The Please Touch Museum’s “Expectant Parents Bootcamp” was previewed by Donna Ellenbogen, MSW, of Family Wellness Solutions in NYC, who will be one of the expert speakers. Many of the awesome brands that will be there with tables or who contributed to our swag bag and raffle giveaways are featured. Check it out! – click HERE!
This is a fun new mommy gift! Babies love to grab and chew everything in sight, so many moms take a hiatus from wearing jewelry while they have a baby. Teething Bling® from Smart Mom Jewelry is the original teething jewelry with pendants and bangles that look great and safe for curious babies to handle and chew. They’re made of FDA approved materials that teethers are made of, all non-toxic, phthalate, BPA, PVC, latex and lead free. All pendants come with a breakaway clasp as an added safety measure.
pediped® Originals® $32 and up
Pedipeds are a great first shoe for infants and they remain the best choice as children begin walking on their own. The soles were specially designed to closely mimic barefoot walking; They are soft and flexible and allow children to grip the floor when taking those early steps and developing their stride. Unlike those crazy chunky heavy flat soles that cause babies to walk like Frankenstein J The pediped® Originals® collection is available in sizes 0-24 months and you can find their super cute designs in tons of stores or online.
Aden & Anais Swaddle 4-pack $49.99
Mothers have swaddled babies forever. It’s a gentle and effective way to soothe and calm baby. Studies have shown that swaddled babies sleep more peacefully by preventing spontaneous movements (called reflex motion) which continually wake them through the night; swaddled infants stay in REM sleep. Which means Mom and Dad get more sleep, too! The muslin material lets air circulate, so overheating isn’t as much of a concern. Aden & Anais have great prints and organic options as well. Love!
Joovy Room Play Yard $269.99
The Joovy Play Yard is designed to be a full-featured nursery center- it’s a bassinet, changing station and playard all in one. It’s super convenient and multi-purpose to have at Grandma’s, on a trip or in a room in your home. The nylon fabric is super strong, durable and stain resistant. It’s got a full-size bassinet that holds an infant up to 15 pounds and the removable changing table supports a baby up to 25 pounds. The parent organizer is the biggest available on a playard with nine compartments that hold up to 9 lbs. of nursery items (again, perfect on at a vacation home where you’ll have all your diapering items, maybe toys and clothing.) Room also has some bells and whistles: a built-in MP3 (iPod) jack for you to play a personal playlist or the integrated music with sleep mode as well as a built-in nightlight positioned to work inside the bassinet!
Baby Cargo Ultra lightweight Stroller 300 Series $179
Unfortunately we ran out of time before I could feature the brand new Baby Cargo stroller line! Baby Cargo is made for parents on the go- it’s made for travel around neighborhood or hoping on a plane or train and heading out of town! It weighs under 16 pounds and has a great shoulder strap for carrying it. Baby Cargo strollers’ design was inspired by fashion and interior design. Someone said the colors and mod design makes them think of West Elm. It’s super easy to fold and has great storage pockets. You can come kick the tires at Please Touch on 1/21- they’ll be there showcasing their line to Philly parents!
I was recently interviewed by Joey Fortman for her “Real Mom Radio,” a show that features moms in the Philly area on WBEN 95.7 BEN FM. Joey is awesome- so fun to chat with, and focused on bringing the “Real Mom” to the radio, web and TV. In addition to “Real Mom Radio,” Joey is also the host and co- founder of “Moms OnThe Spot” (www.MomsOnTheSpot.com), is on “Better Philly” on WPHL-17 and FOX 29, and she is an “iVoice” with iVillage (www.iVillage.com/iVoices). We chatted about baby planning, my Baby Dream Gear classes, and being a mom. Check out the interview here and be sure to tune in for future Real Mom Radio shows: Sundays at 7AM on 95.7 BEN FM!
Today we featured some of our fave finds for unique gifts for all of the people on your list this holiday season! Details of the items featured today follow the video with links to the sites. Be sure to allow enough time for holiday delivery!! Also, read below about how to win the Ltd. edition Sugarjack diaper bag!
Sugarjack is a new, luxury line of diaper bags from the U.K., just now available in the U.S. Created by stylish parents who weren’t willing to compromise on style, quality and function while they carried a diaper bag, Sugarjack bags are made of the finest leather and boast of their signature removable baby organizer. These bags are genius and gorgeous!! The organizer has room for all of the baby items you could possibly need while on-the-go with baby, and then snaps out easily for mom to have a stunning handbag when she is out child-free or is ready to shed the baby bag altogether!
All Sugarjack bags come in a keepsake box that can be used to save baby’s special items. A bamboo bag contains the accessory pack which includes a thermal bottle holder, a pvc pouch for wet items and a pvc wipe clean travel changing pad. The bamboo bag is anti-bacterial so is ideal to use in the nursery as a laundry bag. Every item is designed with the long term in mind, so that you can keep using every part of the package. Each diaper bag has internal hooks so that the bags can be attached to any stroller using Buggy Clips, which may be purchased for $30.
The whole collection is available on the Sugarjack site ($385 and up), including the ‘oliver’ which is a satchel bag designed specifically for the style conscious daddy. Sugarjack bags must be ordered by December 10th for guaranteed holiday delivery.
Personalized Night Sky posters are a totally unique, very thoughtful and meaningful gift. I love the idea of giving this as a new baby gift to proud parents who probably have all of the gear, clothing and toys they could possibly need! A small group of illustrators, artists, writers, and astronomers work together to create a rendering of a local view of the true night sky for the latitude and longitude of your location, on the date you specify. The print includes a description of that night’s Night Sky; you select an illustration to go with sky and add personalization – a headline and message (There are a ton of samples on their website). A basic 14×18” print is just $49 and a framed one is $109. A separate, detailed starmap is included with each print, naming the constellations, planets and stars shown in the print. Turn around time is pretty quick- they can be shipped out about three days from order date.
Em Tanner Designs is my go-to for birthday shirts, big brother/little sister shirts and holiday gifts for teachers, caregivers, and bus drivers! They have everything you can think of and more that can be personalized in a variety of ways, but our favorites for gifting are the “Me 2 a Tee” items! Each year my kids create a character that looks like their teachers and we order them water bottles or if they are known coffee drinkers, a closed-top tumbler. Useful and created by their student, these are a huge hit every year! Order now to allow for holiday delivery!!
The Creative Baby iMat is an brand new toy perfect for the older toddler or preschooler in your life. These won’t be available to order until next week. The iMat is an interactive, soft play mat and magic pen that is great fun to play with. The magic pen can be used in Language Mode to name objects it touches on the pad in English, Spanish and Chinese, and can also be used in Game Mode to play interactive games. The “My Animal World” iMat is the first in a series. So fun!
Isotoner SmarTouch gloves are a great gift for anyone on your list! These gloves that have conductive thread that conveys an electrical impulse to touchscreens, allowing the wearer to operate their smartphone, MP3, GPS, etc., all while keeping their fingers cozy! Isotoner SmarTouch gloves are super comfortable and offer more flexibility than other touch gloves on the market. Available in leather, knit, fleece-lined and a variety of colors, and for $12 – $38, these are great for teachers, sitters, and stocking stuffers for parents on-the-go!
Just in time for Cyber Monday… From the fun to the practical, check out our faves for new baby gift giving over on one of our fave local sites, PhillyParentCircle.com!
The Please Touch Museum’s “Expectant Parents Bootcamp” was previewed by Donna Ellenbogen, MSW, of Family Wellness Solutions in NYC, who will be one of the expert speakers. Many of the awesome brands that will be there with tables or who contributed to our swag bag and raffle giveaways are featured. Check it out! – click HERE! 
