The Belly is Back!

Wow, what a sabbatical! Thanks so much for your patience while we revamped the store....and welcomed a new little boy into our lives! Andrew is now six months, so I figured it was time to get back into the swing of things. Not only has Andrew brought lots of laughter and little sleep to our lives, he has given me TONS of ideas for new items for store. He has taught me a lot and humbled me much. I want to share what I have learned and point you to the tools that have helped get me through the infant stage. The first topic I want to cover is nursing....and don't worry, there was light at the end of my tunnel.

First, breast-feeding is hard. How come I didn't know this? I thought it was all about making a choice, and once you choose to nurse, that's what you did. My breasts disagreed with my choice, and much to fighting it, and trying to pump through it, my little man was just not getting all he wanted. When I heard the word "supplement" from my doctor, I was mortified and scared. What would I find to meet my high standards of nutrition. After much research, I came across Nature's One - Baby's Only Toddler Formula. Once I got past the strict instruction to give it only to babies over one year old because breastfeeding is the best choice (yes, thanks for the reminder that my breasts aren't working!), I found it to be a phenomenal second choice for me. Actually, it freed up my day and I was able to let go of the guilt knowing Andrew was getting the nutrients he needed with minimal processing.

We don't have the product on our site yet, so I will give the direct link to all you moms in need of a good product: www.naturesone.com. Buy it by the case.

I have lots more product info for you new moms....or moms looking for something new. Stay tuned!

Bye Bye Urban Belly

We're closing our East Village doors
Yep, it's true. Our nearly five fun years of seeing you all in our favorite eclectic DM neighborhood are coming to an end. This was not an easy decision, but it's time to stay home with the kiddos. Don't worry, we will still bring you fabulous finds and keep you posted on the latest trends in maternity and kiddo clothing - you will just have to find us online. Look for changes and updates to UrbanBelly.com, including new strollers, custom-made announcements and new designers. We will also be hosting a few annual trunk shows at great stores like Simply For Giggles, so stay tuned for dates.

Until then, come shop the final in-store sale starting tomorrow. EVERYTHING is starting at 25 percent off! Yes, that includes the StorkSak diaper bags that never go one sale and our fabulous Bumbleride Indie floor model. Our doors will close for good on February 28th, so be sure not too wait.

Also, we are selling all of our furniture and fixtures. We have tons of shelving and two beautiful Crate and Barrel dining tables. We've also got a few playroom ready rugs and loads of kids' hangers.

It has been an honor and a joy to bring maternity and children's clothing to all of you. Thank you so much for the support you brought to Urban Belly and the East Village. We also appreciate the great fashion you have all brought to Des Moines!

A little non-spiked bubbly

Wew, made it through the first part of the holidays unharmed! Lots of family, friends, gift-giving, good food, and good times. Gotta admit it though, as a first-time preggo, I was missing the "spirits" part of the festivities. A little spiked eggnog, celebratory champagne, good amber beer and a few glasses of a deep red wine were definitely on my wish list....where they have to stay for 9 more weeks.

A few of our customers were in the same boat, so their sweet husbands took it upon themselves to create a tasty non-alcoholic version of the stuff we love. Welcome Bamvino to the essentials of maternity. Currently in a white version only, Bamvino is a great break from the Shirley Temples of our 9-months. I actually feel like an adult again when I place the very classy bottle on the holiday table and pop the cork. With one more big spirited night to go, I highly recommend arming your pregnant selves with a bottle. We're fully stocked for New Year's. Not in Des Moines? No worries, we will have it on our website shortly.

Happy Holidays!

Non-maternity goes maternity!

So, I've not been one to jump on the "we're in a recession" bandwagon because it seems the more we talk about it, the worse things get. However, since I don't live in a bubble, I realize these are tough times and prefer to call it a "slow-economy." I figure the only thing that is not going to slow down is pregnancies, because, well, we know that how to get there is free. I also know that women still want to look cute - we just want to get some major mileage out of our maternity clothes. Urban Belly is on board!

We have found non-maternity lines, tried and tested them, and found that they really will work before, during and after. We have no problem testing these things out for you to save you some cash! Take a look in our closet and you will see that the opposite is also true. Many of our very fabulous maternity items stay in the clothing rotation and will for years to come. Seriously, when you can wear the same dress to your baby shower and your kiddos 5th birthday party, that is is getting some major mileage!

Here is one of our new faves by American Apparel. Look for new lines to come this spring.

Corners like it's on rails

So aside from cross-over SUVs, strollers seem to be the only category in which consumers are now seeing the value of slimming down yet keeping that "third row seat" convenience. We moms-of-more-than-one get that more room is convenient (and therefore better), but also don't want to actually make a grunting sound while getting the stroller out to go to Target. Seriously, we're still ladies! I have seen some strollers that make the Escalade look small, so was quite ecstatic when some fabulous customers from Minneapolis introduced me to the Bumbleride. My sister now has the Indie Twin (shown below) and can seriously corner like she is on rails. I am every bit of envious when she casually grabs the door and walks in with her stroller like it was nothing while I am breaking a sweat to get mine to turn. And while she hasn't quite mastered how to fold it up, she lifts it into her car while still holding her 11 month old. I know, sounds too good to be true, right?


As promised, I have a cute picture below to show it off. You also have to appreciate that while maybe kinda pricey, still not quite reaching the league of those that require the second mortgage....and you have to remember that this one fits two. If you only need one, just half the price! So, is this item essential? I'd give that a yes.

The birth of an "essential" blog

If you are a regular at the store, you may have noticed that I'm not around quite as much since the addition of kids to the family. Well, I still have quite a bit to say so thought I would take advantage of this forum to get my words, opinions, ideas and, most importantly, insight on maternity and kids essential fashion trends out to the masses.

If you have found me here, thanks. I can appreciate how valuable time is and I love that you are spending some with me. I'll try to remain witty, current and if all else fails, will try to add a cute photo to keep you entertained. OK, so what can you expect from me? My goal is to stay focused on what I find to be essential - whether it be essential fashion, gear, ideas, or insight - for all urban moms. To clarify my use of the term "urban," I am using it with "mom" so it becomes a term to describe someone who:

- is more appalled with the thought of not wearing heels than not drinking coffee during pregnancy

- loves designer jeans and can justify wearing them when the only social event of the day is a teacher conference

- finds the color pink adorable...on any little girl except their own

- feeds their family completely organically, unless the closet (and budget) calls for a new pair of flats

- is kinda over the whole "playdate" thing

If any of these describe you (or the woman you aspire to be) you'll feel right at home here. I'll also bring in some guest urban moms and moms-to-be for those expert-type opinions people love. So that's it. That's what you'll find here when I find time to write between carting kiddos around and trying to keep the store stocked with cute things. Anyway, should you come across something truly essential, send your idea over. I love nothing more than checking out new things.

Here's my latest find for all the preggos out there - a flutter sleeve tunic. Cute and trendy without looking like you tried to hard. Find it of course at www.urbanbelly.com.