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CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT: Family. Friends. Hounds. Books. The Beach. Autumn. Cameras. Computer. iPhone. The color orange. Caramel frappucino. The words "dude!" and "nice!". Oh...and world peace ;-)

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30 January 2008

::ready for spring::

It's February...which means Spring is just around the corner! To prepare for Spring showers that bring us flowers, I recommend the following for your little ones.

First, a lightweight raincoat is a must. The classic yellow nylon raincoat is always adorable. But if you are up for something with a little more fun, try the Catimini Spirit City raincoat. The spring flower motif on pure white background is crisp and refreshing.

To keep the little footsies dry and toasty, Aigle makes natural rubber rainboots for kid's size 3 (9 months) to 10.5 (4.5 yrs). Started in 1850 by American Hiram Hutchinson, Aigle (pronounced eh-gleu) has been producing utilitarian boots in France for over a century and a half. Most of the models are handcrafted out of high-quality natural rubber and 100% cotton lining. The soles are removable for washing.

I know it's a bit early, but it never hurts to be prepared.

25 January 2008

::pack-n-play::

Gosh, how I hate our Graco pack-n-play. It's heavy, and it's ugly. It's tackiness on steel legs. Yech!

If I had to do it over, I'd go with the Phil & Ted's T2 Travel Cot. Supposedly, it is so light and compact that you can pack it in your suitcase. It even comes with mesh overhead covering that has a UV protection value of 80. Perfect for the beach! At night, it transforms from a playpen to crib. More importantly, it won't hurt your aesthetic sensibilities or biceps when you use it.

Baby Bjorn also makes a light PNP that weighs only 11 lbs. It folds compactly and unfolds with one single movement. Excellent.

::someone's watching me::

During our visit to New York two weekends ago (Brooklyn in da house!), we brought the entire collection O's "nighttime accouterments" with us--pack-n-play, sound machine, iPod+speakers, nightlights and video monitor.

Miss O was partying until 9:30 every night in her PNP, while we watched her entertain herself on the video monitor. Out of curiosity, we changed the channel of the monitor from A to B. Something freaky happened. All of a sudden, we were watching someone else's baby sleeping! It turns out, the family two floors above Uncle M have twins and apparently the same video monitor. Disturbing.

I love the video monitor, and would never give it up. It's a great way to sleep train the baby without interfering. But if you are very concerned about the security of such devices, I would recommend the Philips LCD 589 Baby Monitor. It is audio only, but it runs on a secure, private connection with a range of up to 900 feet. You can monitor the room temp remotely and the base unit comes with 5 lullabies and a starry nightlight. It is expensive at $200 retail, but Amazon.com (as always) has it for as low as $154.99.

As for the sound machine, I have loaded white noise loops and sounds of the ocean onto OliviPod. Now we can travel with one less thing. Mmm hmmm.

24 January 2008

20 January 2008

::well-made read::

The temp here today never broke 25 F. For Washington, it's a rarity. Architectdad and I decided to take O to the National Gallery of Art. After a short nap inside the West Building, O woke up and found herself surrounded by the modernity of Rothko and Pollock in the East Building.

To pass the time during her nap, Architectdad and I browsed around in the Kids Shop for interesting books and toys for O. There weren't many toys for children of O's age, but we did take notes for future additions. What really caught our eyes are pop-up books by David A. Carter. Each book is a mini scavenger hunt that takes your child through a journey of beautifully-made, sculptural clues. While the books are intended for Grades 2-5, younger children will no doubt enjoy the colorful, calderesque paper sculptures. Just make sure to keep their little fingers away from the pages! The graphic trio--One Red Dot, Blue 2 and 600 Black Spots--are certainly collector-worthy.

Speaking of Calder, O loooved his mobiles and "animobiles." The amazement on her face and the "oohs" and "aaahs" were priceless. Richard Serra's iron sculpture was also awe-inspiring for the mighty O. What a wonderful day this turned out to be.

::stains be gone::

Are you deathly afraid of stains on your baby's clothes like me? If so, stock up on Oxi Clean Baby stain remover spray. It's the best thing since the very first Oxi Clean infomercials that were shown at 3 o'clock in the morning.

The Triumvirate (vomit, poo and blood) are nothing against the mighty power of the Oxi. For complete annihilation, hit the stain twice--load up your HE compatible machine with Oxi Clean liquid. For older machines, try the Oxi Clean powder. Get it, you'll need it.

14 January 2008

::organic at a bargain::

Even though O is already one year old, I still like layering short-sleeved onesies under her street clothes for extra warmth. I browsed through Kate Quinn Organics and American Apparel for plain, organic bodysuits. I have had great experiences with both brands, but am not crazy about the prices. I'm okay with spending a little more on pajamas and outerwear, but $12-$15 for a onesie?! A week's worth of onesies would cost $84-$105 + shipping!

So, on a hunch, I surfed Amazon.com for a bargain. Sure enough, Andrew Christian (through Amazon.com) sells American Apparel organic onesies for $6.25 each! That's almost 50% off! Needless to say, I stocked up ;-) Andrew Christian is located in North Hollywood, CA, so shipping (USPS Priority) to the East Coast takes a little longer (less than a week though).

::kit + lili online store::

Oh yeah, the Kit + Lili online store is now trading! Get your cool patterned, organic Ts, rompers and onesies. They have yet to add the adorable dresses to the online collection. Hopefully it won't be too long!

09 January 2008

::plug it in::

I can hardly contain my excitement. I've found a way to plug O's iPod Video into a portable DVD player! What I mean is, I Googled the topic and someone who is more electronically facile had the answer.

There are portable modules out there--such as the iLuv family of DVD players--that are equipped with an iPod docking station. The only problem is, the docking station does not support the newest Apple products--iPod Classic (6G), iPod Touch and iPhone. What to do?!

Instead, try hooking your Apple video player directly to a portable DVD player. These are the things you'll need:




1. A portable DVD player that has an "A/V in" jack

2.
Any component RCA to 1/8" A/V cable (for DVD player)

3.
An Apple composite cable (for Apple player)

4.
A three-RCA coupler (to connect male DVD cable to male Apple cable)

5. An
iPod which supports color videos (nano, 5G iPod Video, 6G iPod Classic, iPod Touch or iPhone)

With the numerous portable DVD player options available, it is hard to decide which model to buy. Most people opt for a folding model that comes with a rechargeable battery. However, I opted for a flatter version for the car that can be strapped onto the back of the seat headrest. The downside, of course is that you have to be near a plug-in power source to use it. It comes with its own car power adaptor and regular plug.Insignia, Best Buy's own brand made by Toshiba, offers DVD players that comes with dual 7" or 9" flat screens. This model actually comes with it's own FEMALE RCA to 1/8" A/V cable, which eliminates the need for #2 and #4.

Trust me, it works. Should O be watching TV at such a young age? Maybe not. But it certain will keep her entertained during long road trips. Blues Clue's and Teletubbies can't be that bad!