Sophie is a big hit

Can I just share that Emilia loves her new Sophie the Giraffe. My mom wasn’t so sure about my gift idea, but I think she is now a believer. Emilia chews on her, squeaks the giraffe, and flaps her arm an smiles whenever I bring it near.

Soft, light and easy to grasp, Sophie La Giraffe is perfect for little hands and makes a happy sound when squeezed. Babies especially love her bumpy head to sooth their teething gums.

In today’s fast paced world it is unusual to see a high production toy still made by hand. Proudly handmade in the French Alps with the finest rubber (phthalate-free) and food quality paints. She is hardly new, Sophie was born in 1961, and is certainly a Bellani baby favorite.

Green Baby…our new adventure

What is Green Baby? Green Baby is a Warwick-based Baby and Child Resale shop. As we all focus on reusing and recycling all of our products, and creating a clean, safer environment for our children we need to make sure that our used baby products stay out of landfills. This fabulous resale shop contains high quality, sustainable gear! Where are we? Green baby is located right next to Bellani. Same great parking, same great staff.

Green Baby is open:

* Wednesday from 12:00 – 5:00 pm
* Thursday from 9:30 – 5:00 pm
* Friday from 12:00 – 5:00 pm
* Saturday from 10:00 – 4:00 pm
* Sunday, Monday & Tuesday closed (for now)

We would love your only-worn-twice Robeez, or that Phil & Teds stroller that your family has outgrown. Green Baby is taking the following items:

* strollers
* high chairs
* slings and carriers
* co-sleepers, pack and plays
* cloth diapers
* toys and books
* clothing up to 6 years old
* swings and activity centers
* furniture (including cribs and dressers)
* For safety reasons, we DO NOT accept breastfeeding products, car seats or bottles

Drop off your goods at the following times: (please note we can not accept items at any other times)

* Monday afternoon between 1:00 – 5:30 pm
* Wednesday afternoon between 12:00 – 5:30 pm
* Thursday between 12:00 – 5:00 pm
* Friday anytime between 9:30 – 5:30 pm
* Saturday anytime between 9:30 – 5:00 pm

The clan at Green Baby will go through your things and give you a call as to what we will be keeping. Please don’t take it personally if we don’t take all of your things, it just may be that we have those items already. Dropped off items must be clean (washed, scrubbed and spit and shined, ok that might be going a little far, but no one wants dirty things), in good to excellent condition and free from any defects.

Please drop your things off in sturdy containers (if you use shopping bags and they rip, we can not be held responsible for misplaced items) with your name, phone number, email and mailing address. Once dropped off, give us about a week to go through your items and get in touch with you. In return, you will have a week to reclaim and unwanted items. Anything that is not reclaimed (I feel like I’m at the baggage area at TF Green), we will donate for you and mail you your check for anything we have taken.

How much will I get for my things? We are happy to give you 30% of the resale value that is determined at the time of drop off. Or for an additional 20% to make it 50%, you can receive your money back in a Bellani gift card. What a better way to clean our your closets and let us do the work for you. No more putting ads on Craigs list and dealing with ebay and shipping.

QUESTIONS? CALL BELLANI, 401-234-1279

Make 2009 a year of healthy choices for your baby

100 million of us Americans will make new years resolutions this year (that’s 1/3 of us!) A majority of those resolutions will be to lose weight or eat healthier. Have we thought about healthier eating for our children? Look back at 2008, did you introduce solid foods? Do you feel you have you been making the best choices for them when it comes to what is going into their mouths? We all know it’s hard to find the time to prepare healthy, nutritious meals but think of it this way…in the half hour (ok…maybe an hour at first) that it takes to watch your favorite television show you can prepare your baby healthy foods for the whole week. If making your own baby food has been something you have been thinking about, you’re in the right place. Kelly has been making baby food since Emilia started solids, and after feeding her many of her meals I have to tell you it smells better, tastes better (I had to try the sweet potatoes) and is nutritionally better for her. While we were at the ABC Show in Vegas, we got to demo the Beaba cook. It was only available at Williams Sonoma at the time and as soon as we could get it delivered to us we did.

At Bellani we took out the guesswork to help you get started. One of the greatest inventions in the history of baby-food making would have to be the Beaba 4-in-1 steam cooker-blender. The Beaba functions in 4 ways: It steams, blends, reheats, and even defrosts. Can you imagine only having to clean 1 container? We think it’s amazing. Aside from consolidating all of the steps for baby food making, you can be assured that by preparing the food via this method you are preserving as many vitamins and minerals as possible as opposed to microwaving or other preparatory methods.

If an all-in-one appliance sounds a little too intimidating, there is also the KidCo Food Mill available in electric as well as manual.
KidCo also has a great selection of other baby food preparing gadgets like the Healthy Snack multi-slicer that will stand to be useful even after your “baby” is a baby (I use my multi-slicer at home to make baked sweet potatoes fries…so delicious!)

Eating healthy isn’t always easy. But now there are tools to make it easier, faster and less expensive (I still can’t believe how much those little jars cost, not to mention the frozen ones at Whole Foods). The decision to make your own baby food is a personal choice and you might find that not only is your baby is eating healthier, but you are too! What a great resolution.

My Boys!

Christmas with a 5 1/2 year old and an almost 4 year old – his birthday is 2 days away (poor kid and poor me, I am currently planning a birthday party.) Anywhoo – for those of you that knew my tragedy last year, my dream Christmas ruined…well, it went perfectly this year with just a little pre-planning.

What happened last year – you ask? When I was a little girl my Dad would go downstairs first and declare that “SANTA CAME!” and my sisters and I would book it down the stairs in a frenzy. It was my favorite Christmas moment. I always dreamed of doing that with my children one day. Last year was the first year that my boys (Noah and Jake) were really invested in Santa and I would lay in bed at night thinking of that magical moment. Can you guess what they did? They got of bed and the two of them went downstairs to see the toys without Matt and I! Luckily, we made it down there before they had opened more than 1 gift but still, Christmas came and went without that magical moment – I know I should let go of my inner child.

This year I told them to make sure to get me before they went downstairs. I think I must have said it 100 times because Noah looked at me and said, “Mommy, its OK – we won’t leave you behind.”
I tucked both boys in in Noah’s room, Noah with his bed pushed against the windows so he could see Rudolph and Jake’s bed pushed against Noah’s. I pointed out that there was plenty of more space in there for another bed…

Matt and I slept on the floor next to our boys on Christmas Eve. They would have to literally step on me to leave the room…I got my special “Moment”

I guess I am still a kid.
Namaste, Lisa

Happy Holidays!!!

Last night at sundown marked the beginning of Hanukkah and in just a couple of days the celebration of Christmas will take place. We here at Bellani would like to wish all of you the safest and happiest of holidays. We appreciate you coming to us this season to find gifts for those special little ones on your gift lists!

Lillebaby: A New Twist on a Classic Favorite

By now if you are a parent, or parent-to-be you probably know that all baby carriers are not created equal. If you are a parent that shops at Bellani you probably know by now that Shannon and Kelly are very selective when it comes to what gets sold in their store. That is why Bellani carries some of the best baby carriers on the market at affordable prices. Many of our customers have come to us having had already purchased baby carriers elsewhere only to be dissatisfied and still searching for something that actually works and that makes their life easier. We have recently added another amazing carrier to our collection, the Lillebaby (pronounced Lillay Bay Bay). The Lillebaby is a convertible baby and child carrier that enables you to carry your little one inward-facing, on the hip , on the back and even front-facing. The Lillebaby has a gentle motion suspension system (think bungee cords) that helps absorb the weight and movement of your child and takes the strain off your back (a big plus!) Made of 100% polyester microfiber (wind and water repellent) and weighing in at a mere 10 ounces the Lillebaby can be stuffed in a diaper bag or purse and always be ready when you need it. The Lillebaby is definitely worth checking out if you are in the market for a new baby carrier and as always we are here to show you the ins and outs and even let you “test drive” our carriers to see if they are right for you before you buy!

Evenflo Recalls Majestic™ High Chairs Due to Fall and Choking Hazards

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Evenflo Majestic™ High Chairs

Units: About 95,000

Manufacturer: Evenflo Company Inc., of Miamisburg, Ohio

Hazard: Plastic caps and metal screws on both sides of the high chair can loosen and fall out, posing both fall and choking hazards to children. Plastic caps and screws that become loose and fall out can cause the seatback to suddenly fall back or detach from the high chair. Children can fall out or collide with objects and suffer broken bones, abrasions, cuts and bruises. Detached plastic caps and metal screws also pose a choking hazard to children.

Incidents/Injuries: Evenflo has received 140 reports of seatbacks reclining, falling back and/or detaching unexpectedly, which resulted in at least 47 reports of bumps and bruises to the head, two reports of broken bones, and at least 45 reports of other injuries including abrasions, cuts, and bruises. Evenflo has received more than 1,000 reports of plastic caps and screws falling out of the high chairs, including seven incidents in which caps and screws were found in children’s hands or mouths but were removed before choking occurred.

For more information, including lot numbers and Evenflo contact information, click here.

If you answered, yes then you are in for a winter that is filled with time with other children, art work, music and movement! Congratulations!
If your answer is, I can’t decide please mark Tue. Januray 6th on your calendar! We will be hosting a demo class of some our most popular classes. It will include:
Little Explorers at 10:30
Busy Bee at 11:15
Inchworm at 12:00
Itsy Bitsy Yoga at 1:00
Please sign up for the demos. They are free and with limited space!

A NEW CLASS!

I want to thank some fellow Moms that I have known for a very long time (actually I have known their daughters their whole lives – maureen and Molly) for “lighting the fire” under me to get a class together for our growing children. I am proud to say that TUMBLING TYKES (named by Maureen – Samantha’s Mom) will be brought to you this January 09! It is a class designed for 18 mths – 2.9 years old. I will be offering one class this next session and I am going to keep the class size small – so stop reading this and go ahead and sign up!

For the rest of you still reading – it will be a class for children that are able to do some more advanced movement on the equipment we have. It will be infused with fun games where the children will learn what they can do with their growing bodies – like dancing, jumping, spinning and rolling! It will also encourage listening and following directions while having lots of fun!

Come join the new party in town!

See you there!

Lisa

Sophie the Giraffe is here at Bellani!

For the past 50 years there has existed one teething toy that has surpassed all others on the market. Hand-Made in Rumilly in the French Alps it takes 14 manual manufacturing steps to create Sophie. Sophie is crafted from natural rubber derived from Heavea trees. The benefit of providing your child a teether made from all-natural materials is that you can be assured that you are not exposing your little one to harsh chemicals. Sophie is completely free of parabens, PVC, phtalates, BPA (bisphenol-A) and nitrosamines and she is painted with non-toxic food-grade paints.

Sophie is lightweight, stands about 7” tall and is easy for your baby to grasp. Babies especially love her bumpy head to soothe their teething gums. When squeezed she makes a happy squeaking noise, adding additional stimulatory benefits for your little one. This teether has already delighted 10 million babies with her classic look and functionality. In 2006, Sophie was placed on the prestigious top 10 celebrity gifts list by The Elegant Child in Beverly Hills, California. On top of her popularity here in the states, in her homeland of France an estimated 6 out of 10 newborns receive Sophie as gifts.

As you all know, here at Bellani we don’t miss a beat! Of course we had to bring Sophie to our center in order to offer it to all of the parents out there who have spent countless time and money trying to find a teether that actually works. Of course on top of something that works, we know you want something safe and non-toxic that is why this item is a perfect addition to Bellani’s collection of teethers and pacifiers.