Because babies are confusing…

Just a short post to kick off the weekend.  After a quick informal study of all the moms I know, I got a few great reviews for jogging strollers. So, without further ado, the top 3:

• Bob Revolution Stroller–My sister has used this with two kids and says it’s well worth the money.

• Kelty Speedster Strollers - an integral part of Baby Boot Camp workouts.

• InStep Safari Jogging Stroller - Great features at a great price, including front swivel wheel for maneuverability.

Have a great weekend, and don’t forget to check out the Rockabye Baby! CD Giveaway contest!

POST A COMMENT and WIN!

Post a comment with a caption for this crazy baby photo for a chance to win the NEW Lullaby Renditions of The Pixies CD from Rockabye Baby! Funniest caption wins! The CD release is June 10th, so this is your chance to be the first to get a copy. The winner will be announced on Baby Blog Blog on June 6th, 2008. Please make sure to leave your email or a link to your website in the comment so I can contact you if you win!

The Prize: 1 copy of Rockabye Baby!’s forthcoming release, Lullabye Renditions of The Pixies

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My littlest niece has become a die-hard fan of the LeapFrog Fridge DJ. She’s a very active 15-month old but the Fridge DJ helps to keep her entertained, preoccupied and learning. Her mom emphatically states it’s the best toy purchase they have made for her so far, and she’s not the only mom raving about the Fridge DJ, either. My biggest concern was the noise factor, but it doesn’t seem to be an issue for the parents, so I guess it is not that annoying (or less annoying than having a screaming, crying child.)

Like most other Leap Frog toys, the Fridge DJ is durable and reasonably priced, making it a great gift for parents of busy toddlers.

Every time I think I am ready to take the plunge into parenthood, I read an article about some older child doing something horrendously embarrassing, dangerous, or expensive, and it sends a cold shiver down my spine. Maybe I am not as ready as I think and I can be okay with aunt-hood for a while longer. Today, it’s an story about a 13 year old in Texas who stole his father’s credit card and charged up $30k. As much as I’d want to kill him if I were his father, I have to give the kid some credit, he was creative and obviously pretty convincing to get away with as much as he did. But getting back to the wanting to kill him if her were mine….I am being metaphoric, of course, but in all seriousness, how do you punish a kid for something like this? It’s like the kid who accidentally set off the massive wildfire that burned 38,000 acres. I am sure the kid is remorseful, but I don’t think that’s adequate punishment.

One thing is for sure, if I ever do have kids, I anticipate lots of nanny cams and baby monitors and quite possibly a baby harness. I don’t want to be totally Orwellian, but I don’t think anyone wants their kids getting into trouble like that 13 year old.

Aurora is better known by the title of her film, Sleeping Beauty. People who remember Aurora from Sleeping Beauty will remember that she mainly wears a blue dress in the film, but for some reason, upon her incorporation into the Disney Princess team, her primary clothing color changed to pink. Not just any pink. Pepto Bismol pink. And that same vile shade of pink is used not only on Aurora’s clothes, but also on most Princess-related merchandise. This particular shade of pink is my main problem with Princess Aurora. This shade of pink is also a big reason little girls LOVE the Disney Princesses. I am not sure if Aurora is as popular as Belle and Ariel, but I have a feeling girls’ dresses in that shade of pink are really, really popular.

Ok, I am a bit cranky today and don’t feel like turning this post into a rant about awful shades of pink, so I will leave a few links for your enjoyment and post more on Aurora later.

• Princess Aurora stationary and games for Princess Parties
• Sleeping Beauty Castle paper model
• Grown-up girls may like Royal Doulton’s Sleeping Beauty Figurines
• Sleeping Beauty postage stamps from Grenada
• Sleeping Beauty Platinum Edition Blu-ray disc will be released in Fall 2008, just in time for Christmas!

Mother’s Day is almost here! I posted some Mother’s Day gift ideas a few days ago, but here are a couple more:

• Plant a tree or a whole grove of trees in your mom’s name
• Bake mom a special Mother’s Day cake!
• Give her the gift of the written word with funny books like How to Traumatize Your Children and the Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook
• Cool silk pajamas or a cashmere robe

2. Princess Belle: My niece’s Disney Princess obsession quickly grew to include Belle from Beauty & the Beast, so she’s the next Disney Princess up for discussion. Like Ariel, Belle is smart and independent, has a very complicated relationship with her father and an absent mother. (Whoa, it didn’t occur to me until I typed that just how Freudian Disney heroines can be. Anyway…) Unlike Ariel, who needs to rebel against her domineering, larger-than-life father, Belle has the responsibility of basically managing her sweet but eccentric and relatively clueless father’s life. He goes missing one day, she takes off to find him, which leads her into meeting the beast, etc. The best part about the entire film is the underlying message that one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, even though that message is somewhat dampened by the fact that the beast eventually turns back into a pretty hot cartoon guy. Regardless, Princess Belle toys tend to be a big hit with little girls.

Here are some great Disney Belle gift ideas:

• Disney Princess Tea Time With Me Little Belle
• Disney Princess Belle Deluxe Red Velvet dress
• Disney Princess Belle Snowglobe
• Disney Princess Glowing Beauty girls pajamas

In honor of my oldest niece’s 6th birthday, I have decided to chronicle the history of her obsession with the Disney Princesses, one Disney Princess at a time.

1. Princess Ariel: I believe the obsession with Princess Ariel began in the womb, since Ariel is also my sister’s favorite Disney heroine. Ariel is a cool independent thinker so I encouraged my niece’s interest in Ariel. I also like the catchy songs and Sebastian the Crab in The Little Mermaid. Seriously, who can’t appreciate the calypso rhythms of Under the Sea?

A quick guide to Disney Princess Ariel-related gifts:

• The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning limited release DVD will be released on August 26, 2008. Great for fall birthdays and Christmas stocking stuffers!
• Ariel’s Undersea Adventure for Nintendo DS
• The Little Mermaid pajamas
• Beware of Shimmering Lights Ariel!

This isn’t totally Princess Ariel-related, but if you want to really impress the little girl in your life, sign up for the inaugural Disney Princess Half Marathon weekend, March 6-8, 2009. Registration just opened on Monday, May 5th, but I have a feeling it will fill up quickly. I am sure many of the Disney Princesses will be there in person to cheer the racers, especially the kids races on Saturday, March 7.

Put the baby bottles away and try breast feeding to help increase baby’s IQ. That’s the latest news on MSN Health & Fitness. This is great news, since I have a lot of pregnant friends and relatives, and I have been trying to think of good gift ideas that are BPA-free, lead-free or otherwise harmless to mother and child. This article got me thinking about things like: breast pumps, nursing pads, nursing pillows, breast milk storage and breast shells. I am really intrigued by the Medela Pump in Style Advance Breast Pump with Backpack and I think it will most likely be the next gift I purchase for a mom-to-be.

Links for more information on breastfeeding and breast pumps:

• Got Breast Pump!
• FamilyDoctor.org: Breast Milk: How to Pump and Store It
• Breastfeeding.com
• Women’s Health.gov: Breastfeeding–Best for Baby. Best for Mom.
• March of Dimes: Breastfeeding: Strategies for Success

More interesting news in the world of Bisphenol-A and plastic baby bottles. Check out:

• Environmental Working Group: Guide to Baby-Safe Bottles & Formula

• Z Recommends

• WebMD

Seems like it is time to give glass baby bottles more serious consideration.