 Honestly, when I heard about this product I figured it was something I would not like, and would never use. How wrong I was! It has suddenly become indispensable, and I want a blanket made of SnoozeShade material! How perfect for this shade to show up just as the sun is starting to show itself as well. The SnoozeShade fits over our carseat when in the stroller. It provides my Little Guy with protection from the sun, and allows him to sleep without being bothered by the light. It's been on errands with us, to a rugby game, Half Moon Bay and sunny Central California. The zip-open window allows me to check in on my baby too. And once in a while a little foot even sticks out! Tiny said she wishes she was still a baby so she could get snuggle under the SnoozeShade as well. She'll have to settle for the fun of peeking into it! I asked Cara Sayer, the founder of SnoozeShade, where she uses it. She just returned from vacation, where she used it daily. It also allows her to take leisurely walks, and keep her baby sleeping after a dinner out. She also likes walking around lakes in her native England, and taking a "quick pop to the shops!" When there's a baby in the family, someone should be getting some "zzz's."
 When I received this Lily pattern bib from PKBOO, I was impressed with the adorable pattern and bib, and also by the packaging. Tiny was in agreement, as she insisted on putting the bib on my Little Guy and feeding him as well. She also had just as much fun playing with the little box it came in with the blue logo sticker. She keeps jewelry in the cardboard box, and pretends she is shopping. But enough about the box. The sturdy bib in this floral pattern brings style to messy mealtimes. And the print is big and muted enough that it works well for a little guy or gal. Sweet potatoes never looked so good! And the bib looks nice hanging in our kitchen too.
 Well a mighty cute copyright one-piece outfit at least! As the son of two MBA parents, our Little Guy was bound to end up in something like this. Before we knew if he'd be a little guy or gal, our friend Nicole bought this from Mitetees for us in neutral orange, and sent it to us when he was born. He wore it on New Year's Eve, and has worn it in 2011 as well. We don't know if a career in business is in his future, but he does have a sweater with a tie knitted into it as well. That was another gift from The Children's Place. In case he has any last minute meetings to attend! ~ What are your favorite custom clothing items? ~
 If baby bees had knees they'd be wearing these! As the mom of an almost six-month-old Lil Guy, I feel I need to be ready for anything! He already has two teeth coming in, and has figured out a way to pivot himself all around the house. He has successfully gotten up on both his hands and knees for a couple of seconds, with no forward movement yet. But when he does move ahead. I'll be ready with these hip and adorable outfits from PeeWee Patch Kids. They come with one-of-a-kind padded knee protectors built into the pants. My Lil Guy already loves wearing the "My Handyman" style. They are very handy indeed. Even if I wasn't friends with new business owner Jessica, I'd still buy them! Because you have to crawl before you can walk. ~ What new products have you found to solve age-old baby problems? ~
 If you are attempting to raise a mini-fashionista, while also making sure they get to attend college, then you are in for a treat! Jana Francis, founder of the Steal Network explained how her sites work to save you money on purchases for your babies, kids and scrapbooking hobby. "Basically we post a new 'steal' every morning at 9am MST on BabySteals.com, KidSteals.com and ScrapbookSteals.com, 45-80% off retail, until it sells out! We ship all products same-day, and most US customers get their 'steals' within four days. All of our products are brand names. BabySteals: Ju-Ju-Be, Petunia Pickle Bottom, BabyLegs, HALO, Dwell Studio. KidSteals: DC Shoes, Etnies, Sprig Toys, Patagonia, Umi Shoes, Crocs. ScrapbookSteals: My Mind's Eye, American Crafts, Fancy Pants Designs." What a deal! ~ Parents: What online deals have you found? ~
 One minute you're decorating a nursery for your baby-to-be with two of your closest work friends, and the next minute you're writing about it while planning her second birthday party. How did that happen? Luckily I have photos to help me reminisce about her first room. And oh those Blik wall decals! How fun it was to figure out how to put them up, and how complicated we made deciding which shapes should go where. Luckily my friend Wendy, graphic designer by day, stuffed animal savior by night, was on hand to tell us a story with the shapes' placement, which actually did help us decide which ones to put where. These chores can become tedious, or they can be tons of fun. You decide. ~ Parents: How did you decorate your tot's first room? ~
 Credit: Chic Baby Rose Whether you call them barrettes, hair-slides or hair clips, the most important thing is that they be cute! There are a lot of hair clips to choose from these days, and at the top of the cute clip spectrum are those by Chic Baby Rose. Their wool felt clips come in a variety of shapes, from fruits and treats, to days of the week and holiday themes. Kristyn, the creative force behind it all, can give a smiling personality to a carton of milk (goes great with a cookie) and a sunny disposition to a rain cloud. Tiny loves her pink owl and alligator clips, and I was curious about which ones other kids like. Kristyn said that the the pink owl is indeed one of her most popular right now, along with the other birds. The Hello Kitty clips and personalized name clips are popular right now as well. Better get to shopping at a rapid clip. ~ Parents: What accessories are your tots enjoying right now? ~
 Credit: Curly Cupcakes Just the other day, after buying Tiny some cute Hello Kitty plastic storage bags, I was thinking about how much money we all spend on things we know we are going to eventually throw out. Paper towels, plastic bags, gift wrap. Yes, some can be reused or recycled, but eventually we toss it all. The very same day I found out about Curly Cupcakes from my friends at the apparel company One Eared Cat. Austin-based Curly Cupcakes makes reusable cloth versions of everyday household items such as Sandwich Wraps, Cloth Wipes and UnPaper towels. I asked the founders for the inspiration behind their ingenious creations. Here is what co-owner Courtney Power-Freeman shared with me: Our inspiration comes from other mamas, actually. We are very active in the local mama community, and we heard several mothers wanting to purchase sandwich wraps and snack bags. My business partner and I were already making UnPaper Towels, Cloth Wipes and Wet Bags, all reusable products made out of designer fabrics. We knew we could add snack bags and sandwich wraps to the product line to fill the needs of the market. The mamas we made them for loved them, and so we went into business producing more. They really are the hipper picker-upper. ~ Parents: Do you have tips for getting more than one use out of common everyday items? ~
 Credit: Plastica I was first introduced to Plastica by my friend Wendy, both an admirer and creator of all things plush, be they animal, vegetable, mineral...or chicken! I had no words to describe the cuteness that was this "stuffed" poultry. I looked around the site some more, and asked Carla at their shop which toys they have been selling a lot of this season. She said that the most popular toys have been the following: the inflatable Rody ride-on toy; Playforever vintage style vehicles; Soopsori wooden animals with blocks; Kid O floating ducks and the build-it-yourself Totem Tree by KIDSONROOF. I find the wooden animals and floating ducks to be especially adorable, and the Totem Tree to be so original. ~ Parents: What unique toys have you found this year? ~
 Credit: Anne Kiel Jewelry I was late to get on the "wear your child's name on a charm" bandwagon. I just hadn't found I liked yet, but thanks to a good friend, I was set on that path with a beautiful charm from etsy. All on my own, I bought an adorable charm from Anne Kiel stamped with "Mon Bebe" for Tiny for last Mother's Day. I have also been a long time fan of her initial charms which friends and family both young and old can attest to! And it looks like literally defining ourselves by our jewelry is here to stay. So I decided to ask Anne about her new Mother's Endearments and Romance Language lines. I was curious about whether women are buying these for themselves, or hinting about receiving them as gifts! She said she had so many custom requests for gifts for new moms that she started the separate mothers' line. She said that moms are also "definitely buying the Endearments and the Initial Necklaces on their own to 'celebrate' their own kids." ~ Parents: Have you bought or received such personalized jewelry? ~
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