Strollerderby : delicious droolicious

Delicious Droolicious: Over the Shoulder Baby Holder

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:36:00 GMT

The Over the Shoulder Baby Holder people are sling makers with a mission. Pioneers in the baby wearing movement, the creators of the Over the Shoulder have been in the carrier business for over twenty years with strong beliefs in the principals of breastfeeding and baby wearing. But most importantly, they’ve created a sling that is by far the easiest to use of our gang of carriers. You slip it over your head, put your baby in and pull the straps through the shoulder ring to tighten or loosen. Tada! You can carry your baby in the cradle position, on your hip, on your back or sitting up just by moving the carrier around; even while your baby is inside. The quick and simple adjustability of baby also makes it easy to find the best nursing position while remaining under cover.

Usually any of the slings that only utilize one shoulder, kill me as soon as a baby goes past the 10 lb marker, but when I threw on the OTSBH I was surprised at how comfortable it was to carry a 15 lb’er around. The edges of this carrier are stuffed to create a pillow effect around your shoulder and around the baby, keeping everyone comfortable. The reading materials that come with the sling (and there are a lot of materials) say the design evenly distributes the weight over your torso, hip, shoulder and back so that must be part of the back and neck pain solution.

The downsides of the OTSBH were minimal. I could have done without the flyer included with the sling entitled The Diseases of Non-Attachment, but hey some people live by the words of Dr. Sears. And while they offer a huge variety of designs and colors, my tastes don’t lean toward denim blue or Hawaiian prints so I didn’t feel super cool toting it around. And while the ease of use outweighs the way one looks in public, I have to admit it was still a factor. But at $44.95 a pop, you can afford to lose some style points on your baby outings.

Get it from Babyholder.com.

For when they get older:

Delicious Droolicious: Recalled Carseats, Oh My!

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 16:31:00 GMT

Posted by Aaron Burgess

A year after Consumer Reports urged it to do just that (and then curiously retracted its findings), Evenflo has recalled 1 million of its Discovery car seats (models 390, 391, 534 and 552) made between April 2005 and January 29, 2008, because of a potential safety hazard that causes the seat to dislodge from its base during a crash. To find out if your seat is affected, flip over the seat and check the white label for one of the aforementioned model numbers.

If you're affected by the recall, report it ASAP with Evenflo either at 1-800-356-2229 or through the company's website: You'll receive a free dual-hook fastener that will anchor the seat to its base. The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, which tested the seats in conjunction with Evenflo, says it's okay to continue using your seat despite the recall. No, that's not a typo.

Evenflo isn't alone: Generally speaking, car seats are plagued by safety issues. Have you found a seat that you trust implicitly -- one that secures your precious cargo and lets you get through a trip without having one eye fixed on the rear-view mirror? Let us know in the comments.

For more Droolicious:

Delicious Droolicious: Robeez We Love You!!

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 19:36:00 GMT

Posted by Erin Behan

There's a definite cult of the Robeez parents out there, and who can blame them? Yet the one fatal flaw of the adorable shoe brand was that the shoes weren't really meant for outdoor use (not that I haven't seen plenty a kid outside in the line's shoes). Well, the makers of Robeez have corrected that flaw and on Monday will debut their new line of outdoor Robeez, called Tredz ($42). Above are the Evan Laces. Below are the Airplane Shoes.

The shoes are meant as a transition between soft-soled and firm-soled shoes, but with the Robeez trademarks those cult-members love: the stay-on elastic ankle and foot-friendly design. The spring collection will have 22 designs for 12-16 month, 16-20 months and 20-24 months. And, did we mention that they're super cute?

Come back to Droolicious on Monday for our giveaway of two pairs of the brand-new Robeez Tredz.

Also:

Delicious Droolicious: Valentine's Day Just Around the Corner

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 21:14:00 GMT

Posted by Leigh-Ann Jackson

Yeah, this one's only Valentine's-related in the loosest sense. Well...there's a heart, so...there's that.

Plus, it lets baby give a loving shout-out to his or her favorite beast of burden. And for the uber-spoiled, the design also comes in children's sizes up to 6.

$15, Buy Olympia.

For other fun Valentine's Day ideas:

Delicious Droolicious: Pretty Hand-Made Puppets

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 19:32:00 GMT

Posted by Erin Behan

Sure, the more crafty among us could probably help their kids make these puppets sans kit. But there's something nice and easy about pulling a ready-to-go craft project out of a bag, setting up shop and watching intently quiet kids concentraing on their unique creations. Yep, the Zoo Animal Lace-Up Puppet kit ($9.95) saves you some headaches and makes 12 puppets. And when the puppets are done, you can insist on a puppet show.

Other Drooliciousness:

Delicious Droolicious: Wall Adhesives for Your Little Budding Artist

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 21:31:00 GMT

Posted by Erin Behan

Sometimes we feature things that are out of reach. This post is one of those times. How awesome do I find these wall stickers? I was willing to showcase them even when I thought the entire website was in French! However, e-glue does have a site translated into English, which makes it all the better to enjoy the themed designs, such as the Lovely Uma! as part of the Giga Kit (above). The animals have such a beautiful personality that they're hard not to love (close-ups below). But there is that little pesky matter of price. A complete set of eight rather large stickers in your choice of colors is 259 Euros (payable by PayPal), plus shipping. I won't run the numbers into dollars for you, but you might click around and decide you like some of the single-set adhesives just as much and treat yourself, er, I mean your kid.

For more of your favorite things:

Delicious Droolicious: Board Games Not Bored Games

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 19:03:00 GMT

Posted by Erin Behan

... starts on Monday. Yep, next week we're going to be featuring a whole week's worth of games that you can play with your kids (inside). Some of them will be Droolicious blogger favorites. Others will come from readers. So if you've got an indoor game that's always a winner, send it on over. It just might make our list!

Other ways to avoid killing each other on snowy/rainy days:

Frisbee or hoola hoops
Rockabye chicky
Mittens for when your little one can't stay inside one more second

Delicious Droolicious: Enjoy the Whimsical World of Calder

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:57:00 GMT

Posted by Sarah Verdone

Now you can own an Alexander Calder sculpture -- and watch your kid drag it all over the floor. It's OK. This whopper of a fish pull-toy (measuring 26"x14") can take it. The French company, Vilac, has been making fine wooden toys since 1911. I know what you're thinking. $146.25? But it's marked down from $195! Made in France (where the dollar is really, really weak).

More for the Euro Tot:

Delicious Droolicious: Pretty NonCommittal Stickers for Your Kids' Walls

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:53:00 GMT

Posted by Erin Behan

It's hard to not fall Paul Frank's Small Paul line (many of us probably still have an adult-sized Paul Frank tee of our own in the wardrobe). These 80 reusable vinyl stickers from the collection are offered at Design Public, come in an 80-pack ($68) and will spice up any kid's room. And the peel and re-stick feature makes them a much better wall art option than something that gets semi-permanently nailed in. Just resist the urge to tell you kiddo about the time when you were decorating your school geography notebook with Paul Frank stickers. Click through for an idea of how to arrange (especially if you have a spare Eames rocker that you have no idea what to do with).

Also:

Delicious Droolicious: Who Doesn't Like Bathing With Frogs?

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 18:47:00 GMT

Munchkin Bath Scooper Turtle v. Boon Frog Pod v. Sassy Frog Tub Organizer

On our last day of bath toys, we answer the question of where to put all these great squirters and floaters. Be sure to browse through all 7 Days of bath toys and enter to win the giveaway from Alex Toys. The winner will be announced on Monday, so check back!

When the Boon Frog Pod first came to the market, parents swooned. Finally, a bath toy storage system that isn’t only cute enough for the kiddies, it also makes sense. The Munchkin Bath Super Scooper Turtle came soon after. Both of these amphibians seemed like the ultimate: they offer drainage for water-logged toys, have lots of room for all bath time play things and are space-saving. Anything that goes up on the wall and out of tripping range is good for us.

The Munchkin Bath Scooper Turtle was the first to be tested and there were high hopes that it would be the last. It is more compact than the Boon Frog Pod, with only one master piece. The friendly turtle acts as scooper and holder, with only the hook attached to the wall with an adhesive strip accompanying. The storage area was perfect for our toy load and our tester baby loved putting her toys back into her turtle. Unfortunately the Munchkin Turtle fell down after only 24 hours of stickiness. We tried again with a new model and it lasted even less time than the 24 hour marker.

The Boon Frog Pod offers three options to prevent those off-the-wall problems. The first is the same adhesive route as the Munchkin, but there is also the very hard core option of drilling holes into your bath tile and screwing that thing right into the wall. We chose some middle ground with the suction cup hook that holds the Frog Pod in place. And the instructions (including alcohol wipe!) that came with the Frog Pod were clearly meant to head off the slippage issue, instructions we could have used with the Munchkin that would perhaps have prevented it from crashing so quickly.

The only downside to the Frog Pod is that it is just so darn big. Rather than being a one-scoop operation, the frog body is a large plastic piece that stays on the wall and the scoop that is the frog’s back, comes off and on. (Which is fine, unless it gets packed a little high, then it becomes difficult fitting it back on the frog.) The Frog Pod is mounted on the wall so we don’t anticipate it being a space issue for most people; it’s just that the Munchkin Turtle and the Sassy Tub Organizer are less cumbersome and when space is at a premium, the little things mean a lot.

The Sassy Frog Toy Organizer is a sure sticker. One of our editors has had it kicking around her bathroom for some time without any crashing to the bottom of the tub incidents. And the mesh bag allows the proper drainage to avoid mold and mildew on your precious’ toys. It is a smaller organizer than both the Frog Pod and the Munchkin, and while our glut of toys fills up the bigger scoops, perhaps the lesson is we don’t really need ten pounds of toys for bath time. It also retails for $10.99, a real steal since this price also includes a spout guard, which is of course, also a frog. - April Peveteaux

Buy Munchkin Bath Super Scooper Turtle from Amazon. - $19.99

Buy Boon Frog Pod from Amazon. - $24.99

Buy Sassy Tub Toy Organizer from Amazon. - $10.99

Check out the other featured bathtoys here.

Delicious Droolicious: Totally Rad Baby Sneaks

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 18:53:00 GMT

Posted by Leigh-Ann Jackson

I'm freezing here in my Southern California stronghold — even here, all the leaves are brown and the sky is gray — so I can scarcely imagine what the rest of the country is dealing with. If you're a believer in the "think warm thoughts" chestnut, here's a pair of miniature skate shoes that should channel a little endless summer for you. They're hand-made slip-ons by Sweet Shoes and they come in winter-compliant (machine washable!) suede. Also available in pink.

$28, Spunky Sprout.

Also:

Further proof that anything can be made cute, if it's made into a pillow
Check out today's fabulous bath toy
Perfect for your little log roll champions

Delicious Droolicious: Just Say No to Pink

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 19:59:00 GMT

Posted by chrisjordan

We've all done it. You have a girl, you buy pink. You can't resist. It's like a sickness. You didn't even like pink all that much before.
Then one day it hits you. You can't believe you succumbed to the pressure. You go to her closet and all she has in there to wear is PINK!
Well, I have the cure for you. The Antidote to Pink Jumper.

I love the description of this dress almost as much as I love the dress itself. Having been one of those mothers who suddenly found herself staring at a sea of pink every time I opened the closet I can relate.

Hand made from a beautiful Amy Butler fabric in blues, grays and white. Coordinating polka dot collar and lining accented in blue whipstitch piping.

Available at Little Girl Pearl for $65

And while you're at it:

Say yes to pretty teeny little felt shoes
Go ahead and surrender to rec room envy
Zoo masks for your kids and you to enjoy

Delicious Droolicious: Loving the Step Stool

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 17:19:00 GMT

Posted by chrisjordan

Every house with children has at least one step stool so that short people can wash their hands, brush their teeth, or reach things that they shouldn't be reaching.

The simple design of this stool is appealing. Rounded edges for safety protecting little shins and knees from running into sharp corners. A built in carry handle for toting the stool to other rooms, you know where the more exciting things are kept. A hollow bottom so that the stool will not accidentally be put down on top of toes.

Made from molded plywood with a birch veneer by Small Paul and available at 2modern for $89

Is your baby tall enough to bake?

Delicious Droolicious: Papa's Got a Brand New (Undiaper)Bag

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 17:36:00 GMT

Posted by chrisjordan

Finding a diaper bag that is functional and attractive is about as easy as finding a needle in a haystack. This large messenger style bag has 9 pockets to organize all of your things. Three large pockets on the outside under the flap and six smaller pockets inside, this bag can hold everything from bottles to diapers to iPods.

The exterior is made from a brown corduroy. Inside of the bag is made with an orange cotton fabric and this same fabric is used as an accent binding. Had binding and boning on the sides of the bag means that it won't sag once you put something inside of it.

Available at Glam Baby Designs for $59, this bag will take you through the diaper years and beyond.

Also:

Delicious Droolicious: An Animal Webcam in Every Stocking?

Karen Murphy — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 22:04:00 GMT

Posted by Erin Behan

Though specific tech details are sketchy on the Red Envelope website, the site's animal webcams sure are cute. And measuring no more than 3 inches in any direction, a perfect fit for a slightly older kid's stocking. The techno critters make me wish that I could get away with staring into a dinosaur-shaped camera during my next video-enabled business meeting. Regular price for Red Envelope's animal webcams is $35, but right now they are on sale for $19 each.

Also drooling over at Droolicious today:

Toddler-sized drop-seat red long johns
Sonic grenade alarm for the hard-to-wake
The chair you want but can't afford. At least I can't.

Delicious Droolicious: Christmas Figurines for the Modern Tot

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 20:21:00 GMT

Posted by moderndaydad

If you celebrate Christmas and you've got a young family like I do, then I'm betting your tree is looking pretty good right now but you probably don't have a lot of other decorations around the house. We've already told you about the modern nativity set, but I also can't help mentioning the other figurines in the "Figure Project" by Italian design company Alessi.

The "Figure Project" is a collection of porcelain figures that (according to their web site) are supposed to "compare the intriguing world of porcelain figures, particularly the refined production tradition of European manufacturers from the 18th century onwards, with our methods and contemporary designers." The result is a whole collection of light-hearted, modern Christmas figures that, quite frankly, rule me. I'm particularly partial to the "Christmas Cow Boy" [sic] (pictured) and the "Pinocchino," but the angels, the snowman, and all the rest are great too. At around $35 per figure it might be too expensive to buy up the whole set, but one or two might be something that has to happen this Christmas.

And trust me. They're way better snow babies.

Check out all of them for sale, from $16 to $35, at Unicahome.com

Other pretty things:

Give your baby a real silver spoon
Handmade monkey
Pirate booty for your pirate booty

Delicious Droolicious: Paper is Better than Plastic

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 18:21:00 GMT

Posted by Leigh-Ann Jackson

Fresh after a visit to the current Takashi Murakami retrospective exhibit at L.A.'s Museum of Contemporary Art, my daughter is a budding kawaii (that's "cute stuff" in Japanese) lover. We'd have to be gazillionaires to afford her favorite pieces — a cluster of over-sized tall, candy-colored anthropomorphic toadstools. This paper village playset by Fantastic Toys is more in line with our budget (not to mention a little more G-rated than some of the...shall we say...anatomically-correct statues included in the collection). Kids ages six and up can use scissors, tape and glue to assemble a crew of bug-eyed deer, bear cubs and gnomes, along with their bubblegum toadstool home and outhouse.

$20, Mahar Drygoods.

Other pretty crafty things:

Delicious Droolicious: Not Too Late to Order Pretty Holiday Cards!

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 17:54:00 GMT

Posted by editors

If you’re like me and you justify procrastinating on your holiday mail by saying ‘well the season technically ends in January’ then there is still time to persuade you to check out the modern and fab holiday cards by Tiny Prints from Tea Collection. Personal, classy and easy to order, Tiny Prints has a variety of greeting cards as well as gift tags and return address labels. Bonus – enter the code TEAPAPERS at checkout and get 10% off your order. - April Peveteaux

Cards start at 1.24 each from Tea.

Also at Droolicious today:

Portable DVD Player round-up
Handmade heli-toy good for stockings or a snowy afternoon
Bunny bib for your little bunny

Delicious Droolicious: Joy of Big Wheels

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 18:39:00 GMT

Posted by Mir

Remember your red and yellow Big Wheel? Go double vintage with the Big Wheel design done as only Radio Flyer can do it -- red, chrome handlebars, and all. Grab their Big Flyer and get ready for a bit of nostalgia while you watch your kid race around at top speed. Right now it's marked down to $49.99 at Amazon with free shipping, too.

For other kiddie present ideas, don't forget to check out:

The world's most adorable dinosaur
Paper dolls revisited
One of a kind stockings just in time for Christmas

Delicious Droolicious: Yo! Grab a Gabba

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 17:49:00 GMT

Posted by Leigh-Ann Jackson

"There's a party in my tummy/ So yummy, so yummy!"

Ahhh, Brobee. The "Yo Gabba Gabba" character is my daughter's favorite of the televised quintet and she's only ever seen the pilot episode. Now she and fans of the Nick Jr. show can cuddle up with Yo Gabba Gabba dolls, brought to you by Kidrobot. All of the characters are available, but Brobee gets you more bang for your buck because his arms are posable and his mouth is changeable, allowing him to be sad about a stolen ball, or happy about a tummy full of chicken and juice. (Sorry, there's no DJ Lance Rock.)

$24.95, Kid Robot.

Other pretty things:

Delicious Droolicious: Recycling Starts at Home (with Your Toddler)

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 16:59:00 GMT

Posted by Mir

Well, they get an A from the Parents Choice Award people for 2007, anyway. This extra large super Viking Toys recycling truck was chosen as a great option for imaginative and eco-friendly play. Get yours for $34.99 at Amazon.

The irony of a giant plastic truck being thusly honored is palpable, but nevertheless, it is pretty cool that this truck deals in recycling rather than just refuse. Beep beep! Vroom vroom! Rinse those cans!

Other sweets for your sweets:

Sheepy lamp will have them sleeping happily
South Park holiday tree ornament -- odd but cute

Delicious Droolicious: Huggy Sluggys Are Saving the Earth and Sending Kids to Therapy

Kelly Mills — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 22:28:00 GMT

Posted by Mir

I really want to like these. I do. The concept is brilliant -- each Huggy Sluggy has a pet environmental cause, and they're cuddly plushes made with organic cotton, shipped in a reusable bag along with a book made of recycled paper. Plus, they're made here in the USA. Each pack retails for $34.95. It sounds great, right?

In reality, the "reusable bag" is a burlap sack; no sane person wants to cuddle with a slug, much less a disturbingly anthropomorphized slug who cares about the environment but is wearing lipstick (or, if you check out the other drawings on the site, a bra top); and the kicker, of course, is the Huggy Sluggys' notable similarity to something most of us would rather not have our toddlers wandering around clutching. They may as well revise the website to read, "Save our trees," "Protect our animals," and "Always wear a condom."

Other yeas and nays at Droolicious:

Delicious Droolicious: MOBI Tykelight Takes a Whining, Keeps on Shining

Karen Murphy — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:47:00 GMT

Posted by Gwynne Watkins

When the TykeLight ($25) came into our office, we thought it was cute and smart — but we were skeptical that little kids would want to be its best friend, as implied by the package. Babble editor Ada took it home and we were totally proven wrong. Here's her review:

"The baby just spent an hour playing in his crib after I put him down," my mother announced when I picked him up one night after an evening out. "It's that light. It makes everything look magical." While we would have credited the baby's good nature, it's true — the Tykelight is a minor miracle. It casts a beautiful glow, is lightweight and stores hours of charge from single plug-in. The perfect traveling night light, we throw it in our bag for every evening at the grandparents' and for every weekend trip. And because it's not as bright and hot as our old night light (a mini-exit-sign someone gave us), now we use it even at home. Sometimes during the day, my son carries it around like a My Buddy, only occasionally dropping it with a plastic thwack on the tile floor. After a few weeks of such treatment, the light seems to have come apart on the inside, because it makes a little rattling noise now when you shake it, but the shell hasn't broken and it still lights up, and the bright-dim-timer-off settings still work. Any plastic-electric contraption that costs $25 and still works after such abuse is magical to us.

Available on Amazon.

Also on Droolicious today:

What baby doesn't look good in stripes?
Because refrigerator magnets should be art
Weigh in on the great pee and poo debate. I happen to love them.

Delicious Droolicious: Mittens for Your Three-Handed Child

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 16:11:00 GMT

Posted by chrisjordan

Okay, not really. You know how one mitten always gets lost? This is a pair of mittens that come with a spare. So you can prolong the inevitable for an additional few ~~weeks~~ ~~days~~ hours.

Hand knit, these tri-mitts are available at Lazy Mama Designs for $14

Also at Droolicious:

Who doesn't love stories about the other reindeer?
Holiday overalls that look good enough to eat
For your Puzzler in training

Delicious Droolicious: Pretty Plastic that Won't Poison Your Progeny

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 18:20:00 GMT

Posted by Mir

Plastics made in China getting you down? How about some American-made bioplastic toys? Green Toys has created a line of children's toys here in America from bioplastic -- plastic made from renewable, sustainable sources (primarily corn).

These were first mentioned a little while back on Strollerderby, but unavailable at that time. Now, they're coming! Keep your eyes open for various Green Toys bioplastic toys to be arriving at Planet Happy Toys in the next few months. The tea set pictured above will retail for $24.95.

Other Droolicious finds:

The prettiest holiday dress I've ever laid eyes on..
Lego Advent calendar for those waiting for Santa
It's never too early to start wearing hats