Gift Guide: What to Get the "Experienced" Mom

Many of my closest friends around here are expecting.  And this time, instead of the thrill of a first baby, it's their third, fourth or fifth.  And whether a traditional shower is held for her or not, I think each arrival is cause for celebration, and to me part of that means gifts.

So I've done some thinking.  What do you get such a Mom, someone who is well-versed and well-stocked, who has developmental toys for every age, the parenting books she knows and likes, clothes in every size for both genders, and receiving blankets coming out her ears?  There is still plenty, and you would be a very thoughtful friend to get her something she will actually need and use (read: not blankets.  Or stuffed animals.)  I nudged a few friends for ideas, and added them to my own.  And here I give you a pretty darn good resource list.

DISPOSABLES

I don't care how many kids she has; she will need diapers (unless she's gone cloth - doesn't hurt to find out.)  You could get her any size from 1 to 4 and they will be much-appreciated and definitely used.  One friend told me she had a baby shower for her second that was just diapers - she said they didn't have to buy diapers for almost a year!  Amazing.  What a gift.

Other disposable-type things a new Mom always needs:

• Baby wash (my favorite is California Baby calming)
• Diaper cream (fav - Weleda Calendula cream)
• Nursing pads (fav - Lansinoh)
• Diaper pail liners - just find out what kind she has and get some liner refills - not glamorous, but very thoughtful!
• Wipes

REPLACEMENTS

Along a similar vein to disposable, are things that she may already have, but it's nice (and sometimes necessary) to have new ones for the new kid.  This includes things like:

• Baby washcloths
• Board books (don't be afraid she'll already have the one you picked - if she does, it is probably all chewed up and falling apart and a new one is great; if she doesn't, bonus!)
• Bibs
• Pacifier clips
• Baby spoons
• Sippy cups
• White onesies
• Burp cloths

"LUXURY" ITEMS and NEW GADGETS 

Two categories in one here, and these comprise more traditional baby gifts.  But since this Mom has so many of the necessities, it can be nice to get her a not-so-necessity, maybe something she's always wished for but could never justify buying.  But, it still has to be useful!  Just for example:

• A PBK chamois crib sheet - so soft!  
• Wipes warmer (especially for winter babies)

The baby item industry is always booming, and there is constant and endless innovation happening there.  Which means there are always new cool things coming out, and she may not have something that's come out in the last few years.  One time when I was pregnant with Poppy, in 2010, I spent a whole afternoon alone at Babies R Us, walking up and down every single aisle just to see what was new since Ginger had been born in 2007.  I found some of my favorite new stuff that way.  A few new-ish things she might not have, but that I think are clever and useful, are:

• Teether jewelry
• Stroll-Away stroller hook
• Mommy Hook (I love mine)
• A subscription to Brain, Child: the magazine for thinking mothers  

CLOTHING

Is now a good time to address clothing?  Because here's what happened.  I recently attended a shower for a woman having her third girl in three years.  It was well-attended but I was so surprised that every gift but two that I remember was clothes.  It's true a third might like a thing or two of her own, but I am positive that family did not need that many new girl clothes.  The two gifts that weren't clothing were mine - a baby timer (with batteries) - and a gift containing home pedicure things for the mom.  Which I'll talk about in a minute. 

My feelings are: if she's having her first of a gender, clothes are a great way to go - of course she will need them!

If she's having a gender she already has clothes for, but you just must get clothes because they are so cute and fun (and I don't judge or blame you for that), elevate.  Skip Carter's and Target.  She will probably be shopping there herself. Get less for more and buy quality, somewhere she wouldn't normally shop, and get this kid something really nice.  Almost every mom I asked responded how nice it is to have at least some new, clean things for the baby.

FYI American Apparel is one of my favorite brands for soft, unadorned baby separates, especially for boys.  I love their karate pants and onesies.

And. One friend suggested getting a baby bathing suit, swim diapers, and sunscreen (hand me down swimsuits are always a little loose and pilly.)

HELP & SERVICES

Dude, you know what this mom needs most?  Some help.

• Dinner - get her a gift card to a place that delivers (i.e., pizza, Thai), has easy pick-up (i.e. Panera, Chipotle, etc.), or a meal delivery service.  Some examples are Grandma's Chicken Soup, Let's Dish, and Send-a-Meal.  And of course you could always make them something yourself.  One of the best gifts ever was a woman I didn't know well emailed me a month after Poppy was born, when all the meal-bringing had stopped and I was drowning.  She told me she was bringing me dinner and gave me three dates to choose from.  It was no-fuss, no-frills, and I will remember her thoughtfulness forever.  Another best-ever gift was when a friend brought us dinner...and a huge shopping bag full of paper plates and plastic cups.  We ate off those for months, and it was the only way I could stay on top of the dishes.
• Massage - I can't think of anything better than a prenatal massage.  Unless it's a post-partum massage.  You know some hospitals offer that service?  What a gift that would be, if you found out where she's delivering and arranged to gift her a massage while she's in the hospital.  That is a true friend.
• Mommy Relief - If I ever have another baby, please oh please, someone get me a g/c for these guys!  I know they're local but I bet most areas have something similar.
• Mani/ Pedi - Just a simple treat almost any woman would love.  But, get her a gift card to a salon.  In reference to the home-pedi gift mentioned above, um, what 7-9 month pregnant mom can paint her toenails and also breathe?  And what new mom has time or thoughts of painting her own nails?  But a salon outing, that is a treat.
• Gift Cards - besides food, help, and nails, the experienced mom needs clothes.  For herself.  Post-partum is a dark time for a woman's wardrobe, as she mysteriously morphs into whatever surprise shape and size she's going to be this time around, but she still has to wear something!  And you know her nursing bras are in a sad, sad state by the third or more child.  My best suggestion here is a mall gift card, so she can buy whatever, wherever. 

GROUP GIFT

Consider pitching in with friends to get her one big nice thing.  Something like:

• a rockin' rad double stroller (she probably has her eye on one)
• a gift card (see above) to a:
•  restaurant
• store 
• mall
• website (my fav - Diapers.com)
• local photographer (for an infant photo shoot - so thoughtful!)
• bookstore (especially Amazon, really)

OK, see?  All is not lost.  So what if she has a girl, two boys, and lots of baby gear?  There are still A TON of really thoughtful gifts you can give her, in any price range!  Hope this was helpful.  And in case you still need more, here are my own Top 5 favorite things to give new and repeat Moms (but step off if you are going to the same shower as me because I get dibs on giving these!)

 1 - Itzbeen Baby Timer (you've heard me sing its praises before; I always include batteries)
2 - Patemm pad (one of the coolest baby things I own)
3 - Chew beads (my favorite "new" baby invention)
4 - Books (kid-approved favorite board and picture books are always the right gift, with the bonus aspect that siblings can enjoy them now, and baby, later)
5 - Happiest Baby on the Block DVD (this is usually a first-time Mom gift, but I lend mine to many "experienced" moms.  Most helpful information I've ever gotten regarding babies' first three months.)

AND.  If you STILL need ideas, I love perusing Cool Mom Picks baby shower gift guide, if nothing else, the ads are always so cute!

DM's Gift Guide: New Baby

This is probably the most "I'm-repeating-myself" post of the gift guide series, but that was awhile ago so I'm back at it. Seriously, someone's having a baby - and I know LOTS of people having babies - and I almost always go to one of these! Sometimes I mix it up by adding a DVD/toy for an older sibling or Babyproofing Your Marriage if I know them well enough to be frank. My spreadsheet newborn gift list is actually more than three times this long, but I rarely move beyond these few items. This is one topic I know a little about.

1. Zutano booties, size 0-6 mos, $15-20 - The fact is that tiny shoes and socks are super cute but what's the point when they don't stay on those flimsy little infant feet? I'm a Robeez fan but newborns' feet are like wet noodles and I can't even get a Robeez on a 0-6 month old, much less get it to stay. That's why I love, love, love these booties. With the soft cotton, double-snap elastic ankle, they're not going anywhere but they are also super cute and non-pinchy. (These are perfect for new babies; the bottoms are not grippy so as soon as they are pulling up to stand it's time to move on.)

2. The Baby Book, $14 + The Happiest Baby on the Block DVD, $20 - My absolute top two best baby references, these have answered almost every problem or question I've had with new babies. I like to give one or both of these especially to first-time parents.

3. Miracle Blanket, $30 - If you're a swaddler, and I swear by it, this is the best blanket I've found. A huge square blanket is great if you've got a tight technique down but for those that don't, this baby does it for you. Worth every penny, and if it's for yourself and not a gift, there are always used ones on Ebay - save a buck and just wash them well.

4. Ugly Doll, $10 - Uh-dorable, funny, modern twist on dolls and stuffed animals. Who says a lovey has to have two eyes?

5. Food Smock, $35 - Most of you know my friend Corey makes these. I was present for the idea-to-business process; I LOVE this product! Genius and cool, these have got you covered during that super messy learning-to-eat-by-oneself stage, and the blooming artist stage that comes next. Free shipping code: DISCO MOM.

6. Swallow or other Flensted mobile, $26-38 - We've had a couple of dumb mobiles in our parenthood so far, but if we have another baby I'm upgrading to one of these! Who wouldn't love to watch a train or flock of swallows soaring above?

7. Any toy by Haba or Kathe Kruse - Simple, classy and fun for little ones. Hard to go wrong with one of these.

Sound Bingo

Guest blogger Kari Hickman, M.A., CCC-SLP, here. Sometimes it just feels good to put all those letters after my name. I did earn them.

Granted I've been mostly out of the SLP loop since Hazel was born. But I pay my ASHA dues every year, keep in loose touch with former co-workers and co-grad-students, and even read up on current issues (sometimes.) Like when Hazel was going through a severe stuttering bout it was great to email my stuttering specialist friend Laura for some help. Once in awhile I even conjure up some visual phonics or phonemic awareness activities to do with the girls. Mostly I just love to watch their speech and language acquisition run its natural course, and marvel at both the structural and subtle linguistic complexities they are mastering.

I recently threw a Discovery Toys party, both because I love their products and to take advantage of the hostess perks towards Christmas gifts. When I got the new catalog I panicked when I couldn't find two games I remembered from last year at my friend Kelly's party, and wanted to get. Diane, the DT consultant, told me they no longer carried the games but they were available through Kindermusik. Not only available, but on sale at 1/2 price. I snatched them up.

They're both sound bingo games. Both come with 12 4x4 square bingo cards, a bag of plastic chips and a CD. Sound Bingo has pictures and sounds of musical instruments, animals and environmental noises like a fire engine and hammer. You put the CD on random and let the fun begin. It also helps develop auditory skills and focus, analytical skills, language (new vocabulary as you discuss the game), and the pre-reading skill of matching sounds to visual representation.

ABC Sound Bingo has 2-sided cards. One side has pictures of items like kite, butterfly, cherry, and the other side has photos of consonant letters like S, P, G, etc. For each phonic, the CD says the sound twice and two things that begin with it, like "/b/..../b/....balloon or banana" (never the name of the letter). I'm not even sure I can list all the good skills this game addresses; at least all of the above plus beginning phonemic awareness (a major reading success skill) and phonics.

Plus they're totally fun. I have made a million bingo games for SLP clients and primary lessons - you can make them for anything, from things tithing is used for to story comprehension to telling time, and almost any age can play. Kids especially love it when you use magnetic chips and wands to pick them up at the end. Good stuff. You could totally make your own ABC Bingo cards and instead of a CD just say the sounds or words yourself. The other one is harder to replicate all the sounds and probably worth having the CD. As soon as they arrived yesterday I played the first one with the girls and they loved it - Ginger had no problem finding the pictures on her card, and they both learned a few new sounds like cymbal and saw. They asked to play it again before bed.

For educational & fun wrapped up in one 1/2 price package, Sound Bingos get 4.5 disco balls:
And since I'm here anyway in my SLP persona, a little plug for other fun & age appropriate activities that support your child's speech and language development.

The Good Stuff - August

Grown-up Good Stuff

Softspots Ivy Mary Jane shoes - This comes from my first guest good-stuffer, my sister Tona. This fall she starts a new tenure-track history professorship at Worcester State College. She bought these shoes at DSW as her perfect everyday nice work shoes. She says, "I like how they look a little like clogs. I also liked the suede cushions at the spots where it tends to rub my feet, at the heels and across the foot. I just love everything about them. And if you look on the bottom view you can see they have this really pretty design on the sole." Every fall I must admit I can't wear by Birkenstock sandals year round, so I must look for cool but sensible shoes, as hard as they are to find in a 9-1/2 W. Maybe I'll give these a spin.

Modal sheets by Pure Beech - We got a new bed so we needed new sheets. I agonized in the store - Egyptian cotton? Modal? Pima? Bamboo? But two restless kids don't let you agonize for long so I grabbed these because the sample swatch was unbelievably soft and the bittersweet chocolate color whispered sweet nothings to me. They're like silk and we love them.

SavvyAuntie.com - A cool site aimed at "P.A.N.K.s"— Professional Aunts with No Kids of their own. I used to be one, and I know lots of aunts totally involved in the lives and achievements of their nieces and nephews, so I think this site really fills a gap in the web world of parenting.

The dude they call Dipset (never mind his full name) who does randomly "beautiful" works of dance art/musical interpretation which he posts daily. I can really get behind shameless public dancing with abandon. One of my favorites is "Sittin' on the Dock" here. What's your favorite Dipset piece? Let us not be surprised he is Canadian.

Blogs with giveaways! All the Nie Nie Day auctions got me blog surfing waaaaaay more than I usually do, and it was actually kind of fun to discover some great ones. Like the ones that do frequent giveaways of cool stuff. I didn't realize this was so common, and I will be checking back to get in on the action at: Grosgrain and Suburose. Know of others?

Oriental Carpet Mouse"rugs" - I just like mine; it classes up the otherwise disaster that is my desktop. Who couldn't use more class?

Zyliss corn holders - Though corn on the cob season is coming to an end, I was glad to find these bright plastic holders with a smart link-together design that keeps you from getting poked in the drawer. Great for kids to hold a hot cob, but I use them, too! (Ed is too cool...)

Kid Good Stuff

The Dangerous Alphabet - I picked this up in a bookstore and it appealed immediately to my dark side. What else can you expect from an illustrator named Gris Grimly (please tell me this is a nom de plume...) I dearly wished Dave was there to share it with, but in all honestly I would probably not ever share it with an actual little kid, at least not one the right age for alphabet books. More like 10-year-old boys or something. But it's totally twisted and I want one for myself...

Spending so much time at my parents' house, the house where I grew up, and watching my girls play with the toys there, some of which were mine when I was little, has got me looking back a bit at the Good Stuff from my youth, so it's kind of retro...excuse me, "classic", month for Kid Good Stuff:

Weekly Reader Children's Books - In the late 70's and early 80's we were in the Weekly Reader book club and received a new book every week or month or something. I didn't realize until a few months ago that those books, many of them our very favorites of all time, were not widely published, but only available through the book club, which now no longer exists. So I've gotten a few of them through used sellers on Amazon and other sites, but I really think that 1) they should either be re-released, or 2) they should start up the club again, with equally good new books. I'm waiting. Some of my favorites were: Christina Katarina and the Box, Panda Cake, James the Jaguar and The Giant Jam Sandwich (which I guess you can get new.)

Fisher Price Classic Toys - Wandering the toy aisles of Target, I was stopped in my tracks when I saw three classic - can I say vintage? - toys from my youth, sitting on the shelf, brand new in boxes. The boxes were simple brown cardboard with black print that said something like Fisher Price Classics. They were a wind-up musical clock, a wind-up musical scrolling "television" and a rotary phone with eyes. They were just as the originals, with 60's looking decals and pictures. I grabbed them each in turn and played with them, letting the girls have turns too. I didn't buy them at the time, unsure if the girls would love them as I had. I came home to look them up online, but can't find them - not at Fisher Price, not at Target, nowhere online.

But it got me thinking what other toys do I remember that were really, really the bomb, and I thought of one. I was on Ebay instantaneously; 2 hours later had paid my bill; 2 days later, received this:
Yes, it's a real record player. Real as in it has real records, but it's a music box. You wind it up with a knob, put a record on, and place the arm on. It houses, instead of a needle, a set of prongs that make tones as they flick over the bumps on the record, just like a music box. The 5 records are 2-sided so there are 10 songs total. The girls (and I) love it and I keep it on a high shelf - a "special toy" that requires permission to use.

Anyone else remember this?

What other classic toys were totally the best that you wish your kids could have?

For the girls, August has been all about "making things," especially with
Playdoh and...
Pizza dough!

AUCTION: For Little (and not so little) Girls

It's "Nie Nie Day" - I, along with over 100 of other Design Mom associates, am holding a silent auction of what I think is cool stuff you want. Proceeds go to the Nielson family along with our prayers and well wishes. To learn the story, go here. To check out all the other auctions taking place, go here. To find out what I'm auctioning, and to bid, read on. Please be generous if you can.

For Little (and not so little) Girls
($100 value) auction lot includes:

1. Candy from Trader Joe's - Regular readers know I do so love Trader Joe's. While I hunt for healthy diet-helps, I also secretly crave everything in the candy row. Our first item is three boxes of Trader Joe's candy: my favorite (dark chocolate covered almonds with sea salt and turbinado sugar), Ed's favorite (fatally addictive red licorice), and a new favorite (milk chocolate covered cranberries.) You will devour them like a savage.

2. My personal copy of Peace Like a River by Leif Enger. When I read this book for the first time 3 years ago I was rendered speechless and have not made much progress since in the way of conveying how it affected me. It is a truly lovely story, beautifully told, with an excellent ending. While the main character Reuben is a boy, his sister Swede captured my heart in her superb supporting role - a worthy little girl heroine if there ever was one.
3. Paper Doll Game by eeBoo (new) - We have two games and some art prints by eeBoo and I'm a true fan. So when I saw this paper doll game on a website I snatched it up and have been keeping it in my closet for when the girls are a little older (and won't tear it apart.) It's perfect for a little-girl-themed auction: What goes with what? What shall you wear? The spinner says to pick some shoes. But only you know which ones you'll choose. The first one dressed and on her way will win the game. Includes 5 paper dolls with 5 outfits and hobbies, spinner & laundry bag. Paper doll size is 10 3/4 inches. For 2 to 5 players. Ages 5 and up.

4. Original glass and stone necklace by Akir Designs (that really just means I made it.) I found this cool piece of bored glass in a bead store years ago and finally made a necklace with it - goes with everything you own, including your eyes, no matter what color they are.

5. Watching a Girl Grow Up Mix by Dave - It is an understatement to say that my brother Dave loves his little girl. It's also an understatement to say that he has awesome taste in music and makes rad mixes. So when they moved to England, where his daughter almost immediately started public kindergarten a whole year earlier than she would have in the US, and he had nothing to do but play in iTunes late at night before they got internet, his Watching a Girl Grow Up mix was born. It is eclectic, deep and personal as the songs follow a young girl from being a baby to school age to growing up and leaving home. A good listen for anyone, but especially poignant for parents of daughters.

6. A SMOCK of your choice from Petite Violette - Designer and friend Corey Robbins has struck gold with her food smock (seen here in its super secret stunt double role as art smock.) Parents of 8-month-to-3-year-olds know well what a laundry-saving role this smock can serve, and it's stylish, to boot. Lightweight cotton on the inside, wipeable polyethelyne on the outside, it's also machine washable (hang dry.) Winner's choice - any fabric and size you want.

Particulars (please read carefully before bidding):

• Bidding begins now and ends at 9:00 pm EST Sunday, August 31.
• Bidding is in $1 increments only, no cents.
• Bids are made by leaving a comment; please include name, email address and amount. As the auction progresses bidders will need to check the most recent comments, to find out what the current high bid is.
• To win you must have a Paypal account - the winning amount will go to my Paypal account so I can confirm payment, then directly to the Nielsons' Paypal fund. We will cover shipping.

As a final thought, I quote Design Mom: "I'm hoping people are in a public radio mindset. Like when you hear the NPR commentators say: "pledge your membership of only $75.00 and we'll send you this canvas tote bag with our logo on it." You know the tote bag is worth maybe $5. But it's not about that. You're looking for a way to be generous and supportive. And the tote bag is just a bonus."

The Good Stuff - July

Holy crap, it's already the end of July? Ginger had croup last week so I was out of commission all week and suddenly the month is over! (And I'm off to see George Michael tonight!) This month's good stuff is admittedly unbalanced; I guess I haven't been shopping for the kids much. But here are a couple of fun things for your perusal. Sit back and have a Good Stuff moment.

Grown-up Good Stuff

World Wide Fred - I don't even know how to describe or sum up this ultra funky quirky Rhode Island home products company. Neither do they. It all started when I saw Chopstick Kids in the Old Forge Hardware Store; I didn't buy any then but made a note of the company to look up later; it looked like stuff I could get into. And sure enough it's like Pandora's Box of cool stuff I don't need but want to buy for other people as awesome gifts. I don't even know what to highlight, there are so many interesting things. Some are kind of gross and immature like Stuck Up wad-of-gum-looking magnets while others are just fun and useful like the Equal Measure measuring cup. I also like the How Tie, the Tooth, Borrow My Pen, Batterfinger, and the To-Do Tattoo, just to name a few. Let me know what you like on here. This is definitely the place to go next time you don't know what to get someone!

GasBuddy.com - You go to the website, type in your zip code, and it tells you where the cheapest gas is near you. Must be working, too, because I typed in my zip code and found that the two cheapest stations nearby ($3.83 and $3.93) sold out of regular last night.

Woman's Day Month of Menus - At our family reunion in June Tona's cabin had a stack of old magazines on an end table that I found myself flipping through a couple of times. Two of the magazines - a Woman's Day and a Good Housekeeping - had so many good recipes I wanted to try that I brought them home for further inspection. Nothing against them, but I've never spent much time going through magazines like that before, though of course I find that I am now the target audience. There were some great articles and tips (I skipped Dr. Phil's secrets of a great marriage on principle, though it was probably good too), but the recipes really hooked me. I especially loved that Woman's Day had a calendar page with literally a month of menus - a quick meal description on each day that could be whipped up without a long recipe. For example, "Chicken drumsticks brushed with orange marmalade and sprinkled with chili powder, baked until done. Serve with steamed broccoli and squeezed lemon." Easy but I might not have thought of it on my own. Every Sunday meal is big with the intention of using leftovers later in the week, and every Monday is meatless. They do it every month, factor in seasonal ingredients and the best part is you can get them online without buying the magazine. As always I'm trying to expand my cooking repertoire but it's too tiring to try long new recipes every night. I am printing off and checking these Months of Menus for quick and easy family-friendly ideas to mix in with our regulars.

Jungle Speed - Dave brought this to the reunion. I was hesitant because my reflexes are shot in general and even worse late at night when we play games. But one night all 4 siblings and 4 spouses found ourselves around Maren's kitchen table ready to play a game. Dave whipped it out and I admit it was awesome fun, especially with so many players. An abbreviated game description: Jungle Speed requires a steady hand - which can be hard to maintain during the many fits of maniacal laughter. The wooden Totem sits in the middle of the table, waiting for the player with the fastest reflexes to snatch it up and win the game. Each turn, all of the players reveal one of their cards. If two cards are identical, those players must make a grab for the Totem. The faster player then gives their cards to their unfortunate adversary. To add to the difficulty, certain cards are almost identical, which can trick a hapless player into grabbing the Totem by mistake - a grave error. Other cards force all players to make a grab at once, change the method of play, or otherwise add to the difficulty.

Archer Farms Multigrain Cereal - Archer Farms strikes again! This time they drew me in with their sleek new packaging. I used to buy their Blueberry & Flaxseed Granola all the time - it's delicious - but this time I was checking for something lower in fat and high in fiber. Simply named Multigrain Cereal has 190 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 10 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber per 1 cup serving (none of this 1/2-cup serving size you find on some cereals). That's only 3 Weight Watchers points for those of you wondering. Plus it's totally yummy - puffed wheat, kamut, millet, brown rice & oats so it's kind of granola-ish but lightly sweetened with honey and molasses and lacking the weight and fat of typical granola.

Kid Good Stuff

Grandpa's Dollhouse - In the late 1970's my Grandpa Younce built this gorgeous, solid dollhouse for me and my sisters, then loaded it into his car and drove it from Oregon to Virginia. For years and years we played with it, then as we got older my parents carefully stored it. About 6 or 7 years ago they moved it up to Tona's house in Massachusetts for my niece Halle. And now it has been passed to us. Mom and Dad brought it over last week, with a bag full of furniture, and one or both girls sit and play with it at least once a day. Of course Ginger likes to climb on it but also watches Hazel arrange furniture and interact the dolls, and is beginning to imitate her. There seems nothing more natural for children to do than play with a doll house, practicing and playing out the things they are experiencing in their own lives. It warms my heart to see my girls playing with the same one that captured my imagination 30 years ago.

Fine Art for Kids from Oopsy Daisy - Parent conceived and owned, this collection of over 60o pieces by more than 50 artists is full of creative, whimsical, modern and unusual art for children. I have been totally focused on home decor and design this month, trying to set ourselves up, and carefully considering options for the blank walls in Hazel's room and other places around the house. Naturally the art is not cheap but it's ok because as I save up I need the time to decide what to get. Hazel is interested in maps and they have several to choose from. Plus a portion of profits go to charities that assist children. Here are a few, but not all, of my favorites:

Pop Garden by Andrea Cobb

Exploring the World from A to Z by Jenny Kostecki
Oh Say Can You See by Jill McDonald

Kite Day by Libby Ellis
For the girls this month it's been all about the new back yard! Favorites are:

Stone Temples...
...and planting flowers!

The Good Stuff - June

The house smells like cardboard.

We're mostly packed and the time has come to unplug the computer and wrap up the cords. I'm concerned about internet withdrawal symptoms but will face them bravely. The movers come tomorrow to finish packing and transport our stuff to a storage facility. Thursday and Friday night we camp at home, complete with stove-toasted marshmallows, living room picnic meals and stories by flashlight. Friday I clean the apartment and see the dentist for the molar that randomly broke during breakfast yesterday, love that. Saturday we go to Hazel's friend's birthday party then head upstate for the Younce family reunion. Next Saturday we drive to Virginia and stay at my parents' until the movers come with our stuff, sometime the first week of July. I forgot how moving raises the homeostatic anxiety level, but it's a good stress. And a good tired. I've scheduled a few posts to go up in my absence. But in the meantime, I give you this month's Good Stuff.

Grown-up Good Stuff
Life in Cartoon Motion by Mika - What a fun CD, got this recommendation from Dave. It's one of his few new CD's he listens to at work, so you know it's good 'cause it made the cut. We worked together to come up with the perfect description:

Queen on the happiest day of their lives meets ABBA on Ecstasy
in a disco club with a moon bounce.

I dare you not to shake it! Of course most of you will never have the ultimate Mika experience, which is listening to "Grace Kelly" at volume 11 in Dave's car with him singing along and doing the pistol dance. But you can imagine, and that's almost as good. Push PLAY on the sidebar playlist. You're doing the dance right now, aren't you?

Mentha Lip Tint and the Bath & Body Works Semi-Annual Sale - I do love a good lip balm and this is the perfect one, been my favorite for years. Ask Katy, she got one in her Easter Basket. And the semi-annual sale is not to be missed. I love B&BW shower gel, lotion, hand soap and other goodies, but why pay full price? Just wait until June or January to get everything you need for the next 6 months, including any birthday gifts coming up.

Cape Herb Spice Blends from Chelsea Market Baskets - I discovered these at Chelsea Market in Manhattan early in our time here. Was intrigued, as any wannabe culinarian would be; tried a few. Loved them, gave some as gifts. Continue to be intrigued and want to try them all eventually. Check out the seven sins sugar grinders! What looks good to you?

Kid Good Stuff

Amazon 4-for-3 Promotion - I do believe in buying and keeping quality hardcover books for myself and my children, but I also believe in good deals. So when I've only got $20 to spend but we're dying for some new reads, I go the paperback route, and 4-for-3 is the ticket. Just got Hazel 4 new books for like $13 and while they may not last for her to read to her grandchildren, they're just what we need right now. You can search within the promotion for things you wanted to get anyway. I put books we want on our wishlists, and make a note in the comments if it can be gotten for 4-for-3. Then I can just scan the wishlists when I'm making a purchase and find the promotional items quickly.

Firefly toothbrushes - A random find at Target or somewhere but pretty cool. You push on the bottom of the handle and bright red lights flash for 60 seconds, marking how long a child should brush her teeth. Of course my kids just want to play with them but it's a good concept we can work with. And check out the Float N' Firefly toothbrushes at the bottom of the link page!

Justin Roberts - I'm glad to be parenting in an age that has a whole subcategory of Indie rock for kids. Dan Zanes, Milkshake, Laurie Berkner and many others have blown the genre wide open with rockin' music parents and kids can listen to and love together. But my personal favorite? Justin Roberts. Slightly geeky, this ex-Montessori-preschool-teacher has super clever lyrics and make-you-want-to-ska-dance-in-a-mosh-pit tunes. I admit we only have one of his CD's - Meltdown (my favorite track probably the title tune or "Cartwheels & Somersaults.") But you can bet we are on our way to picking up more, especially his Old and New Testament CD's. And we are quite likely to catch his show in DC with his "Not Ready for Naptime Players" on Sept 27.

All-of-a-Kind Family - You wouldn't believe the things I've come across lately as we sort, organize and pack up the house. At least they have mostly been pleasant discoveries. Take this book for example. I read this story about a poor immigrant family with five daughters on the Upper East Side many times as a child. My copy is from 1971 (75 cents) and when I picked it up the cover fell off. I looked it up to make sure it's still in print and what do you know? It's a 4-for-3 book. So I scanned the cover and will keep my copy but probably get a new one for the girls when they are older. It's a classic from my youth, up there with Taking Care of Terrific, The Westing Game, and The 21 Balloons.


But the girls choose their own good stuff, as we well know, and this month they are:

Moving boxes...

...and their old bouncy seats!

The Good Stuff - May

Such good stuff this month!

Grown-up Good Stuff

Summer Concert Tickets - Namely, my secret lover George Michael at the Verizon Center in DC on July 29 - his first American concert tour in 17 years. Don't have a place to live, don't have our stuff packed, but don't worry - we have GM tix! I'd also LOVE to catch Lyle Lovett at Wolf Trap on July 2 but that very well might be move-in day so I'm afraid it's pushing it. I've seen Lyle in several outdoor venues and there's nothing like him - the man is all class and magic on stage. He transcends genre and description....(but George takes a better picture.)

TitleTrader.com - So I was taking care of a few ebay snipes when I saw an add for Titletrader and decided to check it out. Read the info and signed up, though too bad I just gave a huge box of cd's to Salvation Army. I still have some to get rid of. Here's how it works: you set up a free account and post the stuff you have. People request them, you mail them, you get trade points. Once you get positive feedback you can spend your trade points to get other cd's, books, movies and stuff you want that other people are getting rid of. I started posting my cd's and within minutes I had requests. And I've used a few of my earned points to get books I want to read but don't want to buy new or earn late library fees on. My kind of used bookstore.

Zojirushi Rice Cooker - I like rice. Unfortunately I can't cook it, at least not like regular people on the stove. Is it my stove? My pans? My rice? No, it's me, and I'm OK with that because it means I got this awesome rice cooker last year after 5 years on my Amazon wishlist. Truly perfect rice every time. And I made sure to get the one with a brown rice setting because I do go through healthy phases. We've been eating a lot of rice lately, and I love, love, love this cooker!

Flor Modular Carpet - Shortened backstory: Ginger, and Hazel for that matter, makes a disgusting mess under and around her chair during meals. Not a problem now because we have an eat-in kitchen. It occurred to me we have to find a new place with an eat-in kitchen or hardwood dining room because they will ruin a carpet. Solution: area rug. Even cooler solution: Flor carpet tiles.

Checkstand $5 cookbook magazines - A few months ago I bought Everyday Food (Martha Stewart) at the checkstand because the dish on the cover looked delicious and simple enough for me to make. That month I made three recipes from it and they were all awesome. Mentioned it to Tona on the phone - she had bought the same one and tried several other recipes with thumbs up. Then last week at Rite Aid I bought Prevention Magazine's Slow Cooker Recipe Book because I am always looking for new good crockpot recipes. I love my slow cooker but honestly 2 out of 3 recipes turn out mediocre at best. This morning I thumbed through it with my post-its and marked TEN recipes I want to try. Also I'm into purging, not expanding, my cookbook collection. I'm all for these magazine-style cookbooks, both for taking up less space, costing less money, and also being seasonal and disposable if I don't like them.

New York Book Festival - Unfortunately I just heard about this and will be gone by June 27, but it sounds cool and the kind of thing I might make an effort to attend, so it's good stuff.

Ken's Light Accents Salad Dressing Sprays - We've been upping our salad intake around here lately, and that means testing out light salad dressings until we find something we can swallow without gagging. On our fourth try we found Ken's Light Accents. Ken makes good regular dressing so we had high hopes and have not been disappointed. So far Honey Mustard and Raspberry Walnut get the stamp of approval.

Kid Good Stuff

Puzzle Dinner Tray - I can hardly stand how cute this is! Where do I order, where do I sign? Oh, wait, it's $55?! As much as it pains me, I will be waiting for IKEA to put this out in the $12-20 range. But isn't it cute?

Munchkin Snack Catchers - Another winner from Munchkin! Their stylish and more voluminous improvement on the Snack Trap keeps the Goldfish debris on the carseats, stroller, and bottom of my bag to a minimum.

Recycled Leather Piggy Bank - I still keep my eyes out for good piggy banks to someday get the girls. I think this is the current front runner. Funky modern design, non-breakable, and hey, made from reconstituted leather!

Lights and Sounds Phone - This is one of our toys with staying power. It has been a favorite of one or both girls since Hazel was 6 months old. All kids love toy phones, right, or is it just mine? This seems to be just the right size, colors, noises or something because they love it more than any others. Yes, it's battery-operated but each button, when pushed, plays a little tune like Old McDonald or Oh Susanna at just the right volume to be heard when held to your ear, but barely audible across the room. Plus the flashing lights and stuff. It is a rare day when you don't find a kiddo walking around our house holding this to her ear, doing a little jig. We got ours (and our second and third one, since all the best toys get lost) at Target.

This month's favorite non-toy toys:

The Salad Spinner
And...

a Cardboard Tube!!!