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Our fave pom-pom expert shows off her personal nursery style.
Article & Photo courtesy of Well Rounded NY
You can’t possibly imagine how beautiful a pom-pom can be until you’ve seen the work of Dana Haim. Her colorful, playful, yet intricate pom-poms are truly mesmerizing, whether they’re dripping from an installation at the corporate offices of a super-chic brand, or hanging from a hand-made mobile in the most stylish nursery you’ve ever seen.
Dana recently upped the ante with a socially conscious home goods collection, which includes rugs, blankets, pillows and even kitchen accessories. The collection is made in collaboration with local artisans in Mexico and Guatemala, who use natural dyes and local traditional weaving techniques such as tapestry and backstrap weaving. “I love the idea of creating hand-made heirloom pieces that could be passed down from generation to generation and used for various stages in a family’s life,” she says.
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How to pick pieces that will last longer.
Article & Photos courtesy of Well Rounded NY
Nobody knows and understands change like moms — from pregnancy to early motherhood, life is nothing but change. Your body changes, your daily routine changes, and your relationship, in and out of the home, change.
All of this change can be exhausting (as most moms can attest). So why not make things a little easier on yourself by making furniture and decor choices that your family can grow into over the next few years?
Here are a few picks for baby furniture that you will be able to use beyond the toddler years — bonus points for scoring high marks in the style department. The upfront expense might be more, but a lot of these products will stand the test of time and spare you buying two or three items over the course of your child’s early development.
SLEEP: Baby cribs that turn into toddler beds.
The day will come when your baby outgrows the crib, so get ahead of it by buying a bed now that can grow with them... -
Make your little one’s crib complete with one of these fitted sheets.
Article & Photo courtesy of Well Rounded NY
Shopping for baby’s bedding can be a little tricky. You want them to be comfy, breathable and made with organic fabrics to protect your little one’s sensitive skin. What’s more, if you live in a small space (like many city dwellers do), your nursery decor becomes integral part of your decor. For us, that means sticking to neutrals a lot, though there are options with beautiful prints that can add a little magic to your little one’s crib and be the perfect accent piece for mom and dad too. For example, we have fitted sheets with cacti to bring a little bit of our Phoenix roots into our home. To help you find the perfect addition to baby’s universe, I did the research for you and compiled a list of my absolute faves. And since you’ll probably need backups in case of blowouts and “accidents,” you may as well pick a couple sheets to mix baby’s decor a bit.
Here are 9 of our favorite fitted crib sheets.
Land of Nod, iconic grey: $59.
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Get ready to record your baby’s cutest moments.
Article & Photo courtesy of Well Rounded NY
If you’re about to have a little one, chances are someone has told you to cherish these moments. But the first year of your baby’s life can be a bit of a blur! To help you, new mamas, remember each sweet moment with your new bundle of joy, we’ve combed the Internet for the best baby journals out there. In an Instagram world, there’s just something so special about saving memories the old fashioned way. From tracking smiles and first words to saving pictures and birth announcements, these journals are incredible keepsakes you’ll love sharing with your child down the road. They also make great gifts for the parents-to-be in your life.
Here are 6 of our favorite baby journals to record your baby’s special moments.
1. MUSHYBOOKS. These books contain amazing details and allows you to customize. They are bound in soft faux white leather and sheathed in sturdy chipboard. Mushbooks also come in multiple themes for boys, girls or gender neutral, and their 50 pages include birth story, mom + dad, firsts, favorites and lots of space for photos. There are also additional pages available for same-sex parents, single parents, birth parents, and life events like baptisms and NICU stays. There is an envelope to save small items like hospital bands and baby shower invites, and it even comes with a test page to try out different pens. $79 CAD, buy here.
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When you’re traveling with an infant in tow, choosing the right diaper bag can make your trips go from chaos to calm. Though you might be tempted to grab any old bag and call it a diaper bag, choosing a bag with intention can make a big difference in the long run. You want to be organized. You want everything you might possibly need for your baby just a pocket away, but without bulk. Your diaper bag travels with you, so it needs to look good, and play hard. We scoured through dozens of diaper bags to find the best ones, based on criteria like size, style, practicality, compactness, and ability to keep clean. These are the bags that made us swoon. Happy packing!
Dubbed the “Anti-diaper bag”, the Hatch bag looks like a tote, but is equipped with every convenience of a standard diaper bag and will carry more than you can imagine.
Size: The bag is 15 inches high, 15.5 inches wide, and 5 inches deep.
Style: The tote bag style of Hatch is versatile and simple, but it also boasts stylish accents like hot pink stitching, gold zippers, and an additional monogrammable tassel that adds a lot of flair.
Practicality: This diaper bag has an enormous amount of space so you can bring all the essentials, and more. It comes with a changing mat and three matching clutches for organizing within. You could also take any of the clutches out and use separately when you have fewer essentials to bring with baby.
Ease to maintain: The bag’s interior and exterior are made of easy-to-clean nylon: just wipe down with a damp cloth when needed and air dry.
Price: $298.00
Kate Spade Watson Lane Betheny Baby Bag
The Betheny Baby Bag blends the best of diaper bag options: sleek and chic, but also fun and whimsical, and doesn’t skimp on practical details.
Size: The Betheny measures 11.7 inches high, 14 inches wide, 7.2 inches deep and has a 10 inch drop from its handle.
Style: The Baby Bag is as sleek as any Kate Spade product, and while we love all the prints, the rose and black design is gorgeous, fun, and unexpected.
Practicality: Interior zip pockets and bottle pockets make organizing this bag easy, and there’s plenty of room inside to pack everything on your baby’s list. The bag also has ingenious stroller straps, so you can snap it onto your stroller instead of it weighing down your shoulders.
Ease to maintain: Made of woven nylon, this bag is durable and easy to clean.
Price: $348.00
Burberry Horseferry Check Tote
This diaper bag is luxurious and well-crafted, but also includes the necessary trappings of a regular daily-use bag for baby.
Size: The bag measures at 12.5 inches high, 10.5 inches wide, and 6.3 inches deep.
Style: Made in Italy and with the quintessential Burberry print, it looks more like an everyday tote bag than a diaper bag.
Practicality: The bag includes a removable and adjustable shoulder strap, for ease of use, and flat-top handles. For organization, there is a single large open compartment and three slip pockets and a removable changing pad. The bag has slightly fewer pockets than other bags, but if you get by with a smaller amount of baby items, there will be plenty of room to place things accordingly.
Ease to maintain: The interior nylon is simple to wipe down when needed.
Price: $1,295.00
This chic over-the-shoulder bag could be mistaken for your everyday purse and is perfect for parents who want a diaper bag that doesn’t look like a diaper bag.
Size: On the smaller size for diaper bags, it measures at 9 inches wide, 8 inches high and 4.5 inches deep. This can be a pro or a con: you won’t be able to pack everything and the kitchen sink, but the design is compact.
Style: With an uber-chic design, this bag hides its “diaper bag” status well.
Practicality: What this bag lacks in space, it makes up for in its practical layout. There are several zip pockets on the interior and exterior, which will make organization a breeze.
Ease to maintain: Made of nylon, this bag is simple to spot clean if any spills, or worse, occur.
Price: $395.00
This well-made bag is for parents who want a diaper bag that’s both casual enough for everyday outings, but not lacking in style.
Size: On the larger side, this bag measures 11 inches high, 17.5 inches wide, and 5.5 inches deep.
Style: The soft quilted-leather exterior is gorgeous for daily use.
Practicality: This bag comes with an insulated bottle holder, a padded changing mat, and a key ring holder. It also has several interior compartments for you to organize basic baby sundries.
Ease to maintain: The interior can be wiped down, but the exterior leather is subject to the material’s usual cleaning restrictions.
Price: $475.00
Rebecca Minkoff Studded Diaper Bag
The Studded Diaper Bag is roomy enough to carry everything you need for your baby, but fits in a compact package.
Size: The top handles have a 8 inch drop and the bag measures at 13 inches high, 16.5 inches wide, and 7.5 inches deep.
Style: The studded design makes this a chic pick with fresh details. The cotton twill exterior is a nice contrast to the silver studs. It could easily transition between day and night use, and is durable for frequent trips.
Practicality: Several exterior and interior pockets will make organizing a breeze. This bag has a place for everything, so you can keep everything in its place. It also comes with a removable changing pad.
Ease to maintain: The nylon interior is easy to clean when messes happen: wipe down with a wet cloth or sanitized wipe.
Price: $345.00
This backpack-style diaper bag is offbeat, but perfect for mothers who want an easy-to-grab bag in a wide variety of charming patterns.
Size: As a backpack, this bag has slightly less interior room than some larger tote-like bags: it measures 16 inches high, 12 inches wide, and 5 inches deep.
Style: If sporty backpacks fit into your style wheelhouse, then this is the perfect bag. It’s well-crafted and comes in your choice of funky, bold, or classic patterns.
Practicality: The Be Right Back bag has padded ergonomic straps for easy traveling. The number of pockets, and their accessibility, is what makes this a diaper bag, and not just a backpack: there are two exterior insulated pockets for bottles, a cell phone pocket, and top storage pockets.
Ease to maintain: Unlike most bags, this one is machine washable, when the worst baby accidents happen. It’s also no sweat to wipe down when needed.
Price: $140.00
The Moncler has a more traditional diaper bag look, along with a vast array of pockets and compartments to store all of your baby’s must-haves.
Size: The Moncler measures at 11 inches high, 15 inches wide, and 7 inches deep.
Style: The quilted exterior design is more evocative of the diaper bag look than some other choices on the list, but will be familiar to those who already know the Moncler name. The polished silver hardware and leather accents add dashes of style to the bag, too.
Practicality: Several exterior and interior pockets make this bag a practical choice for keeping a well-organized bag. A large front zip pocket gives easy access to the most essential baby items. The bag comes with a padded changing mat.
Ease to maintain: Lined with nylon, this bag is simple to spot clean when needed, and for regular maintenance wipe-downs.
Price: $510.00
This is the urban baby bag that lets the world know your fashion game is still on point, but also meets the needs of any other standard diaper bag.
Size: This bag is roomier than it looks, which is a good thing. It has a compact feel, but measures at 13.5 inches high, 17 inches wide, and 7.5 inches deep.
Style: We like the chunky silver zipper and hardware paired with classic black. The bag has drop down handles and an optional strap for messenger bag-style travel.
Practicality: A large front pocket, dual exterior bottle pockets, and several interior pockets mean that you can organize all of your baby gear inside and out, for easy access. The bag also comes with a removable changing pad.
Ease to maintain: Made of nylon, this functional bag is easy to wipe down and spot clean.
Price: $295.00
You won’t be seen around town without your prized handbag, despite the new need for a super-organized baby bag. If that’s you, then the Tote Savvy Diaper Bag Insert is exactly what you need to transform your favorite bag into a functional diaper bag.
Size: The insert measures at 10 inches high, 14 inches long, and 5 inches deep. The insert is also available in a “mini” size.
Style: The insert replicated the inner lining of a standard diaper bag, so it stays inside your bag. You can go as chic as you please, while turning your usual tote into a de-facto diaper bag.
Practicality: The insert contains several stacked pockets for your basic baby gear, like diapers, wipes, bottles, and toys. Its layout makes it a little more difficult to grab what you need, but depending on the bag you already have, you may be able to organize the items for quick access. There are accessories you can add on, like the deluxe diaper changing kit and the bottle bag.
Ease to maintain: Though not machine washable, you can wipe down the insert with a wet cloth or sanitized wipe when needed.
Price: $72.00 -
Babies spend a lot of time sitting, playing, and eating in their high chairs. You want to make sure you’re investing in a high chair that is comfortable and accessible for your baby, but also easy to clean and maintain. Above all else, of course, is the safety of the high chair for little ones.
Most babies won’t sit in a high chair until they’re at least six months old, when they start solid foods. But many parents choose to shop for high chairs long before the six month date, since having a newborn doesn’t go well with long shopping excursions. High chairs can be used for months or years, well until a baby has graduated into toddler-hood, so finding a quality high chair is investing in a piece of equipment you can use for a long time.
Thinking about comfort, safety, and ease to maintain, we’ve tracked down some of the best baby high chairs out there.
The Peg-Perego Siesta high chair keeps your baby mobile, while still contained. One neat feature of this high chair are the casters wheels (with locking functions for safety) that let you move the chair from room to room, so you and your baby aren’t bound to the dining room. The upholstery fabric is comfortable for your little one, but makes this chair slightly more difficult to clean if there’s a major mess explosion. Still, it’s made with quality materials and is built to last, with a price tag of $300.
The Stokke Tripp Trapp high chair will seat your baby for years. This high chair hits a home run in nearly every department: its wooden style fits in beautifully at a more grown-up table, but its ergonomic design will keep your baby sitting comfortably. Infant seat, tray, and cushion are sold separately, but even with these additions, the price is reasonable at under $350.
The Boon Flair Pedestal high chair is designed with parents in mind. We like the Flair high chair because of its well-thought out details: it has a smooth, seamless seat that means cleanup is quick and easy. It has a heavy pedestal base with adjustable levels that consumer reports have deemed “excellent.” And at $250, the price is right for a well-modeled high chair for everyday use.
The Baby Bjorn high chair is minimalist in style, but not in function. While some high chairs take up enormous amounts of space, the compact Baby Bjorn doesn’t waste an inch of space. It’s easy to fold and makes a great travel high chair, but it also holds up in safety, comfort, and maintenance. The ergonomic design gives your baby support in the right places and safely keeps her in place with a lap belt with two buckles and a tray with safety post. The Baby Bjorn can be found for $300.
The Micuna Ovo high chair blends style, safety, and function. “Elegant” isn’t usually a word you think of when you consider high chairs, but the Ovo is just that. You won’t mind keeping it at your dining room table, and the beauty of this chair is that it eventually transitions into a kid-sized chair when your baby grows bigger. It’s easy to clean and keep maintained, and has a five-point harness system for safety. Market price for the Ovo is $460.
The Phil&Teds Lobster is the hook-on chair and travel seat you need. A portable baby seat can come in handy, whether you’re traveling far, or down the street to your favorite restaurant. This hook-on chair has an easy-to-remove fabric shell and dishwasher-safe tray, so cleaning up after a meal out is simple. The “lobster claw” clamps keep the seat safely secured to the table and a 4-point harness keeps your little one in place. The Lobster is listed at $89.99.
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