LilSugar

Underwater Pregnancy Photos: Ga Ga or Gag?

Kate Stahl — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 08:12:33 PDT

We've recently become converts when it comes to pregnancy photo shoots, but when San Francisco-area photographer Erena Shimoda told us about her maternity specialty - underwater photography - we didn't quite know what to think of it. Your baby spends nine months surrounded by fluid, so we can kind of see the connection, and yes, Erena's photography (shown above) is pretty amazing, but even she admits it can be a struggle to get moms-to-be to relax in the water. "It is a huge challenge to make them feel comfortable, look natural, show their beauty, and do all fun poses all at once!" the photographer says. "My goal is to see all my clients gain confidence and smile as they hold their final image in their hands."

As you can see, the results are lovely, but would you hop in the water for a pregnancy shoot? Weigh in below!

Source: Erena Shimoda

Whimsical Tights From Luna Leggings: Ga Ga or Gag?

Kate Stahl — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:26:53 PDT

It's every tiny fashionista's dream: wearing an outfit of her own design. Only 3-year-old Sienna Jade, a tights-obsessed lil lady, actually gets to live it out! After searching for cute, brightly colored tights for Sienna - and seeing the pictures she often drew of her dream tights - her parents decided to make their daughter's artistic vision a reality, collaborating with a small knitting factory to create Luna Leggings.

The organic cotton line is supersoft and uses nylon stitching and seams to maximize stretch and strength, making them extremely durable. The leggings also have a wide, reinforced waistband for comfort. But it's the whimsical designs, which incorporate unique color combos and nature-inspired imagery that your daughter will really fall for. The footless and footed tights ($29 each) come in sizes for newborns through 8-year-olds.

So what do you think: are Luna Leggings the tights your little girl's been dreaming of? Or are they too bold for your (or her) style? Weigh in below.

Baby Poo Deodorizer Sprays: Ga Ga or Gag

Kate Stahl — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:36:47 PST

I was recently gifted with a bottle of Poo Pourri Little Stinker ($13), and besides being initially a little offended (are my daughter's diapers that bad?), I was also intrigued (um . . . yep, they are). After a trial run, I have to say the stuff works, replacing the eau de poo with the potent smell of essential oils like bergamot, lemongrass, and grapefruit.

Pou Pourri isn't the only diaper spray on the market. Diaper Fresh! ($6) and Nature's Baby Organics PU All-Purpose Deodorizer ($16) are also designed to mask diaper odors. So do you use baby poo spray all or some of the time? For cloth diapers or also for disposable? Tell us all about it below!

Ga Ga or Gag: Mother-Daughter Jewelry From Samantha's Charms

Kate Stahl — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:02:10 PST

Just in the last week, I've experienced a new phenomenon of motherhood: whatever I have, my daughter wants. She's only nine months old, but whether it's my sparkling water, hummus, pendant necklace, or magazine, if mama's eating, wearing, or using it, she'd like it, too - and she knows how to get it. (I'm already terrified for her teenage years.) Before she can raid my jewelry box in a few years, I'm thinking I should consider investing in the Cuties collection from Samantha's Charms. Designed by Samantha Freedman, a former attorney based in Boston, Cuties is a collection that includes necklaces and bracelets featuring animal charms in two sizes - a larger one for mommy and a smaller one for daughter. The matching bears, giraffes, ducks, elephants, and pigs come in 14k rose gold-plated, yellow gold-plated, and sterling silver, and range from $60 to $85 each. So what do you think about Samantha's take on mommy-daughter jewelry? Weigh in below!

Ga Ga or Gag: iPhone Cases For Toddlers

Nicole Abbott — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:43:27 PST

This is a tech world! Our kiddos are growing up in the digital age, where everything in our lives is digitized - and the truth is that many toddlers are able to manage technology with much more ease than their grandparents. And what is a toddler's coveted tech toy of choice? Mama's iPhone.

Since tots love iPhones so much, many companies have jumped at the lucrative opportunity to manufacture tech products that cater to both moms and tots - case in point, iPhone cases for toddlers. The Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Apptivity Case ($20), Infantino's HappiTaps Beary Happi Character Cover ($20), and Woogie 2 ($20) also have toddler iPhone apps to go along with the smartphone cases. While the lovable Stitch iPhone case ($20) makes a cute hard cover that protects your phone from the trenches of toddlerhood.

We want to know what you think about this new tech trend. Will you be rushing out to get one, or do you think iPhone cases for toddlers are a waste of money?

Matching Mommy and Me Style: Gaga or Gag?

Kate Stahl — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 03:11:42 PST

The idea of buying matching outfits for you and your daughter might make fashion-conscious mamas cringe, but admit it: you've picked out your lil one's outfit one morning, only to realize midafternoon that you're both in red sweaters, leggings, and boots. Or perhaps in bold navy stripes, like Jennifer Garner and Seraphina (how cute?!). Call it a coincidence, mommy brain, or just plain sweet. So what do you think: does wearing a matching outfit with your little girl make you giggle or gag?

What to Wear Weather Thermometer: Ga Ga or Gag?

Anna Monette Roberts — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 08:08:55 PST

Especially during colder months when the heater is on full blast, it can be a difficult and exhausting battle to help your kids make appropriate clothing choices. Have your lil ones resisted putting on an additional layer of long underwear only to complain later about being cold? The Apparel Indicating Weather Thermometer ($21) is geared toward kids to help them learn how to read a thermometer and dress accordingly.

The dial features large, colorful pictures indicating the appropriate clothing to wear for the corresponding temperature. There are three regional face options, so whether you live in the north with colder weather, the south with hotter weather, or somewhere in between, you can help your kids make the right clothing choices. Do you love this thermometer or do you think it's unnecessary?

Mommy Tummy Pregnancy Simulator: Ga Ga or Gag?

LilSugar — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 10:32:27 PST

"You have no idea what this feels like!" This phrase has likely been uttered in every different language since the beginning of time - wives angrily berating their husbands for not being appropriately empathetic to their big, achy, swollen pregnant selves. The Mommy Tummy hopes to enable men to give an authentic, "Yes, I do know how it feels!" in response. It's a Japanese project currently in the development stages with the stated goal:

With Mommy Tummy, we aim for a better world that treats maternity with the care it deserves.

The gadget is made up of a water bag, touch sensor, acceleration sensor, and fetal air actuator to simulate the growth, weight, and movement of a fetus. Little balloons inflate and deflate at random to simulate a kicking fetus, and balloons placed in front of the chest area simulate breast development. Water is pumped into a bag to mimic the pregnant belly and is even maintained at 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and a vibrator inside the jacket simulates the fetal heartbeat. Sure, the men have the luxury of taking it off when they're over the hot, bloated fatness of it all, but it may just give them a lil glimpse into what women go through in the name of reproduction.

Photo courtesy of Kosaka Laboratory

"Win a Baby" Contests: Ga Ga or Gag?

LilSugar — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 05:42:59 PDT

Step right up folks, and win a baby! Well, not a baby exactly, but an increased chance at baby via free IVF treatments. Last month, a private Ottawa radio station ran a Win a Baby contest, offering $35,000 worth of IVF treatments to the couple that convinced both listeners and a panel of judges that they were the most worthy of the prize. For desperate would-be parents unable to afford the pricey treatments, not generally covered by insurance, the contest was no doubt one more chance at longed for pregnancy, but not surprisingly, the contest had its share of detractors. Beverly Hanck, executive director of the Infertility Awareness Association of Canada, dismissed the contest as tacky and distasteful, telling The Guardian:

The station is clearly capitalizing on vulnerable patients who are desperate to have a family. Has anyone stopped to think how the hundreds of patients who do not win are going to feel?

This isn't the first contest with IVF as prize: in July, UK fertility charity To Hatch launched a controversial monthly lottery in which prospective parents pay $32 a ticket for the chance to win $25,000 of personalized fertility treatments.

Photo courtesy of hot899.com

Castor & Chouca Nappy Changing Commode: Ga Ga or Gag?

Rebecca M Gruber — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 08:32:14 PDT

Every mama has her routine when changing her lil one's diaper: without taking her eye off her tot, she can grab a fresh nappy, pull out a few wipes, and dip her finger in a pot of diaper cream. Imagine if it could all be done with the benefit of pivoting drawers and the comfort of a body-molding mattress.

Castor & Chouca, the design firm behind the baby bassinet that converts into a trolley, has created a Nappy Changing Commode ($4,943) that may put all standard versions to shame. With lateral shelves, pivoting drawers, two mattresses, and a "roof" for additional storage, the changing table is a one-piece wonderland for diaper-changing parents. What's more, it can be converted into a desk once potty-training days have come and gone.

The nappy changing commode, with a telescopic body-moulding changing mattress and pivoting drawers that can be used as a desk later on, is the first family furniture made by handcraft makers and standardized as a changing table!