For the Kiddos

Melt my freakin heart...

With friends makin babies at a somewhat more regular pace lately (here they come!) I've been exposed to more and more kiddo paraphernalia, inspiration and apparel of the absolutely adorable variety. So here for all you Mommy, Sister, Auntie or beloved Friend types is the next installment of "For the Kiddos"!

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, a beloved (and adorably illustrated) kids book for this tiny generation is part of a series!! I never knew, but I think I will be gifting several Pigeon books in the future, including his newest bath time adventure.

Oh man... so efficient, looks adorable and no more cutting up sandwiches into tiny pieces!! Click HERE to purchase the Fun Bites Squares from Amazon and be sure to browse all the other adorable shapes they sell! (Pin it here)

So apparently "balance bikes" are all the rage these days. I see them all over NYC and one of my favorite chic mamma bloggers over at Lady and Prince is always raving about her kids' Strider Bikes. The goal is apparently to work on balance first (even as young as 2!) then get to the pedaling later. HERE is a great roundup of all the best (at least in Babble's opinion!) balance bikes on the market.

I could see this "go fishing" DIY being perfect for distracting your little one on a long line, an airplane or just on any boring afternoon. Small enough to tuck in your purse and very do-able from a craft standpoint, click HERE for the full instructions from Doodle Craft.

Is there anything more adorable than a plush rocker?! I think not (says the auntie who purchased a pastel cow and airplane for her niece and nephew respectively!) I love these adorable rockers as new baby gifts because they're unique and will last a while (first as decor in the room, then as a ride on toy for 2-3 years). Plus, Wayfair.com has an amazing selection at very reasonable prices HERE.

* A little something for the Mama's:

- I typically read Copy Cat Chic for the amazing save-on-decor advice, but when Reichel, Mom of 2 shared this post about her favorite maternity/breast feeding friendly clothes, I took note.  boob (yup that's really the name) looks chic and flattering and the price point is somewhere perfectly between very reasonable (Old Navy Maternity) and absurd (Hatch Collection)

* And even some great reads for Dad:

- On making the most of your paternity leave

- Advice for new Dad's from my favorite Dad blogger (yes I have a favorite Dad blogger:)

* Some good reading:

- An interesting theory on why babies cry at night

- Why isn't the baby industry working harder to revolutionize the breast pump!?

- A very interesting (but LONG) article about "The Overprotected Kid"

- Just in time for summer road trips, a book of kid friendly adventures in the Hudson Valley.

Lastly, THIS little girl's reaction to finding out her mother is pregnant literally brought tears to my eyes.

For previous "For the Kiddos" posts, click HERE.

Fishergirl vs. Fisherman

Fishergirl.

Yesterday I was out fishing (yup, and I even bait my own hook!) with my parents, Dr. H and a friend of my Dad's. As my mom and I chatted about everything from "so and so's wedding" to the brilliance of THIS Greek dip, the gentlemen of our party couldn't help but joke about the differences between our genders. My Dad, often known to enjoy all day fishing excursions will come home after 4+ hours at sea with friends and say he had a great day. But when you ask what the group talked about, the answer is usually "nothing". "You don't know how his wife is doing or how their vacation to Europe was?" "Nope, it didn't come up." Hours together on a boat can spark no greater conversation than "will you pass me a soda?" "Sure." and "Thanks." It seems that men have an uncanny ability to sit in absolute silence for hours on end, enjoying one another's company while women would consider a day without conversation to be an indication that something is terribly wrong. 

While I can certainly appreciate a relationship so deep that there's no need for small talk, much of what I enjoy about time with girl friends is catching up and chatting about whatever random topics come to mind. Our male counterparts however, mysteriously create closeness in total silence, their mere mutual presence in a location being enough to make the day great.  It's crazy how different we can be. So you men go off and enjoy your silence, I'll stay here with the ladies and talk about how you all never seem to have anything you want to talk about.