Posts filed under 'product review'
Preggers or not, winter is the perfect time for nesting. You know, tackling those old projects that have been hiding in some dark closet corner. Author and uncluttering expert Donna Smallin has filled The One-Minute Organizer with great tips. It’s helped me start whipping things into order.
The book’s design is perfect for busy moms — or busy anyones. Each page offers a tip or two, and some details, but doesn’t overwhelm. Read a snippet over your morning coffee or other sparing peaceful moments of the day, and then schedule a few minutes a day to tackle a project, or a portion of it. Plus, it’s small — tucks into your diaper bag for reading on the run.
It’s organized into two main sections: Getting Organized and Staying Organized. Within each you’ll learn how to clear out clutter, deal with all that paper, arrange spaces, and how to strategize to get things done and keep them in order — including how to organize your to-do lists and schedules. If you need more details, you might check out Smallin’s larger title, Organizing Plain & Simple (hey, she’s also got books on cleaning, and uncluttering your mind and life!).
This book has helped me organized my out-of-control recipe files (for years, hundreds of them were crammed loosely into folders). I actually now use them; before I could never find them in the mess. I know where all the owner’s manuals are, and my closets and drawers are accessible, thanks to Smallin’s suggestions.
The beauty of the book’s premise is that, if you tackle getting organized just one minute at a time, it becomes do-able, not daunting. Whew, it feels good to get it together.
— Mama Kate
November 18th, 2008
I am a SmartWool junkie — I have drawers jammed with these snuggly socks and I wear them religiously, whether working out, hanging out, going out or sleeping. (Yup, Queen of Cold Feet here, I wear socks to bed even in summer.) And, they’re gloriously itch-free. So, it’s no wonder that I’m smitten with the darling SmartWool booties and socks for babes. The booties come in pairs: Gift them to one tiny, or split them up as part of gifts for two (or twins!). And, the patterns and colors are simply fun. Might as well top it all off with a hat at mitt set to keep them extra warm and dry.
The company itself is also something for conscientious moms to love. Sustainable business practices are important and, well, the product is made from a renewable resource: wool. Ten percent of every Web site purchase goes toward the company’s SmartPrint Advocacy Fund, through which it gives to nonprofit orgs dedicated to stewardship of the environment, healthy lifestyles, youth and responsible outdoors activity. SmartWool’s Breast Cancer Fund donates two percent of sales of its “Pink Ribbon” socks to to nonprofit orgs advocating breast cancer prevention and cure. SmartWool employees also get paid for up to 40 hours annually of nonprofit volunteer time. How smart is all that?
— Mama Kate
November 3rd, 2008
Since I’ve got a plethora of family and friends expecting babies (one any minute now, literally! Go Baby Bradford!), I thought I’d share this snippet of info. It seems a good fit, on the opposite end of the spectrum, with my October 31 bra-fitting post (no pun intended).
Nursing mamas: You DEFINITELY will need and want a nursing tank or two. I had three of them and wore them religiously. I recommend the Glamourmom Nursing Bra Tanks. They were supportive, didn’t give the uniboob effect, and allowed discreet nursing. Part of the strap unsnaps and pulls down (the other part stays over your shoulder and continues to support your breast), while the shirt part of the tank stays down, so don’t have to yank it up and expose your post-prego belly. There’s a hole ample enough for your nipple to peek through, but small enough that it doesn’t expose your breast.
Most people didn’t even know I was nursing when I was wearing my Glamourmom tanks. My cups ranneth over when I was nursing, but I even felt comfortable enough to wear one as a shirt (instead of just underneath a shirt) on sultry summer days. Speaking of hot summer days, Glamourmom also makes a nursing bra swim tankini.
The tanks come in several colors and patterns, and since my nursing days, Glamourmom has added several other products, including nursing tops, the Transition Nursing Bra Tank (more belly room, so it’s great if you’re still preggers!), and slip dresses.
Mama Kate
November 3rd, 2008
Let’s face it, most strollers have insufficient ability to shade our little ones from the strong sun, so what do we do? Shady baby saves the day!
Heather Leslie and Brian Winterling traveled around the world and noticed that people all over the world use parasols to shield themselves and their stroller riding little ones and wondered why the they were never seen in the US. Hmmmmm…
When they returned to Denver CO which, if you didn’t know, has about 300 sunny days per year…..they noticed families with blankets clumsily draped over the sun shades of their strollers to attempt extended sun coverage—they knew they had to do something!
The same year their child was born, their company Shady Baby was born too. They have two wonderful designs of parasols for your stroller which will give you that peace of mind while strolling in the sun with that little babe of yours. Thank you Heather and Brian!!
Mama Jen
September 29th, 2008
At my daughter’s preschool open house, I encountered an interesting substance called PlayFoam. I couldn’t keep my hands off of this stuff and grilled the teachers for where to get it…I found it at a local store here called JT Puffins where you can also purchase it online.
Absolutely incredible—and from what I found online, is superior to a product called Floam.
It is sticky, yet no stick remains on your fingers, truly able to be molded easily, and just plain fun!
I have heard not to try to mix the colors since the playfoam will end up gray, but other than that, my daughter and I will pass a lot of cold days with this stuff—-hard to admit, but I am addicted to PlayFoam and you may join me in my boat!
By the way, for those of you looking for a gluten-free alternative to Play-doh, this is absolutely it!
Mama Jen
September 19th, 2008
We’ve found another kids cup to love: The Safe Sippy by Kid Basix.
Bret Plate, a father of two, was worried about the toxic components of plastics and how they may leach from his kids’ drinking cups and into their beverages. In search of a better alternative, he designedbeverage container of food-grade stainless steel, inside and out. All plastics used on the product are certified or tested free of BPA and pthalates (the company says it pays for independent lab tests to ensure the cups are free of these substances). The interior no-spill valve is made from silicone. Why are there no plastics on this cup, then? As the company says, nobody wants to sip on a steel straw.
The no-spill valve isn’t absolutely leakproof; the company admits that while the valve will prevent major spills, there still will be drips and dribbles when the cup is inverted. I haven’t found a perfectly hermetically sealed sippy cup, so I can live with a few drips. And I appreciate that this one’s easy to put together, and has saved us from those leaks caused by “assembly-mom error.” The removable outer sleeve adds a nice grip-factor for kids, especially if you choose not to use the sleek little handles, and also insulates cold drinks from their little mitts.
The Safe Sippy is easy to clean, and is dishwasher safe. We wash ours the fast, easy and green way: in the recommended solution of baking soda, vinegar and hot water, the same way we wash our other stainless steel containers.
And, well, the cup’s styling is just plain cool. It comes in three great color combinations: stainless steel and orange paired with bright blue, turquoise or hot pink. In fact, it’s so cool, my kids fight over the single Safe Sippy we have. Guess I should finally purge all those plastic cups and stock my shelves with these.
Mama Kate
August 18th, 2008
“I’m obsessed,” said Natalie Bass the first time I asked her how she finds the awesome fabrics and combinations for OrangyPorangy, her line of metro, retro and cool “fine ladywear.” Bass’s skirts in particular are arty, graphic, sometimes even sweet, but never boring — and as a mom on the run with little time for wardrobe/styling, I don’t want to be the latter if I can help it.
“I look for bold, graphic designs that catch the eye, but are not too busy. I love contrast, which is why I pick a lot of black and white prints. They also go with everything,” says Bass. She unearths her ever-changing array of fabrics everywhere, from antiques and thrift shops to e-bay for vintage patterns, and wholesalers for designer prints. “I look for what I like and what I would wear. My clothing designs are very simple; I let the fabric do most of the work. It makes having style easy. You can pair one of my bold, graphic skirts with a very simple top and a fun pair of shoes — everyone has those in their closet.”
“Most of the prints I pick also tend to have a vintage or retro feel. I love fashion from the ’60s; styles were so simple, yet so bold,” Bass adds. Currently she’s got two skirt lines — Poly, made of reclaimed fabrics “for your wearing pleasure,” and Opal, two-tiered with various fabrics — and Jane dresses, “simple, but never plain.” Frankly, I’d buy her stuff just for the cleverness with which she describes it all.
OrangyPorangy skirts flatter all body types. Really. “I have found that the A-line is a miracle of nature,” says Bass. “It looks good on everyone. It’s really comfortable, too.” While she doesn’t do commissions — wedding dresses, for example — she does do custom work, including making special sizes or lengths. She’s also considering making kids’ skirts.
I love that thanks to the cut and the fabulous prints Bass has chosen, I can wear strappy sandals one day with my skirt, and chunky shoes the next. And, of course, black; Bass tries to craft her skirts so they coordinate with that wardrobe staple.
You can find her skirts at OrangyPorangy.com (hey! free shipping all August long!) and around the country in a few hip boutiques. If you live in Madison, WI, on Farmers’ Market Saturdays you can visit her tent at the top of State Street and try them on for yourself. I dare you to walk away with just one.
The tagline on her fashions is reclaimed, recycled, really cute. And, truly, OrangyPorangy’s skirts make me feel terribly flirty in a modern, no-girlish-”frills” sort of way. Hmmm. I think I’ve found a new obsession, too.
Mama Kate
August 7th, 2008
Finding the right nursing chair — ugh, it’s a cunundrum. With decidedly modern taste, I looked high and low to find the right chair. Never did for baby #1; instead, we rocked in a rickety, noisy, rattan number I’d bought right after college. No amount of pillows made it just right comfortwise. And, after my c-section, and then later when great with child #2, it was darn near impossible to get out of. Yeah, there are lots of gliders out there — and they are probably the most comfortable option — but I just could find anything that didn’t scream “traditional.”
If only I’d found Glam Glider (above) by Jennifer Delonge. With a 360-degree swivel and rocking capacity, too. The chair and ottoman come in hip colors (including celery, steele blue, apple green, as well as several more subdued selections). Frankly, I think they’ll fit with any decorating style. Check out the site’s other offerings. The retro-inspired furnishings, kid-size Grace table and stools are just plain fun.
I must tell, you though, that what we did find, right before #2 arrived, was the awesome Storytime Rocker (below, in mocha) and ottoman made by Lawson-Fenning for Nurseryworks. We love it’s solid square aspect and swoop of the wooden legs, and the fact that it’s double-wide — it fits mama/daddy and child, side by side for those long sessions with the Richard Scarry tomes and other faves — and customizable in terms of colors, materials and leg finishes. There’s also a Sleepy Time version, with a higher back that’s perfect for nursing moms, especially during those zombified wee hours of the morning when junior’s at his hungriest and mom’s at her most tired.
Hoping to outfit your nursery in a modernist way? You’ll swoon over some of Nurseryworks other offerings — from cribs and dressers, to bedding and accessories and even super-cool letterpress posters (above) made for for the company by Onethread. Makes me want to have baby #3 just to reoutfit the baby’s room (just kidding, Dear!).
Mama Kate
July 17th, 2008
I like my jewelry to be bold, especially since I usually wear only one piece at a time. And, while it needs to have presence, it’s got to be less than gargantuan, i.e., not so chunky that it fills the entire short/little space between my shoulders and ears.
Enter Stubborn. Artist Melissa Stiles’ pieces are eye-stoppers (and, apparently, people-stoppers — I can’t wear my orange Olicook without being plied with inquiries). Stiles handcrafts her earrings, bracelets, cufflinks, rings and necklaces from stainless steel, aluminum and silver and fills them with opaque resins in hip colors (brown, red, orange, citrine, graphite, even turquoise, blue and pink).
Stiles’ pieces are simple statements. To me they’re perfect modern minimalist objects: They don’t overwhelm, but they demand notice. I like the contrast, too: a bold piece suspended on a delicate wire, the industrial shine of silver partnered with earthy texture and tones of the resins.
Stiles started out as an architect and then became enamored with metal smithing. Now she’s in Portland, Oregon — that hotbed of creativity — and is “no longer an architect, but still stubborn and still making jewelry.” That’s bold, too.
Mama Kate
July 14th, 2008
Look at these amazingly cute, cute, CUTE bath capes! I absolutely love the idea…functional, imagination inspiring and fashionable!
These 100% terry cloth bath capes drape over your shivering little superhero and button in front so your little one can run around hands-free and warm!!! These would solve a big problem in our house—chattering teeth because our daughter’s towel—even though it has a hood— falls off, or is flailing wide open while she is destracted with some fun task her hands have gotten her into. A button would fix that in a heartbeat!
This Chicago based company that hand makes these capes, will emblazon a bath cape for your child and ship the item out two weeks or less from the time of order.
Mama Jen
June 11th, 2008
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