Hey, baby, the Domestic Goddess has goodies for you

WANNA HAVE a baby? Well, you can't get there from here without the proper gear. You've got to suit up for this event. It's a long haul and requires the skill of a decathlon champion (see how cleverly we worked in Olympics angle?). Only the events differ: patience under pressure; lack-of-sleep performance; high-speed poo-cleaning; efficiency burping; car-seat wrestling and its cousin, stroller folding; diaper wrangling; crying endurance; the spit-up catch and toss, and the rocking-chair marathon.

Game on.

Gear up

New Seattle mother Pamela Sitt Boyd finds herself at home with one fairly new baby and wayyy too many go-withs. What to do. The ever-resourceful Ms. Boyd, a former writer at this newspaper, came up with her own take on Craigslist for area moms.

Thus was born clarasmom.com. As she tells shoppers on her pretty-in-pink website (note nighttime toggle for late-night reading while feeding), "See something you like? Just contact the seller and arrange to pick it up. No item is too small. When you're a mom, every dollar counts!"

What can you find? I happen to know of a sweet Burberry infant coat available this very day: was $150, now $50. No? Hardly used FuzziBunz and BumGenius cloth diapers; $20 each, now $8 a pop. Or the Gentle Giraffe sleep sound machine; $24, available for $12. Also the Melissa & Doug wooden pull toy; $20, $8 there.

Ms. Boyd remains amazed by her amazing growing baby, but "I don't want to ship anything, or consign anything, or sign up for anything." Amazing growing baby is website's namesake, daughter Clara Louise.

A hoot of a hat

Elsewhere about town, when baby Sadie came along, her design-minded mother, Suzy Fairchild, saw that, darnit, Sadie needed a hat. A good hat. A hat that would stay on, shade eyes. Such a hat, Suzy imagined, would cover Sadie for all of our weather occasions: sunny, windy, rainy, snowy. Sometimes all in one day.

The owner of the Frock Shop on Phinney Ridge comes by the garment business naturally; fashion-design degree from London, designed for Nordstrom.

The result is an elfin reversible hat with visor and Velcro fastener (holds and breaks away to prevent choking). Hat can be put on with one hand (important to moms with only two of those). Seen here is the well-named Flora & Fawn Pixie Hoot (yes, hoot), $18. Britches, such as Brown Monkey Bum Pants, $24, also offered.

Materials are organic, environmentally sustainable. Find at finer baby shops and at hootorganic.com. Shout-out to newest baby, Juniper. June Bug to Grandma.

Be cool, li'l dude

"Everything you need for your punk-rock baby."

Yes, go on ...

"Jaminga has Cool, Punk Rock, Rock 'n' Roll, Rockabilly, Metal and Edgy Baby Clothes, Crib Set Bedding, Blankets, Diaper Bags and Gifts for Alternative Parents and their Babies."

So this is where the rocker babies shop! Also for you gift-givers who just aren't into blue, pink, duckies and other whatnoties. How about newborn leg warmers with skulls or a nice cheetah print ($12.49)? A black beanie hat with a big skull to go with ($19.99)? There's more. Much more: the Punk Rock Baby Bib & Burp Gift Set in a lovely tattoo print ($17.98), Punk Baby Onesie or Toddler T-shirt in Koi Lotus White or Skull Crown & Roses ($19.99).

For the parents of such a hip new human? The Rockabilly Johnny Cash Diaper Bag, of course. Comes in black with shimmery gold print. Small type says, "The Man in Black."

Goddess-reader discount alert (10 percent)! Discount code: Seattle. Good through July 2013. jaminga.com.

Reach out to The Goddess at bteagarden@seattletimes.com. The Goddess is also very Pinteresting. Find her there at http://pinterest.com/rtea/.

By Rebecca Teagarden