baby

Gwen Stefani opted for a more traditional baby sling instead of the ones that look like they're made from scrap fabric that so many celebrities have been opting for lately. The Gucci Baby Carrier that Kingston is tucked into has adjustable straps and is covered in beige logo fabric with a brown leather trim. Gwen is a woman who has always had a keen eye for style, and it's nice to see that motherhood won't be slowing her down in that department. Price: $760.

[via Dlisted]

With the advent of a screening process that allows couples to screen for various traits, including gender, of their babies, some fertility clinics are seeing an upswing in foreign clients. This is because the US does not have as strict regulations as some other countries over embryo selection and allows doctors the freedom to select for gender - a desirable thing for many couples considering children. In other countries, such as Australia, screenings are permitted only for genetically inherited diseases, so a couple that wants a girl can come to the US and, with the help of a doctor here, can get one.

Doctors say that the bulk of their clients come from Canada, where girls are very popular, and China, where boys are in demand, though potential parents come from New Zealand to Austria, too. The procedure costs about $20,000.

Not all clinics offer this sort of service and many doctors and legislators oppose what they say amounts to "amounts to medical tourism for designer babies " Other doctors simply say that they are serving the marketplace and fulfilling a need.

But is it ok to turn a potential parent into a consumer who is on the lookout for only a specific type of child?

The Calla Highchair was created by industrial designer Yves Behar. The design is unquestionably modern, but it is somewhat reminiscent of a trumpet flower, with the way it rises up into the seat from a stable, circular base. The tray is detachable and dishwasher safe, while the neoprene seat is soft, ergonomic and easy to clean, on the off chance that Junior makes any messes. By releasing a squeezable brake in the back, you can easily adjust the height of the chair to suit your tastes. The chairs are priced around $900 and will be available for purchase at Fleurville later this year.

Clearly headed for celebrity at only a few days old, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt sparked a rush on "The Pots and Pans Band" tee that she wore on the cover of People Magazine last week. The tee shirt is made by Kingsley and is made of ultra-soft cotton, which is comfortable enough for even a baby's sensitive skin. The screen printed design has the name of the band, a picture of the "instruments" and a skull and crossbones to give young rockers the right image. The shirts are selling out all over the place, but Intuition has them for $38 each.

 

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have reportedly sold the rights to the first picture of their as-yet-unborn child for $4.9 million (£2.6 million) to an unnamed American weekly magazine. The money will be donated to the children's charity, UNICEF. Knowing that the paparazzi are likely to try to snap pictures of the baby as soon after it is born as possible, the couple "figured they might as well use the opportunity of one child being born to help a lot of others." Angelina's due date is supposed to be in early June.

Since we all now know that Britney Spears is pregnant again, it's no surprise to see that she's out buying some new baby things. At least, she's browsing for baby things because she doesn't yet know the gender of the baby. She headed out to Petit Tresor in Los Angeles to look at their elegant and adorable line of baby furniture. Britney's hoping for a girl, so you can be sure that she had her eyes on some of the frilly, girly designs in the boutique. For now, though, she kept her son, Sean Preston under wraps in a Carezza Minifur Blanket. The blanket is made of soft Italian yarn, in blue or pink, with sabbia suede on one side. Price: $149.

[Image MSNBC]

Lulla Smith designs high-quality bedding, with a focus on cribs, baskets and bassinets, for some of the hottest celebrities in Hollywood, including Courtney Cox and David Arquette as well as Heidi Klum and Seal. This week, Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise added themselves to Lulla's client list by ordering dozens of sets of crib linens and three bassinets for their new daughter, Suri. The bassinets are Lulla's Greenwich style, with a Dupioni silk covering. They can range in price from $596 to $1,200, depending on fabric and whether a custom design is desired.

Bon Jovi has a line of baby accessories? Yes, it's true. Jon Bon Jovi and drummer Tico Torres have a line of baby gear called Rock Star Baby that includes a stroller and pram, footmuff and diaper bag. The gear has a logo that looks a bit like the Rock and Republic line. The stroller has swivel front wheels and two pneumatic rear wheels with air pumped tires and sells for $499. The footmuff and diaper bag are $49 each. According to JCK, there is also a Rock Star Baby jewelry line in the works. The pieces, which are for adults, not babies, are primarily silver with a dark finish. They have an edgy look and each piece is named after a Bon Jovi song.

Celebrities may have gotten some great baby couture at the Golden Globes, but they are also picking some out for themselves, since not too many celebrities can resist spending on their kids. A few other celebrity favorites, from Child.com, include Inky Dink Tees -- which are well liked by moms who include Angelina Jolie and Kelly Ripa -- and City Threads. For bibs, Tess and Winter and Funkie Baby are loved by Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Victoria and David Beckham. Bloomers Baby Diaper Cakes are remarkably popular as baby shower gifts and have been served to half of the A-list.

The nicest baby gifts are the ones for moms. Jill Alberts Jewelry makes one of a kind lockets so stars like Debra Messing, Julia Roberts and Kyra Sedgwick can keep their true loves close to their hearts. Designs can start as low as $650, but can range to more than double that price.  

At this year’s Golden Globes, the stars weren’t the only ones walking away with bags full of free goodies from designers. Actually, they were – but not everything in the bags was for themselves. In addition to more adult-sized offerings, vendors set up a Boom Boom Room that featured lots of stuff for kids and babies.

Crib Rock Couture has updated nursery rhyme characters on fashionable logo-tees. The tees are reminiscent of vintage rocker tee’s and are styled after classic tour shirts, but with the gentler edge that only Miss Muffet can provide. The new 3 Blind Mice tee, from the “Carving Knife Tour” is especially cute at $33.

Diapees & Wipees makes fashionable bags for toting around the most important baby tools, diapers and wipes, without lugging a carrier that looks like a picnic cooler. The bags come in bright, vibrant colors and retail for $14.99.

Snugglebug Baby makes jeweled pacifier clips, which keep fashion-forward parents from losing their baby’s favorite object and lets baby start collecting bling early in life. The clips are $25.00 and come in boys and girls styles, like the Swarovski clip pictured here, with additional customization available.

If all goes well this Valentine's Day, you may be requiring some new furniture around the house this October. As a Valentine's Baby myself, I know the plight of a poor infant left to sleep in some frightfully ugly bed usually festooned with all manner of ribbon and nonsense. Finally, someone has created a bassinet that won't clash with your urbane decor. The wonderful people at Design Within Reach are please to offer the Nest Bassinet. Veneered in Maple or Walnut, your bundle of joy won't cringe at ribbons and satin in this bent plywood bed that resembles another piece of great design. Personally, I hope that I won't be needing one anytime soon, but I know what to get just in case.

Do babies need perfume? I was once friends with a Venezuelan family who put perfume on their babies' heads for special occasions. Burberry now has their own alcohol-free eau de toilette for babies. The scent is described as an essence of citrus fruit rind, wild mint and rhubarb jelly blended with orange blossom petals, jasmine, lily of the valley and base notes of tree moss, vanilla, plus a drop of milk. The Burberry fragrance sells for $38.

[via Style.com]