Something about the simple styling of this beanie by Child’s Play really caught my eye. The brimmed Buckle Beanie is crocheted in charcoal colored 80% acrylic/20% wool yarn, making a warm, comfortable hat for your little one. The silver buckle just sets the entire hat off. Jessi, the designer, is willing to custom-crochet this hat to your specifications, including custom sizes and colors. Sizes/prices range from 9-12 months for $27 to adult for $35 at 1000markets.com. Two weeks production time is necessary for these custom made hats.

In my experience, potty training isn’t something you can bribe your child into. I’ve tried, of course, but even a gorgeous set of furniture for her doll house wasn’t enough to get my then almost three year old motivated. Then, out of the blue, it was done. That said, there are some ways to stack the deck in your favor, and books and DVDs are one of them. Once Upon a Potty is the series that I had for my oldest daughter, who was much less resistant. The illustrations are fun, and the video is simple and to the point. A cute stuffed doll is also now available. It won’t miraculously train the child who like my daughter, expresses a preference for diapers (I can’t tell you how many times we heard “I want to change it!”), but it certainly promotes awareness of the body and pottying. You can pick up these products at OneStepAhead.com. The book retails for $6.95; the DVD for $16.95; and the doll is $19.95.

When my oldest daughter was a toddler, we had all of the plastic Little Tikes kitchen pieces. This  Deluxe Wooden Kitchen & Laundry Center has really come a long way from those early models. It includes everything little ones need to keep house–from a stove and refrigerator to a laundry center, complete with an adorable little laundry basket. This would definitely inspire hours of dramatic play at our house. You can purchase one for $199 at LittleTikes.com.

If you’re looking for a truly elegant way to announce the birth of your little one, these Adorned Baby Birth Announcements by Amalgam Invites are perfect for you. It combines your baby’s photo, printed on shimmery metallic card stock or smooth Crest card stock accented at the top with Japanese chiyogami paper, with baby’s birth information printed on a vellum envelope that shows over top of the photo. These are a beautiful and luxurious way to announce the arrival of the most special little person in your life. As these are custom-made, prices are personalized, but the average total for just one announcement is $30. You can view these stunning announcements and more at AmalgamInvites.com.

Where the Wild Things Are is one of my three year old’s favorite books at the moment. We read it most nights at home, and I’ve seen her cuddled up with it at daycare as well. I just stumbled upon this fun set of stuffed characters from the book, and I know she would love it. Made by Crocodile Creek, it includes four 14 inch stuffed characters: Max, and three “wild things.”

I’m sure we’ll be seeing more and more mainstream marketing of these characters once the movie is released, but I much prefer these true-to-the-book pieces. The set is a bit pricey, though. Expect to pay $94.95 at glammatoys.com. The characters can also be purchased individually.

I was recently browsing the Babies R Us Web site when I came across this cute little crib sheet. Although I find the rest of the coordinating crib set to be a bit over the top, this sheet is fresh and fun. I think it would look great with simple brown furnishings. It would be cute for either a boy or a girl. It is also affordable at $15.99. You can purchase one (and check out the rest of the Mod Pod Pop Monkey line) at ToysRUs.com.

Here is a great BPA-free bottle for kids on the go. We bought a few of these for our kids to take to day camp last year and they have survived quite well. They have a very sleek look and are easy to clean. The bite valve may be a little tricky for the youngest users, but it really does help stop leaks. You can purchase this child-friendly .5 liter size for $11 at evergreencanteen.com. Larger sizes are also available.

Starting next month, my daughters will be attending a new daycare. While the major draw is its programming, I think I’m almost excited to be leaving the tire chip mulch from our old daycare behind. We’ll likely need to celebrate with some new shoes. This Pinky Tessa pair by Morgan & Milo is just the ticket–absolutely adorable and in the light colors we’ve been avoiding for too long because of the blackening effects of the tire chips. I think these will look great with just about anything from casual dresses to shorts and tees. They are available in toddler sizes from 6.5-12. You can purchase a pair for $37 at MyPrincessCloset.com.

This is a great idea for a gift or as a way to obtain a unique, personalized piece of artwork for your own home. Artful Names takes a name (your child’s, your own, anyone) and makes it into a work of art. There are various style designs and colors available, and each is Giclee printed on canvas. It arrives in a frame, ready to hang in the nursery or another part of your home. The fade resistant ink used on these works of art is guaranteed not to fade for 100 years. You can purchase this design for $100 or view all the styles and designs available at ArtfulNames.com.

After spotting Matilda Ledger in a pink tiered Lucy Sykes dress recently, I thought I’d have a gander at the site. There are so many things to choose from, all in pretty, feminine patterns and cuts. Some of the dresses look like they’d only be appropriate with bloomers, but in all, it’s swanky gear. Harmonize your daughters’ outfits, should you have two or more girls, easily with coordinating collections of dresses, tops, and pants. You can even get a thing or two for yourself or your sons while shopping at LucySykes.com.

Since the Lucy Sykes site seems to be malfunctioning, I found the sweet-as-can-be candy-striped cotton seersucker dress at the famous Saks Fifth Avenue online store for $72.

We’ve written several posts about this upscale play mat from the Kushies Zolo line. It truly is luxurious. Unfortunately, ours proved a little too attractive to older children. Everyone who came over wanted to play with it. The end result was that one of the plastic hinges on the bar that holds the legs together broke, rendering the play arch useless. We salvaged the toys from the arch, and they are still well-loved by our baby, as is the mat itself, but I’m a little disappointed that it broke so easily. While the hinged arch makes set up a breeze, for this reason, I think I’d rather have the more time consuming, but unbreakable tent-pole-style arches that most play mats use. You can purchase one of these for $119.95 at glammatoys.com. Just be careful with it!

I’m always a sucker for mermaid-themed clothes for my girls. They bring back fond memories of my 80’s childhood and my favorite Sea Wee dolls. This embellished Musical Mermaid Swimsuit by Rhonda Sutton is one of the cuter mermaid items I’ve seen recently. I love the intricacies of the design–from the shimmering fins to the detailed instruments the mermaids are playing. This suit is available in sizes from 2T to 6X and retails for $41. You can order one at MyPrincessCloset.com.

It’s very rare that I come across a children’s animated DVD that appeals to babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, but that’s exactly how I’d describe the Bumblz series of DVDs. Targeted to the age 0 to 6 group, Bumblz is a friendly bee who, along with his friends, goes on adventures and learns life lessons, all along with a great musical beat. Usually when a DVD says it’s for such a wide age group, I’m skeptical. But my 5 year old sat with me and watched the DVD “The Pirate’s Treasure” and was mesmerized, paying close attention to not only the story but also the words to the songs (after each story, the DVD includes sing-a-longs with the words displayed on the screen). The music is catchy, and the stories really do provide lessons that kids will remember. The animation is beautiful as well with its eye-catching colors. This is truly a series that you’ll want to buy for your child no matter what the age and that, I think, he’ll want to watch again and again for years to come. You can view the entire Bumblz collection of DVDs and CDs at Bumblz.com. DVDs range in price from $10.99 to $12.99 and CDs are $9.99 to $11.99. They are also available at Amazon.com.

I’m a huge Springsteen fan, so I was excited a few years ago when he released this family-friendly disc of Pete Seeger folk tunes. My kids love this collection, and it is a favorite car CD for the whole family. In fact, our copy has been played so many times that we need a new one. My older daughter already knew a lot of the songs from music class. Songs like “Erie Canal,” brought back childhood memories for me as well. This CD also calmed my very fussy nephew on a long ride to the airport which otherwise would have been miserable. You can purchase a copy for $14.99 at Amazon.com.

I’ve been seeing a lot of sales on Small Paul products lately. Here is a deal on a pack of Julius the Monkey underwear.  The set contains three pairs 100% cotton underwear in a reusable plastic pouch. The set is currently on sale for $18 at RubysKids.com. While that is still more than I generally pay for underwear for my kids, I think the set would make a fun stocking stuffer or other small gift. Sizes are limited, however, so you will want to order soon for the best selection.