Chelsea Kaplan’s Musings About Life... After Birth

Even though D.C.’s been experiencing the rainiest summer we’ve ever had in like, a million years, I still need to water the herbs I’m growing on my deck every so often. I’ve got thyme, basil, mint, oregano and rosemary, which all look quite pretty. If only I actually used them when I cook. I’ll get on that eventually.....

Watering cans, though exceptionally practical and necessary, are tough to store - especially when storage space is a premium, which is the case at my house. Because their shape is weird (namely, because their spouts stick so far out), they take up a lot of room. Additionally, their awkward shapes can make for difficult filling - when doing so, you gotta angle them in some weird way to make them fit under your faucet because few actually can sit inside your sink bowl. Annoying, right? Well, at the beginning of the summer, I found OXO’s Pour and Store Watering Can at my local hardware store, and it is rocking my world, thanks to its long spout, which swivels both out to water and back inside towards the body of can, making it all neat and compact for filling and for storage.

Here it is “regular”:

and here it is “tucked in”:

These watering cans come in all sorts of pretty colors (I have the blue) and sizes. A 1-quart “mini” size will run you 9.99 on amazon.com, whereas the 2.11 gallon big daddy is $24.99, also on amazon.com.

Every now and then, I do find that the little things make me happy. Imagine that.

A few weeks ago I wrote about what I believe to be the cutest kids’ stationery ever. This week, I’ve got something for us, mamas.

Again, I’m somewhat obsessed with stationery. Therefore, for me to label a particular brand as my new favorite - well, that really means something. In researching for the upcoming personalized stationery piece I’m writing for The Family Groove’s October issue, I came across the sweet, cheeky, handmade papergoods from Angeline Tsao of Cake + Milk Paperie and instantly fell in love.  The hallmark of Tsao’s designs is her use of fabric; many of her products are adorned with ribbon or shimmery thread, like her adorable Ribbon Note Cards, for example:

...and also the Swen Ricrac Custom Stationery:

Tsao’s other designs are equally magnificent - you must check them out and get some for your very own or, if you’re feeling in the mood to give as opposed to receive, for a friend. Once you find something that strikes your fancy, type “The Momtourage “ in the “How’d you hear about our shop?” box during checkout because Tsao’s offering The Momtourage a great little freebie: set of Shimmery Flats and envelopes in your choice of color (just type that in the box too) with purchase of any personalized stationery. This offer is only good through 8/15, so don’t dilly-dally, sisters.

Write on!

When it comes to most things, I am not brand-loyal. I dip my fries in Heinz ketchup as well as the brand from my beloved Trader Joe’s, alternate between Chanel, Prescriptives and Lancome mascaras and wrap my kids in both Pampers and Huggies. For a select few items, however, I will use one brand and one brand only. Car seats are one example of such a product; when I buy a car seat, it’s Britax and Britax only.

The reason why I love Britax car seats are simple: they’re super sturdy, easy to install, comfortable (at least my kids never complain about them) and, most importantly, consistently receive the highest safety ratings from Consumer Reports. Though they’re not the least expensive car seats available, I have no problem justifying spending a little extra on something so important. The rest of The Momtourage, it seems, agrees. Nearly all of our kids ride around in Britax Marathons:

Recently, Britax introduced a new product, the Frontier Combination Harness-2-Booster, a seat for when your child is ready to make the transition from convertible car seat to a booster. It can be used two ways: if your child is at least two years old and weighs between 25 and 80 pounds, you can use it strapped in as you would a traditional forward-facing car seat. If your child is between 40 and 100 pounds, the combination seat can be used as a vehicle seat belt-positioning booster. All in all, it provides eight harness positions and three buckle strap positions, and includes the Versa-Tether, HUGS and premium LATCH connectors. In terms of what the seat itself offers, it’s got rotating, soft armrests, adjustable head support that also serves as sleep support for the child and retractable cup and snack holders.

I’ve seen the product, and it’s fantastic - just like all of Britax’s other products. When it comes time to get a booster, you know which one’s going in my car......

Want to win a Frontier of your own? I’ve got two to give away, as well as two Marathon Convertible Car Seats! In order to be eligible to win, you must be a member of The Momtourage’s Mailing list, so click on the green “Join Our Mailing List” box at the top, left-hand side of this page for a chance to win. Winners will be chosen on July 15 and notified by email. Good luck!

Currently, I am working on a personalized stationery story for The Family Groove’s October issue, and having a blast coming up with recommendations for the best, coolest and most adorable paper goods and websites that sell them. Personalized stationery, it just so happens, is one of my all-time favorite things. Perhaps it is the southern gal in me, but I just adore a nice little monogrammed thank-you note card.

I’ve discovered some great new sites and products that you’ll be able to check out in September, but I have to give you a sneak preview of one of my favorites, Sara and Abraham, a retailer I discovered courtesy of Atlanta (my hometown) Momtourage member Sloane, who sent me a set of their cards when baby #2 was born. Designed by owner Sara Tams, Sara and Abraham notecards and products are breathtakingly sweet and beautiful, not to mention exceptionally well-priced. Most of her designs feature silhouettes, which you can customize to best represent your kids by choosing from a large selection of “children”. Additionally, with most products you can select from a variety of color options:

Here’s a sampling of some of the products I find especially gorgeous:

Thank you to everyone who has been sending me emails telling my how much they’re loving their Handy Sacks. Don’t they totally rule? I’m telling you, the seriously eliminate that annoying diaper bag/purse chaos. If you haven’t purchased one, you can still get them at Divas and Drooligans - and if you use code MAYGROOVE15SAVE, they’ll knock 15% off the price!

Here’s another recommendation and chance to win something else I love from Divas and Drooligans. First, however, a little background:

I have a minor obsession with bibs and burp cloths. I can’t get enough of them. Especially when you’re outside the house, there’s just something nice about throwing a cute little cloth (as opposed to a schmutzy rag) over your shoulder - even if its purpose is to protect your clothes from you baby’s puke. Likewise, to me, fastening a cute little bib on my baby just feels far more civilized than a stained, crappy one. Don’t get me wrong - I understand that baby gear is not always gonna look pristine, but you can at least try to avoid falling into the ratty bib trap. Basically, I see bibs and burp cloths as the baby gear equivalent to an adult’s sweatpants; you can go old and comfy, and that’s totally fine, but with just a little extra effort, you can avoid schlumpiness.

When it comes to the kinds of bibs and burp cloths I like, I have two favorite styles: monogrammed/personalized ones (that’s the Southern in me), and groovy, whimsical ones (That’s the former NYC gal in me). There are all sorts of places to get great-looking monogrammed/personalized bibs and burp cloths (my personal favorites are The Cutest Things and Moonbeam Baby). For whimsically cute ones, however, I love these the chenille-backed sets from Divas and Drooligans:

Tune in to Baltimore’s WBAL-AM tomorrow at 11 a.m. EST and 8 p.m. EST to hear my suggestions for some super cool Mother’s Day gifts. To listen in live, click here and the click on the red “listen live” box in the top left-hand area of the page.

Heres‘ what I’m recommending you consider getting your favorite mom:

1) If she’s a gardening mama....

Year of Seeds

This kit includes 12 months worth of easy-to-grow seeds (specifically, petunias, marigolds, pansies, lobelia, alyssum, zinnias, impatiens, baby’s breath, dianthus, cosmos, poppies and sweet peas), organic soil and 12 cute little clay pots with trays.
$75, redenvelope.com

2) If she’s a music-loving mama...

Juno CD
What’s just as charming as last year’s indie hit “Juno”? Its sweet, indie soundtrack. With tracks from The Moldy Peaches, The Kinks and SonicYouth, it’s sure to get plenty of airtime in Mom’s car or on her ipod.
$11.96, bn.com.

3) If she’s a centered Earth mother...

Recycled Yoga Bag
For the Zen mama, there’s no gift like this recycled Yoga bag made in Cambodia from recycled rice and feed bags. Originally, this material was used to carry commodities in Southeast Asia, but it has been dyed and refashioned into a colorful, durable bag by disadvantaged Cambodian workers. The proceeds from each handmade, certified fair trade bag will help provide for these workers. Cute and charitable.

$35, uncommongoods.com
4) If she’s a cookie bakin‘ mama...

Personalized Silicone Spatulas
What do you get for the baker who has everything? A set of her own personalized (along the lines of “Sherry’s Kitchen") pink silicone spatulas! Ideal for mixing, stirring, scraping and folding, these three handy kitchen essentials are molded from flexible silicone that won’t chip or crack. Able to withstand heat up to 800°F, the heads are removable for cleaning in a dishwasher, and they feature round maple handles, which provide a more comfortable handhold. Don’t forget that this just may be the gift that keeps on giving (read: more cookies for you!).
$27.50, williams-sonoma.com

6) If she’s the queen bee of the house...

Helen Ficalora Crown Necklace
For the mom who truly rules both house and home, treat her like the royalty she is with this gold and diamond necklace. If she’s more of a no-frills queen, opt for the (slightly less expensive) version without diamonds.
$260 and $185, helenficalora.com

The BPA issue I previously wrote about continues to be a major concern for parents everywhere. I still recommend reading up on it, y’all...what’s more important than the health of your kids?

Momtourage member Amy again delivered, sending me these sources for info on products containing BPA:

This is a link that has a list of which products have BPA and which products are BPA-free...if you click on the name brand you can find out which bottles/sippy cups/etc are safe or not:

http://zrecs.blogspot.com/2008/02/z-report-on-bpa-in-infant-care-products.html

And for those that have toddlers, here’s a link to a list of sippy cups that are bpa-free:

http://zrecs.blogspot.com/2007/05/sippy-cup-showdown-safer-bpa-free-sippy.html

I’ve lamented many times about how I long to cease carrying a diaper bag and resume ownership of a cool purse. Alas, it’s not gonna happen anytime soon - especially now that I have two children, both of whom require totally different “stuff”.

In the abyss that is my diaper bag, I have all sorts of crap - diapering essentials, a bib, a burp cloth, toys, bottles, sippy cups, snacks, a little bag for myself (with Advil, lip balm, MAC Blot Powder, Kleenex, etc.), my cell phone, my wallet, pacifiers...see why I still have to carry one? As the snacks crumble and the cups spill, things get all schmutzy and/or wet, and often, the big stuff pushes the little stuff to the bottom, making it all hard to dig out. Annoying.

One solution I’ve found to help keep my diaper bag organized (and its contents protected) is The Handy Sack. These functional and fashionable pouches are made of commercially coated cotton (they come in all sorts of cute patterns) that is stain and water repellent, so they - and their contents - won’t get ruined by an exploding bottle or smashed pack of Saltines. The front is clear, so you can see exactly what’s inside - spoons, toys, passies - whatever - and you’ll always know when you need to restock it. They’re great for travel too - just stash all of your child’s toiletries in it and you’re good to go.

To purchase your very own Handy Sack, visit divasanddrooligans.com. They retail for $22.95 each, but if you use promotion code April15FamilyFUN, you can get 15% off! Want to win one? Send your name, address and kids’ ages to me at chelsea@themomtourage.com.

Freaked out by the plastic baby bottle scare? Me too. Recently, an article in Parents Magazine (thank you, Momtourage member Alison) quoted a noted pediatrician as advising parents to be concerned about the potentially harmful effects of Bisphenol A (BPA), the building block of hard, polycarbonate plastic that are found in the baby bottles and kids’ drinking cups made by major manufacturers. Though scientific research has shown that small amounts of BPA can cause abnormalities in the mammary and prostate glands as well as in the female eggs of laboratory animals, the FDA is claming that bottles and drinking containers made with BPAs are safe (more on that later). Regardless, many parents (like yours truly) are starting to think it’s better to be safe than sorry when choosing what types of drinking containers to purchase for their kids. As a result, the demand for glass or BPA-free bottles and drinking cups like those made by manufacturer Born Free have dramatically increased.

This afternoon (Thursday) at 1:20 PM EST, I’ll be joining Broads Molly and Christine of XM Radio’s “Broadminded” (tune in on XM Channel 155!) to discuss BPAs and the potential dangers of many hard plastic baby bottles and kids’ drinking cups. I’ll be bringing listeners the latest report on the subject from the FDA (they say not to worry, but beware - they get loooooots of pressure from the deep-pocketed plastics lobby to say that stuff....) and also from Ron Vigdor, founder of Born Free, makers of BPA-free baby bottles and drinking cups (Born Free’s products, which are produced in Israel, are made of Polyamide PA, a form of nylon, instead of polycarbonate-containing plastic).  I’ll also be bringing in all sorts of Born Free products to give away to listeners.

Missed the broadcast but still want to win some Born Free bottles or drinking cups? Born Free has generously donated a bunch of their products for me to give away, so send me an email at chelsea@themomtourage.com and include your name, address, and kids’ ages and you’ll be entered into a drawing to win! Additionally, you can purchase Born Free products at newbornfree.com, cvs.com, diapers.com, babiesrus.com and at Whole Foods stores nationwide.

Yesterday, Momtourage member Lauren ran into a woman who was in the new moms group we joined shortly after our first babies were born. “Oh Chelsea, she looked like such a....mom," Lauren reported, shuddering. Though I probably should have been filled with indignation to hear “mom” used to signify “dowdy/schlumpy”, I wasn’t; I knew exactly what Lauren meant, because, admittedly, I’m guilty of using “mom” pejoratively too.

Sadly, these days “mom” (think “mom jeans") is all too often used to mean “dumpy”. Blame it on SNL’s “mom jeans” faux ad (tagline: “Because you’re not a woman - you’re a mom!") - or the reality that when you’re pushing a stroller, doing so in sweats and Pumas as opposed to a Michael Kors shift and Prada pumps is, let’s face it, a heck of a lot easier.

I remember watching - and loving - contestant Laura Bennett on Project Runway a couple of seasons ago. She was the redheaded mother of like, 500 (ok, 6, but that’s essentially 500) kids, yet she always looked impeccably put-together. Essentially, she was the anti-”mom”. “If I am dressed dumpy, I am going to eat badly and act dumpy,” she said. “It’s such a simple thing to get dressed and feel better about yourself.” Perhaps “mom” style really is that simple; it takes a little extra effort, but getting “dressed” when you’re a mom is about more than just fashion - it’s a state of mind and being.

This Spring, updating your wardrobe from ”mom” to “MOM!” is super simple. Trust me - you don’t need an innate, Carrie Bradshaw-esque sense of style and you won’t have to sacrifice comfort or a ton of cash. Simply take some of what you’ve already got, add a few on-trend items and be ruthless in getting rid of your dated, ”mom” duds. Let these tips, taken from the Spring 2008 runway trend report I wrote for the April issue of The Family Groove, be your guide for what to add to, toss from and keep in your closet this season in order to render yourself decidedly un-dowdy:

Items in bold colors were all the rage last fall, and continue to be just as omnipresent this spring. Maintain the trend in warmer weather by wearing floaty tops, tank-style dresses or swingy skirts in bright hues. If you want to try the bright color trend, but are a little hesitant to abandon your tried-and-true neutrals, test the waters by toting a bright bag or slipping on a hot-hued pair of sandals. A great accessory to try: the Los Feliz Beverly Tote from L.A.M.B, which is $395 at shopbop.com or at the Tyson’s Corner Center Nordstrom.

If you’re ready to jump right in and take the plunge, add a piece in a neon shade. In order to avoid a full-on 80s vibe, pair neons and bright pieces (like this Alexander Wang Pebbled Knit Tank, $207, at www.shopbop.com or Georgetown’s Cusp) with subtle neutrals like khaki, gray or navy, and accessorize with simple gold or silver jewelry, as seen below:

Embellished pieces

Last fall, tops, dresses and accessories adorned with jewels ruled the runways – and retail racks. This trend is still going strong for spring, though in a slightly more subtle manner. Your best bet: tops and dresses with necklines decorated with delicate jewels, metallic studs or graphic, metallic sequins. My (ultra-affordable) picks: Studded Knit Dress, $32.80, and Sequined Knit Tunic, $24.80, both available at forever21.com or the Montgomery Mall location of Forever 21.

Gladiator Sandals

This Greek-inspired footwear was popular last spring, and will continue to show up in stores and on soles this year as well. For comfort, wear a flat style during the day, but for evening, kick your nighttime look up a notch with a high-heeled or wedge version. For the most flattering, leg-lengthening look, choose a pair with a thin ankle-strap. My picks: Nine West’s Sulliban Sandal, $89, and Jobilyn Sandal, $79, both available at ninewest.com or at the White Flint Mall location of Nine West.

Last season, snow white bags were seen on the arms nearly celeb lunching at The Ivy. This season, however, neutral bags in bone, gray and beige are the white-hot way to finish your outfit. My picks: the Kooba Lola Tote, $645, and Marc by Marc Jacobs Turnlock Teri Tote, $428, all available at Bloomingdales.com or the Chevy Chase Bloomingdale’s.

Light denim

Dark denim is still chic (and, of course, slimming), but this season, try trading in your trusty indigo jeans for paler-hued versions. Avoid going super-light and instead opt for a cool chambray shade. Wider-leg styles are in, as are boot-cut and skinny-leg varieties, so choose the style you find most flattering for your body type. My pick: J Brand Love Story Jeans in Summer, $179, jbrandjeans.com or Bethesda’s Denim Bar.

Ethnic prints

Ikat, batik and tie-dye, looks most commonly associated with the 70s love child look, are suddenly fresh and fun. Ease them into your wardrobe without looking like a Deadhead by pairing a top with tailored, trouser-style jeans. My picks: Nieves Lavi V-Neck Poncho, $132 and Yaya Aflalo Solar Tunic, $294, both available at shopbop.com and Gerogetown’s Urban Chic.

The 60s pop art look has come and gone, so shelve your graphic prints for now and instead opt for an ethnic print or an acid-hued bright.

Bermuda-length shorts

Time to (ugh) hit that Stairmaster, because shorts hemlines are rising faster than Google stock. Knee-length Bermuda shorts are out, and have been replaced by mid-thigh and shorter varieties.

Corset belts

Shelve your thick & chunky corset belts for now and instead cinch your favorite dress or tunic with a skinny belt, preferably in a bright shade of patent leather.