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If you’ve been struggling to fit huge car seats in your smaller car, your stressful days are over! Combi has introduced a lightweight compact car seat made exclusively for fuel efficient cars. Check out the stylish and sleek Combi Coccoro! It’s perfect for travel because it only weighs 11 pounds. Since it’s smaller, you can also fit three across in the back seat. (You know that’s no easy feat.)

It has all of the safety features you’ve come to expect from Combi and comes in a variety of really awesome colors like Carrot Cake, Cherry Pie, Chestnut, Mint, Hazelnut, Keylime, Strawberry Shake, etc. Rear-facing up to 33 pounds; forward-facing up to 40 pounds. Retails for $200 at Posh Tots.

If this great photo doesn’t make you want to buy these pajamas, I’m not sure what will. Just look at how happy you will be! Smiling and laughing. Oh, joy!  MommyQ recently discovered Hanna Andersson and I’m consistently impressed with their photography. It’s just so amazingly sweet and real.

These organic cotton tank johns are cute and well, family-friendly. The combed cotton rubbknit fabric will last a long time and it’s super-duper soft. Perfect for sleeping, snuggling and lounging. Check out this cute bicycle set for $36 and explore the site to find other goodies.

The most bunnylicious holiday for your tots is right around the corner. You’d better hop to it if you want all your Easter treats to arrive in time. From silly socks to ducky sweaters to funny bunnies, I’ve hand-picked some of the cutest items and compiled them into one convenient list. See, MommyQ always does the hard stuff for you. And that’s why you love me…or loathe me.

Bunnies in a Box - $14 – Arte Bebe

Lapinos the Bunny – $44 – Arte Bebe

Personalized Easter PJs – $48 – Chasing Fireflies
MUST ORDER BY APRIL 1st!!!

Bunnyville Egg Hunt Pop-Up Book – $15 – Chasing Fireflies

Good Egg Sweater Set - $50 – Chasing Fireflies

Funny Bunny Frame – $18 – Chasing Fireflies

Bunnies by the Bay Baby Gift Set – $100 – Nordstrom

Halabaloo Butterfly Eyelet Dress – $66 – Nordstrom

Bunny Backpack – $38 – Chasing Fireflies

Remember, MommyQ is here to make you feel less crazy, more informed, happy and maybe even a little bit taller. You can follow me on Twitter and I have a Facebook page.  In order to view MommyQ’s Facebook page, you have to login. “The best part about being a MommyQ fan is being a MommyQ fan.” Sorry, I borrowed that from Kenny Powers.

Vote for cute kiddos and support a worthy cause! It’s easy and fun to donate to the Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep foundation. By participating in the National Charity Model Search, you can also support Austin photographer, Kelli Hierholzer with Fancy Pants Photography. One vote costs $1 and proceeds are donated to NILMDTS. Check out these cuties here and here!

If you haven’t heard about NILMDTS, it’s an incredibly touching foundation. They provide a helping hand and healing heart to families who lose a baby shortly after birth. In the midst of grief, confusion and pain a family might not think to photograph their baby. NILMDTS offers gentle and beautiful photography to capture short, yet cherished lives. With a network of over 6,000 volunteer photographers in the US, the foundation offers comfort in a unique and lasting way.

I hate it when:

1. – Strangers don’t say “thank you” for opening the door. For example, I was leaving Starbucks with coffee. A lady was also leaving at the same time with two cups of coffee. I held open the door for her and she walked on by without even a glance. I’m sacrificing my personal safety by juggling a scalding hot cup of liquid, so she can more easily depart. Not even a smile. I’m not your door man, lady. Geez!

2. – My son decides mid-chew that he doesn’t like what he’s eating. For example, he’s munching on a granola bar and then opens his mouth and lets all of the half-chewed pieces fall out. It’s like a granola explosion and I’m picking up little sticky oats forever.

3. – I flat iron my hair and then walk out the door to discover it’s raining. My hair instantly frizzes up like a poodle.

4. – I empty all of the trashcans and the diaper pail, spray them with Lysol and take out the trash. Two minutes later my baby has a poopy diaper.

5. – I’m having a bad clothes day where I hate everything in my closet. I finally pick an outfit that doesn’t make me miserable and on my way out the door, I manage to spill something on it. Grrrr!

Okay, all better! What do you want to vent about???? Do tell!

MommyQ really wanted to do SXSW this year, since I live here in the Live Music Capital of the World. But looking at the extensive schedule was too overwhelming, so I decided being lame was just dandy with me. Well, speaking of “dandy,” early Saturday a.m. – the last night of SXSW – my Inbox had a little surprise for me. I got two tickets to the Perez Hilton “One Night in Austin” soiree. And me being the mommy that I am, I absolutely had to attend! After all, Perez is my bloggy hero.

My best friend and I showed up around 9:00 p.m and the party was in full swing. And I mean swing literally because there was an indoor playscape where grown (drunk) adults were swinging their hearts out.  Luckily nobody got hurt because there was a faux lawn where lots of folks were sitting. Someone could have easily taken a stiletto to the head if they weren’t looking where they were going. Hesitating dangerously close to the swings was a bad idea. There was a guy monitoring the swings and he scolded people who were swinging too high. Funny to see adults get in trouble like that!

Anyway, I was talking and chatting through most of the music acts. I did pay attention when Solange, Beyonce’s little sis took the stage. She is stunning! The most beautiful face, just like you’d come to expect from a Knowles. She’s kind of like the rough one, cussing and singing about drugs. I applaud her baby blue eye shadow that you could see for miles. I didn’t get the outfit though. White tank, aqua skirt with white clouds (?) and weird loose yellow and silver-ish tights that weren’t tight. Regardless of the questionable fashion choices, the lady can dance. I thought ‘I Decided’ was great and I’m sure it will be topping the charts soon.

Halfway through the party they ran out of vodka. Yikes! So, I drank Alize Red Passion, the premium fruit liqueur. Ha! Let’s just say it was very fruity and fitting for the crowd. I’d say 80% of the men there were extremely comfortable with their sexuality, which is not straight. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that!” It was a fun, fun, fun crowd.

That being the case, there were more than a few eyes scrutinizing the fashion Dos and Don’ts parading around. I think I passed the test because my shoes were described as “fierce” on more than one occasion and one guy growled at me. Believe it or not, MommyQ was rocking the shiny tights and they seemed totally appropriate. Then again, Alize was part of the equation. Anyhoo – my best friend was rocking in her usual style and let’s just say everyone luh-huvved her! Ooh la la. I think she made 300 new friends on Facebook during the party.

Perez was hilarious wearing his pink hat and lots of attitude. He throws a fabulous shindig.  The worst part of the night was the 2-hour wait for a cab. TWO SOLID HOURS waiting for a cab. Triple ugh! MommyQ is way too old to hang like that. My fierce shoes expire after about 5 hours. All in all, it was exactly what I had expected and possibly even better. Cheers SXSW! Until we meet again next year.

Want to get your toddler or preschooler the most friendly backpack on the playground? These cute little guys might make the class jealous. Plush pull along bags can become regular backpacks by removing the handles. The handy front pocket helps keep little things from getting lost. 12″h x 8″w x 6″d. Specify Leopard or Horse. On sale for $25.

Whether you’re expecting your first bundle of joy or your third, you will most definitely need a reliable stroller. From the pricey celebrity picks to the standard pram, check out some of these buggies and transport your tot in style.

The Orbit

I won’t even begin to list all of the celebrities that own the Orbit, because I’d like to finish this post within the hour. Let’s just say it’s extensive. This is probably the most cutting-edge stroller around and as soon as you see the features in person, you know why. The extra-deep car seat combined with the docking station and 360 degree rotation is engineering at its best. You’ll pay a pretty penny for it, but probably enjoy every cent. $900 at BabyEarth.

Teutonia
If your stroller is a fashion statement, this one will make you drool in your Louboutin peep-toe pumps. Oh yes, this stroller is all about colors and patterns and uniqueness. In fact, you build your own stroller from the chassis to the seat style to the wheel and so on. Not sure how much the finished product costs because I didn’t build the whole thing, but it seems to be in the around $700 – $1k range. Below are some of the more unique fabric options.

Quinny Buzz

This is a really cool stroller for a 3-wheel option. The newer ones have been enhanced with some nice new features. The hands-free unlocking system is hard to beat and navigating rough terrain is a breeze, thanks to the big wheels and suspension. Comes in lots of bright gender-neutral colors too. $580 at BabyEarth. There are currently quite a few of these on sale at BabyEarth in the “Open Box” Clearance section for around $520.

Maclaren Quest Sport

When it comes to maneuverability and design, Maclaren tops the charts. The best about this lightweight stroller is it can easily accommodate an infant (3 mos) because it reclines fully. And it goes up to 55 pounds. It has many comfort features for both baby and parent that you typically won’t find with other umbrella strollers. $245 at BabyEarth.

Have questions about a stroller I didn’t list? Leave me a comment and I’ll post about it. Thanks!