots of browns and polka dots and some nice gender neutral options. Everything is organized by color, so if matching is your thing, the site's layout will save you lots of clicking. Since my nursery is already decorated, I honed in on this great play tent. At 60'' square, I envision it filled with pillows and used for teas with teddy bears, reading books, and afternoon naps. Now if only they made one for adults.
Moms need a little inspiration every now and then. Sometimes by Friday, they need a lot of inspiration. So each Friday I'll post a favorite article or essay in the hope that it provides some inspiration for the day (or at least the moment).
It's getting hot around here. The stroller wheels are melting, the chubby baby thighs are on display, and the rubber swings are sizzling. All of this has me dreaming of cooling ocean breezes. Yet with no ocean front property to call my own, I'll be relying on the kindness of friends to make all my summer dreams come true.
My love of California cuisine started not with Alice Waters or Thomas Keller, but with Pinkberry, the refreshingly tart frozen yogurt treat. So it should come as no surprise that the current object of my California culinary lust is also eaten with a spoon and available in many flavors. Only this time the food is not for me, it's for my daughter. 
Moms need a little inspiration every now and then. Sometimes by Friday, they need a lot of inspiration. So each Friday I'll post a favorite article or essay in the hope that it provides some inspiration for the day (or at least the moment)!
We've all had those moments - the tantrums in the mall, the cranberry juice spills on a new rug, or, my personal favorite, the massive diaper explosion on the New Jersey Turnpike. In those moments, I think it helps to have a mantra and I've yet to see a mantra look as good as this one.
Just in time for bathing suit season, I've got cupcakes on my mind. I blame Sweet, the new Boston cupcake bakery that is located just blocks from my apartment. The store is stroller-friendly, the cupcakes are baked from scratch each day, and the pink and brown decor would make Coco Chanel proud. Boston mamas beware, the organic karat cupcake is addictive!
Put away your down jackets, capilene long underwear, and wind resistant base layers, it's finally summer. But wait, save the fleece! You'll need it for your next picnic. At 72'' by 58'', Patagonia's fleece blanket is the perfect size for an outing to the park with the little ones. It's available in seventeen colors and folds up small enough to fit in the bottom of most strollers or large bags. Patagonia, a company long known for its environmental initiatives, is going one step further and donating some proceeds from the sale of these blankets to the Great Pacific Child Development Center. Given my positive track record with the durability of Patagonia products, I wouldn't be surprised if this blanket ends up in a college dorm room someday. Now that's recycling.