The Shopping Mama

Interesting New Products & Startups from ABC Kids

by Malia on October 24th, 2011 | 5 Comments | Shopping

One of the fun things about attending ABC Kids Expo was meeting/being chased down by all the new companies out there. As an ABC newbie I was pretty excited to see all the new products and I’m sure Kate was quickly tired of my enthusiasm. Here are some of the fun new or new to the US ideas we ran into. Some of the companies we met we are confident will excel, others we’ll have to wait and see, but we enjoyed meeting them all.

BeginAgain Toys

BeginAgain is a creative mix of old timey storytelling and responsibly crafted invention. It is our mission to tell stories through toys, to teach through play, and to invent in partner with the planet. Our company is fueled by the heros we create and the partners we collaborate with along the way. At the BeginAgain workshop we believe our toys should provide play value without compromising planet value.

Kate and I loved checking out these toys. My personal favorite was the Bathtub Ball. Not only do these toys look like a lot of fun, but they also squirt without the risk of getting all moldy and gross like most bathtub toys. Keep an eye out for these toys coming soon.

Spa Baby Tubs

Spa Baby European style bath tubs aren’t brand new, but they certainly aren’t the norm in baby bathing. On top of that, as Kate and I neared the booth, a very excited fan stopped us to rave about the tubs and finished with “and I’m a pediatrician.” So, she may have been a bit, umm, unexpectedly enthusiastic, but she probably has an idea of what she is talking about when she called these tubs the best thing ever. Available at Amazon.com for $47.96, from Spa Baby directly, or at select retailers.

Pourty Potties

Yes, we were stopped and asked if we would like a potty demonstration, but it involved water and a clever new pour design. My little guy has only used the potty once, but I can already see the cleverness of this design. The Pourty Potty has a groove in the back that allows waste to be poured out without dribbling all over the sides or worse, your hands. Of course, you’ll still clean it every time, but you just have to worry about cleaning out the inside, not wherever the pee ends up. Expect this potty to retail for $13-15 and be available in the US soon.

Spuds

What would you call a reclaimed potato plate? Spuds of course! These all natural and organic products made from unused potato starches and plant based natural rubber (Nubber) and reportedly won’t leach toxins into your food. It’s a unique idea and Jack loves playing with the plates and spoons we brought home with us. The open plate is available at Growing-up-green.com for $9.99.

Booby Trapper

There are a lot of nursing covers out there, but we like that the Booby Trapper has an extra level of boning to help keep the cover out and away from baby’s face while nursing. I’m looking forward to trying out this nursing cover with baby girl. My little guy definitely hated when the cover touched him and I had such a hard time nursing that I needed all the visibility I could get when latching. Available online from Booby Trapper for $48 in a variety of fabrics. (I’m not 100% sure but I believe that is Canadian dollars.)

Drool Monkey Organics

Okay, we maybe just like this one because it’s so darn cute. I don’t have a major drooler, but for those who do, the Drool Monkey teether prevents drool rash by wicking away moisture. It also doubles as a nursing cover, burp cloth, security blanket and shade cover. The Drool Monkey Drool Monkey Organics for $32 in either boy or girl.

Bumbleride News: New Color, Parent Pack & More

by Kate on October 20th, 2011 | 5 Comments | Baby Shopping Guide, Shopping

Bumbleride has lots of fun product updates to share at this year’s ABC Kids Expo. We were excited to catch up with one of our favorite stroller brands and are happy to show you all the great things coming up.

Parent Pack

In the past, Bumbleride drink holders attached to the outside of the stroller, had the ability to rotate and added width to the stroller. The brand new Parent Pack solves these issues and adds more function to a very user-friendly stroller.

The Parent Pack is a soft parent console with two drink holders and a zippered pouch for essentials like your cell phone, keys and wallet. The stroller can fold with the Parent Pack attached and you can can even use two packs on the Indie Twin for double drink-toting ability. The console attaches via adjustable velcro straps and can be used on many stroller brands in addition to Bumbleride strollers. The Parent Pack will be available for pre-order soon for $24.99.

Aqua Bumbleride

Bumbleride introduced a stunning new color stroller: Aqua. The bright hue reminds me of the color in the Bumbleride logo and is a great gender-neutral option for families. Here’s the Indie in Aqua (the Indie Twin was also displayed in the new color):

Indie Twin with Two Car Seats

The Indie Twin will soon have the ability to accept TWO infant car seats. The Maxi Cosi adapter will allow parents to use the Indie Twin with twins from birth.

New Latches

The latches to attach the carrycot is changing a bit to be more like a car latch system and less flexible. The result is a more secure latch and we like the change.

Family Kitchen Finds from ABC Kids Expo

by Kate on October 18th, 2011 | 5 Comments | In the Kitchen, Shopping

Malia and I discovered a lot of great new products at the ABC Kids Expo for families to use in the kitchen. Maybe it was our pregnant bellies drawing us to anything food-related? In any case, here are some new goodies to make your life easier in the kitchen with kids.

Oogaa

Oogaa products are practical – non-breakable, dishwasher, oven, microwave, and freezer safe – without sacrificing quality because silicone is BPA free with no harsh chemicals. We think the plane and train spoons will excite kids, too. The Mealtime Set with bowl and two utensils ($17) is a great way to bring Oogaa into your kitchen.

Lille

Bebe au Lait is re-branding their children’s products, including the awesome Double Reversible Bib, to be sold under the name Lille as the Quib. We loved the new kid-friendly patterns and can’t wait for this line to launch. Other favorites from the collection include the Throw Blankie and Pacifier Clip.

Spuds

Spuds products are made from, you guessed it, potatoes. Or more specifically, reclaimed potato starch. The U.S. based natural and organic children’s product manufacturer is dedicated to providing products that are healthy for children. We love the Section Plate for young kids and my preschoolers have been happily using the Open Plate ($10).

Boon

Boon exhibited several new, very practical kitchen gadgets designed to make mom’s life easier. From left to right above, the Nanner slices a banana with no knife and no fuss. Pluck is a fruit stem remover so you can quickly prepare strawberries and other small fruit in a flash. And, Slicer is a hand-held fruit and vegetable slicer. It’s also ideal for hard-boiled eggs and cheese proving it will be a go-to gadget in your kitchen. All will be available in December.

Babycook Gipsy

We just love the Beaba Babycook and now we have a new reason to adore it: a new color. The Babycook in Gipsy maintains all the function and ease of use in a pretty new package. If you’re planning to make baby food this is a great appliance to have and the growing line of Beaba feeding products and accessories are definitely worth a look.

SmartyPants

SmartyPants are an all-in-one Multivitamin with Omega 3 DHA & EPA and Vitamin D in a gummy little bite. Your kids won’t argue with eating a few of these every day and you’ll be happy knowing their getting important vitamins. And great news for mamas: SmartyPants now has an adult version so we can chew our vitamins, too. We sampled some at ABC – while they weren’t the tastiest little gummies I”ve ever eaten they were without a doubt the most delicious vitamins I’ve ever said. I love the idea of taking them with folic acid when pregnant since downing those giant prenatals is a chore.

Sunshine Kids Becomes Diono

by Malia on October 14th, 2011 | 5 Comments | Shopping

I’ve heard so much about Sunshine Kids, now Diono, and their highly awarded Radian, which is not only up there in safety, but fits three across in most vehicles. I could not wait to see Diono’s booth at ABC Kids Expo last month and was disappointed when Kate told me they weren’t planning to have one. Imagine how excited we where when we stumbled across their display outside the Expo hall on the way to lunch one day.

Sunshine Kids Now Diono?

Sunshine Kids Juvenile Products has been producing innovative products that improve safety and convenience for families for over 10 years. In 2005 they introduced their famous Radian car seat, the first folding steel framed car seat on the market. Now with products in over 54 countries and as one of Inc 5000′s fastest growing companies, Sunshine Kids has changed their name to Diono. Apparently the name Diono doesn’t have any specific meaning, but is designed to be more memorable and international than Sunshine Kids. I have to say, I like the change. The name Sunshine Kids always made me wonder if the car seats were going to be made out of hemp or somehow require that I stop shaving my armpits. What do you think?

The Radian

The Diono Radian is touted as the only car seat you will ever need and I can see why. Check out our shot of the RadianRXT infant set-up next to booster set-up from the show.

RadianRXT

Child Weight: 5 to 120 pounds.
Standing Height: 57 inches
Rear facing (with latch) upto 45 pounds (highest on the market)

Here’s Diono’s video on the RadianRXT. You can see some of the changes they’ve made, like making the child seat area more spacious without making the seat wider (don’t worry, they still fit 3 across).

To Buy or Not to Buy?

I can’t really do a to buy or not to buy on Diono because I’ve never used one, but I’m very impressed. The only feature I don’t love is that you have to re-thread the shoulder straps as your child grows, but I guess I’m okay with it if it adds to the safety. Do you own a Sunshine Kids/Diono? What do you think?

Shop! The RadianRXT is the top of the Diono Radian line and sells for $305 on Amazon and at other major retailers. Other models are available for progressively lower prices, with corresponding changes in features.

ABC Kids Expo Design Finds

by Kate on October 11th, 2011 | 5 Comments | Shopping

We weren’t just on the hunt for the latest and greatest baby finds at the ABC Kids Expo. Admittedly, meeting with our favorite gear brands did take up much of our time, but we kept our eyes peeled and made note of some beautiful children’s design finds.

Oilo

We’ve been fans of Oilo for a while and were excited to meet the mother-daughter design duo behind the brand. The brand is a favorite in Hollywood – featured on the Ellen Mother’s Day show, in Christina Applegate’s daughter’s nursery and Rachel Zoe’s son’s nursery – and we can see why. The color palette is soothing, the look is refreshing and the result is stunning. The newest nursery collection from Oilo is the first foray into pink, in the form of a dusty rosy mauvish color. It’s not an overly girlish pink but Freesia Crib Set is darling and very beautiful.

Oilo introduced several new items to their line at the show, including the brilliant two-piece diaper changing pad. The Topper attaches to the Changing Pad with velcro, but you remove it quickly and easily to throw it in the washing machine after problematic diaper changes. So smart, right?

Monte

The kind folks at Monte were nice enough to turn a blind eye when Malia and I walked our ~~giant~~ pregnant butts up to the booth to take a very comfortable seat in the gorgeous Monte Gliders and Rockers. Can you blame us? The rockers and gliders are so gorgeous and inviting.

The Monte Glider would be a lovely piece in a nursery, but it the mature clean lines would look at home in a family room.

While resting tired feet we had time to admire the ultra modern and Ninna-Nanna Bassinet. Talk about streamlined design. We won’t be decorating a new nursery for baby number three (because we’ll be moving about 3 months after it arrives) so we plan to use a bassinet in our master bedroom and this would only bring up the cool design factor rather than bring it down like some baby bassinets.

Argington

Speaking of sleeping, we were in awe of the modern gorgeousness that is Argington. We’ve admired the organic dinosaur bedding but really enjoyed a first hand look at the bedding and, more importantly, the beautifully crafted furniture. The Bam Crib Set is a real show-stopper. This crib set includes a Bassinet and conversion kit to grow with your child into a full size Crib. You can also purchase a separate conversion kit to transform Bam into a Toddler Bed.

Tempaper Tots

As military families who move and re-decorate often we were excited to learn more about Tempaper wallpaper. This is not your mama’s wallpaper. It’s self-adhesive, can be repositioned and removed easily. And the designs? Are very, very chic. Below are two of the Tots designs, but we also covet the “grown-up” designs as well.

Fisher-Price Nursery Designer

Fisher-Price has teamed up with Sherwin-Williams to help you design your nursery with the Room to Bloom Nursery Designer. The idea is to use the tool to coordinate a nursery to match your Fisher-Price Baby Gear. We like it because it offers inspiration through cool painted wall patterns and complementary paint colors.

New Mom Must Haves from ABC Kids Expo

by Kate on October 6th, 2011 | 5 Comments | Baby Shopping Guide

Speaking from experience, strolling the aisles of the ABC Kids Expo can be dangerous for a pregnant woman. And I’m not just talking about the miles and miles you’ll hoof in ~~ugly~~ sensible shoes. No, this year the ABC Kids Expo was particularly dangerous for Malia and me because we’re both expecting and we were tempted by exhibitor after exhibitor displaying the latest and greatest and most innovative gear to help new moms.

While we were pretty much a walking cliche of mom bloggers we used our experienced mom eye to narrow down and create a list of our favorite New Mom Must Haves from the ABC Kids Expo. From new products to re-introduction and re-vamp of old favorites, these are products we feel confident we’d use regularly once baby arrives.

Simplisse Breast Pump

Before our meeting with the Simplisse President we thought “all breast pumps are pretty much the same.” We were wrong. Simplisse uses a new compression technology, meant to mimic the motion of baby’s tongue and sucking, for gentle (read: less painful) and effective pumping. The cups of the pump are soft as opposed to the rigid plastic we’re used to. While we’re not exactly looking forward to pumping, we are excited by the potential of the Simplisse Double Electric Breast Pump. Simplisse Breastfeeding Products are currently available on Amazon, including the Double Electric Pump $255 and a Single Manual Pump for $25.

MD Moms Baby Silk Gentle Scalp Rub

My little ones escaped infancy without much cradle cap, but Malia’s little one wasn’t so lucky. We have always been impressed with MD Moms and a re-introduction to the products, including Baby Silk Gentle Scalp Rub, was really timely. Made natural oils, salicylate, marine silk, Vitamins E and B5, aloe and shea butter, the Gentle Scalp Rub is formulated for babies but is still effective in ridding a little scalp of scales and flakes. If either one of our little babes has cradle cap, we like having this product in our back pocket. MD Moms Baby Silk Gentle Scalp Rub is available on Amazon and directly from MD Moms.

Boba Carrier 3G

There was lots of news out of Boba at the ABC Kids Expo. First, the baby wrap we’ve knows as Sleepy Wrap is now the Boba Baby Wrap – the same great product, new name. Our beloved Boba Soft Structured Carrier got some brilliant improvements that make a great product even better and more user-friendly. The Boba Carrier 3G can now be used to carry your little ones from infancy through toddlerhood. The Carrier folds and snaps for use with an infant without an additional infant insert. Another smart change? The shoulder straps have small buckles to hold your purse or diaper bag so it doesn’t fall off while carrying baby. Boba also introduced some beautiful new fabrics for the Carrier that are worth a look. The Boba Baby Wrap ($48) and Baby Carrier 3G ($125) are available online at bobafamily.com.

mamaRoo Plush with Infant Insert

The 4moms mamaRoo has been on my list of “I wish that was around when I had a baby” for years. It’s pretty embarrassing but I’ll go ahead and admit that one thing that makes me excited about this little one is the chance to use the super cool mamaRoo. The baby swing that moves like you do has made a few improvements to make it more baby and infant, in particular, friendly. The mamaRoo Plush offers a softer fabric that unzips for machine washing. If you have an original mamaRoo, you can order the Plush lining separately for a little upgrade. Also sold separately, the Infant Insert makes the mamaRoo seat a little more cozy and offers support for smaller babies. The mamaRoo Plush is available for $240 – the Plush Lining and Infant Insert will be available soon.

Boppy Travel Pillow

We don’t have the details on this new Boppy product yet, but we can tell you it’s going to be a hit with breastfeeding moms. It’s the classic Boppy Support Pillow you know and love but it folds in half and zips closed so you can easily take it on the go.

Boon Naked Bathtub

Not surprisingly, we loved visiting the Boon booth. As usual the company had great innovative products on display – new colors on old favorites, additional animals for the Bath Pod and brand new finds like the Naked Collapsible Bathtub. Naked collapses to nearly flat when not in use, but the real benefit is that you can collapse only one side to create a recline and support position for babies. Naked will be available in December in five bright colors.

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Make sure you follow all of our ABC Kids Expo posts for our favorite news and products out of Louisville.

Skip Hop ABC Kids Expo News: Jonathan Adler, the Complete Sheet & More

by Kate on September 27th, 2011 | 5 Comments | Shopping

One of our favorite brands, Skip Hop, had lots of fun new products to share at the ABC Kids Expo. From an exciting design collaboration to an innovative take on crib bedding to super fun bath toys, we have lots of Skip Hop news to share.

Jonathan Adler Partners with Skip Hop

Jonathan Adler, a designer and TV personality known for bringing style to homes is for the first time entering the juvenile industry through a partnership with Skip Hop. “I am very excited to collaborate with Skip Hop and bring my signature groovy look to baby bags. Every parent needs style, craft and joy in their lives – especially when changing diapers,” said Adler.

The collection will include 10 pieces and be available at our affiliate giggle, and fine retailers nationwide, beginning in December. This isn’t a one-time partnership as Adler and Skip Hop plan to work together further and continue to develop products in the iconic designer’s style.

The DUO Essential Diaper Bag and the Pronto Changing Station will be available in four Jonathan Adler designs, including Wave Multi and Flame Yellow (below).

Dash Messenger will be available in two designs, including Nixon seen below.

Skip Hop Complete Sheet

Long before the recent ban of crib bumpers in Chicago, Skip Hop was developing a new product to change baby bedding completely. The Complete Sheet is a brilliant sheet that offers all the style of a sheet plus bumper without the safety concerns of a fluffy bumper. The Complete Sheet has a bold theme that surrounds the mattress sides and a contrasting pattern on top. The eight available styles maintain the clean, modern look we expect from Skip Hop and put safety first.

The Complete Sheet will be sold individually or in a 4-piece Bedding Set that includes a Nursery Blanket, Airflower Wearable Blanket and Linen Crib Skirt. Why the Wearable Blanket? Because it’s safer than baby sleeping with a bulky quilt. Smart!

The Complete Sheet will be available in December, with a suggested retail price of $120 for the 4-piece set and $24 to $30 for the separates.

Fun Toys – Bath & Beyond

Skip Hop introduced several new bath toys that are adorable and so much fun! We particularly like the Yellow Ducky bath spout cover, the Penguin Soapster that turns regular soap into foam soap and the Starfish Stay-Put Stacker.

The popular PlaySpot will soon be available in a smaller size featuring the iconic Skip Hop ZOO animals. It will be available in November for $60.

Petunia Pickle Bottom ERGO Carriers Are Here

by Kate on June 24th, 2011 | 5 Comments | On the Go, Shopping

What do you get when you combine the sublime fabric of our favorite diaper bag company and the ergonomic comfort of a beloved baby carrier? Pretty much the best baby carrier ever. The collaboration between Petunia Pickle Bottom and ERGObaby carriers is a match made in baby mama heaven.

Do I sound a little too excited? Well, I’ve seen them in person at the ABC Kids Expo and they are every bit of fabulous in person as you would imagine. See?

Even the combination of the companies’ logos is perfection.

Petunia Pickle Bottom ERGObaby Carrier Details

Combining the proven ergonomic fit and durability of the ERGObaby Organic Carrier with the uniquely trendsetting fabrics that have made Petunia the first name in baby chic, the ERGObaby Carrier sets a new standard in style, care and comfort for both baby and parent.

The collection features three Petunia fabrics: Evening in Innsbruck, Heavenly Holland and Peaceful Portofino.