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ALPHABET CITY
Can you spell cool? We can—thanks to these artistic alphabet cards, handmade from organic materials. Each letter accompanies a beautiful illustration, guaranteed to stir the imaginations of your eager readers. Hang ’em high on the walls of your child’s room or playroom, keep ’em low for hands-on play—either way, this smart set puts the fun back in functional while making the ABCs a little more H-I-P. ($44, www.parasolsboutique.com)
FLASH OF GENIUS
Calling all mom- and pop-arazzi: Picture Keeper safeguards your family’s precious moments in a flash. This easy-to-use, no-software drive saves up to 4,000 photos with a simple insert into any USB port. Subsequent backups are a snap because this smart system copies only the newest images. Now you can rest assured that your girls and boys on film—well, uh, digital, actually, but we love a good Duran Duran reference, so here goes the rest of it—will last longer than just two minutes later.
($39.99 for 4GB and $59.99 for 8 GB, www.picturekeeper.com)
BACK TO COOL
Nobody does special-occasion clothing (everything from Fourth of July frocks to Thanksgiving jumpers to Valentine’s Day and Christmas sets and more) like Kate Rees. We especially love the First Day of School line, fashioned with your child’s initials and an embroidered yellow school bus. Made from super-soft 100 percent cotton, each well-made, photo-op-worthy outfit has its own precious accents and is sure to take your little scholar to the head of the class—even if it’s just so the teacher can see how cute he or she looks!
($44.99, Boy’s Two-Piece Set; $49.99, Girl’s Jumper; $49.99, Girl’s Two-Piece Set; $44.99, Boy’s Shortall; $89.99, Girl’s Jumper and Boy’s Two-Piece Set; $89.99, Girl’s Two-Piece Set and Boy’s Shortall; www.katereeschildren.com)
MONSTER MASH
Bash the bedtime boo-hoos with these nighttime kid-comfort essentials from Bye Bye Monster. Ease their troubled minds with the engaging book Bye Bye Monster: Joey’s Adventure on Monster Street; Barley, the friendly stuffed monster; and the must-have organic (and highly effective, of course) monster spray. This fear-quelling trio is the natural—and fun—way to empower your child to brave the things that go bump in the night.
($16.95, Bye Bye Monster Storybook; $29.95, Barley, the Stuffed Monster; $9.95, Bye Bye Monster Room Spray; www.byebyemonstershop.com)
STARTING LINE
Get your budding glamour girl into self-care the natural way with Sparklehearts. Made with super-luxe ingredients—and minus carmine (aka bug guts), artificial colors, parabens, phthalates and sulfates—this organic beauty line includes a sweet-smelling shampoo, conditioner, hair detangler, body lotion and body wash, all in 100 percent recycled packaging. Beauty bonus: The products are naturally antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory, making her first daily get-gorgeous regime as functional as it is fabulous.
($12.49 each: Shine Shampoo, Rainbow Soft Conditioner, Peace Out No Knots Hair Detangler, Sparkly Body Lotion, Bubbling Blossoms Body Wash, www.sparklehearts.com)
WALL SMART
Never lose sight of the words you live by—literally. Keep your favorite mottos right in front you at all times with these elegant, affordable and easy-to-use vinyl decals from Quote the Walls. Available in different fonts and styles, this customizable wall art—part decoration, part conversation starter, all inspiration—makes a statement out of any room in your house, from the kitchen to the nursery to the playroom to the master bedroom.
(Prices vary, www.quotethewalls.com)
JUST A SWIRL IN THE WORLD
Your little girl will fall back into fashion with this fabulous frock from Saurette. Paired with boots or flats, the versatile wardrobe staple in 100 percent cotton twill with cotton voile appliqué, available in cherry or black, keeps her looking cool, age-appropriate and comfortable while dressed to the nines in the season’s key piece from this couture-inspired girls’ clothing line—so beautiful, we wish they’d make the clothes in mommy sizes.
($121, www.mysaurette.net)
THIS GLASS IS ALWAYS GREENER
Cheers to being environmentally conscious with these eco-chic rocks glasses made from 91 percent post-consumer recyclable glass. Made in the USA, these hand-pressed, sustainable sippers pour on the charm with rich, sexy colors (available in cobalt, celery, aqua, grape, plum, copper and olive) and feel-good texture. We’ll drink to that!
($22.50, On the Rocks by Fire & Light, www.everythinggreenhome.com)
TOOTH BE TOLD
These one-of-a-kind, cute-as-can-be tooth fairy pillows by boutique baby gear line Sew Cute by Me Designs are custom-made to suit your little ones’ looks, likes and losses—tooth losses, that is. Hand-painted with your child’s likeness, embroidered with his or her name and embellished with all sorts of cool materials, this truly unique gift comes complete with a personalizable note to the tooth fairy herself, a baggie to hold the tooth and a special story with a tooth chart to boot. Simply hang this classic keepsake on your child’s bedroom door or bedpost and the tooth fairy appears later that night like magic. Five dollar bill sold separately.
($36.95, www.frogsandfairydreams.com)
PURSE-ONALITY
Give motherhood your personal touch with a custom-designed diaper bag from Mom of Two Boys Designs. Available in a variety of fabrics, shapes and sizes, your one-of-a-kind carryall purse-onifies your style while serving the needs of your newest identity: mother.
($50, Messenger Style Tote/Diaper Bag (pictured); other bags from $37.50; $14.40, Diaper Clutch; www.momoftwoboys.com)
