Mama Speaks

The Sweet Unfolding

Say it Sweet

Throwing a baby shower? Welcoming a new baby home? Decorating a room or throwing a birthday party? When it comes to choosing a banner to shout it out we'd like to encourage you to stay as far away form those bright funky chain store ones as possible. Why not create a keepsake that will last a little longer than that special day?

The handmade banners [$18+] available from The Sweet Unfolding will help celebrate your special day and then some. Each beautiful banner features layered paper circles hand cut and threaded onto satin swiss dot ribbon. Best of all you can customize your banner with any name, phrase or color combination you'd like for a decoration that definitely doesn't need to come down when the party's over.

Miss GiGi-Mae

Keeping It Totether

Dropped toys and teethers and sippy cups are a constant occurrence when you have little ones. The Miss GiGi-Mae tether system [$25] keeps everything in reach by attaching easily to most anything and bringing your child's favorite toys along for the ride.

The sweet lady bug's six retractable tethers grab on and extend, making a cute little buzzing sound as it goes. Use it in the car, on the stroller, or even when they're just playing on the floor but can't crawl or grab easily yet. It's lightweight and seriously cute- doubling as an entertaining toy while it does our its job!

-Steph

BUY

First Act Discovery

For Those About to Rock... Alternatively, Ear Plugs Not Included

Our kids want to do everything we do and somethings we can't. Whatever the reason I'm trying to temper my glee at the fact that my two year old is aspiring to fulfill my rock star dreams. Ok, so I never really wanted to be a rock star but it might have been cool, right? Despite my picking up and failing to stick with just about every instrument under the sun my little one seems to have a bit more perseverance than I.

Thanks to First Act's Discovery line his dreams can be a reality even if he's only rocking within the four walls of our house. These are real instruments simply scaled down to fit a child's size so whether your wee one is still in the stage of pounding and banging or is ready to take the actual stage, they'll have the tools to experiment with the real thing from the start.

The 5 piece Drum set [$130] includes a bass drum, mounted tom and snare drum, crash/ride cymbal, seat, pedal and drumsticks. It's 90% pre-assembled to save us grown-ups a headache (don't worry, that will come later) and the exclusive color and shape learning guide will give your little drummer boy (or girl) the leg up they need to create more beats than bangs.

If your pint-sized rocker is more for strings the Acoustic Guitars [$35-$50] will bring the house down. The thin body makes it easy to hold and the steel reinforced neck is narrow enough for little hands. Steel strings and low string play make it easy for tiny fingers to strike the right chords comfortably, while the intonation matches that of a full size. Of course, not every parent is a pro so the set of Learn & Play Chord Cards will clue you all in on how to work that thing.

One of our favorite things about First Act is that they cover it all. Be sure to check out their accessories (available online and at Target stores) for extra drum sticks and seats, guitar straps, over sized picks and so much more. And when you're little rocker out grows the mini's you can simply step it up to First Act's grown up collection.

POWERNAPS Nap 26

Return To The Land Of The Living

Many times we moms joke about sleep deprivation.  The brain fog, the lack of caring about what we look like, the total inability to do much else besides care for the kids and stay awake.  All of it becomes enormously funny, because otherwise how would we ever get through it?  I'm still getting up multiple times per night with my baby, so combine that with my tendency towards insomnia and you have me--never sleeping.

Well, I have been so excited to share with you all this new product that has absolutely changed my life.  NAP26 by POWERNAPS sounded like a great idea, but I admit to being very skeptical when I first heard about it.  A 26 minute nap that made me feel like I'd slept for 3 hours?  And I wouldn't feel groggy?  It was hard to believe.  I figured it either wouldn't be able to calm my racing brain down enough to sleep, or it wouldn't be able to wake me back up once it had.  Regardless, I was totally wrong.  This sheepish little cd has given me so much energy and a new lease on life, I literally go around like an evangelist, telling everyone I know about how amazing it is.

How does it work?  You just get the cd onto your ipod or other mp3 player, stick the ear buds into your ears, and get comfy.  That's it.  The recording does the rest.  You feel yourself getting very, very relaxed, and before you know it you're hearing "your nap is now over, it's time to get up" and you can't believe you even fell asleep.  Nap 26 [$20] uses biaural beats to basically train your brain how to sleep.  It's not hypnosis, it's not voodoo, it's just technology helping your brain take a virtual chill pill. 

Now, like I mentioned, I'm very sleep deprived, so it did take a couple days of naps for me to wake up not feeling groggy (but the grogginess only lasted 20 min or so, and then I was totally energized).  But once I basically caught up on my overall sleep quota, taking one power nap a day has made a world of difference.  The energy, the mental clarity, it's priceless to me.  So priceless in fact, that I immediately ordered the Easy2Sleep cd, which is the other product by Powernaps, that is for listening to at night to help you go to sleep, and stay to sleep. 

If you really are tired of being tired, this might just be your saving grace. 

-Arianne

Sprout Shell

Shell Your Sprout

Having a baby in the fall or winter where I live makes covering up the infant car seat a necessity- most often a blanket is thrown on top and hopefully hangs on or I try to use one of those fleece zip up things that I always think is just going to suffocate them...

The Sprout Shell is a lightweight and stylish covering for the infant carrier that attaches securely over the car seat creating a protective "tent". A hole at the top allows easy access to the handle as well as still giving Mom a nice view of baby inside. Elastic surrounding the bottom creates quick and easy access to putting on & taking off. Remember to always practice safety first whenever adding fabric or other objects to your child's car seat.  The Sprout Shell is only intended for going to and fro, not to be kept on while inside the car, and still as always never leave your baby unattended.

Sprout Shells are available in cute and trendy patterns- much more tolerable than the other carrier covers you might see in stores today. Go wild with the tropical Top Banana [$35]! Or the Yellow Delight [$35] is truly a sunny delight in a pleasing shade and pattern. Keep covered and make a fashion statement while you're on the go!

-Steph

Dressy Dribbles

Snap On, Snap Off

Ok, Moms. You know how nice a car seat can look for the first five minutes before you use it- and what happens over time with crumbs and juice box spills and body fluids I won't mention here. Dressy Dribbles are stylish car seat covers for infant and toddler car seats. Originally I was thinking they were merely for "looking cool" and maybe covering up a not-so-purty car seat. But there is so much practicality here!

Often Moms are given hand-me-down car seats that might not be in the nicest condition or the color they'd really like. Choose from some hip designs like the Rock Star [$74] or Diva [$58] in both infant and toddler car seats. Dressy Dribbles are also reversible for even more trendy options. Matching, oversized blankets [$42] are available for all Dressy Dribble styles. Check out the infant and toddler gift sets [$100-$116] which include a signature snap-on car seat cover and the cuddly matching blanket.

The huge bonus is that these inventive covers snap on and off, so you don't have to re-thread the confusing straps and buckles every time you need to throw it in the wash! A fabulous thing that makes our life as a Mom a whole lot easier and stylish... I love it!

Win it!
We're giving away a Rock Star Toddler Cover to one lucky reader! To enter, email giveaways[at]mamaspeaks.com with Dressy Dribbles as your subject and let us know the names of the duo behind the shop. Giveaway ends 08.07.08

-Steph

Tiny Legacies

Necessary Luxury

Having to endure boring and uncomfortable convertible car seats is one of the many crosses our little sweeties have to bear.  Growing up is hard, so babes deserve a little pampering (more than the 24 hours a day attention they already get, of course). 

A snazzy car seat cover might seem a little indulgent, but one second of feeling how soft the Tiny Legacies car sear covers feel to the touch--and you quickly see how you can help your baby turn from sad prisoner to a happy passenger in no time. 

Tiny Legacies covers, especially the to-die-for stylish and chic BoHo Blossom pattern, are padded and-YES-even washable.  They may be a bit pricey [$76], but the snuggle factor alone makes these covers worth the investment.  My niece-ling is not a fan of the car, but I know every little bit we do to help her plight can make her rides more comfy.  We all gladly bend over backwards to make those pitiful eyes turn to giggles, and I know her BoHo Blossom is helping reach that goal.

-Arianne

Green Speaks: Planet Green

We've all been seriously lacking in options for good tv lately.  Summer brings reality shows and not much else, but thankfully one channel has swooped in to rescue us all.

Planet Green, part of the Discovery channel family, is the first channel dedicated to all things green.  They have 24/7 show after show of teaching us all how to take another green step each day.  The "Living With Ed" show, the "G Word", each and every show offers a unique perspective and is wildly entertaining and informaticve.  My personal favorite show, "Supper Club" features funny man Tom Bergeron hosting a dinner that is prepared by a fabulous green chef using delectable local ingredients.  There are usually a few celebs (in hollywood and green-wood) to share in the feast and discuss all things green.  The guests rarely have the same viewpoint on any issue, so the conversation is inviting and the food to die for.

Go here to check your local listings to see if you can get Planet Green, and you will wonder how you survived all these years without this perfectly sustainable channel.

-Arianne 

Sock Dog

Bow Wowza

When it comes to anything that involves a needle and thread I must admit to being somewhat intimidated.  You can imagine then my trepidation when I opened the Sock Dog kit [$20] only to find two socks, a needle and thread, buttons and some shrink-wrapped stuffing.  Sock Dog (along with his Socktopus and Sock Monkey friend) is a make-it yourself stuffed animal kit with two socks as the foundation.

I began the creation of Sock Dog by following the included instructions and proudly made it past step three. Admittedly, step four gave me a bit of trouble because terms like "whip stitch" have a tendency to leave me scratching my head.  The only sewing I've ever done has involved a foot pedal, so I had to Google "whip stitch" before I could go any further.
After what I consider a herculean effort, I managed to get through the end of the directions with my own green and purple plaid creature that could pass as a distant cousin to the Sock Dog pictured on the package. 

Sock Dog, while cute upon completion, proved to be difficult for this not-so-seamstress Mama to assemble. I have faith though that for someone slightly more gifted in the sewing arena that Sock Dog would present a fun afternoon activity.  In the end, crafty types will even end up with one hot diggity of a dog to call her own. As for the rest of us? You can these cute creatures and more premade for just a few bucks more. [$25 and up]

 

Win it!
For your chance to win a Deluxe Socktopus (no purchase necessary) just enter here. One winner per month.

-Darcie

FlipClips

This Flip Doesn't Flop

Without fail I am at such a loss when a gift-giving holiday rolls around and I go in search of the perfect gift for my grandparents (my children’s great-grandparents) who happen to have everything. OK, maybe not everything, but those items they don’t have far exceed my measly budget. I have found, though, that anything involving their great-grandkids is sure to put a huge smile upon their faces.  I try each holiday to come up with something new and different, but with the recent passing of Father's Day my creative juices seemed to run dry.  I mean really, a grandparent can only have so many photo coffee mugs or t-shirts that don my kid’s likeness.  Even the personalized calendars begin to lose their luster the fourth or fifth year down the road.

Lucky for me (and my grandparents), I recently discovered FlipClips [prices range from $9-$20].  Surely you remember those flip books that we all took a stab at making in middle school art class.  Well, FlipClips has modernized that painful process and come up with a novel way to put life in motion, all within the pages of a book. Simply record a short digital video, upload it to their website, and less than a week later they mail out a flip book of your video. And admit it – who doesn’t enjoy a good flip book? I took a short video of my son running around the house.  Once my order arrived I flipped the through the pages and sure enough, my little guy could be seen zooming around the house.  Granted, I can simply watch him do it, but his doting grandparents don’t have that luxury.  That is, of course, until Grandparents Day rolls around in September and they receive their very own flip book from yours truly in the mail.  I'm sure it'll give them something to flip over.

-Darcie