Where Was This 4 Years Ago?

I was zipping through the detergent aisle at Target this afternoon when I noticed the Dreft Portable Pretreater Pen. I love it! You can put it in your diaper bag and whip it out when your baby spits up or has poo-poo leakage on the go. That way you don't end up with yellow spots all over those expensive Baby LuLu outfits. I love the smell of Dreft, it's yummy baby goodness. And it is really mild for newborn skin. This little pen would be a welcome addition to any diaper bag, or a really cute topper for a shower gift. Like I said, it's available at Target for about $4 and I'm willing to bet it's at Baby's R Us, if you are lucky enough to live near one.

Win A Fancy Nancy Doll For Your Fancy Kid!

Elizabeth over at Mom Reviews is a giving away 5 adorable Fancy Nancy dolls. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on the post detailing who you will give the doll to. If you have little girls in your life, they will Luuurrrvvve this doll!

Fancy Nancy is the title character in a series of popular books by Jane O'Conner and Robin Preiss Glasser. I personally love it when I can find licensed toys that are book tie-ins rather than cartoon or movie promotions, but they are few and far between. That's why the Fancy Nancy dolls and accessories (tutu, hat, doll clothes, etc.) are so fab.

If you don't win the Mom Reviews giveaway, you can find Fancy Nancy dolls and various accoutrement at Le Target.

Click here to go to the Mom Reviews post.

Safe Bubbles For Moms and Kids

My girls love bubble baths, but I was advised by our pediatrician and an ER doc that bubble baths are not good for kids. The irritating soaps and chemicals in them can cause problems in their little areas. So for the past couple of years I've put the kibosh on bubble baths amid lots of grumbling from my 4 year old. But recently, I was in our Super Target looking through the California Baby products and noticed that they have some bubble baths. Knowing that California Baby is committed to all natural ingredients, I took a closer look. The bottle says:

Children and adults love bubble baths, so we make them safe. Our special bubbling formula contains mild vegetable-derived bubbling agents, enriched with a nourishing herbal complex that works to protect delicate skin. Non-drying, extremely biodegradable bubble bath strictly avoids the use of synthetic fragrances and harsh bubbling agents. This product was developed to avoid irritation (that is typical of other bubble baths) and we never use Sodium lauryl sulfate, DEA, or numbing agents.

Sounded good, so I picked up a bottle. At $11.99 it's kind of expensive for a kids bubble bath, but the bottle I took home is specifically for "Overtired and Cranky" kids. If it calms my kids down before bed, it's worth the money.

We've used it a few times now and love it. It bubbles really nicely for not having any synthetic ingredients and the scent is light and herbally delicious. And, I'll tell ya, it does calm the kids down. Plus, you can combine some of the California Baby essential oils with the bubble bath to create your own aromatherapy mix. I would definitely take a calming bath with these bubbles. From the package it looks life they're safe to use in our whirlpool tub (regular bubbles overflow making a huge mess in the bathroom floor).

Try it out if you or your kids love bubble baths. I highly recommend California Baby products. For newborns, I think Cetaphil lotion and wash is best, but when you need a really mild shampoo and body wash for your older babies and kids, you can't go wrong with California Baby.

Tiny Garter Belts Not Included

I saw these in a hilarious post over at Mama Pop and didn't quite know what to think about them. Leopard high heeled crib shoes. For your infant. They're meant to be funny, I hope.

To me they look like an oversized Bratz doll accessory, but someone out there (Denise Richards, perhaps?) may want to dress their tiny precious baby like a 27-year-old club rat. If so, click the link here.

Very Crafty

My daughter has decided that she no longer wants a playroom. She now wants a craft room. We have entered the arts and crafts stage of her childhood and we are constantly cutting and gluing some project or another. In fact, as I type this, my husband is helping her make a Valentine storage container out of a shoebox, wrapping paper and ribbon. Which segues nicely into the cool little product I have found at one of my favorite places, The Land of Nod. It is a Valentine's Craft Card Kit. If your kids are like mine they will love making their own pretty little valentine's. And for $9.99 it isn't going to break the bank. It includes 10 blank 4 x 6 Valentines, 10 envelopes, a glue stick and over 250 pop-out fun and funky shapes for decorating. The best part is that a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this product will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

The Land of Nod has some other little crafty art stuff for kids, but my favorite is the I'm Not Bored Anymore Jar. They've "loaded a jumbo plastic jar full of funky art supplies like googly eyes, pom-poms, pipe cleaners, glue pens, construction paper, wavy craft scissors, wooden buttons, spools, beads, craft sticks and more." Super cute and full of fun times for the kids. If my little one was a tad bit older I would definitely have this ordered as an Easter gift, but she is not quite past putting buttons and googly eyes in her mouth.

The Land of Nod is one of those websites / catalogues like PB Kids, where everything is a little bit spendy but so very cute. I always find something that I covet for my kids in their catalog. Now I just need to figure out where to store all of the crafts that are piling up.

Putting in my Two Cents

Even though my children are still small, my husband & I already worry about teaching them good spending and saving habits. We have the traditional piggy banks in their rooms and make a big production when we deposit their money in the bank, but I worry what will happen when they realize Mom and Dad don't control The Mint and money isn't quite at our disposal as their young eyes may envision. Here's an item that may do the trick: The Money Savvy Pig. It comes in blue, green, red or pink and the ingenious thing about it is that it has seperate slots for saving, spending, investing, and donating! I can easily foresee that this unique piggy bank will teach my kids some valuable lessons and give them intelligent choices to make with their own dough. My husband, David, has already talked about matching their "invest" section with his own version of a "401-Dave"!

Guest Post by Jen P.

Butterflies, Bugs and Bees...Oh My!

While I was researching for my daughter's last birthday party, I stumbled upon a darling website called butterflycraze.com . I was originally on the lookout for some large nylon butterflies, but this site had SO many other adorable flying creatures that I had a hard time choosing. They also have some beautiful handmade fairy wings and dresses for your little girl's big day, plus not to mention fabulous items to dress up her room all year round! Next time I throw a baby or bridal shower, butterflycraze even has some great place setting ideas. Bugs-n-Blooms is yet another site with a lot of the same ideas, sort of the same product, and a little less expense. Happy bug-hunting!

Guest Post by Jen P.

You'll Poke Your Eye Out (Seriously)

The non-profit organization WATCH (World Against Toys Causing Harm) has released its annual 10 worst toys list just in time for the Christmas shopping frenzy. The list includes toys featuring such kid favorites as Dora, Diego and Jack Sparrow. It is definitely worth taking a look at if you will be doing shopping for any children this holiday season. Here is the full list for 2007:

1.Go Diego Go Animal Rescue boat, by Fisher Price. Contains lead paint
2. Sticky Stones, GeoCentral. Magnetized stones that, if swallowed, could "stick together across the intestines, causing serious infections and death."
3. Jack Sparrow's Spinning Dagger, Zizzle. Viewed as eye hazard.
4. Dora The Explorer Lamp, Funhouse. Potential for electric shocks and burns.
5. Lil "Giddy Up" Horse _ Sassy Pet Saks, Douglas. Contains fibers and small parts that could be a choking hazard.
6. Spider Man 3 New Goblin Sword, Hasbro. Rigid plastic could cause injuries.
7. Hip Hoppa, by Spin Master Ltd. and Vivid Imaginations, Ltd. A combination footboard and bouncing ball that children jump on has the potential for head and other injuries.
8. B'Loonies Party Park, Ja-Ru, Inc. Children blow balloon-like toy out of substance squeezed from tube. Has potential for chemical ingestion.
9. My Little Baby Born, Entertainment, Inc.; Zapf Creations AG. Baby doll comes attached to tiny pacifier that could be swallowed.
10. Rubber Band Shooter, Simple Toys LLC. Shoots rubber bands and presents eye hazard.

So, I think the rubber band shooter is obvious, right? What group of genius toy executives thought that a RUBBER BAND SHOOTER would be a great toy for kids 5 and up? It is a weapon. No joke, if my 6 year old nephew got a hold of that we would all be in trouble. The warning on the box actually says “FOR TARGET PRACTICE ONLY! DO NOT AIM AT PEOPLE....” I am reminded of that old Dan Akroyd sketch on Saturday Night Live where he presented toys that were just knives and plastic bags. This is eerily similar.

You can click here to view the entire list including pictures on the WATCH website.
Also, don't forget Aqua Dots. They are not on the list but they are incredibly dangerous to kids if they are ingested. They should all be off the shelf but you never know.

WATCH has been presenting this list to consumers for 35 years. Kudos to them for watching out for our kids.
Posted on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 at 10:48AM by Jennifer in Kid Stuff Post a Comment

I'll Look Better Than I Cook

Since Jen M. gave me the thumbs up to be a guest contributer, I've really wanted my first post to be about something great. I found it! Jessie Steele has a wonderful line of retro, vintage style aprons that I want, want, want. I've never seen myself as a Bree Van De Kamp-type, but I could easily tie on one of these darling half aprons on and serve up some crumb cake and cocktails. They even have matching patterns for children, so those little ladies in your life can feel just as chic in front of their Betty Crocker ovens. Looks like these aprons have a great figure-flattering cut and have been featured on Oprah in the past (I must have blinked). I can totally see these as a perfect hostess, bridesmaids', best girlfriend, or even mother's day gift. Most aprons are around $32...a "steele" in my book for something this darn cute!

Guest Post by Jen P.

You're Killing Me Pottery Barn!

I was browsing through the new Pottery Barn Kids catalogue this morning and came across this insane bed that my Caroline would love. It is the Playhouse Loft Bed on page 28 of the Christmas 2007 Catalogue, or you can see it online here. It is basically a playhouse with a bed on top. It is incredibly cute, and would be a dream bed for most little girls. It can be yours for the low, low price of $1099.

If you are really in the market for a fantasy bed, you can always check out Posh Tots. They have bunk beds like this Fairy Tale model, which at $9500 makes the PB Kids bed look like a bargain. If you have never checked out Posh Tots you have to take a look, even if most of the products are out of your budget. It is chock full of gorgeous kids bedding, furniture and accessories.

Ugly in a Cute Way!

I already have Christmas shopping on the brain, and have started compiling a list of possibles for this year's toy gluttony. Every year we put some sort of stuffed "friend" under the tree for the kids. Last year my older daughter got an oversized winged pegasus-type horse from Santa which turned out to be a huge mistake because the darn horse is left all over the house for me to trip over. Also, there isn't a good storage spot for it anywhere. It ends up under the bed with the giant Nemo that was under the tree the year before.

This year I am going small with Uglydolls for each of the kids. I love these Uglydolls. They are hilarious. And not actually ugly, but really cute in a cuddly monster type of way. They are a great alternative to a traditional stuffed animal. There is a large selection of Uglydolls to choose from, and a few different sizes (needless to say, we will not be getting the tw0-footer). Plus T-Shirts, card games, and other miscellaneous gift type options.

Uglydolls have been featured in movies (Zathura), TV shows (Entourage), and books (Goodnight Nobody). The standard size doll runs $20 and can be found at the Uglydolls official site, or you can do a Google search and find lots of web retailers with Uglydolls for sale, some with free shipping. Or, if you live in a larger city you may be lucky enough to have a retailer near you. Check the site link above for stores near you.

It Speaks To Me

I love chalkboards, especially for decorating kid rooms. Modern Seed has a great selection of WallCandy's whimsical chalkboards that would make great Christmas gifts.

Chalk-O-Dile is a perfect shade of chalkboard green and would add a touch of humor to any room. The Chalkboard Tree comes with 13 birds that you can move around and place to your own specifications. My favorite is the set of large Chalk-A-Dots. Not only will these bring a pop of color to your little one's room, they will love being able to draw on the wall without someone yelling, "NO!" Combine the large dots with the Small Chalk Dots to create a fun and original wall scene.

All of the WallCandy chalkboards are UV printed vinyl, backed with a low tack adhesive that can be placed, removed and reused without damaging paint. So no worries there.
WallCandy does have their own website that you can shop from, but it is not easily maneuverable. Modern Seed has an easy to browse format and secure shopping cart.

Yippee Kipiis!

Kipiis Bib Clips are one of those products where you see it and think, "Why didn't I come up with that?!!" So simple, yet so useful.

They are little clips on a cord that you can use to turn any type of napkin, cloth diaper or towel into a bib. Similar to what the dentist puts around your neck when they are working in your mouth, but designed with baby safety precautions in mind. They are wonderful when eating out, because there is no need to shove a messy bib in your diaper bag when baby is done eating. You can use them to clip a paper towel, thus creating an inexpensive disposable bib. They retail for $12 and can be found here, here and here.

Keeping My Sanity, One Product at a Time

Bath time with two little girls can be somewhat stressful. They particularly hate having their hair washed. I've tried several different things to lessen their anxiety about water and soap getting in their face and finally found this:

It is a shampoo rinse cup with an ingenious little rubber piece that fits right on their head and keeps the water from running down their faces. For us it works better than even the little bath tub visors because my kids are not really into hats, and my little one refuses to keep it on her head long enough to rinse out the shampoo. (The picture below does not accurately portray any child's bath time that I have ever been involved in.)

So we like the shampoo rinse cup.

This little device can be found online at One Step Ahead, and I have also seen it at Toy's R' Us, and surprisingly, at Wal Mart. I ran in for diapers a few weeks ago and spotted the shampoo rinse cup by the baby bath tubs. I snapped one up because we had literally worn ours out just a few days earlier.

One caveat about One Step Ahead...If you have a baby or babies you will find about 150 things that you must have immediately. You may end up spending a ton.