What I LOVE Now

When I was in Cape Cod this past summer, I was shopping along the Main Street in Chatham and popped into a little children's store called Frances Johnston. I immediately fell in love with all the children's toys and decorations that lined the walls, cupboards and crib. There were a few standouts and they all happened to be from a company called Maileg out of Denmark.

The funny thing is that I've always been obsessed with Danish products. You've heard of Danish modern furniture, right? Well, let's just say that the Danes know a thing-or-two about great design. When I opened Trocadero 4 years ago, I knew I wanted to stock some items from Denmark. I carried a line of hand made ceramics from Anne Black and some baby clothes from Holly's of Copenhagen. I loved that they had clean lines, were unique to Omaha and just weren't the usual offerings you'd find in a more commercial store.

So it wasn't a surprise that all thee items I picked up at Frances Johnston and oohed and ahhhed over were from a company based in Denmark.

I couldn't help but fall in love with the Hans Christian Andersen Princess and the Pea toy set. A wooden bed with 7 beautiful mattresses in 7 different fabrics, a bedspread, a pillow, a Princess and of course a tiny pea. It came with a small Princess and the Pea story book translated in three languages. I had to have it. We have a joke that our little baby is like Princess and the Pee because it seems as if she cries if there's even a drop of pee in her diaper.

I decided I couldn't live without this toy and so I purchased it knowing it would make a beautiful addition to the nursery as a decoration (for now) and a toy (for later). I love just looking at it on the shelf in baby Annabel's room.

The owner of the shop, Frances Johnston, told me that I should stock the brand too. She said they were great to work with and just wonderful products. It wasn't hard to convince me. So now as we're venturing into our 5th year of business, I'm happy to introduce some of my "new favorite things" (to steal a line from Oprah!). I'm obsessed with these Danish rattles for babies. My little Annabel has the Prince (every Princess needs her Prince, no?) and chews on his toes (they have pellets for teething). How romantic, right? The "Belles Amis" box has a ballerina, a toy soldier and a pirate among others. The box to the right is the Jungle Team and there are monkeys, giraffes and elephants. You really cannot go wrong with any of them and they make the perfect gift for any new mom-to-be or any baby or toddler.

I didn't order the Princess and the Pea set for the Troc. At just about $120, I thought it's a little too out-of-the-price-range for a shower gift or any practical mom's check list. My justification? Well......I was on vacation and could afford to be a little extravagant. :-)

Swaddle, Swaddle

A sleeping baby on the Troc Talk pages? Well, that's because I'm a new mommy to baby Annabel (seen above)! It's been almost three months since I've given birth to my little bundle of joy and as I'm slowly getting caught up on everything, I'm hoping to contribute to my own store's blog more frequently. The first topic I wanted to blog about are some of the newest items to hit Troc's shelves: aden+anais cotton muslin swaddling blankets. As a new mommy, I have been discovering by trial and error "my must haves" for a newborn baby and of course as Trocadero is dedicated to bringing what I feel are the best items in accessories, home decorative items, books, jewelry and everything else...well, I had to start stocking what I think are the perfect baby shower gift.

I've given and received many various receiving blankets, including the ones from Swankie Blankie (which we sell at Troc). While the plush blankets are really cozy, feel great on the hand and are awfully cute, what I didn't know about a newborn baby is that you don't want to use something with a lot of weight. That's why the aden+anais blankets are so key: they're lightweight cotton muslin that is also breathable. They're the perfect swaddling blanket, a great throw to place over your shoulder as you breastfeed for privacy, makes a wonderful "canopy" over the handle of a car seat or stroller to shade from bright lights or the sunshine.

Even for a baby that was born in the middle of a Nebraskan winter, I found that these lightweight blankets were the only ones I used for the first couple months. What you'll learn is that newborn babies should never be left in a crib with a heavy blanket over them. They don't have the strength to kick the blanket off their face if they accidentally pull it up. That's why swaddling is recommended (as well as sleep sacks). With the summer months coming up, these aden+anais blankets will continue to be the most important blankets in my baby bag (MZ Wallace "Kate" of course!) as they'll keep baby cool while offering some protection and coverage.

At Trocadero, we stock a variety of aden+anais swaddling blankets, including the monkey print above! We have 4 packs and 2 packs (I currently own 8 of them -- two 4 packs that were given to me at my baby shower). I love them so much I just had to carry them at the Troc. So for the next baby shower you're invited to, come by and pick up a pack. And stay tuned for more things baby-related at the Troc...I'll be including more of my fave items such as books and toys.