One of the careers I had envisioned for myself while growing up was journalism – like war reporting or going undercover to find out truths about companies – and though today wasn’t like going into the trenches of Afghanistan or Iraq, I went undercover to a baby event as a young mom who was just newly pregnant (you needed to be pregnant or have kids to go). Thanks to a friend who invited me to the event, I was able for the first time ever to actually be (like) a journalist AND go undercover for a report. Total fun!
I don’t really know what I was expecting of the event but whatever it was I expected didn’t become realized. But that’s not a bad thing. In fact, one of the things that I was expecting was to come back with a bunch of grumbling and rolling of the eyes at how expensive baby items are and how unnecessary all of the stuff is. But, miraculously, I have a number of positive things to report; however, before I go into some of the product that I discovered I have a quick anecdote. About 30 minutes or so of walking around I actually found myself caught up in the whole experience and was screaming in my head, “BABY! I WANT A BABY! I like these blankets! I like these clothes! Get me that crib! yes! Yes! YES!”
I didn’t get info from every single vendor, but I took pictures of some of the items and I will, of course, include my opinion. I was pleasantly surprised that I liked most of the items on display and could see a practical use for them. I’m all about practicality, environmental friendliness and where the product is made, and I tried to ask about these concerns whenever I could.
Item #1
Twilight Turtle by Cloud B – www.cloudb.com
This was really cute and I could see how peaceful and comforting it would be to a child. It shines stars on the walls and ceiling and creates a scene of the night sky.
Item #2
Various Lotions by Little Twig – www.littletwig.com
These lotions are environmentally friendly, bath-oriented products that are organic, not tested on animals, phthalate, sulfate, paraben, nut, wheat and soy free among other things. I didn’t get any samples – not sure if they had any – but this is the kind of stuff that I’m very interested in as long as it doesn’t break the bank.
Item #3
Teething Bling by SmartMom – www.smartmomjewelry.com
This is one of my favorite items that I discovered today. I am an accessory fanatic so when I saw these I thought this was the greatest invention since sliced cheese. Is your baby teething? How about a cool-looking necklace and a bracelet that your baby can chew on? They are made from the same material as many teething toys and are made from a silicone that is phthalate and lead free, is not-toxic, dishwasher-safe and federally approved. So I can hold a baby AND look stylish too?! Hmmm…
Item #4
mamaRoo ™ by 4moms – www.4momsonline.com
The first thing that popped into my mind when I saw this next item was, “Rob is going to lose his mind.” Why, you ask? Cause it has a connection to an mp3 player. Never mind that the device is designed to rock the baby like an actual parent – or that you can set it to a total of 5 different motions (Car Ride, Kangaroo, Ocean Wave, Rock-A-Bye and Tree Swing) – it has an mp3 player that Rob can connect his iPod to and start inducting our child to his crazy, weird music at infancy. How much better can this get?
Item #5
Little Crown Interiors – www.LittleCrownInteriors.com
I have always had a little bit of a thing for furniture. Ok, a big thing. And what’s scary is that when I saw a crib earlier in the show (picture at bottom) and then seeing this vendor’s display, I found myself thinking that I was going to become one of those crazy-minded moms. And not a crazy mom who has to have all the latest designer labels but, just, you know, crazy with wanting to make the room cute, comfortable, and unique. I can just see my OCD tendencies kicking in. God help Rob.
Anyway, I really liked this company’s sleek design. I asked where their furniture was made and was told Baltimore and that it was all made out of wood. I neglected to ask where they got their wood, the US or China. You don’t want wood from China but I like the fact that the furniture was made in the US.
Item #6
Sweets (cakes, cookies, etc.) by The Cake Mamas – www.thecakemamas.com
I’m a foodaholic and, more specifically, a sugar addict. I’m not really a cake person and I definitely try to avoid any cake or specialty items with fondant (cause of the chemicals and artificial flavors), BUT, I’m a sucker for a good-looking cake. (I’m also addicted to TLC’s Cake Boss and will be making a pilgrimage to the bakery and will joyously enjoy every piece of fondant).
So I decided to take some photos of the different cakes this vendor had on display. Enjoy! (And remember, these are just photos. No eating of your computer allowed.)
Item #7
Boon, Inc – www.booninc.com
If you could have a soulmate in a company, I think this company is it for me. I absolutely fell in love with every single product they had especially the “patch of grass” (see photo below). The rep was showing me some other of their products and I kept thinking “Yeah, but just look at this patch of grass. It keeps everything so organized!” This company proved to me that my fear of completely losing control of any organizational skills that I might have once I have a kid can all be put to rest. Or, at least, tempered. They have a container for the bathroom toys and items that hangs on the wall and stores everything when not in use and, when you instantly need it, it’s all right there. And these containers are in the shape of a ladybug and a frog, and are absolutely adorable. If nothing else, check out their website. All products are safe, non-toxic, and practical, practical, practical!
Items #8, #9 and #10
The Stroller Face-Off.
When I saw the various strollers on display, I thought I had landed in the middle of a sci-fi novel. When did strollers become something from Tron? I mean, don’t get me wrong, these strollers are not only sleek, chic, and cool looking, they are downright sexy.
Stokke – www.stokke.com
This company is from the Netherlands and, so, I think that adds to the stroller’s allure. There’s something about European design that is very attractive to me and, yes, I’m well aware of the hypocrisy that is occurring with that statement. (Me being pro-USA and all.) This stroller makes me want to have a baby just so that I could convince everyone to pool together their money and buy us one. But I don’t know if that’s a good enough reason.
G2 by Orbit Baby – www.orbitbaby.com
By the time I saw this stroller, I was convinced that Ray Bradbury had written me into a novel. I was waiting for this stroller to start giving me life advice. The G2’s exclusive features include the world’s first 3DRotation ™ with a rotate-and-recline interface, a QuadShock ™ which is the world’s most advanced stroller suspension and has Orbit Green: Certified Fabric that is compliant with Oeko-Tex ® Standard 100. This vendor included the different prices for their G2 product line and I nearly collapsed. It’s nearly or just over $1,000 fully loaded. Hmmm…how many people do I know?
Endangered Species Collection by babyplanet – www.baby-planet.com
Even these strollers are more advanced than the one I remember we had for my sister which consisted of two pieces of plastic with round handles for you to grab on to and which held up some colorful fabric on which she sat. With the name “BabyPlanet” I thought that this company made strollers out of recycled products but when I asked about it, I was told no but that when you were done with the stroller you could give it back to them and they’d recycle it for you.
I apologize for this being sideways. My computer is being uncooperative.
Item #11
Stokke ® Sleepi ™ by Stokke – www.stokke.com
This is the crib that I fell in love with. Its oval shape is so unique and, oddly, I could totally see myself with it. What I absolutely loved about this crib – and their high chairs – is that they are made out of wood that the company gets from their own sustainable forest in Europe. These kinds of companies I like to support. This crib is on wheels so it’s easy to maneuver and its distinctive, narrow shape makes for easy transporting from one room to another if you need. It also adapts to the size and weight of the baby and you can drop it or raise it as needed. Again, practical, practical, practical!
Thank you for reading this extremely long blog entry. I hope it was enjoyable and informational. I had fun gathering the info and the best part of the day was that I won a pair of the new “Shape-ups” by Skechers!
Also, if you have an interesting topic that you would like more info on, researched or are curious about, please don't hesitate to let me know. I'm a researcher and I'd be more than happy to see what I could find.
I LOVE Boon! The have the absolute BEST training potty. Their stuff is awesome and stylish too!
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