Monday, February 28, 2011

Haven Girl Spring/Summer 2011: Te Amo!

It's pink, it's sparkly, it's bright and happy, it's super comfy...it's Haven Girl!
I love the reactions on the faces of little girls when they see this seasons picks at Psychobaby. From the perfect twirl in the Heart Twirly Dress to the sweet Strawberry Dress Set, Haven Girl Clothing has thought of every detail for the littlest lady in your life!

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Appaman: Spring 2001


Appaman Kids - Spring 2011 Photo Shoot from Appaman on Vimeo.

Appaman gives us a behind-the-scenes look at how they make their magical line come together. We love that they let the true personalities of these awesome kids shine! This seven year old line continues to dazzle Psychobaby and our loyal customers season after season and Spring 2011 will not disappoint you! To us, Appaman is the definition of cool, crazy kids' stuff!
posted by Marlo

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Momfinds.com loves...and we have to agree!

We love these yeah, yeah, yeah! We love Rowdy Sprout's Beatles Ruffle tee, Rowdy Sprout's Apple Dress and this classic Beatles one piece and so does momfinds.com!

Feeling groovy? You will when you see your Psychobaby wearing this Smile Thermal Romper and Smile Knit Hat, both from Okutani. It sure looks like it has made momfinds.com smile! We're glad we could help!


Momfinds.com is a favorite among the hip mama crowd. If you are dying to see Rachel Zoe's Baby Bump, curious to see the sexiest dad of the moment or find the hottest diaper bag around town, you have to browse this site! We are flattered this cool site digs the above cool, crazy kids' stuff as much as we do!

Rock the Plank!

Ring in Spring with these radical nautical looks, fresh off the boat! Stripes are everywhere this season, and even if you don't have a yacht you can still rock this hot style on the streets, at the park, or even at Grandma's house!



So get dressed in your boating best, throw on some sweet tunes (Yellow Submarine! Octopus's Garden!) and check out these super-easy instructions for making a paper sailor hat!


DLTK's Crafts for Kids
Newspaper Sailors Hats

Materials:

  • for small hat:  8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper
      
  • for child sized hat:  1/2 sheet of newspaper
      
  • OPTIONAL:  scotch tape

 

Instructions







 


 
       Fold paper (or the 1/2 sheet of newspaper) in half
Fold down each side to make triangles
Fold one of the bottom flaps up
Flip the hat over and fold the other bottom flap up
Add a bit of scotch tape if you like
Anchors aweigh, mateys!


Posted by Jess









Tuesday, February 22, 2011

How does a rock star lull his baby to sleep?



              
Endless pacing? Twinkle twinkle? The classic rocking chair? How do you lull your baby to sleep?
If your Kirk Hammett, you do it rock and roll style! With the amp turned down of course! 
We love Rockabye Baby's renditions of our favorite bands and it came as no surprise to us that this rockin' dad does too!
Rockabye Baby has a little something for everyone. So whether you are a fan of the Rolling Stones, The Beatles or Bob Marley, Rockabye Baby has the tune for you.
Posted by Marlo

Last Call! In-Store Sale!


Baby, it's still cold outside and, unfortunately (or in this case, fortunately), you'll have plenty of time to wear  our cool, crazy kids' stuff!
It's the last call for sale! Take an extra 20% off all sale merchandise through 2/28/11 by printing or mentioning this email. Sorry, this is an in-store exclusive. We'll keep you out of town folks posted on special web promotions!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Trend Alert: Bright colors for Spring!

The weather was so beautiful today in Chicago! The sidewalks were filled with mommy's and their babies wandering aimlessly! No one seemed to care that the snow was melting into a black soup beneath their feet! After all, it's been months since we have seen forty degrees! While that first forty degree day in the Fall is painful, it feels like a heatwave in February!

I know, it's far from over. I live in the Midwest and some years the chilly weather can go past May! However, I am staying hopeful.  New Arrivals for Spring are rolling in every day as a reminder that we are nearing the end of one long, tough winter.

We will soon say goodbye to our winter boots and and bulky layers and say hello to one of the hottest trends for Spring! It's all about bright, bold color, happy, sunny graphics and mood lifting rainbows and smiley faces. Ouch, Januzzi, Lemon are just a few of our favorite lines leading this seasons fashion trend.
You will love the uplifting effect our colorful finds will have on your mood!
~Marlo

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

In-store Exclusive: Buy One Clothing Item, Get The Second Half Off!

The temperature is ever so slowly rising and all of our super cute spring lines are flowing in!  In anticipation of spring's arrival, we're celebrating with a week long in-store promotion:  Buy one regular priced clothing item, get one half off!  Click over to our psychobabyonline.com to browse our newest arrivals from Haven Girl, Jannuzzi, Psychobaby Brand & More!  I feel it's always better to make a list :)

Saturday, February 12, 2011

3 Style Trends for Spring 2011

In honor of New York Fashion Week, we thought we would give you some of our fresh fashion tips for Spring 2011. How's this for "hot kid-ture!"

Hooray for color! The newest styles from Ouch Clothing have just arrived and all I can say is, bright, happy and sweet! Haven Girl is another one of Psychobaby's favorite Spring lines. Haven Girl is girly, bright and sparkly! We love to watch little girls reactions when they see this line.

There is something that makes me crazy when I see a little girl's legs in stripy tights (in a good way!). You can jazz up even the most basic outfit with some striped socks from Sourpuss Clothing. Our Psychobaby team, as well as our cool, crazy clients, are in love with Okutani's striped leggings! These are a must have for any little girls closet!
Unleash your Psychobaby's animal instincts this Spring with anything with a zebra, cheetah or leopard print. We are wild for Januzzi's animal print tutus and Me in Mind's six pack of Mary Jane socks.

Posted by Marlo and Kate

Friday, February 11, 2011

Puzzle Me This: Melissa & Doug Puts it Together!


You don’t have to be a Tiger Mother to know that puzzles are a great step in the journey of life-long learning for your children. (And they can still attend a few sleepovers along the way!) According to an article by the Chicago Montessori Learning Examiner puzzles can:
  • build hand eye coordination
  • develop fine motor skills
  • offer opportunities for social and language skills
  • encourage problem solving and logical thinking
My love of puzzles started with my dad. His epic puzzles consisted of thousands of pieces that took over the entire living room and took days to assemble! But he always had time to help me with the ABC floor puzzle, or even my favorite Little Mermaid puzzle with 300 pieces!

Puzzles can be a very thought provoking activity for the whole family. It's fun to solve puzzles together, not to mention a great family bonding experience. Get your family started with some of my favorite puzzles tonight:
Our Facebook Fans agree; they chose Melissa & Dougs' Alphabet Chunky Puzzle as this week's pick for 20% off! Become a Fan and help us pick next week's item at 20% off on our Psychobaby Facebook page!

~Melissa

Sources
“Why are puzzles good for children?” February 2010. The Examiner. http://www.examiner.com/montessori-learning-in-chicago/why-are-puzzles-good-for-children

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Monday, February 7, 2011

Sometimes the best medicine comes from mom

Let's face it, when your little one catches their yearly cold, no doctor gives better comfort than Dr. mom! Endless snuggles, nose wipes, the occasional tap dance, and a heaping teaspoon of unconditional love, make us the best medicine!
If all efforts fail, this just might cheer YOU up!

For some great tips to help boost your child's immune system, check out nutritionist, Lisa Lanzano's, MS, RD, tips on zisboombah.com and check out our post on yummy chicken matzo ball soup!
~Marlo & Jess

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Super Bowl Snacks



Super Bowl Snacks!
Just because your favorite team didn’t make it to the Super Bowl this year, doesn’t mean you have to pout! Show off your first-string culinary skills and please the little football fanatics in your house with these delicious Game Day recipes!!

As an avid football fan and the only Packers fan @ Psychobaby (and maybe the entire Bucktown area!) I am absolutely psyched about the Super Bowl this Sunday! Therefore, I took it upon myself to gather up a couple of my favorite tailgating recipes for this weekend. Hope you enjoy!
Curried Vegetable Dip
Courtesy of Gourmet Magazine; Makes about 1 1/2 cups
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup mayonnaise
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1 teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup finely chopped celery
1/3 cup finely chopped peeled and seeded cucumber
1 green onion, trimmed and finely chopped
Garnish: green onion tops, sliced diagonally
In bowl, whisk together sour cream, mayo, cream cheese, lemon juice, curry, cumin, turmeric and salt until smooth, then stir in vegetables. Garnish with green onion tops.
Note: Dip can be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.
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Kicked-Up Party Nuts
Adapted from the The Sriracha Cookbook
1 lb salted mixed nuts
1 egg white
1 tsp water
2 Tbsp Sriracha
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
1. Preheat your oven to 250°F. Whisk together the egg white, water, and sriracha. Toss the nuts with the egg wash until evenly coated.
2. In another bowl, mix together granulated sugar, brown sugar, and rosemary. Pour over the nuts and stir until a thick, uniform syrup forms in the bowl.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or waxed paper, and spread the gooey nuts into a thin layer. Bake until golden and fragrant, about 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
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Beef and Black Bean Sliders
Courtesy of Food Network; Makes about 4 servings
1/4 cup cooked black beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
8 mini-hamburger buns
Grilled Crunchy Coleslaw, recipe follows
Preheat the grill. In a medium bowl, mash the black beans, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and garlic powder with a potato masher or fork until very creamy. Gently mix the black bean mixture with the ground beef. Season the mixture liberally with salt and pepper. Divide the mixture into 8 equally portioned thin patties. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat the outside of the patties with mustard. Lightly brush the grill with the oil and place the burgers on the hot grill. Cook the burgers until a golden crust is formed, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Slice the mini buns in half and brush with the remaining oil. Place the buns on the grill until nicely toasted with grill marks. Serve the sliders on the toasted hamburger buns.
**************************************************
Guilt Free Touchdown Brownies
Courtesy of The Chicago Tribune
1/3 cup strong coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 egg whites
1/3 cup fat- free plain yogurt
1 package brownie mix
¼ cup vanilla frosting
1. Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees.
2. Line a 9x9 baking dish with parchment paper, spray with non-stick spray.
3. In a medium bowl whisk together the coffee, vanilla, egg whites and yogurt.
4. Add the brownie mix and stir until just combined. Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for 30 minutes.
5. Allow to cool, then cut into football shapes.
6. Place frosting into the comer of a sandwich zip top bag, cut the very tip off of the corner, twist the top of the bag and pipe on a long horizontal line and 8 vertical lines to make the laces on brownie football
So, even if you just watch the game for the commercials, at least you’ll be well fed. And remember, there’s always next season!
Melissa
SOURCE URLS:

Friday, February 4, 2011

"Our love is here to stay"

The "big day" is fast approaching and Psychobaby's Valentine Gift Guide is here to help! Show your pre-school pal that you really, really like them with our customizable BFF Cookies tee or our customizable BFF heart tee.We have the best selection of super sweet dresses, tees and toys that will give your kiddo lot's of smiles and won't cause a single cavity!

Marlo's mother-in-law's MatzoBall Soup...Yum!


I learned this recipe from my Jewish mother-in-law fifteen years ago and I have not dared to stray and make any modifications. I think this was a secret test she gave me to see if an Italian girl from the West side of Chicago could possibly set her pasta cookin' recipe's aside and make her only son some Jewish soul food. I was recently told that I passed! Phew! 
This soup is almost homemade. If you are a chef, this recipe is not for you! 
She taught me to use Manischewitz Matzo Meal for the yummy, fluffy matzo balls and I've got to tell you, I've tried making them from scratch and they are just not the same. This could absolutely be because I grew up making pasta and I just do not have that special touch. But hey, this is a woman who knows her matzo ball soup and can cook her butt off with zero short cuts otherwise. So I'm not messing with it! It's easy, it's fast and it's totally delicious! 
Enjoy!
~Marlo

Matzo Ball Soup

Serves 8

Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive or corn oil
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 box (two packages) Manischewitz Matzo Meal
1 whole chicken (use a fryer not a roasting chicken)
1 bag of small onions
4-5 carrots (my family likes a lot)
salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients

In a small bowl, lightly beat eggs and oil. Stir in matzo meal and chill in refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
Add the chicken to a large pot of COLD water (starting with cold water makes a clearer broth). Turn the heat on high and bring to a boil. *You will see a white film come to the surface and will need to skim this off. This is an important step! This is the fat coming to the top and if you do not skim it well you'll end up with an oily soup. This takes a little patience and you will  end up taking out quite a bit of water with it. This is why you need to cover your chicken by a couple of inches of extra water until you've gotten used to skimming chicken broth!

While you are waiting for your chicken to boil, peel your carrots and cut them into about three pieces. Next, peel your onions and leave them whole. I remember being surprised by this but I can tell you after all these years, I cannot eat matzo ball soup any other way! If this really makes you crazy, chop one large onion instead.This is a rustic soup and leaving the carrots and onions larger just adds to the charm.

After you have skimmed off the fat, add your carrots and onions. Add salt and pepper. Take out your chilled matzo meal mixture and wet your hands. Scoop up a walnut size bit of matzo and gently roll it in your palms like a piece of Play-Doh. Drop it into your hot water. Repeat. You will need to wet your hands slightly after every yummy ball.

Cover, turn your heat on low and go read the paper!

After about an hour and a half take out your poached chicken and transfer to a bowl to cool. After your chicken cools enough to handle, cut or pull away just the white meat. I know, it's a bit wasteful not to use any of the other meat. It's up to you. Got a dog or cat? That's usually where my dark meat goes! You can leave it in big pieces or chop it up ( I like bigger pieces).

Check your salt and pepper and enjoy!

Thursday, February 3, 2011

A Spring Daydream



Like most of us, once February hits, cabin fever begins! While snow is still falling around us, we start dreaming of our pretty sundresses, flip-flops and tank tops! It certainly helps this wonderful dream come alive when Psychobaby receives daily new arrivals for Spring from Haven Girl, Rowdy Sprout and Januzzi! 
It doesn't hurt to dream, right?

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

We're snowed in SALE!

OMG! This is awesome! This is a day when I'm especially grateful for giving birth to three strapping boys! My three sons, my husband and two doggies are out playing in the snow and SHOVELING! I'm warm in my cozy house cooking up some comfort food for the day. I do not care how lame that makes me. I still hate the cold no matter how pretty the snow is. I did, however, spend five minutes outside taking photos of the big event (enough for me).
In honor of this unexpected, and much appreciated, day off, we're having a celebratory sale! Today only you will save 25% off Psychobaby's entire site! Enter code NOTAGAIN25 at checkout while you you sip your hot cocoa and remember to enjoy the day. Thankfully and hopefully, this might not come again for years to come! ---Shop Psychobaby!!
~Marlo