BornFree was also on hand (read our review here), sharing its brand new line of glass baby bottles ($28 for three 9-oz bottles) with the celebrities in attendance.  Created by three dads with eight children between them (and one on the way!), BornFree makes baby feeding products and accessories — including bottles, cups and nipples — that are not only Bisphenol A (BPA)-free, but also Phthalates and PVC-free.  But these bottles, available in both glass and plastic form, are not only the ultimate in bottle-feeding safety:  They also employ cutting-edge venting technology designed to reduce the symptoms of colic and occurrence of ear infections.  So it’s no wonder new first-time parents like Nicole Richie and Joel Madden and Naomi Watts and Liev Shreiber have turned to BornFree in feeding their babies — Harlow Winter Kate, 4 1/2-months, and Alexander ‘Sasha’ Pete, 10-months on Sunday, respectively.  The company is poised to move beyond the bottle/cup market in the near future, and will soon introduce new products including pacifiers, eating utensils for children, food containers and more.

Click ‘continue reading’ for more from the event.

The beginning to any great party is what arrives at your guests houses first — the invitations!  Egba Originals takes the worries and stress away from that part of your party-planning.  With their unique custom made invitations from party blocks to puzzles to comic books, the only decision — a hard one at that! — is which one to choose from.  And if you think these invites are cute, wait until you see their new train line.  Made out of solid wood, the trains are compatible with the whole Thomas the Train set.  Seeing these adorable trains and knowing how loved Thomas is in my house, I’m thinking you could just stop at the invitations and the kids would be happy — that’s how fun these are!  Plus, each guest can feel special and unique since Egba prides themselves on the fact that no two invitations will ever, ever be the same thanks to their hand-painted designs.  Finally, making the birthday boy (or girl!) feel special on their big day, Egba creates invidividual custom made logos that are painted on each train. 

With celebrity clients like Sean Combs and Kim Porter, who ordered the block invites for their baby shower when they were expecting their twin daughters, and Denise Richards, who’s having special invitations made for a party she’s holding in June, Egba Originals is climbing to the top of the list for Hollywood’s ‘must-have’ custom invites!

When you’re babywearing, you want your child and you to be as comfortable as possible from the moment the carrier goes on to the moment you slide it off.  What better way to do this than with Sakura Bloom‘s silk ring slings made out of beautiful, breathable, natural dupioni silk.  The company’s collection of silk slings is made up of three lines — artisan, essential, and luxe — each made with special features and personal touches that make all three very inviting.  While they can be on the higher end of the price scale, you really are getting a 2-for-1 deal since all of the fabrics are reversible. 

If silk really isn’t your thing, but you can’t get over the gorgeous slings, Sakura Bloom provides you with another option: their linen line!  As beautiful as the silk collection, the Belgian linen fabric is bright, colorful, and natural plus and, just like the silk line, it comes with a 2-in-1 bonus since it’s reversible.  The linens are available in four sub-categories: pure, hana, simple, and essential.

Offering all this and more, it’s no wonder Sakura Bloom was such a huge hit with the celebrities at the Boom Boom Room!  And with such a great looking sling, you’ll be able to use it over the years with your child until they are around the age of 3 or until they reach that ‘I-want-to-walk’ fun stage!  If you’ve been contemplating on what sling to buy, I think you might have found a very good contender.

Last but certainly not least, Mabel’s Labels (read our previous coverage here) was on hand to showcase all their latest offerings in the world of personalized labels.  If you have a baby or child in daycare or school you know the importance of keeping everything properly labeled, and Mabel’s Labels is here to help!  From its collection of sticky labels, to clothing labels, to combo packs (including specialized sets for summer camp and/or school!), this Canadian company has you — and your kids belongings — covered.  New York Mets catcher Brian Schneider (see photo at left) was clearly impressed with Mabel’s Labels, as was Survivor: Micronesia — Fans vs. Favorites contestant Joel Anderson.  Both lingered at Mabel’s Labels booth at the Boom Boom Room, perusing all of the new label options and expressing interest in obtaining some labels of their own.

Exclusive for CBB readers:  Now through September 1st save 15% of your entire order at Mabel’s Labels with code CBB2008.   

Take for example, A Natural Home. Run by two women who are looking to help people embrace the organic, natural way of living, the company focuses on simple yet sturdy and well-built furniture fit for your home.  Their products — built by the Amish — promise to last for your lifetime and your kid’s lifetime, and your kid’s kid’s lifetime, and … well, you get the idea.  You can find any type of house furniture you’re looking for — whether it’s a table, a couch or even a hypoallergenic bed for man’s best friend!

However, their focus at the Boom Boom Room were the future generations: the children!  With a large assortment of wooden toys (pictured) — promised to be 100% sustainable wood and made with absolutely no chemicals — my son enjoyed some of their great samples and especially loved their wooden sheep made with real organic wool!  Another great toy that looks especially fun is their Play Kitchen ($215) — a handcrafted piece that is made uniquely each and every time with the promise of (you guessed it!) 100% natural and toxin-free solid wood.  And if you’re looking to ‘go-green’ with your baby’s nursery or your toddler’s bedroom, A Natural Home also has beautiful bassinets (pictured) and toddler beds made out solid oak, maple, and cherry.  If all this wood sounds like a strain on the planet, no worries.  All wood used in the furniture and toys comes from protected forests, so trees will never be scarce.

Click below for more featured vendors!   

I’ve seen lots of hair clips for little girls — and lots of promises to go along with them. Many claim their clips will never slip out and leave you with the ‘hair-in-the-face’ look seconds after you’ve groomed them for the day; unfortunately, that’s usually exactly what happens. However, when I saw Bugalug at the Boom Boom Room, I was very impressed! 

This very trendy, colorful line of hair accessories has developed a special slip-free technique for their barrettes by adding a silicon strip to the back, effectively holding the finest to the thickest hair in place.  As for their headbands?  They use a small plastic lock that can be adjusted to the width of any child’s head; plus it’s a 2-in-1 deal as all the headbands are made with reversible fabrics. 

The founder of Bugalug, Sundi Hoffman (pictured with actress Peyton List), hand-selects both the fabrics that are used and the stay-at-home-mothers who put the clips together, as she hopes that more mothers can choose to stay with their kids and earn money simultaneously. 

If you’re getting a bit jealous of your little girl right about now — stop, because women can wear Bugalug too!  Priding themselves on only using hip, trendy, and fashionable ribbon, you won’t find anything too ‘cheesy’ or too ‘cutesy’ because Bugalug is geared for all ages. 

Calling themselves the "new kids on the scene," after their success at the Boom Boom Room, LAF Brand doesn’t have to worry about skipping out any time soon!  Their featured products at the event, the Roll-N-Go Rollable Diaper Bag ($60) and their bips and burp cloth lines ($8 – $10), were only a taste of what this company had celebs like Molly Shannon (pictured) and NY Mets Brian Schneider buzzing about. 

We all know how boring it can be to carry around a frumpy looking diaper bag, but with the Roll-N-Go, any bag instantly becomes a cool hip diaper bag — without having to compromise your style!  And their incredibly soft ‘minky’ style burp cloths?  Simply heaven to touch.  They’re the kind of fabric that you just can’t stop touching over and over and over again. I would know — my 20 month old now sleeps with the burp cloth! 

Finally, but definitely becoming a big favorite, are their great bodysuits.  Leave it to LAF to come up with a long sleeve and short sleeve shirt in one!  Yep, you read it right — if your kid gets hot, you can actually remove the sleeves, and if the weather doesn’t cooperate, just pop them right back on.  Cool? I know.  But what LAF (which stands for Lil’ Angel Face) is most committed to is helping children smile — the company donates 5% of every sale to The Smile Train.  A supporter of The Smile Train himself, Chuck Nice picked up a few signature LAF Out Loud shirts for his son as did many other celebrities.

CBB Deal: Save 10% at lafbrand.com with coupon code LAFOUTLOUD10.

MamaOm, founded by MariaFer (pictured with Jane Notar and daughter Harlow) and Nena in Florida, is an upscale boutique that carries matching mother-daughter (and will soon introduce matching son!) apparel for moms looking for a fashionable, yet unique way to celebrate and indulge in their motherhood roles.  The two women pride themselves on using only 100% organic and natural fabrics and will introduce a new line in the fall of 100% organic cotton clothing. 

From adorable slogan tees such as ‘Supply‘ ($24) for mom and ‘Demand‘ ($20) for daughter, and ‘Working Out‘ ($24) for mom matched with ‘Personal Trainer‘ ($20) for daughter, mothers at the Boom Boom Room just couldn’t get enough!  Their biggest hit of the day?  Their new line of matching mommy and me beachwear which includes bathing suits and cover-ups, both in an assortment of colors and styles.  With celebrity mom (and dad! — NY Mets player Brian Schneider also picked up some suits and shirts for his daughter, Tatum) fans like Summer Sanders — who was checking out suits for herself and her daughter Skye Bella, 2 — and Jane Notar, who picked out suits for herself and her daughter Harlow, the bikinis went quickly and many more were put on special order. 

Fashion is important at MamaOm, but so is helping the planet!  From supporting Free Trade Labor to using recycle products to making their company as eco-friendly as possible, MamaOm is a great mix of what many moms love most: a healthy earth-conscious way to enjoy those shopping urges.

The majority of us can likely attest to wearing sweaters made out of itchy wool that were quickly pushed to the back of our closets, but have you tried clothing made out of fiber from yak?  Judging from the great feedback on Shokay at The Boom Boom Room, you should!  Since yak fibers are arranged in a waved mosaic pattern (unlike wool), the clothing is soft and cozy.  There’s so much about this company that gets me — plus a ton of other people! — excited that I’ll start with their soft, cuddly, luxurious feeling apparel.

Gifting people with their cozy
Infinity Handwarmers ($60) and adorable little girl scarves ($35), Shokay managed to grab quite a few fans who couldn’t get enough of their products — like Constance Zimmer (pictured with boyfriend, Russ Lamoreaux and daughter Colette Zoe, 4 months) who took home the Shokay suitcase ($45). 

Even with pulling out all the stops to make their customers happy, Shokay does not compromise humanity and the common good of helping one another.  Every piece of yak fiber that is used is hand combed by 260 Tibetan family herders, who benefit by carrying on their own traditions of raising yak and being able to make a sustainable living.  Then that very fiber is sent to a Shokay-organized women’s cooperative in Chong Ming Island, where all of those products that people are raving about are hand knitted.  The end result?  A whole line of adult and kids apparel and accessories that are definitely up-and-coming in the fashion world!

Check back tomorrow for another vendor round up from Missy.  And if you missed our first two vendor posts, you can check them out here and here!

Let’s start at the beginning — delivery day!  No need to worry about exposing your ‘assets’ while pacing the halls of labor & delivery, because dearjohnnies has you — quite literally — covered.  Created by founder (and mom of 3!) Rachel Zinny (shown at left with Summer Sanders), we’ve reviewed this Wellesley, Mass.-based company before, and were thrilled to see that Rachel has kept up the good work since we caught up with her last. dearjohnnies unveiled its new Gramercy line of hospital gowns at the Boom Boom Room, and the new prints — including the Lola, the Ava and the Pia (each $72; Ava shown at right) — are quite simply adorable.  They’ll be available online July 1, but if you simply can’t wait you can order one now by calling dearjohnnies at 617-320-9884.  It’s an easy way to feel extra special on what will no doubt be the most special day of your life — the day you become a mom!  It’s no wonder Jennifer Garner, Tori Spelling and Mariska Hargitay are fans.

Exclusive for CBB readers:  Save 20% off your order at dearjohnnies now through June 30.  Discount cannot be combined with other promotions or discounts and will be applied as a refund after original transaction has been processed.  Readers must put code CBB20 in special instruction box upon checkout to receive the discount.

For more from the event, click ‘continue reading.’

If you’ve ever taken a shower with engorged breasts — or even worse, mastitis — you know the pain can be excruciating.  Shower Hug ($27.95; see photo at right) to the rescue!  Owner Alaina Tonelli started the company after she suffered through one-too-many painful showers following the birth of her first child.  A band of knit terry velour, the Shower Hug wraps around your chest and is secured with Velcro.  Wear it in the shower to provide gentle bustline support, to protect your sensitive breasts from the water as well as to protect your nipples from direct contact with soap and other chemicals that can bother a breastfeeding baby.  When you’re done, simply wring out the excess water and hang it up to dry.  Belmama & Cherub, which makes the Shower Hug, happily provided samples to nursing mom Summer Sanders, as well as expectant mom Leslie Segrete of TLC’s While You Were Out.

I had terrible swelling in my feet and ankles for two weeks after the birth of both my boys; Shoes were out of the question and most socks were off-limits, too.  At the Boom Boom room, however, I think I found something that would have worked perfectly.  San Francisco-based Karen Neuburger was on hand, exhibiting their latest offerings in the world of sleep and loungewear.  Their chenille socks are in all honesty the softest pair of socks I’ve ever felt; Even better, at the Boom Boom Room they were paired with a matching set of infant chenille lounge socks ($16 for two pairs).  Perfect for some mommy-and-me bonding!  Wearing them now has me in heaven — I can’t imagine how great they would have felt on my swollen, aching postpartum feet. 

Karen Neuburger also has a full line of maternity pajamas that are every bit as luxurious, but what got me really excited is the upcoming launch of their brand new hospitalwear nursing gown (see photo above-left).  If you’re an expectant or breastfeeding mama, you’ll want to snag one of these when they become available.

Exclusive for CBB readers:  Save 10% on any purchase at Karen Neuburger with code CBB0508.

The jelly belly phenomenon immediately after giving birth is something you can’t really fathom until it happens to you.  The good news is that most of the flab does eventually go away on its own, but in order to truly restore your skins’ elasticity sometimes you need a little help.  Boom Boom Room attendee Constance Zimmer – who admittedly looked pretty fabulous last Thursday with boyfriend Russ Lamoreaux and baby Colette Zoe, 4-months, in tow — now knows that if she needs that help, she can find it in Mustela.  The skincare guru has a new body firming activator ($39.99 at BabyCenter.com; see photo at right) from its 9 Month Maternity product line; It’s the first dietary supplement of its kind, helping to restructure saggy skin while reducing localized fatty deposits and water retention in the process.  The best part of all?  It’s totally suitable for breastfeeding moms.

The Boom Boom Room was bustling with vendors seeking to capitalize on the demand for breastfeeding-friendly fashion, and one I really liked was Larrivo.  Halle Berry recently received some items from Larrivo and thanked the New Jersey-based designer for "helping to make breastfeeding as sexy as possible."  Rachel Weisz, Elisabeth Röhm and Kim Raver are also fans.  Larrivo had a full clothing rack of camisoles ($59 – $63) on hand last Thursday for all the pregnant and nursing celebs who visited the display, and they were surely pleased with what they came away with. 

Constance Zimmer (shown at left with Larrivo owner Loretta Schneider) chose a cami in a great Pucci print called Sophia in Larrivo’s new tunic length.  She also scored a coordinating black Ella shrug jacket ($44) and Dakota drawstring pants ($48).  I found Larrivo’s nursing tops to be colorful and fun but still fully functional at the same time, featuring lots of stretchy, breathable fabrics and hidden snap closures. 

Exclusive for CBB readers:  Save 10% and enjoy free shipping on your entire order at Larrivo with the code CBBLRV2008.  This offer expires, quite appropriately, 9-months from today!

Check back tomorrow, when Anya will be bringing you some more of the great new products showcased at last week’s Boom Boom Room event.

How many times have you looked in your diaper bag and realized you forgot the baby’s bib?  Or you can’t find that darn pacifier for the life of you?  April Klein, mother of two, hopes she can help with her invention of Bébe Belay ($9) — a baby accessory that can be used as an instant bib, a connector clip, and a pacifier and toy holder!  The ribbon is equipped with specially designed clips on either end that are made to pull free with a force of two pounds or greater, in order to avoid strangulation and baby-pinching.  Using Bébe Belay is as easy as stringing the pacifier through the ribbon and clipping it to the tab, or clipping both ends to a napkin for an instant bib.  You can even clip two slippers together so they will never get lost again!

A hit at the Boom Boom Room, Constance Zimmer (pictured at right with April) stopped by the Bébe Belay booth and chatted with April about all the great uses of Bébe Belay.  She was then was gifted a few Bébe Belays of her choice to use with her daughter, Colette Zoe, 4-months.

Continue reading for more great vendors and their products!

Sure it’s easy to find all of those cute boy shirts with expensive looking suped-up cars on the front and cute sayings, but hey, what about the girls?  When Allyson Strope (pictured at right with actor Robert Funaro) would go to see her husband, professional car builder Steve Strope, at car shows, she noticed that something was missing at the vendor stands.  Although there were plenty of t-shirts and other apparel, there was absolutely nothing cute and girly for well — girls!  And thus began the idea behind Girlie Gear.  Based in sunny California, this couple works with a graphic designer (who also helps with Steve’s designs) who draws the basic outline of the car.  Then Allyson comes on the scene to work her girlie magic, right down to the daisy wheels and the flowery smoke that rises up in a cloud behind these hot rods.  So far, these designs come in 100% cotton tees and onesies which run between $20 and $25, in three yummy sounding colors: Cotton Cand-z, Mango Go-Go, and Raspberry Roadster.  Also, be on the lookout for three new colors that will be available soon: Bubble Gum Logo, Blown Blueberry, and Lemon Sorbet Slingshot.  Any girlie race car fans out there?  Consider yourself taken care of!

Celebrities were thrilled with these amazingly girlie shirts at the Boom Boom Room and especially went crazy over Girlie Gear’s Pink Tank, which was gifted to Jane Notar along with a matching pink little girl’s ruffle shirt for her daughter, Harlow.  Since this line is fairly new on the scene, Allyson and Steve are still in the process of sending out shirts to car fans — so, who’s on the list?  The cast of The Fast and The Furious, of course!

CBB Deal: Girlie Gear is offering 15% off with coupon code "cbb15" at shopgirliegear.com.  Expires 8/31/2008.

Tammy L. Cheskis is a mom who was just looking to find a cool way to handle her three daughters’ bed-wetting days without using those embarrassing medical-looking pads — an idea which soon led to the creation of Incog-neato.  Using bright colored hand-picked fabrics, with designs that will match any room, Incog-neato protectors are 100% cotton, flannel quilted pads that lay right on top of the sheets to prevent the much dreaded act of bed-stripping in the wee hours of the morning when your child wets the bed.  The pad also comes with a non-slip back to stop squirmy kids from pushing the pad down to their toes in the middle of the night!  Plus, since the pads are made out of such kid-friendly designs like a sports theme, a monkey theme, and a dog theme, kids don’t have to worry about being self-conscious since it’s easy to pass off as a quilted bed cover for extra comfort!  But don’t stop at just using it for bed-wetting purposes — Tammy also suggests using these leak-proof pads as baby play mats, on the bottom of dog crates, in car seats, for maternity needs, and on wheelchairs.  Need something else to look forward to?  Tammy will soon be selling two new sizes — a stadium seat size, and the one I’m most excited about, a huge quilted pad big enough to spread out for beach and pool days!   

Celebrities who stopped by Tammy’s booth at the Boom Boom Room and gifted with Incog-neato leak-free protectors were Joel Anderson from Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites, Brian Schneider from the NY Mets, and Olympic swimmer Summer Sanders (pictured above-right), mom to 2-year-old Skye Bella and new baby Charles Robert, 4-months.

CBB Deal: Incog-neato is offering 10% at incog-neato.com with coupon code "celebrity".

Entering the world of high-end baby bedding, in 1998, was a whole new ballpark for designer Lulla Smith, but after meeting with an upscale boutique who absolutely loved all her products, she hit it big when her first Hollywood couple, Courteney Cox-Arquette and David Arquette, chose her "Cloud" crib line for  their daughter, Coco Riley, now 3 ½. From there it just got better and better!  After being featured in People, Life & Style and In Touch, Lulla’s list of celebrities grew as Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes purchased three "Greenwich" bassinets for their daughter Suri.  More recently, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony commissioned her for the bedding in their twins’ nursery.

With a client list like Lulla Smith has, it’s no wonder so many people stopped to admire the beautiful bedding Lulla had on display (including a replica of Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony’s crib made by Bratt Decor featuring Lulla Smith bedding, pictured at right).  Since her start, Lulla Smith has worked with a long list of celebrities including Heidi Klum and Seal, Elisabeth and Tim Hasselbeck, Christina Aguilera and Jordan Bratman, Britney Spears and Kevin Federline, and has even worked with the Trump family — from Donald, for his toddler son Barron, 2, to his eldest son, Donald Jr., for his own daughter, Kai Madison, who just celebrated her first birthday.

I can totally sympathize with mothers who dread shopping and searching high and low to find fashionable and trendy items for their little boys — especially after we pass by the surplus of cute girly clothing in the stores.  Cynthia Betterson (pictured with Chuck Nice, below-left) has heard our complaints, however, and founded Ochanga as a result.  An online boutique that carries boys clothing exclusively, Ochanga not only makes all of their clothing and fashion accessories out of quality fabric and materials…It also consistently brings customers an array of internationally designed apparel to suit any mother’s taste.  From dress shirts, to adorable sunsuits, and even matching hats, Ochanga does it all with bright, colorful, bold prints that would be a bonus in any little boys wardrobe.

Recently debuting their spring line at the L.A Baby Celebration Expo, Cynthia  (and her husband!) brought out samples of the collection to the Boom Boom Room.  They were also very generous gifting people not only with some of their coolest shirts, but also with the occasional $75 gift certificate for their online store.

CBB Deal: Ochanga is offering 20% off at ochanga.com with coupon code "CELEBSS08". 

What’s a better way to say thank you than with a bunch of flowers and some mouth-watering treats?  How about with a bouquet of "flowers" from The Baby Bunch or a box of delicious looking cupcakes — both great gifts that are made out of fashionable onesies and tees!  Since our review of The Organic Baby Bunch, the company has come out with some great new products, from boxes of onesie cupcakes to Thanks a Bunch garden and kitchen bunches.  The cupcakes come in bakery-style decorated boxes with 100% cotton onesies in pink, blue, yellow, and/or white for any baby 0-6 months old (or up to 16-pounds.)  The price of these bakery specials depends on how many cupcakes you want delivered — two onesie cupcakes for $20, four onesie cupcakes for $34, or a big box of six onesie cupcakes for $49 — all of which come in the bakery box tied with a ribbon so you don’t have to worry about last-minute gift wrapping!  The garden bunch goes for $32 and comes with 100% cotton garden gear (apron, garden gloves, bandanna, tote, and a pail), all in a celery green color with pink trim.

In addition to the celebrities who stopped by to check out The Baby Bunch at the Boom Boom Room, The Baby Bunch has been working with Jewels and Pinstripes to include these bouquets in the "Let’s Hear it For The Boys" and "New Girls in Tinseltown" gift baskets for new parents such as Julia Roberts, Jenna Elfman, Nancy O’Dell, Tiger Woods, and Keri Russell. 

Check back tomorrow for more of our favorite vendors — this time from Missy!

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