Bellaziza - Pretty Precious. Exquisite Children's Accessories

Brought to you by our definitive 2008 Holiday Gift Guide, may we present THANKSGIVING SWAG!  It’s a collection of our Favorite Things to get you and your little ones merrily through your travels this Holiday Season, valued at over $500!!!

Over the river and through the woods…oh if it were just that easy! It’s more like stuck in traffic and delayed flights and wiggly little behinds! The most traveled holiday of the year is upon us, but don’t start pulling your hair out just yet! We have put together a list of items that are sure to keep your child safe and happy for your Thanksgiving travels and beyond! Whether you are loading up the minivan or traipsing everything but the kitchen sink to the airport, your trip will go smoothly with some of our Favorite Things for travel in hand!

Don’t walk out the door until you have packed this Favorite of ours! The Fisher Price Kid Tough DVD Player! A real DVD player designed for kids. Your child can drop this thing as many times as their clumsy (yet adorable) little hands allow and it keeps on going! Our favorite part about this DVD player… the anti-skip protection! Don’t worry about any turbulence or wiggly bottoms disturbing your little sweetie’s entertainment! And talk about versatile, it even plays CDs, too! Our SWAG giveaway includes the Accessories Kit and since we know that you can’t have the hottest new thing without a hot bag to carry it in, the carrying case is coming your way too!

“Can I take a picture of the turkey, Mommy?” If that sentence makes you cringe, then you need our next FAVORITE THING! I know when my little shutter bug wants to take pictures with my digital camera it’s a near meltdown, for both of us. But with their own Fisher Price Kid Tough Digital Camera in hand, cringe no more! This is a real digital camera that’s tough enough and easy enough for kids to use all by themselves. Your child will be so proud to be the Thanksgiving photographer and you will be proud of yourself for making this one of your Favorite Things!  Click here to see a great video review of both these products by Dallas Fox 4 / KDFW .

Whatever you do, do not get even close to an airport without the Trunki!! At 3.8 pounds this ride-on (yes, I said ride-on!) suitcase for kids is a necessary part of your jet-setting family! Your kids can pack all their favorite things , sit on and ride their own luggage while the carry-on size makes it easy to carry and store in overhead luggage compartments. Not only is this amazing product convenient and a steal at only $39.99-$59.99 (or less!) (Click Here to purchase), the ingenious makers of Trunki have safety covered too! It has a built in soft rim to prevent little fingers from getting caught while shutting the case AND it has designed stabilizers to prevent children from easily falling off. We LOVE that!

So you’ve got your Trunki in tow and have made it to your gate. But what about that annoying car seat that you had to schlep through the airport! With your carry-on in one arm and the car seat awkwardly in the other, it’s a nightmare! No more! CARES is an innovative child restraint designed specifically for aviation use for children age 1 and older who weigh between 22 and 44 pounds. It weighs just one pound and fits into a 6″ bag! That’s right, girls, you can be safe and stylish because it will easily fit in your handbag! CARES is simple to install, and FAA approved. Click here to purchase for just $74.95 (or less)! What could be better? Safe, easy, fits in your handbag…a frequent flyer mommy’s dream!

Dance your way through your trip with the best of children’s music singing in your ears! The soundtrack for your journey will be fun, upbeat and jazzy with Kinderjazz’s new CD “The One For Me” (Click here to purchase) and really rockin’ with The Jimmies new CD “Make Your Own Someday” (Click here to purchase).

We hope you have a fantastic Thanksgiving filled with family, friends and your Favorite Things!

To enter check out our 2008 Holiday Gift Guide and tell us your Favorite product AND what you love about it!  You may enter once per email address per day as usual and EXTRA ENTRIES are available as always for blogging about us, referring new confirmed subscribers, and/or adding our HOLIDAY BUTTON (found on the top right of this page) to your blog or website.  Just leave a comment telling us how you earned that extra entry (plus any relevant info like your blog address or referral’s email address).  Please do leave separate comments for each, as your comments are your actual entries. All entries must be received by Monday, December 1st at midnight, PST.  Winner will be chosen from the comments posted and our subscription list on Tuesday via random.org. Winner will be fetched using Prizey.net.  CLICK HERE to subscribe, giving yourself an extra entry every week automatically for ALL of our fabulous giveaways!!!

Without further ado, we would like to present to you, our FABULOUS readers our Definitive 2008 Holiday Gift Guide!  Please check it out and stay tuned over the next 6 weeks for some of our best HOLIDAY SWAG ALERTS ever as well as many EXCLUSIVE discounts, tips and tricks!!!  Please make sure to sign our guest book, too, at the bottom of the page, and tell us what you think!

Happy Holidays from your Favorite Elves!!!

Many thanks to Tasha L., one of our fabulous readers, for this great find!  It really is such a great idea and the perfect gift for any little artist!

Art2Believe takes your child’s original artwork and recreates it into a doll, pillow, or even does custom work to whatever you would like!  Take a look at www.art2believe.com and you will see lots of beautiful examples of their work.  What better way to preserve those precious little drawings or to show your little Picasso just how great you think their masterpiece is?

Oompa Toys is our absolute FAVORITE place to shop for the best toys ever and we wanted you to know why.

We all love those adorably unique Euro toys, but finding a really great selection like theirs just seems impossible.  Oompa has made it so easy now though to shop from our side of the pond over to the other side and beyond!  They even have a little search feature on the side where you can shop by country!  Now how cool is that?!?

You’ll find all of your favorites there from Plan Toys, Italtrike, Haba, Djeco, Vilac and SO many more!  It’s truly an experience, so go check it out, explore and enjoy!!!  BONUS: Spend $65 or more and SHIP FOR FREE right now too!!!

Matt Damon and his wife Luciana recently welcomed Gia Zavala, baby girl #3 into their family.  Matt must feel a little overwhelmed by all of that estrogen from our guess, but absolutely elated as well!  Congrats Matt and Luciana, and welcome little Gia!

Baby, we’re sure that there were tons of gifts, but we recently got some insider 411 on a nice little surprise that was sent from the uber-chic celeb favorite MilkShop.com!  The package contained some beautiful things and we thought we’d pass the info along just in case any of you have your own little new arrivalettes that need a little something extra special.

Arriving at Chez Damon: a Piggy Doll by BlaBla, a Pasha Silk Kurta in pink by Leaves of Grass, an ultra luxe Larucci Leopard Blanket in cream, the entire Kiehl’s Baby Product Collection, and last but not least, an absolute necessity for any little princess, a Mason Pearson Child’s Hairbrush in pink.

Hatley is one of our absolute Favorites for that indispensable genre of clothing that might not fall into the extraordinary every time, but that none of us can live without…Everyday Clothes!  Hatley’s new colors and patterns for this fall are beautiful and so much fun!  They are of course in keeping with their Nature theme, apples, horses, dinosaurs, the ever popular moose, and this time around there’s even some alien action!

Hatley’s new backpacks and lunch totes are pretty impressive.  They of course are made with the high quality that we would expect form all things labeled Hatley, but they spare no expense in the design and production departments!  It’s so great when something works and functions as well as it looks, right?!?!  That’s typically Hatley!

The backpack is very roomy without being oversized, and makes great use of its’ compartments.  The lunch tote fits very neatly inside too!  The zippers are made for kid-use and the canvas that they are constructed of is absolutely made for loads of loads and multiple washings.  We love the apple print the most but were a little concerned as it is mostly white…hmmm…SCOTCHGUARD, GIRLS!  It works fabulously and will keep people in wonder and amazement of how you could be that good to keep your little sweetie in a white backpack that always looks new!

The Lunch Tote is fabulous too and makes a great little travel cooler as well if your set hasn’t reached school age yet.  Again, it washes quite well and you can keep it looking new forever with a little Scotchguard.  The inside is lined in plastic, and there’s an elastic tether to keep things from bouncing around inside.

The Backpacks are $30 and the Lunch Totes are $20 and are available to ship immediately.  Check them out online to browse or place your order, CLICK HERE or on the button below to see their website.  All items ship from Canada, so give a little extra time for shipping.

Also, stay tuned for our upcoming reviews of their fabulous new outerwear collections including matching Rain Essentials (raincoats, rain boots, and the weetest little umbrellas you’ve ever seen) and Snow Essentials (fluffy snow jackets, snow pants and matching snow boots fit for the Canadian cold!).  They are all absolutely adorable!!!

Aren’t these dolls just the cutest?  Where do you get them?  You make them yourself and it’s really simple even if you don’t really sew.  It’s a little something we found on MarthaStewart.com and we are so in love with the idea.

Just imagine how June Cleaver-ish of you to sit down with your little princess and make her a doll!  OMG, right?!?  There are 3 tutorials to show you exactly what to do and a very simple pattern to download for free!  Go you, Supermom!

CLICK HERE for more info, and thanks Martha!!

Yes, it’s finally here!  After months of waiting we are finally ready to post our biggest SWAG ALERT ever, and just in time to celebrate our 100th post!

Happy 100th Post Bellaziza’s Favorite Things!!!

Enter to win our new quarterly “MEMBERS ONLY SWAG” for your very own Phil&Teds Vibe with Doubles Kit valued at $800!!!  This is in celebration of our 100th post on BellazizasFavorites.com, and also the launch of our hot new MEMBERS ONLY SWAG!  It’s some very sizable swag so we’re going to run it for a while, giving you lots of fun chances to enter!

So here’s the deal:  Just CLICK HERE to subscribe to our updates and as a subscriber, you’re automatically entered to win the Vibe as well as all of our weekly SWAG ALERTs!!!  Subscribe for as many of your different email addresses as you like too!  That’s right!  The source of entries will be our subscriber list and all subscribers are automatically entered to win all MEMBERS ONLY SWAG ALERTs and weekly SWAG ALERTs forever!  The drawing will take place on Tuesday, December 16th and one of you will roll away with a spanking new Vibe for two!

To maximize chances of winning our MEMBERS ONLY SWAG giveaways make sure you’re A.) subscribed to our blog, and take advantage of our EXTRA ENTRIES!!!

EXTRA ENTRIES are available for referring new confirmed subscribers, blogging about us on your blog, AND/OR adding our button to your blog too!  Just send separate emails to swag@bellazizasfavorites.com letting us know what you did for your extras and we’ll make sure to count them in!

Winner will be chosen via random.org and fetched using Prizey.net.  Good luck to all!  Click HERE to return to www.BloggyGiveaways.com.

Boy oh boy, nobody tells you how to weed through all of the “essential” baby products out there like we do!  How many “Must Have” products are really that must have? It’s our mission and we are constantly out there looking for the best products so that you  A) get the best, B) live with less clutter, and C) not waste your time, space or money!

Luna Lullaby is a new Favorite of ours with three of their products - the ball, the blanket and the pillow.  ALL of them have multiple uses to carry you through pregnancy and well into the toddler years without having to buy loads more stuff to do what these three products do so well on their own.  Simply genius!!!

First is the Bounce-A-Bye-Baby Ball.  It’s the perfect birthing ball, pre and post-pregnancy excercise ball, and it also works incredibly as a soothing motion seat - bouncing little Junior into a trance-like state almost instantly!  It really is the perfect parenting companion!  It also comes with its own hand pump for easy inflation and a simple-to-assemble and transport stability stand.  It’s definitely something you don’t want to do without for so many reasons.  Any product that promises to help you through both labor and delivery and then a colicky baby too is definitely a must have!

Luna Lullaby’s Soothing Blankets are another fabulous part of their baby must-have trifecta!  They are made of super chic and breathable cotton muslin and are oversized which is a long-overdue change to receiving blankets for sure!  They are really very soft too and wash beautifully!  We love the fact that they come with a detailed instructional DVD too so that you too can learn to construct the Perfect Swaddle!  (How smart was that?!?!)  You can also use your Soothing Blankets as a sunshade for stroller rides, a lightweight and breathable nursing cover, a playmat, or a great accessory for an always popular game of peekaboo!

The third product that we just love is the Bosom Baby nursing pillow.  It not only functions as a nursing pillow, but again multitasks through pregnancy and beyond starting as a very comfortable maternity sleeping pillow, a great support pillow for baby’s tummy time, and a cozy pillow for your toddler to curl up to their favorite cartoons in.  It’s multi-functionality is really impressive and it’s something that your family will enjoy for now and for years to come.  It is also PERFECT for twins, which most other nursing pillows are not.  It has lots of room and is definitely wide enough to support two at once!

All three products are a dream for any expectant mother and something that would so make the perfect shower gift.  The Bounce A Bye Baby ball sells for $52.00, the Soothing Blankets come three to a set with the DVD for $42.00, and the Bosom Baby pillow sells at $58.00 with extra covers available at $34.00 each.  For more information check out www.LunaLullaby.com and tell them who sent you!

Have you ever been in a bind for a great gift but weren’t exactly sure what to get?  With kids you can just do an age-appropriate toy and call it a day if you need to, but we think that a Custom Made For Kids Book is your best bet.  It’s very unique and appropriate for kids from birth to age 8.  You can purchase a gift certificate for one and then they (or mom and dad) get to have the super fun experience of creating their own!  It will then be printed and sent in the mail which is even more fun - doesn’t everyone just love getting a special package?  It’s also a great answer to a gift for those kids who seem to have everything, without breaking your bank at only $32.95 at www.custommadeforkids.com.  

Books are always a perfect gift.  This book beats all though, truly capturing your child’s memories and personality all in one beautifully illustrated package.  We were also impressed by the creativity of the illustrations, the quality of the paper and it’s durability.  Being that they are made to preserve these memories of childhood, we loved the fact that they were so well-constructed and thoughtfully meant to last throughout the years.

Sarah and Sarah, owners of Custom Made For Kids have created a very unique product, and one that will help capture the memories of childhood for your family.  Until August 31, they are offering 20% off of your own order with code adventures20 too!  Take this opportunity to check out their website and order one for your family.  We really do love ours!

To win your own fabulous Cavallino, email reviews@bellaziza.com with ”ITALTRIKE SWAG” in the subject line and let us know which of the four Italtrike ABC Chocolate Collection products is your absolute favorite and why.

All entries must be received by Sunday, July 27th, midnight, PST.  You may enter once per email address per day.  Winner will be chosen on Monday via random.org.  Good luck to all!

How many of you find that the before and after look of your home is dramatically different once the little prince or princess hits home?  It’s the huge footprint of toys and baby gear left in their wake that gets hard to deal with sometimes.  What used to look like something out of the pages of Better Homes and Gardens, ends up a kid-zone.  We are so happy that someone is finally coming up with toys that are super fun, but at the same time don’t scream childish in your beautifully furnished home! 

The new ABC Chocolate Collection by Italtrike is absolutely lovely.  It incorporates beautifully finished wood and that fantastic Italian design that always gets us all googley-eyed!  Of the four available pieces in the collection, we received the Triciclino and the Cavallino.  (Take a look at www.italtrike.com for more information on the other two pieces in the collection.)

The Triciclino is absolutely the finest tricycle that we have ever seen.  It’s not only beautiful and can work within your decor, but it’s a pretty smooth ride too from what our favorite little toy-tester tells us!  The wheels are made of a soft rubbery plastic which is is big plus.  They grip the floor better and don’t show wear and tear like hard plastics or foams do.  The wheels also have some weight to them which adds stability to the trike.  The pedals are substantial and nicely shaped, making it a great training trike for kids who are learning to pedal.  It’s a fantastic indoor toy - not too big, and looks so nice!  Not something we would recommend for outside use though.

The Cavallino is equally as wonderful.  We love the detail and lines of the collection as a whole, but the quirky little texture on this horsey’s mane is just too cute!  The rockers on the bottom work really well and have a safe slope to them unlike some other rocking horses out there.  They have this great little curve that goes back out at the tips, preventing tips and accidents when your rowdy little sweetie starts rocking too hard…whew!  

The fact that this collection matches the family coffee table might just be enough for you, but amazingly enough they are truly fantastic toys!  It’s so exciting just to think of the living room as just a living room and not another extension of the playroom with toys all over.  All four pieces are recommended for ages 2-5 and retail for between $90 - $150.  Maybe the ABC Chocolate Collection will help you to find something in-between though, since everyone loves Chocolate!

From the moment that we saw this dollhouse advertised, it looked so cool and different!  It is not your average dollhouse for so many reasons.  It is 100% green, first of all.  All of the wood is organic and comes from sustainable sources, and the paints used are all 100% organic, so you don’t have to worry about any nasty recalls after your sweetie has already played the heck out of it.  

With Plan Toys, it’s FUN to be green!  All of their toys are SUPER cute and lots of fun to play with.  They make up for that boring element that some earth friendly toys tend to have, and create an imaginative environment where your little one’s mind can thrive.

Our favorite thing about the dollhouse is the fact that it comes fully furnished!  It’s an option, (at $170) and is totally worth the extra dough (as opposed to $130 without).  It is also so cool how it is two separate pieces so that you can place your Swiss Chalet into any configuration that you like!  You could even use it as 2 separate dollhouses, since sometimes it just takes a village - even as a doll!  PS - don’t forget to order your doll family!  (Dolls not included with dollhouse.)

For more info, please check out www.plantoys.com.  They are also sold at www.greenbaby-nyc.com, the cool green-friendly web shop that we featured for Earth Day!

To win your own fabulous SWAG, just email us with ‘”DOLLHOUSE SWAG” in the subject line and let us know which Plan Toy you like most from www.plantoys.com.  Email reviews@bellaziza.com.  All entries must be received by Sunday, May 25th, midnight, PST.  You may enter once per email address per day.  Winner will be chosen on Monday via random.org.  Good luck to all!!! 

Ever heard of it? We hadn’t, but it seemed to be an appropriate title for the adorably quirky little hat that we received just a few weeks ago from Zooni . Our little Isabella’s favorite vegetable is broccoli, so calling it her “Broccoli Hat” made her not want to rip it off as soon as we put it on her, which is our usual hat experience.

Zooni hats are great for so many reasons. They have the absolute cutest styles and are really made to keep those little heads warm. They are lined in super cozy fleece and are sure to be your little peanut’s favorite too.

Kids love the great designs - fuzzy and colorful, some are even animals!

Moms love their warmth, the fact that they wash so nicely, and that the phrase “keep that hat on!” becomes obsolete. We actually wear our Zooni Hats inside as well as out and it has definitely become a part of Isabella’s signature look (according to her). It has become almost a toy!

You can go to www.zooniwear.com to purchase your own lovely little hats and enter code “luvzooni” to receive 15% off! Keep your eye out for their new line of mittens too that double as puppets as well as their fabulous new hat styles! They are a true winner with both moms and kids. They are definitely one of our very Favorite Things!

How about some ultra hip, incredibly useful, flawlessly designed products that are of the absolute highest quality… any takers?

Boon is a fabulous company that makes a wide array of baby and kid gear from gadgety potty chairs to spacey modernistic high chairs to super funky storage systems . Their products are all so functional and look so incredibly good at the same time! It’s so nice to find that combination…form AND function! We reviewed their Frog Pod with bath spout and bath toys that sells at Costco , and their Trio Elite Animal Bag .

The Frog Pod is absolutely fabulous. We loved it’s function the most as it is a very efficient bath toy and product storage solution, but it is so darned cute at the same time! It is super ergonomically designed and very easy to install permanently (with included adhesive strips) or temporarily (with included suction cups). It’s very Kermit meets Martha, if you ask us. The included bath spout cover was so cool too! It spouts the water out in a very fun way and will even dispense your favorite bubble bath at the touch of a button! They were really thinking with this one too! The package, as sold at www.costco.com , also includes a very fun set of toys and little bath accessories and sells for only $44.99 including shipping! Beat that!

The other very unique product that we reviewed from Boon is their Trio Elite Animal Bag . It is definitely for the family who has everything but deserves more! It is so comfy to sit on and is the most fun way to store your stuffed animals, pillows, blankets, or whatever… ever! It is made of this incredibly luxurious shag fabric with mesh see through windows. The quality of the materials and construction is way above and beyond and it really makes a statement of taste and style. It can also be found at www.costco.com and is $299.99 including shipping, which is a great deal since the suggested retail on this baby is $399.99!

It is called the Oko by Italtrike and it is the coolest tricycle ever! The first time that I saw it I really liked it, but after using it and testing it out a little, I love it! Where do I start? The super mod Italian design, its’ great functionality, safety features, or high-quality construction? It’s a very well rounded product and one that you are sure to be very happy with.

One really fun thing about it is that it has replaced our stroller now when we go to the zoo or out on a walk! I can steer it pretty easily and Isabella has a LOT more fun than being strapped into a stroller! I love that this toy will be with us for a while too. The parent handle bar thingie adjusts it’s height for your comfort, but is also removable once they can steer on their own. The seat adjusts for height and the three point safety harness can also be removed completely. One thing that we found about the safety harness is that rather than doing the over-the-shoulders style, I put them around her waist. I think that for really little ones it is more secure.

It comes in blue and orange and is sure to please. It even won the prestigious 2007 Top Toy of the Year honor, in the ride-on category, awarded by Creative Child Magazine ! As stated on www.italtrike.com , “The Oko Tricycle was conceived from a study of child ergonomics and was designed with comfort and safety in mind.” I can attest to the truth of this statement after using ours. They really did a fantastic job! They are one of our Favorite Things, and soon to be one of yours!

I was able to receive some special pricing information for all of you too! The Oko retails for $199.99 and is worth every cent, BUT if you go to www.babyuniverse.com you can save $87 and get it for only $112.99!!! That is the absolute best price out there and it is SURE to be a big hit under the Christmas Tree! Please come back to leave your comments about your experience after you get yours!