Grand Avenue Baby

"Be Good to Yourself, Be Good to the People You Love"

One of the commitments I've made this year is to myself. With the support of my husband (and free daycare at our YMCA) I've made working out a priority. At the end of each nausea-inducing workout,  my favorite instructor, Michele (a mom in her mid-forties with a rockin' body and an amazing attitude,) ends her class by telling us "Be good to yourself, be good to the people you love." I love this saying because one of the things I've learned as a parent is: it's easy to be good to your loved ones when you're taking care of yourself too.

This spring, Weight Watchers is encouraging women to be good to themselves with the Momentum Walk-It Challenge. Walking is a great way to lose weight, enjoy the spring air and is easy to do with little ones in tow!

Walking is also a great way to support a cause that's close to your heart. Our friend Nancy Horn (Mommies With Style) is taking the Walk-It Challenge and walking to raise money for Austism Speaks' 5K Walk in NYC on June 14. Nancy's goal is to recruit 8 members to walk the race and raise $300. We have no doubt she'll be able to do it!

Toys R Us Stops Ordering Drop-Side Cribs

The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that Toys R Us has stopped ordering drop-side cribs because of safety concerns. Concerns which stem from the 21 recalls of 4.2 million cribs over the past two years because of hazardous defects. "Products involved in the recalls have been linked to at least five infant deaths and 16 cases in which babies were trapped by parts of a crib, said the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Drop-side cribs, popular because sliding down one side of the crib makes it easier for a parent to pick up a baby, have proved to be particularly problematic." the Journal reported.

We're not surprised by this move at all. Brenda Berg of Scandinavian Child has been telling us how dangerous drop-side cribs are for more than a year. This is why both of the cribs Scandinavian Child introduced at the ABC Kids Show last year have fixed sides!

Scandinavian Child's Cariboo Kiwi Cot arrived in retailers a few months ago and the Anka Sova Crib (pictured) landed in stores this month. Both cribs offer fixed sides and convert to toddler beds. The gorgeous new cribs are beautiful, safe and eco-friendly. Brenda and her team at Scandinavian Child wouldn't have it any other way. They call that philosophy "Designs Without Compromise."

Happy Earth Day: Ideas to Inspire a Deeper Shade of Green

In honor of Earth Day, we’ve put together a few ideas that are easy to incorporate into busy lives and really can make a difference for our planet.

 

Replace bottled water with reusable bottles. Each year more than 10 billion plastic water bottles end up as garbage in landfills and many plastic bottles leach chemicals. Head over to SIGG to find a great  selection of lightweight, durable, eco-friendly, leak-proof water bottles and enter SIGGEARTH at checkout to score $5 off your bottle! BONUS: SIGG always contributes 1% of global sales to environmental causes, but if you use this code, they’ll donate an extra $1 for each bottle sold.

 

Stop eating meat on Monday. Meatless Monday is an international movement that offers people a powerful weekly cue to meaningful action. The environmental impact of meat production is too long to list. If forgoing meat just one day a week can make a difference, why not give it a try!

 

Use reusable bags when shopping. Whether you are grocery shopping or clothes shopping, take your own bags. Keep bags in the trunk of your car for trips to the grocery store and consider buying a compact bag you can carry in your handbag. We love ENVIROSAX chic, inexpensive and compact bags. This Earth Day, if you buy a pouch (set of five) you’ll be entered into a drawing for 20 new Planet Green™ bags.

 

Unplug! Appliances continue to draw energy even when on standby or not in use, so unplugging them can really be an energy savings.

 

Watch the premier of “Big Green Lies” on the Fine Living Network tonight - Earth Day, April 22 – 9pm ET/PT. The myth-busting video and television show, produced by Seventh Generation, gives a taste of the widespread confusion on green issues.

The Children’s Place Teams Up with Celebs to Benefit Books for Kids

The Children’s Place’s “Books for Kids” campaign is featured in today’s Celebrity Baby Blog Reviews newsletter and we had to share it. Not only to promote the auction and a great cause, but also because we love when marketing makes sense: The Children’s Place raising money for a children’s charity with child-friendly celebrities incorporating a product children use!

More than 40 celebrities, including Miranda Cosgrove (bag pictured,) Miley Cyrus, David Archuletta, Paula Abdul, Dwyane Johnson and Tina Fey, took a break backstage at the Kids Choice Awards to decorate their own The Children’s Place messenger bags to help raise money for the Books for Kids Foundation. The messenger bags (a.k.a. book bags) feature designs and autographs from the stars and are available on eBay through April 24th. The bags with the highest bids today: David Archuleta ($895,) Miley Cyrus ($490,) Taylor Lautner ($480,) Hilarie Burton ($455) and Tina Fey ($410.)

Founded to promote literacy among all children with a special emphasis on low-income and at-risk preschool-aged children, Books for Kids creates libraries, donates books and partners with literacy programs to develop the critical early foundation and skills which young children need to be successful in life.

Earth Week: Take the Bucket Test

Between 1950 and 2000, the U.S. population nearly doubled, but the public demand for water more than tripled. According to the US EPA, Americans now use an average of 100 gallons of water each day. This increased demand has put additional stress on water supplies and distribution systems, threatening both human health and the environment. 

 

With water on all of our minds as California suffers its third consecutive year of drought, Earth Week offers a great opportunity to think about how we use water. Sophie’s teacher gave us a great wake-up call today by challenging the kids to take a “bucket bath.”

When Sophie mentioned the “bucket bath” at dinner we were skeptical. After record heat (the thermostat hit 100) and a baseball game, none of us thought Sophie could get clean with a bucket of water. Sophie even sent her teacher an email explaining that she would not be able to take the challenge tonight. We tried it anyway, although fully expecting to use multiple buckets, and to our surprise and delight she got clean (hair included) with less than a full 5-gallon bucket.

 

If the average five-minute shower uses 15-25 gallons, Sophie saved between 11 and 21 gallons of water today. She may not bathe over a bucket again, but we’ll definitely be taking shorter showers and lowering the water level during bath time.

Daily Candy Kids Talks to Brenda Berg about Nursery Planning

We love Brenda Berg. She's not only our client and colleague; she's a wealth of information and an advocate for our children and babies everywhere and she regularly inspires and educates us. So when Daily Candy mentioned they were planning a nursery story that would be more educational than product focused, we knew they’d enjoy talking to Brenda as much as we do!

DailyCandy Kids’ nursery feature is a must-read for anyone planning a nursery. With Brenda’s knowledge and DailyCandy Kids’ fabulous editorial style, you get the easy ABC’s of what you need. You’ll also get a peek at Scandinavian Child’s gorgeous new Cariboo Kiwi Cot. The eco-friendly crib is hand-crafted from sustainable Radiata pine, finished with biodegradable earth-friendly finishes and converts to a child bed and then to a sofa with conversion kits!

 

 

What do you want for Mother’s Day?

Jewelry, handbags and massages are wonderful and we’d never turn them down, but as busy mothers of two, we have some other ideas on the wish list: Barbie wants her husband to manage the kids’ extracurricular activities for a week (she gets to delegate knowing who has what, where and when) and Karie wants her husband to handle meal planning and grocery shopping for a week (she’ll still cook, but won’t be in charge of “what’s for dinner” for at least 5 nights.)  

We want to know what you want! Please leave a comment with your Mother’s Day “wish.” We’ll compile the wish list and share it before Mother’s Day so you’ll have plenty of time to get more ideas and start dropping hints.

If this seems like wishful thinking, Cool Mom Picks’ Mother’s Day Gift Guide is out and full of ideas. Check it out -- even if your wish comes true, you probably have other special mothers in your life to think of!

Celebrate Your Small Space

My 8-year-old, Sophie, asked me the other day if she could have a smaller room. “A smaller room will be easier to decorate and to keep clean,” she explained. I’m doubtful about the keeping it clean part – Sophie has a penchant for collections that end up covering most surfaces (rocks and baseball cards are her current obsession) and a habit of leaving dirty clothes and towels on the floor, but she did get me thinking: smaller spaces are definitely more fun for me to decorate.

When I was pregnant with Paige, we converted a small space off our bedroom into a nursery and it quickly became one of my favorite places in the house. We had just what we needed (glider, wall-mounted magazine rack and a dresser with changing pad) for function. And with the small space, the rug, crib bedding and Paige’s name in striped & polka dot letters above her crib had a big impact.

If you’re feeling space-challenged, go over to Apartment Therapy’s Oh Dee Doh for inspiration. They’re celebrating Small Spaces Month and Being OK with Small Spaces: 4 Reasons Why Bigger Isn’t Always Better is a must-read.  Check out #2 – Sophie might be on to something!

 

 

 

Tori Spelling Celebrates "Mommywood" Book Launch

Tori Spelling's new book Mommywood hits book stores today.  Grand Avenue Baby attended her book party celebration last night at The Thompson Hotel rooftop in Beverly Hills.  Tori looked great in a Kelly green dress - a color that carried over into the party decor.  Event planner Jo Gartin did another beautiful job for Tori.   The party had a zen-like modern feel with bold green plants and fruit and candles set against warm chocolate furniture.  They served two great cocktails made with TY KU – appropriately named the Mommywood Mojito and Tori-tini.  The bartender was kind enough to provide us the recipes below.  Enjoy!

Mommywood Mojito

1.5 oz berries (raspberries & blueberries), 2 oz. TY KU Liqueur, aplash citrus soda (sprite zero), squeeze of lime mint

Tori-tini

Equal Parts: TY KU Sake, TY KU Liquor, Splash of Fresh Lime

 

 

Consumers Want Green Products and They Want Proof

According to the new BBMG Conscious Consumer Report: Redefining Value in a New Economy, 23% of U.S. consumers say they have "no way of knowing" if a product is green or actually does what it claims. But, 77% agree that they "can make a positive difference by purchasing products from socially or environmentally responsible companies," and they are actively seeking information to verify green claims. We're thrilled to see consumers looking deeper and proud of Sage Creek Organics for earning certification from EcoCert, which offers consumers one way to verify green claims.

 

Sage Creek Organics proudly displays their EcoCert label. A leading manufacturer of 100% organic cotton baby apparel, bedding and related products, the company strives to provide stylish and affordable heirloom quality soft organic cotton pieces to customers using methods and materials that have a low impact to the environment and are safe and healthy for children. The company goes to great lengths to ensure the process and product is 100% certified organically grown and treated. Certification by Ecocert (ecocert.com), a well respected third-party organization that inspects and certifies companies under the strictest standards in more than 80 countries around the world, helps them prove this.