A Sophisticated Mommy: Favourite Baby Things

Before I continue with my next Favourite Things post, I have to admit that I broke my 3 week no spending streak today. Between BabySteals 75,000 fans Secret Steals and KidSteals 1st Anniversary Steal-a-thon, it was too much to ask this recovering addict to stay on the no spending bandwagon. I have to admit that I don't regret my purchase and it was only $21 altogether with shipping. I'm going to keep it a secret until I actually get the parcel in a couple weeks from now. Any guesses what I bought? Hopefully, I can resist the rest of their "steals" until the end of the month as I think one $20 purchase per month is very reasonable!

Back to some more of my favourite things!

Clean Shopper

I can just see some people shaking their heads at me for this purchase especially certain generations of the population (how's that for political correctness?!). Let me explain myself. I am a bit of a germaphobe when it comes to shopping carts. This is one reason I love shopping at Safeway. They have hand wipes at the front entrance and I always spend a couple minutes wiping down the shopping cart before I will touch it with my own hands. The thought of my baby girl sucking on a shopping cart is kind of revolting to me and it will happen because she won't keep a soother in her mouth.

I have seen more and more shopping cart covers out there and I think they're great. I also hope to use this one in restaurant high chairs. I think it's doable and we'll just have to tuck some of the material in at the sides. I took a little photo journal of the cover and how it's unpacked. I was prepared to write that my least favourite part of the Clean Shopper was trying to get it back in the little bag it came in but it actually wasn't hard at all. It folded back up nicely and I was able to roll it up and stuff it back in the bag without too much trouble. I'll add a photo to this blog once I try it out in a real, live shopping cart! By the way, the company that makes these is called babe ease and they also make Clean Diners for anyone interested in restaurant high chair covers as well.

The handy little bag it comes in.

The Clean Shopper with the waist belt wrapped around it to keep it rolled up nicely.

Close up of the pattern

Baby girl sitting "in" the Clean Shopper.

See! Told you that she puts EVERYTHING into her mouth!

DC Toddler Shoes

I have stocked up on baby/toddler shoes since they can be quite expensive. I'd rather pay $15-20 per pair online than $30-40 dollars in local baby stores. I realize that local baby stores can't possibly compete with the online retailers that sell a much higher volume. It's important to support local businesses and they have the advantage of no shipping costs and immediate possession. However, when I don't need something right away and shipping isn't costly, it makes sense to order online. I love the look of the DC toddler shoes and nabbed a couple pairs when they were on KidSteals a couple months ago. Here's a couple photos of the cute shoes I bought. Coincidentally, KidSteals also had them on their website today as part of their 1st Anniversary Steal-a-thon. I must give myself a pat on the back as I resisted purchasing the ones they had today even though they were the perfect shade of Roughrider green for my little boy.

Umi Shoes

Umi makes the most ridiculously cute shoes for children. They are also ridiculously expensive which is why I don't hesitate buying them when I see them for half price on BabySteals. I love these little sandals that I bought for Aleena and their other shoes are equally adorable. I just spent a few minutes on their website and their boots are probably my favourite of all their products. They had the boots on BabySteals previously so I hope they get them again this fall/winter.

Ergo Baby Carrier Front Pouch

In a previous blog post, I wrote about my favourite baby carrier, my Ergo carrier. It has a couple accessories including a baby infant insert and this front pouch/purse. I skipped on the infant carrier as it was expensive and can only be used for a couple months. It really isn't necessary. I opted to get this pouch so I can carry a few things along with me. It's also quite nice with the solid colour I bought although I think it could be a little much with the Heartrose Ergo carrier it was designed for. Speaking of the Ergo carriers, I recently saw a photo of all their new designs and they look great. With so many baby carriers on the market, functionality isn't enough to attract customers anymore so they've started to work on the fashion aspect of their carriers and it's a smart move.

Petunia Picklebottom Purse (Diaper Bag)

This clutch bag is really more of a purse than a diaper bag. Yes, I also have a gorgeous Petunia Picklebottom diaper bag which I love and I don't leave home without it. I bought this clutch to use as a purse when I go back to work next year. It looks much more professional and it isn't such a huge bag to lug around at work or when I go out. On the other hand, it still has all the little pockets and pouches I need inside to hold baby-related items not to mention a huge change pad. The change pad almost pops out of nowhere. It's really quite amazing!