Meet Stella and Henry.  Stella is one of my good friends from high school, and she is an amazingly great gal.  And she’s Henry’s mom.  I don’t think it gets any better than that, since he’s one of the cutest little guys I’ve ever seen!  I recently asked Stella if she’d be willing to share some of her thoughts on being a new mom, her advice and her own frugal tips.  I know you’ll adore this interview, it’s full of great ideas…not to mention adorable baby pictures!  Seriously, what’s not to love?

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and about being a new mom.

I am a Wisconsin native who has been married about five years to my husband Dave. We met at UW-Madison and stayed here in Madison after we graduated. Prior to becoming a mom, I worked at the UW in research administration for four years. My son Henry was born in August 2010. Now I’m a stay-at-home mom. I love that I get to spend lots of time with Henry. Staying home with him definitely takes a different skill set than my previous job. …

Maybe it’s the kid in me, but I love shopping for the kiddos on my Christmas list every year.  There are so many great toys out there, so it makes it really hard to choose.  We recently went to a local toy store called Dilly Dally’s and none of us wanted to leave.  From noise makers to colorful stuffed animals…toys bring out the fun and laughter in all of us.  Here are my picks for gifting this year, and of course all of them are under $25 too!

1.  Diary Suitcase Kit from Paper Source for $19.95

2.  Charlie Harper Flash Cards from Anthropologie for $14.95

3.  Les Animals Les Cat from Lou Lou’s Corner for $21.95

4.  Pocket Size Etch A Sketch from Think Fast Toys for $6.99

9.  3-D Doodle Kit from Fred Flare for $10

5.  Game Pens from Pottery Barn Kids for $9

6.  Build It, Steam It Kit from Kate’s Paperie for $8

7.  Cozy …

I was just browsing the Huffington Post, and ran across an article entitled “Most EXPENSIVE Kids’ Clothes: Which are Outrageous?”  Many of the items were from Saks, Neiman Marcus, etc.  While some of them were lovely, many topped $200. Seeing as kids grow so fast, it seems crazy that their clothes could cost so much. So, I decided to compile an assortment of items that are both stylish and inexpensive.   I just wish they came in adult sizes, especially the glitter flats!

1.  Girls Ruffled Coat from Old Navy for $39.50

2.  Floral Corduroy Dress from the Gap for $19.99

3.  Girls Long Sleeve Tee in Yellow from Target for $5.99

4.  Girls Microtwill Pouf Skirt from Crew Cuts for $39.99

5.  Sparkle Flats by Steve Madden for AE for $39

6.  Rosie Flo’s Coloring Book from Paper Source for $8.99

7.  Cowl Neck Knit Dress from Forever 21 for Kids for $10.90

8.  Girls Glamour Headband …

What can I say?  Etsy Rocks!  It’s the perfect place to find eco-friendly and organic items, all within a reasonable price range.  I am loving these baby finds, all of them are equally good for the earth and stylish too.  So yes it’s totally easy to be green with these awesome baby goods:

1-  Green Organic Baby Hat with Interchangeable Flowers for $25:  Tayuh Tate

2-  Organic Baby Bib for $17: Down Home Amy

3-  Tiny Beige Shoes for $20: Vixigirl

4-  Baby Tate Milk and Honey Lavender Soap for $7: Pipertate

5-  Annicke Mouse for $28: Hazel Village

6-  Organic Cotton Bag for $68:  Retrofield

**  This is a wonderful diaper bag, and it can easily be used as an everyday bag later on!  Buying a bag that does double duty will help save money too.