Chic. Baby. Style.

Headbands Galore!

2011-07-04T10:36:00.000-07:00

To say I am obsessed with bows and headbands would be an understatement. If you have lots of headbands here is a great way to keep them organized...

1. Buy a large round cardboard container of oatmeal

2. Wrap it in your favorite material that matches your little girls room

3. Hot glue a flower on top to hide where the material is gathered.

4. Wholla! You have a great headband holder for your little princess!
The only problem I see is that I am going to need about 5 of these. LOL :)

The finishing touches...

2011-03-08T07:17:00.001-08:00

One last blog entry for baby shower ideas. We would love to hear your fun ideas that you have used for showers too!

Invitations: Get creative with your invitations. Evite is great but there is nothing better than getting a cute invitation in the mail. http://www.tinyprints.com/ has a great selection. We love the idea of asking guests to bring a book for the baby instead of a card. Greeting cards these days are so expensive and we usually throw them out. Why not spend a few extra bucks and get the baby a book that mommy and daddy can read to baby every night. Encourage your guests to sign the book so you can tell baby who it is from. There are cute poems you can use for the invite wording. Search on google for one that you like the best.

Diaper Cake: This is an old favorite that everyone gets a kick out of. The great thing about this decoration is that it is practical and useful. Make your own, if you don't use pins the parents to be can use the diapers when the baby is born. Decorate it with fun ribbon using the colors of the shower.

Sign in Book: One way to capture the moments of the baby shower is to use a sign in book. http://www.etsy.com/ has a couple great crafty ladies that make picture books in the shape of letters. So as you can see from the picture if you know the baby's name you can have them make a book spelling out his or her name. This one came with tags that each person could pull out and sign then when the shower is over the mommy to be can fill it with pictures from the special day. A keepsake that baby will love to look at one day.

Gift table: One of our favorite projects was making the giant M for the gift table. We used chicken wire to form the shape of the letter and then we used tissue paper squares to stuff each hole of the chicken wire. This is time consuming, I want to warn you but the finished product is amazing. You can always save it and use it for future birthday parties!

Favors: Make it personal... This mommy to be was obsessed with pickled green beans in the first two trimesters of her pregnancy. I know it sounds a little strange, but they are fabulous! For an additional favor they made pickled green beans for each guest and tied a super cute label on them. Everyone loved them! Something different and super special for the mommy to be.

Games: We aren't huge fans of games but some can be fun! We played Baby Bingo while the presents were being opened to keep everyone entertained. The first person to get Bingo won a prize! We also asked the daddy to be questions about the pregnancy and infant care before the shower. Then everyone had to write down how many questions they thought that the mommy to be would get correct matching his answers. The winner got a prize!

Flowers: Flowers are beautiful but they can be really expensive when ordering from a florist. Order a unique flower online in bulk and use the vases you have in your cabinets. Spruce them up with fun ribbon and crystals and wholla... you have beautiful unique centerpieces! We ordered ranunculus from http://www.wholeblossoms.com/

We hope you enjoyed our Baby Shower ideas! Don't forget the best baby shower gift is one from http://www.bragaboutbaby.com/ :)

Mocktini's...yum!

2011-03-03T17:31:00.000-08:00

What is a party without drinks? We loved this idea of having a mocktini table at the baby shower! We started with picking two fun "mocktini" flavors and naming them Peach Belly Bellini and It's a Girl Pink Pomegranate Mocktini. We bought great drink dispensers from http://www.chefs.com/ Put ice in the bottom to keep your drinks cool without them becoming watered down from melting ice. We offered vodka in carafe's for all the non prego's at the party. Make sure you label them so no one thinks it is water :) Martini glasses were a must. Rent them along with you tables, they aren't expensive and so much fun!

We found really fun huge stainless steel martini glasses at Home Goods what a perfect addition to the drink table! We filled them with ice and Izze Clementine Sparkling Soda. You can match just about any party colors with all the flavors that Izze offers!

Add a Drink menu to your table so everyone can see what their choices are. We found fun striped paper straws on Etsy.com to match the party's colors for the soda's. Finish your Mocktini table off with a festive banner. Who said Baby Showers are boring? Offer your guests a little drinky to get them through you opening gifts for an hour! :)

Everyone loves to eat!

2011-03-02T07:18:00.000-08:00

Food! Everyone loves to eat food at a party. We think it is fun to think outside the box and take foods that are yummy and a little unexpected and serve them in creative ways to add a little twist.

For the baby shower we served fresh stone crab claws in mini dishes with the sauce at the bottom, this is a favorite food of the mommy to be. Shrimp cocktail was serve in mini martini glasses and it was all presented on tiered boxes that were decorated with the colors to match the party. You can use fabric or paper to wrap the boxes and then wrap a decorative ribbon around them and finish it off with a label, of course :) I think we are a little obsessed with labeling things lol. On items that are not elevated with a box run a ribbon down the table and attach the label to the ribbon.

We also served carrot and celery sticks in mini dishes with roasted ranch dressing at the bottom of each cup. The mini egg rolls were served in mini square containers with the sweet and sour sauce at the bottom. You can find fun mini serving dishes at Party City and at http://www.smartyhadaparty.com/ Spanakopita, tomato and mozzarella skewers, mini chicken salad sandwiches, Mediterranean dips and coconut chicken were all served on white platters. Choose a color for the serving dishes and try to be consistent through out the party. You only have to purchase these things once and then can use them for years to come. All the food was ordered from local places and then we spiced it up by presenting it in interesting ways.

For decoration we hung a It's a Girl banner in the middle and hung tissue poms on either side to flank the food tables. Tomorrow we will blog about the Mocktini table, stay tuned...

Sweet Treats...

2011-02-28T08:17:00.001-08:00

We are so excited to share all of the creative ideas from our baby shower! Each day this week we will be sharing ideas to give you inspiration for your next party!

We infused lots and lots of color to make this party really pop! The colors were fuchsia, orange and aqua. The Sweet Treats table was a guest favorite. It is so much fun to put together too! Here is how we did it... All the banners from the shower were made with the Cricket Cutter. String them with some colorful ribbon and it really sets the table off.
Use different glass containers of varying heights for the candy. We love the cake stands we found at Home Goods that give you the option of weaving ribbon through the outer rim. Labels are essential! Pick a fun shape that you like and print out labels for each of the sweet treats you are offering! Make one of the candy dispensers the focal point by elevating it higher than the rest of the items on the table. You can see by looking at the pictures that we filled the middle vessel with pink and aqua swirled salt water taffy! Pick your candy to match your colors of the party. A great place to find yummy candy is http://www.candywarehouse.com/ you can search by color!

The guests were encouraged to fill up their take out boxes with all their favorite treats to take home. Add a little poem to your boxes to give it that extra special personal touch!

The back drop for this table was a little tricky but we made it happen. Suspend a fun fabric behind the table to finish it off. The frame we picked up at Ikea for $30. Spray paint it to match your party and add any embellishment to the middle. We chose a M for the first initial of the baby's name. Etsy.com has so many talented people that sell unique items. We found the fabric flower bouquets there and put them in white vases we found at Michaels for that little extra pizazz.

That is how we did it! We hope you take some of our ideas and make them your own.

It really was so much fun!

The Holiday Hangover...

2010-12-28T10:25:00.000-08:00

Wow! The Holidays came quick and left in a hurry! I don't know about you but all this cold weather (yes I live in FL but it was 30 degress this morning!) and the after holiday hangover has got me wanting to snuggle up on the couch and read a good book or just take a long nap. Time to get motivated for 2011, but I think I still need a couple days to gear up! We hope you had a great holiday. Looking forward to next years holiday season with our newest addition to the family! Gets me thinking about new family traditions we can start and fun crafts we can make together. Making gingerbread houses is definitely on the list. What are some fun traditions you have with your kiddos? Would love to hear about them, maybe I can steal a few ideas!

Ponytail it is!

2010-12-06T11:01:00.000-08:00

We are so excited to say we are having a GIRL! A little more than half way there and enjoying every moment. I have to say the whole idea of registering for everything you supposedly need for your first baby is overwhelming! Wow, there really is so much stuff. If anyone has any recommendations on how to register without second guessing every click and wondering if you are getting what you need, please fill me in. A good friend of mine recommended the book Baby Bargains. I have read a little more than half and I have to say it helps cut through some of the confusion- a little. What are some things you couldn't of done without when you had your baby?

Don't Drink the Water, unless you want to!

2010-11-17T18:46:00.001-08:00

Wow! Tonight I realized how many people that I am friends with that are pregnant! Holy smokes, it is crazy. I can count 12 just sitting here thinking about it and I am sure I am forgetting some since this baby seems to be sucking every last brain cell I have left. :) What an amazing time!

I always wondered before I was pregnant if it was true about "baby brain" or certain smells bothering you when you are prego or is it true that pregnant women have cravings... Well let me tell you I experienced all 3 of those today!

My mind is so scattered (more than usual) I almost ran a stop sign today and I can't seem to finish a sentence without mis-pronouncing a word or just forgetting what I was trying to say all together.

I hadn't experienced the nauseating effects of certain smells until today. I went to lunch with my girlfriends and the minute I walked into the restaurant I started to gag. Yes, you read that right I was gagging in public! OMG I had to run out of the restaurant to pull myself together. Slightly embarrassing.

I have always had a thing for pickles but now it has come a border line obsession. I have dubbed myself a pickle connoisseur and am on a mission to find the perfect pickle. So many of my thoughts these days revolve around food. Yikes!

Pregnancy is different for everyone, that's for sure! I am enjoying every minute- gagging and all. :)

So excited to find out tomorrow if it will be a mohawk or a pony tail!

Brag about Baby is having a BABY!

2010-11-12T10:53:00.000-08:00

Big News! Brag about Baby is having a baby! Yes I know it happens everyday, women get pregnant and have babies... But it is so exciting when it is happening to you. I really have to say my husband and I never wanted children and then something changed (luckily for both of us). I can't quite say when it happened or why it happened. I think it might of been a gradual change. I can't tell you how excited we are.

Everyone always said to me, "You will change your mind." At that time I was confident that I did not want children. I thought to myself, "they will see that I am serious, not everyone has to have kids." Now, look at me, ha! I showed them, or not. :) I really think it is an important individual decision that should not be taken lightly. I will say, I dislike that some people look at you like you have 3 heads when you say you don't want children. As a mom-to-be I pledge to never do that to another woman who says she doesn't want kids. You never know what their reasoning is and sometimes that reasoning can be very personal, so I say to all "baby pushers" be nice and think before you speak. Support your friends and strangers when they say they don't want children. I appreciate all the people in my life that didn't push me and let me decide for myself on my own time. Thank you!

So, what do you think boy or girl? We find out very soon! Leave a comment on our blog and you will be entered into a random drawing for a Brag about Baby changing mat, burpie and binky blankie from the new collection! Winner to be announced Monday, November 15th!

THANK YOU!

2010-11-11T17:59:00.000-08:00

Wow! We had such an amazing turnout at the Brag about Baby Launch Party benefiting Mended Little Hearts! It couldn't of turned out any better. It was definitely a lot of work to get it all set up and all of the new collection ready, but it was definitely worth it! I really am so lucky to have the most amazing friends and husband that support me continously. It was a marathon of late nights and early mornings last week, but we survived!

We raised almost $2,000 for Mended Little Hearts! The organization helps support families with babies that are born with congenital heart defects. MLH will take that money to continue providing parents with care packages and support groups to help them through the challenges they face on a daily basis.

I really am on Cloud 9. I feel so good about the event and couldn't ask for better friends. Click on the link to look at some of the pictures from the Party! http://bragaboutbaby.shutterfly.com/

Silent Auction & Raffle Prizes for the Party on Nov. 5th!

2010-10-24T11:41:00.000-07:00

We've had so many generous companies donate fabulous prizes to the Brag about Baby Launch Party benefiting Mended Little Hearts thus far! All the proceeds from the raffle and the silent auction will go to the Foundation. Join us on Nov 5th at Whiskey Joe's in Tampa, FL from 6pm- 8pm for a chance to win some of these great gifts! Many more prizes coming...

Family Four Pack to Airheads Trampoline Arena- 4 One hour Passes
Brag about Baby Diaper Clutch, Wipes Case and Changing Mat Gift Set
Brag about Baby Dress
Photography by Ashlynn- free mini photoshoot
Posh Principessa dress
Mary Kay gift set
$25 Chili’s gift cards
Bay Cosmetic Dental $300 teeth whitening gift certificate
Baby Bible- Heirloom collections by Sonya, available at Robyn Story Designs
Facial-The Body Bar in Westchase
Terminix Services- 1 year of service in Tampa valued at $400
2 Tutu’s donated by Cally's Creations
4 weekly badges to the 2011 Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am at TPC
1 Month unlimited play at Play Patch
Essentials Spa Gift Basket valued at $500
Stamps Law Group 1 hour legal consult valued at $300
$50 Home Depot Gift Card donated by Kevin Ogden Custom Painting
Embellish Boutique tote and gift certificate for free monograming
$50 gift card to Vincent & Tampa Cigar Company
3 seperate Salon Service packages valued at $200 each from Tim Grover at Salon Volo
Stroller valued at approx. $200 donated by DrivenCRM.com
$150 Total Wine Gift Basket donated by DrivenCRM.com
$150 gift card to Babies R Us donated by DrivenCRM.com
$50 Whiskey Joe's gift card
Gift certificate for a massage to Enso Anti-Aging Clinic
Gift Basket from West Coast Insurance Group of St. Petersburg
One month free kids fitness class (1 child) from Crazy Fit
Mosaic Tray valued at $200 donated by Nature's Mosaic
Custom Jewelry donated by Kristin's Creations
$50 gift card donated by The Miller Property Group- Brian Miller, REMAX
Pamper Your Pooch Gift Basket donated by Veterinary Medical Clinic
3D/4D Ultrasound Package valued at $179 donated by Bella Bebe Imaging
Custom Necklace donated by Karen Corsi Williams

Brag about Baby Launch Party!

2010-10-21T13:59:00.000-07:00

We are getting geared up for the Brag about Baby Launch Party that is quickly approaching on Friday, November 5th at Whiskey Joe's in Tampa, FL! We are so excited to celebrate the new collection of over 80 new products and share a great discount with everyone that attends that night! We will have drink specials and tons of fun! Bring a friend and come hang out with us from 6pm-8pm!

A very close friend of mine is pregnant and her unborn son has been diagnosed with several heart defects. In honor of him we are raising money that night for a great organization, Mended Little Hearts. This foundation strives to provide families with the support they need while dealing with the life changing event of having a child diagnosed or treated for a conginental heart defect. We are so excited to raise money for this organization! We have some amazing raffle prizes, great silent auction items and fabulous door prizes as well.

If you can't make it that night but would like to donate to the organization please visit http://www.mlhofstpete.org/ Thank you for your support!

Brag about Baby's New Collection is HERE!

2010-10-19T13:17:00.000-07:00

Please take a moment to take a look at our newly designed site and check out our many new products! We are so excited about the new line and the many opportunity's that lie ahead. We have designed new products for the mom's and dad's that are on the go! Functional and Stylish for the busy parent in today's world. We think you will love the new fabrics that star in our new line - making great gifts for friends or family as well as great buys for yourself. Take a look and let us know what you think. Brag about Baby wants to hear from you!