I have a serious baby hat obsession. Lately, it seems I can't walk into a boutique without immediately cooing over a handmade hat from Peru or some crocheted ear-flap hat made by a convent in Sweden. Luckily, I (almost) always back away slowly without making any irrational purchases. I mean, C'MON, I live in Southern California. It's not like we're roasting chestnuts and building snowmen around these parts.

But they're so cuuuuute!

Etsy has really compounded the problem lately with their unbelievably vast selection of baby hats. Don't believe me? Last I checked, there were 3,443 results for "baby hat" on their website. Seriously, the obsession is engulfing me. It's like dangling bananas in front of a monkey.

Send help.

I have a plan, though. I will provide YOU the links to some of these darling hats, so YOU can purchase them as gifts for your baby, your friends' babies or you know, send them to Sarah Dorr c/o ParentDish. Hey, I'm just sayin'.

When it comes to my toddler's clothes, I'll try anything once. You could say I'm easily influenced by hip baby boutiques and trendy items. However, many times those particular items don't work out in the long run. So when I do find an item that fits the bill, I buy in bulk. I guess it's not any different than the way I shop for myself- if I love something, count me in for several colors of the same style.

That being said, I'm pretty sure we have at least six colors of the American Apparel Infant Rib Karate Pants. These pants grace the legs of my child year-round. Lounging around the house? Karate pants. Running errands on the weekend? Karate Pants. Neighbor's birthday party? You guessed it, Karate Pants.

The pants are made from 100% Baby Rib cotton, which are combed for softness (they are SO cozy!), and have a wider-cut leg that seems a little more fashionable than other cuts. Most importantly, these pants are durable. I can't tell you how many times they have been washed and dried over the past few months, not to mention the CRAWLING they have endured.

I'm fairly certain these pants and the Old Navy three-pack bodysuits have been the top contenders at our home. What about you? What are your clothes essentials?

The majority of my around-the-house toddler clothes come from Old Navy. They are comfortable, relatively durable and most importantly, inexpensive. Who wants blueberry stains all over a $30 shirt, especially when it will be too small in a month?

However, I do have a drawer of unique shirts and pants of our out-and-about activities, like visiting friends or special outings. This lightning bolt tee from Ashor's Room was a birthday gift and is one of my favorites. It's handmade with raw, unfinished edges for a completely original flair. Looks aside though, it is SO SOFT.

This shirt has been designated the "bad mood" shirt due to the large thundercloud, and has been worn frequently during the past couple of weeks (thanks to those pesky one-year molars). Get one for your little grump too.

There is a little boutique close to our home that sells local women's clothing, yummy smelling home essence, kid's clothes and dolls, and some of the cutest jewelry I've seen in eons. It's a mishmash of all things wonderful, the kind of store that makes you want to linger, smell, and touch. Some of the stuff there is a little too expensive for me, but I stopped in with Nolan this afternoon and I could not possibly resist this little shirt.

The one I bought for Nolan is kelly green, with a brown monkey hanging from the collar with a satisfied little expression. I normally wouldn't pay $ 35.00 for a kids shirt, but the fabric on this is so soft, it begs to be saved for cherished photos. The attached tag assures me: " This t-shirt is different. It is made with free and imaginative spirit combined with the iniest cotton and artisan techniques, creating nothing less than a piece of art." The applique is hand done and I think you can tell: it's gorgeous.

I'm also partial to the stud and sushi shirts. If you're looking for something unusual and special, a list of stores is available here.

I love clothes, especially little kid clothes. Well, little girl clothes, really; there just isn't much out there for the boys, beyond the standard tee and jeans or khakis option. And even the tees are pretty predictable after a while.

Enter Little Dudes Only, which bills itself as "a one stop shop for hip little dudes." Don't be put off by the skater/rocker/punk labels; Little Dudes has an interesting selection of tees and jeans for your budding sartorialist.

My favorite piece is this New York Times tee shirt, which retails for $27.00. I have a five-year-old who recognizes the Times logo; I think he might appreciate this tee. And it's certainly better than yet another Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles tee, don't you think?

My little sister is due with her first child in November, which means our recent phone conversations have morphed from the latest US Weekly gossip to more wholesome subjects, such as baby diapers and shampoo.

She recently asked me what was the one thing I absolutely couldn't live without in the first months, and without hesitation, I yelled, "THE MIRACLE BLANKET"! There are a plethora of baby swaddling blankets on the market (trust me, I know from personal experience), but The Miracle Blanket was the only one that kept my little Houdini from breaking free.

The key is the foot pocket and inner arm flaps that keep babies snug as a bug throughout the night, limiting their Moro reflex. Sure, certain people (my mother, ahem) might take one look and wonder why in the earth a little baby would want to be swaddled. To them I ask, "Did your baby sleep 8 - 10 hours straight every night at 2 months old?". Uh huh, that's what I thought.

Was it the blanket? We'll never know, but we couldn't have made it through the first 4 months without it. Plus, the blankets come in an Eco-friendly, un-dyed cotton version, which is very important to our family.

Well, I guess my sister's baby shower gift won't be too much of a shocker.

Fall is just around the corner. Soon enough, I'll be sitting by the fire, wrapped up in a toasty blanket while keeping warm from the blustery chill outside...wait, what am I talking about? I live by the beach, where the temperature deviates about 15 degrees year-round.

Hey, can't a girl dream?

Even though we don't experience a "typical" fall and winter, the nights do become chilly and I always like to keep a hat handy for my baby. Bla Bla Kids' adorable 100% cotton hats are the perfect cold-weather accessories.

All of Bla Bla Kids' items are made from natural fibers knitted by Peruvian artisans, and are irresistibly soft and warm. We received the "monkey" hat as a shower gift, and our baby has loved it from day one. Take a look for yourself – would he lie to you?

If you have kids, you already know it means a lot of hugs, late nights, and piles of like-new stuff that no longer fits, is needed, or is of interest any longer.

Instead of letting kid crap take over your basement and ooze a trail of clutter up the stairs that winds up spilling into your living quarters, why not try listing it at Mommy Auctions, the new online auction service dedicated to all things kid related.

Created by a mother unimpressed with the clutter and chaos within the baby categories of larger auction sites, Mommy Auctions is an oasis of organization. The only thing found within the "Stroller" category was... strollers! And to save valuable shopping time, subheadings like "Light Weight, Mid-Size, Full Size, Jogging, Double and Triple" were available as well as the option of shopping for strollers by brand name! (Also, unlike the big time auction site, never once did I come across the annoying "GrEaT DeAL ALert! L@@K!" title in any of the auctions.) Because it's a new site, pickings were sort of slim in categories I was interested in (boys clothes size 6 and up) but just like Field of Dreams, with more exposure, the listings will come.

The Mommy Auctions fee system is simple and straightforward. Unlike Ebay, ordinary listings are free (add-ons like bold or highlighted titles and being a featured auctions will cost you extra), setting up your very own stores is free, and the end-of-auction fee is a flat 5% no matter what an item sold for.

As well as being a great place to buy and sell children's items, Mommy Auctions provides forums where parents (well, right now it seems to be mostly mothers) can gather to chat and commiserate on anything that strikes their fancy.

Congratulations to site owner and creator Samantha for turning a great idea into a successful business!

Onesies and T-shirts are fine for most days but sometimes a small child deserves something truly beautiful. Something so timeless that one day she will pass it on to her daughter. The Baby Gardner offers such clothing.

Every garment in The Baby Gardner collection is hand designed with a nostalgia for the past sewn into each item. Dresses are created from materials such as chenille and combined with precious cotton prints to result in adorable clothing that your girl will want to keep for always.

The Baby Gardner also offers cards, scrapbooks, gift tags and numerous other unique gift items that will please just about anybody on your gift giving list. Check out the site for some truly beautiful clothing and cards.

Jason from Dr. MOZ sent in a tip about a new company in Germany called Lutte Leihen that offers a monthly baby clothing rental service to parents in Hamburg, as an alternative to buying items that are quickly outgrown.

For about $30/month, parents receive a shipment of neutral, 100% organic cotton clothing in the requested size. They keep the clothes until they've been outgrown, then return them for a shipment in the next size.

While I love the idea of reducing, reusing, and recycling, I see two problems with this service: first, if you hope to have additional children, oftentimes the initial investment in baby clothes pays off, if you plan on using the clothes with your baby's future siblings.

Second, if your babies were like mine (spit-ups, diaper blow-outs, medicine stains) then you know what I mean when I say it would be stressful to use rented clothing. I'd always be worried about keeping the clothes clean enough to return!

What do you think, Internet? Is this an idea that will catch on in the U.S.?

And thanks to Jason for the link.

So, several weeks ago, at the beginning of August, I found myself once again in the aisles of Babies R Us. I guess I spend most of my weekends traveling to and from BRU to pick up on thing or another. At the front of this store, conveniently located right by the checkout is a little area where they keep seasonal items. When I was there this past August they already had out their Halloween costumes.

At least the first offering of costumes. My friend Tracey warned me not to buy the first thing I saw. Having had the experience herself she said that sure, that stuff was pretty cute, but more was in store in the coming weeks, especially as the actual holiday drew near.

My five month old son is clearly too little to be swayed by one costume over another or costumes in general. Heck, all he knows about BRU is that it's a place filled with fun, fun, fun that makes mommy (and daddy) crazy. I don't think he's the one being marketed to in this case. It's me. It's always been me, and daddy. And this time it worked.

Ellie is in to fashion. She has very distinct ideas about her 'look' and spends a lot of time putting outfits together. I don't even try to buy her clothes without her input anymore - what I pick out almost always ends up being returned. But there is one item of clothing that she still allows me to select for her - pajamas. I guess she figures there is no need to make a fashion statement after the sun goes down.

But apparently, some parents think plain nightgowns or pajamas sets aren't enough and are buying their children premium pajamas. I didn't know such a thing existed, but this article not only exposes the world of pricey pajamas, but speculates on why parents would buy them.

Françoise Shirley owns Sleepyheads.com, a pricey pajama store popular with Hollywood moms. She thinks that shelling out lots of money on sleepwear goes hand in hand with the hyper-parenting we see elsewhere. "The expectations appear to be higher than ever for your child to achieve academically, socially, athletically starting at a very young age. So we as parents want to give them all the tools necessary to do that, so that may include piano lessons at 2, dance lessons at 3, soccer at 4 and along the way the best of the best in everything from food to clothing."

I guess there is nothing wrong with spending lots of money on pajamas for your kids if you can afford it. But to me, it sounds a little like showing off when Tina Lignell, mother of 2-year-old twin girls, talks about the impression her visitors have when they get a look at her kids' fancy sleepwear. "My guests always go wild about the PJs," she says.

When my daughter was first born, I loved everything she did. She'd drool or spit up all over herself, me, and anything within a 5-foot radius of where we were standing, and I'd think: "Awww! That's adorable! I love my new drooling baby!"

This wore off of course, and I soon began to feel like one of the Ghostbusters, constantly collecting gooey ectoplasm from my daughter's drool-soaked clothing.

If only we'd had a Performance Bib. Instead of the cloth bib that you use when you're child is eating, this garment is instead shaped like clothing, and is meant to be worn for hours at a time. Plus, the Performance Bib's "stay-put styling" keeps it in place so it can't move around or get yanked off. Meaning, you can make it through the day with fewer changes, less laundry, and a dryer baby -- awesome!

And it's worth mentioning that the styles are uber-cute. So cute, in fact, that I can't imagine it'll be long before we start seeing these on Shiloh, or Nicole Richie's impending little one.

The bibs will be available to purchase online starting October 1st, and I'm sure if you got in contact with Baby Chaleco (the company that created the Performance Bib), they'll be happy to send you a little reminder when their product goes on sale.

Lead has gotten a lot of press lately, especially with the recent recalls of a whole lotta Mattel toys. Lead, however, is not the only problem you may encounter with products made in China. A New Zealand investigative television show is set to reveal that scientists found 500 times the safe amount of formaldehyde in woolen and cotton clothing made in China.

Research supported by the World Health Organization has shown that as little as 20 parts per million of formaldehyde is enough to cause eye, skin and nasal irritations, respiratory problems, asthma and cancer. In Europe, formaldehyde residues in children's clothes are limited to a maximum of 30ppm. The chemical is used to give a permanent press effect to clothes; clothing should be washed before wearing.

Formaldehyde, unfortunately, isn't the only issue. Chemicals, such as dyes that won't wash out like formaldehyde, were also found in clothing made in New Zealand from Chinese fabric. Apparently, even buying brand names won't protect you. Now, according to one politician, there is a "complete lack of consumer protection for most products in New Zealand." That may be true and we might have stricter regulations here in the states, but given the huge numbers of children's products sold containing lead, I'm not sure that that really offers any comfort.

I remember how anal (for lack of a better term) I was before Nate was born. I so wanted to do the right thing in every instance. It was a lot of pressure that added to an already-ridiculous stress-load.

I spent yesterday unpacking the box marked "0-4 Months" and marveling at how tiny Nate's sleepers and onesies were. I got weepy at the sight of the first onesie he ever wore. (I also realized that no matter how liberal you consider yourself, if you find out you're having a boy in advance, you end up with a lot of blue clothes.)

I also had quite a bit of shock at the breastmilk stains on the collars of just about every item of clothing. At the time, we were living in a one bedroom apartment and we had no washer and dryer. So I would wait until Sundays to go to my mom's and get everything washed. Unfortunately, that would give stains a full week to set and I was too tired to care enough to pre-treat.

The box was stored in a spare bedroom in my mom's house for the past 2.5 years -- after being washed. As a first-time mom I would have washed those wee things all over again. I remember getting into a spat with my mom about my desire to wash all the brand new clothes before Nate had even entered the world. But I'm not so picky this time around. I feel like, "Meh. We washed them before we put them away. No need to make them pristine."

My darling friend, the obsessive and all-knowing Marla, has lovingly offered to soak the clothes in stain remover and hang them in the sunshine to, "kill any bacteria and dust mites that may have accumulated." But I'm wondering if my more-relaxed attitude towards motherhood is normal.

What's your experience been? Were you more lax about things with you second or third children?