Our Sand and Water Table Voted Babble's Best!

Well, the Sand and Water Table from International Playthings has always been the best here at Psycho Baby! The kids we know adore the multiple things they can do with the table and the included funnels of fun, which is why we have one parked in front of our brick and mortar store in Bucktown! We love it, kids love it, adults love it (we saw ya splashing! haha we know you love the fact that it stores within itself!) and now Babble has rated it Babble's Best! We're so proud!



Check us out on Babble!
Snag a cool Sand and Water Table for your little ones!

-posted by the Present Posse!

Fall Into Style with Baby and Kids Cotton Caboodle!

We love the mix and match cotton style of Seattle-based Cotton Caboodle! The fall collection includes separates for boys and girls in the brilliant jewel-toned colors that are super popular this season! For girls, be sure to check out the cool cord jumper, scallop-edge tees , cutie sailor pants and stunning 3/4 jacket! Boys will love the comfy cargo cords and two-toned baseball tees that are sure to coordinate with every item in his closet! Cotton Caboodle is bringing comfort back to style for back to school!

Check out Cotton Caboodle and other cool baby and kids clothes!

-posted by the Present Posse!

Mama Lavona's Horoscopes - Leo!

LEO

Today the Sun moves into Virgo at 2:02 pm. But wait, you didn't think we forgot about the Zodiac's shining star Leo did you? Sun-ruled Leo loves to romp and play! This little cub craves attention and is very sociable. (S)he loves to show others (S)he's King/Queen of the Jungle...but make sure (s)he knows who boss at home and plays nice with others. Attention loving Leo is naturally drawn to the Theatre and performing arts and can be quite the little drama king or queen even under normal circumstances. (S)he comes alive ar parties and likes to dress to impress. Leo have a flair for fashion and are trend setters at a very young age! Leo love family most of all! Even though Leo maysoar to great heights, he will always remain loyal to those (s)he loves.

Birthstone-Ruby

Essential Oil- Grapefruit, Tangerine, Orange

Great Gift Ideas- Fashion and accessories, dress-up costumes, Arts and Music classes, magic kits, Theatre tickets



To read more from Lady Lavona, go her her myspace page!

View hip Lion gifts for Leo babies and kids!

Cool, Crazy Person of the Month- Wesley Kimler

Artist Wesley Kimler, is internationally known for his colossal and evocative paintings, known in the blogosphere as "the Shark" on the Shark Forum (Opinion With Teeth: beware, you can spend many an hour there!) and known 'round these parts as "Daddy" to his beautiful little gal, Amina. We are thrilled to have him here answering our 6 Psycho Questions. Here are a few words from the multi-faceted Mr. Kimler!




1. What is the coolest thing that has ever happened to you?
Amina

2. What is the craziest fashion statement you have ever made?
God, I have always been such a slob -though I do like to head down and get fluorescent suits from the Pakistanis on Roosevelt Road.......

3. What is your favorite book?
Amina is named after the heroine in the great Egyptian novelist Nagib Mahfouz's first installment of his Cairo Trilogy -Palace Walk -currently I am enjoying With The Old Breed At Peleliu And Okinawa by E.B. Sledge -a gritty and harrowing account of two of the bloodiest battles fought in the Pacific Campaign of WW2 -as told by a private in the Marine Corp.

4. What toy can you not live without?
Toys? how about smoke and mirrors- I play for a living.

5. If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
Immortality- or at least the ability to not fear my own impending doom-

6. Who is the coolest parent you know (ties between your own Mom and Dad are totally understandable!)?
I am my own parent -and I am cool.

Buctown/Wicker Park Sidewalk Sale and Art Fest!

Red Alert! It's the Second Bucktown/Wicker Park Sidewalk Sale August 23 and 24! Join us and a gaggle of our friends for some fun in the sun and then shop until you look like the lady at the left!!!

Also, if you are in the hood be sure to check out the Bucktown Art Fest and get crafty! View Art Fest Details.

For a complete listing of participating stores, go to the Wicker Park/Bucktown Chamber of Commerce.

To view new cool fall clothes for babies and kids, check out our site!

Wicker Park Fest Slideshow!

We are so terribly sorry that these are late, but we hope when you click "play," we'll be forgiven for our 'mom-nesia!' The Psycho Baby Activity tent was in full effect at Wicker Park Fest! From mask building, to Nili reading, cookie decorating and the fab Sand and Water Table, check out the smiling faces at Wicker Park! Again, thanks to all that came and hung out in the Tent, and a Very Special Cool, Crazy Thank You to Julie Dickinson, who helped us coordinate the fun! Enjoy! - the Present Posse!

New Fall Appaman Includes Baby and Kids Denim and Down Coats!

Appaman, the company renown for their cool graphics and cosy tees are bringing the hip factor to their new denim line and outwear for babies and kids!



You'll be delighted with the dark denim mini skirt, jumper, boot cut and straight leg jeans as well as their sherpa-lined denim jacket, railroad stripe skirt and carpenter jean! Past their yummy style, all the denim pants and skirts have practical waist adjusters that give the cuteness good jean structure!






Also, don't miss their cool lavender and black puffy coats, that are finally bringing some wicked style to warmth!





For more cool, crazy baby and kids' stuff, check out psychobabyonline.com

-posted by the Present Posse!

Dr. Seuss Baby and Kids' Apparel Brings Vocab to Style!

We are thrilled to have the Dr. Seuss baby and kids' tee collection gracing our weboutique! Everyone we meet has a story of what Mr. Theodor Seuss Geisel means to them, as his whimsical voice has now reached many generations. What we find most interesting about Dr. Seuss as Moms and Dads is how far-reaching hi vocabulary teaching was in these stories that, to a child, seem like fun adventures. His love of children shines through, as in his book about Horton, where Horton declares, "A person is a person no matter how small." Our new collection of Dr. Seuss' apparel brings the warm spirit of the man and his great works to cool baby shower gifts and birthday presents that are sure to inspire a love of reading! Here are some stand-out gift ideas for baby, and be sure to let us know which Dr. Seuss book is your lil one's fave!




Twin New Born Gifts/Siblings

We love Thing 1 and Thing 2, and think that the set makes a perfect twin gift for those super-tired new parents! Folks are also gifting them as lil sibling or first child gifts, and we think that's a great 'thing'!












Brother/Sister Twin Gifts

Look no further than the Cat in the Hat, bringing his mischievous style to newborn gifts and first birthday parties!














Youngest sibling Gift
Give 'em Horton, for his love of all things big and small!

















Daddy's Girl Gift!

There is no other choice than Hop On Pop for a delightful take on hanging with Pops!











Check out more Retro Tees for Baby and Kids at psychobabyonline.com!

Heelaroius High Heeled Baby Booties Have Arrived!

Ha! Okay, we're going to try and get through this without laughing, but it is hard because Heelarious' totally fun high heeled shoes for newborns are, quite possibly, one of the funniest things we have ever seen! Perfect for non-walkers 0-6 months old, these totally functional baby booties are a, well, Heelarious baby shower gift because they come in a purse!, present for your Louboutin-loving pal who just had a newborn and for those dress-up occasions like weddings, and Sunday brunch with the ladies! Stroll in the City with Heelarious because they are totally stylin'! These high heeled shoes come in many patterns so you just can't get one, but hey, a lady should never be questioned about her soleful shoe collection!


Check out the Heelarious sole at psychobabyonline.com!

Psycho Baby has a new homepage!

Like Roxette said, "She's Got The Look!" Our super cool new Home Page is bigger, and in this case that for sure means better because it gives you, our faithful friends, new features that we hope you find as zingy and useful as we do! Check out the tippy top for more fun About Us and As Seen In, as well as the quickest way to grab a Gift Card for your friend! Our color-changing buttons (go ahead and play with 'em- we think they are super sweet!), new left navigation, and central photos (including our trademark circles) give you easy access to the cool, crazy baby and kids' stuff in Shop By Category and Shop By Brand so you can can do it up by age and style or find your favorite brands easily! The Present Posse has written a neat new Cool Baby Gift Guide, so if you're not sure quite what to get that should be helpful, and we think the addition makes our funky Great Gifts section even greater! We are also super-Mama proud to introduce a highly-requested feature: New Arrivals- making it super easy for you to find those Hot Converse, New Psycho Baby Brand tees, and Funky Loyal Army additions right when they arrive- keep that one bookmarked as it gets updated all the time and stay in the know about what's shakin' in the land of cool, crazy kids' stuff! Let us know what you think, and have fun!
Check out the whole shebang at www.psychobabyonline.com
-posted by Kristina

New Psycho Baby of the Month feature!

It's utter cuteness, folks, and it is all thanks to you! We are thrilled to announce that our new newsletter gives us the capability of having the Winner of the Psycho Baby of the Month contest and we think it totally makes the newsletter complete! The Psycho Baby of the Month's profile resides on our website, the voting takes place right here (be sure to enter next month!) and signing up for our newsletter gives you the opportunity to share the cuteness with all your pals every week! Be sure to check out Mr. Dax, June's winner and vote for July's- there is only a few days left!

Bucktown/Wicker Park Sidewalk Sale This Weekend!

Join us on that thing you normally stroll down for cool stuff at crazy prices! We're totally jazzed about how the neighborhood is all getting together for a shopping party, and we've already got sale ragin' inside the store as an early kick off! Click on the pic top get our address and directions if need some, and hopefully, we'll see you there toting big ole bags of summer fun!

Psychobaby Activity Tent- Wicker Park Kids Fest!

Have some fun in the sun at Wicker Park Fest (sponsored by Friends of Pritzker and the Wicker Park/Bucktown Chamber) on July 26th and 27th! Stop on by and introduce yourself at the Psychobaby Activity Tent, (wo) manned by our co-owners, Lisa and Marlo and team members Stefanie and me! We've got surprises in store for you as well as the following scheduled events from our friends Nili Yelin, Sweet Cakes, Bubbles, and Gymboree! And don't miss your chance to play Dunk the Alderman (who is a very good sport, by the way!) All proceeds go to building a playground so be sure to come and hang out!

SATURDAY, JULY 27^th

PSYCHOBABY ACTIVITY TENT!
11:30am: Nili Yelin, the Storybook Mom
12:00am: Sweetcakes Bakery Decorate a cookie
12:30pm: The Kids Table: Build a Recipe
2:30pm: Gymboree
4:30pm: Bubbles Academy





OTHER FUN YOU DON"T WANT TO MISS!!!!
12:00pm-5:00pm: Dunk tank – “Dunkees” including Alderman Manny Flores from 3-4pm!!!
1:00pm-3:00pm: Balloon creatures by Mary Macaroni
1:00pm-5:00pm: Visit the Petting Zoo

ABT KIDS' STAGE
12:00pm: Mary Macaroni
1:00pm: ARCC Ballet performance
1:30pm: Chang's Martial Arts demonstration



SUNDAY, JULY 27th

PSYCHOBABY ACTIVITY TENT
11:30am Nili Yelin, the Storybook Mom
12:30pm Bubbles Academy
2:30pm Gymboree

12:00pm-5:00pm Meet Ronald McDonald and play in the inflatable Jumping Jack!

ABT KIDS' STAGE
12:00pm Little Miss Ann's Band
1:00pm Hogwash Improvised Theater



There will also be a Silent Auction with classes, getaways and more, plus Face Painting by Metamorph Tattoo artists.

To check out more Happenings at Psychobaby, view our Events Page!

-posted by Kristina

image of Alderman Flores courtesy of www.flores1stward.com

Mama Lavona's Astrology - Cancer!

Cancer babies feel most at home with family and all her/his favorite familiar things. Naturally domestic, you might find (s)he wanting to help out in the kitchen! Word to the wise, invest in a kitchen set! (S)he identifies very stongly with her/his surroundings and like a sponge, lil' Cancer tends to absorb the emotional environment around her/him. This is fine if the vibes are good...but if there are bad vibes in the air, Cancer will become a very Crabby Crab! Be very careful what your little one is watching on T.V. this can effect Cancer so deeply, to the point of losing sleep! When (s)he's maxed out on being a little emotional filter...(s)he may retreat into her little safe shell to heal herself. It's not easy being a little nurse at such a young age! But again this is a natural attribute. You may find all her/his teddies and dolls bandaged up with toilet paper and band-aids...so another wise investment would be a Doctor's Kit! Always try to handle your little Crab gently and sensitively and (s)he will return love and tenderness three-fold!


Birthstone-Pearl and Moonstone

Essential Oils- Jasmine and Water Lily

Great Gifts- Kitchen/Cooking sets, Dolls/dolls house, seeds, plants, garden tools, photo albums, Jewelry

Have a lil Crab? Share a fun Cancerian story with us in the comments!
-posted by Kristina

Create Your Set At Polyvore!

psychobabyonline.com has just joined Polyvore, which is an awesome way to express yourself over an afternoon (or two or three..!) Have some fun and while away a day with fashion, because you deserve it! We'll see you and your fabulous sets there!

Cool, Crazy Person - Christian Denney, Founder of Me in Mind

We here at the Psycho Baby blog are thrilled to have these answers from Christian Denney, the founder (and designer!) of the Me In Mind Footwear collection! His booties like the Mom and Dad Tattoo shoes, Trucker Girls and Skulls are fashionable and a hit with all the lil babes we know, because this Dad of three munchkins knows his style stuff (as well as his way around the answers to our questions!) All the way from Nevada, we present Christian Denney, our Cool, Crazy Person of the Month!


1. What is the coolest thing that has ever happened to you?

Recently, I have been really addicted to politics. A few months ago, I submitted a question to Hillary Clinton for the CNN Las Vegas Democratic debate and they actually asked her it during the debate. It was crazy when they said "Our next question comes from Christian Denney from Henderson, NV." Maybe its not that cool since there were a hundred debates this time, but still.

2. What is the craziest fashion statement you have ever made?

Now this is pretty bad.... When I was 9 maybe 10 years old I thought Brian Bosworth (unless your a Seahawks fan you will have to Google him) was awesome. So, I cut my hair like him; flat-top with a mullet and I would use colored gel to put stripes on the sides of my head. There are pictures floating around and I know they will come back to haunt me some day.

3. What is your favorite book?

Its a tie; Rich Dad, Poor Dad and In the Line of Fire. Those are really the only 2 books I can remember reading other than text books.

4. What toy can you not live with out (Keep it clean, this one's for the children!)?

Do my kids count? They're just as entertaining as any toy. If not, Adobe illustrator or an Etch-a-Sketch (aka the original graphic design program)

5. If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

You know the guy "Peter Petrelli" from the show "Heroes"? I would like his superpower. He sort of learns other peoples powers. I couldn't chose just one.

6. Who is the coolest parent you know (ties between Mom and Dad are understandable!)

My sister Lisa is pretty cool. She is like 50 years old (hahaha she will kill me, but she is getting up there) and acts like she is 16 with playing with her kids. example: She rocks out to Hannah Montana and gets mad if she looses when playing Wii. She just never seems to slow down and always has time for her kids. A very good example.

Backpocket Wisdom - Pirates Vs. Ninjas?

This Inky Dink tee is like a Zen Koan, friends, and we just don't know if we could say who would emerge victorious from a Pirate Vs. Ninja battle. On one hook, pirates swashbuckle through different lands on their ships, have parrots to alert them, planks to walk and other tricks up their puffy sleeves. Sensible - they are laden down with treasure and want to spend some of it on defenses that are totally yar, like upping their cool factor with those nifty Disney movies. On the other hand, the sleeker and swifter Ninja doesn't even need a boat - he just needs good old fashioned camouflaged espionage, and perchance a Marvel Comic to sweeten the rep.
The famed Master Troicuk vs. Captain Jack Sparrow? Toss-up....Troicuk could be so fond of Capt. Jack's Keith Richards impersonation and fancy hair and decorative scarves he might just give up, or he just might swoop down like the hidden dragon he is. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vs. the Dread Pirate Roberts? Toss-up again as we'd go Turtles just because of the sheer numbers, unless this somehow involved iocane powder, because as we all know, Capt. Roberts has spent the last few years building up an immunity to the stuff.
We thought maybe the kids would know best on this one, and we thought wrong! Split straight down the middle those kids were voting for the ninja and then swinging around foam pirate swords until we really wanted to say "parlay!"

The seas of our minds are tumultous as this question, we feel, cannot be resolved by only us. So right here and right now, America, cast your vote in our comments section and let us know once and for all if you think its Pirates or Ninjas!
-posted by Kristina

Cool Baby and Kids Brit Rock Tees Have Arrived!

Get Mod with the new Who tee from Junk Food that is sure to keep you talkin' about this generation! We're so pumped about adding this one to our rock n roll style we "Can't Explain!" We also love the look of the new Led Zeppelin tee from Bravado which is sure to keep thangs calm when there is a bustle in your hedgerow!

What musical classics are your sharing with your little ones, and how does this inspire talks of history or just some groovin' in the car? When I was on my trip, the kids (Hi J, J, S and Uncle R - Bravo!!!) formed a "band" with their Uncle and did a stunning rendition of the great Ray Charles' "Hit the Road, Jack" that had us all dancin'. There are plenty of times in our store where our rock tees bring people back to an awesome time or super funny story or where kids show off their awesome dance moves! What inspires you to "Get Into The Groove?" Let us know!

Wee Hairy Beasties Concert Rocked Our House!

The Wee Hairy Beasties Concert on 6/28 was a super cool, crazy time for everyone who attended! Jon Langford, Devil in a Woodpile and Sally Timms sang everything under that "Toenail Moon" inclucding a version of Wild Thing that would've torn the roof off (except that we were outside!!!) Vitawater provided beverages and the Cans Anniversary Stage was a great setting for our show and our 6-foot Ugly Doll Store Raffle! To kick the Wee Hairy Beasties Tunes at your house, see our website for their CD, Animal Crackers!

Wee Hairy Beasties Concert Photos!