Bigger IS Better

My husband and I are pretty different. It shouldn’t surprise you to read that I am fairly social; the girl at the party who talks a little too loud and drinks a little too much. Geoff, on the other hand, is quite the opposite. He is much more reserved and content to pass on the spotlight entirely. We have long joked that the only way we ended up together is because I eventually wore him down with my endless ideas and talking.

Over time, some things in our relationship have changed, but other aspects have remained the same. Although our lives are a bit more settled and routine now, I suppose that we are still fundamentally the same people that we were when we met during our early days of high school. For my husband, this means that he still whole-heartedly believes in the idea that bigger is better. In our world, anything worth doing is worth doing all the way.

In light of a quickly approaching Father’s Day, I put together a short list of gift ideas for men who also live by my husband's credo. These are all items Geoff bought (or made) in the last few months that make him very happy. A word of warning, though, these gifts are not for the faint hearted. Oh, and you should probably be willing to give up parking your car in your garage.

A Welder for Your Home:

If your reaction to this gift idea, is "WTF?" then you share the same response I had upon hearing this plan. "What do we have around the house that requires welding?" I asked. Plenty, apparently. For starters, there is rebar that must be held in place. Plus, I have found that it is super cool to be able to teach your kids the dangers of looking directly into the welding light when Dad is in the garage working.

A Log Splitter:

Upon hearing that we would be purchasing a log splitter, I naively believed that we were buying something similar to a fancy ax. Although I am not sure what a fancy ax looks like, I never dreamed that it would require us to park our car outside and that it would weigh close to one ton. If you have been reading our blog for a while, you might also know that the Three reside in the San Francisco Bay Area. This is a fairly urban area of the United States.

My backyard is not what you would call a forest.

Homemade BBQ:

I added this item to the list for anyone who wants to make their Dad a little something special, rather than simply buying a gift from Home Depot. In this case, why buy a BBQ when you can make one? After watching an episode of Guy's Big Bite on the Food Network, my man thought it would be cool to build a BBQ out of a tire rim. Little did I know that gas grills are for suckers.

Outdoor Pizza Oven:

Yup, you read this last one correctly. An outdoor pizza oven. Why get pizza to go when you can make it in your own backyard?

Actually, I should take that statement back. Who am I kidding? I am pretty excited about this one, especially if it means that my husband is going to be cooking tasty oven fired pizza for me and the kids.

Maybe bigger is better...

-Francesca

Shopping for Traditions

Game face. Check. Patience. Check. Comfortable shoes. Check. Trail mix. Check. Bottled water. Check. A book to read while waiting in line. Check. Self control. Check (I think).

I've started a tradition of braving the crowds the day after Christmas to take advantage of all the good deals, from ornaments, to wrapping paper, and, if my brain can tolerate it, maybe even a few things in preparation for next year's Christmas. I know that doing so is a bit ambitious, but the deals I'm able to find make stocking up my gift closet difficult to resist, despite the financial hole I've already dug for myself for this Christmas. This year was no different; I braved the mall without M for a few hours early on Friday morning.

I was somewhat successful at buying stuff for my husband because virtually every place had additional discounts off their already reduced items. The upside to the downside of the economy, unfortunately. It was great buying for my husband, but not so much for me. Maybe because the women's section was much more crowded and stifling. Just in case you're interested, I had the most success at Banana Republic (additional 20% off already discounted items, online and in stores) and Restoration Hardware (use the code of RAT019 for an additional 10% off online, good until 1/12/09). Although a few new items are added each holiday season, RH recycles essentially all their stocking stuffers and Christmas decorations every year. If you have enough foresight, you can take advantage of the sales going on now and stock up.

Something struck me while I was being herded in line this year. It is great that I keep to my after Christmas shopping tradition, but it is something that I do without M. What about creating traditions with my son? I keep thinking that I would like to start a tradition of taking our family picture in our jammies Christmas morning, but I forgot again this year and changed out of my jammies by the time we were ready to exchange gifts. Drat!! I also wanted to convince my husband to start an ugly holiday sweater tradition, where everyone in our family wears the ugliest sweaters I can find and then takes a picture, right after the jammies picture, of course. Hahahah! I've got to start that while M is too young to object! Honestly, though, my family is seriously void of traditions, except the one where we pack up M to make rounds at the grandparents' homes.

My family isn't Christian, so Christmas to us is a social thing. We adopt families, shop for groceries for the food bank, send money to our struggling family in Vietnam, and like everyone else, simply get together and pig out. As for presents, we are fiercely adamant about one gift per child, so thankfully for M, he is not overwhelmed. Lucky him, huh? :)

Point is, I came to the US when I was eight years old and have rarely celebrated Christmas the same way each year. Maybe it's time for me to start some traditions that will help make the season a bit more special and memorable for my family. So, here I am, shopping for traditions. What do you do to make the season more special? Please share your favorite holiday traditions.

-Thuy

Dear Santa,

For years my sister, Gianna, and I have eagerly anticipated the arrival of the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog in the mail. For anyone that hasn’t seen it, the “book” includes Neiman’s annual list of “Wow” gifts; things that are so ridiculously expensive and excessive that they warrant a level of gift giving all their own.

This year’s catalog was no different.

The Dallas Cowboys Texas Stadium End Zone Package really made me smile. I know that things are bigger in Texas, but this sets the bar at an entirely new level. For the cool price of $500,000, you can "put 530 square yards of sporting history into your own backyard" with an entire Cowboys Texas Stadium end zone.

His and Hers Life-Size Replicas in Lego Bricks was by far my favorite item. For $60,000, the artist Nathan Sawaya will immortalize your magnificent self in a one-of-a-kind, life-size Lego brick sculpture. Envisioning me and Geoff in lego form was fun. I even found photos that Mr. Sawaya can use. I think I'll call the piece "Big Hair Meets Bad Hair."

I am sure that my kids will very respectful of how we spent their college savings and not try to immediately dismante or otherwise destroy our images.


If I had to pick one item that I might actually enjoy, it would be the Authentic Guinness Home Pub. For $250,000, the folks at RiRa Pubs will design a fully functional, traditional Irish pub and build it in your home. In addition to your pub's historic Irish architectural elements and authentic Guinness artifacts, you will also be given Guinness Stout for an entire year. Kind of cool for when your friends come over, right?

-Francesca

Egg-citing!

I came across Egg-Baby clothing in the Cookie magazine not too long ago and thought how cute and luxurious their stuff is. You know how you look at kids' clothes and think if only they made it in my size...No? Okay, maybe it's just me, but this is definitely one of the brands that comes to mind when I envision myself in kids' clothes. However, the prices always stopped me.

BUT WAIT...How about now when everything is 50% off?! Hmmm...I might be tempted to buy M another hat and booties even though we're in California. It does get cold here, so maybe I can still justify the purchase. I can justify any purchase, really. I consider it quite a gift!

Egg-baby.com is celebrating their launch by inviting you to take advantage of a 50% discount off your purchase now through December 23rd. The code for 50% off your entire purchase: holiday08.

If you're in New York, they have a sample sale as well. It's in Dumbo, Brooklyn (hahaha):

Blow-Out Holiday Sample Sale through January 4th

Mon-Sat 10:00am-6:00pm, Sun 11:00am-5:00pm

Located at 143 Front Street (across from Chase Bank)

F train to York Street stop

Fall & Spring seasons up to 80% off retail

Happy Retail, everyone!

-Thuy

It's All About the Kids

I'm always in search of independent crafty peeps. Recently, I stumbled upon a wonderful site, Craftsbury Kids. It's like Etsy, but much smaller and much easier to navigate. Of course, they don't have the selection that Etsy does, but each item has been hand picked for their site. As much as I love Etsy, I find it overwhelming and frustrating to find what I'm looking for. With Craftsbury Kids, product categories are easy to understand and prices are comparable to items found on Etsy.

Here are my top 5 favorites:

I love this mobile for the baby's room. Not only will baby be able to see it since it's black and white, but it's also free of the bells and whistles (literally) that come on most mobiles. Great gift for a new baby in the house.



This monster hat is adorable. It's a bit pricey but well worth it if your little one will wear it all winter.


I love this poster! It would be fantastic in a toddler's room. I'm thinking of getting one for my first grade classroom.


This personalized banner would be really cute at a birthday party. It's quite reasonable if your child's name is only 3 letters long, like mine!


I'd so love my daughter to have this, but she will not tolerate anything on her head. If your little one is willing, these organic hats are too cute to pass up.

-Kacey

Take a Leap...Frog

We love the Leapfrog products and thought we'd pass the savings along. Stock up for the holidays and enjoy the savings!


-Thuy

Local Love

Unlike my super talented college roommates, I do NOT have the creative gene in my DNA. This past year, two of my college roommates and best friends received national recognition for their artwork. The first, Wendy of Green Girl Art, was featured in Elle magazine and is currently showing her stunning paintings at the Cella gallery in Los Angeles. Her talents don't stop there. As annoying as it is, Wendy is also a superb photographer, jam and truffle maker, softie stuffer, and a great mommy. My other roommate and dear family friend, Andy, was featured in a TV segment in Portland because of his amazing glass sculptures. He has created the world's only known functioning spinning wheel and seismograph made out of glass! Truly amazing.

To overcompensate for the fact that I am not crafty, I try to support local artists the best I can by purchasing their goods. This is reason #745 why it’s great to live in the Bay Area: lots and lots of artists. If money were no object, I’d buy up entire inventories from these people. (Sadly, though, this is not my reality. If it is yours, I encourage you to buy me any of these things. ☺)

Here are some of my favorites:

Petit Collage offers modern, stylish pieces that work well in any child’s room.

Recently, the artist Lorena Siminovich added this bird mobile to her collection.


Artist Jenny Rinzler has an amazing eye for color, fabrics, and clean lines. Through her company, Ciuccio, which means binky/pacifier in Italian, she makes and sells quilts. Her loveys are also adorable.


Speesees clothes are some of the softest around. Each item is made of 100% organic and dye free cotton. I’ve been eyeing this dress for sometime now. You really can’t go wrong with one of their jumpers either.




You many send any or all of these items to my home address.

Thanks!

-Kacey

Toys Worth Buying: Part Deux

Since posting my list of toys worth buying for children ages 0-2 last week, I have been asked by a few readers to keep the information coming, especially for older kids. In putting this version of the list together, I considered consulting my husband. However, I quickly realized that unless our readers are looking for a slingshot parachute flying monkey with screaming sound, this might not be the best idea.

Here’s a brief description of the toy that my husband picked out and purchased for M. (Please do not judge me by his toy choices.)

• The Slingshot Flying Monkey is "limited edition" for 2008. (No joke!!!)
• The monkey can be shot long distances using his elastic arms.
• The user makes the monkey take flight by putting two fingers in the hand pockets, pulling back, and letting go.
• Every time you shoot him, he lets out two loud monkey calls.

Lucky for you, my Toys Worth Buying list for children ages 2-4 is monkey-free:

1. Bubbles, Bubbles, Who doesn’t love Bubbles? ($15): I am cheating with this a bit because our favorite thing to do is blowing and popping bubbles. We love the Gymboree Bubble Kit, but may graduate to the One Step Ahead version because M will have more control over the bubbles.

2. Automoblox ($30): Cool and fun cars for kids and adults to play with. Collect the three smaller cars first, then consider the bigger cars because they can be pricey.

3. Babybug Magazine ($34 for a year subscription): Great way to introduce your little one to mail and affirm their love of books. It’s basically a year-long book subscription. Who doesn’t love getting mail?

4. Schylling Stacking Robots ($15): This toy officially labeled me as a cool aunt. We have a few of these robots for everyone who comes over to our house. I love playing with them and can’t wait for M to be old enough to enjoy them too. Buy two at least for more fun. Rule for buying toys at this age: buy games you want to play with your kids; otherwise it is a waste for everyone.

5. Zimbbos ($25) : Who doesn’t love a fantastic pyramid of balancing elephants? It’s a great game for kids and adults. The company, Blue Orange, offers a wonderful array of games that are award winning.

6. My First LeapPad ($45): A fun and educational toy for your kids. You can switch books when the kids get bored. Genius!

7. Green Toys Tea Set ($25): Aside from being made from recycled milk jugs, these are super cute and completely safe for kids. Perfect for tea with my neice! Now, all I have to find are silly hats and gloves to wear.

8. Photo Book (FREE): Not necessarily a toy, but a ton of fun for you and your child. M recently learned to walk, so we are having a great time with him during his exploring phase. On our long walks together, I try to remember to take my camera so that we can photograph the things we see: family, friends, neighbors, neighborhood dogs, the leaves, the park, ants, and even grocery carts. Doing so captures all of the words we are learning together.

As a Christmas gift for M, I thought it would be fun to put our photos to use. My first idea is to laminate several of the photos and create a memory game that he and I can play together. Not only will the game reinforce the words we are learning, but it will also help him to further develop his matching skills. I am also puting together an album of the photos we've taken during our walks. To my absolute delight, my timing for creating this book couldn't be better. I learned this week that, with Oprah's help, the photobook is free.

FREEBIE and COUPON ALERT: I love Oprah and have been a dedicated viewer for over four years (or ever since I got Tivo). This week, my dedication has paid off! Oprah is offering her viewers a free 20-page, 8 x 11 inch Custom Cover Photo Book from Snapfish. Offer ends at 11:59 pm on Friday, November 14.

Oprah, the most generous person on TV, is also offering her viewers a 20% off coupon at the Container Store until Wednesday, November 19th. I could spend hours in this store, but it’s so expensive. Now, through the power of Oprah, I can feel a little less guilty about my shopping...at least for a week anyway. Check out Oprah's website for additional organization and de-cluttering tips.

A final tip: If books are your thing, check out Chronicle Books. They are offering a 25% discount and free shipping with the code WHS1008. Offer ends Saturday, November 15. I know many little boys who would love the Big, Bigger, and Biggest Trucks and Diggers book.

I hope you enjoyed our list. Don't forget to enter in our cool giveaway! Mama's got a brand new bag...to give away, that is.

-Thuy

Our First Bloggy Giveaway!!!

Christmas is just around the corner and what better way to kick off the shopping season than by giving a present to the most overlooked person on your gift list…yourself!

Loom has graciously agreed to give away their beautiful and functional Go Tote Canvas pictured above to one lucky 3 Bay B Chicks reader. The bag, known as the "essential urban hauler", is valued at $105. To enter the content, visit the company's website. Once done, come back to the 3 Bay B Chicks blog and leave a comment letting us know which Loom item you love most and why. Who knows? That very accessory may be the prize for a future giveaway!

And because every contest must have them, here are our Official Rules:

1) Contest ends on Wednesday, November 19th at 12:00 a.m. PST.
2) Contestants may submit their entry by commenting on any post on the 3 Bay B Chicks blog during the contest period.
3) One entry per person.
4) No purchase necessary.
5) Entrants must be U.S. residents age 18 or older.
6) The winner will be selected at random on Thursday, November 20th and contacted via email. The winner will also be announced on the 3 Bay B Chicks website.
7) Any failure to respond to the prize notification within three business days will result in the prize going to an alternate winner.
8) Neither the 3 Bay B Chicks nor Loom may be held responsible for lost or misdirected mail.

Good luck!

Also, if you've missed the warehouse sale at Loom last weekend, it's not too late to take advantage of their amazing sale prices. All regularly priced items are still 40% off. Simply go to Loom's website to make your selection and then send an e-mail to info@loomlife.com with “FALL SALE” in the subject line. Be sure to include your order details and payment information. Loom will contact you via e-mail to confirm your order.

As you know, I can never resist a sale and ended up buying a few of these adorable pop bins to store M's many toys. Anything to restore our house to the semi state of order that existed before M!!

-Thuy

One Potato, Two Potato

When I was young, I used to collect stickers. Lots and lots of stickers! Some might say I was a sticker whore. I'd prefer to be called a sticker aficionado. An embarrassing amount of time during my childhood was dedicated to arranging and organizing my albums. (That's right, I said, "albums.") I arranged them by category, size, year, and (oh, how I wish I were kidding) sometimes company. (Lisa Frank or Mrs. Grossman's ring a bell?)

The part that kills me is that I NEVER stuck my stickers on anything. NEVER. I clearly remember finding my younger sister in my room and discovering that, to my horror, she was sticking one of my stickers on her shirt. WTF? I'm sure I tortured her for the next couple of days because that's just the kind of loving sister I was. Recently, as I relayed this story to my husband, he started laughing and said, "Funny that you now collect paper, journals, and pens." As hard as it is for me to deny, he is right. I love all things paper. Currently, I have about 5 untouched journals in our office, a stack of cute stickers/labels, and a bag of pens, which are MINE and off limits to him. (He is not an up and down writer and thus will ruin my preferred pen collection.) Don't get me wrong, I plan to use all of my possessions, but am saving them for something other than a "to do list."

My love of both vintage and modern items has led to the discovery of a fantastic store, Three Potato Four. Their retro/contemporary mix make Three Potato Four my new number one store. Here are some photos of my favorite things:

Royal 1950's Typewriter: What's not to love? Color, clicking, and no delete button.


Apple Coathanger: Very sweet, cute bright print:


Early Learning Puzzle: Modern, clean, educational.


Darling Plushie: Blue-eyed bunny.


Three words: Three mini journals.


Measuring Cups: Love the fact that it all stacks together.



Stickers: Lovely!



The stickers are so freaking cute. I just might have to purchase a new album...

-Kacey

Coupon Poetry

When I was pregnant with my son, my mother-in-law bought me a book entitled, Haiku Mama. The subtitle to this book is, "because 17 syllables is all you have time to read." I had to laugh when I received the gift. How could having children possibly make me so busy that I would not have time to read? I had always been successful at creating time for myself.

How very little I knew back then. As testament to my naivety, I realized yesterday that my mother-in-law gave me Haiku Mama in 2005 and I am finally reading it for the first time. I took a few moments while G was at pre-school and L was taking her morning nap to flip through some of the pages. Here are are haiku's that are especially fitting for me:

Chocolate beckons;
too old for trick-or-treating,
right age for stealing.

Wrong to eat bagel,
Sour Patch Kids, green tea for lunch
but damn it tastes good.

These poems were still on my mind last night when, despite my best efforts, L woke up and would not go back to sleep. While staring at her for hours on end, I came up with my own haiku:

Three a.m., baby cries,
Who is going to make it stop?
Motrin, answer my prayer.

(O.K., so the last line has 6 syllables and not the required 5, but it was super early and I had gotten very little sleep.)

The moral of this story: Compose your own haiku the next time you have hours to kill with your baby. It just might be the remedy you need to keep from losing your mind.

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Since everyone so kindly suffered through my bad, middle-of-the-night poetry, the 3BayBChicks would like to offer a reward. Thuy, our resident bargain expert, has graciously utilized her skills to provide us with a bevy of bargain basement buys and sample sale tips. Many of the deals are only good this weekend, so read on and let the savings begin!

On-Line Specials:
1. GAP Give and Get Coupon: Effective November 13-16.

2. Gymboree Circle of Friends Coupon: Effective November 6-9. Customers receive 30% off of their entire purchase. More information at this link.

3. Cost Plus World Market: Effective November 7-11. Customers receive 25% off of their purchase. Details at this link.

4. Sephora: Effective now until November 10. Receive an extra 20% off of your on-line purchase using the code FF2008 at check-out.

5. Neiman Marcus: Effective now until November 9. Receive up to 40% off. Also, use the code NMNOV at check-out to receive free shipping.

6. Victoria's Secret: Effective now until November 10. Receive 25% off any single item using the code 25ITEM at check-out.

7. Giggle: Effective now until December 2, free gift wrap and free shipping. No code required.

8. JCrew: Effective November 5-8. Receive an extra 30% off of sale items using the code EXTRA30 both in stores and on-line at check-out.

9. Crazy8: Effective November 6-9. Receive an 20% off at check-out using the code C8ONLINE.

10. Janie and Jack: Effective November 14-16. Receive 25% off Janie and Jack entire purchase on November 14-16th. Online code: JJFamily.

In-Store Sales:
1. Club Monaco: Effective November 6-9. Bring this coupon to any store location and receive 30% off.

2. Nordstrom: Half-yearly sale for women and children. Savings of 40% or more. No coupon or code required.

Sample Sales in the Bay Area:
1. Loom: Saturday, November 8, 2008, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This store specializes in diaper and weekend bags. They are located at 38 Lochinvar Road in San Rafael.

2. Carrot and Stick Press: Saturday, December 6. Carrot and Sticks is one of our favorite destinations for paper products. The sale will be held at their warehouse at 6050 Lowell Street, Studio 102, in Oakland.

3. The Cat's Pajamas: Famous for their sushi pajamas! The sample sale will be held on Saturday, November 22 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and again on Sunday, November 23 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Location is 1285 66th Street (at Hollis) in Emeryville.

More Bay Area Love:
1. Iniam: One of my newest discoveries and most favorite stores. They are located in the Rockridge Area in Oakland and are offering 30% off of everything in the store on November 7 and 8 only. As an added bonus, if you bring in a first time customer who also makes a purchase, the savings for both of you is increased to 35%.

2. Appel & Frank shopping event: Tickets may be purchased in advance or on the day of the event. This quarter the faire will be held in Marin and will feature a number of designers, complimentary spa services, beauty makeovers, wine, and giveaways. More detail is provided in this link.

-Francesca

Toys Worth Buying

I’m so excited about the Works-for-Me Wednesday challenge of coming up with a list of Toys Worth Buying. Though I’ve only been a mom for 15 months, I’ve been a cool Aunt for over 10 years, so I have plenty of experience to speak from in the toy buying department.

For me, part of the fun of buying anything, especially toys, is the research process. (Kacey calls me a walking, talking Consumer Report because I read so many reviews.) Even though my investigative process is extensive and thorough, I often end up donating many toys because I hate to clutter my house with items that M gets bored with quickly. My husband’s toy picks are another matter entirely – he buys one trick pony type toys. Literally! We just had a big "discussion" about a toy pony that he ordered for M. It hasn’t arrived yet, but will undoubtedly be featured in an upcoming post, I’m sure.

Here are some of the items that I love and think are worth buying. Hopefully, it will give you some gift ideas for the holiday season. These toys are appropriate for mostly ages 0 to 2 years old. (Check back for ideas for the older age group next week.)

Early Development Toys (Birth - 2 years old)

1. Sophie La Girafe ($22): Sophie is a great chew toy for babies. She is made in France of perfectly safe plastic and her incredibly cute squeak is a blessing to parents and children alike. Oh la la!






2. Williams-Sonoma Kids Kitchen Accessories (price varies): M loves the whisk, spatula, and silicone baking molds shown in this link. A few of the cooking utensils, along with the cooking apron, were supposed to be a gift for my God daughter. However, M got to the bag before I could give them to her. Occasionally, M is in the kitchen with me while I am cooking. These items, along with all my melamine bowls, are able to keep him occupied for a full 10 minutes! Instead of buying play kitchen toys, I figure I’d buy the real thing as eventually he’ll be able to help me around the kitchen, right?! Everyone loves to feel useful.

3. Under the Nile Vegetable Crate ($25): I guess it is always a good idea to reinforce good nutrition early on. M loves the texture of these chew toys. They are made of organic cotton and are washable, making them relatively easy to keep clean. It’s much more economical to buy the entire crate of veggies as opposed to each item individually. It is also a great way to teach your kids about vegetables when they no longer need a chew toy. We've been using these toys to do some "let's go grocery shopping" pretend play. Hopefully, M doesn't begin asking me why real carrots don't have faces.

4. Radio Flyer Classic Wagon Walker ($89): M received this as a birthday gift from Kacey and Francesca. It is truly a wonderful and versatile toy. At first, M used it as a walker. More recently, its become a shopping cart for him to pick up stuff around the house. M, Mama needs some more carrot for soup tonight!

5. Bright & Beyond Baby Activity Cards ($10): You can only buy so many toys to keep your kids entertained. I have even tried Gymboree activity books and they are no where near as helpful as these cards. Each individual card recommends an activity to keep both you and your kids engaged.




6. Ikea Tunnel ($18): A collapsible tunnel that we use to build obstacle courses with. M can’t get enough of it when I try to crawl after him in the tunnel. I also stand up with the tunnel around me and play peek-a-boo. Did I mention it is collapsible?

7. Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube: The cube is very cool and with one double A battery, this thing seems to last forever. Better yet, it's on sale at Amazon for $20 - a great gift.

8. GeoMag Magnets ($30): These blocks are great for building imagination, as well as frig magnets when M wanders into the kitchen. He loves playing with our magnet cabinet lock and these blocks together. These are great as bath toys too.

9. Robot Playground Ball ($7): Ahhh how this ball takes me back to my dodgeball days. I was the competitive kid out on the playground, getting mad at my cohorts for not bringing their game…Bring it!! (Oh yeah, back to M.) He and I toss the ball back and forth and he plays fetch with it.

10. Plan Toy Shape and Sort ($20): I love the modern design of this simple shape sorter. M likes it too as he’s finally figured out how to insert the circle into the cube. Hooray!!

I admit that the toy buying process can be more than somewhat daunting. To remedy this situation, Francesca, Kacey, and I work to coordinate buying toys so that we can rotate/swap with each other. Aside from being a practical way to save money and space, it’s also a wonderful introduction to sharing for M.

-Thuy

Music to MY Ears

Since having Miss Emi, or as my husband and I like to refer to her, "Augustus" (Gloop from the Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory movie), we have dreaded the day when we would have to start censoring our iPod selections in the car. While reading Francesca's recent Points of Joy post, the photo that resonated with me most was of her favorite channel on XM radio. For those of you who don't know Francesca personally, she is quite "street" when it comes to her music. Don't let her approachable, friendly, sweet face fool you. The girl doesn't mess around when it comes to her music. One word for you: "Friends" by Whodini. (You have to love the very "street" spelling of his name!) This is one of her FAVORITE songs. She knows all of the lyrics, which is quite impressive.

Recently, my sister brought to my attention that Jay-Z's "H to the Izzo" and Kanye's "Flashing Lights" were not appropriate for Augustus. What? My immediate response was, "Who cares what she listens to?" The songs have a great beat. Besides, she doesn't know what they are saying. Have you ever listened to these songs? Fabulous!

Since I did not quickly respond to her concerns, my sister bought Emi two children's CDs for her birthday: Raffi, which is alright only because I already know all the songs, and another CD, not worth mentioning. (Sorry Mo!) Listening to these CDs a few times got me thinking that I will insane if I have to listen to Raffi for the next 10 years. Can I really make that sacrifice? Who are we kidding? NO.

So here is my top five recommendations you AND your little one can both enjoy (or at least you can enjoy and not feel guilty about it!). They are in no particular order.

1. Rockabye Baby by Radiohead! My husband made this purchase. There are really no lyrics. The company also offers a ton of other popular artist versions like Coldplay, Nirvana, Bob Marley, etc.

2. Sing-a-longs and lullabies by Jack Johnson. Some very cute songs. I love the "We are going to be friends" remake.

3. Baby Loves Hip Hop Presents the Dino-5. My husband and I are both big Jurassic 5 fans and one of the lead singers is in this group. It's very cute and very hip. Baby Loves also produces great Baby Loves Jazz CDs.

4. Play by Various Artist. For those of you that appreciate house or electronica, this is the CD for you and your kid.

5. Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits by Vince Guaraldi. This is one of my favorites, especially around this time of year. Great to play in the car when you are starting (or finishing) your holiday shopping! Agh.

Enjoy!

-Kacey

P.S. Don't forget to vote!!

Let the Madness Begin

I realize that it's not even Halloween yet, but I've started to get anxious about holiday shopping. I've said it before, I am not good at shopping throughout the year. The other two chickies are the exact opposite. In fact, Thuy is most likely done through the year 2010. (I'm not kidding.) With gas prices, an impatient little one, and a city with parking issues, I've decided to do most of my holiday shopping from home.

Last night I went searching on Etsy and found some amazing items, all of them very reasonably priced. Here are some of my very favorites:

Little chirpy bird has some of the cutest clips around. I just purchased these two for Emi, love em!




Maya Paypaya also has some very cute clips. They are pretty reasonable at around $6.50!


And what's not to love about mycakies? I especially love the crown.


Bonus: She makes clips for adults too!


Little Lily dresses are very hip and reversible. I wish I had this when Emi used to spit up about 3 times a day. It would have saved me from some laundry.




I've never seen a leather bib before, but bellataylor swears it's the easiest to care for. Very cute, I love the simplicity of the designs. She makes shoes too.




Some great soft toys for babies I found were these cute owl blocks by baby ballou (only $10.50).


And my favorite, Marvin the Misunderstood spider. He's so cute and ugly at the same time.

For the superheros in your life, these capes by babypop are right on and only $14!


Finally, what's not to love about these adorable crayons? They come in a ton of different shapes and sizes.


They even have crayon favors that are already prepackaged for a party. Genius!


Hope this helps with some of your holiday shopping!

-Kacey