Category: gear

Baby Bites: Plum Organics and YoBaby Tout New Offerings

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Organic baby food brand, Plum Organics, has announced its latest addition to its growing product line.  The company added the Just line, which includes six single-fruit purees of USDA organic baby food made with 100 percent fruits. (Hence, the just part)  The Just fruit options include apples, peaches, pears, bananas, pears and mangoes are exempt of any added sugar, juice, colors of artificial flavors.

The Just line joins Plum Organic’s Fruit and Veggie Blends and Mish Mash, which are also packaged in their portable pouch.  Plum Organics is available at Babies R Us/Toys R Us at $1.19 – $1.29 for a 3.17oz. single pouch and $7.19 – $7.29 for a single variety 6-count box.  Plum Organics will soon be available at Buy Buy Baby, HEB, Food Lion, and online at Target.com, Diapers.com, and Drugstore.com.

 

One of our family’s staples, Stonyfield Farms, announced that they’re heeding moms’ advice.  By popular request, Stonyfield Farms  has introduced YoBaby 3-in-1 Meals in 4-ounce multipacks.   The smaller servings, that are perfect for traveling and snacktime, come in pear & green bean, peach & squash, apple & sweet potato.

YoBaby Meals multipacks, priced around $2.99, can be found in natural food stores and select grocery stores.

BabySmart Cooshee Changer is Comfy and Convenient

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

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.

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EnviroBLOX: Green and Crafty

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

When the cold and rainy weather keeps us indoors, finding new activities and games to occupy the kids can sometimes be a chore.  Crafts are always a surefire way to keep everyone entertained, yet the mess leaves much to be desired…if only there was a “cleaner” craft.  Oh, but there is!

Out for a year or two, EnviroBLOX from Cadaco is a construction toy that has the consistency of styrofoam peanuts, but is much more versatile and sustainable.  EnviroBLOX instantly stick together after being moistened with water, so it doesn’t need any glue, staples or tape.  Though the sets come with suggested building designs, there’s a wide assortment of colors, so kids can construct almost anything they can imagine.

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CES Roundup: Mom Tech, Kidos and Sesame Street USB

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Just a few short weeks ago, thousands of techy types convened in Vegas for The Consumer Electronics Show.  This year, more than ever, Moms had a presence at CES.  The industry trade show even had a summit focused on mom consumers called Mommy Tech.  As cringe-inducing as the name may be, it’s true Moms, we are yet again a demographic that companies hope to woo.

If you’re reading this, or perhaps if you tweeted, texted or Facebooked at some point in the day.  YOU are the market that Mommy Tech encompasses.  In a report released by BabyCenter.com, they found that Moms want tech, not toys.  The report, called The 21st Century Mom, Tech Mom is a 36-pg report that essentially divulges the stats that we all confirm, what with our arsenal of gadgets, social media prowess and the role the internet plays in our daily life.

Technology, especially in regards to managing our home life, is hot.  And because I focus primarily on kid products, I wanted to mention a few findings from CES.

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New Tour Dates for Yo Gabba Gabba Live!

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Last year’s sold out live shows had the nation’s kids and their parents chanting, “There’s a party in my tummy, so yummy, so yummy”

This year, our friends over at W!ldbrain just announced that even more cities will get to break it down with Lance and the Yo Gabba Gabba crew.

Over the past few days, there’s been a countdown on YoGabbaGabbaLive.com in anticipation of today’s 10 a.m. announcement of the latest leg of the Yo Gabba Gabba Live tour dates.  Well, the day’s finally here!

Yo Gabba Gabba! Live!:  There’s a Party in My City! is dancey dancing its way to the midwest and Canada with additional performances in Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Toronto, Fort Wayne, Cincinnati and St. Louis for March 2010.

DJ Lance, Brobee, Toodee, Muno, Foofa and Plex are expected to rock out to various tunes, including some that are heard regularly on the show.  The YGG crew knows how to keep their friends on their toes, so be sure to expect some surprises and some special guests at the shows.

The Yo Gabba Gabba Live! There’s a Party in my City was one of our most memorable events of 2009.  We danced, we laughed, we sang and had the most amazing time.  The amount of fun we had at the show solidified our YGG love and proved why shows sell out so quickly.  Word of advice, if you plan to get tickets, don’t delay!  These will sell out!

 

Yo Gabba Gabba Live!:  There’s a Party in My City! U.S. Tour Dates

 

Minneapolis:

Saturday, March 13, 2010 – 3PM
U.S. Bank Theater at Target Center
American Express Pre-Sale – January 20-29 – 10AM
Public On-Sale –January 30 – 10AM

Milwaukee:

Sunday, March 14, 2010 – 2PM & 5PM
Riverside Theater
American Express Pre-Sale – January 20-28 – 10AM
Public On-Sale –January 29 – 12PM

Fort Wayne:

Friday, March 19, 2010 – 11AM & 4PM
Embassy Theatre
American Express Pre-Sale – January 20-28 – 10AM
Public On-Sale –January 29 – 10AM

Cincinnati:

Saturday, March 20, 2010 – 2PM & 5PM
Aronoff Center for the Arts
American Express Pre-Sale –January 20-28 – 10AM
Public On-Sale –January 29 – 10AM

 

St. Louis:

Sunday, March 21, 2010 – 2PM & 5PM
Fox Theatre
American Express Pre-Sale – January 20-29 – 10AM
Public On-Sale –January 29 – 10AM

 

Yo Gabba Gabba Live!:  There’s a Party in My City! Canadian Tour Dates

 

Toronto:

Tuesday, March 16, 2010 – 11AM & 3PM
Wednesday, March 17 – 11AM & 3PM
Elgin Theatre
Public On-Sale –January 30 – 10AM

Tickets and VIP packages for Yo Gabba Gabba Live There’s a Party in My City are available at www.Yogabbagabbalive.com. Children under one year of age will be admitted free to sit on a parent’s lap.

P’kolino Introduces a Chalk Table

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

P’kolino, best known for their modern and innovative children’s furniture and toys, has added a Chalk Table to their product lineup. The Chalk Table, which has a cool pair of bench-style seats, features a reversible tabletop that hides a clever storage space underneath. Can this table be any more perfect for a budding Renoir or Matisse?
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Always a fan of clean aesthetic and functional design, P’kolino’s Chalk Table would complement any stylish preschooler’s room—boy or girl. I’ve been a longtime admirer of P’kolino’s Klick Desk and Little Reader, the Chalk Table is likely to find its way on to my shopping list, once we move to a bigger space. I’ve seen the great quality of a few P’kolino products in person, but I’ve yet to see this one, since it was just introduced. Once I have the chance to see the Chalk Table for myself, I’ll be sure to report back.

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The $90 P’kolino Chalk Table is available for pre-order now and starts shipping on January 20th…and it looks like they’re offering free shipping, too!

Best of ’09: Polliwalks

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

The first ‘Best of 2009’ and companies and products to watch in 2010 is Polliwalks.

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To be upfront, we are not a clog kind of family. Y’know, as in Crocs and the like…well, until we tried Polliwalks on for size.
Clogs, personally, are not my style, but for kids, I think they’re functional and they seem comfortable. True story: the summer when the kid started to cruise, I brought a pair of clogs home. The next day, I was asked to return them. That’s right, the clogs were vetoed.  And of course a few months later, at a family outing, we learned that the kid has a fondness for clog. (pastel pink ones to be exact!) They always want what they don’t have; funny how that works!

And so, this fall when Polliwalks approached me to check out their line of clogs, I happily obliged. Polliwalks has a wide variety of animals, bugs, creatures and character-themed clogs, so it was hard to choose which shoe to try. Since it was around the time of my trip to Sesame Street, the characters were even closer to our hearts, so we went with Cookie Monster.
Cookie Monster Polliwalks
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NKT’s Best of 2009

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Without a doubt, in 2009 I researched, tested and reviewed more baby and kid products than I could comprehend—truly.  Some of the products I wanted to share with you just didn’t make it on to the blog because of time, especially with the madness of the holidays and wrangling an active kid.  And because of this, I wanted to do my roundup of innovative gear, gadgets and goodies of 2009.  These are all products that I thought made an impression to me and certainly companies that I will watch in 2010.

I’ll post the products in the following days in no particular, with a few giveaways to boot.

First up:

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New year, new horizons

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Happy Monday and happy 2010, everyone. I hope you had a lovely holiday break and are recovering/transitioning ok! Our family enjoyed a very nice Christmas and quiet New Year; it was just the right amount of family time. After a hectic fall and holiday season, I took a much needed break from blogging and writing. Apologies for the lack of posts, but things will be back to normal this week.

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photo credit: Selva Ganapathy

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Music Monday: A Family Christmas

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Way before tracking trends and kid’s products even became a blip on my radar, I stumbled upon Putumayo Kids music at a local gift store.  A huge advocate for diversity and lover of all things music-related, falling in love with Putumayo Kids was a given.

There are children’s music compilations and then, there is Putumayo Kids.  Putumayo’s various cds, which are geared to entertain, educate and inspire cultural curiosity in children, boast upwards to 3 million cds sold and stands apart from other children’s cds.  The compilations are well-thought out and enjoyable for both kids and adults—a must for our music-loving family.

616FLxA340L._SL500_AA240_This fall, Putumayo released A Family Christmas, which I found to be one of the best recent kid-centric Christmas music collections.  Putumayo’s A Family Christmas is a melodic departure from all the character-based songbooks, shows and cds that seem to monopolize the storeshelves, especially this time of year.  The songs on this cd are ones that we know and love, but the artists featured are none that I can recognize aside from Big VooDoo Daddy, (though you might recognize a few) which makes it even more appealing.  Can you think of a better way to enjoy the songs you hear a billion times over during the holidays than with a new fresh take on the classics for kids?

From Johnny Bregar’s acoustic take on “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” to Big Bad Voodoo Daddy retro-swing version of Louis Armstrong’s song, “Is Zat You Santa Claus?,” to The Christmas Jug Band featuring Angela Strehli and Maria Muldaur’s “Boogie Woogie Santa Claus,” Putumayo’s A Family Christmas covers all the music genre on one fun collection.  This compilation truly appeals to music lovers of all ages and from all walks of life!  My only complaint is that I can’t seem to locate Putumayo on iTunes.  Maybe the next one?

My personal favorite on the cd is definitely Mele Kalikimaka by Debbie Davis & Matt Perrine, which I consider a kind reminder and shout out to one of our family’s highlights of the year—our trip to Hawaii this summer to celebrate the kid’s Godmother’s wedding!
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Be sure to check out the Putumayo Kid’s site to check out their other award-winning cd collections.  Also, head on over to Amazon to give a listen to A Family Christmas, which is where I sampled this cd myself.  Music is a wonderful gift for everyone, especially cd compilations that have garnered awards like, Parents’ Choice Awards, National Parenting Publications Gold Awards, iParenting Media Award and Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award.

Without a doubt, after I pick up this cd from Barnes and Noble, Putumayo’s A Family Christmas will be blaring from our speakers on our drive back to Virginia for the holidays.  Putumayo is so cool, they’re offering a free MP3 download!  Just sign up here to receive your free download of the song “Jolly Old St. Nick” by Brave Combo from the new Putumayo CD A Family Christmas.

A Family Christmas can be found at retailers like Barnes and Noble, as well as online.