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A Pea in the Pod V-neck Tunic Go from summer to autumn in a stylish and sexy V-neck tunic. This fashionable gold lurex top from A Pea in the Pod's fall collection is available for $130. |
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Maharam memory melds form, fun
Wherein enjoying design is all fun and games In any household, especially one such as Mamakaze’s which is filled with Tauruses, there is bound to be some clashing of both opinions and aesthetics. While Papakaze has thankfully limited his design input to mere veto power, let us not underestimate the little ones. Although they don’t know Herman Miller from Hermione Granger, they do know one thing — that the house should be carpeted from wall to wall in toys. Which means our “carpet” is garish, to say the very least. We don’t mind (too much) that their playthings are hideous to behold, because after all, they enjoy them. But recently during a game of memory with Kidakaze, Mamakaze found ourself thinking, if we have to look at that stupid clownfish one more time, we are going to flush ourself down the toilet. Since the point of playing memory is to enjoy family-friendly fun with one’s kids — and not to fixate on our irrational hatred of overmerchandised animated characters — the solution is purchasing a game that kids will enjoy, but with an aesthetic that adults can appreciate. Mamakaze recommends the Maharam memory game, which features for your matching pleasure an array of 36 famous 20th-century textile patterns. None of which, we might add, features clownfish, wizards, tiny map-wielding Latinas, or chubby technicolor bears that defy gravity. Even in our home full of clashing decor preferences, a design-friendly game is one thing that’s bound to harmoniously tie all the elements together. Mamakaze found the fun (and fashionable) Maharam memory game online for $36.
Dad Gear diaper vest Wherein daddies ditch the diaper bag Daddies love babies, but they sure do hate diapers. (Unlike us mamas, who relish our every opportunity to get elbow-deep in poop!) And one thing they hate even more than diapers is the dreaded diaper bag. Even the most unisex of totes is treated as an affront to Papakaze’s masculinity. We suspect that men simply have an innate distaste for carrying anything with a strap unless that bag has a rubber-to-fabric ratio of 1:1 and contains something containing several thousand dollars’ worth of microchippy goodness. But the days of daddies shirking diaper duty with spurious claims that bags of any kind are some sort of testosterone Kryptonite are over. Thanks to Dad Gear, taking baby out no longer requires the toting of a purse-like object. Guys can play it close to the vest with, well, a vest. A diaper vest, to be exact. Interior pockets stash diapers while maintaining a dad’s sleek silhouette, while travel wipes are easily accessible via a front zipper pocket. Extra pockets allow Papakaze to stash his stuff even when he’s wearing those sweatpants we hate, and deep side pockets are perfect for extra bottles. Even the changing pad is not forgotten; there’s a thin pad cleverly concealed in a pocket in the back of the diaper vest. With diapering supplies concealed in such a clever, Bondlike gadget, that’s one less excuse for daddies come bottom-changing time. We think it’s a great gift for dads and dads-to-be. (And a great gift for the mama, too!) Mamakaze found the Dad Gear diaper vest for $80 at Uncommon Goods
Lighten My Labor Wherein baby-bearing mamas get the royal treatment Babies are a miracle and a gift from above, just as people say they are. It’s true. But let’s not gloss over one very important issue: Having babies hurts. A lot. All the breathing and visualization in the world didn’t change that fact when we brought Totakaze into the world after 9,632 hours of hard back labor. A massage helped at first, but after a certain point, a mama just doesn’t want to be touched. After that, we were on our own! This time, we plan to have a few more tricks up our sleeve. Mamakaze recently discovered Lighten My Labor, already known and loved by the likes of celebrity mamas Gwyneth Paltrow and Heidi Klum. Their Phases of Labor Comfort Collection, an assortment of all-natural products formulated by an OB/GYN nurse practitioner, is designed to soothe discomforts during each stage of labor. There’s a lavender-infused whipped massage gel for early labor, a mild room spray to dispel odors during the active phase, a cooling mist to be used during transition, and even a bath tea formulated to repair the damage postpartum. All are packaged attractively in delightful little aluminum bottles and canisters, and the collection comes in a whimsical bucket — perfect to pack as-is in a labor bag, or as a gift for another mama-to-be. We are sure that labor will still hurt — and we can’t guarantee we won’t scream ourself hoarse during the ever-so-lovely part where we push out our giant, melon-headed child — but it can’t hurt to keep our skin cool and the room smelling pretty! It’s all about (relative) comfort, baby.
Clever containers cradle cupcakes Wherein our pastries stay picture-perfect, pre-party It had to happen sometime, and this week was the week. Our little Kidakaze has entered kindergarten — and with it, a whole new world. In this strange world of big-kid school, everything seems to be celebrated with cupcakes. Whether they’re for a Halloween haunted house, a Christmas party or to mark a birthday, delectable miniature cakes are all the rage with the primary-school set. Mamakaze is no slouch in the cupcake-creation department, but we can’t say that our baked goods are always camera-ready when they arrive at our destination. The braking and swerving required in our city’s stop-and-go traffic manages to make a mess of even the most Martha-worthy icing job. This year, however, we have some tools on our side. Instead of letting our cupcakes slide around in the bottom of a cake carrier, Mamakaze has found some nifty new solutions. The Cup-A-Cake (below, left) cradles cupcakes individually and keeps the wee pastries fresh and free of smears. Or simply flip the bottom of Tupperware’s rectangular Cake Taker (below, right) and voila! There are 18 holders especially designed to corral your cupcakes. Once we arrive at our destination with all our little cakes intact (joy!), we like to proudly display our handiwork with a pretty cupcake stand. Mamakaze loves the Cupcakes ‘N’ More dessert stand (above), whose towering design and silver finish are the perfect complement to our undamaged confections (Wilton Cupcakes ‘N’ More dessert stand, $30
Serveware for moms and tots alike Wherein the entire playgroup can enjoy snacktime Perhaps our friends are over-brave, but we’re sure there must be other people like us. Mamakaze is part of a group of about a dozen mamas with tots from about a year to 18 months old. Our playgroup started when the babies were just wee, immobile things, so refreshments seemed like an easy and logical idea. Over the past year, the babies learned to sit, then to crawl, and later to race toward objects of desire at light speed. Suddenly, serving snacks didn’t seem like such a great plan anymore. But with several mamas, including Mamakaze, finding ourselves in the family way, we certainly can’t deprive ourselves — and our precious cargo — of sustenance. Thus, quartered grapes and soft breads have replaced decadent cookies and chewy bagels. And with a dozen sets of swift little feet and grabby little hands to contend with, using breakable serveware at playgroup is no longer an option. But, creative mamas that we are, most of us have come up with solutions that pleases the aesthetic sensibilities of the grown-ups while ensuring that our china and glass remain intact. Whether it’s bold, stylish melamine, understated wood or sophisticated metal, our pitted cherries, cheese cubes and other baby-friendly munchies are still sitting pretty. Mamakaze loves chunky pieces of focaccia in the kiln-dried maple serving bowl at left ($200, Uncommon Goods
Unique shower gifts Wherein showers may hit, but new mamas aren’t ducking for cover Maybe she’s a second-time mama. Perhaps she’s already bought all the essentials. Or let’s say that, like a situation in which Mamakaze once found herself, you’ve put off shoppping until the week before and her entire huge registry has already been purchased by generous well-wishers. For whatever reason, your favorite mama-to-be is being showered but there’s not a thing you can buy her that she doesn’t already or won’t soon have. None of us want to give a new mama her third diaper pail or eighth nursing pillow or fourteen-bazillionth layette set, especially those of us who have stood in the customer service line on swollen, nine-months-pregnant feet — or with colicky infant in tow — exchanging five comb-and-brush sets and a thousand little booties for credit on a breast pump. (We realize that it’s a personal thing to buy someone, but it’s not as though we didn’t need that pump!) If Mamakaze can’t find something incredibly useful to give a new mommy (from her registry or on a tip from someone in the know, of course!), we always look for something sweet and unique. When we first started shower shopping as a junior-high lass finding gifts for our babysitting families, registries were few and the Internet as we know it was nonexistent. Now, with the click of a mouse, we can find a deluge of adorable shower gifts without hauling our pregnant self out of the house.
A thoughtful present can be precious or practical. A Vera Wang dinnerware set especially for the small set is sure to please the most discriminating mama and babe. Or something as simple as an innovative pacifier which closes itself when baby drops it can be an absolute godsend.
Stuffed elephants are a sweet choice for a snugglebug, but looks aren’t everything; a hipster baby might find a better pal in the ironic Uglydoll.
Items that are all about baby are a wonderful way to let a child know she’s loved. Such thoughtful presents can be as simple as a playful “Year of the Dog” keepsake box or as personal as an individualized book.
Want to give baby the warm fuzzies? A cruelty-free take on the sheepskin rug provides a super spot for snuggling. Or for a pampered princess, keep those tootsies toasty in plush angora booties.
Baby may have everything he needs for the first six months, but before you know it, mama will be cajoling him into taking a big bite of broccoli. The age-old airplane trick works even better if baby’s spoon looks like a wee jet!
If baby already has everything, don’t forget about mama! We all like a little something to snuggle up with. Any stressed-out preggie can appreciate an adorable and aromatic friend that soothes neck tension, while mommies-to-be whose cravings include Vermont Teddy Bears will enjoy a sassy, pickles-and-ice-cream-scarfing mama bear.
Let’s not forget that daddies are parents, too! Daddy’s diapering duties will be a little more palatable with either a mini Diaper Dude (think of it as a baby toolbelt!) or, for more reluctant papas, a gentle little kick in the pants via the almighty Wheel of Responsibility.
Treasure your time with little pirates Wherein we are waylaid by pint-size brigands When Mamakaze was a little girl, we whiled away many a summer’s day conceiving elaborate treasure hunts for our siblings. We’re not sure why, but piracy was a long-running theme in our childhood play. Perhaps it was the flamboyant costumes or the rough accents. Perhaps it was the license to freely use the words “booty” and “poop deck.” Whatever the attraction, long before Robert Louis Stevenson penned the peerless pirate novel, “Treasure Island,” privateers and pillagers have had a devoted following among the little ones. When Mamakaze was a youngster, it was videos of “Pippi in the South Seas.” When our parents were wee things, “Peter Pan” was the marauders’ movie of choice. This decade, our wee ones are clamoring to watch “Pirates of the Caribbean” — although, like their mother before them, they will have to wait a little longer for their first Johnny Depp movie! But however frightening the rotting skeletons and disfigured crew of Davey Jones’ locker may be for our little ones, there’s nothing scary about a good old-fashioned treasure hunt. Now that Kidakaze is learning to read, what better way to encourage that than by crafting simple clues on torn, battered pieces of paper and leaving them around the house? To create our maps, first we soak pieces of heavyweight paper in tea to stain and weather them. Once our maps are dry, it’s time to write the clues. T’would never do to have intact parchment, so Mamakaze makes sure to tear and otherwise batter the edges. We’re a busy mama and can’t be bothered with a fountain pen, but a black rollerball will work just fine. While the youngsters are running around the house solving riddles, we can relax with a good book or play with the baby, happy knowing this is another few hours of creative, TV-free activity. For more mutineering fun, check out the pirate’s treasure chest Mamakaze found at Sears. Complete with doubloons and a secret compartment, it’s the perfect prop for pirate play! And for older kids, the Dread Pirate board game promises timber-shivering fun for the whole family.
How low can you go for luau items? Wherein summer is ushered in, Hawaiian style, and we have cash left over Ahh, summertime. Kidakaze is out of school and has cabin fever. Totakaze, recovering from recent vaccinations, has cabin fever. And Babykaze’s first nudgings are making us ever more aware that our quality time with the little ones is limited.
Babies need cashmere, too! Wherein we find the perfect blanket When Mamakaze is invited to a shower for friends who are having a baby, we ask ourselves first, “What does this baby need?” and secondly “What does this baby want?” Invariably, what the baby needs is spelled out to the letter in said tot’s registry. But also invariably, we arrive at the store with visions of gifting this baby with some much-needed accoutrements, only to find that the registry has been shopped bare and all that’s left on the list are a few discontinued items.
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