AnnaBean Blog Feature + FREE SHIPPING

Hi everyone, we wanted to draw your attention to a recent AnnaBean blog feature on About a Mom!  Angela from About a Mom wrote a great post about us and we encourage you to check it out. 


Also, be sure to shop this weekend with us before our Free Shipping promotion expires on Sunday!

Reading Suggestions for Children

As you're getting ready to send kids off to Preschool or elementary school, you may be in such a rush to find backpacks, lunch bags and more that you forget about getting your child mentally prepared for their first year(s) in school.  


Today, we'll provide you with some interesting facts about kids literacy as well as give you a couple of reading suggestions that both you and child will enjoy!  

"The First Adventures of Incredible You" 

Fact: According to the National Education Association (NEA), 26% of children who were read to 3 or 4 times in the last week by a family member recognized all letters of the alphabet.  Only 14 percent of children who were read to less frequently recognized all letters. 

Inside Pages of "The First Adventures"

A great read for young children is AnnaBean's "The First Adventures of Incredible You".  This award winning book was an Editor's Pick by Pregnancy Magazine (and for good reason)!  


Rich, full color illustrations and 20 personalized details about your child and your family (you type the details on the screen) compose this professionally bound, hardcover book.    

Princess Bubble Book

Fact: Only 54 percent of children ages 3 to 5 were read to daily by a family member according to NEA statistics.  And the more types of reading materials there are in the home, the higher students are in reading proficiency.   


We like the uniquely heroic story of Princess Bubble as it details the modern day fairy tale quest to find happily ever.


Princess Bubble has the castle, the career, and the friends; but according to the Queen, she's missing her Prince.  


This magical story embraces the ideals of self worth and independence as Princess Bubble learns she doesn't need a Prince to get that happily ever after ending.

Inside Pages of Princess Bubble

Pink & Green Nursery Style

Gerber Daisy Crib Bedding by Doodlefish

Spherical Cypress Chandelier 

Today, we are all about the sweet style inspiration from Doodlefish's Gerber Daisy crib bedding.  We like it so much that we've decided to do some imaginative designing of our ideal pink & green nursery room!

AnnaBean's Doodlefish bedding comes with plenty of coordinating items such from diaper stacker to toy bag, but we have a few more to add to the list. 

For lighting, a modern floral-themed chandelier is a nice choice for this bedding.  Crystorama's spherical cypress chandelier is a unique blend of a contemporary floral bouquet design with a vintage hand painted wet white finish. 


AnnaBean's furniture collection includes several Doodlefish designer pieces including the Cottage SS glider featured in the main bedding picture above.  


You can choose from over 150 fabrics, customizing one fabric for your chair and one for cording.  The lime green chair fabric and pink lining works well for our pink & green nursery. 

Fairy Garden Wall Decals

As for artwork, why not go with the same flower power that defines the Gerber Daisy bedding set?  RoomMates fairy garden wall decals provide a fresh garden landscape for any white space in baby's room. 

AnnaBean's kids flower wall paintings feature hand-painted canvasses with rhinestone details. 


To wrap it up, a comfy shaggy rug adds warmth to the room (and gives you plenty of colors to choose from!).  


AnnaBean's nursery shelving includes the country cottage shelves by New Arrivals. These antique style shelving units come in pink, green, and white and can hold baby's mementos as well as adorable plush toys. 

Sunny Flower Framed Print

NEW: Harry Potter & Captain America Wall Decals

Make way for the movie blockbusters of the summer!  With the latest releases of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 And Captain America: The First Avenger, we are so excited to bring our favorite Marvel superhero and the magic of the wizarding world to your child's room!

Ron Wall Decal, Harry Potter Wall Decal, Hermione Wall Decal

The RoomMates collection now includes giant sized artistic depictions of Harry Potter characters wall art standing over four feet tall when assembled.  Each character comes in an individual decal package, but you can still put them all together for an action-filled adventure.

Captain America Wall Decal

The giant sized AnnaBean Captain America wall decal from RoomMates is a stand-out selection perfect for boys room.   

This wall decor piece features authentic art from the 2011 film, sure to please young comic book fans.  

All of our peel & stick wall decals feature a re-moveable and re-positionable design in which you simply peel each pre-cut portion from the liner and stick on to wall, moving the design around to suit the style of your child's room.

Have your child's room reflect their creative interests with the characters and heroes that inspire them! 

5 Favorites Under $50!

Since AnnaBean's Free Shipping discount is ending this Sunday, July 31st, we'd like to showcase some of our favorite items under $50 that you can get shipped at no cost to your home now!  

First on our list is the Race Me Car Wall Stickers by Wallcandy Arts.  These energetic peel & stick wall decals cover child's wall with 10 movable and reusable race cars, 84 roadway lines, trees, flags, and signs at a bargain price of just $48.


AnnaBean's chalkboard placemat by Doodlebugz makes playtime an artful adventure with a compact, roll-up chalkboard design perfect for back to school shopping (and just $14)!

4. Zebra Print with Hot Pink Marabou

Give grandma and grandpa a precious memento with the Grandkids ceramic frame by Little Worm.  Hand-painted personalization and so much charm for $40.


AnnaBean's zebra print hat from Jamie Rae is a fabulous printed hat for girl with a hot pink marabou embellishment.  100% super soft cotton designs for $26!


Finally, our last item to round out the favorites of this week also happens to be a great back to school bargain for parents.  

5.  Polka Dots Messenger Bag by Wildkin

The polka dots children's messenger bag by Wildkin is a brand new style featuring a pink background and multi-colored polka dots ($32).  


With multiple styles to choose from, AnnaBean's children messenger bags are an ideal school bag choice with adjustable padded shoulder straps, multiple storage pockets and plenty of space for books, calculators and other accessories.


Find your own favorites of the week and enjoy free shipping on us!
   

Back to School Shopping Preview Special!

While it may still seem as though summer's just started, kids will be heading back to school again in just another month.  For those of you early planners who are starting the back to school shopping, AnnaBean's new kids backpacks from designer Wildkin are something to look out for!  

The three backpacks above feature the unique carrying styles and prints of Wildkin's newest backpacks.  The lady bug children's pack n' snack is a super functional bag that serves as a lunch bag as well with a spacious food-safe insulated front pocket. 

AnnaBean's Olive Kids sidekick backpacks by Wildkin comes ready for school, sleepover or camping trim with a durable exterior and interior nylon lining.  The robot sidekick backpack above features multi-colored zany robots looking to inspire lots of smiles in school!

Another great style is AnnaBean's roller backpacks, which provide all of the creative accessories the modern kid needs.  From a pocket and porthole for an mp3 player to a backpad that flips down and covers  wheels, the horses in pink high roller backpack is a great bag for school and travel. 

Daisy Day Insulated Lunch Pod

In addition to backpacks, check out our insulated lunch pods and adorable nap mats.  Our insulated lunch pods keep the warmth or cold in and our innovative nap mats come with an all-in-one pillow, comforter and attached poly-filled flannel blanket. 


Both our nap mats and lunch bags come in coordinating pattern and theme styles to a wide selection of our backpacks. 

Buy now and get Free Shipping on All Orders before our special promotion ends July 31!

A Ballerina Inspiration

Baby Ballerina Two Piece Layette set by Baby Aspen

We at AnnaBean love beautiful things for babies.  As I was looking through our website for something to write about today, I came across the adorable Baby Ballerina two piece layette set by Baby Aspen.  

Ballerina Personalized Canvas

And then I realized just how much ballerina artwork, clothing, and accessories we have that exemplifies beauty, grace and charm. 


AnnaBean's ballerina artwork collection features custom designs from Doodlefish with options for personalizing certain canvases.  

Ballerina Crib Bedding by Hoohobbers

AnnaBean's ballerina crib bedding by Hoohobbers features graceful ballerinas dancing across baby's bumper and crib skirt in a magical expression of color. 


This bedding piece is perfect for the ballerina themed room and comes with all of the essential coordinating room accessories from a ballerina diaper stacker, table/floor lamp, window valences and more. 


The final two ballerina pieces we'd like to show off today prepare little girl for her center-stage solo!


Rub a Dub Dub is well known for making totes and bags, but it also makes fantastic clothing for babies.  AnnaBean's personalized tutu and tees from the designer are a fine fit for your little prima ballerina. 

Lilac Personalized Tutu & Tee by Rub a Dub Dub

The lilac personalized tutu and tee set is constructed from 100% cotton fabric for baby's ultimate comfort.  


This makes for a great gift as well with options to personalize an initial on the tee and baby's full name on the bloomers!


Pair it with some ballerina tights and you've got a picture perfect outfit.  

Diaper Bag Reviews from Pregnancy&Newborn

Reading a review on a diaper bag you're interested in can be extremely helpful when cutting down the list of all those lovely bags you've picked out.  We at AnnaBean want to share some of Pregnancy&Newborn's latest diaper bag reviews from the expert writers and editors at the magazine. 

Jungle Leather Slouch Tote by OiOi

AnnaBean's designer diaper bag collection wouldn't be complete without the daring designs of OiOi.  Pregnancy&Newborn's review for the Jungle Leather Slouch tote couldn't be better with writer Angela stating,

 "Overall this is certainly my favorite diaper bag I've ever owned.  I love that I can--and absolutely will--use it as a purse long after I'm done using it as a diaper bag. After all, dragging this bag all over town only enhances its rugged leather exterior, so it will just get better with age".

Dawn Convertible Diaper bag by Timi & Leslie

A very different, but equally charming bag is AnnaBean's Dawn convertible bag by Timi & Leslie. 


As the P&N's reviewer Steph said, Dawn is definitely large and in charge.  This is a spacious diaper bag that comes with all of the essentials and then some (as you can see on the left).  


Because of its size, it's an organizational masterpiece with several interior and exterior pockets as well as additional straps for carrying it on the stroller. 

Review: "She's a perfect 10 in the diaper bag world: practical , classy, and made to last via durable construction".

Kalencom Meris Duffle Bag by Amy Butler

The Meris Duffle Bag (shown above in temple tulips turquoise), has long been heralded as the ultimate travel companion.  Coming in 4 different floral patterns, this durable diaper bag features organic cotton fabric with woven trim and well-constructed leather handles and piping for carry.  

P&N reviewer Lacey writes: "The first thing I truly appreciated about this bag was its unique shape.  It's tall and thin, which is a good thing for a number of reasons.  Firstly it packs up nicely  with everything sitting in neat little piles inside the bag...Secondly, the long, skinny shape allows me to squeeze easily in tight places".  

Jessica Messenger Bag in Pink Paisley by Bumble

Our last pick from the dozens of bags reviewed is AnnaBean's Jessica Messenger Bag from the Bumble collection. 


This bag is probably the most mom-friendly bag around (and just for $90) as it features a comfortable, adjustable messenger carry style with soft, lightweight fabrics.  

Reviewer Ginny commented, "The entire bag is machine washable.  That means  it's bound to last as long as you want it to...and that may be a long time!" 

Happy Shopping to All!

NEW: Baby Shower Gift Sets by Baby Aspen

Pink Terry Robe by Baby Aspen

Everyone knows the real fun for mom begins when it's time to open presents at the baby shower!  AnnaBean's Baby Aspen gift sets are all so fabulously designed with thoughtful customization, practicality of use, and superior presentation.  

Sweet Feet Sock Scoop Gift Set

And we are thrilled to announce brand NEW gift sets to our lovely designer collection.  


The pink terry shark robe (above) wraps baby in the supremely crafted warmth of terry fabrics with a unique hooded shark design complete with fin and teeth.


Add custom embroidery with baby's name to make this gift extra special for both mom and baby. 

AnnaBean's sock gift set by Baby Aspen is a simple, yet charming present for baby.  The ice-cream style presentation set comes in pink fabrics for girl and blue for boy. The adorable white sprinkle detail on the socks doubles as a secure rubber traction sole to protect baby from slipping or falling. 

"Feathering the Nest" 4-piece Layette Gift Set

AnnaBean's baby gift sets stand out from the crowd as they are beautifully designed pieces for baby with added functionality for mom.  Another plus is the instant wow factor in presentation!


One of our favorite designs from the new Baby Aspen collection is the imaginative "Feathering the Nest" 4-piece layette gift set. 


While this set won't be available until October, it deserves some anticipated attention.  The 4 piece set comes with bodysuit, cable-knit cap, knit booties, and cable knit lovie.  


Presentation is key with this set as it features a layette set resting in a rich brown woven nest that is tied with a wide cream-colored satin ribbon and bow with a thoughtful "To, From" tag.  See for yourself below!

"Feathering the Nest" 4-piece Layette Gift Set

Browse through our baby shower gifts for a complete collection of Baby Aspen's newest sets at affordable prices (the shark terry robe is just $30 while the sock set is $12 and the Layette gift set is $37)!

Vintage Wall Hangings

Vintage Boy Wall Hanging  by Twinkabella

The gravity defying 80's big hair style may never become vintage, but we can rely on some classic vintage looks that will never go out of style. 


This summer, we've really been fascinated with vintage nursery room designs and artwork.  And after looking through our blog topics, I'm sad to say we've overlooked one of our centerpiece artwork collection pieces. 


AnnaBean's vintage wall hangings have that old world charm of a noble castle tapestry with the modern freedom of personalization.  These hand-painted wall hangings feature exquisite fairy and nature themes with detailed letter designs made for nursery or child's room.  


The signature boys wall hanging to the right is a classic design with fairies and trees customized with boy's name trimmed in matching fabric.  The Twinkabella wall hangings come ready to hang with a classic wooden dowel and ribbon. 

Flowers & Polka Dots Wall Hanging

AnnaBean's flowers & polka dots wall hanging by Twinkabella is a beautiful design for girl's room with bold red and pink accent colors.  You can personalize all of our wall hangings with up to 5 letters for child's name or monogram. 

Flower Power Wall Hanging by Twinkabella

The Flower Power wall hanging to the right is a fun piece from Twinkabella with nursery rhyme style letters and a powder blue flower canvas design perfect for baby's nursery.


GO Vintage and check out AnnaBean's room decor collection with more vintage artwork and accessories for kids room!

GIVEAWAY: Celebrate Christmas in July with AnnaBean!

Christmas in December is always wonderful.  And because it is so great (and we miss it so much), we at AnnaBean want to treat our readers to a special celebration of holiday spirit with our Christmas in July Giveaway!  

Jingle Bell Rock Musical Skirt by Acting Out Dress Up

We will be giving away this Jingle Bell Rock musical skirt from Acting Out Dress Up.  This charming petticoat style skirt plays "Jingle Bell Rock" with a motion activated player (don't worry, there is an on/off switch!).  Acting Out Dress Up's musical skirts have been featured on The Today Show and The View, and they certainly live up to the hype. 


Head on over to our Facebook Page to enter the contest today.  More importantly, get in the holiday spirit and have a Christmas in July party or dress up the kids and make cookies, it's time to celebrate!

Personalized Baby Shower Favors

Champagne Bucket Timer by Kate Aspen

Baby shower favors are never easy to shop for.  You want to find something memorable and thoughtful, and maybe even something practical that friends and family could use.  

We at AnnaBean know the value of a favor that is personalized and meaningful as well as having some everyday use.  And so we bring you the latest personalized baby shower favors from top designer Kate Aspen!

Personalized Clover Honey Set by Kate Aspen

While the Champagne Bucket Timer above is probably not a favor with everyday use, it does come in handy during those wonderful celebratory events!  

AnnaBean's personalized baby favor feature a bubbly bottle nestled in a silver finish bucket with detailed glass ice cubes.  

This sweet gift is fully functional as the bottom of the bucket twists to countdown any interval from 1 minute to an hour. 

And, best of all, you can personalize each favor with tag style and color as well as the name and date of your baby shower. 

If you're looking for more of a treat, AnnaBean's personalized clover honey set sweetens the deal with delicious gourmet clover honey packaged in a 1 3/4 oz jar.

Personalized Baby Measuring Tape by Kate Aspen

Adorable and practical, Kate Aspen's personalized baby measuring tape favor set will get plenty of attention at your party.  

Packaged in a sheer white organza pouch with matching satin ribbon, these favors feature charming presentation and excel in usefulness.

The retractable tape measure extends to 60" and allows you to personalize with sticker design, sticker color, and baby shower name and date. 

If you happen to be a guest at the shower, browse through our collection of personalized gifts and baby shower gifts for mom&baby!

Modern Girls Room Design

As girl grows up and out of her nursery, it comes time to re-design her room.  At AnnaBean, we like to strike the balance between toddler and tween, giving girl a room that's young, fun and modern.  Check out our ideas for girl's modern bedroom design!


Girls Bedding: 

Boutique Pink Duvet by Caden Lane

We chose the boutique pink duvet by Caden Lane for this modern girls room.  This makes a great bedding set for the modern room as it combines several different fabric patterns with trim, pillow, sheets and duvet.  


From pink zebra to a timeless floral garden pattern and  finishing with a unique rose design on the blue duvet cover, this set is bold and unafraid to mix and match styles. 


Rug:


You'll see we choose a lot of modern floral accessories and decor for this particular design, so we decided to bring out the zebra print with our choice of rug. AnnaBean's tiger boo rug from The Rug Market is a fantastically animated style that coordinates with the pink zebra trim of Caden Lane's bedding. 

Tiger Boo Rug by The Rug Market

Lighting:

Cypress Wall Sconce

We make the room really stand out with these charming lighting embellishments.  Choosing to decorate girl's modern room with chandeliers and wall sconces would seem to clash with our modern design, but instead it really dresses up the room and creates a warm environment with floral accents that play up the bedding. 

The Cypress white wall sconce by Crystorama is a blend of modern and vintage with a hand-painted wet white wrought iron finish and the gorgeous blooming rose design.

AnnaBean's modern cypress flush mount chandelier by Crystorama  features the same wet white wrought iron finish with a stunning bouquet of roses that compliments the rose style duvet cover of our boutique bedding.

Modern Cypress Flush Mount Chandelier

Wall Decor & Room Accessories: 

Paris Wall Decal

And now, the finishing touches! Using decorative drawer pulls in girls room is a great way to add personality and flavor to dressers and other furniture. 

Jubilee's white circle drawer pulls feature a faceted crystal ball with a white scroll engraved metal circle.  

Add in New Arrivals classic antique white scalloped floor mirror and modern wall decals to create that same blend of modern and vintage we see in our choice bedding set. 

We especially adore the Paris wall decal set by RoomMates.  Hot air balloons rise up with the clouds around the centerpiece Eiffel Tower applique.  

With a dash of vintage and a full serving of modern, our girls room design of the day is complete!    

Infant Summer Dresses

Green Garden Princess Pique Dress

Now that the holiday weekend is officially over and we're slowly getting back to reality, we want to focus the spotlight on something fun and adorable...AnnaBean's girls summer dresses!  Our fabulous collection of personalized and custom made styles are hand-crafted from soft cotton fabrics from top baby designers like Princess Linens and Little Things Mean a Lot.

Girls White Pique Dress with Light Pink Sash

The charming white pique dress with light pink sash from Princess Linens is a brand new addition to AnnaBean's girls clothing collection.


You can personalize the sash with baby's name, initial or monogram in your choice of nearly a dozen different font styles.  


This makes a great gift for girls' first birthday or a holiday as you can coordinate her dress with a matching fancy pants diaper cover as well as additional sashes. AnnaBean's monogrammed dresses really have that extra personal touch that make a memorable gift to both parents and baby.


Our cotton daisy baby girl dress is another lovely gift option that keeps it simple and sweet.  Little Things Mean a Lot's handmade daisy floral print dress features elegant pin tucking and buttons in 100% cotton fabric.  

Cotton Daisy Baby Girl Dress

Dress baby girl in style and soft fabric comfort with AnnaBean's spring/summer collection!

NEW: Table and Chair Sets from Guidecraft!

We love announcing new additions to the AnnaBean collection.  And we are so happy to announce the arrival of brand new Guidecraft furniture to the mix!  

Sweetie Pie Children's Table and Chair Set

Guidecraft's detailed craftsmanship

Ladybugs and dragonflies flit from flower to flower on the Sweetie Pie table set.  Little girls will love playing with dolls or having a lunch break with this whimsically imaginative design.

AnnaBean's kids table and chair sets from Guidecraft feature hand-carved, hand-painted designs with angled and turned hardwood legs to prevent tipping.  These artfully crafted sets come with two chairs and table.   

Another new set is the rich espresso table design of AnnaBean's Discovery children's table and chair set.  

Guidecraft's simple table design gives you an easily coordinating furniture piece that child can use for homework, coloring, or simply playing with friends. 

Discovery Children's Table and Chair Set

Keep updated on all our new products here on the blog.  And Happy Fourth of July to all!