Nothing beats a well-made pinafore for summer, and Stitchy McYarnpants' kitschy sensibility makes this version a winner:
Love the modern snaps and snowflake design at the bottom, plus the sweet detail at the hem. Part smock, part romper, part Sunday best.
Beautiful, aren't they?
We got these for the Bean's birthday. She is--as are all babies, I'm sure--such a tactile creature, and these stacking bowls are made of smooth, honeyed wood that feels wonderful to the touch. A toy like this will just last and last, and I like the idea that these can be pasta bowls in pretend play when she's four or five.
Natural, non toxic, open ended, simple. Perfect.
We've been looking for a table for the Bean, and there are options a-plenty, smart designs from eco-savvy lines, round versions with chalkboard tops, foamy sets that look like they could take a beating, and then we found The Land of Nod's Kid's Adjustable Activity Table . . .
Which starts at the floor level here and adjusts two more times to this
And a desk, which is a long ways off, granted, but fun to think about. So this is the table we're getting, with the scroll option and without the bins (which are clever additions, but seem sort of useless beyond the at-the-floor stage). Eventually we'll add chairs in yellow. Isn't it perfect?
I'm having a bohemian year, and the Bean's along for the ride.
This absurdly cute ringer from bellaserababy is so flower child your baby will bring peace and love to everyone she meets when she's wearing it. Love the bib-as-fashion look, as well as the fact that these are roomy and airy and great for playing. Check out the clever button headband.
This is another great find at Etsy--all of the designs are exuberant, wearable and just plain fun.
I have inadvertently found the best sunblock and here it is, in all of its humble glory:
This mighty 4 oz. tub of Earth's Best Baby Care Chemical Free Sunblock SPF 30 brought to you by JASON Natural Products is going to get us through the mildish Sarasota spring and even--possibly, fingers crossed--June. I picked this potent little bottle up one day at the grocery store in the organic baby products aisle. With 70% organic ingredients, Earth's Best was compelling. I know next to nothing about sunblock for babies and kids, but, having a vague misapprehension about the big brand pink bottles with their baby bottoms and splashy claims, I had been on the lookout for something more in line with the Earth Mama/California Baby products we like so much. I didn't check Cosmetics Database or consult with Safe Mama first, however, just went it alone, with only my own developing product consciousness to guide me.
Turns out, this grasshopper did well. After another round at the beach yesterday--this time hotter and a half hour earlier than last time--I am marveling at the Bean's perfectly preserved skin. I decided to look up the sunblock last night and am now semi-well versed in the language of sunscreen. Earth's Best is great because it's essentially comprised of zinc and titanium dioxide (which has recently received a bit of negative press but is by all accounts only potentially problematic in its micronized--read: nano-ized--form), two naturally occuring minerals. It's truly topical, sitting on the skin rather than absorbing in, which means you get that thick, white coating that leaves a cast. Never before have I been so glad to have a sunblock that leaves such traces of itself--I certainly get the sense that I'm providing a barrier between the sun and the Bean's gorgeous skin. Oh, and it's paraben-free too.
There are lots of inventive ways to live green. Here's another:
For the nurseries of tomorrow, digital murals will be what paste-it decals and graphics are today. A mural like this one from Graham & Brown makes me want to wrap the Bean's room in wall to wall woodland.
The Bean's first birthday is rapidly approaching, and last weekend I ordered invites, flags and a party hat from Gaddie & Tood, (here's an example of a basic Google search proving successful). I was hoping to find invites that were sweet, with a vintage sensibility and not too pricey. Score.
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Gaddie & Tood's gorgeous images are sugared with glitter but otherwise simple and unfettered. Match the image you like (woodland creatures, elephant, buggy, plane, strawberry, cupcake, circus tent, etc.) with one of four notecard shapes, or put it on a gift tag or flag. They've also got felt flags and the aforementioned party hats and garlands and bags . . .
Here's another project I'm putting on the list: book page decoupage in the Bean's bathroom. There's a fabulous example of this dork chic look in the latest Cookie--alas, I couldn't find an image of it online, but you'll find it in the book units for kids piece (one accent wall is papered in Olivia's graphic elegance). Here's another witty take over at Apartment Therapy, which references DIY Magazine. And of course there's always has-run Anthropologie catalogues for inspiration.
As a first lit kid entry, this is a bit of cheating on my part, but books are also such lovely things to look at that it's hard not to fall for this crafty way of enshrining them.
Found this birthday pennant.
We love fair trade company Yellow Label Kids for lots of reasons, but mostly because everything is handmade -- many items by mothers who also happen to be skilled artisans.
Sometimes we forget to plug in the nightlight in the bean's room at bedtime. Then, when she wakes crying, we think we detect a note of fear--maybe the room is too dark and she's afraid, we tell ourselves. This little cycle is precisely why I am thinking about getting the Magic Light from Chloe in Style for the bean's first birthday. Behold, the prickly hedgehog version:
Since it's an LED nightlight made of PVC plastic, it uses less energy and stays cool, which means it could theoretically double as a toy later. And it's so adorable, I'm not likely to forget to turn it on at night. There are penguin and rabbit and panda versions available too, but what better way to work a hedgehog into the room?
What a delightful first birthday dress these would make. Ogekko's richly detailed, African-inspired pieces are distinctive, stylish and most importantly, playful.
I love the free spiritedness of these. What else do you need for summer besides bare feet & sunblock?
I am ambivalent about hair accoutrement for babies, but this clip from Best of Chums deserves exception. The clip part is lightweight and simple, perfect for babies with soft tresses. The designs in the spring line are whimsical and sweet, and I like how it looks as if a butterfly just alighted in my daughter's hair. Pinning this doodad on her head felt like a mini rite of spring.
p.s Another way to welcome spring: mod*mom's green giveaways. Enter to win green goodies from Whole foods, Flor and Kukunest.
A t-shirt becomes a vintage once you've had it for twelve, fifteen years, at which point it has settled into a soft, feathery estimate of your former self.
Not all tees do this--I've got a drawer full of boxy souvenirs that were never as hospitable as my husband's high school football tee is now--so it's a total coup to discover one that starts out with all the vintage character of a much older shirt. This tee from Tiny Revolutionary is so soft and roomy (buy small--these are generous), I'd dress my daughter in it every day if I could. Better still, it's made of organic cotton, recycled polyester and naturally occuring rayon, and produced with low-impact dyes. I love the vibrant colors and cute-but-not-cloying script: I'll Change the World Someday, All Babies are Created Equal, War is Poop, Save Some Green for Me. If you were dressing the little one in Pluto's pacifist onesie a few months ago, it's time for an upgrade.
In this inaugural post, Mercurial Kid salutes HAPPYBABY organic baby meals.
Why you want it: it's organic, probiotic and enhanced with DHA. you want to give your baby fresh organic food prepared by your loving hands, but you don't have a minute to spare.
Where you can get it: Whole Foods, Amazon
Why you'll dig it: the minimally-processed cereals and frozen foods are packed with age-appropriate nutrients and unusual grains (quinoa, anyone?). the meals are cheerfully packaged, cheekily named and the closest you'll get to harvesting the food and preparing it fresh yourself. All that and they donate a portion of each sale to Project Peanut Butter.
Good for: baby up to a year--but some of these will be staples for us for years to come.
