The coolest ride-on toy you'll ever see

For reasons completely beyond me, I'm a sucker for cool vehicular toys. I'm not sure why, as I've never really been particularly into real size cars but look at how amazingly cool this Metal Speedcar Racer is... and it's a toddler ride-on! I found this via Cool Mom Picks, one of my favorite websites for all things, well, cool and mom related.

We already have a TON of ride-on toys, as in, at least three, so I'm not sure I can justify the purchase of another without getting death glares from my husband, but this is also, in my opinion, extremely reasonably priced at $60 as it's currently available from Design Within Reach at half price.

Who wants one?!

nyc baby, child and family photographer & architect alethea cheng fitzpatrick is based in brooklyn. she specializes in baby photography as interior design & interior design for babies. view her portfolio of babies, children or families or send her an e-mail here!

Hape E-Offroader - museum or playground?!

I love toys that look like they'd be at home in both a design museum and at the playground. It's one of the keys to maintaining a stylish yet kid-friendly home - don't fight the toys, pick ones that you'd like to look at too!

The E-Offroader from Hape looks like it scores on all fronts. Good looking enough to be welcome at any photo session, appealing enough to kids to cause envy at the sandbox, and made from environmentally friendly bamboo and coated in safe, non-toxic, water-based paint, the E-Offroader even has rubber coated wheels so your floors won't get scuffed!

I haven't seen this in person... but I want to! For Liam, of course...

Available for purchase at Oompa.

nyc baby, child and family photographer & architect alethea cheng fitzpatrick is based in brooklyn. she specializes in baby photography as interior design & interior design for babies. view her portfolio of babies, children or families or send her an e-mail here!

Who has the best room in your house?

Our son has the best room in the house. It's the biggest room, with high ceilings and almost floor-to-ceiling windows with great light. I designed it kind of as a mini-photography studio, very aware that a lot of photos would be take in this room, and many an afternoon have been spent with him playing and me clicking.

This photo was taken about a month ago in gorgeous afternoon light. I started out taking iphone photos, but it was so beautiful I had to grab the "real" camera, and for a change the focus was not so much on him as on the feeling of the room, strewn toys and all.

It's definitely a challenge, keeping the toys under control, but actually, a big expanse of open carpet does not make for an interesting photo so from that point of view the messier the better!

Usually I like all the bright colors of the toys, but this image was more atmospheric in black and white.

And yes, that blank wall really needs some photos. The shoemaker's children and all that...

nyc baby, child and family photographer alethea cheng fitzpatrick is based in brooklyn and specializes in contemporary, natural light portraiture. view her portfolio of babies, children or families or send her an e-mail here!