April showers bring decked out babies: Big City Moms Spring 2010 Biggest Baby Shower

The Big City Moms always put on a wonderful event, and their Spring 2010 Biggest Baby Shower was no excception. This time the venue moved from American Girls Place to the spacious Park East ballroom. Products filled the two ballrooms from dozens of vendors. On display were new products from some of our favorite vendors including Orbit Baby, Momma Couture, Zoli Baby, Maclaren, Skip Hop, Bugaboo, Boon Inc., and Oeuf to name a few. Also on hand were fab newcomers like Simplisse Breast Feeding Products, Stride, Hop Pop, Tomee Tipee, and the amazing Taga Bike and Luxury Stroller. Expectant moms had the opportunity to test out multiple brands of strollers, check out furniture, diaper bags, and the latest in all things baby.

Guest speakers included Dr. Alan Greene (see this post to learn more about Dr. Greene) and the wonderful Carley Roney from The Knot empire. Roney spoke about her favorite essential gear for new moms. These included some of our personal faves like the Orbit Baby stroller , which she highlighted as the "Sunday Brunch" stroller thanks to Orbit's patented technology that allows you to pull the stroller up to the table and spin the seat so baby faces you! She also talked about Momma Couture's clever Stinky Bum diaper clutch (another of our favorites and a previous "Fab Find"). Roney pointed out that no matter which stroller you chose, having only one stroller will never fulfill all your strolling needs. She suggested getting a lightweight umbrella stroller for traveling onthe subway on in the airport. Her picks were any of the strollers in the Maclaren line or the Uppa Baby G-Lite. Roney praised the ubiquitous Baby Bjorn carriers for babywearing, and spoke about The Bump's new iPhone app called Baby 411 (see my other favorites in this post).

Finally, Roney, a serious career mom, gave some fantastic advice on being a new mom:

1) Get OUT of the house and take lots of walks!
2) Make sure to network with other moms and build a support system
3) NURSE in PUBLIC (my personal fave!)

Roney explains that breasts are very portable and make it easy to feed on the go and to find places in your neighborhood where you can comfortably nurse such as baby boutiques and department store lounges (Saks has a great one on the fourth floor). Don't hesitate to meet with a lactation consultant if you are having any nursing problems. Other key advice Roney imparted on the expectant moms was to relax, trust your instincts, and give yourself plenty of time to learn this whole motherhood thing! She is truly and inspiring women!

As always, the gift bags far exceeded expectations. The overflowing (and heavy) bags had far too many items to list them all, but some standouts included the new Uppa Baby Car Seat Bubble (universal to fit dozens of car seats), a Bugaboo Stroller Blanket, gorgeous mittens from Oeuf, Robeez shoes, a Company Store Kids crib sheet, a Naturepedic Organic Piddle Pad, a set of Boon Benders utensils, bottles from MAM Baby, Prince Lionhart, Born Free, and Tomee Tipee, and multiple coupons for everything from strollers to nursery furniture. And that's just scraping the surface of the booty moms received in their gift bags. Add to that the individual gifts the moms won in the Baby Bingo Raffle and it almost tops the shower your friends and family throw for you!

Twinkle Toes: New shoes for cruising feet

Pooka is a cruising fool these days. She only crawls to travel in between the places where she can hang on and cruise. She has even taken her first tentative steps when passed back and forth between mama and dada. I think the cutest part is that she will take a few steps before she realizes she isn't holding on to anything and then immediately sit down! So now we are in a transitional phase with footwear. She is outgrowing her soft soled shoes but not quite ready for walkers yet. I headed to the fabulous Harry's Shoes for Kids on the UWS to find out about our options. I learned some great things from a wonderful salesman named Neil. Before your wee one is walking they should remain in soft soled shoes with some grip so they don't slip when crawling and cruising. They need plenty of room in the toe box because their little toes fan out and press down to help them to stand, and barefoot is best when you are at home. So even if you can still squeeze your wee one's feet into that super cute pair of shoes, you may be making it more difficult for them to cruise. Once they have moved past the cruising stage and are genuinely walking your wee one should be outfitted with a pair of hard-soled, but flexible shoes to give them a stable platform and provide cushioning and support for their fragile ankles. Neil predicted that Pooka would need the hard-soled style of shoe in about a month and discouraged me from purchasing a new larger pair of soft soled shoes (amzing to meet a salesman who discouraged me from buying!). He tested Pooka's current shoe and said it had some wiggle room and should be fine until she is really walking, barring a major growth spurt.

So what shoe is my little darling wearing? Currently Pooka is wearing a delicious pair of Naya shoes in black from Smaller by See Kai Run. They have a very Parisian flair to them and people are constantly complementing them. We love Smaller by See Kai Run because they have plenty of width, are made of a soft buttery leather, and have great rubber gripper circles on the sole. We also like that they are sized in three month increments, (3-6, 6-9, 9-12, 12-18 month...) rather than six month increments like most other brands. I think they work much better than our Pedipeds that have a harder plastic-like bottom and only come in 0-6 or 6-12 month sizes. Pooka outgrew her 0-6 month Pedipeds by Christmas and is only now starting to wear her 6-12 month size. I am also in love with the soft soled shoes by Umi. We tried some on today and I wish I had known about them sooner! Like the Smaller shoes, they are constructed of supple leather with rubber gripper circles on the bottom. They are less traditional looking than the Smaller shoes, but I love how the toe is rounded up and the color combos are charming!

Before too long though, we will be moving on to the hard-soled variety of shoe. Right now I have my eyes on Livie and Luca's Petal shoe in Red, or maybe the Pio Pio's in Pink. And I will definitely be getting Pooka a pair of Salt Water Sandals for the summer. I love the original sandal, and there are so many colors to choose from! And for a pair of true keepsake shoes, have a look at Rachel Riley's classic styled Double-Buckle Shoes in Red. This timeless style of shoe has been around since the 1930's! I know I have focused entirely on shoes for little ladies, but each of these companies also feature some nifty choices for boys too! Favorites include Smaller by See Kai Run's Seamus and Alec shoes, See Kai Run's Agustin shoe, Umi Dimples, Livie and Luca's Emilios in Red, Salt Water Sandals are unisex, and you can get Rachel Riley's in a Classic Lace-Up. If only I could buy every pair!

Fab Find: Bical Grippers

Pooka has just started crawling in this weird crab style. It kind of defies description but she certainly gets from point A to point B. On top of that, she has started to pull herself up on anything he can reach. And not everything she pulls herself up on is stable. Combine that with our hardwood floors and it's a recipe for many bumps and brusies. To the rescue come the Bical Grippers, fantastic shoe socks with rubber soles. Made in Brazil, Grippers were originally designed to be worn as water shoes for kids to wear at the pool or beach, but they are perfect for babies who are learning to crawl, walk, and wipe out. But what makes these shoes even better are the crazy cute designs. Think Trumpette meets Crocs! Don't get me wrong, we love our Nowali Moccasins too, but their leather soles don't offer the type of traction my little wiggle worm needs these days. We got out Bicals at a great little children's boutique on the upper east side called Lemonade, but they are available online at numerous sites.

Luxe Life: Maloles Shoe's for Mama and Baby

Okay, so I'm not a big fan of the whole mother/daughter matchy thing but these shoes are so adorable how could you not get both of you a pair, or two, or three? Based in Paris, designer Maloles Antignac's eponymous shoe line is best known for her flats, but she also does boots and heels. For mama, check out the Zoe flats. The detail is based on the gatherings on the underside of a ballet shoe (which of course makes me think of tutus, which in turn makes me smile!). I also love the casual glamour of the studded Georges flats. Or how about a sexy mommy heel with secret practicality? I like the Cassidy Pump with its au courant studs and rubber treaded sole. I also love the sweet bow style of the Celia in a ballet flat or a heel (again with rubber treaded sole).

But I'm getting carried away. I haven't even mentioned the wee shoes from the Petit Maloles collection. Get all matchy/mathcy with a pair of Petit Zoe's, or Petit Celias. More options that will match mamas include the studded mary jane style Petit Safir's or t-strap Bianca Pom Poms. But I really die for the Petit Anna Button Boots. Those buttons! That classic style! Oh my! It's no surprise that Petit Maloles are frequently seen gracing the feet of mini fashion maven Suri Cruise. My biggest issue is where to find them, but go to the Maloles site to locate stores and online retailers in your area. The fall collections are mostly sold out, so keep your eyes peeled for the release of her spring collection because they go fast!

Luxe Life: Flora and Henri

Despite the French sounding name Flora and Henri is a homegrown enterprise. With stores in NYC and Seattle their beautiful collection offers european inspired clothing for the dear wee ones in your life. What most inspires me from their collection are the shoes and knits. How can you resist the incomparable cuteness of the Baby Ballet in soft lavender? Skip the Uggs and grab a pair of Wooly Baby Boots to keep those precious tootsies warm this winter! Or get ready for next summer and pick up a pair of bright blue Maryjane Scallop Shoes on sale. And don't miss their gorgeous sweaters in chunky cashmere. What I like about them is that you feel like your little one could still run outside and play in these, rather than just pose for a portrait or wear for the holidays. Have a look at the Luxurious sweater, Ideal sweater, or Lovely sweater. Their price points put them into the luxe category, but being a knitter I can attest that the yarn alone would cost a small fortune if you wanted to reproduce these sweaters. Be sure to check out the extra small sizes in some of the knitted and layette pieces, like the 100% organic Nona sweater. Flora and Henri is one of the only luxury baby brands I have seen that offers newborn size clothing (although some of the knits are small enough to fit a preemie too) in beautiful knits. And don't miss the super sweet Wool Laurel Leaf Bonnet! I love that Flora and Henri's clothes are timeless. They would be a fantastic choice for a cozy holiday portrait session!

Fab Find: Ugg's Honey B

I must be the only women in NYC that has never owned a pair of Ugg boots (although I have had a pair of their slippers). Pooka, on the other hand, has just acquired her first pair, but they are not the ubiquitous boots. I purchased a pair of Honey B's for her in black (they are also available in soft pink). The are a lovely soft leather with white contrast stitching and soft soles. The interior is lined with Ugg's signature sheepskin. They will be perfect everyday shoes with tights and pants on cool days, although I imagine a pair boots will still be necessary for the coldest days of the year.