Events

The 2018 New York Baby Show (Sponsored) (Guest)

~ Allaya P. Cooks-Campbell ~ Leave a comment

NYBS 2018 | babydroppings

Okay, okay. I don’t exactly have a baby anymore–Phoenix is walking, talking and even potty training! That’s why I reached out to my friend Whitney and her lovely family to stop by the New York Baby Show. They’re perfectly adorable and were in the market for all the latest and greatest baby must-haves for their eight-month-old daughter.

Buyer’s remorse? It happens to the best of us, especially for new parents. You have that rabbit hole of the internet, your parents, your friends and even strangers giving you advice on how to raise your child. As a first time mom, I usually second guess if I have bought the right car seat, if there’s a better way to get her to sleep or if the food my baby is eating is the healthiest. This year’s New York Baby Show was the best place to get the scoop on the in’s and out’s of baby gear. Continue reading →

New York Baby Show 2018

~ Allaya P. Cooks-Campbell ~ Leave a comment

New York Baby Show | babydroppings

So it’s that time of year again! If you’re an expecting parent and you’re anywhere in the greater NYC area, the @NewYorkBabyShow is the place to get the inside scoop on all the coolest gear for your little ones. You’d be shocked at how techy the baby gear can get–there’s new innovations in bottle design, space-age fabric for carriers, car seats that talk to you via a smartphone app, and strollers that charge your phone. Continue reading →

Make 2017 YOUR Year: Self-Care Daily Challenge

~ Allaya P. Cooks-Campbell ~ 2 Comments
I’m obsessed with New Year’s. Being an extremely Type-A, high-strung perfectionist, I love any special day dedicated to making lists and making improvements in my daily life. But for many years in a row, my resolutions have all been about getting more done, getting stuff accomplished, and generally just a twelve-month long to-do list.
In my first full year of parenting, I’ve realized that the cliche is true–if mama’s not happy, no one’s happy. So this year I want to try to do something that I’ve never done before. Something much harder.  And I want you to do it too.

Continue reading →

Messy Memorable Moments with Bounty, the #QuickerPickerUpper #ad

~ Allaya P. Cooks-Campbell ~ Leave a comment


Part of raising a family is embracing the mess of daily life.  I love kids, but I don’t love that part of motherhood quite so much.  I tend to be a bit of a germophobe, so I catch myself going through a lot of paper towels.  But so many of the things in life that are fun are a little (or a lot!) messy—first foods, first art projects and first birthdays!  So, Phoenix and I headed to Manhattan to celebrate her first birthday party with Bounty and mother and author Kristin Cavallari, where I knew they’d have my back when it came time for clean-up. Continue reading →

Best Gifts to Give A One Year Old

~ Allaya P. Cooks-Campbell ~ 1 Comment

phi-party

On September 10th, my tiny baby turned one year old, and quite frankly, I’m still in shock.  Because she’s not walking yet, I’ve been in denial, but the truth is plain to see—I no longer have a newborn, an infant, or a baby.  I am the parent of a toddler.

I was never really around younger kids growing up (I’m the youngest of my whole family) so I had no idea what in the world to plan for her birthday party, let alone how to answer the well-meaning but totally stupefying question of “what does she want?”  The only thing that she is truly, truly passionate about is food and empty water bottles.  I figured I should probably just ask around to find out “What’s the best gift you can give a one-year-old, and why?” Continue reading →

Carriers, Strollers, and Wraps—Oh My! The 2016 New York Baby Show

~ Allaya P. Cooks-Campbell ~ Leave a comment
Jamie Grayson, the Baby Gear Guy, gives the keynote address to a packed room. Photo courtesy of MomTrends.
Jamie Grayson, the Baby Gear Guy, gives the keynote address to a packed room. Photo courtesy of MomTrends.

Last weekend, Pier 92 played host to thousands of new and expectant parents at the 2016 New York Baby Show. From strollers that fold down to the size of a laptop to a sleep monitor that clips right onto baby’s clothes, every possible product that a new parent could need was available to check out, sample and in some cases, take home that day. 

With so many options, it was nearly impossible to stop at every booth on the showroom floor, so I made sure to hit the biggest must-haves on our list. Phoenix just turned eight months old, which means that we’re about to give up our amazing infant car seat. So travel gear was a priority for us at this event, and these were by far our favorites:
 

The GB Pockit stroller. Photo courtesy of BabyGizmo.com.
The GB Pockit stroller. Photo courtesy of BabyGizmo.com.
 GB Pockit Stroller: Recently entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for being the smallest stroller ever, this lightweight lifesaver folds down small enough to fit into a tote bag and weighs only eleven pounds. Despite its small size, it has really durable wheels and a super sturdy frame. It’s a perfect second stroller and great for city life.    

Phoenix and I rocking a Pavo woven wrap. Photo courtesy of Kanji Photography. babydroppings.com
Phoenix and I rocking a Pavo woven wrap. Photo courtesy of Kanji Photography.
   
An up-close shot of the Gotham print. Photo by babydroppings.com.
An up-close shot of the Gotham print. Photo by babydroppings.com.
 Pavo Gotham Wrap: My husband and I are avid babywearers, and since my daughter was born we’ve been rocking a stretchy wrap as our primary carrier. Well, the Pavo completely knocked our socks off. This woven wrap is made of amazingly high-quality fabric that is breathable enough for warm weather, while literally being strong enough to carry my eight month old, a toddler, or even two babies. It can be tied in dozens of different ways, and unlike our stretchy wrap, supports front, back or hip carrying. Plus, it’s just absolutely beautiful. 

 

Seimone, one of our MomTrends/New York Baby Show ticket giveaway winners, and her daughter, Ashley, trying on the new Baby Björn One carrier. babydroppings.com
Seimone, one of our MomTrends/New York Baby Show ticket giveaway winners, and her daughter, Ashley, trying on the new Baby Björn One carrier.
 Baby Björn One: What can I say? We love our baby carriers. There are definitely times when I need a quick solution, and as much as I love wraps they do take some maneuvering. The Baby Björn is a classic soft-structured carrier that probably everyone has seen or heard of, but the new One carrier has been designed with several nifty features. Borrowing a page from wraps, it has improved knee-to-knee support, and supports a front or back carry. While it’s insanely comfortable, my favorite thing about it is that it’s infinitely adjustable. The ease of raising or lowering baby makes nursing while carrying super simple, and getting hit on and off is actually a snap (or three). 

There were dozens of other fantastic brands and cool baby gadgets, but these three were our absolute favorites. Now that you have the babydroppings Best in Show picks, tell us—which were your favorite products from the New York Baby Show, and what did you want to see more of?

The New Tommee Tippee Ultra Bottle

~ Allaya P. Cooks-Campbell ~ 6 Comments

 Tommee Tippee Ultra provides the ultimate feeding experience.  
Last Thursday saw the release of the new Tommee Tippee Ultra, a bottle designed to be the only baby bottle parents will ever need. Engineered to be a perfect match for babies with latch issues, colic or who just prefer a breast, the Ultra bottle, as its name implies, seeks to provide the “ultimate feeding experience.”I have to admit, I thought bottles were bottles. That is, until I got pregnant and started putting my registry together. I was warned not to stock up on bottles, nipples or even pacifiers, because babies are notoriously picky about their feeding gear. I was told that’s doubly true for breastfed babies. 

Well, they were right. I lucked out and had a bottle at home that my baby was willing to take, but that was not always a guarantee. I realized quickly that if I was anywhere in sight, bottles weren’t happening. So I turned over bottle feeding to my husband. Then one day, while I was out, he called me to ask me to come home right away, because the baby was refusing to take a bottle at all. 

The Ultra bottle by Tommee Tippee is built with breastfeeding in mind, with its nipple capable of moving in multiple directions (not a trait that I realized my nipple has, but now that I’m considering it is surprisingly important). Although the nipple itself is a super soft silicone, it doesn’t collapse on itself like some bottles do. The nipple is also slightly angled, keeping it full of milk and reducing baby’s air intake (a must for colicky babies).

 Tommee Tippee Ultra provides the ultimate feeding experience.  
I also like the shape of the bottle, although the wider body does take a bit of getting used to if you generally handle a smaller bottle. The large surface area makes it possible for baby to hold the bottle on her own, which is always super cute!

If I had to choose just one bottle, especially for a nursing baby, this is probably your safest bet. Plus, the nipples are compatible with all other Tommee Tippee nipples, making it possible to swap for a faster flow as baby grows. Right now, the Tommee Tippee Ultra Bottle is available exclusively at Babies”R”Us. 

 Tommee Tippee Ultra provides the ultimate feeding experience.   
Tommee Tippee Ultra provides the ultimate feeding experience.  The release party, which was at Vosges Haut-Chocolat in SoHo (yum!) also featured some of the lines other new baby essentials, like their famous pacifiers, their diaper pail, and a super cool pump-and-store system. I would suggest that every baby company take a page out of Tommee Tippee’s book—shopping for baby goods should always be paired with chocolate and wine!

 Tommee Tippee Ultra provides the ultimate feeding experience.  
Which Tommee Tippee product is your baby must-have?

GIVEAWAY! New York Baby Show 2016

~ Allaya P. Cooks-Campbell ~ 2 Comments

Win tickets to the 2016 New York Baby Show!

If you’re a expecting parent, you’re probably experiencing the extreme and abject terror that comes with preparing for a new baby. On one hand, you absolutely cannot wait for your little bundle to arrive. On the other hand, you hope they stay in there forever, because you haven’t got a clue what to do with them.

You’re not alone. Join thousands of new and expectant parents at the New York Baby Show, the tri-state area’s biggest baby event of the year. Here, you can strut the aisles in style, asking all your questions and scoring some pretty cool goodies, too.

The event is planned and hosted with parents in mind, so while there’s plenty of entertainment for the little ones, moms and dads have their own separate lounge areas too. There are spaces for feeding and changing, and even a cafe. In addition to the nearly 200 pregnancy, baby, toddler and family brands that will be in attendance, you and your baby can sign up for classes together. The New York Baby Show also boasts a stroller test track, where you can test out the top most road–err, sidewalk-worthy contenders.

Being a new mom myself, I love any chance to hear from other parents and try out some baby gear, and I’m totally committed to helping you get through parenthood with a bit of sanity and a lot of humor. That’s why babydroppings is giving away TEN tickets to the New York Baby Show, courtesy of MomTrends!  Plus, get 25% off any ticket with the code BabyDroppings25!

Click here to enter, and don’t forget to comment: why do YOU want to go to the New York Baby Show?

Well Rounded NY Presents “Tips By Trimester”

~ Allaya P. Cooks-Campbell ~ Leave a comment

Standing room only at Seraphine Maternity Soho.
Last week, Well Rounded NY, a lifestyle site dedicated to helping New York City moms navigate pregnancy and parenthood, teamed up with Seraphine Maternity Soho to host “Tips By Trimester.” The pregnancy prep talk was designed to help expecting parents get familiar with the wide variety of resources and brands that are available to parents, and offer useful, immediately relevant advice in a fun and engaging way. Continue reading →