Before Tavi was born, I learned that baby shoes are everyone's favorite gift to give. Little dude had over 15 pairs of tiny little shoes in a dazzling array of adorableness waiting for him on his birthday. After he was born, I quickly learned that most baby shoes are either impossible to get on (lots of shoving and grunting on those little Robbees boots) or prone to falling off (I was in a panic when I thought we'd lost one of his hand-knit blue booties).

And then for Christmas, Offbeat Shrie gifted Tavi the most AMAZING baby booties. They are both easy to get on AND never fall off. The design is impeccable, with little elasticated snapping straps that essentially allow the bootie to open almost completely … and then, once snapped, hold on tight. Doesn't it seem like ALL baby booties should be easy to get on and secure once they're on? It just makes sense. These are pretty much the only shoes Tavi will wear from now until he's 2 years old. Also, a warning for pregnant friends: these booties are also now my defacto baby shower gift for every single one of you.

I begged Shrie to tell me where she got them, and look at that: it's Etsy seller MEandREEKIE, and she's got a pair to give away to one lucky Offbeat Mama reader…

Continue reading "The most perfect baby bootie ever made" →

Okay, so before I became a SAHM, I was a preschool teacher for 5 years and a nanny for 3 years. One thing I can say for sure is that pretty much all kids enjoy playing with pretend food. Another thing I'm certain of is that all of them will put it in their mouth at some point.  With the typical plastic play food, that becomes pretty gross, very quickly.

But with felt food, from Etsy seller kiddycouture, your kids can play chef, farmer, shopping, whatever, without sucking down BPA and phthalates and petrochemicals in plastic food sets.  Just pop the felt food in the delicate cycle when they get manky with spit.

Kiddycouture makes many cute items like breakfast sets, sandwich sets, and even fried chicken, if you're into that!

Little Ruler is one of those family-owned businesses that makes me happy. '80s pro skater Jeff Kendall and his wife Maureen founded Little Ruler after having two sons and realizing, "WTF? Where are all the cool skater clothes for our kids?" Since 2004, they've offered a ton of officially licensed skater gear for babies, toddlers, and kids. They've got all the big skate brands represented — Independent Trucks, Santa Cruz Skateboards, Skateboarding Is Not A Crime, Nor Cal and Thrasher Magazine.

If the thought of your kiddo in an Independent shirt makes you drool, keep reading — cuz I've got a little giveaway for your little ruler!

Continue reading "Skater kids clothes from Little Ruler" →

So yeah: Valentine's day is almost here. Yawn. We all get sick of all plastic hearts and pressure to appropriately say "I Love You" on Official Express Your Love day. But I'm here to say that Valentine's Day shouldn't just be about showing OTHERS that you love them. As mamas, I think we all spend a lot of time expressing our love to our partners and children. What about a little self-love?

In that vein, I've got a few eco-conscious baubles from Offbeat Mama's most dedicated sponsor, Brilliant Earth. If you've read Offbeat Mama or Offbeat Bride for a while, you've seen Brilliant Earth before — they specialize in ethically-sourced conflict-free diamonds, fair-trade gemstones and 100% recycled metals. They donate 5% of their profits to African communities that have been affected by the jewelry trade. Basically, if you want bling that isn't dripping in blood, Brilliant Earth is the way to go.

Anyhoo, here are a few of my favorite Valentine's Day self-love gifts from Brilliant Earth:

1. Under $100: Personalized recycled sterling silver charm pendant. Pair an initial charm with a heart charm, or choose an Om symbol or lotus flower.
2. Under $250 -Wave pendant with ethically sourced blue sapphire in sterling silver. Get a little fluid dynamics in your day with this wave.
3. Under $500 – 18K white gold Tahitian pearl stud earrings. These organic, sustainably-cultured Tahitian pearls are a modern take on a classic.
4. Under $1000 – Diamond Flower Pendant. Love nature? Love bling? This playful, stylish flower pendant sparkles with diamond-encrusted petals.
5. Pink Lab-Created Diamonds Love diamonds? Love science? Skip over all the ethical issues surrounding diamonds by getting one custom created for you in a lab. It's pink! It's techy! It's the geeky bling-lovers dream.

Buying yourself bling for Valentine's Day isn't everyone's cup of tea, but if you're considering it … Brilliant Earth is definitely the best place to do it!

I'm facially pierced and have tons of visible tattoos, so I did not get touched by strangers during my pregnancy (rude questions, on the other hand, were fair game) but some of you who are a little more approachable might be looking for a nice way to tell those over-zealous strangers to f-off.

Enter this shirt from Discobelly

I was 10 when this MC Hammer song was popular so the nostalgia factor was high with this shirt. Plus, it reminds me of this totally rad flash mob!

Now go look at Discobelly. They have a lot of other nice maternity shirts ranging from novelty to chic.

I'm quickly learning that schlepping is a key ingredient of motherhood. I schlep the baby around the house, schlep a burp rag with me from room to room, schlep him into a sling when we go out, and schlep his diaper bag along as well. So I'm all for a 2-in-1 item that reduces my schlep.

Enter Kemby's Sidekick bag. This thing is a stroke of genius, and in fact the design has totally been patented. See, it's not only an insanely styley diaper bag … it also converts into a side sling. No need to schlep both a sling and a bag when you head out, because the bag BECOMES the sling. It's like a Transformers, only less Michael Bay explosions and Shia Labeouf saying "No no no no."

I got my hands on a Kemby Sidekick to review — and I've got an extra to give away to a reader! This thing is seriously FANTHEE, and when I say FANTHEE, I mean fancy but with a lisp that makes it even more so.

Continue reading "Kemby Sidekick diaper bag/baby carrier giveaway" →