Brazenmom

Many years ago A Nightmare Before Christmas, the most magical of fairytales, was birthed in the mind of Tim Burton and was brought to life through the genius of stop motion animation. Disney produced the film, and the result of Disney’s involvement and consequential copyright ownership has been the pop-culturalisation of Jack Skellington; appropriator of Christmas and Halloween Town’s Pumpkin King. Jack has become the pop-icon of the alternative movement, largely because of the mass production and ready availability of Jack merchandise. One could argue the inconsistencies associated with the notions of alternative, mass production and pop-culture but the message of the moment is: every funky baby needs a Jack. Upon my perusal of the Disney store a couple of weekends ago, I picked out a Jack for my Christmas baby due on December 17. Here is some of what Disney has on offer in the plush toy category this Christmas: Read the rest of this entry »

So what’s a cool soft-toy to get for an alternative baby girl? Little Red Riding Kitty is what. My baby girl was lucky enough to receive this gorgeous plush toy as a gift from her Aunty and Uncle. The special thing about my baby’s Little Red Riding Kitty is that it reflects the personality of its givers and the relationship between friends – something my baby girl will grow to appreciate when she is a bit older. Being a lover of Fairytales and cats, I am under strict instruction that the Kitty is not for me but is for my daughter. In this case I may just have to purchase the accompanying Wolf Kitty for myself. These collectors toys are found on Emilystrange.com and retail for $24.99 (£15) each.

No matter how emphatically new moms may deny it, they absolutely can’t wait to dress their babies. However, more often than not, the joy of having a real life doll is soon debunked by those so-and-sos who insist on talking practicalities. They are the types that will tell you that it is pointless wasting money on funky clothes when babies grow so fast; they say that white is best because stains can merely be bleached out; they say that a new mom will be so tired and preoccupied that her baby’s attire won’t actually matter; and my personal favourite: bright colours are a no-no and pink is for girls, blue is for boys. HUH! There’s nothing like a good spoilsport. I am an alternative mom-to-be: I listen to metal, I like bright colours … and black, I go to concerts and I hate being practical. I want to have a funky-punky baby oozing attitude and I have found some online stores to help me do it: Read the rest of this entry »