Mamakaze! Attacking Life at Full Throttle

Wherein tiny tots get a head start on back-to-school fashions
Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Shopping for school clothes is one of the great joys of the fall season for shopaholic mamas and tykes, and just because a baby’s not in school yet is no reason to prevent him from looking like a class act. That’s why Mamakaze has spent the past month combing the stores and checking out the runway fashions to come up with a sampling of fall togs that make the grade.

Whether your tot’s tastes lean toward college prep or the school of rock, we found outfits for all budgets and sartorial styles. Mamakaze especially loves the rich, velvety European-inspired styles for girls and the new take on classic menswear for little boys! Not to be forgotten, hip-hop styles for the savvy urban tyke, floral crochet for the boho babe, and boys’ threads fresh from the skate park all found spots in our big binder of fall fashions.

It wouldn’t be a Mamakaze fashion preview without accessories, and we’ve chosen the cutest and comfiest footwear for each darling little outfit. Whether your budget is $15 or $115, baby will be putting his best foot forward in style-savvy shoes.

Check out our fall 2006 baby fashion preview for the hottest looks on the racks this season. They’re a little bit country, a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, and everywhere in between.

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.

Like most kindergarteners, Kidakaze does a lot of coloring. She has quite the collection for a girl of her tender years — crayons, markers, chalk, paint, glitter glue. And like most kindergarteners, she’s not exactly an organizational expert. Thus, her room looks a lot like the school-supply aisle at our local superstore … if the superstore happened to stock all its merchandise underfoot.

As always, parenting magazines have just the solution for such a situation: The humble hanging shoe organizer. Only problem is, most shoe organizers are designed to be seen by nobody save the moths in the back of Granny’s closet, not to be prominently displayed in a playroom or or little princess’ palace.

However, Mamakaze has discovered that with a little hunting online, one can find just about anything. A few clicks of the mouse, and we found a closet organizer in the cutest shade of kiwi. A little more surfing and we managed to find organizers in hues to satisfy all sartorial styles, and even an island-inspired palm-tree print.

Our favorite? That very first gorgeous green closet organizer, pictured at left, that we spotted for $18 at Organize.com (online only).

Now Kidakaze’s art-supply storage will be just as appealing as her little Crayola masterpieces.

Mamakaze can spot a trend from a mile away, and if we couldn’t, well, our subscriptions to no fewer than seven fashion magazines (and on top of that, three maternity magazines) would probably point those trends out to us in big, shiny lights.

One trend we’ve noticed over the past few years is the return of shirtdress and its cousin, the wrap dress. These dresses are tailored, yet casual. We can wear them to work; we can wear them to dinner. And now they’re available for mamas-to-be.

We spotted the first of these frocks on the rack of a local baby boutique. Once we started hunting around, we found maternity wrap dresses and shirtdresses in several styles for any budget. Whether you prefer cotton or an easy-care poly-spandex blend, solids or patterns, there’s a dress out there with your name on it. And since we love all things fashion, we were happy to do the shopping for you!

Our top pick is the Madrid dress from Chiarakruza’s spring collection. Comfy yet supremely stylish, this silky shirtdress glams it up with gleaming rhinestones. We’d rock this sexy number on an evening out with the girls. Mamakaze found this fashion-forward take on the classic shirtdress at chiarakruza.com for $99.

We also found a variety of takes on these classic styles in the online stores of several big retailers. We’re predicting that a lot of hot mamas are going to be hitting the scene in wraparound comfort this autumn.

Papakaze will tell you that we are more beautiful than ever after giving birth to his children. However, Papakaze is also a notorious sweet talker (hence the children). Take it from Mamakaze — our beauty regimen has been severely curtailed by motherhood.

Once upon a time, we emerged from every shower silky and smooth, with freshly shaven legs. We haven’t stopped shaving entirely since becoming a mama, but when our get-ready time is limited to 30 minutes or less, with 20 of those already allotted to hair and makeup, certain things fall by the wayside. Shaving daily is one of them. After our wee one was born, we started to shave weekly, with a midweek touchup on lower legs only. It’s sad, but until such a time as Mamakaze could finagle a whole hour of “us time” for waxing, that’s how it had to be.

We’ve discovered, however, a huge chunk of “found time” in the middle of the day. This period occurs during Totakaze’s nap. In addition to using this time for toy-clearing and makeup reapplication, we can’t resist the opportunity to treat our legs to some much-needed TLC. That’s where the Conair Hair Removal System comes in.

This water-free shaver is nothing like a certain ubiquitous 1980s hair-removal contraption, with whom we had an unpleasant run-in in junior high and won’t mention by name. The Conair uses rotating exfoliating pads to gently remove hair (and dead skin — another thing we’ve been overlooking!). Smaller pads are included with the system for ankles and knees.

Now, regardless of what does (or doesn’t) get done during our lightning-fast morning routine, as soon as Totakaze is sleeping sweetly, we simply tiptoe into the bathroom and finish what we started (or didn’t).

Mamakaze found the Conair Hair Removal System at Wal-Mart for $29 (online only).

There are few things that evoke the richness of autumn more than the color, texture and aroma of new leather. Now, it would be very naughty of Mamakaze to splurge on a pair of knee-high, butter-soft leather boots when we have a babe in arms and one on the way, wouldn’t it? However, we can’t think of a more responsible way of indulging our love of leather than to purchase a diaper bag, which will doubtless get much more use than even the most versatile pair of riding boots.

This fall, we’re loving the rich, buttery browns and the roomy, casual style of the latest leather diaper bags. Not only will they go perfectly with those boots that we are not, we repeat not going to buy, but these bags are versatile enough to tote with jeans and a T-shirt or carry while wearing a tweedy and autumnal suit.

Right now, we particularly adore the Suzy bag by Hammitt. Schlepped on the famous shoulders of Angelina Jolie, it’s no wonder this diaper bag is getting so much attention: It’s got storage to spare, and its stylish yet superlong straps make it a breeze to carry. We found this Italian leather beauty online for $595.

Of course, variety being the spice of life, Mamakaze has taken it upon ourself to amass an assortment of our very favorite leather diaper bags for fall. All of which are much, much more justifiable purchases than lovely leather boots.

Mamakaze generally believes in letting toddlers have free roam of the living areas in our house. We are annoyed, mind you, by the endless unraveling of our toilet paper rolls and the constant dispersion of our Tupperware throughout the kitchen and surrounding rooms. But we remind ourself that by exploring and experimenting, Totakaze is creating new synaptic connections and, with any luck, all the chaos will one day result in a full scholarship to the Ivy of ~~our~~ her choice.

However permissive Mamakaze may be, there are certain cabinets that are better left unopened. For our tot-level repositories of dishwasher detergent and glass mixing bowls, we have amassed an impressive collection of babyproofing gadgets. The only problem is, parts of our once-attractive kitchen now look not dissimilar to Fort Knox. And this, dear readers, is not our ideal aesthetic.

Lucky for lovers of stylish, sleek kitchens, Mamakaze found this “invisible” magnetic cabinet lock. The lock is mounted inside the door with an adhesive and operated with a magnetic “key” that can be stored out of reach of busy baby hands until we’re ready to work our magic. This drill-free solution even works for doors without handles — a must in an ultramodern kitchen!

We found this ingenious magnetic cabinet lock for $16 online.

Wherein cheddary crackers leave a good taste in mama’s mouth
Friday, September 08, 2006

For all the shopping we do, sometimes Mamakaze is at a loss as to what to buy for our wee ones. It’s not clothing that gives us such trouble; neither is it furniture, toys or handy gadgets for the bath or kitchen. The place where we draw a blank is in the snack aisle of the grocery store.

Totakaze may get the occasional bite of french fry or spoonful of sorbet, but we consider ourself a healthy-snack household. While bananas, cheese and grape quarters make for great snacks at home, it seems as if the only travel-worthy options are sugary puffs or processed crackers. Cheerios worked for a long time, but we realized they were wearing thin when, at playgroup outings, our wee began begging her friends’ mamas for their (yummier) snacks.

Luckily, a number of Mamakaze’s friends are health-conscious mamas just like us. We soon discovered their snacking secret: Annie’s Homegrown Bunnies. These robustly-flavored rodents are much like the goldfish we remember munching during our own formative years; however, they’re made with organic wheat flour. While they’re still very much a snack food rather than a staple, we like knowing that these baked crackers are made with real cheese and have zero trans fat. Better still, we didn’t see a single unfamiliar science-lab-type ingredient on Totakaze’s box of Cheddar Bunnies!

The best part of all? Despite the wholesome ingredients, our little one loves the cheesy taste of these bunnies so much that she’ll do (or stop doing) anything to get her hands on more of this snack food!

Ensuring travel-friendly snacking goodness for months to come, Mamakaze found Cheddar Bunnies for $24 a case online.

Wherein we discover the most fabulous footwear for new walkers
Thursday, September 07, 2006

If, like Mamakaze, you obsessively pore over parenting books and magazines, chances are you know the criteria for a good beginner’s shoe. Doctors recommend a soft, breathable upper and as flexible a sole as possible. If, like Mamakaze, you spend a lot of time shoe shopping, you also know that this is easier said than done.

Totakaze has a variety of little shoes, each one with varying degrees of softness and sole flexibility. Sadly, much like with shoes in our own size, we’ve noticed that the comfort and functionality of the shoe are inversely proportional to the cuteness of said shoe. Thus, Mamakaze is ashamed to admit that there are shoes in our wee one’s closet that are neither very breathable or very bendy.

This past week, however, after flogging ourself for the umpteenth time for passing on our impractical-shoe habit to our toddler, we resolved to find the perfect baby shoe. It would be soft and breathable, flexible of sole, and utterly adorable. And find it we did!

See Kai Run is a shoe company for tiny feet based in our own Pacific Northwest, but their clientele include the likes of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. And Mamakaze found out firsthand why. Their shoes have delicious, butter-soft leather uppers and the most flexible sole Mamakaze has found short of suede-bottomed crib shoes. They also happen to be super-stylin’ and sold in a variety of colors to match any outfit. We love the quality construction and hip designs. Totakaze is walking proud in her new Mary Janes ($39), and their colorful cutouts coordinate with her every outfit! Plus, simple Velcro closures mean she’s already thisclose to putting on her own shoes.

We found See Kai Run baby shoes at our favorite local baby boutique, but for those who aren’t lucky enough to live near the birthplace of Mamakaze’s new favorite shoes, theyre’s also a wide selection available online at zappos.com.

Everything old is new again — skinny pants, charm bracelets, ankle boots — so it doesn’t surprise us at all that one of Mamakaze’s very favorite ’80s trends, the ubiquitous Swatch watch, has made a resurgence of sorts. What does surprise us, however, is that its reinvention for this decade comes in the form of a baby monitor.

Graco’s stylish Decor baby monitor, $40, has four interchangeable face plates in blue, yellow, pink and green — allowing you to tailor its look to complement your nursery. Unlike our cell phone and iPod, whose face plates cost us a pretty penny on top of the original product, Graco kindly includes the extra plates with the monitor.

And lest you think the Decor monitor is a one-trick pony, it has two parent units with all the usual features, plus the main unit keeps baby’s comfort in mind with a digital temperature indicator.

Some things get better with time, and Mamakaze is happy that today’s charm bracelets are a little more elegant than the fuchsia plastic one we had in grade school. And ’80s throwback though it may be, the Graco Decor is a more sophisticated snap-together accessory than the Swatch watch. The four classic nursery colors will blend beautifully into just about any baby’s bedroom, and ’80s-lovin’ mamas can delight in a bit of nostalgia without fearing the mockery that leggings and ankle boots might elicit. (Not that that’s stopping Mamakaze from rocking that particular look!)