Gear and other stuff

When we heard that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt had placed an order themselves from Plain Mary, we knew we needed to look into this company that we kept hearing about. Turns out Plain Mary is the latest new company making a splash in the celebrity baby world, with celebrities placing orders and receiving gits of the luxurious playmats and embroidered onesies. With good reason- these soft quilted micro-suede machine washable padded mats are super soft and perfect for play, naps, and lounging. Back in April, CBB Writer Jen reviewed their signature Kensington Baby Play Mat, she said that when her daughter Bailey fell on it (she’s still working on the whole sitting up thing), she heard nary a thud. Instead, Bailey ran her hands over the super soft mat with a big grin on her face and literally drooled over it!

We bet Vivienne and Knox are drooling over theirs too! The latest addition to the Jolie-Pitt family will soon be joining other celebrity twins like Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony’s Max and Emme in logging tummy time on their own mats in chocolate, with pink embroidery for the girls and blue for the boys. Jessica Alba’s daughter Honor will be napping on her chocolate mat with pink embroidery that family members had sent. Nicole Kidman ordered the Kensington Baby Pillow in white with a pink embroidered "S" for Sunday.

Their embroidered onesies, burp cloths, and bibs are also a hit. Matthew McConaughey‘ son Levireceived the Hunk Gift Set, packaged in a vintage-y suitcase, from Lance Armstrong, while Ashlee Simpson-Wentz ordered from the Babe line.

CBB Deal: Save 10% off everything at www.plainmary.com with coupon code people10 (expires August 22, 2008).

Home Sweet Hollywood with Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott has served up some awesome baby style, and we tuned in each week (and apparently, so did you!) to see what stuff Liam Aaron McDermott is wearing and what products he’s using. From baby bottles to bouncers, we’ve identified everything you may have caught a glimpse of. Here’s a closer look at Liam’s style at home and on the go!

Catch Home Sweet Hollywood Tuesday nights at 10 p.m. on Oxygen.

Liam’s Style at the Preview: Liam was wearing an Ed Hardy Kid Tee and Cross Bone Sweet Shoes.

At Mealtime: Liam was wearing a Splendid Stars Thermal Tee ($48) and was looking comfy seated in a Svan highchair.

At Naptime: Liam slept in a gorgeous Aerial crib from Nurseryworks ($1050).

Click ‘Continue Reading’ for more Home Sweet Hollywood fashion and gear finds!

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NHL wife and mom Stacy Dallman was tired of her toddler Ava throwing tantrums every time she misplaced her pacifier. With newborn baby Noah trying to sleep, the last thing Stacy needed was for him to wake up as she searched for Ava’s pacifier. So she put on her thinking cap and created Paci-Plushies, small stuffed animals that attach directly to nearly 200 styles of pacifiers. Easy for both mom and baby to find, the Paci-Plushies contain a silicone ‘hug ring’ that keeps the pacifier in place, and allows for parents to remove pacifiers for easy cleaning. The huggable holders come in five styles — Paisley the Panda (left), Koko the Koala, Cuddles the Cat, P-Nut the Puppy and Milo the Monkey — and retail for $13.95 on paciplushies.com.

CBB Readers receive 10% off all Paci-Plushies orders using the code CBB Rocks at checkout!

We’re told that Nicole Kidman’s personal spa therapist Sarah Choi loves Mama Mio, especially their Smoothie Kit ($58), a great choice for expecting mamas — it contains their MoisturizingShower Cream, Body Buff (natural pumice micro-granules blended withsweet almond oil), and their omega packed O-Mega Oil to make your bodysilky smooth. Sarah LOVES all the products and professional spa treatments, available at The Ritz-Carlton Spas and exclusive spots like Spa Terre at Little Palm Island, and recommends them for all of her pregnant clients.

While Mama Mio is best known for their maternity products, they now have a line for body after baby. Celebrity postpartum stories highlight fitness and nutrition but no one seems to mention the slack skin that comes from the big strrrrretch of the pregnant belly, thighs, and boobs. Their products promise to return your skin to pre-pregnancy condition by healing scars, minimizing stretch marks, and softening and tightening up skin.

CBB Deal: Get free standard shipping (UPS Ground) and a free deluxe Mama Mio bodycare sample when you use code CELEBSKIN at mamamio.com (expires July 31, 2008). One per customer, while supplies last, can’t be used with any other coupon.

The ultra-knowledgable Patty of BabyChic101 compiled a list of the most popular brands that celebrity kids have been photographed with and we’re not surprised in the least by the results! As we expected, Juicy Couture, Splendid Littles, and Robeez ranked at the top of the children’s clothing category and Maclaren, Baby Bjorn and Orbit were at the top of the baby gear category! To see what other brands ranked highly, visit BabyChic101.com.

Can you identify the celebrity baby and stroller in this photo? (Click here for the answers.)

Photo by ANDERSON/Bauer-Griffin.

Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, her mom, and 2-year-old daughter Suri stepped out from Union Square in Los Angeles on Tuesday after a day of work for the actress. Katie, 29, reunited with Dawson’s Creek executive producer Greg Berlanti to film a guest spot on his series Eli Stone, which will air this fall.

Photo by SHINN/Bauer-Griffin.

Click ‘Continue Reading’ for detailed info on Suri’s dress and blanket!

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With the birth of their twins Vivienne and Knox, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are going to need a lot more gear! Here are our suggestions for some of the best stuff the ever expanding Jolie-Pitts and other families who find themselves busy times two may want to pick up.

Swaddle blankets
All of the moms at CBB can testify that swaddling their newborns was a major lifesaver, something that Dr. Harvey Karp recommends as part of his five S’s. And while it is recommended that Angelina and Brad tightly swaddle the twins, but they must be careful not to overheat them. Whether in New Orleans or the south of France, summer babies should be swaddled in a thin cotton gauze or muslin blanket. We love Solana Swaddle Wraps because they’re made of loose-weave, stretchy, breathable 100% cotton (check out their new organic line).

Strollers
Angelina and Brad already own a Maclaren Twin Techno which they used with Shiloh and Zahara, but they will need another double stroller now that Vivienne and Knox are here. For strolling through the French countryside, an all-terrain side-by-side stroller like the BOB Revolution Duallie is a good bet. For city jaunts, we like Baby Jogger City Series Mini Double. (For more double strollers, check out our "2 Under 2" stroller review.)

Parent Jewelry
Anyone who has birthed twins deserves some jewelry tocommemorate the moment. Magic Dog Studiooffers beautiful handprint or footprint charms for mom to remember how littleher little ones really were at one time. Having designed jewelry in the past, we bet Brad would enjoy helping to make a set for Angelina or even the other kids. All dad has to do is make a copy of the hospital prints and send them to the company and within a few weeks, surprise the new mom! For dads who aren’t into necklaces, Magic DogStudio also offers cufflinks and keychains.

Babywearing
Angelina and Brad are literally very hands-on parents but it can be difficult to carry two babies in your arms. With a little practice, double-slinging is possible! Any combination of slings, pouches, wraps, mei tais, etc. can work but LaRee Brown at TheBabyWearer.com recommends one pouch and one ring sling. One baby goes in the ring sling (like this gorgeous Solstice print from ZoloWear), and the other goes in the pouch which is easier to insert a baby who has been waiting her turn. Brown says that it’s also easy to discreetly nurse both babies at the same time doing a hip carry. Another option is to get two pouch pouches, one in your regular size and one the next size up, says Kristen DeRocha of Hotslings. Hotslings are our favorite pouches because they have built-in leg padding and are one of the safest slings out there. The only challenge (besides getting the hang of double-slinging) will be choosing two prints that won’t clash! We’re drooling over their new Japanese-inspired Kyoto print, which would coordinate nicely with their Sage Green Stretch Sateen or Parisian Blue Hemp/Organic Cotton blend.

Nursing wear
With two hungry newborns to nurse, Angelina may feel that she might as well walk around topless, but she’ll probably be more comfortable in an Essential Nursing Tank and Essential Nursing Shrug from Bravado Designs. (Angelina is already a Bravado fan — she previously wore the Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra and tank in black with Shiloh).

Cute matching tees
You can’t go wrong with a onesie from Uncommonly Cutebut they have some that are specifically for twins. Being computer geeks, our favorite set isthe Copy and Paste one. These shirts are sure to bring a smile toparents who are covered in double the spit up!

Are you a mom of multiples? Tell us about your favorite twin products!

Expecting her first child, a son, in about a week, actress Marissa Jaret Winokur is busy preparing for baby. From showers to shopping trips, the 35-year-old star of Broadway’s Hairspray and finalist in last season’s Dancing With The Stars has been stocking up on gear for baby Zev, due by a surrogate on July 17th (dad is television-writer husband Judah Miller).

This summer, Marissa ordered two of Itzy Ritzy’s personalized Ritzy Rider car seat covers ($119.99), plush, machine-washable sleeves that keep babies safe in style. Equipped with pockets for toys and snacks, the covers are reversible and can be embroidered, just like Marissa’s (left)! Available in a variety of styles, the car seat covers are sold online at ItzyRitzy.com.

CBB readers, receive 20% off your ItzyRitzy purchase when you use the code "PEOPLE" at check-out!

Having recently introduced a lower-priced line of their products at Target, DwellStudio has now entered the realm of stationery with a new partnership with our favorite online stationery company, TinyPrints.com. Designed by Christiane Lemieux, a mom of two, who has a background in both fashion (she worked with Isaac Mizrahi and The Gap) and home furnishings (Portico), the line is infused with the same fun colorful, geometric and abstract patterns that we love about the bedding line.

The new line, which offers birth announcements, party invitations, and thank you notes, incorporates many of the bold graphic design elements that Dwell is known for. You can share some of your nursery style with friends and family who are far away. Themes that coordinate with the bedding include transportation, gio, charlotte, carousel, but fun and fresh new designs have been introduced as well.

We’re loving pretty much all of their designs but are especially fond of their Beep Beep announcement (above left), bold Pansies announcement, their Blissful Bird announcement for boys or girls, and their Belly Bump shower invitation (perfect for mocha moms but fun for anyone). Just in time for summmer… if you’re planning a summer birthday party, you’ll love their Chocolate Bar invites (in blue and pink) or if you’re having a pool party, you’ll love their Swimming Pool invites (for boys or girls, right).

Whether cradled on the arm of Shiloh Jolie-Pitt or nestled in a stroller with Violet Affleck, Corolle dolls have been "adopted" by some of the most famous tots in the world. The paparazzi have photographed Shiloh, Violet and Suri Cruise carrying their Corolle dolls everywhere from the shops in Cannes to the Broadway shows of New York. Designed in France, Corolle dolls are known for their attention to detail and craftmanship and light vanilla scent.

Both Suri and Shiloh have been photographed with their lifelike Bébé Chéri dolls. Designed to resemble a three-month-old baby, this doll can wear real baby clothes and accessories. With their famous "moms’" closets, these toys have the ultimate wardrobe! Seen with her around Cannes, Shiloh’s Bébé Chéri has worn everything from frilly dresses to t-shirts and shorts, all from her famous little Mom’s personal closet. 

Meanwhile, Suri’s Bébé Chéri caught a performance of Hairspray on Broadway with mom Katie Holmes as she vacationed in New York City. With bottle in hand, Suri held tightly to her Chéri, dressed in a white dress fit for summer. She also brought Chéri with her when she and her mom hit Madison Avenue for a little shopping.

Violet brings her Corolle dolls with her whether out and about with mom Jennifer Garner in Los Angeles or Malibu or traveling to Toronto or New York. Her Calin baby doll, known for her cuddly “bean bag” body, has been spotted with her in Malibu, as well as her Bébé Charmeur, and Bébé Do has been seen in Toronto and New York. Violet also has Corolle gear for her dolls, like the floral print stroller she used for a walk through a nearby farmer’s market with mom Jennifer Garner and "Uncle" Victor Garber.

With dolls appropriate for every stage of your daughter or son’s childhood, Corolle dolls are a lovely choice for them to play at being mommy or daddy. They are sold nationwide and can also be purchased online at www.corolle.com.

Photos by DC/DS-ISM/Flynet, Splash, Ramey.

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