Belly Dance style now takes you beyond nine months.

Belly Dance has expanded into the baby market with the launch of Belly Dance Baby.  Available online at www.bellydancebaby.com, Belly Dance Baby presents a well-edited and imaginative collection of the best on the baby and toddler markets.  Customers often ask what they should be buying at the end of their pregnancies, and this is our answer to the hip, cool, and comfortable for baby. 

Belly Dance Baby is a natural extension of Belly Dance’s product offering.  Pregnant customers love the selection and taste of Belly Dance Maternity, and this new business is in response to the needs of those customers.  Owner and founder Jennifer Strom Simonte says, “We have proven that we are focused on our customer during that months that she is expecting.  Our goal is to exceed her expectations and bring the hippest products for baby and nursing once she is through with maternity clothing.  We are familiar with her style, and we hope to provide the best selection before and now after her due date.”

Belly Dance Baby is a well-edited selection of the top baby brands and includes categories such as clothing, footwear, bedding, nursery decor, furniture, mealtime and bathtime gear, hip toys, diaper bags, and nursing essentials.  Brands include Skip Hop, Tea Collection, Dwell Baby, Netto Collection, blabla, Zid Zid, Oeuf, and Paulina Quintana.  Just as it has done with its maternity selection, Belly Dance Baby seeks to provide the top products in every category.  Moving forward, Belly Dance will be adding new brands and items, such as strollers, brag books, and more clothing.

Visit Belly Dance Baby and enjoy!!

Skip Hop, our most popular diaper bag, is still going strong.  Simple and fashionable, with easy attachment to any stroller, Skip Hop is the bag of choice for celebs and our customers.  Rachel Weisz recently received a Skip Hop Dash Diaper Bag in a goody bag.

 Source: Us Magazine

Will Ferrell’s wife, Viviva, was spotted in Us Magazine wearing Diane von Furstenberg maternity.  Diane von Furstenberg is always an easy pick to add style to any outfit.  Expecting in December, she looks great.

 Source: Us Magazine

For those of you expecting twins, as are so many of our customers, there is a group you should know about.  The National Organization of Mothers of Twins Clubs is an integral resource.  Even if you are not the type to frequent message boards or visit online communities, trust us, there is something here for you.  Local twins groups by city have resources for finding night nurses and nannies, with reference contact information.  There are also resources for secondhand equipment and more.  Connect with your local club, and attend meetings and social events.  Visit your local club site, such as the Manhattan Twins Club, for more info. 

Are your hormones feeling a bit out of sync these days?  If you have not seen ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, don’t write this television show off as another guilty pleasure yet.  It is totally rewarding to see families in need receive new houses.  When those hormones have you down, a good old fashioned cry always does the trick (and besides, the guilty pleasure comes in the hour following with Desperate Housewives).

Sundays 8/7c 

Our team scours the internet for the latest in the world of trendy moms.  Lately, we are fans of Mommies with Style.  It is a community for hip moms with articles, a daily blog, and an online community.  Learn about cool product, great sales, and collect other helpful info.  Sign up for the newsletter and receive coupon codes and more.

Cold weather getting you down?  Cheer yourself up with fabulous maternity shower invites and thank you notes from Bonnie’s Style Press.  These trendy and contemporary designs are are favored by hip moms-to-be and celebs, such as Britney Spears.  Visit Bonnie’s Style Press online to find a retailer near you.

We love trends, and we love them even more when they work with pregnancy, and you don’t even have to worry about choosing a size.  Nail polish color is an ideal way to follow a trend subtly and easily.  This season, dark nail polish is the key.  It looks perfect with clean, sophisticated style.  Here are our favorites-enjoy!!

Opi Lincoln Park After Dark

 Essie Wicked                       

For those committed to eating organic and using organic products, we have the ideal guide for your pregnancy.  Written by one of our customers, The Complete Organic Pregnancy lets you know everything from which foods you should be eating to which cleaning products to avoid to which beauty products are best when expecting. 

Buy this book.

Do you ever feel that you can’t bear to wear anything other than your husband’s sweatpants?  Worry no more-the legging trend has made its way into the maternity world.  Olian and 3Dots have leggings that are not only comfortable for your expanding belly, but super stylish as well.  Pair with a tunic and high boots or wear under your favorite dress with flats.  Leggings are a (welcome) must-have for fall.

As a community of women, it is important to us to recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month and share some of our favorite ways to contribute.

• Pink M&M’s-Buy a special bag of pink M&M’s and 35-50 cents per bag goes to the Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.  Available through November.

• Pink Buys-Shop from those who support The Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation with donations.  Shop through the month of October.  Visit Pink Buys to see a list of places to shop.
• Pink Ducky-Soothe your aching back in the bath with a special edition pink rubber ducky from Munchkin and proceeds will go to the Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.  Visit Munchkin’s Project Pink to learn more.

Now that you are pregnant, we can’t resist sharing our favorite ideas to satisfy your cravings.    Kozy Shack Pudding has all of the flavor with none of the guilt.  With no sugar added and flavors like Rice, Chocolate, Tapioca, and Flan, this is a snack that can’t be beat.

Our customers are loving Belly Bars.  They are the perfect snack and provide you with key prenatal vitamins.  Stop by our stores and stock up on your favorite flavor.  Available in Chocolate Toffee Crisp, Crunchy Nuts & Berries, and Oat Graham & Almonds.

Personally tested by our team, Karrie Adamany is the best resource for post-pregnancy pilates.  Her pilates studio, Centered, in New York City is totally focused on women.  And Karrie’s book, Post-Pregnancy Pilates, is a great guide for body after baby.

Check out her website and book.  We promise she can help you feel healthy and fit-inside and out.

We love Kee-Ka.  One of the cutest baby brands with the perfect graphic for this Fall.  Give a gift to yourself or your favorite little pumpkin.

Mariska Hargitay was a fun, stylish customer.

Among other pieces, check out the hip Petunia Pickle Bottom bag that she bought.

We couldn’t write about our favorite things without writing about the Bella Band.  We have to admit that a year ago we were doubtful about this product.  After all, how great could a band of fabric be?  Well, after hundreds of customer requests, we listened.

The Bella Band is awesome.  A pregnancy must. Wear this seamless knit band at your waistline, over your unbuttoned pre-pregnancy pants, over slightly big maternity pants, or around the waistband of any maternity style that falls down around your hips. Let it show under your top for a layered look or wear it hidden.

No more unbuttoned jeans at the beginning of your pregnancy and great support when your belly is bigger.

You asked, and we listened…

Every day customers ask about stretchmarks and what can be done to prevent them.  Well, after asking many doctors, the truth is that some of it is genetic.  However, we have seen many women use Belli Cosmetics Belly Oil with great results.  And supposedly Angelina Jolie and Courteney Cox chose Belli as well.

It can be used on the belly, hips, breasts, and buttocks.  It is a blend of pure plant extracts that prepares skin for stretching. Tocopherol (Vitamin E) and Go-To-Kola extract have been shown in medical research to help prevent stretchmarks. Lavender and sweet almond oil soothe and calm the senses while nourishing and moisturizing to help skin stretch without the damage.

Those of you in New York may already be familiar with this site, as it was featured on the cover of New York Magazine, but Urban Baby is going national.  A great resource for expecting women and new moms, Urban Baby is the “go to” spot for information.

And check out their message boards to see how other moms-to-be are feeling. 

The “it” bag this year, the StorkSak Gigi has been spotted on Angelina Jolie often.  Seen in People, US Magazine, InStyle, and Life & Style, this bag is both sleek and useful-a match that is hard to make with diaper bags.  We are always on the lookout for cool new bags, and this is it.