August 2008 Archives

You may have read The Shoegoddess blog, the highly addictive site about our other favorite accessory, shoes (and if you have not, you must click over asap!) But I bet you didn't know the force behind it is a generous and kind woman (and my dear friend!) who has dedicated her life to her family and her charities. Florence Azria (The Shoegoddess) was born in Paris and currently makes her home in Beverly Hills with her husband, Serge,and her three children. I met Florence two years ago at one of her famous dinner parties; we hit it off immediately-- both of us loved pink and one of us (me) loved the homemade cake (hers). If you have ever experienced Florence's culinary creations, you will know why I beg her to fed ex me cake all the time!

But Florence is known for more than her vast shoe collection and culinary skills, she is a huge supporter of A Place Called Home-- a privately funded organization that keeps children off the streets in South central Los Angeles. She teaches cooking there and has opened a forum for women eager to express themselves and find comfort and support in keeping their children out of gangs. All proceeds from The Shoegoddess blog goes to A Place Called Home. Now isn't that a cause worthy of new Louboutins?

We all love cake but I think there are some new moms who would appreciate not having cake brought over for a while.  Although I loved (and devoured) the Sprinkles cupcakes my sister got for my second daughter's baby shower, now looking at my rear and gut, this might have been a better option!  These amazingly beautiful cakes from Babycakes of Scottsdale are in fact new born essentials make into a cake!  The 2 Tier Girls Set is $350 and includes 1 Blanket, 12 Onesies, 6 Wash Cloths, 2 Sleepers, 12 Receiving Blankets, 1 Skull Cap and 6 Burp Cloths.  There is of course a boy set as well.  If you have someone REALLY special to shop for, the 3-Tier Girl Set  has 1 Sun Hat, 1 Cuddle Blanket, 3 Sleepers, 12 Onesies, 2 Dresses, 6 Wash Cloths, 2 Skull Caps, 6 Burp Cloths, 3 Pairs of Socks, 2 Pacifiers, 1 Pair of Booties and 12 Receiving Blankets for $415.  I know what you're thinking, you are going to try to make this for your best friend or sister, right?  I think it is money well spent to just get the actual piece of art and spend your time fighting with those who want to take over the throwing of the shower with too many opinions.  You know what I'm talking about.

Who can forget that mix of excitement and nerves we all inevitably felt when it came time for back-to-school season? Luckily these days if there's one thing you don't have to worry about it's finding cute wears for your little one! I remember when I was younger my mom always gave me a cone shaped box called a "shule tute" -- it's a German tradition to give these huge cones filled with goodies to your kids when they start their first day of school. My mom was always obsessed with dressing me up when I was younger and it's fun today to wear some of the cute charm bracelets and necklaces that helped get me excited for the start of school (unfortunately not all of them still fit!). Even at a young age I was assertive about what I liked to wear (my grandmother once told me she went shopping with me and at the register she asked "are you happy that I'm getting you this dress?" and the story goes, I responded -- "you can buy me the dress, but I'm not going to wear it" -- ouch!). You should get no such reaction if you check-out the Matilda Jane Fall 2008 Sack Lunch collection! Uber cute!! The line has 30 quirky pieces (knit dresses, tops, pants, skirts, leggings, outerwear pieces, and accessories), for children aged 6 months to 12 years. I love the fun prints and silhouettes -- such a fun way of mixing prints, colors, and shapes (plus I love the touch of hippy feel!). You can check-out the whole line Matilda Jane!

If you want to know if cutting sandwiches into cute and interesting shapes will make your kids eat their lunch, the answer is an emphatic YES!!!!  I used cookie cutters and made heart PB&J and turkey and cheese that apparently tasted much better than square versions of the same things.  (Quick side note:  if peanut butter is banned at school due to allergies, try Trader Joe's Sunflower Seed Butter, super yummy, almost better than peanut butter!).  The problem with cookie cutters though is that they are too thin for sandwiches so you have to cut everything separately, you can't do it after it has been assembled.  As you can see, these are nice and deep.  But there are more benefits that make this a worthy buy, see those blue and pink rims?  They aren't just there to be pretty, they protect your palms from being indented and injured during the pushing down cutting process.  But what is most outstanding is that these are designed to maximize the sandwich surface so there is minimal waste.  Yes, of course there is still some waste (mostly crust) but that goes down the garbage disposal, aka Dad.  Get the Daisy shape or Train shape at Williams Sonoma for $9.95 each.

Gwen and Gavin welcomed their second child to the outside world yesterday! A little boy,Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale was born at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, weighing a healthy 8.5 pounds. Congrats! I am sure we will get pictures of the little lamb very soon, stay tuned. This picture was taken last month, in case you think she still looks pregnant. We all know she is going to get back to her tight abs in no time.

There is nothing more precious than the pictures you take of your darling tots so of course you have to appropriately display them in beautiful albums.  I thought it was cute to use those baby albums with onesies and cribs on the cover but then I realized that photos last a lifetime and unfortunately, babies grow up =(  The albums from Rag and Bone are timeless but still bright, vibrant and fun!  Their new design, Little Lion, has a childlike flair but is not strictly Romper Room.  They have a ton of designs that are fitting for any occasion, afterall, we do have a life outside of our kids, don't we?  Pocket brag book is $34, holds 40 pictures.  The 4x6 photo binder is $52, holds 128 pictures.

What do you think is the most fabulous of Tot Snob's picks? Play the fun Brackets Game and see what you end up as your ultimate Tot must have! And let us know how you do!

Oh Splendid Littles how do I love thee!!  I love them for myself (I live in their tights!) and the love them for all the tots I buy for (including gifts).  And trust me, they are always appreciated, highly appreciated.  The Splendid Littles will always what you grab first, as soon as they come out of the laundry.  And if you thought they were only for girls, you can jump for joy that the boys' selections are equally adorable and have the same extreme comfort.  The softness cannot be expressed in words, it is as if they somehow were able to replicate supple, smooth baby skin into thin, soft cotton.  The Splendid Littles Little Boy's Striped Tee is $44 and Splendid Littles Little Boy's Drawstring Pants are $51.

Growing out of Robeez softies?  You have to get the next stage Robeez Mini Shoez for stumbling little walkers.  My one year old was wearing "fashion" shoes but now that she is learning to walk, she needs something that is made for this stage, shoes that will give her ankle support as well as have a soft sole.  The soles are thin, soft rubber with treads for traction.  The strap across the top (or laces, depending on style) give support on the top of the foot, which keeps the shoes on as they twist their feet against the floor.  Her cute ballet slippers and moccasins were actually a hazard because she would twist her ankles and come out of the shoes.  These also have elastic heels to further grib on the foot.  But don't think these are at all binding or restrictive, they are completely soft and as comfy as can be.  Miss Weeble Wobble now will actually take steps in shoes whereas before she would only walk barefoot.  Goes to prove that these ARE like being barefoot!  They come in a variety of styles and colors, the ones shown here are the Party Mary Jane for $34.95 and the Classic Laces Boots also for 34.95 (actually, all the Mini Shoez are the same price).

It is time to stock up for next Spring/Summer with this super whopper 75% sale at Tue Child. Everything from SS is on sale with code"fsc75". Start shopping now.