Babies and Slides
I didn’t give the question of how a mini person takes on a slide much thought until my mini person and I started going to the playground. The swings are … Continue reading
Spinning Lights
In honor of our Independence Day, I’d like to suggest a toy that is anything but minimalist and definitely made in China, i.e. very American! The LED spinner or whatever … Continue reading
Starting Solids
I was pretty concerned about Astrid’s transition to solids. First of all, I wasn’t a cook. I’m a big cold cereal girl. Providing balanced nutrition – and in the form … Continue reading
Leander: Cradle, Crib, High Chair, Changing Table
I’ve just discovered Leander, and I’m a little bit in love. OK: a lot in love. All the pieces are beautiful: minimalist Scandinavian design in natural woods, light colors and lovely … Continue reading
KidCo BabySteps Feeding Dish
A couple friends of mine swear by this three-section plate for feeding new eaters on the go. The lid keeps the sections’ food separated when you take it with you, … Continue reading
Blackout Curtains
Unless you have those awesome European interlocking blinds that can turn your baby’s boudoir into a room fit for developing film, you might want to consider investing in blackout drapes, … Continue reading
Travel Placemat
I’m kind of a tidy freak. Not like, “Clorox for everyone!” but still pretty into the orderly. Astrid is too. She asks for a napkin to clean up spills. It’s … Continue reading
Food Masher and Bowl (Annabel Karmel)
I’ve mentioned before how much – as a new parent and non-cook – I liked Annabel Karmel’s recipe book, 100 Best Baby Purees. I’m not sure I realized it at … Continue reading
Chronicle Books: Taro Gomi collection
I came across Taro Gomi’s beautiful board book My Friends at the Academy of Sciences playroom one day last year and immediately went home and ordered a copy for Astrid. The … Continue reading
Lift the Flap Books
Why am I a big pop-up book fan? Because they’re awesome, that’s why. Awesome for me, that is. Not so awesome for curious small children. Correction: awesome for them too, … Continue reading
Bath Toys: Tea Set
Awesome bath toys have been hard to find, but I totally killed it the other day by grabbing a floating tea set as I zoomed through the bath aisle at … Continue reading
Pacifier Clips
So your baby may or may not want a pacifier. If he does, trust me: you will need a pacifier clip. You can buy the pacifiers that don’t bounce as … Continue reading
Bells and Whistles. Or Just Bells.
In deference to my – and therefore my child’s – sanity, I swore we would keep electronic and noise-making toys to a minimum. We’ve done pretty well so far. No … Continue reading
Tip for Pacifier Lovers
Some babies won’t take a pacifier. Some suck their thumbs. But some babies love their pacifiers. And some of us parents didn’t follow the sleep training advice to get them … Continue reading
Clothes: H&M
Ah, H&M, emporium of cheap, of-the-moment knock-off clothes! We love you Swedes! Here’s another reason to love them: they make baby clothes. Really, really cute ones too. And now that … Continue reading
Toasty Warm
If you get any kind of winter chill where you live, the Angel Dear Fleece Hoodie is a great addition to your little one’s wardrobe. A friend of ours got … Continue reading
Cookbook: Top 100 Baby Purees
If you’ve decided to take on making your own baby food all the time or just occasionally, I think you’ll like this cookbook. It’s the only one I had for … Continue reading
Avocado Eaters
Astrid’s first solid food was mashed sweet potatoes. Those were followed quickly by avocados. Sweet potatoes aren’t hard to select at the grocery store and are easy to store when … Continue reading
High Chairs: Oxo Sprout
I’ve been meaning to post about high chairs for a little while. Since I can’t seem to get it together to write the longer overview of how I decided on … Continue reading
Parents’ Groups: San Francisco
I just – finally – pulled together a list of San Francisco parents’ groups for some pregnant friends of ours, so I thought I’d share the information for those of … Continue reading
Gap Baby / Kids
Did you see Crazy, Stupid Love? You should. It was funny. It’s hard not to pull for Steve Carrell. Ryan Gosling (well, his character) takes Steve’s frumpy, middle-aged dad under … Continue reading
Music Boxes
I loved music boxes when I was a kid. The little machine inside – OK, yes, I broke one in half to see it – was like magic and the … Continue reading
Best Sand Toys!
When Astrid first took an interest in sand (other than eating it), she envied another child’s sand tower. I was thrilled and tracked one down in the off-season to get … Continue reading
Best Books: My Friends
I came across the board book of My Friends in the play area at the California Academy of Sciences and loved it. The pictures have little details for little eyes … Continue reading
Two Baby Medical Resource Books
One of the things I got a little obsessive about while I was pregnant was finding the right infant medical resource book to have at home. Here’s what I wanted: … Continue reading
Little Giraffe Chenille Blanket
To be clear up front, this is not a must-have and it’s a bit spendy for what it is, but it is a super nice-to-have. So when your rich friend’s … Continue reading
Fisher Price Music Box Record Player
I didn’t have a lot of mainstream toys when I was a kid. My parents were more “use your imagination/we walked uphill barefoot both ways” types, so Lincoln Logs and … Continue reading
Mmm…shoes…
I’m finally willing to concede that Astrid needs some shoes. She got a bunch as gifts when she was born, but a.) most of them won’t fit her until next … Continue reading
Minimalista Mama 