After debating whether to buy one gender neutral hat OR a girl and a boy hat, I decided to get one of each. No surprise, really. I mean, I’ll use any excuse I can find to order some sweetness from Etsy.

I discovered Prairie Blossom Boutique and ordred a Crochet Baby Boy Hat with Button and a Baby Girl Hat with Flower. The boy hat is light blue, white and jute with a tan button. I had a little more trouble with the girl hat. I didn’t want it to look exactly like the one my daughter came home in – all pink and white – so I opted for soft violet, white and pink. It is definitely girly – almost too much for my taste, but I’m sure it will look perfect on a newborn baby girl. And, if I have a boy, it will make a darling new baby gift for a friend!

The hats are now safely packed away with the kimono outfit in the hospital bag, just waiting to see which hat will be the lucky winner to grace the head of my sweet baby.

To learn more about Seraphine Maternity, you can check out the full review of the fab Knot Front Dress and Breastfeeding Sweater. I actually wore the Knot Front Dress again this past weekend and it was just as comfortable and chic at 8 months pregnant as it was at six months along. And, I’m not the only pregnant mama who loves wearing the Breastfeeding Sweater – Jennifer Garner was recently photographed wearing it!

Seraphine Spring Collection

Seraphine recently released its spring look book and the stylish clothes are about the only thing that could make me want to be pregnant for much longer. Thank goodness they also have some nursing tops to satisfy my desire to shop! Here are some of my favorites from the new spring and summer preview collection.

Short Sleeve Wrap Dress

Panel Tie Tunic

Ruched Sleeve Jersey {Maternity & Nursing} Dress

Pleated Nursing Top

Shop! Save big at Seraphine Maternity with our exclusive discount code. Use TSM25 for 25% off your order. Shop now because code expires February 15.

BabyLegs is having a HUGE sale this weekend in honor of, or in spite of, the Super Bowl. Take this opportunity to stock up on leg warmers and socks for your kiddos and for baby shower and new baby gifts. No one has to know you paid half price!

You can’t go wrong with Hello Kitty BabyLegs or BabyLegs Cool for summer and BabyLegs Newborn for your littlest ones. And we’re loving the great Organic selection. Of course, I’ll be adding all the gender neutral goodies I can find into my virtual shopping cart.

Shop! Take 50% off SITEWIDE at BabyLegs.com now through Super Bowl Sunday. Use code NOFOOTBALL. No minimum order. Expires 2/5/12. Excludes Gift Certificates and VIP Memberships.

This post contains affiliate links.

Target is at it again with another innovative celebrity partnership. This time, our favorite store is teaming up with designer and jack-of-all-trades Todd Oldham to create a collection of art supplies and activity kits. Inspired by his children’s book Kid Made Modern, the goal is to provide affordable and accessible craft projects for kids and parents to enjoy together.

According to Target’s blog, A Bullseye View, Kid Made Modern is “a collection of art supplies and activity kits to give kids and parents fun, yet affordable creative design tools, only available at Target. The colorful and thoughtful projects for kids of all ages provides a hands-on form of creative imagination and joy.” The collection will include “kid-approved supplies like crazy crayons, neon-printed ducktape, jewelry kits, art papers and more.”

Kid Made Modern Video Preview

Shop! Kid Made Modern by Todd Oldham will be available at Target stores and Target.com on May 20. Can’t wait to do some Todd Oldham modern art inspired kids crafts? The book Kid Made Modern is available now from our affiliate Amazon for $15.60.

In my previous life as a lawyer, I worked full-time to protect the rights of children in the New York City family court system.  Surprisingly, the cases that were often the hardest to handle weren’t always the ones where a child was clearly being abused.  My hardest cases were the ones where I knew in my heart that the only “crime” being committed was homelessness, which isn’t really a crime at all.  So many things that we take for granted were a luxury for the kids I saw.  A winter jacket, a haircut, homemade meals, a warm and safe place to sleep – all of these things are often very hard to acquire for families who are struggling to find permanent housing.

The Company Store’s Buy One, Give One Program is a great way to provide warmth and safety to a homeless child.  The program will give away one comforter for every one that you buy.  The free comforters are distributed by a fantastic organization called Family Promise.  I volunteered for Family Promise as a high schooler and I cannot adequately describe the impact that this group has on the lives of the homeless.  The organization currently works in 41 states by mobilizing volunteers, obtaining temporary living quarters for families in crisis, and distributing donated goods.  The Company Store will automatically ship the free comforter to a Family Promise affiliate and the recipient will get to keep the comforter as they move out of a shelter to transitional or permanent housing.

A comforter provides warmth, safety, and stability for a child whose life is in a scary sort of flux.  Families are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population in America.  More than 200,000 children are homeless right this very second.  When you buy a comforter from The Company Store, you will be helping to maintain the sense of safety and stability for at least one of those children.

Shop! Now through January 31, 2012, The Company Store will donate a comforter to a child with every comforter purchased from their web site or catalog. Visit the Buy One, Give One Program at The Company Store for more information.

Personalized Classroom Valentines

The collection of Minted classroom Valentines can be personalized from a simple adding your child’s name in the “From” spot to adding their sweet little face on the card. Take a look at some of my favorites.

They’re all great, aren’t they?

Valentine + Lollipop = Fab Classroom Valentine

One of my favorite aspect of those clever homemade Valentines is when they incorporates a little treat. So I was immediately smitten when I saw the I’m a Sucker card because the design includes a space to attach a, you guessed it, sucker. My daughter will be handing out this sweet little sentiment to her classmates with a heart lollipop sucker attached.

I changed the personalization just a bit since her school requests cards are not attached to specific children – makes it easier to distribute come party day.

Here’s the original I’m a Sucker design

And here’s the proof of my daughter’s customized card:

I can’t wait for her to hand them out!

Shop! Order custom classroom Valentines for your tot from Minted by February 7 to receive in time for Valentine’s Day! Prices start at $15 for 16 cards, but the larger quantity you order the less the cost per card.

Thanks to Minted for providing samples.

Candy

Lollipops from Crate and Barrel ($3.95 for large and $2.95 each for small; eligible for free shipping) – Let’s face it, there are a lot of gifts to listed below, but kids LOVE candy. And this holiday is all about LOVE, right?

The Better Than a Love Letter Gift Box at JellyBelly.com ($29.99) – A load of candy inside a keepsake mailbox.

Books

Love, Ruby Valentine by Laurie B. Friedman (from $11.53 on Amazon) – This wonderful book encourages children to share their love throughout the year, not just on Valentine’s Day.

Baby Love by Sandra Magsamen (from $9.53 on Amazon) – This cloth lift-the-flap book is perfect for newborns and toddlers.

Crafts

Stop and Smell the Paper Flowers ($5.95 at Land of Nod) – Perfect for a boy or girl to make and give a first Valentine bouquet. Available in a variety of colors.

Martha Stewart Secret Message Craft – 3-D is all the rage and kids will love creating these 3-D valentine messages for friends.

Attire

Red Hydrangea Diaper Cover on Etsy ($32) – How cutie patootie is this?

“Stud” Shirt or Onesie on Etsy ($22.50) – Even the smallest man deserves to be a stud on Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day Necktie on Etsy ($13.95) – For that special night out with his first Valentine: Mom.

Heart Scarf from Gymboree ($16.95) – Add a Valentine touch to any outfit they own…and it will fit for years to come!

Red Valentine Peasant Dress on Etsy ($39.99) – I want one in my size.

Cards

Mini Valentine Set from Le Papier Studio ($6) – Create unique Valentine greetings with custom messages and sweet silhouette images.

Valentine Cards from Chasing Fireflies ($6 – $13) – Chasing Fireflies features more than a dozen varieties of UNIQUE valentine greetings. Options range from trains to “cootie catcher,” and so much more. Many sets also include stickers for sealing the envelopes.

Because I give the holiday great thought, I’ve come up with three lists of suggested gifts. To follow my train of thought and see the first installment of these lists, view my first Valentine’s gift post: Non-Heart Valentine’s Gift Ideas.

Here are some wonderful (i.e. not cheesy) heart-themed gifts. Hurry, time is running out!

Heart-Themed Gifts for Everyone

Conversation Heart Cookies from Etsy ($25 for one dozen)

Personalized Framed “Our Song” Lyrics from Etsy ($70) – Dang, there are no lyrics to “our song.” Hope others can use this!

Heart Coffee Scoop from Uncommon Goods ($24) – When the recipient loves you and coffee, this pewter coffee scoop is perfect.

Valentine’s Day the Movie (from $4.99) – Whether your special someone loves Valentine’s Day or hates it, there is a character to which they can relate in this movie. It might be cliche’, but this is a great movie for the occasion. (It saved me last year when my hubby was deployed…yeah, on my birthday.)

Heart-Themed Gifts for Mom

Gianna Rose Atelier Heart Soap Set at Pottery Barn ($29 for 3) –  My absolute favorite. Give this to your wife, mother, girlfriend, sister, aunt, daughter…NOW! On a budget? These come in a set of three. Buy one set and gift your mom, wife and daughter with one purchase.

Heart Parade Bracelet at Sundance ($98) – I saw this bracelet and knew it would be a recommendation on this list. Since that time, I’ve seen it on every online Sundance advertisement. So, it may be overkill, but I still think this would be a wonderful gift for mom.

Williams-Sonoma Heart Wreath ($59.95) –  This will look good, smell amazing and help mom to relax.

Peruvian Blue Opal Bracelet from Etsy ($68) –  Still a heart, but stepping outside of the traditional Valentine’s Day color palette, this beautiful bracelet will add a pop of color to any outfit.

Happy shopping. Or hint-leaving.

During those years, I did not like receiving any birthday gifts that were heart-themed. I’m not sure I really ever told anyone about my preference because I wouldn’t want to hurt feelings. I mean, a gift is thoughtful no matter what. Since that time, I’ve tried to keep in mind that some people LOVE the LOVE stuff and some people might like a romantic gesture that can be savored and enjoyed for more than one day in February. As I began to think about Valentine gift suggestions for The Shopping Mama, that meant two lists. So how did I end up with three lists of Valentine gift suggestions?

1) Non-heart-themed gifts
2) Heart-themed gifts
3) Gifts for the kids

Can’t forget the kiddos!

Then, I struggled more. This is The Shopping Mama…moms are our primary audience. Hmmm….if I post a lot of gifts for moms, how do I get that information to the dads and significant others to make the purchase? That led to another set of lists. 1) Gifts for Anyone. 2) Gifts for Mom that she will “pin” on her Pinterest page and direct others there for gift ideas. This is getting complicated.

For this post, I’ll share the non-heart-themed gifts, so tune in for heart-themed and kid gifts later!

Non Heart Themed Gifts for Anyone

West Elm Chunky Tassel Throw ($79) – Perhaps you give this with the promise to cuddle under it?

Cheesecake Factory Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake (from $24) – Don’t live near a Cheesecake Factory? Not to fret. They deliver.

Paper to Silk Journal at Uncommon Goods ($32) – This amazing journal can be used for those early in their marriage or those reflecting on years past. Prompts for the year correspond to the traditional gift for that anniversary and truly make you interact, communicate and remember.

Penny Keychain from Etsy ($15) – This keepsake is handmade from pennies coined during memorable years for you and your significant other.

Non-Heart Theme Gifts for Mom

Dylan’s Candy Bar Rhinestone Necklace ($35) & Bracelet ($40)- Like candy, but can’t afford the calories? How about an accessory from the popular candy vendor, whose founder happens to be Ralph Lauren’s daughter?

L’Occitane Hand Creme Bouquet ($40) – Mom works hard and winter is hard on the hands. Treat mom to a bouquet of hand creme scents. Want extra credit? Pair it with a gift certificate for a manicure and/or a bouquet of real flowers.

Anthropologie New Angle Sunglasses ($38) – Mom is a superstar, let her look like one with these amazing glasses.

Personalized Stationary on Etsy ($15) – Give mom a truly personal gift that will help her with the “household professional communication” – custom stationary featuring her monogram and favorite colors.

Happy shopping and happy pinning!

Shopping BabySize: my favorite finds for babies, kids and moms based on the approximate size of the wee babe in my belly.

The baby weighs approximately 3.75 pounds ( or the size of a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long. The size of a jicama. Really, BabyCenter? There’s not another fruit or vegetable that weighs about 3 and 3/4 pounds. Because it’s pretty hard to find jicama reflected in baby and children’s products, just so you know.

Jicama Finds

J is for Jicama Print

While this print is adorable I think it’s much better suited for kitchen decor than a child’s room. When I’m thinking of words to help reinforce letter recognition, jicama isn’t exactly what comes to mind.

Another kitchen find – Recipe Cards

Benjamin Moore Jicama Paint Color

Jicama Recipes

Not surprisingly, I had better luck finding recipes using jicama, a crispy vegetable.

Pomegranate, Orange and Jicama Salad

Tex Mex Jiacama Salad

Check out the Jicama Pinterest board for more finds recipes.

Shopping BabySize