Happy Healthy Hip Holiday Gift Guide 2010

All of the items below can be found at Uncommon Goods, one of my favorite online shopping sites.

For Him:

Pool Ball Wine Stoppers

Pipe Laptop Stand

Duct Tape Wallet

Cuft

For Her:

Colored Pencil Teardrop Necklace

 

Stretch Your Dollar Wallet

Purse Hanger

Agate Photo Frames

Wine-Tasting Chocolate Kit

For the Kids:

Cardboard Cottage Doll House

Create Your Own Puzzle

Whatchamadrawit

Modern Play Family

Animal Sandwich Cutters

For the Host with the Most:

Salt & Pepper Mill

Tasting Plate

Tic-Tac-Toe Plate

Rubber Coasters (6-pack)

Boat Buoy Candles

For new parents (hint, hint):

 

Teething Necklace

"I Was Worth the Wait"

Eco-Friendly Baby Booties

"Made with Love"

Baby Sacque & Hat Sets

Shopping through this link will help support our future diaper fund. Check out our previous Gift Guides for more  gift ideas:

2009 Holiday Gift Guide
2008 Holiday Gift Guide

Happy Shopping!

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home

That Stinks!

I look forward to my weekly prenatal yoga session. I drop my son off at school, enjoy a relaxing hour reading, sipping on coffee and catching up on Twitter chatter or reading links found on the News Feed of my Facebook page. Then I drive over to the yoga center, unroll my mat and begin an hour and fifteen minute session where I focus solely on my body, my baby, and my breathing.

I undo the stress from the previous week, stretch muscles that I tend to ignore in between classes and slow down completely. I feel great when the session is done and acknowledge to myself how important it is to continue this routine.

Last week, after a great session and feeling completely stress-free, I walked out to my car to find a parking ticket on the window. The parking spots in front of the yoga center have a 1-hour time limit and our class is 75 minutes long. There went my stress-free morning.

Later, I was able to laugh at the irony since this is the perfect type of story to share for the Munchkin promotion called, “That Stinks.” The Arm & Hammer™ Diaper Pail by Munchkin doesn’t stink at all, but having to deal with something like a parking ticket certainly does.

If you’ve had a recent experience that made you think,”That Stinks,” or words similar to that, head over to the Munchkin Facebook page to share your story to be entered to win an Arm & Hammer™ Diaper Pail. This promotion goes through the end of November so go read stories others have shared or add your own and learn more about the promotion, the diaper pail and other Munchkin products by Liking them and following Munchkin on Twitter.

Share your story, get it off your chest and you’ll hopefully feel much better afterward. And remember, doing breathing exercises might help to get you through your next not-so-pleasant encounter with whatever (or whoever) it is that might stress you out.

By the way, the same day I got the parking ticket, my husband received the job offer we’ve been waiting for, which pretty much erased any stress I had regarding the whole thing (which is also perhaps why I forgot to mention this to him).

Now we begin the next phase in our relationship: moving in together! He’ll be here by the end of the month and we can finally start our life together as a married couple. And there’s nothing that stinks about that.

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home

New Designs for Hooter Hiders from Bebe au Lait

I was introduced to Bebe au Lait a few years back and have been following along these last few years, passing on the info to my pregnant friends and new moms.

Of course, now that I’m pregnant, I’m super excited to see the new Fall 2010 designs for their Hooter Hiders (breastfeeding covers) and am coveting several of them (Avignon, Royale, and Poppy Hills are currently at the top of my wish list).

Check out the new designs and let us know, in the comments, which one is your favorite. Click on each design to see a full view of what the nursing cover looks like in real life.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of their products. They have beautifully designed bibs, burp cloths, hooded towels along with unique jewelry and some awesome gift sets for the mom-to-be in your life. They also offer an entire line of nursing covers that are made with organic materials.

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
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Child Passenger Safety Week

Although I have about 100 days left of this pregnancy, I’m still not quite prepared as far as getting everything ready, installed and assembled. We have registered for baby gear and luckily, have great friends who either gave us or sold us (really inexpensive) gently used items. We have an infant car seat already but I am not eager to install it. That wrestling match will be postponed as long as possible.

This week, however, I’m rethinking the idea of waiting to install it since it is Child Passenger Safety Week. Even though the thought of driving around with an empty car seat for three more months seems strange to me, I definitely want to take advantage of the FREE car seat inspections that are taking place on September 25th for National Seat Check Saturday.

Did you know that 3 out of every 4 car seats are not installed or used correctly? I certainly don’t want my kids to be a part of this statistic. To find the closest location to you for this car seat inspection, enter your zip code in the national site locator to find a station with certified technicians eager to help you install it correctly.

The Child Passenger Safety Twitter account (@childseatsafety) will be hosting a Twitter party on Wednesday, September 22 at 11 am (PST). NHTSA experts will be available to offer information and insight on car seats and how to travel safely with children. Just use the hashtag #CPSweek to follow along and ask any questions you may have.

Is there anything more important than your family’s safety?

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home

She’s Having a Baby!

Bringing a new baby home for the first time can be stressful. Your life will certainly never be the same after becoming a mom for the first time and with all the items you need to make this transition easier on yourself and your little one, it’s no wonder that parents are finding themselves overwhelmed.

New products and gear are introduced all the time and things are much more sophisticated, hip and more secure than they were just seven years ago when I started shopping for baby products.

Jayneoni Moore is the expert at putting together fun, interactive and inspiring events for new and expecting moms and her latest event, She’s Having a Baby, will be another exciting reason to get together and celebrate motherhood and all things baby-related. I was pleased to work with her a few years back when she hosted the Boom Boom Room for new parents (at the time) Chris Noth and Tori Spelling.

Jayneoni asked me to speak at this weekend’s event and I am honored to be able to hare some insight with the moms in the crowd as well as on hand to answer questions about Surviving Early Parenthood and what it takes to Create the Family of Your Dreams and how technology and social media can enhance your family’s experience.

Tickets are $45 per person, although each and every guest will leave with a goodie bag overflowing with baby products from top brands. Proceeds from the event will go to First Book, an organization that provides new books to children in need.

Major sponsors, such as Fisher-Price, boon, giggle, tiny prints and more are participating in this year’s event and hoping to reach moms who want the best for their baby.

If you’re in Southern California and are a new or expecting mom, you won’t want to miss this fabulous event taking place Sunday, May 23rd at the Beverly Hilton Hotel from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm. Celebrity appearances and guest speakers will be there throughout the day in between product demonstrations, a maternity fashion show, pampering for the moms and moms-to-be, and giveaways from many great sponsors. One lucky winner will take home an Orbit 2 Stroller so be sure to sign up for you and your friends or family who may be welcoming a new baby this year!

I hope to see you there!

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home

Happy Healthy Hip Holiday Gift Guide

It’s that time of year, once again. Check out these hot products, hip toys and haute clothes for the lucky people on your gift list.

play

Prudence Owl Doll by blabla

BMW 3-series convertible (for kids)

A-Frame Doll House

Build Your Own Robot

Baby Giraffe Teething Toy

Turner’s Tunnel

Magnetic Nature Theatre

House of Cards

Build a Treehouse

Tin Can Robot

wear

Childhood Clothing

Fat Tie

Pink Lightning Tank Dress (with removable silver cape)

Floor Plan Dress by Katricewear

Right Bank Babies

Taupe Lamb Hat by blabla

Naturino

Mommy | Daddy

Cape Clogs

read

A Friend

Singing to the Sun

Creature ABC

The Big Honkin’ Activity Book

A Penguin Story

The Snow Day

Tales from Outer Suburbia

It's Christmas

Hannah's Winter

Monkey with a Tool Belt

All the World

Our White House

Rapunzel's Revenge

Winter Trees

The Busiest Street in Town

enjoy

Mercer Diaper Bag

Hiya Toddler Bed

Puj Baby (stores flat, cradles baby)

Benders, Adaptable Utensils

HiLo chair, by AGE Design

Celery Lullaboo Changing Table

Happy Cat beanbag chair

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
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There’s still time to win!

A few weeks ago, I posted three separate giveaways / contests that have not yet ended. If you’d like to register to win, there’s still time!

• Head over to read about the Bundle Up Joy luxury wearable baby blankets and enter to win your very own! Ends October 30th.
• Check out the awesome Big Combo Pack from Mabel’s Labels and you could win your very own, personalized, set! Ends October 9th.
• Let us know which game sounds the most exciting from the Nintendo Wii’s Family Party game and you could win a copy of this brand new release! Ends October 16th.

Stay tuned for more great giveaways over the coming months! We don’t do them often, but we do have some pretty fabulous items coming your way.

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home

Bundle Up Joy

BBBRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. It’s November already, which means that it’s time to pull out the winter clothes and electric blankets. I know. Those of you who know me or know anything about me realize that I live in San Diego – where it’s always (rumor has it) 75 and sunny.

Think again. Even in San Diego we find temperatures in the mid-40s during the winter (I’m not complaining, trust me) so winter wear is essential, especially for our little ones.

Bundle Up Joy, founded by Terry Chi of Los Angeles, has created some pretty unique wearable blankets for babies up to six months of age. With her beautiful designs and car seat buckle up design, these sleep sacks make great gifts for new babies.

Since the biggest gift-giving season is just weeks away, I thought I’d introduce you to her sleep sacks by offering a giveaway!

Bundle Up Joy^® was born in 2007. They kept parents and babies in mind when they designed the first and only line of Luxury Wearable Blankets. Their baby bunting products are better, safer, and more versatile than loose baby blankets, sleepsacks or swaddles. Their fashionable and functional wearable blankets can be worn day or night, inside or out. Your bundle of joy will be perfectly dressed for any occasion.

You’ll have peace of mind knowing that they never sacrifice quality for fashion. The high quality, machine washable fabrics they choose have stunning, eye-catching designs in vibrant colors.

Found at only the best baby boutiques in select cities, Bundle Up Joy wearable blankets can be yours (or yours to give) by simply adding a comment with your favorite Bundle Up Joy product.

Two winners will be chosen at random and announced here on November 20th.

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
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And the Winners Are…

Congratulations to Rockin’ Mama and Loving Danger. Rockin’ Mama won four out of the five giveaways offered last week (winners were selected at random, I swear). She will be receiving the Countdown to My Birth daily calendar, the Halo SleepSack, giggle guide to baby gear and Making Me. Loving Danger won the Banda Bib.

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home

Halo SleepSack

The HALO SleepSack wearable blanket is the nation’s best-selling wearable blanket for babies. It is intended to lessen the likelihood that a baby can get entangled with clothing and loose bedding during sleep.

The SleepSack wearable blanket is sleeveless and is worn over pajamas or a t-shirt to take the place of loose blankets. It’s the only product to carry the First Candle / SIDS Alliance #1 Safe Sleep Product Gold Seal.

Recently, it earned the Canadian Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths’ (CSID) Gold Seal. Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, HALO Innovations has a singular mission: to help create a healthy and safe sleep environment for people of all ages. New this season are the brown tones that have become popular in the infant bedding and apparel marketplace.

To register to win a beautiful Mocha Velboa SleepSack (Small for infants 0 -6 months), please include your baby’s date of birth (or due date) in the comments below. Be sure to include your email address so we can notify you if you win.

One winner will be selected at random one week from today.

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home