Custom Summer Hats from Small Potatoes

Looking for shade? These cute sun hats at Small Potatoes caught my eye. This clever company will make you a hat from any fabric they offer on their site.

Weatherproof Blankies

Crabmommy sent me a link to these beautiful, functional, weather proof baby blankets by Rugged Idea. Just in time for summer picnics, parades, and fireworks watching. In three sizes. And lots of colors. Perfect to keep in your car or stroller for just-in-case weather.

Fancy Pantsy Onesies

These super-fancy onsies from Lou and Lee's etsy shop are making me happy today. They're so over the top that they've moved beyond silly and into the super-chic zone.

Random Giveaway — Serena & Lily Cribset from Layla Grayce

[ Congratulations to natalie who said, "I would be in heaven if I won!!!" Yay for natalie! Please email me from the link on my blog and I'll put you in touch with the sponsor. ]

It's Friday. The last day of this iteration of Ask-Design-Mom Week. I think it's been a great week — I hope you do to. Thank you to everyone who has sent in a question, answered a question or read a question. This is one seriously inquisitive bunch. Seriously. Had I all the time in the world, I could have covered twice as many questions and still not run out. Impressive.

And now it's time for a big finale Giveaway to show you my gratitude. How about a gorgeous cribset of your choice from the Serena & Lily collection — sponsored by one of the loveliest little shops around, Layla Grayce!! That's right. The winner gets to pick from one of five beautiful designs. In fact. The five most popular Serena & Lily designs. Each valued from $539 to $969:


There's the Ben. Animals on parade in the coolest way. In the coolest colors.


The Greta. Soft and pink and a subtle sort of girly.


The Kate. A bolder version of the Greta in a luscious lime green.


There's the Rex. Laid back in madras plaid.


And even the Ruby. Flowery and pristine at the same time.

How will you ever choose? Each one is adorable. Each one would improve your nursery in a major way. And each one is just a tiny sample of the elegant collection of wares found at Layla Grayce. A shop full of the finest things for you, your children and your home.

Thank you Layla Grayce!

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Random Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have 2 days — until midnight PST on Monday, June 9th (Not Friday, June 6th — oops!) to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced at the top of this post on Tuesday morning.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Ask Design Mom Week: BPA-Free Bottles

Ask Design Mom Question:
Hey Gabrielle. I'm pregnant with baby #2, and am planning on buying BPA free bottles (glass or plastic) and sippy cups. Trouble is, they are so new that I have no one to ask recommendations about the best brands. Do you think you could ask your readers to share their favorite BPA free bottles and sippys? I've heard some complaints (online) about the nipples of these bottles. I hate to invest in these before I hear any personal recommendations. Thanks! — Carrie B.

Design Mom Answer:
Thanks for the question Carrie! I'm sure you can count on Design Mom Readers to give you lots of good PBA-free recommendations. (Design Mom Readers, thanks in advance for chiming in with your PBA wisdom.)



From a purely aesthetic standpoint — I'm design-focused after all — I love the Wee Go Bottles from Baby Life that I spotted in the March 08 issue of Parents Magazine. Aren't they pretty? I'll take one of each, please.

Random Giveaway — Onsies by Alyssa Coberly and Blanket by Jacqueline Yeo

[ Congratulations to lovelylittlelovelies who said, "absolutely adorable!" Yay for lovelylittlelovelies! Please email me from the link on my blog and I'll put you in touch with the sponsors. ]

Everyone has been so helpful — answering Design Mom questions, sharing their best tips, leaving kind feedback. Thank you!

So, how about more gorgeous baby stuff to give away today! The handmade, etsy sort of gorgeous baby stuff. Because the current baby boom is going to overwhelm all of us with gift giving. Count on these fabulous giveaways to ease the burden and give you great ideas for the stack of baby announcements on your desk.

[ And remember, you've got two days to enter each of this week's Giveaways. Which means, you can also enter Tuesday's Tiny McSmall and Persimmon and Pink Giveaway until Midnight tonight. For reals! ]

Now. Let's get to the prizes:






First, a set of 3 baby onsies from Alyssa Coberly of {jig.}. A girl set. Or a boy set. Your choice. In a beautiful box. A perfect gift!

But there's more. The winner can customize them with the name (or names) or their choice. Sets are available in sizes 3-6m or 0-3m. And all the onesies are very high quality 100% cotton interlock with short sleeves. They will ship out from Chicago the very day the winner places her order.

Everything Alyssa makes is adorable — she has one of the best etsy shops and most charming blogs out there. Go Alyssa!




Second. An instant-favorite blanket, designed and crafted by Jacqueline Yeo, and sold on her For The Record etsy site. Another perfect gift idea! It's made with the softest fleece on one side, and very fine jersey on the other side. The appliqué is done on the jersey side of the fabric. The blankie measures 30x38" and is stitched all around.



Bonus: since each piece is handcrafted, you can have it customised with the baby's initial or name! Fantastic. Who wouldn't want to own such a beautiful blanket?

Thank you to our sponsors: Alyssa Coberly and Jacqueline Yeo!

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Random Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have 2 days — until midnight PST on Thursday, June 4th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced at the top of this post on Friday morning.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Ask Design Mom Week: Nursing Covers

Ask Design Mom Question:
Gabrielle, Hey. I just recently found your website through a friends blog and I love it! I was wondering if you know of any stylish, but affordable nursing covers. Thanks, Justina

Design Mom Answer:
Hmmm. Depends on what you mean by affordable. : ) A quick google search will give you lots of good-looking options in the $30 to $40 range — from shops like Modest Mums, Obuba and Peanut Shell.



But if you're looking for a real deal, here are two suggestions:

1) Pick up a yard of pretty fabric and ask a friend to whip one up for you. My sister in law, Megan, posted about a cute one she made here. It sounds like a very straightforward project.

2) Use this $7 clip to turn any baby blanket into an impromptu nursing cover.

What about you Design Mom Readers? Seen any especially good deals on nursing cover-ups?

Random Giveaway — Binth Baby Book from Tiny McSmall and Handmade Doll from Persimmon & Pink

[ Congratulations to sarah starr who said, "Happiness is all around in this giveaway. DM - you rock." Yay for sarah starr! Please email me from the link on my blog and I'll put you in touch with the sponsors. ]

After the last post, I've got Baby Journals on the brain. So why not give one away? Enter your comment to win two super stylish products for your own little bébé — a gorgeous Binth Baby Book from the lovingly-edited collection of Tiny McSmall and a charming Wool Doll or Blastoid Cat of your choice from the lovingly-handmade collection of Persimmon & Pink.

[ And remember, you've got two days to enter each of this week's Giveaways. Which means, it's not too late to enter yesterday's Tiny Sprouts Giveaway. You lucky duck! ]




Let me tell you about this Binth Baby Book. It's fresh and modern and completely original. It arrives in a handsome keepsake box and is bound to become a cherished family heirloom. Nicely sized, with lots of space for both photos and notes. It retails for $110 — which is basically a bargain for a book that is entirely screen printed. Printed on recycled white stock with cotton cloth cover.



And it's just one of dozens of perfect items available from Tiny McSmall (don't you just love that name?!), one of my very favorite shops to find "just right" items and gifts for babies and children.




Plus. I want to introduce you to these fantastic creations — wool dolls and blastoid cats — by Persimmon & Pink. Too charming for words, right? And lots of choices so that you can find the ideal new best friend for your child. The lucky winner gets to pick any doll. Or any cat. And you might want to keep checking the Persimmon & Pink etsy shop, because new additions arrive all the time.




Happy Commenting. Thank you Persimmon and Pink! Thank you Tiny McSmall!

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Random Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have 2 days — until midnight PST on Wednesday, June 4th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced at the top of this post on Thursday morning.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Ask Design Mom Week: Baby Memory Book

Ask Design Mom Question:
Hi Design Mom, I've just been blessed with my first child — a big beautiful boy called Spencer — and am at a loss as to where to find a great memory book/album to record all of his milestones. My husband and I were lucky enough to have wonderful mums who recorded all the little, and big, details of our youth and we would like to do the same for our son. Particularly those events that happen in the first few years. Any advice or suggestions you have on where I can find one will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance, new mum, Stephanie (Cairns, Australia).

Design Mom Answer:
Hi Stephanie. Congratulations on your new baby! And thank you for the question. Discovering the perfect baby book is a treat. And luckily, there are lots of interesting choices out there — and new ones created everyday. I've posted about some of my favorites here and here. Rachel, a previous Guest Mom showcased a couple of gorgeous custom books here.




Of the several I own, my favorite is a smallish one that is sold at the Metropolitan Museum (for less than $20). It's called simply Baby's Journal and it's written and illustrated by Marie Madeleine Franc-Nohain. It was adapted from Le Journal de Bébé, a book in the collection of the Museum that was first published in Paris in 1914.




It's lovely. Full of mostly blank pages with charming illustrations across the top, where you can record thoughts or attach photos. It's beautifully made and very well-loved by my kids. (As you can see, the silver ink on the book cover is wearing off from all the handling by little hands.) The current printing has a cover that's different than the one I own. If you'd prefer the cover I have, it looks like Amazon lists some vendors here.

Another favorite, although I don't own one, is the Binth Baby Book, which I've exclaimed over before. But I'll wait until the next post to tell you a bit more about it (wink).

What about you, Design Mom Readers? Do you have a favorite Baby Book to recommend?

Random Giveaway — Tiny Sprouts

[ Congratulations to threeunderthree who said, "Please please pick me! I've been trying and trying to win a giveaway forever and I promise I'll share the love if I win this one!" You are the big winner of the Tiny Sprouts Giveaway! Send me an email and I'll put you in touch with the sponsor straight away! ]

To thank you for helping me out with good ideas and suggestions during Ask Design Mom Week, I'll be hosting a new Giveaway Monday through Friday — and each one will be open to entries for at least 48 hours. So let's get started!

The first one is a great one. It will make you popular and win you friends. And I'm not even kidding. The lucky winner will receive 12 months of adorable gifts worth $350 from Tiny Sprouts!



Here's how it works: each month you can choose a darling item from Tiny Sprouts' darling offerings. Then. You can choose a recipient. Then. Tiny Sprouts will send off the gift in your name. Making you look like the most thoughtful person ever. See what I mean about being all popular?

Would you rather keep all 12 months of gifts for yourself? Well. I promise I'll never tell.




Tiny Sprouts offers hand embroidered items for newborns, babies and toddlers. That's right. HAND-embroidered. As in embroidered by a hand holding a thread and a needle. How cool is that? Onesies. Hats. Cozy pajamas. Bibs. Blankets. Even a darling Growth Chart. It's definitely worth browsing the site just to see all the cute photos.



Thank you Tiny Sprouts!

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Random Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have 2 days — until midnight PST on Tuesday, June 3rd to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced at the top of this post on Wednesday morning.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Ask Design Mom Week: Cradle Bedding

Ask Design Mom Question:
Gabrielle, in your travels online or in boutiques have you ever come across bedding for a cradle? I see anything and everything for cribs, but not a cradle or bassinet!! I'm on a desperate search for something beautiful and stylish, and if it could be organic, that would be fabulous. If anything comes to mind, please let me know! — Stephanie

Design Mom Answer:
You're absolutely right Stephanie! There are dozens of excellent options for crib bedding, but cradle bedding can be hard to find. I'm going to go search some of my best sources and see what I can find. In the meantime, I'll ask Design Mom Readers to chime in with their favorite sources.



And I should also mention, when I was faced with the same problem for our bassinet, I picked out some beautiful fabric and hired a friend to sew a few sheets. (Yes, although I'm not any sort of impressive seamstress, I could have probably sewn these myself. But let's be honest, it would have been procrastinated for. ev. er. Hiring it out got it done.)

Cradle pictured by Leander — I love how it can hang from the ceiling.

Beaba

In one week, I heard about this little appliance from three of my best sources — leading me to understand the Beaba is one hot little number. All three mentioned that it was French. That is has been all the rage in Europe. And that it's just now available in the US. You know how I get that longing look in my eye for anything Euro-chic. . .

Why all the fuss? Because the Beaba is a multi-tasker. It steams. It blends. It warms. It defrosts. All in the same compartment. And it does it under 15 minutes. Enabling you to make healthy, fresh meals for baby without much trouble or mess.



I'm thinking this will make a perfect baby gift — especially for my friends who've already had a baby and still own all the traditional gear. Especially cute paired with this wholesome baby cookbook.

Apple Shift Dress

I would put Betty in a simple dress every single day of the summer. Like this cute little shift dress from Little Season's etsy shop. Apple-y delicious. A steal at $20.

I HEART HEDGEHOGS. — by Guest Mom Amanda/aka Crabmommy

Owls move over. It's hedgehog time.

Anyone with an eye for sweet kiddie stuff has noticed the proliferation of the woodland theme in children's décor. Me, I'm all for it. I love little toadstools and owls and woodland critters frolicking across a vintage curtain or needlepoint cushion or what-have-you. But while owls have had their share of attention on sites that love good design and kid sensibilities, my favorite animal of all is shy and reclusive online. So I thought to do a little hedgehog-hunting myself and bring you some sweet and also cheap hedgie inspiration. Like these absurdly adorable ponytail holders, perfect for either mom or tot or both!



Can you stand how cute they are? So dang delicious, I almost can't look for fear that I might lunge at the screen and murder them with love!

As if that's not enough, see these baby booties:



Okay, so generic crappo baby shower present from some lame-o registry or one-of-a-kind booties for twelve measly greenbacks? COME. ON.

I've always loved hedgehogs. Their babies look like Rod Stewart (they have no neck and sport a spiky coiffe of hair). Did you also know that hedgehog genes can help determine your child's height? Did you also know that a man in New Zealand was accused of using a hedgehog as a weapon? Me neither.

Hedgehogs: cute, enlightening, inspiring. Brought to you by Crabmommy. I leave you with a link to paper artist eric joisel's amazing origami hedgehogs, and humbly invite you to visit me at my personal website or at Cookie magazine online, where I like to talk about hedgehogs, paper dolls, lame parenting advice, and so forth between predicting your month in motherhood as Astromommy, or talking a smack about momhood in general.

Enjoy!

XX
AMANDA

Itzy Bitzy

Could I be more predictable? I love me some polka dots and stripes. And I love these happy Spring prints from the Itzy Bitzy line by Zutano.

The Itzy Bitzy collection is designed for babies up to 8 lbs. Now, I've never had a preemie, but I do have very small babies. (Betty was my smallest — she was a week early, weighing in under 6 pounds.) So I have loved having a few "newborn" or "preemie" size options that actually fit. (0-3 months size looks absolutely clown-like on tiny babies.)

I realize they grow out of them within a month. But for that month, it's nice to have at least a few cozy little things that fit. Also. Isn't it a treat to see newborn babies? Heavenly.

Random Giveaway — Put Some Spring in Your Step

Aren't you itching for a Giveaway? I totally am. Spring Fever or something. So let's do it. How about a set of three pretties for Mom and a set of three pretties for baby? A little something to put some spring in your step. Because in my neck of the woods, the blossoms are on the trees and it's time to celebrate the fact that Spring has Sprung. Take a look at what one lucky winner will receive:



The Fleur Collection from My Sunset Road. retail value: $175.00
Earrings. Necklace. Ring. Gorgeous. What's the saying — April showers bring May flowers? Well it looks like the flowers arrived a bit early this year in the form of these gorgeous pieces. Don't they feel just perfect for Spring? My Sunset Road, and Courtney, the artist behind the jewelry, has such a fantastic aesthetic. The line is modern. But it feels totally handcrafted and organic. I love checking the site from time to time just to see what's new — so inspiring!



A new baby gift set from Toby & Rei. retail value: $90.00
This luscious eco-minded gift set includes a baby blanket, a onesie and a matching hat. For the blankets (made from a super-soft bamboo knit), choose from five gorgeous colors — natural, celery, pebble gray, chocolate and modern orange. For the onesie and hat, choose from four different cute graphics — robot, elephant, modern flowers and shark . I'm such a fan of Toby and Rei. Their knits blankets are the thickest and coziest I've seen. I sent my sister Jordan some of their lovely goods when Mr. Moses was born.

Now isn't this Giveaway just the perfect way to end the work week? A treat for you and a treat for baby. No baby? Then a treat for you and treat for your dear expectant friend's baby. Have fun commenting. And if you've got weather that's as good as the weather here in New York, I hope you get the chance to get out this weekend and enjoy it!

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Random Giveaway Guidelines:
-You have until midnight PST on Monday, April 28th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Tuesday morning.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Little Baby Company

I discovered another great online baby boutique. It's called Little Baby Company and I think that whoever put the collection together has great taste and style. They stock lots of long-time favorites and a several items that were new to me. Like this Birds of a Feather mobile. And this gorgeous splurge of a ride-on Saab Roadster.

Allen Ave. Diaper Bags

I like the look of these don't-look-like-diaper-bags diaper bags by Allen Ave. Very glossy. They seem like a good fit for a metrosexual sort of Dad.

Burp Armor

Designed by a Dad — and with name as manly as Burb Armor, it's no surprise. Made of organic cotton and hemp. Good-looking. Triple-thick. I haven't tried them, but they look extremely stay-put functional. You can imagine their genesis: tired mom, wearing spit-up covered t-shirt, holding baby. Dad enters room and thinks: must find problem to solve. Spots spit-up covered shirt and gets to work making sketches for a burb cloth that's strong enough for a man, but made for a baby. Love it!

If you happen to have a spitter (and you'll know if you have one), good burb cloths really do become essential. These look as if they're industrial strength.

Random Giveaway — Serena & Lily Ben Crib Set

I think I've mentioned that I'm loving this week. I mean how could I not? It's April Fools Day, a new month, new ads in The Marketplace, all sorts of great stuff. The only thing is, I'm not going to be very blog-available for the next few days. I'll be here in New York, but I've got meetings and get togethers and other happy distractions — enough stuff that I may as well be out of town. So I won't have any posts on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday this week. But to make up for it, I have a couple of fantastic surprises today. The first one is this very generous Giveaway from Serena & Lily!!



If you've been stopping in at Design Mom from time to time, you already know I'm a big — no huge — fan of Serena & Lily. I really love their concept of children's rooms. Nothing too cutesy-cheesy. No commercial characters. Somehow sophisticated and child-friendly at the same time. Plus super high quality.

From time to time they add new collections to their line-up, and recently they added the Ben (pictured above) and the Francis, (pictured below). Gorgeous right? I'm thinking they're my new Serena & Lily favorites. Very up-to-date. Great colors. Simple designs.



And guess what? Everyone who comments on this post is entered to win the full 3-piece Ben Crib Bedding Set — that's $539 worth of turquoise and coral animal-y loveliness! How delightful. (Plus it's call Ben, so I'm especially fond of it. All of my favorite things are called Ben.)



Questions:
1) Don't need a crib set? I'm willing to bet you know someone who does — and won't you be their favorite person ever when you gift them something so glorious?!

2) Have you fallen for the Serena and Lily as much I have? Then you'll be happy to find out that all Design Mom Readers can get 15% off the entire website with code designmom15 — all the way through April 30th!

3) Not too familiar with Serena & Lily? Well prepare yourself for a treat. It's way beyond bedding for cribs. Find inspiring rooms for girls and boys of all ages. You can ask for their free catalog here.

Because I'll be gone for a few days, I'm extending the entry deadline through Sunday night. Happy commenting! I'll miss checking in this week, but I'll be back Monday — with an excellent Guest Mom too.

Thanks, Serena and Lily!

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Random Giveaway Guidelines:
- Extra-long entry time: You have until midnight PST on Sunday, April 6th to enter this giveaway.
-Just make a comment ON THIS POST to enter — any comment.
-Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed.
-One entry per person, please.
-The winner will be randomly picked and announced Monday morning.
-What are Random Giveaways? Read about them here.

Baobab Clothing

Another boutique Australian clothing line I've fallen for — say Hello to Baobab. The tulle skirt. The dragon graphic. All the stripes. And a haven't-seen-one-before-and-I'm-in-love kimono hoodie. Oh how wonderful.

Oliver + S Children's Clothing Patterns

Good morning! You may have noticed my missing posts on Friday. I'll explain. We had dear, dear friends come visit for the night on their way to Jamaica, and I spent the morning straightening up. While doing so, I realized I had better spend the entire day straightening up because the house was in such a state of disgust-o. But I missed you terribly.

So today I have big plans to post lots and lots of cool things so that I can get back into your good graces — plus I'll announce 5 winners for the Blurb Giveaway. Yay!



Let me start by sharing this fantastic site where you can find simple, contemporary patterns for children's clothing. It's called Oliver + S and the patterns are designed by the talented Liesl Gibson. Although modeled by adorable paper dolls, these patterns are indeed very real and, I've been assured, will allow even not-very-good-sewers (that would be me) to whip up something darling for the kiddies.



Extra fun: while you're busy at the sewing machine, your little ones can keep themselves busy with the actual paper dolls included with every order.

By the way, we loved having Wes and Em come to visit. We could talk with them forever.

Chic Papoose Slings

A friend of mine was looking for a pouch-style sling (read: no rings or snaps) featuring some color or pattern. I sent her to Chic Papoose. They're reversible, so you get two fabric options in one sling. They're compact, so they roll up small to fit in your handbag. And they're easy care — machine wash and dry.

Little Poco

Say hola to Little Poco! Everything you need to add a little Latin flavor to your child's lifestyle. I'm particularly taken with the guayaberas (pronounced at my house as why-a-ver-us) for the papitos and the hand-embroidered poblano dress for the mamacitas. I am fully coveting both.

From the website: "Maybe it's because he looks like a mini-man, or that he stands out at the playground. Nothing makes Abuela smile more than seeing her little boy in a guayabera." I feel the very same way.

Oh. And don't miss the piñata and futbolistas onesies with a vintage illustrations. Fantastic.

Little Deer

Ooooh! Stylish Chelsea just sent me a great link. Feast your eyes on the lovely felt wares of Little Deer based out of Portland. My favorite thing ever is that little cap. And happily, it's available in 6 colors. Perfect little details and just the right weight for spring.

Hand Picked Pumpkin

Have I told you about Hand Picked Pumpkin already? It's like choose your own adventure, but for baby clothes. You start by picking from a great selection of baby and toddler basics in thick, soft, interlock knit — all the classic playwear shapes are available. You pick the base fabric color. You pick the accent fabrics for the trim. You can mix and match to your heart's delight.




Design a hat to go with a romper. Design a hoodie to go with some pants. Because we all have a little Project Runway trying to get out.

See Kai Run

I first saw these amazing shoes on Backwards Attraction. For boys. For girls. I'm feeling the green today, but they have dozens and dozens of choices on the site.

See Kai Run is a family-owned and operated business located outside of Seattle, Washington. Their shoes are thoughtfully hand-crafted from buttery soft leather and promise to be kind to developing feet. Twice a year they come out with a collection of 15-20 designs — and I'm having to fight back the urge to collect one of each — as if they were baseball cards. Don't you just want to eat them up?

Monthly Baby Photos