Some Like it Hot

So much for fall in the sukkah; our temp. spiked past 100° this weekend! Good ol' Daddyfroo took Freida out for a Sunday at the shore - ironically, it was daddy-time at Mother's Beach... thanks again, love! (Don't you just love getting mobile video updates of your kids day-out?)

http://vimeo.com/15315574

This heat is unbearable!!! While we swelter (and I can't even believe I'm posting a winter coat now!), I couldn't help but share this totally awesome boys jacket by Patagonia. Outerwear for little boys tends to be on the boring side of the fashion sense, but the graphics on this little number are so hip, and to boot, it is reversible when something calls for a more subtle look (say, shul?). Best part, it's on sale.

Patagonia Reversible Winter Jacket, $63.96

Will.i.am's (Sesame) Street Cred

Someone just forwarded this video to me, and I think it's brilliant! Here's to world renown rappers teaching our little ones some self confidence!! Enjoy!!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyVzjoj96vs]

Bugaboo Does Doubles!

So, about that Bugaboo "Donkey" (Donkey?? seriously?)... 10 years in making has landed us consumers with a super sleek looking ride (bugaboo title worthy), complete with totally nifty mechanics (a sliding telescope mechanism makes the base shrink or expand), heaps of extra storage space (think market to home by foot), and the most narrow double duty on wheels (29"). We're just waiting on a pricetag... : )

The Bugaboo Donkey, debuting in Spring 2011. Read the press release here.

Here's a little peek at some of the optional positions:

A Stroller Saga

There's some new stroller-speak on the street these days... terms like "Urbo" and "Mylo" are now common mom-lingo bywords, overheard at park-playdates and strollersize sessions. I've written previously about the Mylo, but the Urbo is now fresh to the US market, available nationwide sans the exorbitant overseas shipment costs (thanks, Rach!).

Apparently the Urbo has made it to the top of the want-it charts with moms (celebrity and not) wish-listing it as the next big thing. It sure is chic and nimble as it's fame claims, but somehow it got marketed as a cheaper, easier urban stroller... it's claiming to be half the price of other luxe prams and pushchairs, but the truth is the $500 price tag is for the stroller and seat alone. The bassinet will run you another $200 (and adapters for a Graco car seat will run you $60!). So if you've set your heart on this sleek option - don't be fooled by the price. The Mylo, while still running a bit pricier than its' rival, offers all the necessities, but for close to a grand.

In a few words,

Urbo - Pro: aluminum. Con: two-piece fold (how is that any easier than a Bugaboo??).

Mylo - Pro: one-handed, one-piece fold (!!). Con: not available in the US.

Here's their current promotional videos - those of you on the market for a pram can suss it out for yourselves:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKid7zIFwR8]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyV-PhyhFrA]

Calling: Little Pirates and Pixies

Fairy jewels and golden nuggets are just a few of the whimsical trinkets you will find among the goodness at Pixie Toys; a unique toy shop right in the heart of Bixby Knolls in Long Beach. The owner, Heather, moved her toy boutique to this location (down my block!) just when little Freida was born. We've been getting her toy-fix there ever since. My mother-in-law took 2 month old Freida for a walk one afternoon (so this tired mama could sneak in a nap), and she came home gift-laden with all sorts of fantastic goodies (an oball, USA teething rings, a Corolle Minireves...)   from "the new toy store down the block". So it began...

Pixie Toys is chock-full of all those fabulous toy companies (that you won't find in Target or ToysRus), specializing in greener and more sustainable play things. Some of my favorite lines there are: Green Toys, Corolle, Crocodile Creek, Rubbabu, Trumpette, Wikki Stix, Alex,  and Papo. The older girls will go gaga over the abundant collection of Japenese erasers, and the boys will go nuts for the Papo fantasy action figures (a much, much hotter version than playmobile)! And on the way out they can't forget to select a little trinket for good measure from the pirate-booty treasure chest!

Heather is fantastically friendly and always goes out of her way to help me find the prefect baby gift, get down and play tea-party with Freida, and is the most super gift-wrapper I've ever met (thanks, Heather!!). There is just something so gratifying about walking into one store for a unique baby gift, finding the perfect one, having it beautifully gift-wrapped, and writing a card --- all in under 10 minutes! : )

Check out this magical toy boutique next time you're in the neighborhood! Your little one/s are bound to love it as much as Freida does...