In most cases we are all looking for the same thing however, not literally! We all wish for uniqueness, knee weakening frocks with dazzle and charmed to perfection. Why wouldn’t we? I mean our little princesses are exactly that… petite royal highnesses and must look the part for every photo opportunity.

When I think of posh and precious I think of a few special designers; today I will highlight one that has been one of my favorites since the early 2000’s. The designer is named Heidi Schwarck and the name of her company is Luna Luna of Copenhagen.

Luna Luna is comprised of not only stunning show-stopping dresses but gorgeous layette and accessories for newborn and infant girls. Each season Heidi designs a memory making dress for her clientele. Each year Luna Luna’s party dress is a retail success. It is historically the best selling dress in its category and by far the most unique. This combination is no easy feat, but for Heidi it was a consistent accomplishment. Heidi was a New York women’s designer for design houses such as Jones of New York, Bill Blass and Tahari. She then started a family and left the fashion industry until she had her third baby, a baby girl named Luna.

Luna was born and like most sweet baby girls, she had no hair. Heidi designed a whimsical baby hat with beauty and detail. It was important to her the hat projected femininity, as Luna was often mistaken for a boy. She received several comments and inquiries and the rest is as they say history. Heidi began Luna Luna in the early 2000’s and today her clothing line is represented in several specialty stores across the country. The best way to describe Heidi’s style is a Californian lifestyle meets elegant European flair. Luna Luna consists of two-piece sets, gorgeous take-me-home layette sets, diaper covers, hats and booties and the ever popular party dresses. This dress is worth more than each dollar you spend! The compliments and the smiles on your baby girl’s face will be worth more than the retail total of your purchase.

So, as you begin to ponder through all those catalogs you receive in the mail or wander through the same websites, take a moment and stroll through Luna Luna of Copenhagen.  You will be very happy you did!

1. Stand up for yourself. Verbally express that you do not like what is happening. Using “I” statements are great, such as, “I feel ___ when you talk to me like that. Please don’t do it again.” Many young bullies will leave a child alone once he/she is stood up to by the child. Also, we as a society need to stand up to this poor behavior if it is to change. Far too many bullies have been allowed to hide, making the behavior seem acceptable. Encourage your child to come home from school and talk to you about it.

2. If it happens again, immediately have your child tell the teacher or a yard supervisor. Give an adult at school the opportunity to learn about the situation and make appropriate consequences. Again, encourage your child to tell you about it.

3. If the bullying behavior continues, set up an appointment to met with your child’s teacher. It is important that your child feel supported and safe throughout the process.

My personal favorite classification was the “Luxury Baby Blanket” category. This is where we find our lavishly, soft and cozy wraps for baby in delicious pastels lined with sumptuous silks, cashmeres and cottons. While I could name dozens of blanket manufacturers I will take this opportunity to highlight just one. Luxe Baby, which is made in the U.S. This small in size, however grand in elegance is a Southern California based company. Owner, Designer Paty Murillo has cornered the market in vintage femininity. The magic of Luxe baby is the romantic nuance each of these blankets bring to a baby carriage, crib or any room where baby sleeps. The average price point of these exquisitely made blankets is $72.00. Why do I love Luxe baby so much? Well, the first time I picked up one of these supple cuddle wraps I said “how much would I love to wrap myself around one these treasures?” I would love it!

Luxe baby designed beautiful, adult-sized throws for mama to indulge along with baby. These are not inexpensive, however make a timeless gift for any mother-to-be, new mom or your best friend! The price point range is $100.00 to 180.00. Again, with baby blankets being such an emerging and profitable facet of the baby accessory business the adult category is slowly making a home for itself in specialty stores. The next time you find yourself in the mood to treat yourself, imagine tucking yourself in just as you would your precious little darling.

We start our school year by openly and honestly discussing/defining bullying. Just opening up and actually saying the word “bullying” in front of students has allowed many important discussions to begin. Once we have determined our definition, we then talk about what we are going to do about it: what behaviors we will accept as a student body, and what behaviors we will not. It is mind-boggling how quickly even the youngest children are able to clarify right from wrong. They know what behaviors/words scare them and they are just waiting for the adults to step up and help set the rules: AND stick with them. Schools need to play hardball against bullying. I then ask every teacher and student to take a pledge against bullies: if you want to be a bully, you will have to go to school somewhere else. No bullies allowed. Period. You can hear a clear collective sigh of relief in our school auditorium. Our school is different. Everyone is safe. It is amazing what children can do when they feel safe.

Next steps? Concrete ideas? Hang on until next week, as this post is the start of a series. Next week I will explore what you can do as a parent. If you have a question, I would love to answer!

Bathing baby is an event which begins very early and continues well into the toddler years. Buying bath time products is always a win if you are searching for a gift for a baby shower, a first birthday or any holiday. You do not need to know the gender of the child so it makes it easy to select the perfect gift! Bath toys and accessories are always welcomed by any mother of a newborn or infant. Several children’s specialty boutiques and websites have now created ample sized bath shops, as this category has emerged successfully and will continue to grow.

Here are a few of my “fun in the tub” favorites: Sassy Baby’s Ali Sorter helps develop motor skills, encourages hand eye coordination and looks adorable in the tub. When baby bathers have had their fill, just hang the alligator by it’s tail from bath or shower head.

ALEX bath toys are a popular favorite and now have offer 650 items in their “rub-a-dub” collection. The company is dedicated to brightening a child’s mind and spirit. Alex tub toys are a myriad of chunky bold designs in shape sorters, bath books and floating cars. Another award winner is the “shaving in the tub” kit. Baby can lather up with all the plastic shaving accessories just like dad. The shaving kit won the parenting media award as well as parents magazine best toys of the year award.

Elegant Baby and Swankie Blankie offer sweet and snazzy. Swankie’s hooded towels are designed with flair, handmade and are machine washable. Vibrant rubber duck and washcloth gift sets by Elegant baby will keep little ones clean, dry and busy at bath time. Be sure to check out the menagerie of ducks available in stripes, dots, and brights galore!

Happiness is never having to take a bath without a dozen bright and fashionable squeaky clean rubber duckies.

Yummy, washable cashmere hoodies and blankets by Amber Hagen. These are luxurious to the touch, not to mention how charming your cherub will be wrapped in the cardigan or blanket. The Cardigan is sized 3 month to 24 months and retails for $160.00, well worth the extravagance! The famous tattoo hoodie is the Tinsel Town favorite; celebs such as Julia Roberts, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jennifer Garner and Angelina Jolie are all fans! Stylish gift boxes are available for an additional $5.00 if you are sending as a gift.

While shopping, ease your travels with the ultimate stroller accessory by Dante Beatrix. This tote bag is not only beautifully tailored and timeless it is extremely functional. It was designed to compliment any women’s personal style and store diapers, sippy cups and my favorite All of my Heart soap by Noodle & Boo. The bag has clips to fasten to stroller and extends long enough to to wear across the body like a hip handbag. Dante Beatrix is the bag of choice for famous moms like Marcia Cross and former Bachelorette turned mom Trista Renn. The stroller tote retails for $110.00.

Save the permanent tattoos for others and enjoy a bit of fun with the novelty of a temporary tattoo for your little one. Ooh La la Mama offers the hippest onsies that look adorable with jeans or my personal favorite way to sport, bottomless and chubby legs exposed! You have your choice of zen Buddha, animal print punk star or the Heart Tattoo and several more. These onsies retail for $38.00. So whether you are inclined to purchase one of these contemporary items for your little sweetie for Valentine’s Day or just because, your choice will be heartfelt.

Happiness is finding the sweetest heart for you and baby too!

Inevitably, in these days of extreme cutbacks at schools, every teacher spends money from his/her own pocket to go above and beyond for children. I am humbled by the extraordinary nature of teachers. In this mixed up world where we honor someone who can sing more than we do a teacher, maybe this Valentine’s Day would be the perfect time to share the love with your child’s teacher. Speaking from “the inside,” most teachers have more mugs than they know what to do with, and they can’t eat 20 boxes of chocolates. So what about doing something unexpected? A handwritten thank you card from you and your child would be so appreciated, as this personal touch would let her know how much you both care. I still have thank you cards tucked away from my days as a teacher, and occasionally I get them out. They make me cry, and smile, thinking back on a particular child. They also remind me why I got into this business in the first place.

In addition, I plan on tucking in a bottle of Lovely Body Lotion because I love the product, the packaging, and the way it says, “Indulge in something special for yourself! You deserve it!” I can’t imagine a teacher who wouldn’t be tickled pink!

This being said I consistently made a diligent effort to offer more of a balance between boys and girls in selection. The market and industry often dictated what was “hot” for girls; however when it came to our little boys I had my work cut out for me! Sure there was always the token blockbuster film dominating the toy industry but who wants to buy the same product that every other little guy has in the neighborhood? Just like girls, our boys like to be voted “most popular” on the playground.

Here are a few toy ideas and websites to share from my years of shopping for specialty toys for little boys. Play value was always the key coupled with safety, education, and hand and eye coordination. Durability and quality were also key factors in my decision process.

Siku is one of my favorites for high tech, high level standards in toy trucks and cars. “Siku” is a German manufacturer and offers so much more than a dump truck. Who doesn’t need a Liebherr Hydraulic Excavator? In addition, back hoe loaders and street sweepers are popular. You can find these and more at 300Toys.com.

Quercetti manufactures a spectacular exclusive vortex loaded with multiple marble launches, paddle wheels and double length bridges. It contains 220 pieces, ages 6 and up. Made in Italy. You can find Quercetti on Educational Toys Planet along with several other unique and fantastic toy items for boys.

Be sure to check out Ravenburger on line and view the 2007 award winning “Pirates of the High Seas.” Your little one can hoist the sails in a supersize 3-D pirate game. Ages 6 and up.

Discovery Toys has a very popular toy for the toddler boy; I have bought this several times and has been a smash! It is called “Farm animals bowling set” — not only is it visually pleasing, it is safe, interactive and offers open ended play! I have multiple favorites, however I had to narrow it to a few so my final recommendations would be LearningResources and their “Wacky Wigglers.”  They are motorized buildingsets. Learning Resources also offers several other styles in this category. Melissa and Doug and the classic Radio Flyer are also worth a browse.

You can shop in quantity for your little guys as you do for your little gals, you just need to know where to look. The year has begun and birthday parties, milestones, and soon the holidays will once again be upon us. Begin now, take pride and have fun in toy and gadget shopping for our equally sweet little boys and their toys.

Happiness is having the brightest, biggest back hoe loader in the sandbox!