They’re called ABC Cups and besides being ridiculously good looking, they also work on several crucial levels.

First, thanks to their cool design, ABC Cups are party decorations onto themselves. Second, the fact that each paper cup has a different letter makes it easy to remember which cup is yours (translation: fewer abandoned cups, quicker clean-up and less waste). And last but not least…what better way to learn the alphabet than while whooping it up at a party?

Available at pintsizesocial.com.

>>GIVEAWAY ALERT: Tell us how you’d use your ABC Cups on our Facebook Wall and you’ll be entered to win a set for your next event – whatever that may be!

Translation: Those of you who already spent a bundle on nursery and playroom furniture can breathe a sigh of relief. It’s time to introduce a few low-cost, high-impact items into the mix – items like the Toytoy Cardboard Armchair.

The Toytoy Cardboard Armchair looks just like it sounds – absolutely adorable. Available in small, medium and large sizes, the chair is lightweight, sturdy and entirely recyclable. Best of all, it comes complete with a little storage compartment and costs only $19.99.

What better way to compliment your Jonathan Adler Junior anchor rug?

Available at toytoy.ca. Enter code TOYS2010-26.07 and get a one free chair for every two you buy. Must buy three chairs. Refund for one chair will be provided after checkout.

Now, you can add another bright idea to that list – it’s called the Magic Stroller Bag and it’s going to revolutionize your daily walks with baby.

The lightweight and roomy Magic Stroller Bag was invented specifically with the needs of parents in mind. Featuring two large grommets, the Magic Stroller Bag slips easily over the handles of most umbrella strollers – making any and all complaints about heavy diaper bags, unwieldy straps and smallish underbaskets a thing of the past.

Which is just the good news we were looking for after last night’s tearful farewell to Kristin, Speidi, Justin Bobby and the gang.

Available at pintsizesocial.com.

>>GIVEAWAY: Tell us why you’re ready to ditch your old diaper bag at Mamaista’s Babble blog and you might just get to exchange it for this one!

Seriously, how is she supposed to grow up to be the next O’Keeffe if you can’t even display her early work?

Thanks to Simply Create’s Masterpiece Montage, you can keep your 650G tape-mark free. Simply Create will take your children’s works of art and turn them into proper posters. All you have to do is send in some pics of the originals and wait as your Masterpiece Montage is custom made just for you.

The finished product will look like a professional print, perfect for wall mounting – so you can leave your status fridge alone.

Available at etsy.com.

>>Babble Double Take: Visit Mamaista’s blog on Babble to view more pics and a designer’s take on the art collage concept.

But who needs Grace Adler (or sour design grapes, for that matter) when you’ve got the right names in your Plaxo?

Certainly not your kids, who’ll be sitting pretty on cool modern pieces if you just include MiniBoom in your interior design arsenal. A sophisticated line of children’s furniture from Boom Studio, MiniBoom can give your kids’ room that extravagantly understated look everyone is after these days.

So your kids can be spared the torments of design envy…even if it’s too late for their parents.

Available at boomusa.com.

Enter the SoYoung Mother lunch boxes.

Made of coated linen and featuring retro-inspired designs, these instant classics will go great with Marc Jacobs and Little Marc Jacobs alike. And since SoYoung Mother lunch boxes can be worn either backpack or messenger style, they’re the perfect compliment for adventures that require both hands.

Best of all, when the teachers see your tot’s smart style, they’ll automatically assume she’s a genius. Just think, this could be the first step on the road to that Princeton eating club membership – where, by the way, a SoYoung Mother lunch box wouldn’t look at all out of place.

Available at soyoungmother.com. Get 10 percent off your order when you enter code “MAB” at checkout through June 30.

>>GIVEAWAY ALERT: Post on our Facebook Wall or on Babble which SoYoung Mother lunch box design is your favorite and you’ll be entered to win it for your little preschooler.

After all, why settle for generic wall letters when you can just as easily elevate your tot’s tastes with the objet d’art that is Bookhou’s Alphabet?

Perfect for hanging on the wall, centering within a frame of your choosing or just leaning on a shelf, the Bookhou Alphabet is an ideal complement to any nursery steeped in the principles of Scandinavian design and the Mid-Century Modern aesthetic.

Not to jump on the Mad Men bandwagon, but let’s just say Betty Draper would kill for one of these…

Available at bookhou.com.

It could be a blankie, a cool picture that hung over your bed, or the little spoon with the teddy bear handle that you used until the kids in seventh grade started looking at you funny.

Trying to create equally fond memories for our babies is not always easy. Then again, sometimes it’s a breeze. Like when you stumble upon a gem such as the Smiling Planet Plates.

Made entirely out of recycled medical grade plastic (read: 100% lead-, phthalates-, toxic ink-, and BPA-free), Smiling Planet Plates feature a deep side to keep the food from wandering off. Of course, what really makes the Smiling Planet plates so memorable are their quirky, mesmerizing designs. Well, that and the fact that they’re basically unbreakable — kinda hard to forget something that never goes away…

Available at smilingplanet.net.

***GIVEAWAY ALERT!! Tell us which Smiling Planet Plate is your fave on our Facebook Wall and you can win a set of five plates of your choice for your next picnic or dinner party!

Thanks to Hudson Paint, there is. Hudson Paint has elevated chalkboard paint to an art by expanding the color palette to 24 shades. Which means that you can encourage creativity and self-expression without having to sacrifice the decor with anything as unsightly as a black or army green wall.

Better still, next time Junior breaks something trying to play indoor baseball, you’ll know just what to do. Here’s a hint:

I won’t play ball in the house again.
I won’t play ball in the house again.
I won’t play ball in the house again.

Available at hudsonpaint.com.

>>GIVEAWAY ALERT: Post on our Facebook Wall about what Hudson Paint Color Chalkboard you’d want for your tyke’s room and you can be one of three winners to get a quart of the Color Chalkboard Paint of their choice!

* Mamaista Loves: SkinnyScoop is a quick and easy online surveying tool that helps moms who want the skinny get the scoop.  Finally, a sane way to get a sanity check. What is the average number of jeans a mom like you has in her closet? Giveaway alert: You could win $500 cash for inviting a friend to join!

Oh..okay, maybe that’s just us. But the truth is, it would be a cute look if it weren’t for one thing: That musty old suitcase odor. Pee yoo!

Ah, the things we learn through trial and error. Lucky for you, your kids can have that chic, travel-themed decor and all the storage space that comes with it sans the scent of grandmama’s mothballs thanks to the colorful, Fifties-inspired suitcases from Land of Nod.

Designed to look just like the real thing, these retro weekender suitcases add a burst of color to any kid’s room, come in two sizes, and are perfect for housing and organizing anything from blocks to art supplies.

Available at landofnod.com.