In honor of the release of the iPad 3, we've rounded up some unique & hip iPad covers* and cases fit for kids & stylish moms. What sets these cool cases apart from the rest is that not only will the covers help protect iPads from our maple syrup covered kids, they will make even the 1st & 2nd generation iPads the coolest kid on the block.

*Since the iPad 3 is so new, many of these cases were made for 1st or 2nd generation iPads but were cool enough to make the list. Me, I'm perfectly happy with my iPad 2 but since now it isn't the latest or greatest thing, it's time to beef up its style factor  to compensate ;-)

Since Valentine''s Day is right around the corner {eeks... tomorrow} free printables are a fantastic approach not only because they are budget friendly but also because if you've got a printer and some paper handy, there's no shopping trip needed. I always have magnet & sticker paper handy but a few of these has prompted me to start keeping card stock on hand and maybe some felt too.

We've rounded up some super pink, super sweet and ink worthy Valentine's cards, projects, decorations and accessories for tomorrows big day :-)

Mine does. It's very peculiar behavior but I guess it's something that baby's do. Licking handles. It's so odd. Funny thing is... I didn't have a problem with my first three kids gnawing on shopping carts. Maybe I carried or wore them more when I went shopping because it wasn't until recently, with baby #4, that I needed a shopping cart cover. Of course, it had to be modern, hip and not something that Grandma knitted or whipped up with leftover fabric scraps (she likes to do that).

I picked up, for a steal, the Numbers Cloud Cover (top photo above) by Infantino on Zulily a while back ($29.98 @ Amazon) and it's been great. It's puffy, cozy and covers everywhere Hadley could reach. Doubling as a high chair cover is also very cool. Yes my baby licks high chairs too. Good golly, doesn't she watch the news and reports on high chair germs? Yuck.

A few years back I tackled organizing my daughters closet by mimicking what works... clothing racks at the store. You know how they have those clothing dividers that separate newborn clothes from 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-12 months and so on? I found some, organized a whole years worth of close all ready for my daughter to grow into in her closet and of course blogged about it.

Back then, I could only find one brand of what I would call cute. It was hard to find but I was on a mission. It's my thing and the vision behind my blog. Take an everyday baby necessity and find a hipper version. There is always a cooler one out there. You just have to dig.

DIY doesn't have to be scary even if the theme might be a touch on the menacing side. Throw a *dare we say cute* monster themed birthday party with this fun and custom printable monster themed party pack from Charlie lou designs.

I used to spend my quiet mornings blogging or catching up on other baby blogs (they are addicting). Then, probably in a wine induced moment, I decided to start a few new project to help my fellow mom bloggers share their blogs. So, in addition to this blog, I now also run the super popular Top Mommy Blogs & Top Baby Bogs directories. This gives me (and you) a front row seat to some of the coolest blogs as well as what's buzzing in parenthood.

To continue our quest to organize the stuffed animals we're taking a little trip to my happy place, IKEA! Now if you're not familiar with Ikea, then make sure you check out the Ikea parody video at the end of this post or plan a visit if there's one in your area. Before Ikea *finally* opened up in Portland, I drove the 3 1/2 hours to the Seattle Ikea with out thinking twice. The huge warehouse of food, furnishings and fixtures offers modern Swedish designs at amazingly affordable prices.

Here we are looking at the (say this out loud with me, folks) PS FÅNGST. These are a 6 compartment mesh storage bags that can hang in your closet or be jimmied up anywhere in the room if you're creative. Available in 3 colors and for under $5 each!

My husband and I have always been afraid of stuffed animals. Mostly because they seem to multiply like tribbles *sneak in a Star Trek reference into a blog post, check* and outside of the bed, never really seem to have a home.

So, we are going to dedicate a few days to getting the endless supply of stuffed toys... organized and stuffed! Today, it's the Trio Animal Baby by Boon. Boon is a fantastic brand to turn to when you are looking for kids toys or gear that have a modern edge to them.

Who says beggars can't be choosers? Just because you are using borrowed, the wrong color or hand-me-down baby gear doesn't mean you can't express your own style or change up the color scheme. With infant car seats ranging anywhere from $60 - $250+, if don't have to buy one but need a change, that's your budget for a new infant car seat cover! (Yes, I can justify any purchase).

Pictured above: Baby Bella Maya Infant Car Seat Covers - compatible with most major brands of car seats, including: Graco Snugride, Peg Perego and similar infant car seats ($60 - $80).

Field trip time! We're taking a little trip across the pond to London Mummy, a fabulous and unique London based online children's boutique. It was originally the funky lunch box sets and iconic London city-scape pillows that caught my attention but the baby shoes, crochet toys and accessories from Anne Claire Petit and the myriad of other brightly colored and unique items kept me busy and browsing. 

Pictured above: Retro Robots Lunch Set (£29.50; approx $48); Michelle Mason London Cushions (£45.00; approx $73); London Tea Towel; Drawstring Storage Bags (£25.00; approx $41); Mushroom Money Box (£49.50; approx $80).