Love the original Robeez shoes, but want a more “grown-up” look for your little cutie? You must see the Robeez Mini Shoez (no, I didn’t spell it wrong) collection. They have a flexible sole that is still as soft as you want everything on your baby to be, while also having a water repellent, non slip sole (especially good for beginner walkers). Robeez puts out such cute designs. I got the Dressy Mary Jane in Navy with pink accents for my daughter. Like all Robeez shoes, the construction on it must have gotten a lot of MOM input. The elasticized heel makes sure it doesn’t slip when they crawl or walk, and an ample sized velcro strap fits even my “Flinstone footed” girl.

If you are looking for a First Boot for baby, check out the Robeez Mini Boots - on my wish list for the upcoming colder weather!

After I had my first little girl, I wanted to adorn her with a beautiful bracelet. Not just any bracelet, but one I made myself.  A hundred dollars later, I stumbled through making my first piece of jewelry.  No more than a week later, our little princess has torn off her sparkly bracelet and hid it somewhere never to be found again.  Two attempts later, I gave up.  She is now a very big 3 year old, and I sure wish I would have known about Bumble Bells earlier.  These beautifully made anklets not only “dress up” your little one, but they are functional as well!  What new mom doesn’t start thinking the worst and hovering outside baby’s room when it gets too quiet or they haven’t stirred in awhile?  Better yet, as baby grows, and starts exploring and wandering, what mom wouldn’t want to have a homing device of sorts on their child?  Bumble Bells are silver anklets that grow with your child and jingle every time they move.  Rest easy moms - help is here.

If you’re like me and have accumulated tons of maternity clothes and kids stuff, you most likely have a little circle of friends and family to hand things down to. And on the flip side, there’s a good chance that much of what you have was probably handed down to you from others in your network. But how about those moms out there who don’t have the fancy friends passing along the hip maternity jeans, but can’t stand the thought of paying full price for new ones? Or maybe you have a super cute and barely used diaper bag that cost a bit too much, and you’d like to recoup a few dollars? For everyone looking to reach out to other moms and buy and sell your maternity and kids stuff, here is the answer: LaBump.com.

Now that I’ve seen the site, I can’t believe that something like this didn’t exist before. It’s the perfect solution to finding moms and moms-to-be who want your stuff. You’ve all heard of Craigslist, right?  Of course you have, it’s one of the most popular web sites around.  The concept here is pretty much the same.  It’s free classified ads organized by cities around the country.  The cool thing is that La Bump is completely  dedicated to maternity clothes and kids clothes, gear, furniture, and toys.  No longer do you have to search through the tons of irrelevant stuff on Craigslist to find a cool diaper bag, the latest jogging stroller, or cute baby clothes.  You’ll find all that stuff, plus a lot more, on this site.

Right now, most of the listings come from just a handful of states.  Texas in particular, is well represented.  But I have a feeling that it won’t be too long before word spreads and you’ll find tons of stuff posted from every major city. In fact, if you have some baby stuff that you’ve been looking to sell, why not post it on La Bump right now?  Did I mention it’s free?! 

I have to admit that I didn’t give Halloween much thought as a child-less adult. Just another day on the calendar as far as I was concerned. But now that we have two little girls, my interest has definitely been rekindled. Our oldest is almost three years old and has already been doing the dress up thing for a while. She loves it! So, Halloween is really just the absolute best day for her. Our 18 month old is pretty much oblivious, but as parents, there is no way we can pass up the opportunity to dress her up in something cute.

So, with October just a month away, it’s not too early to start thinking about halloween costumes. We’ve had a few conversations with the girls. Well, the 18 month doesn’t talk yet, so there’s not much conversation going on; but the older one definitely has some opinions. She already fancies herself a princess, so we’ll probably go with something along those lines. But even after deciding on the princess theme, there are a million variations out there. The best thing you can do is get online and browse the costume stores with your kid. Let them pick it out, so they can get exactly what they want.

After looking at pretty much every costume store on the web, I’ve come to the conclusion that buycostumes.com has to be the best one out there. They have soooooo many options to choose from. I searched for “princess” under the kids category and I got 70 results! I searched for “baby costumes” and I got more results than I could count. Lots of cute stuff. Seriously, whatever you are looking for, I’m sure they have it. And if you don’t know exactly what you want, just browse for a few minutes and you’ll definitely find something that will catch your eye.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Oh my goodness. These things are ridiculously cute! They look like tiny little cowgirl boots, but they’re actually soft and cozy socks. Just imagine your baby wearing these things while riding a rocking horse!

$22 (set of 6 pairs) at Uncommon Goods