I am drooling over these Wallpaper Silhouettes by Inke. Oh, these would look marvelous in little Miss Ella’s room… Available at these locations
(via decor 8)
clothing labeler
Seems like a good idea to me: Clothing labeler, availale at onestepahead.com
manuella travel pillow
Please meet Manuella. She’s a travel pillow. Manuella was designed to take comfort on the go. Your offspring can use the attached straps to tie it on to their backpack, attach it to a chair, or just carry it along. Perfect for cars and airplanes, too! I like Manuella. Available at egiggles.com
designy bibs
Oh these Dwell bibs are so designy…
OFFI mini-drawer doodle desk
OFFI Mini-Drawer Doodle desk: So cool, I want one for myself! Com’on Ella, grow so you can doodle!
Available at designpublic.com
magnetic weiner dog
I like the idea of having a magnetic weiner dog.
shakespeare in diapers
Dress your little ham (or Hamlet) in a thought-provoking onesie, which states: “To pee, or not to pee. That is the question…you know the answer.” The accompanying cap is roomy enough for big brains to think “Deep Thoughts.” Made of 100% cotton. Fits infants who are wiser than their 3-6 months. Imported.
Shakespeare in Diapers: ‘deep thoughts infant outfit , available at uncommongoods.com
games to play mat
I would have LOVED this ‘games to play mat’ when I was a kid. I’ve seen one today at the MoMAstore. It’s soo cool! It’s an oversized game book with zippered sides and a handle and includes six games for two to four players: backgammon, snakes and ladders, checkers, Chinese checkers, mancala, and tic-tac-toe. A zippered mesh storage bag holds the 96 game pieces, and easy-to-follow instructions are included. For ages 5 and up.
Games to Play Mat available at MoMAstore.org
leander bed
While traveling through Europe, I fell in love witha danish crib/toddler bed called Leander. I pretty much spent an entire day driving my husband and my friends V and J crazy, trying to figure out how we could get this beauty of a crib to NYC. I seriously considered schlepping it with us on the plane. You have to understand, I have researched baby beds/cribs for the past 6 months. (Yes, I admit it, little miss Ella is still sleeping in her moses basket.) G and I just couldn’t find a crib that made our heart jump. (Yes, I am very picky!) But the Leander bed got the “THIS-IS-IT-reaction” out of me. It’s the brainchild of Stig Leander Nielsen, who lives near Silkeborg in Denmark. Besides just being plain beautiful, it also is unbelievably versatile. It grows with your childs needs. It starts out as a crib, which then converts to a toddler bed which grows with your child. So smart!
I just got off the phone with a lovely lady over at Leander and she confirmed again, what I already was told, but just didn’t want to believe: They can not sell to the US and Canadian market yet. As their product has yet to be approved. My heart is bleeding. I REALLY want this bed for our little offspring.
Before I had Ella I would dream of handbags and shoes, now, it’s products like the Leander Bed.
mamaponcho
The Mamaponcho is a protective garment designed especially for mothers who love to carry their babies close during the colder months of the year. It consists of a warm pouch for the baby with tow openings, one for the baby’s head and one for the mother’s. The Mamaponcho is made from 100% ecologically friendly and very fine non itching Virgin Wool. It is suitable to be worn over all baby slings and most brands of baby carrier.
You can wear the Mamaponcho already during pregnancy as the opening for baby’s head is sewn together. As soon as your baby is born you can easily unpick it yourself.
Brilliant! Unfortunately a little too expensive for my taste.
(thank you Philipp!)
the splash
This is awesome, a stylish bottle dryer rack! YES! Go Skip Hop! Going on sale mid september!
DIY baby safety gate
Soon baby safety gates will be a reality at casa swissmiss. The ones you can buy at the store are just plain hideous. Thank god my husband is quite the handy-man, can’t wait to show him this Homebrew baby safety gate. Beautiful!
(Thankyou/Merci/Danke Philipp!)
Oil Cloth Chalk Mat
Oil Cloth Chalk Mat: the perfect travel toy for the wee artist. It measures 17 x 12 and rolls up to tie closed. Oh, I WANT ONE! No, not for Ella, for myself!
Available at madallie.com for only $9.95
chalk boarder
Drawing on the walls? Wasn’t that always a no-no? Well that’s just the purpose of the Chalkboard Border. Peel and stick the panels, then decorate with everything from your ABC’s to a doodle to your grocery list. Can’t commit? Remove and re-stick without damaging the walls. Each kit includes chalk and six non-toxic
Chalk Boarder. Available at uncommongoods.com
Backpack Elasto from Haba from Haba
Haba rules! This brand keeps amazing me with their products. Here, my latest discovery: Backpack Elasto. It’s way cute and totally functional. Go HABA!
Flexxxible! This rucksack gets wider and wider when children fill it with books, games and any number of other things. The adjustable straps offers stability. When shoulder straps are tucked away Elasto turns into a carry bag. Tough as a bear Teddy holds on to the rucksack with his Velcro type paws. In his tummy he hides a small zipped pocket. Safety reflectiors attached.
schaukelwiege
ARGH! Why did I not find this 4 months ago, before we had Ella!? This is great! A collapsable cool looking bassinet that turns into a storage device for your kid’s toys. I *love* it.
Schaukelwiege by Hannes Weber und Nikolaus Hartl, available at ‘dasmobel.at’
wallpaper menagerie
wallpaper menagerie: these exotic animals bring any wall to life with retro charm. hand-cut from vintage 60-70’s wallpapers. the do-it-yourself kits contain the animal silhouette, paste, a brush and simple instructions. USA exclusive at ROMP!
chalkboard graffiti storage bench
Chalkboard Graffiti Storage Bench, made of unique erasable, washable vinyl. Available at Target
gelati duck
This little stripy duck made me laugh. Available at my favorite online kids toy store Moolka.com.
sparkability summer sale
Sparkabilty, one of my beloved online store for designy kids stuff, has a sale right now that ends august 31st — 10% off everything. Use coupon code “summer06”. More info here.
we’re having a baby! now what?
Four Five (!!!!+!) of my lovely friends are currently pregnant! And as I am a new mom, they all are picking my brain when it comes to baby gear, baby soothing techniques etc. They all tell me that when you ask a friend who has – let’s say – ‘a 2 year old, they forgot most of it already. I guess it’s ‘nature’ making sure that you forget the rough first weeks and the gear a baby comes with so that you’ll consider having another one. We come with built in denial mode, I love it! So, I sat down and wrote down what I remember. Here’s a(growing) list of “things I’ve discovered as a new mom”…
small roar onesies
Oh-my! (nearly faint) I REALLY love these onesies by smallroar! This one made me smile! Ella needs one – Baaaad! And I fully agree:
It’s not about pinks or blues, ducks or bears. It’s about design, culture and self-expression. It’s about making a statement and wearing it loud. But most of all, it’s about cool clothes for cool babies.
(Thank you Lorraine!)
randoseru backpack
The “randoseru” backpack is a cultural icon in Japan, most schoolkids wear one and most adults consider it a symbol of “school days.” Outside of Japan these small backpacks are appreciated for their boxy roominess and distinctive style by people of all ages.