tada! shop on StrollerTraffic

And don't miss our Spring Trend Report on StrollerTraffic. We had so much fun putting this list together! From The New Green to The Handmade, don't miss the full report!

tada! shop's Spring Trend Report on StrollerTraffic

StrollerTraffic on tada! shop

Holly and I are so happy to have Tara Mandy, founder of the fantastic weekly email that every city mom should be reading, StrollerTraffic, as this week's guest editor. Her site's focus is very specific, moms (and expecting moms!) with kids 0 to 3 years old. And she knows that target well as she is mom to almost-three-year-old Greta and expecting this summer! We asked her to put together her must-have list for the younger set. Its such a great mix.

StrollerTraffic's Tara Mandy's Picks on tada! shop.

This is just part of the story....

Bloomers, A Must

Hadley and I are crazy about bloomers, particularly this spring. There are so many really different styles, colors and prints. Looking for ruffles? Oh, not too fancy? A burst of color? We see them all. One of the most versatile pieces, we like to bloomers on their own with a simple tee, under a dress or as a swimsuit. So many to chose from, so many ways to wear. Here are looks we love. (For more, see our bloomers story on tada! shop and distinct ways to wear them.)

Classic Look. A clean, classic combination with these striking Kayce Hughes floral bloomers, tee with peter pan collar and sweet shoes. We love worn with knee socks or tights for an extra fun, girlie look (a recent style suggestion by friend and owner of Sweet William!)

Peek of Color Look. Have some fun and add a bright pair of bloomers under a dress, like those above from Busy Bees Kids or one of the colorful Pink Chicken diaper covers. One of our stylish mom friends remembers putting her daughter in a blue and green Pink Chicken dress with a hot pink diaper cover. "It finished the outfit and she got LOTS of comments!"

Comfy and Chic Look. These Makie Grey Knit Bloomers are very sweet with their lace trim. Pair with the matching camisole, a pair of red mary janes and a sun hat.

Inspiration. I watched this little one run around freely all summer in her many pairs of bloomers. Very comfy, so cute. Her mom, Boo, created lots of our bloomer looks on tada! shop.

P.S. You can create your own looks with bloomers on our Create a Look Tool. Enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day

We are busy baking a cake! Have a happy day with your little loved ones! XOXO

Photograph by Ericka McConnell

Valentine's Day

If your house is anything like mine, making Valentine's is a whirlwind of construction paper, glitter glue and a slew of crossed out names because that "b" was supposed to be a "d." Every year I say I am going to prep before we start, but will I really ever do this!? I loved this idea from Inchmark, one of the most inspiring blogs. I thought why not try it out. It was easy and the girls I feel like were more involved in the process than they ever have been...with an end result that they are so proud of.

The inspiration...

Inchmark's valentine project for Brides.com.

I am kind of embarrassed to show you ours when they stand next to these!

Our version....

My learnings:

- The girls had so much fun filling up the match boxes with candy. Cut out the paper to wrap the matchboxes while they do that.
- I didn't have double-sided tape so just wrapped them and taped them at the back with normal clear tape, worked just fine.

- We printed some of Inchmark's patterned paper but the pink and orange printed out light yellow so we just had the red (which printed out so nicely). If someone cuts outside the lines, don't throw it out, cut it up into little hearts.

- We got candy hearts which fit 6-7 in each, so if you want to put more, I would get m&ms. I am of the mindset they are getting a lot of candy anyway so the hearts are just fine too.

And on tada! shop, make sure to check out our list of reds, pinks and hearts we are loving for kids this Valentine's Day!

Birds + Butterflies

What better signs of spring than birds and butterflies gracing children's clothing? Whether its a graphic statement, a girly print or a touch of colorful embroidery, we like the interest it adds and childish playfulness. Not to diss the zoo animals, but there is just something extra special about these symbols of spring...or maybe its just the execution this season! See the full story on tada! shop!

Free Shipping on tada! shop

It feels so good to see hints of Spring! New products are arriving every day and our own shopping lists are growing by the minute! As a bonus, our stores* are offering FREE SHIPPING! Sign up for tada! email and we will send you the promo code. Start shopping!

WHAT WE ARE EXTRA EXCITED ABOUT....

POLOS! Love the variety of polos we are seeing from the material, to the detail on the button to the mix of colors. Getting excited about something that is such a basic in a boys wardrobe. this is a first for me!

Busy Bees Kids Soft Spun Polos, $49

BLOOMERS! They just keep coming in. Girly and frilly florals from Pink Chicken, artsy silkscreen from Shirin, bold ginghams and sweet florals from Makie, plus many more!

Pink Chicken Diaper Cover, $28.

RUFFLES! On cuffs, hems and collars! Neige, Peek...Aren't You Curious, J.Crew are favorites!

Neige Oliana Dress, $68-72

* Offer valid thru February 5, 2010 at the following tada! stores: Bella Bliss, Busy Bees Kids, Estella, johnnie-O, Neige, Olive Juice, Pink Chicken, Robert Redd and Sweet William.

Amy Williams, Peek...Aren't You Curious Founder

In starting tada! shop, one of the most interesting parts of Holly and my jobs has been meeting the people behind the brands we have on our site. Amy Williams, founder Peek...Aren't You Curious, is top on that list. Since our first phone call with her almost 10 months ago, we have been in awe of her. The attention to detail in all aspects of Peek...Aren't You Curious to newborn twin girls last spring to her blog and twittering (we wonder when she sleeps!), every bit of it inspires us. She believes in "products that are beautiful but casual, and things that are stylish yet easy to care for. I love having fewer, beautiful things, and try and teach the kids the same thing." Come see on tada! shop what's on her shopping list and the great looks she created!

Sarah Jane Family Tree

I love family trees. I made a huge one for our den. My girls always ask about it so when I saw this at Little Bean Shop I thought perfect for their room. I love it as a gift for a new baby, it comes in blue and pink. I am framing it in the white Ribba frame from IKEA but you could do a little dressier with metallic bronze or thin black one. For an added touch, hang it with a grosgrain ribbon.

Sarah Jane Family Tree, $24 at Little Bean Shop.

City Walks with Kids

With a little downtime, I was just leafing through the Citywalks for Kids that my mom gave me for Christmas. A deck of 50 cards, each card outlines a different walking tour to do with kids. The illustrations are very cute. Their recommendations make for some fun excursions around the city but not too over complicated that you wonder "why did I think this would be fun?" Some I can see doing tomorrow and ones we will grow into! Thank you mom for such a thoughtful gift, one I will be copying for others!

Citywalks for Kids, $14.95, from Chronicle Books.

This slide brought a smile to my face! The Children's Musuem of the Arts has been a long-time favorite of my girls and mine. Now we have a couple new spots to hit for a treat afterwards!