BabyLuxe {daily} Giveaway Premiere!

We'll be hosting regular weekly giveaway contests, and all email subscribers are eligible to win! The first drawing will be held this Friday, August 3rd! For your chance to win an amazing baby gift, please enter your email address in the box above.

Not to fear, your email address will not be shared with or sold to anyone, and you'll be able to unsubscribe at any time.

Thanks for your continued support, while BabyLuxe {daily} grows!

Comfort & design for the modern baby

I came across the Quilt Baby Etsy store several weeks ago, and just had to have something of hers! Generally, I don't jump at every cute onesie that I see because don't think it's practical to spend over $20 on a short-sleeve onesie just because it has a quirky little design or saying. But Quilt Baby just seemed different. Because of the extremely reasonable price, I went ahead and ordered the polka dot elephant onesie for Alex, which arrived today. The first thing I noticed when I pulled it out of the package, besides the adorable packaging, was the softness of the onesie. Then when I saw the little polka dot elephant sewn onto the it, Oh My Gosh, how cute! The quality of product & workmanship certainly shows.

Quilt Baby provides a unique line of modern baby bedding and accessories. Offered in a variety of colorful, contemporary cotton fabrics, each item is designed with style and practicality in mind.

A Quilt Baby web site is in the works, planned for a Fall '07 launch, so stay tuned. This is one up-and-coming designer you won't want to miss. For now, you can shop her adorable collection at Etsy!

Baby web sites with flavor!

So you've had a new baby, and you want to share pictures of her with the world! You want a cool way to instantaneously announce the birth of your child. Yes, you could do birth announcements, and you probably will, but we all know how long that takes. For me, that took a month!

Why not go ahead and set up one of these super cool baby web sites, from Baby Jelly Beans? Fun, personalized baby websites that you build yourself in minutes. No programming experience necessary. Loved ones around the world will enjoy access to your latest photos, videos, news and more.

Every Babyjellybeans website includes:
- One month free trial
- Quick and easy set-up
- Adorable, customizable themes
- Share photos, video, and audio
- Interactive polls and guestbook
- Order prints
- Address book
and much more!

I set one up for my family, and it's just adorable! I included a page for each child, a page about our home, a recipes page, a "blog" page & more. One of the things I love the most is that there are no annoying ads cluttering your pages. Each page of the web site can be uniquely customized, by theme, colors, font & more.

You can use your site for a variety of purposes: baby, pregnancy, family & adoption!

What have you got to lose? With a free one-month trial, you can't afford to not check it out!

Toddler mealtime made easy!

If you're anything like my husband and I, before your kids came along, you enjoyed eating out several nights a week. After all, why not?

Then along comes baby, bringing many lifestyle changes. Suddenly, it takes 20 minutes just to pack a bag, so that you can all go out together and eat in peace. Fast forward about 12 months, and there finally comes a point in time when you stop having to worry about packing the baby food, the bib, the burp cloth, the hot water bottle for warming the food, let alone the formula. As new parents, we welcome that point in time!

But just because your baby is no longer eating rice cereal and mashed carrots, doesn't mean that you no longer have to make special preparations before enjoying a night out. Your toddler certainly can't eat with the full size forks that seem to be the only thing available at any restaurant we've ever gone to. He doesn't know the meaning of keeping the food on a plate, and off of himself, and he's sure to make a complete mess!

I recently came across the perfect solution for toddler mealtime on the go. It's the Mod Lunch To-Go kit, available at the new super cute boutique Two Blue Pea's. They carry two color choices, blue/brown or pink/brown. This stylish and functional pack includes a fork and spoon set, 1 disposable bib, 1 disposable place mat and 1 individual pack of hand wipes all tidied up in convenient compartments. It folds up to a tidy 5 x 7 inches, and is machine washable.

Enjoy 10% off your entire order at Two Blue Pea's, with the coupon code LUXE.

It's baby shower season, do you know what you're giving?

Instead of reviewing a particular product or business today, I thought I would share with you a great baby shower gift set idea that I've put together. Of course, all new parents register for the necessities these days, but wouldn't it be fun to spice things up a bit, and divert from the ordinary?

Here is a great gift set idea to get your creative juices flowing!

A Bedtime Gift Set
{includes all the great things that any new parent needs to get a good night's sleep}

• The Ultimate Receiving Blanket for swaddling
• The Happiest Baby on the Block, by Dr Harvey Karp
• Soothing Mommy bear for the crib
• A lullaby CD such as Baby Einstein
• The Dream Machine or portable CD player for the nursery
• The ultimate bedtime story Goodnight Moon
• A cute nightlight to match the nursery theme

If you are lucky, you might even be able to pull a few of these items directly from the parents-to-be baby registry, so you can kill two birds with one stone. 1} you'll give them what they registered for, and 2} you'll make it unique & stand out in your own way!

Once a week, I'll post a new themed gift set idea, so check back for more!

The sweet smell of his skin {& hair too}

Several years ago, when my first son was just 3 weeks old, my best friend came to meet him. Having a 9 month old of her own, she already knew a thing or two more than I did when it came to baby products. It was then that she introduced me to quite possibly one of the most wonderful baby products to-date.

Hydra Bebe Body Lotion, by Mustela, provides long-lasting hydration with a formulation based on the combination of sweet almond oil and jojoba oil. It effectively restores the hydrolipidic film, & softens the skin with the presence of shea butter in the formulation. The non-greasy lotion is fluid, easy to apply & penetrates immediately, leaving the skin supple and silky smooth. It is hypoallergenic; specially formulated to minimize the risk of allergic reactions.

And if this isn't enough, it smells absolutely fabulous!

Since I just can't get enough of it, I've also started using the {non-stinging formulated) Mustela 2-in-1 Hair & Body Wash with my second son. So now his hair smells great too! Mustela has a complete line of baby products, along with sun protection, maternity products and a dermo/pediatric collection.

Mustela is a luxury every little one deserves! With so many options to choose from, the gift possibilities are endless. Pair with bath or grooming supplies, and you've got yourself the perfect baby shower gift!

Available online or in store at Babies R Us, Nordstrom & many other specialty boutiques nationwide.

Nursing covers for chic mothers

Oh yes, it's a Hooter Hider, no wait, it's a Bebe Au Lait! Whichever name you prefer, this is just one more great reason to breastfeed! Basically, it's like an apron, with an adjustable strap that goes around your neck, and hangs down to cover your chest & belly so that you can discreetly breastfeed in public. It has a built in wire at the top, between the straps, so that while you have the ability to keep your eyes on your baby, strangers won't have their eyes on you. I will be the first to admit, I was quite apprehensive about breastfeeding my baby in public, especially since my first son was primarily bottle fed. But as soon as I saw that we were successful nursing partners, and I planned to continue traditional breastfeeding, I ran out and got myself one of these fabulous nursing covers! Not only are they practical, but super stylish too! They come a in a wide assortment of colors and patterns, so that you can have one for every outfit. Ha, OK maybe not every outfit!

Whether you are looking for the perfect baby shower or new mom gift, or if you are looking for a little gift for yourself (after all, you just endured childbirth & you owe it to yourself!), purchasing a Bebe Au Lait nursing cover ensures that neither style nor modesty is compromised. They are available for sale on the Bebe Au Lait web site, where you can also find links to your local retailers.

Baby Journals Gift Set

If you (or someone you know) were anything like me as a new mother, then you know what it is like to be completely frazzled with a newborn that needs you every second of the day. Keeping track of feedings, sleeping, diaper changes, your other children & spouse, maintaining a semi-sanitary home for all those well-meaning visitors bearing gifts, all while keeping your own health and sanity in check, it's a lot of work!

A few things happened, that would have been a whole heck of a lot easier if I only had a practical means of keeping it organized:

1. The gifts started pouring in! And not only for the new baby - but gifts for me, gifts for big brother, and even some gifts for my sweet husband who endured this chaos. Of course I didn't have the time or any orderly means of keeping track of who gave what. I just jotted down what the gift was on the inside of the card, and let the cards pile up all over the house for a good month before I had a chance to organzie it all, let alone write thank you's.
2. Baby starts losing weight... Doctor sends us home with strict instructions for documenting every single feeding (how often, how long, how much, what side) & diaper change (how much, which one, what color, what texture). Where did I keep track of this? On a wrinkled up neon orange tracking sheet that I found inside the enormous stack of papers we left the hospital with. Not the most sightly piece to have following me around day and night.
3. Milestones! Baby smiles, baby coo's, baby notice's hands & feet, 1st visitors, 1st holidays, and on and on and on... And where did these go, you ask? Somewhere in the back of my brain, until I had a chance to sit alone and gather a month's worth of thoughts and try and place it all accordingly on a calendar, to be later entered into a book.

Ugh - if you don't have a baby, you can just imagine! If you do, then you know you should do anything you can to help out anyone about to embark on this wonderful journey of parent-hood.

Enter the "Baby Journals Gift Set".

These three mini journals are a great way to commemorate any baby's first year. The "Feed Me" journal keeps track of nursing and feeding, "Look What I Got" is a handy gift log, and "Special Moments" is a place to record extra-special baby memories. Boxed nicely together, this set is a great gift for any new or expecting parent!

Find this, and many other practical & luxurious baby gifts at eGiggle.

And the experts agree...

Babies need to be swaddled! When Alex was a newborn, I bought him one of these wonderful Ultimate Receiving Blankets, made by Swaddle Designs. What a blessing this blanket has been to our family! I attribute him sleeping through the night at 9 weeks, 100% to this blanket! I am almost embarrassed to say that at 6 months, he is still snugly swaddled each and every afternoon for his nap. He will sleep 4 hours or more, wrapped up like a little burrito. What makes the Ultimate Receiving Blanket so cool is it's generous size, breathable, yet cozy flannel, and the trendy color & design choices. I should also point out that these great blankets have a patent-pending "123 Swaddle Tip Tag" on each blanket, which gives step-by-step instructions for all those parents-to-be that were too busy day dreaming in childbirth & newborn class!

While Alex may not have much longer before our swaddling days are over, our Ultimate Receiving Blanket still has a long & useful life ahead of it. We take it with us everywhere, and he uses it as a source of comfort. It keeps him warm and cozy in the car and when we are out and about. It has also come in extremely handy in emergency situations where I didn't have my nursing cover. The practicality of this little luxury is an understatement. It would make the perfect baby shower gift, paired with a lullaby CD, nightlight or any of the matching gift accessories that Swaddle Designs has to offer. Check them out!

I purchased our blanket at Nordstrom, but you can find many other retailers on the Swaddle Designs web site. An online retailer that I recommend is Let's Go Strolling. They carry this blanket in a variety of patterns, as well as a ton of other fabulously practical baby items!

The Dream Machine!

Lamaze has done it again! While perusing the August edition of Pregnancy & Newborn magazine at the doctor's office this morning, I came across an ad for this latest baby must-have for the crib. This is the Dream Screen by Lamaze.

Here is what the manufacturer has to say about this product:

Works Like a Dream! The new Lamaze Dream Screen is perfect for calming baby into a restful sleep. With an innovative dual-motion screen, this soother plays soft music when activated by baby, mom or dad.You may also Customize music via an MP3 player port!

This is a fabulous baby shower or new baby gift idea that the new parents are sure to appreciate! Check out Genius Babies, where you can order it now at a low introductory price!

Absolutely loving my hotsling!

I just love this product so much, I wish I had one when Colin was a baby! This is a "pouch" style baby sling, which is sized to fit the person that wears it. So its nice and snug, and Alex feels so warm and secure in it.

My hotsling has been a lifesaver on numerous occasions when we are out and about, and all he wants is to be held. It also comes in handy around the house, when I just need to have my hands free, yet Alex just needs to have a little mama warmth. We started using this product when Alex was less than a week old, and we still use it almost every day. As a newborn, I wore him in the cradle position, then around two months, I started carrying him in the kangaroo position, and now we are using the hip carry. The sateen stretch fabric that I have is so soft and silky, and the pattern selection is beautiful. I chose the black & ecru print, for versatility, but there are so many wonderful prints to choose from! The Hotsling is a versatile and wonderful product! I cannot say enough good things about this one!