Where to Wednesday: The New York Baby Show

This past weekend, I attended the New York Baby Show. It’s the second year in a row that I attended, and it’s a wonderful event, jam packed with all you need to know about baby products and gear. In addition to having tons to look at and try, I feel that the people staffing each booth are extra helpful and spend all the time you need answering questions and recommending what’s best for your family. It’s very hands on and a lot of fun.

When I attended last year, I was pregnant with Tommy. I spent a lot of time checking out all of the gear. I was shocked at how much had changed in the few years since my last baby was born. It was at the New York Baby show that I decided on which infant carrier I would get for Tommy. This year, I was interested in checking out all of the baby food and snacks. Tommy just started solids and I couldn’t believe how many new products there are from some of my favorite baby food brands. I brought home some Happy Family Teethers and they’ve been a huge hit (especially the blueberry & purple carrot). This year, I was able to kick back and relax in the Momtrends Blogger Lounge. This made a morning of browsing baby products all the more enjoyable. Momtrends always knows how to host a great event, and their lounge featured some top products and pampering for moms, thanks to Glamsquad.

Another reason I enjoy the New York Baby Show, is finding new products from some of my favorite brands. We’ve had HABA toys and bakeware for years now, but I couldn’t believe how many new things they have and how many categories of toys they make that I didn’t even know about. For example, their play houses and tents are adorable!

Skip Hop, another household favorite, had so many great products to check out. In addition to browsing what they were showcasing, I had a chance to chat with their booth’s staff about the adorable new backpack/lunch box characters coming out this summer (stay tuned!).

The New York Baby Show is also a great place to discover new brands. I’ve heard about Lucy Darling from a few friends lately, but had never seen her designs in person. Their booth at the baby show was so pretty! I ended up buying their cute baby book for Tommy.

A company that was brand new to me, was Primary. They create beautiful basics for kids and all items are under $25. It’s so hard to find good quality, solid colored clothes for babies and kids. I was really impressed with what Primary had and how soft all the items were.

The show was sponsored by Canon. In addition to a huge booth in the center of the show that featured their products, Canon was giving tips and seminars throughout the day. They were doing their best to help parents take great pictures of their babies and children. They took time to help me explore some of the features of my new camera.

Before I left, I had the chance to meet and interview fellow Mom, Erica Hill of Weekend TODAY. I enjoy watching the show and I was thrilled to have a chance to ask her some questions about parenting. We talked about the show’s commitment to parenting and how important it is for her and co-anchor Sheinelle Jones to cover issues that parents want to learn about. I asked Erica what she thought the hardest thing about being a mom was and she replied “temper tantrums and trying not to lose patience”. It was comforting for me to hear, because I find very few days go by that I don’t lose my patience. I also asked Erica about her favorite thing about being a mom. She said “she couldn’t choose just one thing!” Erica loves when her children make her laugh. She loves listening to them and watching them interact. She really cherishes those moments. It was such a pleasure speaking with Erica and having a chance to share parenting memories and moments with one of my favorite tv anchors!

The New York Baby Show was a great morning in New York City. If you’re expecting or have a baby at home, I highly recommend attending the next show.