The Mamajamas Baby Registry Is Born!

Today Mamajamas is launching a universal baby registry, and we wanted to share our bundle of joy with you! Over the past year, thousands of expecting parents have come to Mamajamas seeking product recommendations from like-minded mamas (and some papas). But we wanted to make things even easier.

So we spent the last few months building the mother of all baby registries, and now, when you come to Mamajamas, you will be able to:

• Use our recommendations engine to build your registry
• Add baby gear from anywhere on the web with just a few clicks
• Get ideas from other new parents
• Copy a registry from a friend, and modify it
• Fold your laundry (Nope. Just seeing if you’re paying attention.)

Try out our registry here, and let us know what you think!

And Happy Holidays! Your help and support have helped make Mamajamas a success this past year. We are very grateful.

Your Toddler Will Make a Mess: Two Amazing Tools for Cleaning Up After Them

I just added two cleaning devices I wouldn’t want to live without onto my Mamajamas list.

As my child has gotten older, the idea that I own a cream colored couch seems more and more preposterous. Granted, I got it on Craigslist, but it’s a nice Pottery Barn Sectional, and I’m attached to it. But let’s be honest, with a toddler around, my poor couch takes a real beating.

So I originally looked into upholstery cleaning services, and they are not cheap! I’d be spending a fortune trying to keep up with all of the dirt and food stains (and coffee and wine stains–okay, so I can’t completely blame my toddler). Instead, I found my new favorite cleaning product of all time, the Bissell Little Green ProHeat Multi-Purpose Cleaner. This little guy steam cleans all my couches and chairs no problem and also the rugs. It’s pretty much a miracle product.

It’s a little annoying that they make you buy their cleaning solution for the machine, but I do appreciate that they offer a green cleaning product (although I can’t vouch for how “green” it actually is).

Second, if your child is like mine, they have gone (or are going to go) through a very long phase of messy eating. Whether it’s unintentional spillage, or the dreaded “dropping and throwing food to see what will happen” stage, keeping my kitchen floor clean is a constant struggle (and the only time I’ve seriously considered getting a dog).

At first, I was using the swiffer wet jet, and it worked okay, but it felt really wasteful with all those disposable pads, expensive (because you had to buy your pads and their brand of cleaning solution), and their cleaning solution was really stinky and toxic smelling.

In searching for an alternative, I discovered the incredible Rubbermaid Microfiber Spray Mop.

You add your own cleaning solution (I just use vinegar!) and it comes with two washable pads. Problem solved. I love this thing.

Parenthood is messy. The need for me to constantly be cleaning up after my child was one of the life changes I most underestimated before having a child. I would have never appreciated these products pre-kids, but now I’m so grateful for tools that can make my life just a tad bit easier!

Introducing Mamajamas — A New Website for New Parents!

And, we’re live!

Today I’m excited to launch Mamajamas–a site that helps expecting and new parents figure out what baby gear to get by sharing lists with each other.

Mamajamas was born out of my own experience figuring out what to buy while pregnant with my son. I spent hours online researching and sifting through long emails and spreadsheets from my parent friends. I felt like there must be a better way to do this.

If you are an expecting or new parent, Mamajamas gives you a personalized list of baby gear, allows you to customize your list and manage your purchases, and then share your list with others.

The ultimate goal of Mamajamas is to help new parents buy only the stuff they need. And also to help them spend less time thinking about stuff, and more time enjoying pregnancy and new parenthood.

Here’s my list of gear that I recommend.

I hope that ultimately, Mamajamas will make the lives of new parents just a little bit easier during an exciting, but often overwhelming time. Please check it out and let me know what you think!

Mamajamas Launch Update

So the private beta has been going really well. We have lots of users now and have been getting great feedback from many of you.

We’ve been working hard to incorporate all of this input to make the site even better.

We  recently launched a way for users to find other parents who have Mamajamas lists, and invite their parent friends to make lists. See below for a preview, or if you’re a Mamajamas private beta user, check it out live on the site.

Some of you have asked when we’ll be removing the site password and launching publicly.

We’re currently working on an overhaul of the “making your list” experience that I’m really excited about. We should be ready in a few weeks. As soon as we roll that out, we’ll plan to officially launch. Can’t wait! In the meantime, keep the feedback coming! It is so helpful.