December 2008 Archives

Update- The Pleo was my trainer's son's toy-- I've corrected my typo. And it seems I will be eating my words as my 4 year old son has been diagnosed with severe allergies to cats and dogs and I'm not considering other options. Will this make a suitable pet for children with allergies? I've always grown up with pets and to imagine my son's life without the love of a cuddly pet is making me very distraught... any advice from our mom snobs out there?

My pilates trainer brought her son's pet dinosaur Pleo to our session today. I was so disturbed by it and how she treated it-- like it was a real puppy or something. She kept picking it up to cuddle and coo at it and told me with an earnest face that if Pleo does not have a nurturing environment, he will lash out and retreat or develop a mean personality. Uh okay.

Apparently it is an emotionally intelligent toy and has motion sensor cameras all over it to detect your movement and respond to your touch. Stroke his head and he'll arch his back, touch his mouth and he'll suckle on your finger, or call out to him or shine a light on him-- he reacts the way we do-- through his senses. He also plays tug of war, growls in response to your voice and shuffle alongside your tot to explore. All sounds great, right? Except it's really really bizarre. From the site "Every Pleo is autonomous. Yes, each one begins life as a newly-hatched baby Camarasaurus, but that's where predictability ends and individuality begins. Like any creature, Pleo feels hunger and fatigue - offset by powerful urges to explore and be nurtured. He'll graze, nap and toddle about on his own -when he feels like it! Pleo dinosaur can change his mind and his mood, just as you do."

Oh, and the Pleos will socialize and play with each other. I'm just wondering if one day they will plot to take over the park from their toddler masters. Creepy! What do you think of the Pleo? Creepy or Cuddly?

Me, I'd take the $349 and buy a real pet from the SCPA-- why have a robot when you can save a real animal? At Pleoworld.

Throw a hat on a tot and you instantly have the sweetest most adorable thing in the world. My favorite pictures of my girls are of them in some cute, funny hat. Like any of these from Muddy Cloud. They are brightly colored in a nondescript animal character, or not even animal, this green one kind of looks like an apple but they are unique and delightful. The name Muddy Cloud and the philosophy behind it is meant to spark the imagination with creations that can be interpreted differently by everyone, like shapes in the clouds. With this cold weather, you can be sure your tots will want to keep these hats on. Each character also comes with mitten and dolls. The hat is $22, hat and mitten set is $32 and the dolls are $18, at Muddy Cloud.

Here is a super amazing jacket from Dior that is completely boy-like instead of the fancy boy look that all the luxury designers do for boys. It has a removable hoodie so it is 3 looks in one and it is now on sale so it is a super great buy. This jacket is all designer with all the luxury details like the fitted silhouette with elastic waistband in the back for a tailored fit. This is a lightweight jacket (100% cotton) and with the various options, can take you through different seasons. At Children Salon for $185-240 (price dependent on size).

The Coyuchi organic cotton hooded French terry baby towel ($44), makes a great first towel for your baby!! It comes courtesy of Vert Boutique which is a fabulously luxe boutique in Venice California that's all about eco-friendly beauty picks! Everything the store carries is all-natural and supports an eco-friendly lifestyle. They also periodically offer educational seminars and workshops. I love this organic cotton George hooded bath towel because it's simple and clean -- it comes in white and is decorated with an embroidered flamingo in red and yellow -- so cute!

Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas and holiday season. And hopefully you have everything you want waiting for you under your tree. We had yet another amazing year. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all your support and love. Have a safe, fun and incredibly well dressed New Years =)

Love always,
Tot Snob Kelly and Tot Snob Tina

A black chandelier for a tot's room may not seem like the obvious choice but it is fun and fabulous! If you are choosing a super girly girly room, like the vintage country chic look that Serena & Lily shows in their book, Nursey Style, it would be the perfect accent to give the room some depth and longevity - it takes it from pastel baby central to a sophisticated room girls of any age will appreciate. Maura Daniel has a full collection of lighting, so if you want to stay traditional, the Silver Sphere drop light is beautiful and timeless. There are also coordinate sconces for every style in the collection. The Elizabeth Chandelier in black is $718 and the Chloe Sphere in silver is $338, both available at Layla Grayce.

I know I am only getting this because of how much I love Missoni for myself. In fact, my entire family has this obsession with Missoni so it is the selfless thing to do to include my girls in this tradition. Besides, how can I possibly resist this adorable little dress? And the matching cardigan is just way over the top fabulous! Love love love!! The cardigan is totally versatile and will make any simple outfit super chic and stylish. The colors and pattens on the knit are perfect for tots - bright and dynamic! Missoni Signature Cardigan is on sale for $148.56 and Signature Knit Dress is also on sale for $187, both available at Children Salon.

Right Bank Babies has the most uniquely adorable designs with international allure. Everything is reversible with beautiful luscious fabrics in Asian inspired silhouettes. You can mix and match all the patterns to create original looks that are sophisticated but still perfectly childlike. In fact, tots love to wear opposing colors and patterns because their minds are unrestricted from our world of order and standards. That's why I especially love this line, it reflects that freedom and open mindedness that we all wish we can retain from our youth =) The Moppet, wide leg reversible pants, are $55 and the Oscar, reversible jacket is $55.

Multi-cultural is the norm now and I bet any tot would love these Culture Club Kids dolls with so much unique character and style. There are 3 characters to choose from, Chizu, Ines or Layla, $12 each at My Princess Closet.

Give organization and charm to a special tot with this School House Storage Unit. The top is a chalk board for creative drawing or labeling and the bottom has 4 storage compartments to keep things off the floor! Measures 36" tall by 23" wide and 15" deep. This is a gift for the parent as well as the tot =) At The Beans Closet for $320.

What tot does not love ride on scooters? For the younger tots, it helps them learn motor skills and gives them a taste of how life changes when they are mobile. This adorable and eco-friendly wooden Bunny Scooter is sturdy and of heirloom quality. Measures 22" x 13" w x 19" h. Comes in a variety of colors, $188 at Arte Bebe.

What could be more fun than reading to a tot about himself! This book of wonderful adventures is customizable to include details from his life, including friends and family members. It is so much fun and the perfect gift for the tot who already has way too many toys (I guess that would be most). $32.95 at Custom Made For Kids. Tot Snob readers can enjoy a 15% discount with code: "custom15".

Seriously, the hardest part of traveling with little tots is the car seat situation. For my long haul from LA to Taipei, I got a seat for my 16 month old but that meant bringing on her giant, really heavy Britax. Once in Taipei, we took a quick 1 1/2 hour flight to Hong Kong so I opted for the lap. Did you know you still have to pay for lap babies on international flights? It is about 25% of the price of an adult ticket, which is ridiculous since they weigh less than your average suitcase. Anyway, on my flight to Hong Kong the flight attendant gave me a seat belt extender that attached to my seat belt then went around the baby like a normal seat belt. This is much safer than just holding with your arms - and you should NEVER belt the baby in with you, in the event of a mishap, you will crush your baby!! Or what if you fall asleep and let go of the baby accidentally? I have never seen this when traveling domestically so when I got home I started researching to find something similar but I found something way better! This works the same way, it attaches to your seat belt but it has an entire vest harness instead of a single lap belt so it distributes the impact over the entire torso. You can rest easier knowing that if you fall asleep, your baby will be happily tethered to you! Makes a great gift for the family on the go. The Baby B'Air Flight Vest Travel Harness is $25.95 at Amazon.com.