Move over Rachel Zoe, baby on the way!

Stylist Rachel Zoe literally has a new project: her baby on the way! Rachel, 39, and husband Rodger Berman are expecting their first child next year, she announced via Twitter yesterday. “Hey everyone! I want to officially confirm to my loyal friends and followers that I am pregnant!” Zoe writes. Congrats to Rachel and Rodger – that is going to be one stylish tot!

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Value of an Apple – An apple a day…

Heard the phrase, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away?” Curious about where it came from? The credit goes to Wales (though it’s known as an English adage). The original proverb, printed in 1866, goes: “Eat an apple on going to bed, and you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread.” With winter here and it being apple season, I thought about, “What does the apple nutritionally give us and our kids?” So I did some research for you (and for me) about nutritional facts, fun facts and the history of the apple.  

10 Core Facts about Apples
Apples are a very good fruit for building strong and healthy bodies. A medium-sized apple is:

1. Fat-free: May help reduce the risk of some types of cancers
2. Saturated-fat free
3. Sodium-free: May help reduce the risk of high blood pressure
4. Contains natural sugars called fructose
5. Has only 80 calories: Helps you maintain a healthy weight.
6. Cholesterol-free: Helps keep your heart healthy and may help protect against cardiovascular disease.
7. Contains no artificial colors or flavors
8. An excellent source of fiber and Vitamin C: Helps reduce blood cholesterol, and aids digestion. They also contain potassium, antioxidants, iron, calcium and Vitamin A. One apple has five grams of fiber.
9. A handy, satisfying snack: You can take one with you anywhere.
10. An easy way to get your recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables daily!
11. A medium apple is about 80 calories.

Did you know?…Apple Facts:

• To make a traditional 9-inch apple pie, you’ll need 2 pounds of apples.
• Worldwide, a remarkable 7,500 varieties of apples are grown.
• In the United States, a hearty 2,500 varieties can be found; though only 100 are grown for commercial purposes. The only apple native to North America is the Crabapple.
• Out of the 100 apple varieties grown, 15 comprise 90% of total production: Red Delicious, Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, and Fuji lead the way.
• An average of 65 apples per person are consumed in America each year. 


• Apple trees can grow up to 40 feet high; though many orchards have dwarf trees for easier picking.
• The first apple nursery opened in 1730; the location was Flushing, New York.
• A peck of apples is 1/4 a bushel and weighs approximately 10.5 pounds.
• A bushel weighs 42 pounds.
• A bushel of apples can produce 20-24 quarts of applesauce.
• At room temperature, an apple will ripen 6-10 times faster than in the refrigerator.
• The state fruit of New York is the apple
• The state flower of Michigan is the apple blossom
• Apples can be as small as a cherry or as large as a grapefruit
• Apple trees don’t grow from seeds — they are grafted or budded
• Apple trees can live to be 100 years old
• Most apples have only five seeds, but some may have as many as 10 and others may have no seeds at all
• Sixty-one percent of apples are eaten fresh and 39 percent are processed into juice and sauce
• Apples come in all shades of reds, greens, and yellows.
• The pilgrims planted the first United States apple trees in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
• The science of apple growing is called pomology.
• 25 percent of an apple’s volume is air. That is why they float.
• The largest apple picked weighed three pounds.

Apple History
Originating somewhere between the Caspian and Black Seas, apples today are grown all over the world — from China to Italy to the United States. As long as 3,000 years ago, apples were playing an important part in people’s lives.

Folklore has it that an ancient Greek who wanted to propose to a woman would only have to toss her an apple. If she caught it, he knew she had accepted his offer. And newlyweds in the 7th century B.C. shared an apple as a symbol of a fruitful union.

European settlers to America brought with them their favorite fruits, which were much favored over the native crab apple. The colonists used apples to eat and also to make into apple cider, apple vinegar and hard cider. As the early colonists explored the frontier and moved from the eastern United States to the west, so did the apple. Now the apple is grown commercially in 36 states.

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Trip to Paradise

It’s been a hectic couple of months, so our family (me, my husband, Lilah and my parents) booked a getaway to Mexico to lounge, sightsee, and spend some time together. Though we have traveled with Lilah on a plane before, she was too small to remember or really be part of the process. This was going to be her first adventure to another country!!!

Most airlines have a rule of one checked bag and one carry-on (no liquids, scissors, etc.) so we really had to plan our packing. I felt that Lilah should be able to carry all of her own bags so we got her a nifty rolling suitcase. She already had a small backpack that converts to a rolling bag so we were set. She loved that she had the same set up as all of the adults and looked adorable going through the airport.

Lilah was the only one short enough to go through the Mayan tunnel at the Coba ruins.

The security check turned into a game as to who could get through and get redressed first. Quick Tip: When flying don’t forget to make sure your child has gum, a sippy cup/bottle to suck on or is cooperative enough to try and repressurize their own ears. I remembered this only once we started the decent, so other than some temporary ear pain on 3 of the 4 flights, she passed the airtime with flying colors and was even given a “pair of wings” from the airline.

As you are probably aware, being away from home in a strange environment for a whole week can be stressful to a child. It didn’t matter how much fun she was having, when she was tired all she would say was “Can we go home and see the kitties?” It broke my heart every time. However, within a few days it changed to “Can we go back to the room?” We did our best to create a daily nap time since routines are so important for the little ones, especially when you’re traipsing through Mayan ruins or visiting unfamiliar places.

Pool time was the best since Lilah loves the water! She is comfortable in it, but cannot yet swim without a life vest. Most resorts have swim areas specifically for kids where the depth is shallow. Ours was set up like a beach where it gradually got deeper (no stairs). This enabled all of the adults to take turns playing in the water with her without her drowning us (by holding on to our necks) because six hours straight in the water is more than I can take. 

Lilah just couldn't get enough of the water. She wore us out while looking stylish in her Le Top Sweetheart Butterfly and Lots o' Fish swimsuits from our Spring 2010 season.

We practiced speaking the native language as much as possible all through our trip and Lilah would regularly skip along a path counting or saying colors she saw in Spanish. Having the grandparents along was a dream since my husband and I were able to get in a couple of excursions on our own. The trip was too short but it was nice to recharge our batteries in a beautiful paradise. I can’t wait to do it again and Lilah is already talking about the next trip. I guess I need to get out the calendar!

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Le Top Darlings of the Day: Max and Nadia

This delightful dynamic duo was sent to us by Jean at Kiddie Korner in Danville, PA. Her grandchildren, Nadia and Max (both 4-years-old) look as happy as can be wearing outfits from Le Top’s Winter 2009 “Frosty Friends” brother/sister group. I bet they can’t wait to build their own snowman and drink hot apple cider this holiday season! Hooray for Nadia and Max on being chosen as the Le Top Darlings of the Day!

To see our 2010 snowman inspired collections click HERE

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