Sergeant Stubby, T-shirt Style

I'll admit, I've a bit of a weakness for Boston Terriers. They are the only small dog that I truly adore -- Pugs snuffle a bit too much; Poodles can be a touch yappy; but the Bostons seem just about right. Having said that, I've never owned a Boston, only admired them at the dog park as my own giant Shepherds romp. But those wonky eyes, the darling underbite, that attitude! And now, all those features come to rest on what may be the most adorable children's shirt I've ever seen. Designed by artists at Areaware, a New York design collective, this pup is hand-screened onto an organic cotton tee. The shirt is available in short and long-sleeved but not, sadly, in adult sizes.

The Great Grape Ape

Ferdinand is a charming little shop that's made its home in Portland, Maine for the past five years. Fortunately for those of us who live outside of Maine, they have an online presence as well -- though the selection isn't as complete as what is stocked in-store. However, they do offer up one of my favorites in the Fashioned by Ferdinand line: their gorilla onesie (scroll a little over halfway down the page to find it). Screenprinted in a gloriously grapey ink, the onesie features no less than six of the hominoids, all baring their teeth, vampire-style. And, there is a banner proclaiming "I Love You!" -- because what else would such a banner say?

Stylish Silks for Worldly Babes

Thanks to Devi Baby, now even the littlest world traveler can look the part. Their silk kaftans for kids are perfect for a late spring evening -- don't you remember the feeling of cool fabric on your skin contrasting with the heat of the air? That was by far one of my favorite sensations as a child. The shirt has an adorable mirror detail along the placket and cuffs, calling to mind Indian saris and embroidered tea-room pillows. And, if you aren't partial to the bright sunburst color way, there is a cool-toned pink and blue version, with the same fabulous attention to detail. Because they are pure silk, the kaftans are hand-wash only -- so they might be more of a special occasion shift than an everyday romping outfit. Still though, that imported silk is mighty fetching...

Add a Little Lilt to Your Home

Lilting tunes, tinkling chimes, children's laughter -- music to anyone's ears!  Musical Furnishings completely agrees. Each of their furniture pieces has a fabulous children's instrument (or instruments, as in the case of their drum table) embedded in it. My favorite piece is the Duet table, fitted with two xylophone keyboards that allow two people to play -- they even include a songbook and Marimba mallets! The tables are made of a gorgous Red Alder, and are available in three different finishes, making them easily customized to match the rest of your home. I firmly believe that music should be a daily inclusion in our lives -- and especially that of our children. What an innovative way to incorporate music into everyday life.

Something Odd, Something New

Odd Label is one of my favorite sources for kids' clothes. Started by two graphic designers who had been purchasing baby gifts for years, the company was born after Maya and Sarah realized the market needed a little "odd" thinking. Although I've long been a fan of their broccoli tee, I've been momentarily overtaken by Odd's Thirsty Giraffe sundress. The giraffe design is also available on a hot pink tee, but I'm partial to the A-line of this mod sundress. And, I've been on a bit of a brown kick lately, so I'm loving the use of the chocolatey color, especially in contrast with the bright amber giraffe. As with all Odd clothes, there are no itchy labels on the neck band to cut out, and the material is a super-soft, super-stretchy cotton. According to the site, you shouldn't iron the outfit, and you must turn it inside out before laundering -- I think I could manage that minimum of care in exchange for something so cute!

Ollie the Octopus

Our seating as children was often relegated to a patched-up, hand-me-down bean bag chair. Don't get me wrong -- I did love that bean bag chair. It went through many a bedroom redesign, first with me, and then my sister. Even with all that love in my heart, I have been questing for a stylish re-interpretation of that throwback to the days of lava lamps. Finally, I believe I have found it -- a perfectly plush place for kids to plant their tushies. Ollie the Octopus is a plentiful 34 inches across, so there is an abundance of room for either sitting in his lap, chair-style, or curling up in his cozy tentacles. (Did you ever think you'd hear "cozy" and "tentacles" in the same sentence? Me either.) With his embroidered face and oversized head, I'm sure any tot would be as enamored of Ollie as I am.

Posh Papoose

Baby carriers are fab, and not just for those parents who ascribe to the attachment parenting school of thought. Unfortunately, so many carriers are built solely with function in mind -- they haven't all caught up yet with the amazing design advances we've seen in other areas of children's gear. The Bill Amberg Papoose is an exception to that rule. Long known for his luxurious leather goods, Amberg turned his attention inwards in 1998, when he designed the Papoose, which was originally meant for his own children. Lucky for us, he decided to manufacture the carrier and make it available to other parents. The Papoose is made out of soft sheepskin and bridle leather and is available in your standard black and brown colors, but pink and blue as well. The only drawback I can see, in purely practical terms, is that you have to dryclean it -- which might not be the best thing when your babe is drooling and spitting all over the gorgeous shearling! I think I could manage to overlook that, though, in exchange for such a primo papoose.

Melamine Be Mine

Snack time poses so many challenges, from timing to sneaking in healthy treats, and in a Poppins-perfect world, you wouldn't need a spoonful of sugar to help the carrot sticks go down. This snack set is just the type of sugar I can live with. Brightly colored melamine means these dishes are virtually indestructible, not to mention wildly fun. In fact, this set might finally be the spark that lights up your tot's inner Emeril. Now that's worthy of a Bam!

I Choo-se This One!

Saks has their Mother's Day Gift Guide online right now, and I was browsing through it this morning -- purely for research purposes, mind you. No, really, I wasn't shopping for myself. Promise.

So, in the course of my "research" I came across this fabulous Jimmy Choo bag. And, for a split second, I was willing to trade my first born for it. Then I read the description a little more closely and saw that the bag itself is 13x19 inches. This, fellow mamas, makes it the perfect size for a sometime-diaper bag. Not too big and bulky, not too small, but as Goldilocks discovered, just right. The bag is made of a sumptuous Italian leather, accented with goldtone buckles, studs, and logo ring. Of course, there aren't any specialized pockets for condensation-covered bottles or wet nappies, but I'm sure if I dig deep, I can find a way around that.

Just Like Mom Used to Make...

I realize I'm probably dating myself here (in addition to painting my mother as a crafty-hippy type), but when I was a toddler, I had close to a full wardrobe of hand-smocked dresses. I cannot even begin to count the hours my mother must have spent creating her own brand of kiddie couture -- all I know is that I was quite happy in my empire-waist dresses, embroidered and smocked to within an inch of my life. And so, I think it is with a touch of nostalgia that I have completely fallen in love with the return of that step-away-from-shirring, smocking -- I've even seen it trickle down into stores like Old Navy! And now, the enceinte among us can partake, thanks to companies like Juliet Dream. (True confession: I'm not even pregnant, and I'd wear this!) This lightweight cotton number is features chocolate brown embroidery and straps that are thoughtfully wide enough to cover your bra straps -- yes, even the not-so-sexy maternity straps. And, I can see this working with jeans, or even under a semi-casual blazer for work. Multitasking is always en vogue, you know.