Ain't No Mom Jeans

Mom Street Style - Vera's Fav Nursing Cover

When I finally worked up the nerve to nurse my first babe in public (instead of running to the car or planning every outing around feedings), I was daunted to say the least.  And when I faced breastfeeding my second with an on-the-go 19-month-old, the prospect of boob exposure during the regular course of lunging after my toddler terrified me, as does trying to run after a two- and four-year-old going in opposite directions whilst nursing my third bub, so I can absolutely relate to Vera, this week’s fab street style mama.  Vera just had her fourth and was thrilled with the range of motion, not to mention the style, of the DRIA nursing cover S. reviewed last year.

Vera writes:

I just want to say thank you!! I bought the Dria cover after reading your review of it and I LOVE it.  Actually, I am trying really hard not to wear it every single day.  I just had my fourth baby, and despite nursing all my kids until about 18 months, I never used nursing covers - I just thought they were awkward and actually drew MORE attention to the fact that you were breastfeeding.  I had good luck just wearing a cami and a shirt and pulling my shirt up and was pretty discrete about it.  BUT, the Dria is soooo soft and comfy and hides my huge post-c-section pooch, and actually I'm finding that I like being able to nurse in public with it.  Having a very active 21 month old boy, there have been a couple of times that I've been at Starbucks or some place nursing the baby and he decides to do something crazy and I need to react quickly - not something I can do while having my boob hanging out!

Thanks! I'm attaching a pic of the one I got - I love it, even though my hubby is giving me weird looks every morning when I pull it out after trying on fifty other things first LOL!

- Vera C.

For those of you mamas not familiar with the DRIA nursing cover, check it out.  It is the most versatile and fashion-forward piece of nursing gear I have ever encountered, and I don’t think I’ll be shelving it even after I’m done nursing bub #3.  In any of the patterns, it’s a gorgeous, lightweight poncho that’ll kick up the volume on even the most boring outfit.  It covers everything, including you, your babe, the car seat or your stroller, it wads up into a tiny ball, washes well and dries fast and without wrinkles.

Vera, you look amazing in your slouchy boots and nursing poncho! Thanks for sending in your Street Style submission—keep ‘em comin’, Mamas!

- M.

Favorite New Nursing Cover: The Dria

As I rule, I refuse to enter any restaurant that serves Italian, Asian, American and Mexican fare.  It just never works out.  So when the gals at Rookie Moms asked me if I wanted to review the Dria Nursing Cover, a cover that could be used as a pregnancy poncho, nursing cover, car seat cover AND stroller sun-blocker...I was skeptical at best.  A bit snarky, even.  I think my initial response was a, "will it feed and burp the baby too?"

Snort.

So imagine my shock when the nice folks at Dria sent me this little number:

Whoa.  This thing was cute.  Like really, really cute.

(And I love how Raines is also posing.  Good grief - what am I teaching him?)

Anyway, the Dria cover also looks really cool belted...voila:

Handmade Alternatives: Teethers and Pacifier Clips

The following is part of a series of posts by contributing author Lane about a few fabulous handmade alternatives to the usual mass-produced baby items.  Also see her articles on handmade alternatives for baby slings and carriers, shopping cart covers, and nursing covers.  

Teethers

I don't even have my baby in hand yet, but from what I'm told by expert moms everywhere, when it comes to teethers Sophie the Giraffe is the queen of the world. You can find her at Toys'R'Us for $19.99.

 
But while Sophie may reign supreme when it comes to relieving little achey mouths, you may want a back-up or companion, so why not shop handmade?

Handmade Alternatives: Nursing Covers

For any mother-to-be who plans on nursing, or moms who breastfeed currently, modesty while breastfeeding in public can be an issue. While some women feel comfortable whipping it all out in any setting, and I do truly say more power to them seeing as it is pretty much the most natural act imaginable, others are a little more booby shy. And that's where a nursing cover comes in. After receiving a handmade nursing cover as a gift from a friend, I realized that while there are commercial versions like the Bebe au Lait Hooters Hider $35, from diapers.com (is it me, or is that name kind of...lacking in taste?)...I personally think you'll find a broader selection of gorgeous covers on Etsy with the bonus of being handmade or even customized (!!) to your specifications.

Behold just a few of my favorites.....

Wooden High Chair Review: Comparison of the Svan, Stokke Tripp Trapp and the Keekaroo Height Right High Chairs

It probably won’t surprise you to learn that I was not satisfied with my initial high chair purchase for my eldest son.  Despite my best efforts, I, like many parents-to-be, did not make the best baby gear choices with Boy Wonder No. 1.  And I mean really, how can one be expected to select all the right accoutrement, having never had a babe before?  Particularly given that most shortcomings aren’t apparent until the gear has been used, rendering it un-returnable?  While many people feel compelled to rationalize and justify their purchases, regardless of their dissatisfaction, I feel the need to rectify these situations.  And with a blog like this, why not?  Thank you, CraigsList, for making this possible.  Here I compare three modern-style wooden high chairs, including the Svan, the Stokke Tripp Trapp and the Keekaroo Height Right High Chair.

Baby Gifts: Nambe Baby Rattle/Teether

For some kids, teething is no biggie.  “I never noticed my babies getting teeth,” many a mama has told me, as I melted her with my laser-like glare.  For others, teething is a personality-altering event of head-spinning, Exorcist-esque proportions.  That would be my children.

That’s when you need to call in the big guns.  Tylenol.  Ibuprophin.  Hyland’s Teething tablets--if you do that kind of thing, that is--and you’d better believe I do. . .  But when you’re in between alternating doses and the apple of your eye still resembles The Scream,  you need a serious teether and I do declare I’ve discovered the holy grail.

  

LunchSkins - Eco Friendly Snack Bags

I'm slowly transitioning away from plastic.  Our plastic bags have been replaced by Envirosax Bags (to read all about my love for them, click here), plastic sippy cups never stood a chance against my Sigg bottles (despite the recall, I'm still a fan) and at long last, I've found a solution that makes those annoying little plastic baggies obsolete:  Lunch Skins.

Lunch Skins are the creation of Three Green Moms, who wanted to come up with an answer to your "plastic baggie blues".  Three Green Moms were concerned with amount of landfill waste the modern family was contributing, and knew they could come up with a product that was safe, affordable and cute.  Working with patisseries and bakeries in Europe, they created Lunch Skins out of a thick cotton fabric coated with a food-safe polyurethane lining (read: no plastic-leaching worries) that could also withstand high heat: Voila!  An environmentally friendly, dish-washer safe, and very cool alternative to the plastic baggie. 

NOTE: They have been certified as lead, Bisphenol-A (BPA) and phthalate-free. The very thin layer of polyurethane has also been tested and found not to migrate into food or leave a “plastic” odor behind, and meets EU requirements for food contact (typically stricter than US laws).

I've filled these baggies with popcorn, chips, pretzels, cut fruit, cheese, sandwiches, peanut butter crackers, and, in a pinch, a rolled-up clean diaper and wipes when I needed to downsize my diaper bag to better match an outfit.  My husband regularly steals them for his own lunch, and I've been known to swipe some for toiletries while traveling.  

Lunch Skins now come in three sizes - a smaller size, shown in the pic of Raines happily snacking, a larger sandwich size bag, and a "sub bag".  Best of all, they come in some pretty cool fabric choices (see below for pics).

Local gals can find Lunch Skins at Real Baby in Denver or Boulder, or you can always order them online from Three Green Moms.

xo,

S

Toddler Gift Guide – Christmas & Holiday 2009

What to get the toddler who has everything?  Ideally something that inspires her budding sense of independence, captures the imagination, and challenges him to learn new skills, all while having fun. Here are our top-five picks for the season:

1.) Run/Balance Bike ($69.99 +)
What toddler wouldn’t squeal with delight at the sight of a shiny new bike under the tree?  I take intentional detours through Target specifically to avoid the bicycle section, but when we do stop to look at the shiny yumminess, it’s obvious that bicycle riding is a long way off for my little guy as even the tiniest bikes tower over (and threaten to topple on) him.  Not so with a run bike, the hottest new development in kids’ cycling.  Unlike tricycles and training wheels, run bikes teach the most critical component of bicycle riding first: balance, only without those pesky pedals that are always gumming things up.  Check out runbikes.com for both wooden and metal balance bikes, including LikeaBike ($192.00+), KaZAM ($99.00), Strider ($95.00) and Kettler ($110.00).

 

2.) Dress Up Box ($9.99 +)
Watching as the apple of your eye develops a sense of humor, self and imagination is an experience like no other, so foster your kiddo’s penchant for imaginary play with a dress up box.  There are a number of pre-fab dress up kit options out there that run around $100.00 - $150.00, but most tend towards professions or princesses, and, I feel, are too rigid and generic to be fun.  Check out this post on Martha Stewart for ideas on how to stock your dress up box with items you most likely have around your house or can pick up at Goodwill, throw in some fun career hats available from Amazon ($32.99) and a bunch of Waldorf-inspired play silks, fairy wings and soft swords ($9.99+) from Three Sisters Toys and you’re all set.

 

3.) The Learning Tower ($190.00)
I love love love the Learning Tower ($190.00) for kitchen and creative play.  This is truly one of the best tools for helping your child become independent and do it, whatever that is, for himself.  Not only can your little guy or gal safely help out whilst you whip up and burn a batch of cookies, s/he can also use The Learning Tower as an easel with the attachable, reversible dry erase/chalk board ($69.99), as a playhouse with the company’s playhouse kit ($34.99), or, again go Waldorf and throw a night sky silk scape or similar ($34.95) in the mix to make it even more fun.

4.) Sticky Fingers Kids Cooking Kits ($27.00 - $52.00)
Kiddos love to do things themselves, and nowhere is that more true than in the kitchen.  Case-in-point:  my picky eater will gobble virtually anything he’s had a hand in making and while it’s a tad freaky to watch him teeter atop our kitchen step ladder, the cold sweat is worth it when he chirps “Aye didit!” and then noshes happily on whatever we’ve made.  With the focus on getting kids to eat more wholesome foods in school and out, the more our babes are in the kitchen the better.  But how to scramble, stir and slice with the giant-like utensils found in the common household kitchen?   Enter Sticky Fingers kids cooking sets.  These high-quality utensils actually work, unlike play sets, so your honey bunch can get elbow-deep in the flour without frustration.

5.)  Hohner 1/2 Size Classical Guitar ($49.00)
I don't know a single child who isn’t fascinated by musical instruments of all shapes and sizes.  I’m not a musician and don’t have a strong interest in trying to make my boy a prodigy, but his all-out obsession ("Taaaar.  Tar tar tar.") with our otherwise un-played full size guitar made me think—why are we always pushing drums and not other instruments on babes when they can play them just as easily?  Save your sanity.  Skip the drum kit and get your dumpling an actual, tune-able guitar he can hold and strum, but save yourself some trouble: resist the temptation to go with the cheapest option.  Every kids’ guitar I’ve seen in stores like Target and Toy R Us is junk.  Junk junk junk (you can see where my boy wonder gets his emphatics from, no?).  If they’re 1/2 size, which is appropriate for small kids, they’re toy guitars that can’t even be tuned, or if they’re somewhat decent, they’re 3/4 size, which is more appropriate for the 6-and-up-set.  Whether or not your musical monkey ever takes a single lesson, this guitar will prove to be a toy with staying power because it's not actually a toy, so check out the Hohner 1/2 size classical guitar at Active Musician, which has nylon strings that are easy for little hands to strum, but skip the pick if you have wee ones under three about the house.

Happy holiday shopping, Mamas!

- M

The Best Modern Highchairs

I'm not usually a conspiracy theorist.  However, when I was attempting to furnish our house with all necessary kid-gear before the little man was born, I decided, at some point along the way, that SOMEONE (maybe our government?  maybe the French government?) must be conspiring to Keep America Fugly.  The super-secret Keep America Fugly campaign was the only possible explanation I could come up with as to WHY WHY WHY all of our easily accessible baby items were covered in patterns with names like "Jungle Jubilee" or "Sleepy Safari".  Even the plaids were insipid.  In order to come up with acceptable baby gear items, one had to launch a massive research project worthy of a doctoral thesis, and then, be willing to shell out majorly BIG BUCKS in order to get a pack-in-play not covered in smiling animals. 

For me, the highchairs were the worst.  Not only were they, IMHO, the pinnacle of the Keep America Fugly campaign, but unlike other baby items, they weren't hidden away in the nursery somewhere.  They were out, in plain sight.  Shudder.

So two years later, the landscape has changed somewhat.  The Keep America Fugly campaign is still out there, but losing steam.  The good news is that there are now a plethora of super-cool looking baby gear items (especially highchairs), but the bad news is that most are still pretty pricey.  If you are concerned with good design, a highchair isn't a bad place to put your money, considering that it is arguably the most visible baby gear item. 

NOTE:  If you are tight on space, check out our post on the Best Modern Highchair for Apartment Living.

Now, here are my picks for the coolest modern highchairs:

Pure Eye Candy - Fleurville's Calla Chair

At left is Fleurville's Calla Chair, which retails at MyUrbanChild.com for $575.  No offensive to Fleurville, but these guys are out of their minds.  Don't get me wrong - this chair is positively drool-worthy.  However, it takes up a decent amount of floor space, there's no mention of how long kids can reasonably use it, and the price of $575 is hardly justified by the claim that it's "easy to clean!"

However, if you are a total design freak, must have something that fits right into your sleek mid-century modern, like to make all of your friends jealous, and think nothing of dropping $575 on a highchair, than this is your chair.  Own it, rock it.

How to Score Cool Mom and Baby Gear on Ebay

I am, admittedly, an Ebay junkie.  While waiting for the birth of my son, I spent many hours on Ebay, trying to score some cool baby stuff.  I'd blame it on nesting, but my Ebay habit started long before my pregnancy.  At first, many of my purchases bombed.  There was the $50 plane ticket (to anywhere!!) that turned out to be a hoax.  (How did I not know that???).  And there was a host of ill-fitting dresses, uncomfortable shoes, and a purse that I just didn't need.  Or love.  I just got caught up in the bidding war.  BUT....over the years, I've learned a few things, gotten a little smarter, and managed to use Ebay to score some really great things for the babe.  My piece de resistance?  My super-cool, denim Bugaboo Frog stroller for $350, or maybe the 25 piece lot of Splendid baby clothes for $70.  Here's what I've learned: