Good news, bargain shoppers, we’ve unearthed a number of websites that offer up to 80% discounts (80%!!) on fabulous products specifically for mom, baby and child.   The mini social is a private, members only, on-line boutique, featuring designer clothing and accessories.  Totsy, also members only, offers moms on-the-go and moms-to-be access to brand-specific sales, as well as kids ages 0-7.

And now, our latest fav is Olivia Place an online destination specializing in  high-end baby and child items as well as specialty items for moms and women.  Their slogan is “Daily deals for mommy and more” and we say, don’t miss out on the bargains!  Happy Shopping!

Here’s something we haven’t heard of – maternity wear available for rent! You can choose everything from little black dresses to “evening out” wear without having to lay out the cash for a purchase.

RentMaternityWear.com is the brainchild of Marcelle Costello who wanted a site where women could feel beautiful at every stage of their pregnancy. She says, “When I was pregnant with my twins and needed a dress for a party it was hard to spend a lot of money on a maternity dress to “make do”—especially since I’d probably wear it once, and really for only a few hours. ” We couldn’t agree more!

Our friends at Happy Heinys have always supported those in need and after the devastating earthquake in Haiti they have once again shown what an amazing and philanthropic company they are.  Linda Byerline, the CEO of Happy Heinys, is currently soliciting monetary donations as well as baby clothing and small items that can be sent to Haitian orphanages, the goal is to  ensure that as many babies as possible have dry cloth on their bottoms, clean clothes to wear, and food in their belly.  Details on how you can help are below:

If you would like to be so kind as to help out financially so that we can afford to send out more new diapers and new clothing as well as shipping costs and costs of extra luggage for those who are flying out to Haiti. Please send any donations to us through paypal, please be sure to clearly mark the payment in the subject box as Donation for Orphanages in Haiti and select the Personal option for sending the money so there is no extra charges applied.  You can send funds through paypal to: lbyerline@cox.net.  You can send funds using a credit card or cash.  All funds collected will solely be used for purchasing of new items and the costs of shipping. Any left over funds will be directly donated to those in need.

Bellies to Bellies is a fabulous on-line resource for families to buy, sell & trade new or gently used items from maternity wear to baby/toddler gear and everything in between!   Started by a mom for moms and families, Melissa Williams wanted to provide a neighborhood shopping experience for visitors of the site who don’t have the time or inclination to deal with early morning yard sales and frustrating on-line auctions.  The site also offers the option to trade items with other sellers or find a place to donate your goods  to a local charity.  It’s definitely worth checking out.

We’re excited to tell you about Momologie, a new free e-newsletter and website that is launching October 1st, that is brimming with fresh ideas and inspiration for family life.  Everyone loves to have snappy, stylish, and fun stuff arrive in their inbox, and these e-mails promise to deliver!

The talented women behind this newsletter are our friends and colleagues, the oh-so-fabulous MiGi Girls.  Michele Adams & Gia Russo created the thriving MiGi brand and their latest venture is simply fabulous!  Sign up and see for yourself at www.momologie.com.

We had a fabulous time at Bel Bambini’s Customer Appreciation Weekend!  We were thrilled to hang out with Kendra Wilkinson and Hank Baskett and even more thrilled to have gifted them with a FABULOUS Whipstitch Diaper Bag filled with some of The Baby Planners Picks!  This included a Peanut Shell nursing cover, an MDMoms gift sampler, a CD and DVD from That Baby!, Stay With Me socks, onesies from Boon and Love’d Baby, the Lunch Punch, Belly Bars, and more!

We wish Kendra and Hank all the best during this exciting time!

Buying a stroller can be completely overwhelming!!  We share our tips to make it a teeny bit easier here.

Do baby “superstores” overwhelm you?!  We simplify the experience here! 

The Baby Planners are thrilled to announce their partnership with premiere sleep consultants, Dream Team Baby!

Founders and moms Kira Ryan and Conner Herman were disappointed to discover that their babies did not look forward to bedtime the same way they did. So after unsuccessfully following the advice of countless sleep books, they recruited a board of experts, tapped their collective intelligence on sleep, and created a unique and safe approach to teaching infants and toddlers to sleep.

They offer a variety of packages ranging from newborn to big kids, from phone consultations to overnight visits. We just love their motto:

Creating a world of great sleepers, one baby at a time!

Here at The Baby Planners HQ, we rely on many people to help us run our business. One such person and go-to sources is none other than Kimberley Blaine, The Go-To Mom. Kimberly is a national child development expert and a licensed Family and Child Therapist and her site is chock full of helpful content and video for parents.

At Kimberley’s request, we were happy to join her last week to shoot a few segments on our favorite topic, shopping for baby. You can check out some of our “Must Haves” and fun “Gift Ideas” under the WATCH SHOW heading, here.