gifts

BYOBfit™ -Friendly Workout Clothes

Melissa “Missy” Paris and Anja Pierre are two certified personal trainers and new mothers. Shortly after they had their babies, they would casually meet up for walks (and talks) with their new babies, and pretty soon they realized how invigorating it was to combine these walks with strength exercises while wearing their babies and exchanging “new mom stories”. Onlooking mothers would stop and ask them if they could join in, and pretty soon the “BYOBfit™” baby-wearing classes were born. Here, the ladies of BYOBfit™ share their favorite clothes to exercise in.

When it comes to our unique babywearing strength training program, one thing is for sure: we are always on the hunt for high-quality workout clothes that will not only be suitable for a BYOBfit™ training but that will also look cute and fashionable- because, let’s admit it, you just feel better when you look good! 😉

Here are our top 5 choices for BYOBfit-friendly workout clothes:

1) High-waisted Leggings
Aside from the comfort factor, we like high-waisted leggings. They are very functional for our type of classes. On top of being fashionable and cute, high-waisted leggings are so great because they will simply never fall below our hips, which means there’s no trying to pull up pants underneath a babycarrier. WIN WIN!
Brands to check out: Lululemon, Old Navy

2) High Quality Sportsbra
Obviously, nobody wants to worry about their boobs staying in place while exercising, but at the same time nobody wants to feel like they are being suffocated by a sportsbra. We look for soft, fun to wear bras that keep everything in place so we can just focus on the workout and not on sportsbra malfunctions. We especially love Lululemon sportsbras because they are designed for RUN. Like lulu says…”keeps the bounce at bay.”
Brands to check out: Lululemon, Old Navy

3) Nursing Sportsbra
Since a lot of moms who are taking our class are still nursing, it is important to them that they have a high-quality, durable sportsbra, which will also double as a nursing bra. Our favorite ones are by Motherhood Maternity since they are durable, cute and very affordable.
Brand to check out: Motherhood Maternity

4) Stylish sneakers
Our favorite sneakers to wear during our classes are super light and support most foot types. We especially love the Nike Free but we will vary between models (let’s just be honest- we love them all!)
Brand to check out: Nike

5) Zip-up Jackets
When we teach our classes outdoors and the weather happens to be chillier, our zip-up jackets come in very handy. We love the form-fitting look of the the lulu define jacket. It’s warm but breathable; and has a slightly longer fit so everything stays covered- even when we wear our babies!
Brands to check out: Lululemon, Old Navy

Trend: Central and South American Influence

by Gugu Guru Leave a Comment

We have seen the design and style influences of the Central and South Americas trickling in to the mom & baby category over the past six months and the trend does not seem to be slowing down. Some brands like Land of Nod and Anthropologie offer textiles and decor that hint to the regions – such as the use of the iconic llama. Other brands like Tea Collection were ahead of the curve with their Fall/Winter collection of children’s clothing completely inspired and directed by the respective aesthetics of Bolivia and Argentina.

As the trend continues, we are seeing cause-driven, philanthropic brands that give back to the countries of manufacture, as well as brands that simply draw from the beauty of a Central or South American culture. Here, our trend report on what we’ve been spotting:

Clothing

To inspire Tea’s Fall and Winter 2015 collection, the brand traveled to Argentina and Bolivia. “From the European flavor of Buenos Aires to the indigenous pride of La Paz, our newest collection pays homage to the people of Argentina and Bolivia. The sophisticated style of the gauchos and traditional elegance of Cholitas. The passion of tango musicians to the wild color of las mascaras for Carnaval.”

What we particularly enjoyed about Tea Collection’s approach was the beautiful photography, whimsical illustrations and storytelling that accompanied the line.

One to keep an eye on: Joobles on Fair Indigo is an award-winning collection of beautiful fair trade products like the organic baby booties above. Purchasing Joobles products not only lifts up workers with a living wage and a safe workplace, it also helps support small family-run organic cotton farms in Peru.

Other brands to check-out: Humble Hilo, Nena & Co

Diaper Bags

Brands like Nena & Co and Humble Hilo are sourcing directly from the artisans of Guatemala, while also giving back by giving Guatemalan women the income to work from home with their children. Alejandra Hynek, the founder of Nena & Co, has Guatemalan roots herself and was taught about her Mayan heritage by her mother and grandmother, which ultimately inspired her to start the company. Humble Hilo adds another philanthropic layer by allowing customers to decide which humanitarian project to support with their purchase.

Baby Bedding & Accessories

Petite Vigogne is a new high-end brand that sources its fine textiles from Peru. The founder of Petite Vigogne – a mom and native of Peru herself – was inspired to start the company after her difficulty in finding high thread-count Peruvian Pima cotton bedding for newborns in the US. In addition to luxurious Peruvian Pima cotton, Petite Vigogne sources Vicuña – one of the highest-quality threads in the world – and wonderfully soft baby alpaca, also from Peru, to make perfectly crafted products for lucky newborns worldwide.

Other brands to check out: The Joobles Collection on Fair Indigo

Toys & Other Handcrafts

While not suitable for children under 3 years old, these eco-friendly, finger puppets are perfect for older siblings. Moms on team Gugu Guru have personally enjoyed using them during story time with our toddlers. Each puppet is handmade by a number of artist collectives from the rural areas of the Peruvian high-plains. Finger Puppets Inc. sources ethically, practices fair trade principles and strives to help these artisans extend their products’ reach.

Other brands to check out: The Joobles Collection on Fair Indigo

Trend: Versatile Wearables

by Gugu Guru Leave a Comment

We recently did a trend report for Bundle Organics on New Mom Essentials and we called out in that report the almost expectation now that products like nursing covers be multi-functional; doubling as car seat covers, scarves and even swaddles. We started seeing this versatility trend in other categories too from gear to furnishings and clothing. This trend is not only driven by the attraction to smart design but also by practicality; today’s moms are generally looking to reduce waste and their footprint when it comes to consumer goods. Here are some of the top trending Versatile Wearable products plus some of our favorite brands to check out for each:

The Cozy Joey by Mulier NYC

Outerwear
Now moms no longer have to worry about purchasing several different coats for different stages of mommyhood. From pregnancy to babywearing and beyond, maternity apparel brands are now offering outerwear that conforms to a mom’s varying fashion needs. What’s more is that some of these versatile outerwear pieces are multi-seasonal too.

Brands to check out: Mulier NYC (Cozy Joey), The M Coat, Japanese Weekend (Mama Coat)

NüRoo Pocket Shirt

Kangaroo / Skin-On-Skin Shirts
Day-to-day apparel is also now multi-purpose as we see baby wearing shirts – often described as “Kangaroo” shirts – emerging as a trend in the category. Moms no longer necessarily need to purchase a wrap style carrier and nursing tops as we’re seeing these two items blending. The bonus is this wearable offers the benefits of both baby wearing and skin-on-skin, such as free hands, increased milk production, promotion of well-being for mama & baby and more.

Brands to check out: NüRoo (Pocket Shirt), Lalabu (Soothe Shirt), Milk & Baby (Kangaroo Care Shirt) Hint: if you like this trend, be sure to check the details of any brand you’re considering because some of these shirts do not adhere to baby carrying standards. The NüRoo Pocket is one that adheres to sling carrier standards and carries up to 45lbs.

Go-Go Babyz Sidekick

Dual-Purpose Diaper Bag
In the past, the overarching trend seemed to be diaper bags that don’t look like diaper bags. That still holds true for many brands in terms of the overall product design strategy (to see some of our favorites from that trend, see our post here). Now diaper bags are combining with other baby gear categories; doubling up as baby carriers, breast pump bags and even bassinets. We are keeping a close eye on this trend – could there be a stroller diaper bag combo in our future?

Brands: Go-go Babyz (Sidekick), Nurse Purse, 3-In-1 Diaper Bag Bassinet

Sunsnapz Blankets

Multi-Functional Nursing Covers
Once nursing covers were no more than privacy covers for moms who planned to breastfeed outside of the home, but these covers now serve more than one purpose (and some serve five or six!) Many of the popular styles double as car seat canopies or even swaddles.

Brands to check out: Sunsnapz, Cover Me Ponchos, Milk Snob, Shuga Bebe Couture

Little Raindrop Designs Mommy & Me Teething Bracelet in Bubble Mint

Teething Jewelry
Where teething jewelry used to be limited to a few brands, this is now a very fast growing category and some brands boast a cult-like following. Just like any statement jewelry line, some of the more popular teething jewelry brands have signature styles or palettes. Many of these baubles are made of baby-safe, non-toxic 100% silicone.

Brands to check out: Chewbeads, Mama & Little, Little Raindrop Design

Babesta and aden + anais Collaboration

by Gugu Guru Leave a Comment

One of the thrills of finding out you’re having a baby is dreaming about all the adorable clothing, blankies, and accessories you’re going to swath your baby in – however, long gone are the days of drab pastel baby blankets and boring plain crib sheets! For those new parents who wish to dress and wrap their little one in something other than the same-old-same-old baby stuff, check out Babesta – a website for the “trendier tot” and their parents. Focusing on the rock-star, yoga, urban baby, Babesta features invite-only designers and artists to help give your babe some personality in what they wear (or should we say rock).And now, we’re so excited because Babesta has partnered up with one of our favorite baby lines, aden + anais for a new, exclusive collection of New York City themed baby items! aden + anais is known for their 100% cotton muslin swaddles, blankets, crib sheets, and sleepers – which are just as soft as a parent’s touch. And now, you can deck out your tiny ones in some super cool prints based on the city that never sleeps, thanks to this wonderful collaboration between Babesta and aden + anais!

With whimsical illustrations of NYC taxi cabs and street food, this line of goodies is sure to become a favorite of yours whether you call the Big Apple home or not. Why not outfit your baby’s crib with a pretzel and hot dog crib sheet?

Transportation-themed nursery? Try the changing table pad in a yellow cab print. Swaddle your infant in a taxi cab or pretzel! Baby too old for a swaddle? No fret, there’s a hot dog and pretzel sleeping bag, as well! And, of course, burp cloths with taxis and street food. Looking for the perfect baby shower gift? Look no further than aden + anais’ famously popular dream blanket full of taxis and pretzels!

There’s no reason swaddles and blankies have to be boring, so have some fun with this new collection – and hey, if you’re up at 3am rocking a baby to sleep, at least you’ll have delicious hot soft pretzels to think about.

« Previous Page

gifts

Footer

Follow Us:

COME AND GET IT!