I guess Jude's pal Maisy Mouse has become quite the star lately. If you are unfamiliar with the joys of Maisy Mouse, let me direct you to this primer about Maisy from Mimi Smartypants.
Maisy now has her own show on Noggin and lots of merchandise brandishing her likeness... in the UK. The U.S. is a bit slow on the uptake apparently. This lovely little Sigg water bottle came from the adorable UK site jollyanduseful.com.
I'm mildly obsessed with vintage tattoo art. It comes from lingering around Grimm's Tattoo Parlor in K.C. on one too many occassions. If it weren't for my inability to make a decision, I'd probably be sporting one somewhere on my body.
These kid tees from Rock Your Baby are perfect for non-committal folks like yours truly.
On a side note: I don't want the products here to be too U.S.-centric. As such, this company is from Australia and ships internationally. Find them here >
I can't look at these counter-culture sneakers without singing "Rock-n-Roll High School" by the Ramones.
Jude's are brown (underneath the mud from our latest trek) but they also come in a rainbow of colors. A far cry from the basic blacks Joey wore, God rest his punk rock soul.
Currently available for purchase at Converse.
I'll just be candid: I HATE kid's rooms with corporate cartoon art themes. I don't want my child's sheets to match his Happy Meal toy du jour.
Thumbtack Press is a wonderful remedy to cookie-cutter kid decor. They feature unique artwork by top illustrators. You can buy just a print or get it framed, matted and shipped for a nominal fee.
I especially love this one by Mark Frauenfelder for its irreverant subject and vibrant colors, but there are many other artists to choose from.
The Nest by Mozzee is yet another high-dollar item for my fantasy home. Hey if it's good enough for Brangelina's kid, it must be AMAZING, right?
I love the modern lines. So many highchairs are better suited for the Colonial House set.
Currently available for purchase at Modern Nursery. This is the limited edition orange, but it also comes in black or white.
After reading this book about a rooster that doesn't know how to crow, Jude went around for a week crying "Yum Yum Bugs!" I regret not recording that for teenage blackmail material.
He received this as a gift from his Aunt Tina and Uncle Chris. It is one of the few books I haven't gotten sick of reading and the illustrations are beautiful. Definitely spring for the hardcover, it's a new classic.
Currently available online at Amazon.com.
I may be setting the stage for Jude to run away and join the circus by getting one of these. The Stacrobats are so adorable and may actually help with his manual dexterity. I think that skill is supposed to help them tie their own shoes or crack safes, I can't remember which...
And most important to a mom in a home overrun by little people, trains and Legos, they come with their own storage case. Someone was usin' their noggin that day.
We are in the first stages of the potty-training journey with Jude. I've discovered that there are an amazing number of books dedicated to the topic of bodily functions.
The act of sharing this bestselling children's book published by Kane/Miller has given me the right to type the word "poop" in my blog twice without shame.
If I had read "Everyone Poops" (that's three times now...) as a kid, I suspect this wouldn't have quite the same taboo thrill. That would probably be a good thing.
Blabla has such adorable handmade things that one post doesn't do them justice. I really love the charming child-like embroidery of the alpaca lion sweater.
The NameVoyager is a cool, FREE, online tool that will help you find just the right baby name.
Not sure if you want your kid to be one of six Shakiras? Please, please, please give it a whirl...
Taken from their site:
The Baby Name Wizard's NameVoyager is an interactive portrait of America's name choices. Start with a "sea" of nearly 5000 names. Type a letter, and you'll zoom in to focus on how that initial has been used over the past century. Then type a few more letters, or a name. Each stripe is a timeline of one name, its width reflecting the name's changing popularity. If a name intrigues you, click on its stripe for a closer look.
