Posts from — August 2008

Way back in March I mentioned that Elmo Live will be available in October 2008, just in time for Holiday Wish Lists. Well, pre-order time is at hand, so if the little one in your life has their hopes set on Elmo Live, now is the time to take action!

As I have said before, this particular Elmo toy scares the bejeezus out of me, but I am sure kids will really dig the freaky animatronic interaction. Good times. Elmo Live is set to hit store shelves on October 14th, so brace yourselves.

This is definitely the craziest thing I have heard all week: a 6-month old baby was found crawling around downtown LA by herself on Monday. I shudder to think how that even happened. I really hope this story has a happy ending; best wishes to that adorable little girl.

Babies who divide their time between the French Riviera and Beverly Hills, while trying to master the subtleties of potty training and their ABCs, demand exclusive quality baby gear for play dates and preschool parties. The following baby products have enough taste and refinement to make an impression worthy of the poshest tot:

Amber Hagen Cashmere/Cotton Dinosaur Hoodie: Only $160 for blend of 20% cashmere and 80% cotton. For an extra fee, I am sure you can also buy instructions on how to get baby spit out of cashmere.

Silver Cross Balmoral Pram: This perennial celebrity favorite can be yours for just under $3k. Vroom-vroom.

Minimink Wrap: I wish these came in adult size. It would probably cost more than my car, but it definitely looks “luxurious.” Baby-sized wraps are a slightly more reasonable $120.

Of course, babies with busy social calendars need plenty of fashion options, so here are a few more great links:

• Elegant Baby
• Swanky Moms
• Baby Laundry Boutique

This certainly has been a busy summer for Barbie. First the epic battle with rivals The Bratz, then the battle with a record-sized catfish in North Carolina, and Barbie has come out shining like a star every time. Barbie has also been reaching out to her fan base with the cloyingly cute site BarbieGirls.com. MSN calls it one of Web 2.0’s Most Ridiculous Sites for a good reason. Just click on the link to BarbieGirls. I challenge you. If you are over the age of 11 and that ceaseless music (with no mute button) doesn’t drive you completely mad in about 5 minutes, congratulations, you are probably in line to be the next Gandhi.

I have to admit that I am stunned that toys like the plastic Barbie fishing rods are so durable, yet I am also encouraged by that durability–and the fact that Barbie has outdoor gear for girls, even if all the products are only available in shades of Pepto pink. And I just found out that there are Barbie learning toys that actually teach numbers and math, so it seems like Barbie is slowly getting a little more substance beneath all that fluffy style. But don’t worry, there will always be plenty of fabulous Barbie dress-up games, too.

However, I worry for the future of Barbie and The Diamond Castle-related merchandise. Princess Barbie’s pink gown is in a shade very similar to Disney Princess Aurora’s gown; I’d hate to see Barbie on the receiving end of an intellectual property smack down like the one Mattel laid on The Bratz. Especially when they two worked so well together on the Disney Princess Barbies!

Celebrating it’s tenth birthday is the Baby Einstein Disney line. You may know of its hit TV series or even the tons of toys, CDs, books and DVDs they produce that center around providing fun ways to learn about music and sounds for infants. They recently began targeting toddlers and will have a new line called “Einstein Pals ™” coming out in the spring made just for them. Also coming in 2009 will be the releases of two interactive DVDs called “Grow With Me” and “Select Your Segment”. These will have a focus on world music (vs. just classical music) and different cultures.

Meanwhile you can pick up two new DVD fall releases (that were center of attention during the anniversary celebration at Disney’s Concert Hall), “Baby Mozart” and “Baby Beethoven”, which have a cute puppet show and performance by the Glendale Youth Orchestra. If you aren’t already a part of the Baby Einstein mom fan train, you might want to hop aboard. I personally enjoy the DVDs and have seen my growing son singing new songs and even identifying instruments.

If you’re like any other mom, you want to have the best things for your baby and it seems that right now, having organic products is for the best. With all the talk of plastic being unsafe and chemicals like BPA threatening the health of your baby, it seems logical. More and more companies are coming out with natural products and solutions to ensure the safety of your baby.

Like the Lafe’s Natural Bodycare product line who has just announced its new line of organic baby products. They are already known for making organic deodorants and now they are expanding their line with 95% certified (by the USDA) organic baby products like shampoo, sunscreen, diaper cream, bug repellant, baby lotion, baby wipes and massage oil. The products are also packaged with baby-safe plastic, which is free of harmful estrogen activity EA chemicals. These items are set to launch on the Lafe website sometime later this year.

After what seemed like the longest pregnancy in the history of pregnancy, Gwen Stefani has finally given birth, adding another healthy baby boy to her family. I am curious how they came up with the name “Zuma Nesta Rock” for the little guy; here are my best guesses:

• The baby was conceived either at or near Zuma Beach, which is right by some nice rock climbing, or Zuma Rock in Nigeria.
  
• Parents Gwen and Gavin are way into Jamaica (first baby Kingston, now “Nesta” as in Robert Nesta Marley aka Bob Marley.)
• They may just really like The Rock. Or The Rock. Or just plain Rock.

At any rate, congrats and best wishes to the family!

My brother-in-law mentioned something about the kids being bonkers for Yo Gabba Gabba!, but honestly I didn’t pay much attention until this Elijah Wood video got forwarded my way. OMG. I have been missing out on something SPECIAL. In addition to guests like Elijah Wood and Tony Hawk, Yo Gabba Gabba! has musical guests that include The Shins, Cornelius and Biz Markie, so even adults will find it watchable if not down right funny. It’s like a Sid and Marty Krofft series for the Internet generation.

A major wave of Yo Gabba Gabba! toys just hit store shelves on August 1st, so you may be seeing names like Brobee and Foofa on holiday wish lists. For now, though, relax with this clip of the amazing dancing Nathaniel:

It just got even tougher being a baby in France: TV shows aimed at children under 3 years old have been officially banned by the broadcast authority for possible developmental risks to young children. That means non Wiggles, non Nick Jr., and definitely non Teletubbies–but, how will the French children understand who the characters on their toys are?!! Mon dieu!

The summer is drawing to an end and you may be packing away the kids’ swimsuits until next year, but eye protection is a good idea all year long, so keep the kids’ sunglasses handy for fall and winter activities. I am thrilled to find these Baby Banz baby- and kid-sized sunglasses that actually stand a chance of staying in place on an active kid’s face. They look adorable AND have a 400 UV rating, so kids’ sensitive eyes stay protected. Plus, they are practically indestructible, so parents don’t have to worry about the glasses breaking into a million pieces. Kids will also find these glasses comfortable, so they may actually enjoy getting into the healthy habit of wearing sunglasses.

If your toddler needs some convincing to wear their sunglasses, here are some links about the importance of sunglasses for keeping kids’ eyes healthy:

• Dr. Greene: Sunglasses and Kids
• About.com: Getting Your Toddler to Wear Sunglasses
• VSP: Sunglasses: Make Sunglasses as Common as Sunscreen for Kids
• Health A to Z: Buying Sunglasses for Kids