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I recently had a chance to chat with Tahirah Kotati, owner of Eclectique Soul Paper and Gifts. Over at Eclectique Soul Paper and Gifts you can find fine stationery, invitations, announcements and unique handmade mementos. I really enjoyed browsing through Eclectique Soul as it is filled with creative whimsy. I truly believe that Eclectique Soul takes handmade to another level. Tahirah celebrates diversity in her hand drawn fanciful illustrations. They are then printed on archival quality cardstock, and individually hand decorated with an assortment of crystals, glitter, and embellishments, which create stunning keepsakes that last a lifetime.

Tahirah started her business last year designing party invitations for her family and friends in her quiet, two bedroom apartment in Atlanta. The response was phenomenal, and with support from loved ones Eclectique Soul is now full fledge company!

Eclectique Soul’s Vision
Believing there is beauty unique in all of us, we strive to break and recast the “standard” mold.
Exposing children early on to an affluence of experiences can only lead to a better tomorrow.
As consumers we want choices in our products, which reflect our image, beliefs, taste and lifestyles.

Our mission is to produce the finest products that celebrate diverse ethnicities and cultures, we wish to defy stereotypical gender roles and celebrate the triumphs of life’s journey. From our invitations to our birth plates, our products use only the best materials to create pieces that can be cherished for a lifetime. Made by hand, infused with love, from our souls to yours.

I know it’s a little early to be talking about halloween costumes but I’ve been anticipating Halloween ever since I discovered that Daddy and I were pregnant. Daddy and I feel that once you grow up, holidays get boring. When children are in the picture, it’s like enjoying childhood all over again. I probably mentioned it before, but I’ll mention it again. Daddy and I would occasionally shop for our little one(s) years before Jayden. If we saw something cute, we’d pick it up.

We have accumulated bins of children’s clothing aka “the baby stash”. In those bins are a few Halloween costumes. We have a choice between a pumpkin and a chili pepper. The pumpkin costume will be too large for Jayden by October, but the chili pepper costume should fit just right. Since we already have a costume for him, we’re going to put it to some use, however I can’t stop obsessing over other kids costumes that I have seen. I have a thing for lions. If there is a lion on it, Jayden has to have it, especially if “ROAR” is written on it. Saying “ROAR” like how Cedric The Entertainer said it on one of his stand ups cracks me up. So Jayden just may be a chili pepper and a lion this Halloween, maybe even a Tootsie Roll, lol. Ok maybe we’ll save the Tootsie Roll for next year.

Right now is a good time to shop for Halloween costumes. Since the season is over, they’re on super sale. During the Halloween season sometimes they are marked above retail simply because the demand is high. Right now costumes are marked over 50% off at BuyCostumes.com. You don’t want to miss out!

Remember this? Check out Jayden in his Local Celebrity onesie from Uncommonly Cute. The onesie, short and long sleeved shirts are currently on sale for $14.00! He’s even posing like he’s at the club! Daddy approves of Jayden’s new onesie, definitely better than Thank Heaven For Little Boys, rofl.

A while back, I conducted an interview here on Mommy Daddy Blog with Jamie Coblentz, one of the guys behind Kid Kustoms. Kid Kustoms is famous for their not-your-everyday-stroller, the Roddler. The Roddler stands out from the typical stroller because of its design, which derives from classic automobile Hot Rods. With the styles and colors of traditional strollers being suited more towards moms, Kid Kustoms created the Roddler with dad’s interests definitely in mind. You can sort of view it as the “man’s stroller”, if you will.

So with Father’s Day coming up (in two days to be exact), Kid Kustoms had to do something big for one lucky father out there! They’re hosting the Tins or Tots Cruise at The Right Start in Santa Monica, California tomorrow (June 14th), where they will be giving away an exclusive Boyd Coddington Commemorative Roddler, in honor or Father’s Day! The price tag on this thing is $4,000 (I can’t believe this stroller is worth more than my car), but for one lucky dad, it will be free!

In order to be eligible to win the Roddler, there are only two requirements:

1. You must be subscribed to their D.A.W.S. (Dads Against Wack Strollers) newsletter, and
2. You must be present at the event tomorrow (which unfortunately excludes me since I live like a billion miles away from California)

You can subscribe to D.A.W.S. by sending an e-mail to DAWS@KidKustoms.com, or you can subscribe in person at the Tins For Tots Cruise tomorrow.

So if you’re in the Santa Monica area with no plans for tomorrow, stop by the Tins For Tots Cruise at The Right Start for your chance to win a Roddler! The Right Start is located at 2212 Wilshire Blvd. and the event will run from 3PM to 6PM.

To learn more about Jamie Coblentz, Kid Kustoms, and the Roddler, I encourage you to read our interview and visit KidKustoms.com!

Last night we gave Jayden a bath. He did really good, but of course he still cannot take a bath without throwing a fit somewhere in between. Because of this, we make bath time as quick as possible. When he throws his fits, he gets to kicking and squirming. That on top of being wet isn’t such a good combo for parents who don’t want to drop him! So, this time around I used our No Slip Charlie gloves to bathe him, while Daddy stood on the sideline as my assistant.

The No Slip Charlie is a pair of fingerless gloves designed to improve the grip on a wet, slippery baby during a bath. Made of soft poly/lycra fabric, No Slip Charlie provides the extra grip that I need without any discomfort for me or Jayden.

No Slip Charlie is accompanied with removable terry cloth wash mitts that attach to the back of either glove with Velcro for hands-free washing. The terry cloth wash mitts come in handy when trying to get in between Jayden’s little baby rolls, lol. Being fingerless, No Slip Charlie allows me to still touch him and lather his hair. The No Slip Charlie comes in 2 colors, blue and pink. One size fits all. Order now through Father’s Day and get free shipping on your No Slip Charlie!