I just noticed that Dwell Studio partnered with Blue Apple Books to produce a book collection for infants and toddlers. You get the graphic design associated with Dwell Studio. I like it since you teach your kids good taste at the same time.

From learning the basics from numbers, animals and colors.

+ Count book $6.99 USD at Amazon.com – in Canada $7.99 CAD
+ What colors? book $8.99 USD at Amazon.com

To provide a way to talk about where are food comes from

+ Touch & Feel Farm book $8.99 USD at Amazon.com
+ Eat book $6.99 USD at Amazon.com  or $7.99 CAD at Amazon.ca

Up to books and even a bookshelf that go with Dwell’s Transportation bedding collection

+ Orange Bus Bookshelf $124 USD at Dwell Studio
+  Go book $6.99 at Amazon.com or $7.99 at Amazon.ca

There are more titles but I think that you get the idea. I will remember those for when I visit parents with a newborn child or to bring as a gift for a first or second birthday party. Some of the Dwell studio books are suitable up 5 years old.

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+ The Casa Kids Ola crib is supposed to be the only crib sold today that converts to both a Toddler bed and a Twin bed. At $899, the starter crib compares with wood cribs at other stores. The cribs component will be reused later. The side rails will become the headboard and footboard of the Ola Twin Bed.

+ The AJ crib by ducduc comes with a bookcase attached to one side. For an extra $45, you can add doors to convert the bookcase in an armoire. Kids clothes and other baby accessories should fit well inside. It comes in 10 finishes. The AJ crib starts at $1450 USD
The Alex crib with an optional applique word on the side starts at $950 USD.

+ For space savings, the Studio crib designed by Truck Product Architecture for Nurseryworks provides a hideaway-changing table with closed storage on the side of the crib. This pricier modern crib also converts to a toddler daybed and built-in desk. $2095 CAD at ModernKid | $2100 USD at Modern Nursery

Note that the Nurseryworks Sleepytime Rocker in Velvet is on sale at $450 (50% off) at Modern Nursery. Available in several fabric colors and wood types.

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I bought a couple framed handbags from the New York designer oktak. I enjoy them. With the baby boom I see around me, I more inclined to show you cool baby goods that would be perfect for baby showers.

You can find an array of baby gears in an array of stunning fabrics. The octopus pink burp cloth is lovely. Diapers and feeding bottles of any size will fit comfortably inside the drawstring bags. You can recycle it as a beach bag or a shoe bag.

Mothers never have enough bibs. Her bibs are reversible. The large bibs fit babies over 6 months and toddlers. The small bibs fit newborns, up to 12 months.

SOURCING:
+ octopus pink burp cloth $12 USD
+ octopus yellow drawstring bag $18 USD
+ owls on cream yellow bib $16 USD

More oktak on AHWKV:
+ Mother’s Day gift ideas
+ Running errands with oktak

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I met Lianne of Babyburritto at the Montreal Girl Geek Dinner yesterday If you are going to a baby shower soon, have a look at her baby blankets and changing pads.

She proposes modern, sophisticated patterns. The Babyburrito blankets have a comfy plush collar and are made of luxe minkie fabric on one side with designer cotton fabric on the other. I particularly like the Kyoto changing pad.

On the functional side, her changing pads roll in a slim fit. Parents have enough baby things to carry that you should look for gears that require less space to carry.

Lianne sells her products online and at selected retailers in Canada and in the United States. All Babyburrito products are handmade in Canada.

Women on Twitter

We went to an after-Geek Girl Dinner where we talked about social media. I am glad to report that we convinced one more mom to join Twitter. Josee of LilyEcolo, a fashionable, reusable shopping bags brand has joined us. If you are interested by what I have to say, follow me on Twitter.

SOURCING:
+ Changing pads $25 USD
+ Baby Blankets $40 USD

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Yesterday night’s Montreal Girl Geek Dinner took place at Maman Bébé et Café where Naomi Goldapple talked about her business and introduced cool local baby product brands.

Maman Bébé et Café acts a unique community destination for moms with young children. The place brings under the same roof a cafe, a supervised play area for kids, a studio for fitness and cultural classes, a mini-spa for parents and a baby product boutique. All the suppliers are from businesses started by moms.

It is good to know that the place is available for kids birthday parties. I am sorry that I forgot my camera so I cannot show you my own pictures.

Come To See Me in Toronto

There was a good turn out at the event. As I am putting the finishing touch to my PodCamp Toronto session scheduled for Saturday, February 21st, 2009 at 2:45 pm, it was great to chat with women operating mom-based businesses.

MORE:
+ Maman Bébé et Café – get directions p 514.509.7494
5814 rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H4A 1X3

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A few readers asked me lately for help on designing a first birthday party. I wrote a quick guide on how to plan a baby’s first birthday party.

1. Consider the Venue

Is it an indoor or outdoor event? How much space do you have? The format of the party may influence the party theme.

2. Party for the Parents

A first birthday party is not designed for your baby. It is an event when the parents, the grand parents, the family members and your friends commemorate the first year of your newborn.

Plan activities and incorporate in your décor elements that summarize the lifetime of your baby. Create a tree of pictures or hang them on a clothesline. Play a slideshow with no music or low level music on the big TV screen.

3. Areas to Play

Plan a few areas for the kids to play. Setup the area where both the guest mothers and their babies will be comfortable. You may wish to put cushions on the floor for the guest mothers to sit down.

4. Time and Duration

Plan for a 2-hour party; during the time your baby does not usually sleep. Realistically, the party will occupy your time at least 3 hours counting the people arrival and departure.

Serve a light meal and a cake. Plan a kid menu if young kids will attend. Since the party is short, prepare your platters in advance. Opt for sandwiches, country pates, cheeses or another types of cold tapas that you prepare ahead. Do not adventure in serving any hot appetizers when you have babies around.

Set up a self-serve drink station. Make sure to put plenty of glasses, drinks and napkins at your station.

5. Hire a Babysitter

Since you are the hostess, you need to take care of your guests. This means that you may require an extra hand to take care of your baby.

6. Ideas for Party Themes

At this early age, I prefer a unisex theme. You can play on geometrical forms or things that stimulate the senses of your baby right now. Think about what intrigues your baby at her or his stage. I like to use mobiles over the buffet table instead of centerpieces.

You can use a toy chime as the inspiration. Animal circus, big play blocks or pounding bench can fashion the building block of your party theme. Repeat the colors and the shapes of the toy to complete your design.

SOURCING:
+ Tiny Love DNU Baby’s Wind Chimes Kick Toy $9.95 USD
+ Melissa & Doug Pounding Bench $9.99 USD
+ Baby Einstein Octoplush $12.99 USD

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I do not know if it is spring that inspired me but green living made my headlines often in April 2008

+ To celebrate Earth Day, I gave you my tips on how to host an Eco-Chic Dinner Party. Raw food was on the menu.

+ I listed my favorite Reusable Ultra Compact Shopping Bags. After months of usage, the Flip & Tumble is still my favorite for its ease of use. The Envirosax gained places. Its large size, compared to the Flip and Tumble, comes handy.

+ Better eating habits are part of the overall green living movement. The Ready to Serve Gourmet Baby Food by French maker Menus Bébé illustrates parent concerns for healthier baby food. In the US, pomme bébé produces small batches of fresh organic baby food. Get directions to pomme bébé in Newport Beach, California.

+ April coincided with my 500th post. I featured the stunning and artistic cake creations of I Dream of Cake, a cake maker located in San Francisco to commemorate this event.

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I received an email from Janine who is thinking of doing a garden party for her daughter’s first birthday.

She feels that all of the kids party decorations look so passé and cheesy. I have to agree with her. She asked for some ideas. I am proposing a cool flower theme.

Party Planning

A first year birthday is often more for the parents and family since the baby is not well aware of what is going on. It is best to plan for a two-hour party. Schedule some activities to play with the kids.

Flower-Power Décor

The cakes for the 10th anniversary of Cakes by Tatiana were my inspirations. Located in Ottawa, Cakes by Tatiana has a list of distinguished customers including two former Prime Ministers of Canada and Adrienne Clarkson. The two cakes are creations by award-winning pastry Chef Tatiana Vorobej.

I do not expect you to get such an exquisite cake for a first birthday. The flowers and spheres can be reproduced on a larger scale for your garden. Make a few vignettes that you spread across your space to define and cheer up your garden.

A cheap version is the cute Flower Ballons created by Martha Stewart. The steps by step instruction are published on Martha’s site. It is not complicated to do. Fill pails with a baby friendly toy (sandbox tor for example) and insert a paper daisy to dress it up. Reserve the lollipops for older young kids or distribute them to the moms.

The Menu

Since you need to entertain and take care of the babies, keep the menu simple. Serve bite foods, sandwiches and snacks. As long as you make your food look pretty, serving simple foods look sophisticated. And it can look stylish without a lot of work.

Take this cool tray of vegetables designed by Martha. I am sure you have seen those before. You can use square flower vases instead of the glasses or clear acrylic boxes. Start by cutting your vegetables. Cut each type on a same length. Blanch the asparagus, beans, cauliflowers and broccoli to give them a vibrant color. Serve the veggies neatly in the glassware sitting on a tray.

Get inspired by Revisiting the Sandwich Box for serving sandwiches to the adult guests. For the kids, you can serve the blossom sandwiches by Martha Stewart.

Baby Activities

Singing is always popular with babies and parents. Set up a singing circle in the garden where parents and kids can sit. A sandbox is always a fun activity for the little ones.

You can organize a small play. My sister in law asks her teenager babysitter to create a 10-minute show. The farmyard party photo canvas available at Pottery Barn will make great memories and older kids can participate.

Get a girls’ first birthday bib for the day. Preserve the memories not just in photos and videos; store the bib and the other decorative elements in a cute keepsake cardboard box.

I hope this will inspire you. And Janine, keep me posted on how the first birthday of your little girl will turn out.

SOURCING:
Party supplies: Flower Balloon How-To [Martha Stewart]
Inspirations: cakes by tatiana -10th anniversary [cakes by Tatiana]
Party supplies: Flower in Pail Party Favors [Martha Stewart]
Buy online: farmyard party photo canvas [Pottery Barn] – price: on sale at $24.99 USD
Buy online: girls’ first birthday bib [Pottery Barn] – price: $12 USD
Video: Crudités with Buttermilk Peppercorn Dip Recipe [Martha Stewart]
Dishing up: Edible Blossom Sandwiches [Martha Stewart]

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Recall my story last month about Menus Bébé, a brand in France that produces Ready to Serve Gourmet Baby Food. I have found a similar company in California.

Why to choose Pomme Bébé?

Pomme Bébé produces small batches of fresh organic baby food. The food is simmered slowly to retain the maximum amount of wholesome nutrients that your baby needs.

You get the basically same advantages that Menus Bébé provides. The food is more nutritious, displays vibrant colors and is tastier. The menu changes every season at Pomme Bébé. Their menu relies heavenly on the freshness of seasonal produces.

You can buy Pomme Bébé food at their Newport Beach store, online or by phone. The food can be opted for next day delivery at your door or quickly pass by the store for a curbside pick-up.

Bébé Bar, Bébé Lounge

What is cool about Pomme Bébé for Newport Beach residents is their cool store. Sit your baby in an egg shaped high chair and indulge in a tasting session. Your baby can try out fresh food samples at Pomme Bébé bar. There is also a Bébé lounge where parents can meet in a hip and inviting atmosphere to enjoy a wholesome treat or fresh-squeezed juice.

Bébé Party

No need to clean your house for your next playdate. Simply host a playgroup at Pomme Bébé. Your kids will be able to sample their organic ready to serve baby food, you will receive nutritional information and the babies can play with toys in the nicely designed Baby Lounge.

Pomme Bébé
2043 Westcliff Drive, Suite 106
Newport Beach, CA  92660
p  949.200.7430
open Monday-Friday 9:30am-5:30pm, Saturday 10:00am-2:00pm

>>> Sourcing:
Buy online: Pomme Bébé online store – price: $3.25 – $4.50 per 4 oz container

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I am persuaded that kids can eat anything if you trained them early to expand their taste buds. Several of my friends succeeded with their infants. My husband never ate the kid menu at the restaurant. He was ordering snails when he was 4 years old.

Different continent, different eating habits

In Europe, kids are used to eat more aliments at a younger age. At least, it was true in the past where they did not rely on fast food as we do in North America. In Italy, eggplants with chocolate is a children treat.

Even though, you cannot find Menus Bébé outside France, I think there are good lessons to be learned. I presented this brand on my blog because it conveys the stylish living message I am aiming for. This baby food brand is about variety, fresh products and developing taste at the youngest possible age.

Menus Bébé was founded by Jenny Careno, a French mother of Swedish origin. Like many small businesses, the adventure started when Jenny gave birth to her little girl Maya.

April 12th, 2008 Update: Unimpressed by the baby food on the shelf at the grocery store, Jenny learned how to make baby food at home. She asked advices to her pediatric doctor and from Alina, a woman Chef who serves an impressive infant menu in her restaurant. Later on, Jenny founded Menus Bébé.

A Practical solution

Menus Bébé delivers frozen home style baby food. The packaging looks great. The freshest of the ingredients is well highlighted. The design feels European with lots of white spaces. Does it shows that I went to a breakfast talk this morning about retail packaging and the added value of design?

The great news for parents is that is save them time, lots of precious time. Parents can now serve superior home style meals to their babies in less than 3 minutes. The texture of Menus Bébé is not as smooth as the processed baby food. It is important since texture plays a role in experiencing food. The main ingredients are more diverse. The list is impressive in length.

What is the difference?

The quality of the end results is superior because:

• 90% of the pot is the main aliments versus less than 50% in mass produced baby food
• The meal comes in 2 pots: the main dish and the side. The idea is to develop the taste of the baby
• The food is also tastier and contains no additives
• The conservation process is quick-freezing instead of sterilization
• Quick-freezing preserves the colors of the food so there is no need for artificial colorants
• The natural vitamins are preserved as much as possible

Need for diversion

Medical researches proved that the best prevention against diseases is a diversified alimentation. There is no miracle food. Each food has its own function and they enhance each other. Babies, children and adults must eat a vast array of aliments to stay healthy. Think about it!

Eating delicious healthy food improves our quality of life at all ages. Being a gourmet is a part of stylish living. Menus Bébé becomes one element that helps families to live in style and stay healthy. I hope that it is the start of a trend that will cross the Atlantic pretty soon.

Sourcing:
Learn more: Menus Bébe
Top Row Photo credits: Jean-Claude Amiel for Elle à Table No 57

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New parents can save until April 18th, 2008 with the Buy 1 Get 1 free event on their new Birth Photo Announcement Cards. From their design studio in Toronto, Penny People Designs ships worldwide.

Penny People will double the ordered quantity of any Birth Photo Announcement cards if you answer Eupdate to the question “How did you hear from us?” during the checkout process. Offer valid until April 18th, 2008.

The design of the Penny People cards can be changed to suit your taste. So do not worry if you do not like the shown colors, the fonts or the fact that the picture is in black and white. As far as I understand, these design changes cost nothing.

Added Attention

Because Penny People knows that you will be quite busy after the birth of your infant, parents-to-be can receive the envelopes early for an additional $3.00 mailing fee. Therefore, it makes senses to order the birth announcements prior to the arrival of your baby.

Remember that you can order party favor gift boxes with a personalized stickers that match your invites.

Sourcing:
Buy online: Birth Photo Announcement at Penny People Designs – price $2.75 each
Buy online: Personalized Candy Box 2″ x 2″ Box & Sticker – price: $1.25 each CAD
Buy online: Personalized Candy Box 2.5″ x 3.5″ Rectangle with Sticker – price: $1.60 each
Learn more: Blog of Penny People Designs

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Several hip baby brands and stores were founded by style-conscious parents who did not like what big chains are selling. It is also a sign that more people are not ready to give out style because they became parents. As a stylish living advocate, I am thrilled.

If you are attending a baby shower soon, you may want to check out the inventory of Quilt Baby. Founded by parents of two toddlers, Quilt Baby is an independent modern baby bedding and accessory company located in Asheville, North Carolina.

Practical Baby Gears with Modern Style

Quilt Baby provides high quality, practical products to style conscious parents. Their catalogue contains over 20 bold and fun patterns.

The bedding line features crib sets, quilt and pillow sets plus minky blankets. The hardest thing for you will be to select which patterns to buy from between the cutest bibs & burp cloths. Those are baby essentials that new parents never have enough. The adorable onesies are available in short and long sleeve.

Where to shop?

Quilt Baby products are available through several specialized retailers in the United States and one Canadian store located in my home town, Montreal. You can also shop online with retailers from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia. Canadians will be happy to know that Purl Mama & Baby sells the Quilt Baby collection at pair.

Sourcing:
Store locator: Retailers carrying Quilt Baby bedding and accessories
Buy online: Minky Blankets by Quilt Baby – price: mini $20 USD, regular $38
Buy online: Onesies by Quilt Baby – price: $18 Short Sleeve, $24 Long Sleeve
Buy online: Bibs & Burp Cloths by Quilt Baby – price: $16 per bib, $28-$32 for sets
Buy online: Quilt Baby Mobiles – price: $46 USD
Via: Babygadget

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