How have I not stumbled upon these workbooks earlier?  I have felt like the slacker mom on many occasions when I hear of mom-friends doing lots of arts and crafts with their kids – even using scissors!  I will admit it publicly – I avoided crafts because it sounded like a lot of time and effort on my part.  Lucky for me, these Kumon workbooks were recommended to me (by a very studious and attentive mom-friend of a very intelligent little boy).  I was instantly drawn to them!  The colors, layout, and simplicity of the workbooks make me want to sit down with my almost 3 year old, and PLAY!  Of course, this gave me my excuse to go out and buy her some kid-friendly scissors (aka: don’t cut very well) and some glue sticks – and here we go, some quality mom and daughter time, AND she’s practicing necessary skills she needs for kindergarten (2 yrs away) – and no, I am not obsessing about what she needs to know before going into kindergarten…
My daughter’s favorite workbook is “Let’s Cut Paper” where she practices cutting in a straight line, a curvy line, through a maze, etc.  My recommendation: start the scissor practice sooner rather than later… it’s not as easy as we adults make it look.  Other books we are having fun with are “Let’s Color“, which helps with color recognition and staying in the lines, “Let’s Sticker and Paste“, and “Let’s Fold“.

OH, did I forget to mention that these are THE BEST distractions to bring to a restaurant or on a long plane flight?   Hours of entertainment – trust me!

If you have toddlers, then you know the Robeez brand. I honestly don’t know any moms who don’t have at least one pair for each of their kids. Their soft sole shoes are the perfect medium between baby booties and big kid shoes. And they have so many different options that you are bound to find something that fits your taste.

For a while I thought that as my kids got older and started walking I’d have to ditch the Robeez and move on to regular old shoes.  But then I discovered their Tredz line.  Yeah, I guess many of you knew already that Robeez had a stiff sole line of shoes.  But I didn’t.  What a great surprise to find out that my toddlers can still get in to the great style and quality that Robeez is famous.  And now with their new Fall collection, they have soooo many super cute shoes to choose from. I just picked up a pair of the Tredz Sporty Z-strap for my daughter and she loves them!  Soft and comfy and super adorable.

Check them out at finer department stores or go directly to the Robeez site to see their entire collection.

Here’s a pretty hip solution to finding work space for junior without cluttering up your living space.  Pulled apart, you have a stylish desk and chair combo.  Nice modern lines!  But when company is on their way over and you need to clean things up, just push the pieces together and they become a perfectly nested cube.  You could even use it as an extra end table and nobody would suspect a thing.  Sneaky.

It’s called the Klick Desk from a company called P’kolino. If you’re a fan of modern design, then you should check out their website. They have a full range of products and they do a great job of balancing between keeping things fun for the kids and aesthetically pleasing for the adults.  You can order the Klick Desk directly from them for $198.85.

I’m not really sure when kids develop a sense of style or when they start to prefer certain types of aesthetics.  From what I’ve seen, if it rolls, squeaks, flashes, talks, or is brightly colored… kids will dig it.  So, when I saw this doll stroller and thought about how good looking it was, I wondered if its style would be unnoticed by a toddler.  After all, why spend a bunch of money on this cool looking stroller if your kid would be just as happy with a cardboard box?

Then I caught myself and came to this conclusion: kids are influenced by their surroundings and the choices that their parents make.   Generally speaking, parents that are active have kids that are active, parents that are nice to people have kids that are nice to people, parents that are stylish have kids that are stylish, etc.  So, if you want your kid to have a cool and hip sense of aesthetics you have to help shape that.  And who doesn’t want that?

So, don’t think of this stroller as just some toy.  Think of it as an investment in the future of your child being a much admired trend setting individual :)  Available at Modern Nursery for $280.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you have no doubt heard by now that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are the parents to newly born twins.  Hurray for them!  The thought of having brand new twins in addition to four other little ones might strike terror in to the minds of most sane individuals.  But keep in mind that this is Brangelina.  They probably have a nanny for each kid and they each have their own personal assistants.  Heck, their assistants probably have assistants.  I’m not knocking them.  I’m sure they are wonderful parents.  I’d love to be adopted by them!  All I’m saying is that their parenting experiences are probably a little different than most of ours.

I’m anxious to see what kinds of baby stuff they’re using.  I’m sure everything will be the latest, greatest, and coolest gear available.  Bugaboo doesn’t make a double stroller (yet).  But I can’t help but think that just maybe Bugaboo was waiting for an event as monumental as the birth of the Jolie-Pitt twins to unveil their latest product.  It might just be the crazy conspiracy theorist in me.  But think about it, what better way to promote your goods than to put it in the hands of the ultimate celebrity family?  We’ll see in the next few weeks.

One of the things that I find so appealing about some of the baby stuff out there is that they allow me to live vicariously through my toddler.  I like to think of myself as a cool and hip individual, but the reality is that sometimes the parent in me doesn’t let me be as crazy with the fashions as I once was.  Leopard print shoes and a Ramones t-shirt tend to stand out a bit in the local play group.  On the other hand, I can put my kid in the same outfit and it’s totally adorable!

For instance, take these leopard print Vans.  My kid is going to look so freakin cute in these things!  And of course, her fashion sense is a direct reflection of mine, so I’ll look very cool.  Makes sense, doesn’t it?

I found these at a store called Psycho Baby.  If you haven’t been there yet, you really should check them out.  They describe themselves as “your one-stop shop for cool, crazy kids’ stuff” and they really do have some great products.  Of course they have the toddler-sized Ramones tee, in addition to a wide range of other hip rocker style clothes. But they also carry cool shoes, toys, books, and music. And speaking of music, they carry the Rockabye Baby collection of CDs.  Yep, the music of your favorite bands like The Cure, Smashing Pumpkins, U2, and Nine Inch Nails, performed as kid-friendly lullabies.  Good stuff.  Check them out.

Even for tasks as ordinary and un-glamorous as changing diapers, I still want to have cute gear. What? You don’t think that changing pads and diaper carriers can be cute? Well, check out the offerings at TushyGear. They carry some adorable changing pads and blankets that you just have to take a look at.

Sometimes you just don’t want to lug around a full blown diaper bag. The changing pads at TushyGear are the perfect solution for carrying just a couple diapers and wipes without having to resort to sticking them in a zip lock bag. They’re hand sewn in the U.S. and come in a variety of attractive prints. Honestly, I have a feeling that these have the potential to be the next must-have celebrity baby accessory.

I’m a big fan of the small boutique-type online stores. Sure, I buy stuff at the big box mega stores. But whenever I can, I try to support the mom and pop places. It just seems like you’re more likely to find something genuinely different and unique. And because many of these places produce their own products and in smaller quantities, you are definitely getting something that will stand out from the rest of the mommy crowd. Check out TushyGear and I think you’ll be pleased.

We all want our kids to grow up to be super smart and solve the world’s problems, don’t we? Of course we do. Well, kids don’t just become smart on their own. It’s our job to stimulate those little brains and get them moving down the path of intellectual superiority. One of the activities that my kids really love is doing puzzles. I can see the gears turning in their heads as they’re thinking about how the pieces fit together. And there is a fantastic sense of accomplishment when they get them completed.

I’m always looking for new and interesting puzzles to challenge my kids, and I found probably the best selection around at Educational Toys Planet. My kids are a bit younger, so the over-sized floor puzzles are great for them. But they also have a fantastic selection of math puzzles and jigsaw puzzles for the older kids. They have some really unique products - puzzle crafts, map puzzles, first puzzles. There’s definitely something for everyone. So, if you’re looking for a great way to spend time with your kids and to get their minds working, pick up a puzzle or two.

Whether it’s a horse, zebra, or cow, kids love their rocking toys. And like me, you probably want to give your kids all the playthings that will make them happy. But maybe you’re one of those parents who can’t bear the thought of bringing another large, brightly colored, cartoon-themed, toy in to the house. This is the answer. The Olga Rocker is probably the most stylish kids rocker that I’ve ever seen. With its clean and modern lines and natural colors, this is sure to blend in with your swanky adult decor. And as long as it rocks, your kids will love it! So really, it’s the best of both worlds - fun for the kids and nice piece of furniture. I found the Olga Rocker at Modern Tots, a very cool shop with a wide range of hip and modern products. It’s a bit on the pricey side at $280. But well worth it if aesthetics are important to you.

After my recent posts on Diesel jeans and Burberry booties for infants, I received a few messages along the lines of “Yeah, those are cute… but c’mon! Who’s going to spend that kind of money on baby clothes?!” I agree. Even though I really did like those items, realistically, they’re just a bit too much. Even for a splurge. However, I’ve always got my eyes open and I found these little sandals that are hip and cool… and they’re just the right price. There’s baby stuff out there that is obvious baby style. But these things are just tiny versions of the adult sandals. So cute! I’m pretty fond of Kenneth Cole stuff myself, so I love that I can put my little one in the same thing. And like I said, they’re pretty reasonable for a little splurge. $39 at Zappos.com. Available in a variety of infant and toddler sizes.

At first glance, the Stokke Xplory is a weird looking stroller. If you’re used to the traditional image of what a stroller should look like, this is nowhere near it. But if you like modern attention-getting style, then this is the ride for your little one.  Still not sure if it’s really for you?  Consider that this is the stroller of choice for Madonna, Courtney Cox-Arquette, Heidi Klum, Tori Spelling, and other famous moms.  You do want to have the same stroller as the celebrities, don’t you?  Of course.  Besides making you really cool, it’s actually a very well designed and functional stroller too.  One of the neatest features is the ability to raise and lower the seat height, so you can bring baby right up near you.  You can get all the details at the Stokke website and you can find it for purchase at several of your higher end baby stores for about $1000.  Yes, for about a $1000.

I’m not going to even try to justify this one. They’re cute and soft and cozy. Yeah, they’re kind of over-priced and not the most practical purchase you can make. But if you want to start your kid on the path of snooty country clubs and high priced designer clothes, then you must buy these booties for them! Hmmm… did I just justify buying these things? I guess I did.  So there you go, valid reasons to buy the Burberry Check Booties: social status, and they’re cute, soft, and cozy. Available at Nordstroms for $69.

I know, I know… infants do not need Diesel jeans. But just think about all the things that you’ve bought for your kid. How much of that did they really need? Exactly. So, if you’re going to make an irrational purchase, what better than these fashionable little jeans? Besides, these are more about making the parent feel hip. A two year old won’t know the difference, but imagine the pride you will feel in showing off your little fashionista. Just don’t let them play in these things. Maybe save them for the next Baby Loves Disco. They’re available directly from the Diesel Store in 6-24 month sizes for $75.

I have two little girls, so I’m a total sucker when it comes to cute baby clothes. I’m always on the look out for hip and stylish stuff. Clothes for little girls are just so freakin cute that I just can’t help myself! I recently was turned on to a site called Divas and Drooligans a super stylish boutique with lots great stuff for boys and girls, from newborns through toddlers. I really like things that are unique and you can’t just find anywhere. I couple of my favorite items are the Kung-Fu Bambini Peach Parfait Lounge Set and the Bumble Bags Jessica Messenger Backpack. They have lots of other things too - boys clothes, shoes, accessories, playthings. Check them out!

I wasn’t really sure where to put this one. It’s really more for parents than it is for kids. But then again, there are probably more parents than kids reading this so I guess it’s appropriate. Whatever the case, I just had to share this. I saw it for the first time this morning when a co-worker turned me on to the website of Jason Freeny, an artist/illustrator from New York. This particular piece is called “Anatomie Gummi Bär”, and as you can see, it’s an incredible illustration of the anatomy of a Gummy Bear. Ok, I know that the bears are really just “gummy” all the way through. But considering that this is coming out of his imagination just makes it that much more impressive. This small image doesn’t do it justice. Go to MoistProduction.com to see larger versions of this and his other work. He also has created “Pneumatic Anatomica” (anatomy of a balloon dog), “Immaculate Confection” (the brith of a gummy bear), and many other great pieces. They’re available for purchase as prints on his website. Check them out. Very cool stuff!