This is one good-looking letter pillow from Jonathan Adler. Wish you could get it in other colors? Use Jonathan Adler’s custom design tool for rugs, pillows and totes on the site, and knock yourself out.

Personalized diaper covers are always sweet.

My daughter received this Karen Katz personalized book with her name on the front and throughout the story. It is one of my all-time favorite baby gifts.

I adore this personalized ceramic plate set and cannot wait to buy it for my sister-in-law.

This personalized shift dress is perfect for tea parties and playdates.

Do you have a favorite site for personalized gifts? I bet our readers would love to hear your suggestions.

When beginning a breastfeeding session, I’m usually armed with a burp cloth to go under baby’s head on the pillow, another one on the side to catch those burp spit-ups and another one to wrap around my baby’s neck and shoulders if I have to lay him down for a diaper change after the feeding. I’m not kidding—I have a LOT of burp cloths.

Enter the Bib n Burp by mommapia—as the name implies, it’s a bib and a burp cloth all in one. It fastens around baby’s neck like a traditional bib and then you can drape the bib cloth sections as you like. When using my Bib n Burp, I can ditch all my other cloths. I use one “tail” of the bib under his head on the pillow and the other one as my burp spit-up catcher. Also, when I lay my baby down, I can just tuck the Bib n Burp around him to catch any more liquid that may come up. It even drapes easily over your shoulder. I’ve even spun the bib around (so the velcro is in the front) when he’s playing on his playmat, so the mat is protected from any more accidents.

You can pick from a number of stylish fabric designs, and the back is lined with terry cloth for extra absorbancy. If you have a spitty baby like mine, this item can save you loads of laundry. Now I just need to get a couple more!

To ensure this product fit our readers’ needs,
Project Nursery received a sample for review.

Are you pregnant and not finding out the gender of your baby so you and your husband can have the ULTIMATE surprise? If you are, hats off to you as I’m the kind of person who has to know everything, likes a plan and hates surprises. I’d say that one downside to not finding out is that you get loads of yellow and green baby gifts, which honestly, after the baby is born, rarely get worn (unless the outfit is white; all babies look fabulous in white). But now there is a solution to registering for your new baby!

Not Finding Out is a new online registry website where almost all the items in the shop are paired in girl and boy versions so that parents receive gender-specific gifts after the baby is born. Basically parents register for the items they want, someone buys them off their registry. Then they get a cute preview card showing what was purchased for them, and the actual boy or girl item is shipped straight to them as soon as the baby arrives.

So how does Not Finding Out know which items to hold for the registrants? Well, the registrants take the Shh! Card below to their healthcare provider to complete and send back directly to Not Finding Out so there is ZERO chance that the registrant ever sees it.

Genius right? Check it out for yourself and share with your friends who love surprises and great gifts!

A couple of weeks ago, after breastfeeding had been well established (as experts recommend), we introduced a bottle to our new baby. But it wasn’t just any bottle, it was Medela’s new feeding device, Calma.

The design is meant to mimic breastfeeding as much as possible. It requires the baby to create a vacuum seal on the bottle’s nipple the same way that he or she would while breastfeeding. The baby is able to control the flow, which allows him to breath and pause as he normally does at the breast. This naturally helps prevent the baby from sucking in too much air and also cuts back on confusion when switching back and forth between the breast and the bottle.

I’m pleased to say that after a brief period of suspicion, my son slurped down the milk in just a few minutes (he’s always a fast eater). Because of my poor bottle experiences in the past, I had only filled the bottle with 3oz  (everyone knows it’s a sin to waste breast milk!). Unfortunately for Daddy, our baby wanted more and fast, and I had taken my few moments of freedom to go take a shower. Oops!

The Calma device fits on top of Medela’s breastmilk storage bottles, which makes pumping, storing and feeding a smooth transition, and it means less clean up for you. Also, because baby controls the flow, this is the only bottle you’ll ever need—no stage 1, 2, etc.! I hope my son continues to accept this bottle on the occasions that I need it, giving Mommy a break and Daddy some special baby bonding time.

 To ensure this product fit our readers’ needs,
Project Nursery received a sample for review.

Hand-assembled from select hardwoods, the Newport Cottages Highchair can be finished in one of 25 distinctive finishes, so you can be certain you’ll find the right color to complement your decor.

WIN IT! One lucky Project Nursery reader will win a Newport Cottages Highchair (a $345 value!).

HOW TO ENTER: To enter, visit Newport Cottages and let us know which color you would choose in a comment below. Contest ends Friday, January 20, 2012 at 11:59pm PST.

EXTRA ENTRIES
1. “Like” Project Nursery and Newport Cottages on Facebook, give us a shout out on our wall and tell us you did with a comment below.

2. Follow Project Nursery and Newport Cottages on Twitter, tweet about it and tell us you did with a comment below.

3. Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter or let us know you are already a subscriber with a comment below.

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in our effort to bring you exciting giveaways.

Some evenings I swear my children are better suited to be monkeys in the jungle than proper little boys and girls. I admit, I haven’t been the most persistent etiquette teacher in our house, and I’m starting to worry it might be too late! Thank you, lovelymanners, for helping parents and children brush up on their day-to-day manners with their handy and stylish Table Manners placemats.

These cool placemats take a playful stab at improving manners for the whole family. With a fun and cheeky tone, the tips are printed right on each placemat, so you can’t miss them. My favorite is “Please eat slowly, bring your food UP to your mouth, and chew with your mouth CLOSED. Never talk with FOOD IN YOUR MOUTH!” Amen!

The Table Manners placemats come in a set of six: each one is unique with different manners listed. This means you will be able to teach over 24 manners with each set! The mats are easy to clean, reusable and tear resistant. Proper and eco-friendly—a perfect combo—Emily Post would surely approve!

Find it on sale here today for 24-hours only!

Why not arm yourself with some reserve supplies for just such moments when you’re shaking your head saying, what no crayons? no balloon? nothing?! Modern-Twist Kidz Placemats make it easy for you to bring your own supplies with you. These food-grade silicone mats double as placemats and coloring pages. Each mat comes with a set of dry-erase markers, which will keep your kids busy filling in the lines while waiting for their food. Meaning, maybe Mom and Dad will actually get to talk to one another!

The placemats can be wiped clean to be colored in again and again. The flexible material won’t  crease or rip, so you can easily keep it in your car or diaper bag for keeping busy emergencies. Of course, these mats can be used anytime—either at your own dinner table or just for a quiet coloring activity.

And don’t worry, even though the markers are dry-erase, they do dry on the mat so you aren’t left with a inky mess once the food arrives. You just use soap and water to wipe the marker off after. Another benefit of these mats is that they cover up the table surface in front of your child. I’ve relaxed some as my son has gotten older, but the idea of his little hands all over a germy table then going straight into his mouth can still give me the heebie jeebies.

What tricks do you pull out of your bag when keeping kids happy at a restaurant?

Admittedly, we are already partial to Munchkin thanks to the “best smelling” diaper pail ever in our book. But after walking through their offices in North Hills, CA, we now know the folks behind Munchkin are truly an innovative group with a real sense of humor. Jennifer Campana, of Munchkin, kindly provided us with a tour of the expansive former Hockey rink—with old scoreboards intact—that now houses their corporate offices.

As we walked around, it was clear to us where their creativity stems from. Founder, Chairman and CEO, Steven Dunn, is an avid collector of art, and it is showcased wildly throughout the space. Inspiring indeed. We also hear that his daughter is an artist and happens to be responsible for one of our favorite pieces that we spotted on our tour (note: the Barbie doll bodies are inside!).

With every business, there is often an interesting back story on how it all got started, but this wasn’t exactly what we were expecting. Legend has it that the idea for Munchkin originated when the founder developed baby bottles to mimic pop soda bottles—think 80s here. We kid you not. And back in the day, they were a real hit! That success prompted Mr. Dunn and family to dive right into the baby business and to create clever products parents love.

Today, Munchkin’s mission is to make parenting safer, easier and more fun. They understand that it’s the “little things” that often make the biggest difference, which is why they have developed a loyal following of parents over the decades.

We’d like to think that we helped inspire Munchkin at one point, just a tiny bit. And we only say that because, to our surprise, we found a few trend boards that we created as a project for Munchkin in our former life as Little Apple Design. Awesome to see that they are relevant!

Impressed with the open floor plan of the office space, we couldn’t help but ask to peek into Mr. Dunn’s office. Lo and behold, it was wide open just like everyone else’s office. That’s setting a pretty cool example as a CEO, don’t you think?

Large indeed, here’s just one of the Munchkin warehouses.

And here’s the long awaited jackpot! All of Munchkin’s terrific products are lined up in rows of sample bins.

From their new pacifier wipes to fresh food silicon freezer cups, Munchkin has it all.

Of course, we couldn’t resist, so we asked to dig our hands into these giant sample bins to choose our personal favorite Munchkin products for one lucky Project Nursery reader. We’re not sure of the exact prize value, but as you can see below, it’s one giant basket (aka SaraBear Diaper Caddy) with loads of exciting treats for your baby and toddler!

WIN IT! One lucky Project Nursery reader will win a giant basket of goodies courtesy of Munchkin! To enter, visit Munchkin, and let us know what your must-have Munchkin product is with a comment below. Contest ends Tuesday, November 15, 2011 at 11:59pm PST.

EXTRA ENTRIES
1. “Like” Project Nursery and Munchkin on Facebook, give us a shout out on our wall and tell us you did with a comment below.

2. Follow Project Nursery and Munchkin on Twitter, tweet about it and tell us you did with a comment below.

3. Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter or let us know you are already a subscriber with a comment below.

CONTEST CLOSED

Access the list of products featured and our tips for adding pops of color on the Bravado! Designs’ blog.

So when I received a sample package from Citrus Lane, a service that delivers monthly care packages filled with the best, mom-recommended baby products, I felt like that camp kid again. My pretty little Citrus Lane Welcome Baby box, with its signature yellow stripe and logo, contained some terrific products any new mom would be excited to try. Take a peek inside…

Have you always wanted to try that cool feeding spoon, new muslin swaddle blanket or healthy toddler snack but haven’t had the time, patience or energy to figure out which brands are best? Citrus Lane does all the legwork for you; each monthly box is filled with 4-5 healthy and useful baby products that have been pre-tested and reviewed by other real moms. The subscription cost is $25 per month, but the treats inside each box would retail for about $50. You pick the box that’s best suited for your child based on age, from newborn up to 18 months, so moms of older babies can get in on the treats too.

Citrus Lane’s mission is helping parents discover the best baby products on the market. Sometimes it’s an undiscovered gem that catches their eye. Other times, it’s a tried-and-true parent favorite that they know will always be essential. What a great luxe shower gift for expecting parents—a 3-month gift subscription is $75.

PN DISCOUNT: Order now and get 1/2 off your first delivery! This deal applies to any month-to-month subscription box (does not apply to 3/6/12 month gift subscriptions) so it’s like getting your first box for $12.50! Enter promo code CITRUSHALF at checkout!

WIN IT! One Project Nursery reader will win a 3-month subscription to Citrus Lane! A $75 value! Visit Citrus Lane, and let us know which box most excites you in a comment below. Contest ends Tuesday, October 25th, 2011 at 11:59pm PST.

EXTRA ENTRIES
1. “Like” Project Nursery and Citrus Lane on Facebook, give us a shout out on our wall and tell us you did with a comment below.

2. Follow Project Nursery and Citrus Lane on Twitter, tweet about it and tell us you did with a comment below.

3. Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter or let us know you are already a subscriber with a comment below.

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