Paris at Night…
There is nothing more romantic than strolling around Paris at night. See check out Sonia Gill as she shows us some Parisian magic…
Don’t forget to watch Sonia’s Travels on Thursdays!
The Eiffel Tower
We LOVE Sonia’s Travels on Thursdays at 12pm (EST). She recently did one about the Eiffel Tower called “A Different Way Up” and we are smitten!
Don’t forget to watch Sonia on Thursday!
Babymoon III Amelia Island
Last but not least, is the third installment in our Babymoon series. We want to thank Katie from Ever After Honeymoons so much for sharing all this amazing info with us. Here is a sneak Peek at the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island…
With the babymoon package you receive a special pregnancy pillow and a moms to be only “craving” menu (yum!). These babymoon packages look so fun and we are curious if you went on a babymoon? Tell us about it!
Greetings from Blackberry Farm!
Hi Ya’ll! I am here on Blackberry Farm in Tennessee, and I am loving it here! L and I are having so much fun, and enjoying some sweet southern food. Here is a little glimpse of what we have been up to…
Happy Holidays from La Petite Peach!
Friday Weekly Round Up, Inspiration, Vendor Guide
I hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend! I am off to Mexico for a fun family vacation, but I will be back January 3rd with exciting and new material to share with you.
On LPP this week we saw…
1. A last minute holiday gift guide hand picked by your truly
2. We met the Sloan’s! Could they be any cooler?!
3. A cute train station session by Meghan Christine Photography on Wednesday
4. Thursday we saw my little peach all snuggled up in his hammock
Check out what I am grateful for this year on the Petal Floral Design blog!
See you in the new year!
Little Sami
Chelsea Millunchick ( check out her blog Willow & Frank ) sent this over to us, and I have to say that little Sami, is pretty much the most adorable little one I have ever seen. Looks at those big brown eyes! Très beau!
Thanks so much Chelsea for letting me share these gorgeous images!
Introducing: Dear Charlotte, Love Banjo
Fashion, Inspiration, Vendor Guide
Meet Sally Roberts – One Half of the DEAR CHARLOTTE. LOVE BANJO Duo.
Q: How did you get your business started?
My business partner Emerald and I started our business when we had our babies eight weeks apart from each other. Her little boy Banjo, and my little girl Charlotte consider each other brother and sister.
We both shared a love for all things vintage, especially the beautiful clothing that our parents wore, and even some of the outfits our own mothers dressed our older siblings and us in. We struggled to find anything that we thought was absolutely DIVINE to buy for our babies that was vintage inspired. We wanted to create a collection that was not mass produced, but was beautiful and well made, with attention to detail. We spent months and months designing our first collection “High Tea At Noon” and we were over-whelmed by the initial response we had from our online store when we launched the site last December. Recently, we launched our second collection “Plumb Pudding Pie” at Kids InStyle in Melbourne.
Q. Who inspires you?
My mother has inspired me to be the best mother I can be, to be patient, to always listen to my daughter, and that adults can play too. My dad inspires me to go out and follow the dreams I made for myself, and he also does this by reminding me that life is what we chose it to be.
Q. What are some of your favorite items that you could not live without?
iphone, ipad, Stila illuminating foundation, Lulu Lemon tracksuit, our new comfy leather couch.
Q. Are you a fashion conscious mother? If so what is your favorite label for yourself?
Arabella Ramsay, vintage clothing, and I wear a lot of Country Road…such good basics.
Q. What are your 5 favorite Dear Charlotte, Love Banjo products?
1-My most favorite of all is the “Harriet High Pants”- little floral high waist summer shorts for girls – with six button vintage detail on the front. These have been a best seller and are definitely my favorite to put Charlotte in.
2-My second would have to be a garment called “Fridays Child” This little summer romp suit is a real classic piece that is comfortable and seems to evoke a lot of “oooooh and aaaahs” when worn by a little person.
3- is the “Sweet As Apple Pie Jacket” (see Plumb Pudding Pie Collection on online shop). This is a true classic, and very very cute on.
4- Overalls and All in floral – very cute!
5- If Giggles Could Kill in Pastel pink (Plumb Pudding Pie Collection)
Q. Are there any products that you would like to offer your customers that you don’t currently carry?
Starting very soon – we will be stocking some divine classic, leather shoes from an Australian label called “Old Soles”. As well as, next winter we will be releasing a vintage hand made “hat” range for boys and girls. All based on 1920′s – 1940′s hats. We will have a section on the online shop known as the ‘hattery’ – watch this space as the designs are just to die for.
Q. What is one piece of advice you would give someone wanting to start a career as a clothing designer?
Don’t compromise on your designs because people in the industry tell you that they will ‘not sell’. Love what you do and that will show through into your collection of clothing.
Q. What does “a day in the life of” look like?
Our business is made up of two partners/ designers – myself and Emerald. Both young mums to toddlers. These days our lives are pretty crazy with running around, working, designing in our studio, and generally just spending time with our little ones. We have called our next collection “Take me back to the Fair Mum” – because although our lives are great fun and we are enjoying every single minute of it – we do sometimes feel like we are living in a circus!!! A fast paced life, with lots of hard work, long hours, but with lots of laughter and fun along the way. I think after two years – both Emerald and I are finally starting to get the balance of life/family and work right.
Q. What are some memories that you like to create for your children?
Spending time with family, like my family used to when I was a child. Taking holidays together and laughing together. I want my daughter to remember our times together as safe, worry free and fun.
Lucy Jane Photography
Inspiration, Photography, Vendor Guide
Lucy from Lucy.Jane Photography sent us this amazing photo session of baby Matilda and her older sister, Amelie. There is nothing cuter than seeing mom and sister interacting with this new precious gift!
How precious is this?!
Guide to Hiring a Babysitter from Sittercity
ABOUT SITTERCITY
Sittercity.com is America’s largest and most trusted site for matching parents with local babysitters and nannies as well as dog walkers, senior care providers and tutors, with over a million caregiver profiles nationwide. Parents looking for sitters can use the four-step screening process, which includes checking references, reading caregiver reviews, conducting interviews and utilizing free access to background checks to find the perfect match for their family.
Sittercity has over a million caregiver profiles nationwide, with sitters in every city across the county – a far cry from those early days! Care seekers can access Sittercity’s vast network of caregivers two ways, through individual memberships or as an employee benefit through their employer.
FIVE QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD CARE PROVIDER
1. What kind of experience do you have?
• How many years has the nanny/sitter been caring for children? How old were the children? How many children did you care for?
• Look for experience that meets your situation. For instance if you have a newborn, does the nanny/sitter have experience with infants – know how to feed, bathe them, change diapers. Do you know about SIDS and how to prevent it? Do you know the proper size for baby chewables and how to prevent choking?
• If you have a special needs child, does the sitter have any experience with your specific situation?
2. What kind of skills/training to you have?
• Here you’re looking for First Aid training, CPR or infant CPR, knowledge of the Heimlich Maneuver; even if they can swim.
3. Do you have any references and would you be comfortable if I called them?
• It’s always good to see what other parents say about the candidate.
4. How much do you charge?
• The average national hourly rate is between $11-$15, but varies by geography, number of children who need to be watched, experience of the childcare provider, age
• You can go to Sittercity.com/rates – to see what the rate in your neighborhood are, simply answer four questions (zip code, number of children, sitter age, sitter experience). This data is based on real-time data pulled from job postings and job profiles on the site.
5. Not so much a question per se, but invite your nanny/sitter to meet your children and watch the interaction between the candidate and your child/children.
• This will tell you a great deal. If the candidate is comfortable and engages the children, you’ll see it.
• In the same light, see if your children are comfortable with the candidate. Some may be shy upon the first meeting, but watch how your child interacts with the sitter.
• Stick with your gut.
Bloume Baby
Fashion, Mom's Guide, Vendor Guide
I just recently discovered Bloume Baby and immediately got in touch with the brains behind the operation, Annie Totten, and was over the moon when she agreed to do a little Q & A for La Petite Peach. Bloume Baby offers everything that you could possibly need to prepare for your “new arrival,” and it’s all organic!!
Q: How did Bloume Baby get started?
A: After years in the retail industry working with large corporations such as Gap, Babystyle and Disney, I was ready and passionate about starting my own company. I have always lived a healthy and active lifestyle, and within the past decade I’ve been committed an even healthier lifestyle by choosing organic, non-toxic and sustainable products and foods. I became pregnant with my first child, Jack, in the summer of 2008, and knew it was the perfect time to start my own venture. Combining my love and experience for baby products (that was my expertise in the corporate retail world) and my passion for healthy living, I created Bloume baby. My goal is to provide moms and gift givers with a place where they can shop with confidence knowing each product they chose will help support a pure beginning for their little one.
Q: What are your favorite five (5) products?
A:
1. Apparel- Go Gently Baby. This line of gorgeously modern clothing for boys and girls is made of all organic cotton and natural pigments. You would never know this line was “eco friendly” by looking at it, because the style and craftmenship is so elevated. I love the attention to detail in the line, season after season.
2. Toys- Plan toys- I am huge fan of wooden toys simply for their gorgeous appearance, their durability and their ability to stimulate free play. Without all the lights, sounds and pre-made story telling, wooden toys allow for children to use their imagination and truly explore. Plan toys is one of the best in the market when it comes to wooden toys.
3. Bath care- Erbaviva. This line is a favorite in our house as well as with Bloume baby customers. A higher end line of body care for mom and baby, I have used this exclusively on my son and myself since discovering it. The gentle scent derived from eucelpytus and lavender combined with the natural and organic ingredients make for a perfect line. I especially love the baby shampoo, lotion and soap.
5. Oeuf furniture- I fell in love with this product and pretty much the whole company when I started my search for a crib for my son. The company is based on creating simple, yet beautiful, designs, all while being “good people” and being “good to the planet.” They offer a range of products that can serve the traditionalist as well as the modernist- and their prices are competitive within the designer furniture world.
Q: What do you hope your customers leave thinking from what they see in your store and online?
A: My goal is to provide moms and gift givers with a place where they can shop with confidence knowing each product they chose will help support a pure beginning for their little one, all while maintaining their amazing sense of style. Preparing for the arrival of a new baby should be a time of celebration and appreciation for the miracle of life. With the infinite amount of choices, especially unsafe or unhealthy ones, when it comes to baby products, the preparation can become more stressful and confusing than it needs to be. We hope that after registering or shopping with Bloume baby, our customers feel a sense of relief that the “work” on seeking out the best products for baby has already been done and collected in one place for them. This is why we offer products across 7 key categories, DRESS, PLAY, EAT, SLEEP, BATHE, TRAVEL, FOR MOMMA, but also go through a strict evaluation of the companies and products before accepting them into our brand. All products must be “Bloume Worthy”- meaning they must be organic or eco friendly, sustainable, must come from a company who is socially responsible, charitable or eco conscious themselves.
Q: What don’t you have yet that you would like to carry in your store?
A: We look forward to expanding our assortment to include crib mattresses (Nook is a brand we are very fond of and will have in the line soon), additional bedding choices (its so very hard to find organic crib bedding that is high quality and high style), and more décor items.
Q: How are Eco friendly companies different from those that aren’t?
A: Eco friendly companies choose to use recycled materials (ie Green toys which uses recycled milk jugs to make their plastic toys), they maintain environmentally friendly manufacturing processes (using organic cotton, low impact dyes and pigments, sustainably harvesting wood etc), and they give back more than they take. Most of the brands we carry not only maintain eco friendly practices in their production, but also give back to the communities where they make their products- setting up schools, employing and educating their workers in trades they wouldn’t otherwise learn, donating to charities and even planting trees in exchange for orders. All these actions lead to a better world- they spread love, appreciation for humanity and the earth, and help preserve our natural resources, all while making products that are simply better for our children.
How cute is Annie and her little one?!
