Now He Knows His ABC's

I spotted this super-cool Alphabet Tee by designer Lissoos (I'd never heard of them before, either) at a local kids' shop recently and thought it totally rocked. I looked up Lissoos and it turns out they make a small but stellar line of funky retro-styled toddler tees. The tees are made of soft and supple cotton but tend to run a little small, so buy a size up. You can purchase several Lissoos designs (including the alphabet tee, on sale for $20.50), at Cute Little Clothes.

Little Lions

I have two feisty August-born babes so this sunny Leo Toddler Tee from Etsy.com caught my eye. Leos, who are born between July 23rd and August 23rd, are known for being generous and warm-hearted, but also pompous and bossy. Sound like your own little lion? Then you too might enjoy this pale lemon yellow long-sleeved cotton tee from American Apparel, featuring a cotton applique handsewn onto the front, and a wee little red bird swen onto the back. $18.00 (various sizes available) at the Etsy storefront of Doodlebugfinery.

What a Boon

Every mom knows how hard it is to keep the bath toys and supplies organized- not to mention clean and mildew-free. Boon Inc. has some great products to help. Their popular Frog Pod ($29.99) functions both as a drainable scoop for collecting toys and a wall-mounted base for storing bath products. It attaches to the bathtub wall by adhesive strips, suction cups, or screws- your choice, and measures 19" x 16 1/2" x 7". And if your bath toys are dirty beyond hope, how about treating your kids to these new Boon Inc Bath Goods: Designer Toys & Scrubbies ($13.99)? The fresh, modern collection of 15 bath appliqués, 3 balls, and 2 mini-scrubbies will keep your little ones happily occupied in the bath. And, they don't absorb water (thereby reducing mold & mildew). Together, I think these two products would make a great baby shower gift, new baby gift, or toddler birthday gift. Visit Boon Inc..

In Full Bloom

My little girl is past the age of wearing bloomers over a diaper, but if she weren't I'd love to buy these delicious Hot Pink Couture Bloomers by Hautie Pants, available at Polka Dot Whale. There's nothing cuter to cover her diaper. They're machine washable and available in sizes up to 24 months. $23.95 (includes pink padded satin hanger!) at Polka Dot Whale.

Small Paul, Big Time

ModMama.com is a site I check out regularly, especially its great selection of Small Paul items by Paul Frank. There are lots of fun tees for both boys and girls, and now this adorable striped toddler purse ($28) featuring the trademark Julius logo. This cute clutch is the perfect gift for the little fashionista in your life. Browse the entire Small Paul collection at ModMama.com.

Pizza for Sale

Pizza Party Elmois by far my kids' favorite Hanukkah gift this year. And it is on sale big-time at Amazon.com, reduced to a mere $7.50 (I paid $29.99). Yes, I know I often blog about high-quality, European, wooden toys. But sometimes you just can't argue with your kids when they want Elmo. Mine are smitten with this dancing, opera-singing Elmo who serves (a talking) pizza in a cardboard diorama of a pizza parlor. I must say that Elmo and his talking pizza are growing on me. And at this price I will stock up on a few as birthday gifts for toddlers and preschoolers. Buy one (or more) for your own gift-giving while it's on sale (and eligible for free shipping) at Amazon.com.

How to get (your child) to Sesame Street

My sister bought R. this personalized My Happy Day on Sesame Street book from Shutterfly and boy, was R. wowed (I was, too). You upload a photo of your child and it will appear- along with favorite Sesame Street characters- throughout the book's fully-illustrated 35 color pages. You also provide basic information (name, birthday, hometown, etc.) that is woven throughout the story, as well as an optional front page dedication. R. gets a real kick out of seeing herself in various garbs (dressed like an astronaut, or posing with a bunch of broccoli atop her head) and, I must say, it makes me laugh out loud too. And the story itself ain't half bad. This makes a great birthday gift for the preschool set. $39.99 at Shutterfly.com.

Personalized Skip Hop

A mom in Baby S's music class last summer had a personalized Skip Hop diaper bag and I thought it looked great, so I searched for one online. I like this Duo Denim Diaper Bag ($76) at The Nest Baby Shop, where it costs just $7 extra to have it personalized. All the Skip Hop diaper bag features you love- like adjustable stroller bar straps and lots of pockets and bottle pouches- plus chic denim styling and a personalized touch. I might consider this for Baby S's toddler years! Visit The Nest Baby Shop.

Sensational Shirtdress

Quick! If you want to snag a cool party dress for a toddler girl, check out this Striped Lucy Dress with Tie by Jen Jen. In a fantastic color combo of fuschia, orange, and chocolate, this jazzed-up shirtdress would be perfect for a 1st birthday party! (The only size left is 2T but it runs small). Love the orange grossgrain ribbon at the waist. It's 100% cotton and machine washable. Reduced to $32 (from $54) at The Red Balloon.

Toddler Gone Retro

Check out these awesome 1970s vintage girls shoes from Etsy.com. Sized for toddler girls (made in Spain, but approximately size 5 U.S.), they are made of leather with comfort soles inside, and seem to be in very good shape. Snatch them up for $29.95 at the Etsy.com storefront of Koosi.

Blogiversary Giveaway #8: Baby Scholars

Reminder: You can enter all of our Blogiversary Giveways through 11:59pm tonight. Scroll down to enter any or all of them!

When R. was a toddler and I was desperately trying to find new toys that held her interest, I stumbled onto this site Baby Scholars. I am very glad I did. I have ordered toys from them ever since and am consistenty impressed with their selection, customer service, and little "extras" like many types of gift wrap. They carry top brands like Baby Gund, Melissa & Doug, eeBoo, and Tiny Love. Here are some of my top picks:

Alphabet Flash Cards by eeBoo. R. has been enjoying these since age 2! ($11.95)


Baby Dino Rocker ($99.95)


Gearation by Tomy. Baby S's physical therapist uses this with him and both kids love it. ($29.95)


Flower Spot Fill & Spill by Melissa & Doug. Haven't seen this new M&D toy in person yet but it looks adorable. ($19.95)



Win it! One reader will win a $100 shopping spree at Baby Scholars. Here are the contest rules:

1) To enter, visit Baby Scholars, browse around, and comment about what you'd like to buy. Leave your comment on THIS post (click on "comments" below).
2) Post your comment by 11:59pm, Thursday, January 17th. One entry per person, please. US addresses only.
3) One winner will be chosen at random and announced on Friday morning, January 18th.
4) NOTE: You must check back on Friday to see if you won, and to e-mail me your name and address to claim your prize. Unclaimed prizes are forfeited after 72 hours.

Good luck!

Blogiversary Giveaway #6: Little Showoffs

It is especially fitting that one of our blogiversary giveaways is from Little Showoffs, since this great company provided our very first giveaway almost 1 year ago. Their "Warning I'm 2..." T-shirt is still one of my favorite 2nd birthday gifts to give to friends.

During my 2nd pregnancy, when I found out I was having a boy, I excitedly ordered Little Showoffs' "Big Sister" and "Little Brother" T-shirts. Sure enough, when Baby S. arrived, these shirts provided a perfect photo-op for him and R. I even used the photo for our thank you notes. Check out the Little Showoffs photo gallery to see if you can spot my munchkins...

Little Showoffs is generously offering one MyMomShops reader a set of the following: 1 men's tee, 1 women's tee, and a combo of 2 newborn, baby, or kids' tees. Here are just some of the fab slogans you could choose from:

Warning I'm 2 Shirt (starts at $17). R. had the long-sleeved version in pink and we got sooo many chuckles and compliments.


Due In...(Month) Long-Sleeve Tee ($36). I loved wearing my "Due in August" shirt when pregnant with Baby S. Too bad no one saw it after 7 months when I went on bedrest!


"Into Everything" Tee (starts at $17). So true for my 1 1/2 year old...


Brand New Shirt ($15). Great for that first batch of picture-taking!



Win it! One reader will win a set of clothing from Little Showoffs: 1 men's tee, women's tee, and 2 baby/toddler/kids' tees (all your choice of color and slogan) from Little Showoffs.

1) To enter, visit Little Showoffs, browse around, and comment about which shirts you'd like. Leave your comment on THIS post (click on "comments" below).
2) Post your comment by 11:59pm, Thursday, January 17th. One entry per person, please. US addresses only.
3) One winner will be chosen at random and announced on Friday morning, January 18th.
4) NOTE: You must check back on Friday to see if you won, and to e-mail me your name and address to claim your prize. Unclaimed prizes are forfeited after 72 hours.

Good luck!

Snazzy Snanimals

I'm proud to re-introduce Snanimals as our newest sponsor. I posted about this small company back in April, and since then Snanimals has expanded its inventory to include even more charming hand-painted infant & toddler shoes, gift baskets, children's apparel, bags and more. All of these hand-painted accessories easily fall under the category of "too cute"! Right now Snanimals is featuring some adorable Halloween items including these sweet Candy corn sneakers ($27, baby and kid sizes), scaredy-cat sneakers ($27, baby & kid sizes), and Spider Onesie & Shoe Set ($22, sizes up to 9-12mos). Great baby gifts or birthday gifts for little ones born this month! And, be sure to read about Emma, the daughter of the site's founder, who inspired the beautiful designs you'll see at Snanimals.

MyMomShops Giveaway: Skip Hop Table Fun

Skip Hop- the company best known for its diaper bags and baby accessories- has just introduced these fab new "Table Fun" 5-piece dinnerware sets, designed by indie rock poster artist Eleanor Grosch (the same Eleanor Grosch who designed these Keds). These limited-edition sets ($24)- great for toddlers and kids alike- feature plate, bowl, sippy cup with removable lid, fork, and spoon. They are made of sturdy child-proof melamine and are diswasher safe. Packaged neatly in a translucent box, this makes a great gift for babies or little kids of any age. The sets are available in 3 vibrantly colored patterns- Circus Pals, Farm Friends, and Sea Critters. Percentage of profits from every Skip Hop purchae goes towards supporting the Pediatric AIDS Foundation and the Ovarian Cancer Resarch Fund. Visit Skip Hop.

Win it! 3 MyMomShops readers will win a limited edition Table Fun set of their choice. Here are the contest rules:

1) To enter, please make a comment- any comment- on THIS post (click on "comments" below).
2) Post your comment by 11:59pm, Thursday Oct. 11th. One entry per person, please. US addresses only.
3) THREE winners will be chosen at random and announced on Friday morning.
4) NOTE: You must check back Friday to see if you won, and to e-mail me your name, address, and set choice. Unclaimed prizes will be forfeited after 48 hours.

Good luck!