Books for Dad: Armin Brott
Papa is often overlooked in this whole “Yay! We’re pregnant!/Hooray! What a cute baby!” continuum. You don’t see a lot of massage gift certificates coming his way and his life … Continue reading
Tea Collection Sale
Tea Collection makes some beautiful clothes, especially for babies. They’re expensive, though, for something little Albert will only wear for a few months, so getting their pieces on sale makes the … 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
Transitional Object: Gund Comfy Cozies
I wrote a while ago about “transitional objects” and how important they can be for babies. Chances are, you’ll pick out one you like before Baby arrives, or someone will … Continue reading
Hello Bugs!
As I’ve noted before, babies aren’t into books. Because they can’t see. They’re weird like that. But they can discern black and white shapes and patterns before colors, which is … Continue reading
Pacifier Wipes
Yes, I know: these don’t sound very minimalist. They sound like yet another thing germaphobe mamas pack in their diaper bags. You know the ones: hand sanitizer dispensers installed by … Continue reading
First Toys: The Teddy Bear (Another One)
OK, so I know I said you don’t need to have your future child’s teddy bear all sorted out and kicking it in the nursery when the baby arrives, and … Continue reading
Skwish Mobile
I was in Giggle the other day and came across the Skwish Mobile. I love me some mobiles, so I had a look. Even though I don’t think I would’ve … Continue reading
Birth Announcements
You’re either the kind of person who sends birth announcements or you’re not. Subcategory of the former: the kind of person who designs your own letterpress birth announcements and prints … Continue reading
San Francisco: H&M
Hooray for the Swedes! H&M has opened a big baby/kids section on the third floor of the Westfield Center, just outside Bloomingdales. (Borders’ old space, I think – sad to … Continue reading
Stroller Blankets
After my super-zealous write-up/run-down on blankets, here’s my quick two cents on “stroller blankets.” There are two types: warm blankets (some with a wind-proof-y side that faces out to protect … Continue reading
Bath Toys
Once you get beyond the terror of bathing your fragile new infant, you and your baby will probably both realize you like bath time. Warm water is relaxing. And that’ll … Continue reading
Nursing stool
OK, so maybe you decided to get a glider/rocker and maybe you didn’t. You still might want to think about getting a nursing stool. No, it’s not something to use … Continue reading
The Swing
The baby swing is just that: a swing. Plus a motor. Most models have a number of speeds and play music or white noise (usually pretty tinny). The swing is … Continue reading
Pacifiers
I had no idea: I guess I thought all babies maybe sucked their thumbs. Or they all took pacifiers. I don’t know… My little cousins, who were babies when I … Continue reading
Bottle Accessories
Assuming you’ll use a bottle for breastmilk or formula, along with the actual bottles themselves (see: Bottles), it’s a good idea to score some of the basic bottle accessories before the … Continue reading
First Toys: The Teddy Bear
I still have Gloria, in case you were wondering. She was my first teddy bear, and, in a deeply subjective way, I love her. In a more objective way, I … Continue reading
First Books
Babies can’t read. Just FYI. In case you weren’t sure. But you’ll receive a little stack of board books at your baby shower anyway. Kids’ books are really cute, some … Continue reading
Rocker / Glider
I bought a used glider rocker last weekend and the mom asked me how old Astrid was. When I said, “Eighteen months,” she said, “Why do you want a rocker?” … Continue reading
Pimp My Car Seat
The infant car seat is a wonderful thing early on: your baby is small enough to snuggle in it and happy to snooze while you go from point A to … Continue reading
First Toys: Mobiles
See also A Word on Toys Mobiles are awesome. Period. Get at least one for your baby for above her crib. And maybe another one for above her play area. And … Continue reading
First Toys: Rattles
See also A Word on Toys The first interactive toys that will probably catch your baby’s attention are ones that make a small cause-and-effect noise, like a rattle or a crinkle. … Continue reading
First Toys: Mirrors
See also A Word on Toys Also in the staring category are mirrors. Astrid didn’t notice herself in a mirror until she was 3 1/2 months old despite all expert assertions … Continue reading
First Toys: Black and White
See also A Word on Toys Staring is big with infants. They can’t see very well at birth and won’t distinguish colors first thing, so fairly large black and white … Continue reading
Minimalista Mama 