Featured Vendor: Monkey Toes

I decided to do another feature on Diva Baby L of my buddy Jenny of Monkey Toes because I love her products so much. She makes hand-painted shoes for children that are fun and colorful! She is always introducing new looks for the changes seasons and special holidays. I am currently in love with the pumpkin shoes, which I plan to buy for Baby L, who will be 2 months at Halloween! Definitely check out Monkey Toes and you will NOT be disappointed!

Here are a few of my favorites:





Q&A with Jenny:

Why did you decide to start your own business?

I always knew I wanted to run my own business – I just didn’t know what it would be. Monkey Toes came to me after taking painting classes with friends (before having children). I saw an idea for painting on shoes and decided to develop my own designs and voila – Monkey Toes was born.

What exactly does Monkey Toes entail?

Monkey Toes are children’s shoes created to look like characters, bugs, and animals. Our shoes have been caught in magazines on many celebrity children and have gained a lot of notoriety when they were seen on the Oprah show when she was touring Tom Cruise’s Telluride home.

I’ve been working on a licensing agreement with a manufacturer and distributor over the past year and a half, which just launched our new look and line. We’ll be branching into more than just footwear for 2012 – which I am completely excited about!

What advice do you give to other female entrepreneurs?

Persistence is key. If you truly love what you’re doing your business won’t feel like work. And trust me – entrepreneurship is a long term thing – not instant gratification. I still have days where I question everything I’m doing, but when that negativity wears off I still believe in myself and my product.

What are 3 things people don't know about you?

1) I’m starting to think I am a serial entrepreneur. I absolutely love starting businesses and I just launched a new one (with a partner this time) called Sugar Loco (www.sugarloco.com)
2) I’m a former Hooter’s Girl
3) I don’t like things in the same place all the time. I am constantly moving things around in my house – even candy in a dish – I will move candy to a new dish or tray or move it to a different room – several times a week. My husband totally believes I am crazy.

Thank you so much Jenny!!

www.monkey-toes.com
http://twitter.com/Jenny_LovesThis
http://twitter.com/monkeytoesshoes

Fab Friday - Chic Baby Shower

The early stages of planning my baby shower have begun. I told my mom that I wanted something simple with close family and friends, but for some reason I think that will not be the case. Extravagant, lots of people & crazy will be more like it. BUT you know what...you only get a shower once, just like you only have your first baby once. Why not celebrate!

Here are some CHIC baby shower ideas:

www.potterybarnkids.com

www.thechicmama.com

www.marthastewart.com

www.creativehomestyle.com

www.paperstyle.com

What's New with Baby L

Update on Baby L:

*Felt the baby kick last week for the first time! YAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*Feet are starting to swell in heels...NOOOOO!!!! I am too short for flats :(
*Baby furniture is in! The dressers are put together, so we decided to just get them delivered.

*Still need to get the rest of the border off in the baby's room (procrastinating)
*Still undecided on a boy's name...we have 3 in mind
*My mom has locked in the date and venue for my baby shower
*Baby L still has primarily sports apparel, so I hope I get some onsies at my shower!

Time is flying and each day I get more excited for Baby L to arrive :)

Prepping for baby

I am curious to see what are the MUST HAVE items for when you bring your baby home from the hospital??

Here are some things I was thinking:

DIAPERS

Huggies Little Snugglers or Pampers Swaddlers?

ONSIES

Newborn and 3 months??

Carter's, Gerber, SpaSilk...any favorites?

Bassinet or Crib



What else? I would love to hear some opinions :)

~Adrienne

Crazy Cravings

I am normally a pretty healthy person, with the exception of some weakness when out at a yummy restaurant. I eat well during the week and exercise regularly. However, now my weakness is not just on the weekend but WHENEVER hahaha. I weekly have cheese fries from the local pizza place us Delawareans know as Grottos and now I crave ice cream too. McDonald's flurries are AMAZING. I never had one prior to last week. Oh and I LOVE pizza and pancakes. Basically ANYTHING that is carbs and bad for you!



This all would not be so bad but I also cannot run anymore, so walking is really not going to help burn calories from all these foods. Don't get me wrong, I do eat my veggies, protein, vitamins, etc. As long as I stay active and don't eat this stuff everyday I should be fine (or at least that is what I make myself believe hahah).

What are/were your cravings?

Hollywood Babies & Kids

There is a baby boom!!!! So many cute babies :)

Owen Wilson with 3-month old son Ford

Orlando Bloom with 3-month old son Flynn

Alyson Hannigan with 2 year old daughter Satyana

Tiffani Theissen with 10-month old daughter Harper

Fab Friday: Who's Due Next

There is not just a baby boom happening with my friends but also in the celeb circuit. I sometimes look at pregnant celebs and they are going to the grocery store in a rockin' outfit and all I want to do is wear sweatpants. Now I know they probably look good going anywhere so people like me do not gossip about how bad they looked walking into starbucks or hopping on a plane. Either way I give them credit...

Here are a few of my favs:

Organized for baby

I am normally a pretty organized person, but recently I feel less and less together. I lose everything and am so forgetful. I even have a book on how to get organized for the baby but I still am struggling.

This weekend I am on a mission to get organized. My kitchen table is overtaken with mail, cards, coupons, bills, etc. The hall closet upstairs has so much junk in it that we have just moved from house to house. I feel like if I do not do it now, this baby will arrive into a house of chaos.

Here are some things I am thinking:







All from Pottery Barn! Suggestions are welcome...

~Adrienne

Baby L Update

I had my 19w appointment today and Baby L is doing good. We did not find out the sex, which is driving everyone crazy. Baby L was very stubborn and would not turn over to get a good pic, but this one is pretty good.



Even though I have not felt the baby, it sure was a jumping bean when we were getting the ultrasound done.

9oz
Heartbeat 148 (last time was 163)
5 fingers, 5 toes

All looks good :)

Little Lamb

I am lucky enough to have a ton of friends who have already had babies, so they offer me their words of wisdom. One consistent thing I have hear is to get this AMAZING Fisher-Price My Little Lamb Swing.



People swear by this swing and one my friends even has one upstairs and one downstairs. At first I thought the swing was too big for our house, but after hearing all the good reviews, I figured we will work it out.

Do you have one baby item that your swear by??

Oh the joys...

Well my emotions are completely full gear!! I have always heard that hormones make your emotions wacky when pregnant but to experience it first hand is scary and funny at the same time.

For example, we are watching my parents little dog. He is old and a nervous nelly. ALL night he gets up and down off the bed. Sometimes he is too scared to get back up so he paws at the side. This is going on the 5th night of 4 hours or less of sleep. Every time the dog gets up, I have to get up and go to the bathroom, then it takes me FOREVER to fall back asleep. Last night I threw my pillow on the floor and said I was sleeping there as tears came out my eyes. My husband told me to go sleep in the other room but I just was being stubborn. The next morning I thought about the situation and realized I slightly overreacted hahaha.

Anyway, this is all new to us so I do lots of research and pray that my husband and I will get through these next 4.5 months. It will all be worth it in the end :)

Frump Mom

I was just doing my daily check on the bump.com message boards and I came across a post that said "Do you struggle to not be a frump mom?" Instantly, I thought WHY YES I DO and the baby isn't even here yet!!! I have to dress up for work everyday and mostly wear heals, so the SECOND I get home, I put on my sweatpants and a t-shirt. My husband even made the comment when I put on these OLD atrocious sweatpants on from my college "oh not those again".

Then I started to think, with an infant or even if I was a stay-at-home mom, it would be virtually impossible for me to actually put on jeans or a nicer shirt, espcially with barely any sleep. However, some people do it. My mom very rarely has on frump pants unless it is her pj's and it is 9pm or after.

I would like to hear from all your mom's out there and see "DO YOU STRUGGLE NOT TO BE A FRUMP MOM"??

Friday Fab - Maternity Trends

I don't know about you guys but getting clothes that make you feel good while you are pregnant has definitely proven difficult (at least for me). I have been lucky to have a friend who is the same size as me and she gave me all her clothes; however, everyone's bodies are different during pregnancy.

It is so important for you to find what fits YOU best! Luckily, the normal trend these days is more of a flowy look, so you could possibly pull off some non-maternity shirts.

Here are a few of my favorite trends/styles:

Maxi Dresses

Tunics

Side-Ruched



Comfort = chic (at least when you are pregnant!

~Adrienne