I remember the exchange like it was yesterday.

It was Fall 2007, and my husband and I were at the One of a Kind Art Show in Toronto. Being 6 months pregnant at the time, I made it a point to stop at every retailer of children’s goods – if only to collect ideas for future purchases.

(We all know that is a lie – I totally made off with bags of goodies for baby-to-be.)

Upon rounding a corner we arrived at the Mally Bibs booth, and I was instantly attracted to the colourful, fashion-forward bibs. Made of 100% leather, they were advertised as easy to clean and guaranteed not to stain. In fact, here’s why they rock:

(You can also read the Mally Bibs Blog – they’ll give you 101 Reasons why you should purchase their bibs.)

I was sold. Truth be told, they had me at leather bib. Pretty rock star, eh? And then I asked the question: How much? OMG - The look on my husband’s face when he found out they were about $40. I’ll never forget it.

You know how sometimes you’ll tell your husband you just spent $200 on shoes/ groceries/ makeup/ kid’s stuff/ etc and he’ll give you a pained look – almost like he’s about to throw up? Yeah, that. (more…)

Note: The following giveaway is open to Canadians only.

It’s no surprise that I’ve reviewed an item or two in my time as a blogger. The formula is actually very simple: Proven online influencer + Two little boys = the opportunity to get my hands on some of the hottest products for children.

There are, however, a few categories of products that I just never got around to really penetrating – playards being one of them. And, naturally, that’s the reason why I receive the most e-mails and tweets from readers asking me to recommend one. D’oh!

(Ask me about strollers, car seats or breast pumps and I can go on for DAYS. Playards? Cue the crickets.)

In fact, for the last two years when asked about a playard recommendation, I could only offer advice on the über chic Baby Bjorn Travel Crib. Sure! Every parent should own one… if you’ve got $350+ to drop. Chances are, you don’t – and I began to feel like a schmuck for not having alternate, more affordable choices that I could stand behind as well.

Enter Bright Starts. Having previously reviewed their Ingenuity Automatic Bouncer, and with a house once chock-full of their play gyms/mats, toddler toys and more, I was already very familiar with the brand. So when asked to check out their NEW Bright Starts Ingenuity EasyWash Playard, I decided to take one for the team.

Disclaimer: I am not pregnant, nor am I expecting to be. And yes, my two little guys are actually too big for a playard. However, in order to continually expand my knowledge of the newest children’s gear, and hoping to offer my readers a playard recommendation that is more affordable and accessible, I decided to review the Ingenuity EasyWash Playard.

And why, after two years, did I finally accept another review of a child’s playard? One word: WASHABLE.

“The innovative playard made of fabrics that can be completely removed for machine washing. Now you can know that baby’s playard is free from dirt, germs, allergens, food spills, and diaper mishaps. Designed for ultimate ease of use, the playard fabric zips off in just 60 seconds. Other thoughtful features include One Less Step folding, extra-large storage tray, convenient travel bag, plus the fashionable styling InGenuity is known for.”

Out of the box, the playard is tucked into an ergonomic carrying case.

Set up was very easy, and took less than five minutes from start to finish. Incredibly, I didn’t even have to call my husband for help with this one! Yup – just call me handy Lena. All of the pieces clicked together with ease, and I bypassed the instructions entirely (it was that simple). (more…)

Hey hey fabulous shoppers!

In case you missed the AWESOME news… SHOP.CA is open for business!

And, since I’ve been visiting the website almost obsessively, I figured it’s high time that I share some of the best deals, my favourite picks, and the items you should grab TODAY.

At the top of my list: This Krups 10 Cup Coffee Maker with Built-In Grinder. At 40% off MSRP, you can grab this amazing small appliance for just $124.99 this week!

Conical burr grinder with automatic functionality: grinds coffee to match number of cups and strength chosen, 5 levels of grind and 3 settings of coffee strength, Back-lit LCD with clock and programmable timer, 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10 cup digital settings that control the coffee-to-water ratio, Aroma function for 2 – 4 cups for proper brewing of small coffee quantities, Pause and serve, Automatically prevents steam from clogging the coffee channel and grinder, 10-cup glass carafe.

I’ve owned Krups machines in the past and have always been impressed with their quality and sleek design. Attention coffee-loving friends! This one warrants further investigation :)

Next, I simply can’t resist the Michael Kors Hamilton Large N/S Tote in Luggage. This retails practically EVERYWHERE for $348.00 (trust me, I keep an eye on these things). SHOP.CA’s price? A sweet $269.00, baby! That’s a savings of over 20% – enough to make me re-think my handbag situation…

Michael Kors is recognized as one of America’s preeminent designers for luxury sportswear. His namesake company, established in 1981, currently produces a range of products through his Michael Kors Collection, KORS Michael Kors, MICHAEL Michael Kors labels, including women’s ready to wear, women’s accessories, and a full line of fragrance and beauty products for both women and men.

Got a baby on the way? Save BIG by buying last year’s Baby Jogger City Mini Single. The 2011 version has a slightly smaller underseat storage, and a manual vs automatic latch to secure the stroller closed – but other than that, the strollers are virtually identical. So, why pay $279.99 when you can grab this sweet Orange/Gray 2011 City Mini Single for just $199.99?

(If you’re budgeting for baby, this is a fabulous choice!)

The City Mini captures the essence of urban mobility. Its lightweight design makes it perfect for running errands or all day excursions in the urban jungle. Full stats and features can be found by following the link above.

Anyone still wear a good old fashioned watch? I’ve been relying on my phone to tell time for the last few years, but as I learned from Daniel Goddard, watches are jewelry – and wearing jewelry makes a personal statement. So if watches – and Timex watches in particular – are your thing, pop by SHOP.CA, where selected Timex pieces are 40%, like the Shock 30-Lap Classic Full Size watch  (just $48.00 after discount).

The Timex Ironman Shock-Resistant 30-Lap features a resin band with glossy finish and shock resistance for dependability and ruggedness. 100-hour chronograph with either lap or split in large digits, INDIGLO night-light, and much more. Accurately track your training with this durable full size sport watch as you run laps, bike miles or time drills. Also features customizable alarms, a 30-lap memory recall and a NIGHT-MODE so you can train at night or in the dark. Water resistant up to 200 meters so you can even track your workouts in the swimming pool or take it to the beach.

Want to find more deals at SHOP.CA? Check out their Pinterest Board, where deals are posted daily.

Click here to visit SHOP.CA.

If you know a new mom you’d like to shower with love, here’s a HOT Pick – just in time for Mother’s Day:

Ju Ju Be “Be Hip” Messenger-Style Diaper Bags for just $49.99 from MTF Price Matters. The bags normally retail for between $79.99 to $89.99, so this is a fantastic price!

The diaper bag features:

- Removable diaper changing pad.
- 2 exterior insulated bottle pockets plus a soft pocket for phones or ipod…
- 2 front pockets with closures to keep everything in.
- Foam padded bottom… just in case mom decides she wants one for work, too :)
- Adjustable shoulder strap includes a memory foam pad and a grippy textile underneath…
- Teflon … so stains don’t stick.
- Crumb Drains … bye-bye mess!
- Metal Hardware … don’t trust any of the cheap plastic stuff.
- Light Colored Linings … you can actually see what’s inside, it’s not just a big black hole in there.
- Quiet Magnets … Velcro’s noisy. Yuck!
- Bottle Pockets … with Thinsulate by 3M. Keep it warm? Keep it cold? Sure!
- Machine Washable … air dry.

Available patterns:

Shipping is a flat $5 across Canada, and while there seems to be good stock at the moment (123 bags total) I have no doubt these diaper bags will sell quickly. My pick? “Pretty Tweet” – how sweet!

Click here to shop at MTF Price Matters.