Sweet, Sweet William

Got wind of the fact that charming little Sweet William opened a brand new shop in downtown Manhattan on Kenmare off of Lafayette. What sweet news!

New York mom-to-watch, Bronagh Staley, former editor at Cookie Magazine (if you can't tell, I'm still mourning its' end...), opened the original Sweet William shop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn a few years ago - featuring small and socially responsible labels this boutique offers a unique, natural, and fanciful spot to pick up children's clothing, gifts, gear, and accessories.

I've been long-time loving the fabulous collection - she simply puts together all the greatest out there - and wanted to spread the word and wish her heaps of luck at the new location:

85 Kenmare Street New York, NY 10012 212 343 7301

Here's a little roundup of some of my favorites, so you can get an idea what all the fuss is about!

1. April Showers Dada Wool Baby Shoes

2. Atsuyo Et Akiko Alphabet Sweatshirt

3. Oeuf Moose Hat

4. Wovenplay Ribbon Socks

5. Finger in the Nose Snowbird Down Baby Warmer

6. Tane Organics Mushroom Rattles

7. Kidsonroof Totem Tree

8. Bear Feet Cool Boot

9. Oeuf Sparrow Grey Crib

Fill-in the Blanks

Whilst browsing around for projects, activities, and favors for Freida's birthday party, I came upon some of the most wonderful "blanks" ever! It's such a wonderfully creative venture for children to create "something from nothing" - starting a book (thinking of a story line/pictures), painting a set of dolls (the clothing/the expressions), coloring a puzzle (the challenge level/the color-coordinates), penning up a comic (the illustrations/the bubbles and starbursts) etc. It's just so expressive and inevitably heaps of fun!  Here's a little roundup of my favorites:

1. Blank Board Books

2. Blank Nesting Dolls

3. Blank Comics

4. Blank Hardcover Story Book

5. Blank Jigsaw Puzzle

6. Blank Ragdoll

Potty Up in Here!

Freida's potty arrived yesterday, and I'm suddenly overwhelmed over how big she is getting...! Can't believe my little baby girl is going to start potty training! I remember when I was learning to use the potty!!! How does this happen so fast...??

This whole affair is making me want to buy her this totally awesome T-shirt from Mini & Maximus... Love those guys!!

Fall Festival

On a recent trip to Trader Joe's Freida discovered the pumpkin display and was infatuated with the vibrant colors, shapes, and the different textures. I had been wanting to take her to a pumpkin patch, but wasn't really keen on the obvious atmosphere at those October patches. After seeing how interesting she found the pumpkins, I did some online research and discovered a myriad of "pumpkin patch" spots that were much more "fall festival" than halloween. We trekked out into the hills of Irvine Park Railroad, and had a lovely day of fall festivities! Might as well take advantage of the seasonal events in your neighborhood; there is so much for the children to explore! Freida enjoyed an old fashion train ride through the forest brush, a petting zoo with baby animals (she saw her first peacock!), a walk through a straw maze, lunch on the duck pond, her first free-style pony ride, and plenty of pumpkin exploration! Sometimes it's worth looking around a little to find something a bit more neutral this time of year, rather than skipping it altogether...

The next morning I let Freida mess around with the inside of the pumpkins. She helped me scoop out all those seeds, and I gave her a bowl of them with pumpkin flesh still attached as a tactile activity (she didn't like the feeling much). I roasted the pumpkin in chunks (with olive oil, salt, and pepper) and we had it with dinner that night. The pumpkin seeds make such a great snack (and are loaded with magnesium, iron, and omega -3) - this easy recipe rocks!!

Superheros Wear Sneakers!

Freida is currently into the word "superhero". There was a Yo Gabba episode with that theme recently, and she keeps asking to watch it over and over again. She now runs around the house chanting "superhero, superhero!" and spreads her arms like wings - it's adorable and such a break from her usual "ballerina/butterfly" stint. : )

Found these awesome sneaker accessories - sheer genius!! Forget about the superman sneaks your little hero begs you for, turn any pair of lace-up shoes into super-cute superhero gear! Whether he wants wings to fly or grounded lightening speed; there's an add-on for any super power!!

Superhero Shoe Accessories, from $17 @ Smallfly on Etsy