Halloween-Themed Baby Shower

"My costume roars, what does yours do?"

I can’t believe it’s been six months since my brother and his wife announced their pregnancy. Since they are expecting their little “treat” to arrive on Halloween, I couldn’t resist but do a Halloween-themed baby shower. Everything had pumpkins!

• invitations
• games (a monster match game, pumpkin trivia, pass the pumpkin)
• prizes (pumpkin-shaped chocolates, pumpkin-scented soaps)
• giveaways (pumpkin candles)
• The Diaper Cake
• dessert (a delicious homemade pumpkin cake)

And the best part of all… the kids dressed in costume to welcome the arrival of their new cousin! Of course, my son was wearing one of le•top’s 2009 Halloween costumes. He was dressed as “Troy” the Triceratops, which he loved to wear because it kept him warm all day (now that fall has arrived in California!) and had a hidden button that everyone pushed to make his costume “ROAR!” I thought it was going to scare him when he first heard the sound, but he didn’t seem to even notice. I guess Mommy always sounds like an angry dinosaur. 🙂

Check back daily to see more Halloween ideas from le•top’s 2009 collection.

Read Full Post »

Creative Baby Shower Gifts: The Diaper Cake

My cousin, Joslyn, is getting ready to have Baby #2 (a girl, Haven Bella) soon and this weekend, we are holding her baby shower! Since I work at a baby and kids clothing company, it’s no secret that most of my baby shower gifts are going to be our gorgeous baby clothes from le•top and rabbitmoon, but sometimes I like to mix it up a little. “Surprise” is a big thing for me, and because my gifts are generally predictable, I like to throw a zinger in there.

• For Jess’ baby shower gift, I put together a HUGE basket of clothes, along with some great products I have come across since being in the industry (Nookie pacifiers, Baby Legs, Pedipeds, etc).
• For Erin T’s, I did the basket and a Starbucks Frappuccino 4-pack filled with clothes instead of drinks. (Erin T. LOVES Starbucks!)
• For Joslyn (since she already had a similar gift with the first baby), I decided my “surprise” would be a diaper cake.

I have come across a lot of these online, but was never sure exactly how they did it. So the other night, I YouTube’d it, and sure enough there was a cheesy – though resourceful – How-To video. I bought the diapers, the ribbon, the jewels, the rubber bands, and the pins (my variation from double-stick tape), and went to work. I had to roll the diapers slightly differently than the video explained because the cute “character scene” on the front was turning my white cake into a blue one. All in all it took about 45 minutes to roll 92 diapers (size 1 & 2) and assemble them in the cake layers; about 30 minutes to put the ribbons and the jewels on; and 5 seconds to lay the shoes on the top as the cake topper.

Remember, this was my first time doing this, and I have learned some lessons:

1. Use ALL white diapers, if possible.
2. There is an advantage to using the double-stick tape (my ribbons are falling down because I only tautly pinned them — and in one place for that matter)
3. I need to figure out a way to secure the shoes on top (double-stick tape?)
4. Use a circular cake stand to start out the bottom layer. My bottom layer is too big for the cake stand.

Have you done a DIY shower gift? Please share your ideas and/or pictures!

Read Full Post »

Is there something in the water?

As of this moment, I know 10 women who are pregnant – all due at different times of the year. These are people I actually know, not just celebrities and their pregnancies. I remember a couple of years ago, I knew 14 women who were expecting! That’s a lot of babies. And a whole lot of baby showers! And then the birthday parties! (And we don’t need to mention all those diaper changes, clothing changes and laundry, right?) 😉

So it got me thinking, could it be something in the water? Or is it a cyclical pattern that women get pregnant every so often? Or is it, perhaps, that I’m just at a phase in my life when almost everyone in my age group is moving on to the next phase of life? Whatever it is, it’s quite amazing that I know so many women who will be giving birth and holding a new bundle of joy within the year.

Congratulations to all my family and friends!

Just for fun, here’s my list:

1. Kisha – Due June 2009
2. Anya – Due June 2009
3. Jessica – Due August 2009
4. Minnie – Due August 2009
5. Abbie – Due August 2009
6. Ana – Due September 2009
7. Kimmy – Due October 2009
8. Lisa – Due October 2009
9. Christine – Due October 2009
10. Grace – Due January 2010

Read Full Post »

We’re the Daily Exclusive on BabySteals!

Our limited-edition rabbitmoon plush blankets are the exclusive steal-of-the-day on BabySteals — these four beautiful, plush, double-layer blankets are soft chenille on one side and deluxe velour on the reverse. They come in colors: rose, blue, pomegranate, navy (reverses to tan). 30 x 36 crib size. Washable and snuggly! Go to BabySteals and get a steal on this exclusive — for yourself, or as a very special baby shower gift (or, an effortless replacement of a magic blanket, as we did for Nadine)!

Read Full Post »

Moms’ Double Trouble

Miranda in Flamingo Bay (left) and Sophia in Strawberry Fields

A couple of weekends ago, we drove down to Southern California to attend a baby shower I’d been invited to. Knowing that the weather there is always much warmer than the San Francisco, I packed summer wear—mostly le•top outfits—since it’ll be awhile before we really get to wear them here in the Bay Area. We met up with my cousin and her kids at a park so that my daughter (Miranda) and her daughter (Sophia) could get some play time. They’re like sisters, these two. We call them “Double Trouble.” They’re both bossy and like to pick on the boys.

I was delighted to see Sophia in the le•top Strawberry Fields dress that I sent to her as a birthday gift. Meanwhile, Miranda was decked out in my favorite le•top collection, Flamingo Bay. What’s fabulous is, that although these outfits are from two different collections, they complement each other very well! Perfect for sisters, twins, cousins, friends — who like to dress alike but not exactly the same.

Visit our store locator to find these lovely collections near you.

Read Full Post »

Le Top Chef Series: Arugula and Tomato Frittata

…In under 30 MINUTES!
(not including bake time)

Perfect for springtime brunches, great for baby showers and other midday events where you’re expecting many guests and want a beautiful table presentation. Conveniently make this in advance and serve at room temperature.

INGREDIENTS:
10 large eggs
1/4 cup cream
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 heaping cup cubed (1/2 inch cubes) day-old sweet batard or Italian bread, with most of the crust removed before chopping (see Note)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup small-diced onion
1 bunch arugula, thick stems removed and leaves roughly chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 heaping cup cherry tomatoes, stemmed

INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat the oven to 350°.

Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk together with the cream, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper to taste. Fold in the bread cubes and let soak while you chop and saute the vegetables.

Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch ovenproof nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 2-3 minutes, then stir in the arugula leaves a little at a time until wilted, then saute until any stems are mostly tender, 3 minutes. Season vegetables well with salt and pepper to taste.

While still on medium heat, add the butter and stir around until foamy, then add the egg mixture and spread out the bread cubes and vegetables evenly, then dot the top with the cherry tomatoes, pushing down any that aren’t mostly submerged in the egg mixture. Let the frittata brown on the bottom for 5 minutes. It should bubble lightly in only a few places.

Place in the oven and cook until almost completely set with just a little liquid on top, 20 minutes. Increase heat to broil and place on a rack a few inches under the broiler until browned and puffy, about 5 minutes.

Slide a thin spatula around the sides of the frittata and gently under the bottom, then slide out onto a large plate. Serve right away or at room temperature.

Serves 6

Note: If you don’t have stale bread, toast bread cubes in a 300° oven until slightly dry, about 10 minutes.

PER SERVING: 235 calories, 12 g protein, 9 g carbohydrate, 17 g fat (6 g saturated), 373 mg cholesterol, 158 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.

Recipe from the San Francisco Chronicle Food and Wine Newsletter

Read Full Post »

Reverie Baby

Where would we be without friends? We are so fortunate to work with retailers who are wonderful partners in business – and even more privileged when we can call some of these wonderful people our friends!

Reverie Baby welcomes you!

We wanted to share pictures and information about one of our “best friend’s” beautiful store – Reverie Baby, located in Santa Rosa. This part of California is home to beautiful countryside, fabulous wineries and one very distinctive children’s boutique! The owners – Eva and Arnie Levine – are very special people. They operated stores that specialized in fine linens for over 35 years – and just when they began to consider retirement, they happened upon the idea of opening a children’s specialty boutique. The store has been open for 5½ years, and is located adjacent to their linens store, Reverie Linens, in Montgomery Village Shopping Center. I don’t want you to get any mistaken ideas about Eva and Arnie being ‘ready for the rocking chair’ – when we go out to dinner they can “out-party” me!  Everyone needs friends who work hard…and know how to have fun!

Arnie with his friendly smile, ready to help

Their beautifully merchandised store specializes in clothing for children in sizes newborn to toddler – and is known by some as “Grandma Heaven!” Arnie tries to buy merchandise that is ‘special’ – and would appeal to moms and grandmothers who are looking for the classic baby outfit or gift. The moms especially love playwear that is unique – but never ‘over the top!’ Reverie Baby offers beautiful gift wrapping, and for years had one ‘signature paper’ – only the ribbon colors would differ. They have now added choices in gift wrap, because at baby showers in the area all the gifts would be wrapped in identical wrap! A gift from Reverie Baby is cherished and valued as something truly special and exceptional.

We asked Arnie, “What is the key to your success?” I loved his answer, because it is fundamentally simple – yet so difficult to achieve: “Everyone comes in my store happy, and they always leave happy.” The staff at Reverie Baby always greet you with a genuine smile and have excellent product knowledge – so nice, when compared to many retailers these days. We love Arnie’s philosophy, maybe THAT’S why he is our good friend!

Reverie Baby at Montgomery Village, 2406 Magowan Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95405. Click on photos to shop Reverie Baby online.

Read Full Post »

Big Sis Knows What To Do

Last weekend we drove down to Los Angeles (from the Bay Area) for my cousin’s baby shower. The drive there was a piece of cake. It took us about 8 hours with only 2 stops. Amazing, considering we had a newborn. Meanwhile, my 4-year old was her usual self asking us what number to count to before we get to LA, and repeatedly asking, “Are we there yet?” (Click here to read about our memorable trip to San Diego.)

The drive home was a completely different story. It took us almost 12 hours with so many stops that I vowed never to drive a long trip like that ever again! For some reason, my 3-week old was hungry EVERY HOUR. “Didn’t I just feed you?” And other times he would howl and cry, and we couldn’t figure out why. He wasn’t hungry. He wasn’t wet. He wasn’t hurt or sick. He just wanted to be on Daddy’s lap or in Mommy’s embrace. I guess I’d rather have that, too. But after so many stops for no reason other than to take him out of his car seat, we’d had enough. Our so-called “solution” was to let him scream in agony — while we listened in agony! Then, miraculously, Big Sis saved the day. Miranda sang “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and Paulo stopped crying! The first time it happened, we thought it was just luck. But it happened a couple more times, and it worked every time. One time she even sang a different song (some song from “High School Musical”), but it didn’t work. So we asked her to stick to his usual request because that’s what Paulo liked. She gladly complied.

Read Full Post »

Hey, Now…We’ve Been Busy!

The next boomer generation...

I guess it wasn’t just the celebrities having all those babies (with their interesting baby names)…it’s been lots of people! It also explains all the baby shower invitations! We all know about the baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964, give or take a couple years) who reached their peak numbers in 1957. Well, in 2006, we reached about 4 million, but  in 2007, we topped over 4.3 million births (surpassing 1957’s birth rate) — the highest ever in our nation’s history! That’s a lot of shopping for baby clothes…not to mention diaper changes. We’re having our own boomlet here at le•top blog, so we seem to still be trending toward a baby boom. Congrats to all our readers who gave birth in March…Happy Birthday, little ones!

Read Full Post »

A Baby Shower for the Little Munchkin

A couple of weekends ago, my mom and sisters-in-law threw a baby shower for me. They decided on “The Wizard of Oz” theme because my daughter dressed up as Dorothy last Halloween—and she requested that Daddy and Mommy be dressed up as well. A family photo was taken of the three of us in full costume, so it was conveniently appropriate that we welcome our little munchkin the way “big sister” would want it.

Everything was decorated perfectly to match the theme. The invitations were worded with Bottles and diapers and bibs… Oh my! The shower was held at The Emerald City (or my mom’s house). And when I arrived at “The Emerald City,” all I had to do was follow the yellow brick road to the dining room where everything was decorated with blue gingham tablecloths, wicker baskets, ruby red slippers, lollipops, and homemade rainbow cupcakes! It was a wonderful sight to behold! Even the sign-in guest sheets were scrapbook pages in “The Wizard of Oz” theme.

Read Full Post »