The Next Kid Thing

Beginning with Books, a literacy organization that promotes childhood reading, released their 2010 list of the Best Books for Babies.  The list includes a lineup of colorful and interactive books, some of which may even be in your own babies’ libraries.

According to experts, it’s never too early to start reading to babies.  In fact, regularly reading with babies and young kids encourages them to become enthusiastic lifelong readers, according to Beginning with Books.

(more…)

The Big City Moms Biggest Baby Shower Spring edition is set to take place tomorrow, April 14 at the Park East Ballroom in NYC. I’m such a fan of the BCM events, I couldn’t not cover the shower once again for NKT.  Even though there are a few of the same companies at the shower that have been at others that I’ve attended recently, it’s still such a fantastic venue to interact with vendors and new moms.  I love that this show continues to grow each year, that they’ve recently changed up locations to accommodate all the amount of attendees.

Retailers such as Buy Buy Baby and giggle will be on hand.  Companies such as Zoli, Mam, Boon, Quinny, iCandy, Britax and Earth’s Best, just to name a few will be showcasing their latest offerings for new and expectant moms.  Join me on Twitter and Facebook to get the latest updates from the event!  If you’re an expectant or new mom in the NYC area, you won’t want to miss this!

Want to see my pix from the last Biggest Baby Shower?  Check them out here.

The Boom Boom Room, the luxe gifting suite for celebrity moms in Hollywood, made its way to NYC yesterday to showcase some of the most innovative baby and toddler gear.  The Baby Issue highlighted over 45 baby & toddler products for media, bloggers and celebrities to take it all in.

The Baby Issue event was hosted by Jayneoni Moore, who made the lavish Baby & Toddler Boom Boom Room Gifting Suites the go-to spot for celebrity moms to check out the latest and greatest in gear.  I was excited to attend the Baby Issue Event to learn and network with some of the brands that I already feature on The Next Kid Thing.  There were several brands that I can’t wait to introduce to you as well. Here’s just a few of the brands that were at The Baby Issue Event Yesterday:

Stokke, Teutonia strollers, Umi Shoes, Shutterfly, Skip Hop, Fisher Price, Plum Organics, Scholastic, Mustela, Happy Heinys, Nourish,  nursing clothing line Larrivo, Organic Kidz, Loved Baby, Goodnight Light, Aprica, Origany,  Dapple, Organic Kidz, Mabel’s Labels, Zoli Baby

And in case you missed it, I posted a few more sneak peek pictures over on the NKT fanpage.

The Baby Issue event got me thinking, too… With all the events that I’ve been attending (which is good!), but have been falling WAY behind on updating posts (not so good), I almost overlooked The Next Kid Thing’s 1st birthday! Those that know me well, probably know that I’m not big on over the top parties for first birthdays, but I wanted to do something special to mark our big 1-year celebration next week.  I have a few things lined up and will make an announcement to share with you tomorrow!

With the NY Toy Fair less than three weeks away, I’ve been starting to get my game plan in order.  While I research new companies and new products, I will be posting some picks that I find along the way.  This product is one that I found while reviewing the exhibitor list.

As a parent, there’s nothing less desirable than changing diapers—well, besides cleaning up barf.  But nevertheless, smart products make these tasks much easier to bear.  A line from yet another mompreneur, Cooshee products from BabySmart are constructed from micro-cell foam, which gives them their soft, yet sturdy frame.

(more…)

At the ABC Kids Expo, the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) announced the winners of the 2009 Innovation Awards Competition which features several new products. Among the winners, organicKidz Stainless Steel Baby Bottles, was introduced earlier this year and has been garnering a lot of buzz ever since—and all for good reason.

organicKidz Stainless Steel Baby Bottles are touted as being one of the safest baby bottles because they won’t break like glass, are BPA, PVC, Phthalate Free and the only naturally bacteria resistant baby bottles.  The first stainless steel baby bottles, organicKidsz bottles come in 4, 7 and 9 oz. sizes and retail for $19.99 to $23.99.  The bottles are available online and come in a spectrum of colors.

I think these bottles look so sharp.  Aside from the super cool stripes and polka dots, I love the sustainability of the stainless steel.  Even better, I’d love to see the nipples interchange with sippy cup nozzles.  We’ve been using stainless steel thermoses for years; stainless steel bottles are one of those products that just make sense!  Though I’ve yet to check them out in person, I’d love to see these for myself.

Cariboo (yes, the same New Zealand manufacturers of that gorgeous bassinet that’s a hit with several celebs) has a collection called Kiwi Cot Collection. The high-end kids’ furniture line features handcrafted pieces made from sustainable Radiata pine with a biodegradable finish, available in either teak or espresso. The collection has a modern and European look, but the soft edges give it its timeless and classic appearance.

(more…)

It’s kind of chilling how just a few weeks ago I posted a moonwalking baby video.  The dancing baby that’s part of the latest Evian campaign gave a nod to Michael Jackson’s unforgettable dance moves, and shows just how much MJ’s music and career have influenced pop culture.

Evian’s latest campaign is as timely as ever.  Known  for celebrating youth, Evian has another dancing baby.  This time, another baby is breakdancing to the Sugar Hill Gang’s classic, Rapper’s Delight (one of the best songs, ever!)

Be on the lookout for Evian’s latest Live Young ad campaign.  These dancing babies will be everywhere soon.  With my birthday just a weeks away, and realizing that I’ll be in my mid-30s, living young is an idea that certainly hits home.

Popular commercials often feature talking babies, walking babies, laughing babies, but moonwalking babies? This might be a first…

It’s obvious Evian loves babies. In fact, 10 years ago, the company had a campaign that parodied the movie “Bathing Beauty” starring about 70 babies performing synchronized swimming to the song “Bye Bye Baby.” This summer, Evian is going the moonwalking baby route.

Want to know what the moonwalking is all about?  Stay tuned to hear more about Evian’s latest ad campaign.

With the many toy recalls abound, I wanted to share an anecdote about a toy company and customer service.

Like most babies, Jack has more toys than he knows what to with. Back when I was pregnant, I mentioned that like with everything I do, I researched baby stuff. Jeff and I always said that we wanted to be minimalists as much as possible in the baby stuff department, which includes the toys. So, I researched the development baby toys and checked out the toys that won awards. In the end, I registered for a variety of things that I thought would be fun and of course received much more than we could have ever asked for.

We have two favorite toys in the house right now: the Mobile and the Gymini Playmat. Any mom who has these toys or something similar knows how entertaining it is for the tots! As we know from his love for the ceiling fan, we weren’t surprised about his excitement for the mobile. He can spend an hour just staring at the animals rotate to the tunes of Bach and Mozart. The kid huffs and puffs and runs in place as if he’s chasing these stuffed animals dangling in front of him. Now, he’s talking to them regularly.

With his playmat, even though the toys dangling above him don’t move, they squeak and jingle every time he swats his chubby paws at them. He even has this kicking device that goes off like a farm alarm whenever he kicks it. This thing lights up and a chicken and jingle go off very loudly every 3 seconds with the slightest touch of his foot. It’s fun. With his new scooting skills, he’s all over that thing!

Even though Jack’s enjoying these toys for hours on end, it wasn’t like that just a few weeks ago. Actually, neither of these toys were really working. The mobile’s music worked but it stopped turning when Jack was like 3 weeks old. The playmat’s foot peice thing stopped working after the second day. We replaced the batteries several times, made sure everything was connected and still nothing.

(more…)