Big City = Big Baby Shower!

You haven't seen gift bags until you've attended the Big City Moms' Biggest Baby Shower Ever event in NYC! I left with a ton of stuff. Seriously, check out this photo! 

In addition to the standard (GIANT) gift bag filled with bottles, booties, hats, nursery decor, organic snacks, lotions, coupons, books, and more, I also left with a Britax carrier, two Bright Starts Mombo feeding pillows (somehow my husband walked out with an extra one), and a Diaper Genie Deluxe. 

Although my husband insists these things weren't "free" because we bought tickets to the event, I still crossed the carrier, feeding pillow, and diaper genie off my registry!

The trade show-like event took place Wednesday at the Metropolitan Pavilion in NYC. Over 100 vendors had products on display for expecting moms (and dads). 

In addition to the big players in the industry like Skip Hop, Britax, Chicco, UPPAbaby, Fisher Price, Moby Wrap, and Baby Jogger, it was interesting to meet some of the other new innovative companies out there: 

Sage Spoonfuls - Liza Huber had a great demo table displaying her cookbook and products for making easy and healthy baby food. Plus, her mom, Susan Lucci, was on hand supporting her daughter. That was nice! The cookbook had user-friendly recipes made from a variety of fruits, veggies, and meats. I added the book to my registry.

Magnificent Baby - Immediately caught my eye with their magnetic closures on baby onesies, jammies, and gowns. Seriously, not even Dad could mess this up! So smart!

Baby Brezza - One-step baby food maker was pretty impressive! You can steam and puree in the same appliance! Looks like a super time saver!

Belly Bandid - This is the belly flattening wrap for post-pregnancy that Kourtney Kardashian endorses. I'm curious if it makes a real difference versus not wearing it. Any thoughts on this?

The Honest Company - As if Jessica Alba isn't busy enough, she founded this all natural line of products for baby, mom, and home. I'm really looking forward to trying the fragrance-free lotion because my skin has been so sensitive during pregnancy!

You also had your choice of seminars throughout the evening featuring the following speakers:

Tia Mowry - discussing her book Oh, Baby!, the highs (and lows) of preganacy

Dr. Bob Sears - Everything you need to know about Colic

Dr. Alan Greene - Good Taste Begins with Mom: Developing a Healthy Eater Right from the Start

Jessica Alba - The Honest Company

Melissa Joan Hart - Business of Being Born

For those of you who know me, you already know the celebrity sightings were my favorite part of the event! Seriously though, it's great to see successful women who are also involved mothers! Clearly these stars have better things to do than make appearances in a room full of crazy pregnant ladies (ie: Jessica Alba was just at the Met Costume Gala a few days before). So it leads me to believe, they really care about the topics they were promoting!

That goes for all the entrepreneurial moms demonstrating their products at the event. You know they probably came up with the idea at their kitchen table in the middle of the night somewhere between birth and the first year. It's inspiring! I'd love to be able to do the same! You never know what motherhood may bring!

Thanks Big City Moms!

NYC restaurants have high chairs! …Oh, and I saw Debra Messing

Last night, my loving husband took me to Almond, an American/French bistro type restaurant in Flatiron boasting market fresh ingredients and a good wine list. This was the first of our newly inaugurated weekly dates in which my husband plans to leave work early so we can spend some quality time together (his idea).

We made a 6 pm reservation on Savored.com which gives you 30% off your total bill of food and drinks for a nominal $10 reservation fee. It’s a great way to explore the NYC dining scene and save a few bucks.

Since we want to take advantage of the warmer spring evenings and daylight hours, we made it an early dinner. Not to mention, my pregnant stomach is grumbling around that time. (So long to trendy late night dining, unless it’s second dinner!)

Well our 6 pm reservation introduced us to a whole new dining scene. First, people in NYC do eat before 9pm! The restaurant was packed. Second, people in NYC do eat at restaurants with their children!

I don’t know why I found this out of the ordinary, but seeing a wooden high chair (red lobster style) at a trendy NYC restaurant triggered the song “one of these things is not like the other” in my head!

I thought “cool” and checked out the mom who was “cool” enough to bring her baby out on the town. Well, there sat Debra Messing, even “cooler”! She was dining with another female companion who I presume was the mom since Debra has a 7 year old (I googled it). I promptly sat at my table facing her table so I could spy on her and observe the babe in the high chair.

Debra left shortly after I arrived (probably because she was appearing on David Letterman that night, so pops). Lucky for my husband, my attention shifted back to the restaurant and my date.

Until I was expecting, I didn't really notice how kid-friendly the city can be. In fact, I thought the opposite. Now, I see pregnant bellies on the subway everywhere I go. And 90% of the time, someone will offer me their seat. I’m constantly straining my neck to check out the brand of strollers rolling by. (Yes, I've even stopped someone and asked them how they liked their UppaBABY Cruz). And apparently when the timing is right (early dinner or brunch), kids are brought to hip restaurants and waiters break out the secret stash of high chairs. After all, parents eat too, just a little earlier!