Design: Butterscotch Blankees Monogram Pillow

Why We Like It: Totally customizable to match your decor, the Butterscotch Blankeees Pillows come in a few different shapes and styles to add a personalized touch to your child’s room. Kids shouldn’t have all the fun – add some personality to your couch with a single letter monogram to represent your last night.

Shop! Monogram Pillows are available directly from Butterscotch Blankees.

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Check out all our Children’s Décor & Design picks in the 28+1 Days of Decor.

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.

Shirt & Jacket: Banana Republic
Denim: Citizens of Humanity
Boots: Via Spiga
Earrings: old, old, old school Express

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This post is happily linked with What I Wore Wednesday on The Pleated Poppy blog and the weekly Monday Mingle hosted by Momtrends, BonBon Rose Girls and Glamamom. 

As if folding up a pack’n'play is not annoying enough, traveling with one can be even worse. They rarely stay folded, the bags that come with them are hard to put on and not very durable, and there’s never anywhere to store accessory rods, sheets, and other attachments.  Enter the bover bag, a stylish and handy way to pack and carry playards in style.

About bover bags

“How it Began: One day not long ago, two very frustrated parents were trying to pack their car for a week at the shore. As the father loaded the car with his hands full of gear, the pack n’ play he was carrying fell from his hand, causing a domino effect as everything collapsed around him. When they got to their beach house, they realized they had forgotten the sheet and two rods because there hadn’t been a place to put them.

‘There’s gotta be a better way!’ he cried out. And the bover was born.

Just throw it over your shoulder and you’re all set. The bover’s shoulder strap gives you two free hands, large rod and sheet pockets mean you never leave gear behind, and the thick double-quilted fabric is chic and easy to wash. We also lined the interior for ease of entry and quick cleaning. With the bover, you’ve got it all.”

You’ve got it all, indeed

I think I heard a chorus from the heavens when I easily slipped the bover bag over my freshly-folded pack n play.  Normally that task is a struggle as I wrestle with both the playard and the ill-fitting bag that came with it.  The bover is lined in a fabric that is designed to slip on easily.  And let’s not forget the fabric on the outside – the patterns and quilting are so stylish thatI foresee us using this bag for other travel purposes even after Charlie has stopped using a pack’n'play.  The generous pockets held all of accessories rods for my model, which is saying alot considering that I got the version with all of the bells and whistles – changing pad, bassinet setting, etc.  I love that the bover bag allows me to keep to keep all pieces and related – linens  in one place.  The best part about this bag is that it’s hard to tell what’s inside it, so it’s not immediately obvious that I’m carrying quintessential baby gear.

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… It’s pretty, it’s functional, it’s durable – seems like good enough reason to me!

Or Not to Buy… At $49.99 each, they might not be a necessity, but they are versatile enough that you will definitely get your money’s worth by taking advantage of their many uses.

Shop!  You can purchase at the bover website or at the NJ, MD, or PA stores listed online.

Win your very own bover bag!

How to Enter: Visit the bover bag Facebook Page, click the “like” button, and write on their wall about how a bover bag might make travel easier for your family. Come back and comment on this post to enter to win your own bover bag!

Thanks to boverbags for providing a sample and the giveaway prize.

For our daughter’s egg allergy, we simply avoided baked goods and omelettes (it was a little more complex, but not much). A wheat allergy is more difficult because wheat (or traces of it) can be found in so much more. So, any relief a sufferer can get is welcome. Enter, Udi’s Gluten-Free Foods.

Udi’s Gluten Free Foods

Udi’s offers a comprehensive line of gluten-free baked goods that are produced in a 100% gluten-free facility. Their goal is to make fresh breads and pastries daily that look and taste like their conventional wheat counterparts. It may seem like a small thing, but buying bread, bagels and muffins for your gluten-free child is a HUGE thing. And buying bread, bagels and muffins that your whole family can enjoy together is a HUGE thing.

My mother-in-law is planning to visit during the upcoming Easter weekend. As such, I was anxious to try some Udi’s products to see how they compare with the conventional versions with which I am familiar. I was was happy to participate in the Udi’s January Pizza Challenge where families make their own pizzas using the Udi’s gluten-free pizza crusts.

Gluten-Free Pizza Challenge

My children and I have never made pizza at home. I know, as much as we cook we’ve never made pizza from raw ingredients, so all of us were excited to try this for the first time. And, of course, the kids had a marvelous time deciding what toppings their pizza would sport. They were also slightly full after eating almost half of the raw ingredients during assembly. We made both pizza crusts contained in the package because they average 10 inches in diameter.

We cooked the pizzas a little longer than the 5-7 minutes recommended on the crust packaging, but were very happy with the results. Our pizzas were yummy! The crust was nice and crispy on the outer edge, while still softer and chewy (er) in the middle. The whole family enjoyed the pizza and, while the crust was not like a big 2-inch thick doughy crust from some national chains, that’s not our style anyway. I think Udi’s succeeded in making a crust that can appeal to the masses, not just those suffering gluten intolerance.

I will also mention that we received a sample of their snickerdoodles and blueberry muffins as well. They are all gone. Yum! (Though I’m always a proponent of more blueberries.)

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… Udi’s Gluten-Free Foods offers a tasty line of products that include breads, muffins, granolas, bagels, cookies, hamburger and hot dog buns and pizza crusts. For anyone avoiding gluten, Udi’s can fill the void that wheat-based products leave when omitted from the diet. And they do it with great tasting products. As a hostess, I’m looking forward to having items on hand when visitors come. I won’t feel so helpless when planning meals.

Or Not to Buy… If you and your family are not sensitive to wheat, Udi’s products may not be necessary. But those snickerdoodles might be worth a try!

Shop! Udi’s Gluten-Free Foods are available in may national retail outlets including your local grocery store, Whole Foods, Wal-Mart and online at http://udisglutenfree.com/products/. Indeed, Udi’s is now available at 50 Wal-Mart stores across the country and the store will carry 5 of Udi’s best-selling products (soft white bread, soft whole grain bread, plain bagels, chocolate chip cookies, and pizza crust) in the bakery department. To find a store near you and learn of coupons and special offers, be sure to visit the Udi’s website and check out the store locator.

Thanks to Udi’s for providing samples.

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.

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Lauren Maslin has spent the last 15 years of her career as a celebrity stylist working between New York and Los Angeles. Her latest endeavor is bringing high maternity fashion to pregnant women at a more affordable price with the brilliant Encore Maternity. An online maternity consignment shop, Encore was born out of Lauren’s frustration at not being able to find her pre-pregnacy style at a price that also allowed her to save and prepare for her son. The result is a glamourous website where expecting moms can shop for Diane Von Furstenberg, J Brand, Missoni and many other designers at a more affordable cost.

The Shopping Mama: How do you define your style?

Lauren Maslin: I would define my style as classic chic. I try to incorporate trends in small doses. For instance, when chartruce was a dominant fashion color, I would incorporate it in accessories like a scarf or a headband, rather than splurging on a handbag or pair of shoes. My wardrobe primarily contains basic colors that are spiced up with the latest accessories. When you open my closet, you will find a wardrobe from the finest designers that I have collected over the years. As a stylist, I had always shopped for my clients in high end consignment or vintage clothing stores. You can always collect pieces that will take you through the chicest occasions with a look of sophistication and style.

TSM: What’s your favorite thing in your closet right now?

LM: My favorite thing in my closet right now is my brown Christian Louboutin boots. They can be worn for most of the year with just about anything, be it a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, or a simple sweater dress. Best part is, I got them on ebay, brand new, for a crazy price!! To me, one of the biggest thrills is the ability to get high end designer goods from ebay or consignment shops.

TSM: If you could have any celebrity mom’s wardrobe, who would it be?

LM: Angelina Jolie. Whether she’s on the red carpet or trudging through Africa, she always maintains a chic sense of style. Who else can wear 5 inch heels or combat boots with a great sense of panache, and always look sensational.

TSM: We love inexpensive finds, but when it is worth splurging? What’s on your splurge wish list?

LM: I would have to say to splurge on a handbag. But it must be something that is timeless, like Chanel. You can’t go wrong with a black quilted bag with either a silver or gold chain. Trendy won’t stand the test of time. Good quality will last you a lifetime.

TSM: What’s one must have piece for this season or the spring?

LM: One must have for this upcoming season is a doctor bag. I’m sure many of us can dig in our mother’s closets and find one that we can bring to our local shoe repair and have refurbished, so you don’t have to spend the money on a new one!!!

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Keep up with Encore Maternity on Facebook.

This weekend my son was so excited to attend his BFF’s birthday party. And, when I say BFF, I mean it. The two boys are joined at the hip and talk about each other constantly. It’s really quite cute. So, while my little man was enjoying an amazing party with his friends I was admiring all of the fabulous details of the Superhero Themed Birthday Party. It was awesome!

My friend Leslie is seriously multi-talented! She took my maternity and pre-baby family photos and designed and organized the entire party. I’m so happy she is allowing me to share the details!

Superhero Party Activities

The superheroes arrived to a felt cape with their initial. The first activity of the party was to decorate the cape with stars and lightning bolts. Each boy had his own bag of sticky decorations – so they just had to remove the backing and stick the shapes to the cape.

My little superhero and the birthday boy!

While decorating their capes, Leslie had some breaking news to share with the boys. Turns out there was a “Bad Guy” on the loose in our neighborhood! Leslie passed around a photo of the “Bad Guy” and told all the superheroes to keep their eyes peeled. Next activity? Weapons training to prepare for a run-in with the enemy. They did some NERF slingshots and bow and arrow practice, aiming at bulls eyes with a photo of the “Bad Guy”.

And then they spotted the “Bad Guy” (aka Leslie’s husband and the birthday boy’s dad)! The boys were armed with silly string to capture him!

Superhero Party Food

The party food was clever and very five year old boy friendly. The kids enjoyed Wonder Dogs (homemade corn dogs), Jello Jabs (portioned jello), Power Puffs (cheese puffs) and Superade (Gatorade). I loved how she used the red, yellow and blue color theme throughout the party from the capes to the balloons to the food.

The food was displayed on a table with a handmade cityscape backdrop. I am not sure the boys appreciated the awesome details, but I sure did!

Superhero Party Favors

In addition to taking home a cape and mask, each boy got to grab a few treats on the way out. They each got a superhero coloring/activity book, Punching Pops (Pop Rocks), Heros (candy dispensers) and red, blue and yellow candy sticks.

Happy Birthday, Noah! Thank you for an awesome party, Leslie, and thanks for letting me share the details.

201 Organic Baby Purees, written by Tamika L. Gardner, is a great go-to resource for homemade baby food production.  Tamika’s website, Simply Baby Food Recipes, has helped answer many of my questions as I started thinking about what Charlie should eat.  The book provides even more information with intro sections on the importance of using organics, ways to stock your pantry with healthy whole foods for baby (including tips for doing it on a budget) and advice on the process of making homemade purees.  The book is then divided into sections based on the age so that the user can easily add new flavors and textures as baby gets old enough to handle them.  I especially like that the final chapter introduces finger foods for children who are ready to transition out of a diet of only pureed foods.

If the title doesn’t make it clear, this book contains a great variety of recipes that provide a wide array of options for children as young as six months.  Another one of our food goals for Charlie is to expose him to as many foods as possible when he’s very young in the hopes that it might inspire a varied palate as he gets older.  As he is just getting ready to move beyond simple vegetable purees and start eating meat and grains, I can’t wait to whip up some of Tamika’s meat-based purees like Fruity Chicken Stew and Meaty Squash Pasta.

Q & A with Tamika L Gardner

Tamika was kind enough to answer a few questions.  Check out the Q&A for info about traveling with homemade purees, the reasons why organic is best, and much more!

Laura, TSM: Your website was a great starter resource for me when I first started making purees for my 9-month-old son. (I’ve wanted to throw a Puree Party for months, now!)  What inspired you to start making homemade purees for your children and then to share them with the mommy blogging world?

Tamika: I started out breastfeeding, the natural and healthier way of feeding infants, and I wanted to stay on the natural path.  The thought of purchasing commercial baby food as a primary feeding method was not appealing to me, at all!  Initially, I reluctantly bought a few jars because I didn’t know any better.  However, I noticed I was over-buying because I would purchase fresh bananas, sweet potatoes and frozen veggies and would purchase the same thing in the jar for my baby.   I’m extremely thrifty so I new wouldn’t keep that up for long!

I can recall my first experience at the dinner table with my husband and new daughter, eating a meal I prepared and giving her baby food from a jar.  I felt really bad that she wasn’t eating the same meal that we had in a form that she could eat.  There was something totally wrong with that picture.

I did a little online research and found a few sites that explained the basics of putting the food in a blender to puree.   Then I spoke with my grandmother who told me all she did was “mash up” the food with her hands or with a fork.   That was all I needed to know to start my new mission.

I started blogging the baby food recipes because I wanted to inspire other moms to start making their own food and try the recipes I discovered.  I love to cook and I also love the internet so it was also a great hobby!

TSM: What is your advice for moms who want to make purees for their babies but might not be able to afford organic options for every ingredient?

Tamika: I highly recommend purchasing foods that are highest in pesticides organic, such as apples and peaches.  The Environmental Working Group, www.foodnews.org, publishes a list of foods that should be purchased organic due to the pesticide load.  I rely on this list when I’m confronted with a sale on produce.  If a particular food item is on sale, but also high in pesticides, I often will pass up that deal and go the organic route.

There are also many foods that are low in pesticides, such as cabbage, avocado, peas, and asparagus, which are great foods for babies.  So, if every ingredient is not organic, I would recommend at least choosing organic options for those ingredients high in pesticides.

There are also many ways to get more bang for your buck, such as stocking up and freezing seasonal produce or cutting back on the weekly trips to Starbucks to acquire healthy foods.

In my book, I go into more detail on what to do when organic options are out of reach and ways to stretch the family budget.

Laura: When my family travels, we usually just buy enough organic pre-made baby food to get us through the trip.  When you travel as a family, do you bring your purees with you? Do you have any tips for moms who want to bring their homemade purees with them on the road?

Tamika: As a busy mom with two kids just over a year a part, I did not take homemade purees on family trips.  Because we would do a lot of camping and spontaneous trips, I would always pack commercial baby food because I didn’t always know what to expect!  When your in a traffic jam or stuck in an airport, the pre-made jars come in handy when your out of fresh options.  I would also pack fresh, whole foods, such as bananas or avocado, because those foods can be mashed up.

However, when my kids would visit their grandparents for the day, I would pack up frozen puree cubes to send with them.

For parents who want to take homemade purees on the road, I would pack the purees in a cooler with plenty of ice packs or dry ice.  Also pack fresh foods that can be peeled and mashed up with a fork while on the road if the baby can tolerate chunkier textures.

Laura: I can’t wait to make some of your meat purees for my son! Do you have any suggestions for how moms can ensure they get the meats that are best for their babies even on a limited budget?

Tamika: When my kids were babies, I always had plenty of extra chicken, beef, or fish to incorporate into purees from meals that I prepared for my husband and I.  I found that I wasn’t purchasing a lot of extra meats because the babies’ portions weren’t that big.  For example, I would normally cook one extra chicken breast, or one extra cup of ground beef with our meals, and that would last the babies a few days.

I primarily purchased meats in bulk at the Farmer’s market in Michigan, or at Sam’s Club, which really stretched our budget!  I would make sure the meats I purchased had no hormones, that the cattle or hens were grain-fed and caged free when possible.  Sometimes, I would even split the bulk with my parents (and the cost too!).  Buying in bulk and splitting the costs with other family members or friends is a great way to stretch your dollar.

Laura: Has your oldest child graduated to “normal” food at this point?  Do you feed him/her whatever you are eating or do you make separate grown-up and kiddo meals?  How do you think that feeding your kids a wide variety of purees influenced their eating habits as they got older, if at all?

Tamika: My kids are now 4 and 5 years old and well past graduation.  I do not make separate meals for them, and I don’t recommend for moms to do that because your kids will always expect something different from what you’re eating.  I would, however, make their plates more kid friendly.  For example, my husband and I like our pasta combined with sauce, chicken, and vegetables.  My kids prefer everything to stand alone.  So I would use the divider plates and put the pasta, veggies, and chicken in their own sections of the plate.

I think making homemade purees made the transition to the family meals a lot easier.  Actually, my children preferred homemade purees and eventually would not eat commercial baby food at all!

My children enjoy many of the foods that I gave them as infants.  My daughter is a great eater and she often tells me that she’s going to eat her “greens” first because she wants to be strong and healthy.  She is well versed in healthy eating and organics.

My son, on the other hand, who was a great eater as an infant, thoroughly examines his food and may decide he doesn’t like it (even it he liked it a few days before).  His personality is a lot different.  However, I talk very positively about the food we eat and my husband and I will never express that I don’t like a particular food in front of them.

I strongly feel that speaking positively about nutrition and explaining why we need to eat healthy benefits my children tremendously.  I hear my son and daughter repeating things that I say when they’re role playing with their toys.  So I know they understand!

Laura: What were your children’s favorite selections from the recipes included in your book?

Tamika: Wow! There is so many.  To name a few:

• Blushing Bananas
• Fall Pumpkin Yogurt
• Cucumber-Melon Mashup
• Simply Sweet Potato
• Blueberry Pomegranate Parfait
• Banana Colada Ice
• Soulful Grits
• Parmesan Crusted Chicken
• Mika’s Rainbow Corn Medley
• Green Bean Bliss

Laura: What do you think is the biggest barrier to children’s nutrition today?

Tamika: Honestly I think the biggest barrier to children’s nutrition is the processed food industry.

Children rely on their parents to provide their nutrition, and many parents resort to pre-packaged, processed foods for their nutrition.  Many of the products found in grocery stores today are deceiving people into thinking their eating healthy, when the products loaded with sugar and sodium.

I found out that some of the foods that I used to purchase for my family are not healthy like I thought.  Even salad dressings, ketchup, and other condiments are loaded with MSG and high fructose corn syrup.  I think it’s important that parents read the ingredients on every label!  I now make my own salad dressings and sauces, and I purchase a lot of whole foods.

Shop! 201 Organic Baby Purees: The Freshest, Most Wholesome Food Your Baby Can Eat! is currently available from our affiliate Amazon for less than $12! Get more information at Tamika’s website Simply Baby Food Recipes.

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If you’re interested in homemade baby food (and we think you should be), check out our simple introduction to how to make baby food.