droolicious : dog

Classic Wooden Toys Collapse and Spring Back To Life

Chris Ford — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:30:00 GMT

You know what they say, "What's old is new again." I'm not that old, but when I was a kid I used to be fascinated with these types of little wooden toys - the kind that seem to collapse when you push the bottom but then spring to life again when you let go. Now you can get a few of them for your kids too - and at a price that won't break the bank.

The Petra Toys Press Puppets come in a Rhino, Giraffe, Red Dog and Elephant version. They would be great for an inexpensive little gift or even a party favor. Actually, it's kind of a pricey party favor, but they're cool nonetheless.

Petra Toys Wooden Press Puppets, $18 from BlackWagon.com

Smart-E-Bear: The iPod for Toddlers Giveaway

elizabeth leach — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 13:55:00 GMT

Smart-e-bear, dog or cat, by Kids Prefered, is an interactive plush toy that you program on your computer to play thousands of award-winning songs, interactive stories, and educational games. At 13” tall, he’s the perfect size for lots of hugging!

My sixteen month old loves her smart-e-dog and hugs him all the time. I think she might have learned to hug by playing with him! I programmed the dog to play only songs since that’s what she loves the most and to say “Hi Charlotte!” As she gets older, I’ll program games and stories, too. This toy truly grows with your child.

To win your own smart-e-bear, smart-e-dog or smart-e-cat, visit their site here and click on "Learn More" to take a tour. Check out all the music, games and stories available and send me an e-mail at babbledesign@gmail.com and tell me which artists you would download for your smart-e-bear. I will choose a random winner at the end of Wednesday, December 3.

You can purchase your smart-e-bear here.

Black Cats And Other Animal Pillows From k studio

Chris Ford — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:30:00 GMT

This black cat pillow is one of a few different animal pillows made by design firm k studio. Each pillow is made from green and sustainable materials such as hemp, organic cotton and recycled wool (they recycle wool?). There is a dog, cat and bird versions, but I'm a fan of the cat pillow. Plus, what could be more holiday appropriate right now than a black cat pillow?

Cat Pillow, $110 from Design Public.

Pure Plushy is the Perfect Gift for World Asthma Day

Chris Ford — Tue, 06 May 2008 10:05:00 GMT

First, let me be the first to remind you that today is World Asthma Day. In case you were wondering, 22 million Americans, including 6.5 million children, suffer from asthma. And in light of this, I'm sure you're probably thinking to yourself, what kind of cute stuffed animal is appropriate for the little asthma sufferer in your life? For that I present to you Pure Plushy, the "first ever and only Antimicrobial Plush Toy."

I'm not going to be the guy on the local evening news that tries to scare you about all of the mold, dust and other microscopic nasties that can get into your kid's stuffed animals, but suffice to say it happens. Pure Plushy animals are made of "specially-treated Super Soft Memory Foam," which apparently resists the aforementioned nasties.

I'm not sure that my kids have ever gotten sick from any of their stuffed animals, but if your child is prone to allergies or suffers from asthma, Pure Plushy is something you might want to check out.

Check out all of the animals (including Cody the Cow pictured) for $29.99 at PurePlushy.com

Dog Saddlebags: The Best Diaper Bag on Four Legs?

Chris Ford — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:16:00 GMT

Last week I wrote about this diaper caddy from Skip Hop, and although I'm not a big fan of bringing your diaper changing gear from room to room, I thought it was a pretty good product. But in the comments Babble reader "Rocket" had this out-of-the-box solution: put a saddle bag on your dog and stuff it full of diapers and wipes. Genius!

There are a couple of things I love about this idea:

No more free rides for Fido. Everyone else's world is going to be turned upside down by the new baby, so why not get the dog to help too?
The diaper gear comes to you. Now instead of figuring out where you put the diaper caddy, the wipes and diapers are a whistle away. And if you're clever enough, maybe you can train the dog to use it's keen sense of smell to detect the dirty diaper before you can.

So if you're willing to try it out, you can buy saddle bags for your dog at most pet stores, including this Dog Backpack from Pine Creek, $25.98 (pictured).

And if you try it out, PLEASE SEND ME PICTURES so I can post a follow up. Babble readers need to know if man's best friend can also be baby's best friend.

Who Let Eero Aarnio’s Dog Out?

elizabeth leach — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 19:06:00 GMT

Flipping through CB2’s latest catalogue, I came across Eero Aarnio’s Puppy, part of his “Me Too Collection” of kids’ furniture. Now, this is modern art for kids. A plastic sculpture that can be used as a toy, a chair, a best friend, or whatever your child dreams up. It can even be an indoor dog or an outdoor dog. CB2’s puppy is $99.95 and comes in orange. Unica Home sells the puppy in four different sizes with prices starting at $52 and available in orange, green and white. (Their medium puppy is the one sold at CB2.) Wouldn’t it be nice if all your child’s toys doubled as pop art?

Barbie Scoops Poop

modmom — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 14:34:00 GMT

Barbie is teaching kids to be responsible dog lovers. Barbie + her dog Tanner ($9.99 on Amazon) come with a bone, chew toys, a magnetic "scooper" (where's the plastic mutt mitt?), stepcan, dish, placemat + ooooooh, what's that in Tanner's mouth? I can' tell the food from the poop. Also available in African American version

If you'd rather teach your kids to be responsible cat lovers, here's Barbie with her cat Mika + catbox + accessories.