In The Know Mom

Tralala Inc.: tres chic clothes

Erin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:49:39 +0000

I recently came across Tralala Inc., a unique French designer line of children’s clothes. The pieces are a fusion of French vintage with color and vibrance of American Spirit. Tralala has a huge following and their items are made in limited quantities to boutiques in the US, Middle East and Japan. I was captivated by their Spring 2010 line. The ruffled skirts, embellished tanks, vibrant colors and gorgeous sundresses. Each piece is more adorable than the last. I squealed, yes, squealed when a few Tralala samples arrived. The quality is exquisite and the small unique flares to each piece are truly unique. I was saving the sundress for a birthday party my daughter was attending, the dress was a true show stopper. Adorable vintage design with bright colored flowers and a small sparkly flower sewn into the front of the dress. People were stopping me asking where I found it. She actually refused to take off her yellow capri’s the other night. They were so comfy and adorable, she begged to wear them to bed…and then to school the next morning to show all her friends.

Sarah: I’m literally blown away by Tralala’s apparel. Literally. Like I really blew off my chair. The clothing is amazingly creative, girly, and playful. I love all the little embellishments added to the clothing, really setting them apart from mundane children’s clothing. They are also top quality garments that will last and last. Dare I say I have found my favorite kids clothing line?!?! Could it be?! I can’t wait to purchase more of these beautiful outfits as my daughter really adores them all.

Check out Tralala’s Spring 2010 and Fall 2010 lines here. Unique boutique lines that are truly one of a kind. I guarantee you will fall in love with their items. They just released their Fall 2010 line, so be on the lookout for the pieces hitting boutiques shortly.

photo courtesy f8kids

Special Thanks to Tralala Inc. for supplying samples for review.

Words to Learn From

Erin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:43:53 +0000

I’m hopping on the bandwagon here and wanted to share with you a wonderful idea that was featured on Cristin’s blog, Serendipity. One of their back-to-school traditions is to have each of their children pick a word to inspire them for the school year. Once they pick their word, Cristin has them print their word on muslin with a pencil. She then embroiders every word, adds a little fabric into the embroidery hoop and does a simple stitch across. She hangs them in a small section of their kitchen to inspire them every day. I absolutely LOVE this idea. Give your children small tools and help them learn that they can do anything they put their mind to and to always make personal goals. Love the added touch of them being in the children’s handwriting. So personal.

Bakerella: cowgirl/boy cookie recipe & tutorial

Erin — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:45:02 +0000

The first year we moved into our house, I made a couple dozen mason jars filled with cookie ingredients for all of our neighbors for Christmas. I decorated them with Christmas color fabric and red/green twine. The neighbors all loved them! We promised to do them every year since they were pretty easy. Then…we got lazy. We swore to start them again this year and the recipe/tutorial from Bakerella for their Cowgirl or Cowboy cookies seriously inspired me. They’re so lovely! Check it out on their site here! Get creative. What a wonderful gift for teachers or even as favors for birthday parties or any party! Easy, yummy and gorgeous.

Buckle & Thread Toys: etsy find

Erin — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 03:25:56 +0000

One of our ITKM contributors, Jennifer, has a little one that is obsessed with buckles. Why aren’t there any modern and dare I say, cute buckle toys out there? So many cheesy, bulky and expensive toys, with buckles just slapped on them. I decided to run my search on etsy (love that site) and found some adorable and portable buckle toys by a shop called Claspy. They have three patterns to choose from and the fabric rolls into a small roll that closes by a button (yet another technique for little fingers). You can choose from two styles, either the two buckles and a velcro tab or the two buckles and a thread to sew with. One better for younger and the other better for a little older. Better yet is the $10 and $12 price tags! Check out her adorable creations here. Great toy for long car rides or flights.

Yedi Houseware: polka dot chic travel mugs

Erin — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:16:27 +0000

I have a weird obsession with my travel mugs. I get all possessive over it and absolutely go bananas if someone else uses it. Last time I had this weird attachment, my husband said I was silly and let his friend take my mug (without my knowledge) to the golf course as they played. They returned with no mugs in hand and I stopped breathing for a few minutes. I actually made them call the course to see if anyone found them. Sigh, told ya I was crazy. I recently found my new beloved travel mug from Yedi Housewares. They make these gorgeous Polka Dot Travel Mugs that are made with a double wall porcelain to provide insulation for your hot drinks. The cup is topped with a reusable silicone lid and I’m not letting anyone else use it! The cup is microwave and dishwasher safe (unlike most other travel mugs) and you’ll be saving the environment as you drink your treat in this stylish mug. The lid is perfectly snug on top of the cup and absolutely zero leaks. The cup gets a cozy warm, but never hot, so your hands can hold your steaming hot drink without a sleeve.

I dare you to browse around their items, their whimsical designs are absolutely beautiful. Their Polka Dot Tea Set was just featured in Oprah at Home Magazine. Their Candies line is so simple, yet elegant and fun. Pull these items out the next time you have people over and I guarantee they’ll be complementing you on them and begging to know where you got them. Modern, stylish and trendsetting. Head over to their site here. Hurry though, they’re all selling out fast! Last time I saw them on a sale site, they literally lasted ten minutes. TEN!

Special Thanks to Yedi Housewares for supplying sample mug for review.

Dippy Dop: Hippity Hop

Sarah — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 02:07:25 +0000

The Hippity Hop ball takes many of us back to our childhoods. This kid favorite is sure to be a crowd pleaser. A simple ball with handles transforms into hours of hopping fun. Dippy Dop sells a range of fun hoppers from balls to animal shapes. Not only will these hoppers expel a lot of that excessive energy, but they also require the use of imagination. Many games can be thought up for these Hippity Hops.

The Hoppers come in two different variations and ages. The more stable animal hoppers can for for kids ages 3 and up, like this bunny and reindeer here. How insanely cute are they? And both would be great toys for Christmas and Easter holidays!

The next generation of hoppers are the balls with handles. These require a little more skill, balance, and thought. The recommended age for these hoppers is 6 and up. Kids/adults up 220 lbs. Here we have the classic Dippy Dop Hopper and the Oobi Baby Super 70′s Space Hopper. Both come in a wide variety of colors. Blow them up big or small. We received the new ALIEN hopper that appears to not be for sale yet, so look forward to that release!

Purchase your own Hoppers from Cute-ture.com

Special Thanks to Dippy Dop for supplying sample hoppers for review.

Bella Tunno: fancy, fun, fresh neccessories + giveaway

Lacy — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 23:08:55 +0000

How many times have we, as mamas, encountered situations where we thought,”this is just not working”? Countless times wishing for solutions, or just something better to make those hectic crazy days a little bit easier. Bella Tunno addresses such problems and offers solutions with style.

Bella Tunno is a children and baby neccessory (necessary accessory) company dedicated to the balance of fashion, function and philanthropy. They have a huge celebrity following, and are all the buzz in major cities around the country. It’s simple to see why they have caught the eye of chic mamas. They sell quality made, functional products. Bella Tunno is also committed to donating a portion of every sale to the Matt Tunno Make A Difference Fund. To read more about all of the different charities that the Make a Difference Fund benefits, click here.

Their products range from diapers bags and Little Linkers for your stroller to a Oopsie Ditty, a parent survival kit full of “in a pinch” products. All of these products are fabulous solutions that feature absolutely adorable and fun fabrics, and at an affordable price. Upon looking through their catalog, you will find yourself “ooooo”-ing and “ahhhh”-ing at all the products and thinking,”why didn’t I think of that?!”

Test Tot:

My personal favorite of their products is their Designer Diners. They are portable place mats, wipe-able oil-cloth on one side and a chalk mat on the other, non-toxic chalk included. They come in a variety of fabulous prints, perfect for little boys and girls. Kade will barely sit still at restaurants while we wait for our food. (Yes, we are that family with the children who are so wiggly and fussy at dinner that you wonder if their parents ever feed them.) Just in case you’re wondering, they are well fed:). But the little paper and crayons handed out at your typical restaurant, tend to be more advanced than Kade can understand. He is very coordinated when it comes to his large muscles but fine motor skills are proving to be difficult for my left handed little man. Getting him to sit down and wait for dinner, let alone attempt to do something he’s not interested in, is a recipe for disaster. This is why I love the Designer Diner. He makes sure I have it when we leave the house for lunch with friends or dinner with family. He even insists that he uses it for meals at home. I am so glad that he can be creative and entertained at the same time, all while looking stylish. I have gotten so many compliments on our Diner from waitresses and several moms just passing by. I am so in love with Bella Tunno and you will be too!

BUY IT!

It pays to be an In The Know Mom! Get 20% off your purchase by entering ITKM20 at checkout now through September 13th! Browse the Bella Tunno website and fall in love.

WIN IT!

Giveaway: To win your own Designer Diner, leave us a comment telling us which pattern you would love for you little one. Two Winners will be chosen!

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Contest ends September 5, 2010 at Midnight PST. Winners will be chosen by Random.org and emailed. If they do not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.

Special thanks to Bella Tunno for samples for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

BIT’Z KIDS: adorable Japanese apparel

Sarah — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:46:47 +0000

Founded in 1998 in Kobe, Japan, BIT’Z KIDS has become the largest baby and children’s clothing company in Japan with 130 stores nationwide. They also have 40 stores in China. In 2008, they branched out to us and built their first US store in NYC. Their clothing brings a touch of Japan with a major funky urban twist. With such a wide range of clothing in infant sizes – 8 years, you’re bound to find quite a few great finds! The New York stores are located in the Upper West Side and Tribeca. The Tribeca store has free origami lessons on Thursdays. How fun for the kids!

The clothing is quite interesting and unique. I can also attest to the quality of the clothing as we received a sample sun dress. It’s gorgeous, soft, lightweight, all in all, the perfect summer dress. My daughter pranced around in it all afternoon out a lunch and then to the movies. In the wash the dress did not shrink or do anything weird. Check out what BIT’Z KIDS NYC has to offer.

Thank you to BIT’Z KIDS NYC for providing a sample to review.

Happy Halloween with Nick Jr

Sarah — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 01:38:23 +0000

First off, my daughter is clinically obsessed with this DVD, so parents be aware! Nickelodeon recently sent us the HAPPY HALLOWEEN DVD new for the season. The DVD features all the favorites: Dora, Diego, Wonder Pets, Yo Gabba Gabba, Blue’s Clues, and Kai-lan. Each beloved character gets their own episode on the DVD, keeping the DVD flowing and your child INTERESTED. Believe me. My daughter has refused to watch much else during naps for about a week. I think it may be intervention time. I watched the DVD with her all the way through and I really loved the DVD, even the episodes of characters we don’t watch like Diego and Wonder Pets.

A really exciting side effect of the movie is an extreme glee for the upcoming Halloween season. My daughter will not stop talking about what she wants to dress up as (Kobe Bryant, then mermaid, then witch)… yes I said Kobe Bryant. She likes the Lakers, what can I say? So as a mom who really likes to get into holidays and seasonal changes, slight as they are in Palm Springs, I’m thrilled that she is pumped up.

So my recommendation to all parents of preschoolers is to purchase this DVD for just $12.99. All new, never seen before episodes of all of their favorites. Over two hours of educational entertainment. Show them now to get them amped up for the upcoming holiday, or keep it for a Halloween treat! This DVD is a new release available for purchase tomorrow, 8/24/10.

My daughter watching her favorite Halloween DVD for the 7th time:

Special thanks to Nickelodeon for providing a sample DVD for review.

Tynies: glass collectibles

Sarah — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 20:51:46 +0000

Welcome to the adorable world of Tynies, tiny glass figurines. These highly collectible little animals are super adorable. Way classier than that Beanie Baby craze. These cute little guys are small enough to grow a large collection and not overrun your house. They are so tiny, in fact, that these collectibles are for ages 8 and up. Please keep these toys away from your younger tots.

Each figurine is handmade so the colors and shape may vary. They started out with 40 different styles in 2008, and since then have added more 3 times a year. See some of the newest editions for fall 2010 up top. Each character comes with a 3 letter name. How they’ve managed to come up with so many 3 letter names is beyond me. These make great gifts for older children who love animals and love to collect. And how easy to pick out presents on the next upcoming holidays… simply grow their current collection!

Create your own world with Tynies! To find a retailer near you, click on over to here.