Winter Baby Fashions.

So, not that we really, truly experience "winter" here in Phoenix, but trust me, it does get colder here than you'd think. We actually experience night freezes on occasion and did you know it snows in northern Arizona? Anyway. All this to say that, despite our not needing the following products, I know many of you do, and, hey, we can share the love, too, can't we?

If you haven't seen these before, they are quite the winter accessory for your baby or toddler, I must say! And if you're outdoorsy, then these will be perfect for you. Introducing snow strollers. Have you seen these yet? They range in price from about $130 -$200 each, but do allow you to have winter walks without having to carry your kids around. That's certainly worth something. Not to mention, they're offering 15% off certain models until New Year's Day. Their Deluxe Plus model (their most popular) features an adjustable 3-point safety harness, reclining seat, warm padded seat, wind-proof boot, weather-proof tent, can be folded up for transportation, and carries up to 110 pounds.

And the other absolutely, positively adorable product for winter is the Stonz Wear kids' boots. They are handmade in Vancouver, Canada, and have wide openings for slipping over feet that are bare or with bundled socks. The exteriors are made of a durable coated nylon that keeps babies' feet both warm and dry. Linerz that fit inside the booties are also offered for extra warmth. Their other functional and very fashion-forward feature are the 2 toggles around the calf and ankle for a custom fit. They'll run you $46.95 per pair, but are oh-so-adorable and probably a great investment for those of you who like to be outdoors with your wee ones. Oh, and did I mention they've been seen on the likes of some of Hollywood's hottest tots? Again, probably not the most essential accessory for babies of warm climates, but with booties this cute, I certainly wouldn't pass up a pair if they came my way!

Cocooi Baby Wrap.

I've always loved the idea of swaddling a newborn to keep things as similar to womb conditions as possible for baby. On the other hand, I can't say that I've been a huge fan of doing and redoing the "traditional" large square swaddling blankets (although I think they are soo versatile for other things, too, like tummy time and stroller covers). Instead of that traditional wrap method, this wrap-swaddler has a wing-shape to allow for more natural movement from baby as they did in the womb

That being said, I came across this award-winning design from Merino Kids and just had to share it with you. It is crafted from 100% merino wool for safer baby sleep. And, as their website states, "The superfine natural merino fabric is luxuriously soft and light, allergy-safe, and readily absorbs and releases moisture to create the perfect safe micro-climate around your baby's body any season." What more could a mother ask for? Well, it also comes with a leg pouch to enable easy diaper changes without having to unwrap baby's arms (and risk waking them!) while they sleep. Additionally, the cocooi baby wrap boasts a safety belt feature, allowing your baby to sleep, while swaddled, in a car seat or stroller. Fabulous!

Kinderville.

I love the whole concept behind Kinderville's storage jars.

They provide a one-stop solution for not only being able to store your children's foods and snacks, but also do so in a bacteria-resistant, BPA, Phthalate and Lead-free way, unlike your typical plastic containers. Not only that, but you can use them in the dishwasher, refrigerator, freezer AND microwave ~ talk about some great versatility! They also are made to stack together and are perfect for storing baby food, snacks or leftovers, and of course, being able to warm it all up in the same container without harming your little ones. They are available in 2 sizes, as well - the little bites (set of 4 for $19.99) and the bigger bites (set of 2 for $16.99).

They also have toxin-free freezer trays (set of 2 for $18.99) with 2 oz. serving sized cavities, which would be perfect for storing homemade baby food.



And these I would also love to have for making toddler yogurt pops ~ their adorable popsicle molds ($16.99 for set of 4).

Little Lasso.

So, are you always having to retrieve your baby or toddler's cup after they either drop it mistakenly or throw a tantrum?

I'd like to introduce you to Boga Baby's Little Lassos. They are an absolutely adorable way to keep those snack cups and sippy cups at bay! Best of all, no snaps, velcro or clasps, and will adjust to fit just about any sized item. They retail for $19.95 each, and you can purchase at Little Lasso.

blue disco dot

carnival bloom

cabana stripe

Barefoot Books.

Do you know them? I have to admit, I wasn't really familiar with them until recently. We have read "I Took the Moon For a Walk" (a check-out from the local library), and my son and I did enjoy it ~ great imagination and images! And although I have yet to purchase one, I have a number of them on my wish list for our little guy and girl-to-be, as I've heard some raved reviews of them. The other great thing about them is that they cater to all incomes, as they offer all books in either paperback or hard cover.

$16.99, hardcover

Here are a few I have my eye on.... And who knows, by the time you read this, I may have ordered some as they currently are offering free shipping and 30% off all online orders (enter SNOWY at checkout)! Whoo-hoo!

$19.99, hardcover with story CD

$6.99, paperback

$19.99, hardcover

$9.99, paperback with music CD

Sooooo....do you have any of these? If so, what are you & your child's favorites??

Thank you to all who entered our giveaway!
The winners are listed below! Merry Christmas!

Bib and Burp Set - erin, maker of chimes
Tea Bag Set - Hailey

***************************************************************************

Tis the season to be jolly...especially since we have 2 festive {giveaways} for you to enter!

Win this decadently divine Ironwork bib and burp set from {Adam's Blankie}. The fabric is a designer print from Joel Dewberry and is backed with plush, absorbant cream chenille.

Win a cute, creative tea bag set (2 flavors) for your little one's play kitchen from
{Gourmet Play}.

{To enter}:
Become a follower of this blog, and then submit a comment on this post/thread for your entry.
The drawings will close December 16th, and the winners will be chosen and posted December 17th.

Good luck and Happy Holidays!

Anthropologie Love.

So am I the only one who didn't realize Anthropologie has a kids section? Granted most of their kids' items are online only (and, believe it or not, I usually don't go online to stores I could visit in person instead), so that must explain my neglect.

Anyway. Here are some fabulous {crafty} finds from their lovely collection of kids' items...enjoy the eye candy. P.S. They would all pair nicely with our Doodle Diddie Crayon Rolls to make a fabulous Christmas gift, if I do say so myself!

Miss Doodle Coloring Doll, made from paper and polyfill, $50.00


Deciduous Puzzle, made from cardstock and recycled paper, $38.00

Doodle Giant Coloring Book, 368 pages to color/doodle, $18.95


Apron, cotton, machine-wash, $24.00

As I eagerly anticipate the arrival of our baby girl in March, I have been busily making things for her...and the list of things I'd like to make just grows longer instead of shorter. (Sigh). Such is the life of a seamstress/craftster, I guess. Most of the items I've been making (or that are on my "to do" list) are quite girly ~ pink, purple, ruffles, flowers, etcetera. But these sensory bags I made are actually great for any gender and will stimulate the newborn to the toddler!


I crafted them in red, white and black, as these are the first colors a baby sees. I sewed in some ribbon tabs for her to maneuver and suck while teething. When she moves them, they'll have a light rustley noise to please, and they also have french lavender inside. This will help keep her soothed if fussy, and help to reduce my headache (because I know inevitably there will be one). :)

Once older (actually, I'm sure our son will take these from her to use himself...better plan on set #2 for him!), she can use them to learn matching (the set has a pair of 3 different coordinating fabrics) and distinguishing and even later as a traditional bean bag set! She can play "basketball" {or beanbagball, rather} by herself or catch with her big brother, which I'm sure he'll be trying to get her to do!

They are currently available for purchase at Adam's Blankie.

Christmas Traditions.

What are your family's Christmas or Holiday traditions? One of my favorites has always been setting up our Christmas village. And it is definitely one I want to "pass down" to my son, but for now, he's definitely too young to be handling such delicate, breakable pieces!

So this year, besides doing our own Advent Calendar chain (a couple posts ago, if you missed it...), I decided we're going to start doing a gingerbread house. And believe it or not, I'd never done one before myself. So what a great tradition to start for all of us. I must say, it took much longer than I thought it would, and didn't turn out nearly as well as I would have liked, but our little guy absolutely loved it, and we had a blast! Below are some pics of our process....

pdf Pattern Winners!

Thank you! to all who participated in our survey to help give us feedback in the hopes of providing more of what YOU, our clients, want to see in our store in the future!

The following people are the lucky winners of a free pattern from our shops! Hope you enjoy! And for those of you who missed the chance at this one, we will be hosting a monthly drawing for a gift certificate to one of our stores (Adam's Blankie, Gourmet Play or Haute Tot Couture) each month! Just click here for your chance to win December's drawing ~ good luck!

Allie Schell
Ashley Owens
Elisha Horning

(If you are one of the winners, an email with your free pattern is on its way to your inbox now!)

Salted Chocolate Caramel Apples.

Are you ready for some sweetness? If so, you should really gather these few simple ingredients to make some for you and your little ones...a great Winter treat...and a way to sneak in some fruit, in case your little tyke doesn't normally do so.

What you'll need:
apples
caramel pieces
chopped chocolate chips
sprinkles candies (optional)
chopped nuts (optional)
coarse sea salt
candy sticks
wax paper
apple corer (optional)

Put the sticks into your apples. Melt your caramels (we used 20, and had more than plenty for our 4 apples) over low/medium heat, and then begin dipping your apples. We used Honeycrisp apples, but I bet the tartness of Granny Smith would pair nicely with the sweetness of the chocolate and caramel. Immediately place your carameled apples onto the wax paper and begin sprinkling with the chocolate chips, sprinkles, nuts and sea salt (just a tiny pinch of the salt will do!). Enjoy!

For the little guy, we sliced his apple with the corer and let him dip into the caramel.
(He actually didn't even want to touch the caramel, can you believe it?
He doesn't know what he's missing!)

mmm...goodness.

Christmas Link Countdown

So today my little guy & I constructed a countdown-to-Christmas link. I figure it to be our little variation of an advent calendar, only I'll give him his "treat" each day, instead of him opening a door to find it. The theory is the same, isn't it?


Here's a picture of it. We just used some holiday paper, cut them into strips and stapled them together. We decided to hang it with some ribbon from a doorknob...only 23 days to go!

{Holiday GiveAways}!

{Holiday Giveaways}. You gotta love them. So I thought I'd bring you one...it is the season of giving, afterall. It will be happening some time in the next week or two, so be sure to stop back to see what's on the goodie list! The {giveaways} will include one item from my Adam's Blankie shop
and one from my Gourmet Play shop!
Can't wait!

Here is a sneak peek at one of the {giveaways}...can you guess what it is??


Also, we are donating one of our {sushi bib & burp sets} to Fabulous K for her own {holiday giveaway}, which starts TODAY! Just click the "fab k's giveaway" button on the right
to find some lovelies to win!
Enjoy!