Last Wednesday was Big City Moms‘ 2013 The Biggest Baby Shower. This is one of the largest and most well known mommy expos in New York City. Hundreds of mothers and moms-to-be purchase their tickets to this large scale event because they know what they’ll get out of out. They’ll be able to meet with representatives for all the major baby brands in the market. They’ll be introduced to brand spanking new products before they become household names. And, my favorite, they’ll discover products they didn’t even know existed but can become lifesavers (literally and figuratively).
Below are some of my favorite brands and products from this year’s event. Be sure to check out my slideshow at the bottom to see more of what Big City Moms’ Biggest Baby Shower has to offer.
1. Bitta Blankie – As parents know, you can’t leave anything inside a crib when your child is an infant. This means your baby has very little to distract/keep him or her entertained. Ever see a baby start to cry the moment they wake up? The Bitta Blankie brilliantly attaches a small piece of their security blanket to their onsie. This is a safe way to give your child something to hold onto and play with while lying in their crib. This often helps them calmly go back to sleep on their own and allows you to rest more hours in the night. It’s a win win!
2. Free Like Birdies Travel System – How many of you moms are tired of being the only person in your home who knows how to pack your child’s diaper bag or luggage? Well, now you can leave that responsibility to others (*cough* dad *cough*) without worry thanks to the Free Like Birdie Travel System. Their green travel bags have easy to follow drawings that will ensure you won’t forget a single thing. They even have separate comparments to place dirty clothes! All bags are waterproof, double seemed to prevent order, reusable and eco friendly.
3. TWELVElittle – Speaking of diaper bags. I love when I find good, sturdy diaper bags that don’t look like diaper bags. Some of us really enjoy fashion and it’s such a pain when you’re forced to carry around some giant brightly colored bag with all kinds of loud prints and/or animals on them. Enter TWELVElittle. Their bags are “designed with individual style and engineered with every practicality,” and inspired by the Asian zodiac. My favorite bag is their gray Courage backpack that every sophisticated dad would be proud (not embarrassed) to carry.
4. BeNi Delights – This is a wonderful company that custom makes cakes, cake pops and dessert tables for all of your special occasions. I fell in love with their adorable animal shaped cake pops and beautiful cakes. Not to mention how absolutely yummy they were! The company gets its name from the owner’s two children, Benjamin and Nicholas. Now, that’s sweet.
5. Lucky Brand Kids – Children’s clothing can be very adorable but sometimes you don’t want to dress your children in loud colors and prints. Sometimes you just want to dress them like chic little grownups. Thanks to Lucky Brand, you can! Their kids clothes are children’s versions of pieces that they offer their adult clientele. Denium shirts, sweater dresses, hip jeans, trendy coats…they’ve got it all for your fashionable little ones.
6. Windel – Here is a neat new product that will keep your diapers and changing products…well, neat! You don’t have to clutter up your child’s nursery or floor space. Now you can discretely store your diapers, creams and wipes in the award-winning Windel. Think of it like a bathroom cabinet, but instead of a mirror you can fit a 16 by 20 photograph.
You can purchase it on Amazon right now!
7. Skip Hop – If you’re looking for a reliable company with an array of products for your every baby need, Skip Hop is definitely one you should look into. They sell everything from nursery decor, travel accessories and organizers, toys, feeding tools and so much more. My favorite Skip Hop item in my home is their interlocking foam tile play mat (pictured below in green and brown). Catalina yelled out, “puzzle! puzzle!” the moment she saw it. She still pulls it apart and puts it back together during play time. Not only is it great decor but it provides a safe place for your child to play, crawl and learn how to walk.
8. The World of Eric Carle – Who doesn’t love The Hungry Caterpillar? It was one of my favorite books as a child and now I get to read it to my daughter. Now the World of Eric Carle offers books, room decor, prints and posters, fabric, party supplies, toys and more. I believe it’s crucial for parents to instill a love of literature in their children from a found age. The World of Carle can easily facilitate in this through their books and products.
9. Mommy Nearest App – Mommy Nearest is a wonderful app that allows you to find baby friendly places in your vicinity. Think of it like a 4Square but geared towards parents. Need to find a place with a changing area? Check the app. Looking for a child friendly restaurant? Check the app. Mommy Nearest also contains reviews you can trust written by real moms. It also contains neighborhood guides, tips and other articles that you’re sure to love. Available on the iTunes app store.
10. Tweekaboo – Tweekaboo is a safe and private online gallery/diary that you can share with your friends and family. You can add photos right from your phone. Inside of keeping all of these great moment (no matter how big or small) in your phone, why not place them all in one place to share with your loved ones? The out-of-town grandparents and your phone’s storage space will thank you for it! Oh! And you can easily have hard cover albums made for you through the site. Try it today.
Aside from all of the great vendors, the event also included seminars that any ticket holder could attend. Below are two photographs taken at the seminar with guest speaker Hilaria Thomas Baldwin, yoga instructor and wife of actor Alec Baldwin.
Her fitness DVDs are available on Amazon:
I wish I could show you everything that was in the gift bag but I wasn’t able to get one. I can say they were almost bursting at the seams with great mommy and baby items. Some folks even walked away with car seats, diaper bins and more. Tickets to expos like these can be expensive, but the gift bags you get are often worth more than what you paid for. And by the looks of these bags, this seems to be the case for Big City Moms Biggest Baby Shower. This is something you should keep in mind when thinking about attending next year.
