Fab Find: Anya Hindmarch Canvas Tote

As you may already know from my previous posts, I am a huge Anya Hindmarch fan! I recently visited the store on the UES in search of one of her marvelous Canvas Totes. They are roomy canvas totes with buttery leather straps perfect for the farm market, the beach, or general trips about town. I have fancied them for a while but spent the last year and a half so wrapped up in diaper bags I couldn't embrace their full appeal. But this summer things are different. Toting Pooka around no longer means having an overflowing diaper bag filled with a blanket, a change of clothes, multiple diapers, a nursing cover, pacifiers, toys...you get the idea. These days we travel a lot lighter: a Joya Baby Diaper Clutch, a Monkey Foot Designs Wet Bag filled with the summer essentials (sunscreen, hat, baby legs, wipes), snacks, and mama's wallet and phone. For errands we pair down to just the wallet, phone, and wipes. So now the Canvas Tote makes perfect sense for a morning Starbucks trip and a quick jaunt to the swings, but it's still roomy enough for a whole day adventure or a trip to the sprinklers at AMNH. And to put the icing on the cake, Anya Hindmarch now does a tote with moms in mind with the adorable navy blue and turquoise Toys Tote. If you're looking for something more grown up check out the Boat Bag Tote, Beach Bag Tote, Picnic Tote, Gym Tote or others. These totes are a great price at $98 so ditch the diapy as we head into summer!

The Great Green Workshop for Babies: June 25th

As you may have read in a previous post, Pooka and I are great fans of Unplugged on a Rug's Great Green Play Date. We been several times and adore Natalie and Ofrit! So if your wee one is under 12 months be sure not to miss the upcoming Great Green Workshop for Babies on June 25th at Kidville on the UES. The hour long event is filled with music, creative play, and special guests. And best of all, 50% of all proceeds go to the Max Cure Foundation to help fight childhood cancers. And if your wee one isn't so wee anymore the next great Green Play Date is scheduled for August 6th for babies 6 months to 6 years. In the meantime Unplugged on a Rug is involved in several fun charity events, so visit their events age. And stay tuned for Natalie and Ofrit's next big adventure, Unplugged on a Rug Daycare rumored to be coming to the UES this fall!

The Chariot: A perfect Father's Day gift for active Dadas

Ok, to be fair I see lots of dads these days unabashedly toting their tot in an Ergo or a Baby Bjorn, and even the occasional sling (like my hubby). But let's be honest, most things baby are not terribly manly. Enter the Chariot! The Chariot is the Swiss Army Knife of strollers. With simple kits you can quickly change the Chariot from a regular stroller, to a jogging stroller, bike trailer, or ski trailer, and even harness it to yourself for hiking. Available in both single and double with three different levels of performance, the Cheetah, Cougar, and the CX (for serious athletes), Dada's most difficult decision will be "what activity should we do today?" Many weekends my husband will take Pooka for a morning run and then an afternoon bike ride. And in the winter he hooks up the skis and harnesses the Chariot around his waist for a cross country ski or snowshoe adventure (that's him with Pooka in the pic below).

We have a Cougar Double because we are planning on popping future siblings next to Pooka in the Chariot, but unlike many systems the harness can be shifted to the center to keep the Chariot balanced when she is in there alone. Plus, the system is a pretty big investment so we wanted to make sure that we'll get plenty of years out of it. Luckily for us my husband found a 2007 Chariot on Craigs List so we were able to pick ours up for cheap. The previous Dada had barely used it and it was in pristine condition. It came with the bike trailer kit and we have added the jogging kit and ski kit. It's hard for us to imagine that this sweet rig was barely used because ours is used several times a weekend, but this should also serve as a warning that the Chariot is not a good gift for the faint of heat-rate. And lest I be sexist, the Chariot is great for athletic Mama's too. It's very light and I use it for serious walks, and even tried it on the cross country tracks this winter even though I no longer consider myself in the athletic mama category)! So if your husband's idea of a fun filled day involves a triathlon than the Chariot may just be the perfect gift for him this Father's Day!

Celebrate Dada at Big City Moms and Dada Rocks Father's Day Party

What are you doing Wednesday night? We'll be attending the Big City Mom's and Dada Rocks Father's Day Event at Kidville on the UES. We'll be rocking out to the fabulous Little Maestro's, eating awesome food from Din Dins, getting our picture taken by professional photographers, playing in the play gym and more! Hope to see you there!