Playhouses from Craftsbury Kids

When I was little, I was always obsessed with forts. I made them out of the couch cushions, the sheets on my bed, boxes, or anything else I could think of. I dreamed of tree houses and always wanted to visit my friend who had an actual one room mini-house on her lawn just for her. So I would have given anything for one of these play tents from Craftsbury Kids. As I loved all things girly, I would have prefered the Gingerbread Cotton Playhouse or the Summer Cottage Playhouse. But there are also the Sheriff's Office Play Tent, the Circus Big-Top Playhouse, the Large Garage Playhouse, and the Castle Playhouse. They aren't cheap, but if you feel like splurging on your little one and have the room, these are a great idea.

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Snuggle Friend

Anderson loves his Frog Snuggle Friend. He brings it with him any time we take a trip in the car or the stroller. Okay, in reality, we stick it on top of him, but he always seems a little extra bored when we forget it.

These Snuggle Friends are made from really soft fabrics. If it wasn't always covered in drool, I'd probably love to sleep with it myself. It is available in Lion, Puppy, Pink Poodle, Duck, Frog, Pink or Blue Lamb and Tiger from KooKoo Bear Kids.

Dream Meadow Play mat by Haba

Laura and I bought our first play mat from craigslist. In fact, it was just tossed in with the real object of our purchase, a changing table. At the time, we didn't really give it much thought. But in the five months since Anderson was born, we use our play mat nearly every day. Without it, we'd have a hard time relaxing in front of the TV. And Anderson probably wouldn't be reaching for things above his head yet!

The Dream Meadow Playmat by Haba is definitely the Cadillac of play mats. Your baby will be surrounded by different textures, and things that rustle and squeak. The sides flip up and down to create an instead bed or changing area. And of course, you can hang toys of your choice from the bar. It might seem a little expensive, but it sounds as though you will get a lot of use out of it. Its the perfect thing to put on your baby registry!

Winkel by Manhattan Toy

There aren't enough teethers out there that are small enough so a baby can actually hold them. I don't know about you, but I am sick and tired of holding the teethers in my son's mouth all the time. So I really like this next product, the Winkel from Manhattan Toy. It is a rattle, can be put in the fridge to cool it down, has tons of thin tubes that a baby could easily hold in a variety of bright colors, and it's just darn neat to look at!

Red Ball Rocking Horse by Design Within Reach

When I was little, I loved rocking horses. I always wanted to be on mine, but it was kept on our screened in porch, so I only got to use it during the warm months. The Red Ball Rocking Horse from Design Within Reach is so clean and simple, I feel like it would fit in perfectly in my living room instead of being delegated to the deck (which we don't have at the moment anyways!). Knowing nothing about design, I would have assumed this was a modern version of the old rocking horse, but the original design is actually from 1965! Also, a percentage of the sales of this item will support design education through a contribution to the AIGA scholarship fund.

Take-Along Hop 'n Pop by Fisher-Price

The exersaucer is fine and good, and we do use it with Andy every day. But I'm more interested in finding him something he can bounce in. The bounces that hang from the ceiling can be dangerous, so we are looking for something more stationary. So I'm looking for something like an exersaucer that is a little more bouncy. This may be the ticket, the Fisher-Price Take-Along Hop 'n Pop. Here's what is said about this product:

As your baby bounces, the corn popper pops, lights twinkle, songs begin to play and whimsical sound effects kick in. The more your baby moves, the greater the rewards...more lights and sounds, more music and more popping action. Plus, your baby can reach for seven eye-catching toys designed to stimulate her visual, tactile and auditory skills. It folds right up, so you can take it anywhere. Seat adjusts to three different heights for baby's comfort. Designed only for babies who can sit up without assistance, but can't climb out of the seat.

This sounds perfect for us, so I might be buying it today!

Have Stroller Bottle Tank by Punkster

I have a thing for cute sayings on baby clothes. As long as they aren't gross or sexual in nature, I must say I am shocked at a few things out there. But here's a tank that I love, the Have Stroller Bottle Tank by Punkster. Unfortunately, it probably won't fit Andy when it starts to get warm again as it's only available in 6-12 month, so I'm not going to buy it for him. But I may gift this to one of our friends as they all seem to be getting pregnant or having babies (including one who was just born yesterday!). It's also tag free, which I love as those tags seem to really annoy Andy's neck.

Burger and Muffin Plush Dolls by Uncommon Goods

I love weird toys, so this one is quickly a favorite of mine. The Burger and Muffin Plush Dolls from Uncommon Goods are multi-stacked layers, but so much more interesting than the rainbow colored ones that you can buy anywhere. These are also soft and cute, and I'd have more fun playing with them with my son.

My Royal Heinie

I love my diaper bag and am thinking about getting another, but I still want this next item anyway, My Royal Heinie. It is like a mini diaper bag with a built in wipes dispenser and room for up to six diapers and the rest of your diapering essentials. You can keep it inside your diaper bag or use it on it's own, which is what I want it for. Often the diaper bag just feels too heavy, and it's easier not to lug it where you are going. This would be perfect for those times. It's not available yet, but they are accepting pre-orders. It also comes with a matching changing pad and is available in four different color combinations: hot lips, ocean, miami juice, and chocolate kiss.

Initial Wastebasket by Kookoo Bears

I love monogrammed things, but for some reason I never seem to buy anything that is. If you do however, you should look at the Initial Wastebasket from Kookoo Bears. It is made of wood, comes in pink, blue, and green, and can have any letter on it. What a nice way to make your child's room a little extra special!

BlogPire Podcast - Fall Product News and Guest Russell Neufeld from ShavingStuff.com 09.25.06

Special guest Russell Neufeld visits from ShavingStuff.com and tells us about the latest shaving products. And of course, we have the latest news and views from around the 'pire including details on the new TiVo Series 3 and where to get great deals on the latest GPS devices. We also answer your questions from the past couple of weeks so keep sending them in to podcast at blogpire dot com.

[iTunes]Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3).
[RSS] Add the BlogPire Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically (MP3).
[MP3] Download the show (MP3).
[LISTEN] Listen to the show in your browser.

With Hosts: Russell Miner and Jay Brewer and guest Russell Neufeld

Program Details:

00:00:58 Introductions and Welcome to Russell Neufeld from ShavingStuff.com
00:02:10 Excalibur Wine on Cheap Fun Wines
00:02:45 TVSnob.com
00:03:00 HD Tivo series 3
00:05:30 WeakKnees.com Upgrades for the Tivo Series 3
00:09:09 CBS shows in advance on all Tivos
00:11:00 ShavingStuff.com with Russell Neufeld
00:13:00 Zirh Preshave Products
00:15:22 Zirh Scrub
00:17:05 Zirh Clean
00:18:50 LiquorSnob.com
00:19:17 Drink Liquor make more Money
00:22:48 The BeerClip
00:26:14 ShavingStuff.com with Russell Neufeld
00:26:35 Shaving with Zirh Profucts
00:28:53 Zirh Prepare
00:30:57 Zirh Shave Gel
00:34:17 Zirh Defend
00:34:50 SingleServeCoffee.com
00:36:19 All about Keurig Including the B70
00:41:26 ShavingStuff.com with Russell Neufeld
00:41:31 Menscience
00:43:03 Daily Face Wash with Brush
00:44:48 Menscience Shaving Cream
00:47:11 Menscience Post Shave Repair
00:48:52 Menscience Advanced Face Lotion
00:49:50 ReallyNatural.com
00:49:56 Spinach and You
00:52:28 Bamboo Dinner Plates
00:54:06 Edible Handmade Bracelets
00:55:12 Questions
00:55:21 Good Prices on GPSs
00:57:28 Non Shaving Products on Shavingstuff.com
00:57:50 BY142 scar remover
01:02:20 Closing

Baby Trogdor

Any geek worth his (or her) salt will love this Baby Trogdor onesie from the Homestar Runner store. If you don't get the joke, take a look at this Strongbad email. If you still don't get it, well, keep moving along then.

Unfortunately as of this writing, the onesie is sold out. But keep checking back so you can have your own baby burninator.

Lincoln Logs Collector's Edition

When I was growing up, Lincoln Logs were one of my favorite toys. I loved making little log cabins. I'm not entirely sure why. I also loved hiking through the snow, uphill, both ways to school. So, I may be asking a lot for Anderson to enjoy this decidedly retro toy, but I'm going to be getting it for him in a few years anyway.

This set comes in a heirloom quality wood case and includes 151 wooden pieces, plus building instructions.

Bees and Flowers Mobile

I've never been big on mobiles. I've seen a ton, but I have a hard time finding ones that I really like. They usually either are boring or cheap to me. I know that it matters more what the baby thinks, not the parent, but I can't help but not like most that I see. However, I really do like this one from nonchalantmom, the bees and flowers mobile. It is made of German wood, is nice and simple, and your child will actually be able to see it when laying underneath (which is actually less common than it should be). It's also a great price at only $24.

DECT Baby Monitor by Philips

I think, short of a closed-circuit broadcast of Anderson's nursery, the DECT Baby Monitor by Philips is about an ideal a monitor as you can get. It's digital, so there's no interference, and it uses encrypted communications so your nosy neighbors can't listen in on your private conversations.

• Indicates a continuous connection between the baby and the parent unit with visible and audible link indicators.
• Provides the ability to allow you to talk back to the baby.
• Uses lights to indicate if the baby makes noise, even with volume off.
• Safely monitor baby room temperature from parent unit.
• Gives you a minimum of 24 hours of cordless monitoring with a range of up to 300m (900 feet).

It's a bit pricey at nearly $200, but when you consider all its cool features, it doesn't sound so bad.

HALO Big Kids Sleep Sack

For a good 3 months, we swaddled Anderson every night for bed (which is another post in itself), but now we simply dress him in a footsie pajamas and a Halo Sleep Sack. That way we don't have to worry about the possibility of Anderson suffocating under a pile of blankets.

It's good to see that, should Anderson grow addicted to his sleep sack, he can continue wearing them for many years to come with the Big Kids Sleep Sack. I don't quite get how this is different than a set of loose pajamas, especially with the leg holes. But in the dark, cold winters up here in New England, I wouldn't mind sleeping in one of these myself.

HALO works hard to prevent SIDS and with the SleepSack they have made tremendous strides. With each SleepSack sale HALO donates a portion of the sale toward SIDS medical research, education and family services.

Bibs by Baby Star

I didn't use bibs with Andy the first few months. I didn't see the point. Sure he started drooling after a while, but I just wiped it up with a burp cloth. Now that he watches some tv while I leave the room (yes, I'm a bad parent who lets her son watch Sesame Street, but I would have cracked up if I didn't get that personal time) and is starting solid foods, I need something to keep the drool from getting all over his clothes. I would love to have these bibs from Baby Star. My favorites are the Bubbles Bib and the Full Bloom Bib, but all of them are cute and stylish. Baby Star also has their own website, check out their cute burp clothes too.

Ocean Retro Sherpa Carry All by Oioi

I love the print on this diaper bag, the Retro Sherpa Carry All in ocean by Oioi. Maybe it's because we're starting to get a little sick of our current diaper bag, but we want something that is cute and functional, but mostly cute. The handles may not be perfect, but I'm a little sick of the whole messanger bag thing. I want something that feels a little more like a purse. There is a messanger bag in this print if you prefer that though. Both the carry all and the messanger come in the color desert as well.

Awake/Asleep Doorknob Sign

Tip toeing is very important in our house as it's the old New England type with wooden floors that creak all the time. I feel like I can't walk around the house during naps because it might wake Andy up. So I really like this next idea, the Asleep/Awake Doorknob Sign. I could put it on his door handle or on our kitchen door if we don't want anyone going anywhere close to his room. We have people over a lot, so it's a great reminder to our friends not to scream their heads off after 8pm!

Sale at Constructive Playthings

There's a Fall Sale going on now at Contructive Playthings. Get up to 50% off a ton of items. We don't know how long the sale lasts, so make sure you check it out before it's too late!

Wall Graphics by Wee Gallery

If Laura and I lived in a place without textured walls, I would put these up in an instant. Plain walls are so boring, and I don't think Anderson appreciates the picture of the Comet Hale-Bopp over Stonehenge hanging in his room quite yet. These high contrast wall graphics by Wee Gallery are designed to appeal to newborns and babies. They're cool enough that I wouldn't mind them hanging in my room either.

Quickly and easily create custom wallscapes with these oversized self-adhesive and removable wall graphics - just peel and stick! These patterns are fully removable and may be repositioned as needed with no damage to your wall.

Now all we need to do is move to a new house, so I can get them!

Milk It Mama Sweepstakes

Have you entered the Milk It Mama Sweepstakes yet? Every two weeks, you will be entered into a sweepstakes to win "fabulous high-end parenting prizes." Sounds good enough to me! You only have to enter once, and the winners will be announced in their newsletter. So if you don't like newsletters, this isn't for you. I, however, will do anything to win free stuff, so I'm super excited. I also seem lucky in my winnings (you should see the baby blanket I won a few months ago, I'll be doing a review on it shortly), so keep in mind that people really do win this stuff!

Thanks to Rookie Moms (which is an amazing blog that you all should be reading if you aren't already)!

Sale on Baby Clothes at Old Navy

I don't know how I missed it, but there's a sale going on at Old Navy right now in their baby department. They have a bunch of fall clothes at 25% off, so if you are in need of something, get on over there! Sale ends September 23!

Bear Slippers from the Gap

I've mentioned before my love for all things teddy bear! Now here's something else that I need to get for Andy, Bear Slippers from the Gap. I don't know sizes yet, but as I found them under the 0-24 mo area, I'm sure that they must fit him. Besides, we have a huge baby, so he should fit into something that would fit someone twice his age. They also come in off white as well as brown.

Stay Kool Cups by Second Nature

These spill proof sippy cups have a freezable center to help keep your beverages cool and fresh for up to 4 hours. That seems like a nice way to keep a glass of fruit juice from warming up too much. However, I wouldn't necessarily trust it to keep a glass of milk below 40 degrees for very long. It's not entirely clear from the description how you freeze the center. Do you put the whole cup in the freezer, or is it removable? If you have one of these, please let us know!

Tractor & Trailer by Plan Toys

Growing up, I had my fair share of toy trucks. I loved playing with them. So it only makes sense to provide that same kind of entertainment for my son, Anderson. With this Tractor and Trailer, I'm sure he'd get a kick out of recreating scenes from the Princess Bride with his very own farm boy. Or picking up stacks of Lincoln Logs to transport about the living room.

PlanToys are made from natural, chemical free rubber wood and finished with non-toxic and child friendly colors. The tires on this Tractor & Trailer Set are made of rubber.

Pizza Bunting Costume

It looks like we may have finally found the perfect costume for Anderson! I definitely wanted something a little more original than having him dress up like a pumpkin, but nothing more origninal was really calling out to me. But the Pizza Bunting from Target is so cute and so funny, how can I not buy it? It'll make everone laugh at our Halloween party, and we'll have some great pictures from his first Halloween. The tag line for it is great too: One slice, please and add extra baby. I love it! Now if only I could guess how much he'll weigh by then!

Perfectly Safe

As we mentioned earlier this month, September is Baby Safety Month. So we are very excited that we have just discovered Perfectly Safe, a website dedicated to all child safety products. This site really seems to have it all, so if you aren't sure you covered everything when you baby proofed or you are about to begin, this is a great resource.

Baby Ballet Slippers by Kamara Designs

I know they say you don't need to put shoes on your babies for a long time, but I like to anyway. We were given some cute light blue shoes when Anderson was born, and every time I dressed him up he wore them. If I had a girl, I would probably buy these Baby Ballet Slippers by Kamara Designs in every color (there are eight in total). They are so adorable with the little flower and the bow. According to Life & Style Weekly, 9/25/2006 edition, Suri Cruise also has a pair!

Teddy Bear Bookends

When I originally had ideas for Andy's nursery, it was going to be all teddy bears. Unfortunately, it can be a lot harder to find teddy bear items than you'd think. So he ended up with a lot of solid blues instead. I love these Teddy Bear Bookends though, they would have fit in great. Of course, we still need to buy the bookcase first, and I wish they came in blue (they're available in red, pink, green, and orange), but they're still very cute!

Color Wheel

While I have no artistic ability at all, I always loved my art classes. The color wheel was always fun to learn about, I thought it was so neat how mixing two colors could produce a third (or a weird grey color as would often happen when I tried this). Therefore, I really like this product, the Color Wheel from Pottery Barn Kids. It's a great way to teach your little one about more colors than the basic red, green, yellow, and blue. And it is sort of a puzzle too, and who doesn't like puzzles?

Discount on Dwellbaby

Piccolini is now selling Dwellbaby, and to celebrate they are offering 5% off all Dwellbaby products from now until December 31! Just use the coupon code "dwellbaby" at check out to receive the discount. Dwellbaby makes crib bedding, bedding for the Stokke Sleepi Crib (it's round, so obviously the sheets needs to be a tad different than your usual crib), blankets, hooded towels, pillows, bibs, and toys. I really like the fabrics that they use, I think they'd go perfectly with what we already have for Andy.

Step Stool by Baby Bjorn

Right now Anderson loves his little bath tub that we bathe him in. But I understand from other parents that many kids go through a phase where they're really afraid of the tub. Nobody wants to get sucked down the train, and they haven't figured out that it won't happen to them yet!

A lot of parents alleviate their children's fears by using a step stool like this. Its rubber padded legs and top surface prevent slipping even when wet. Your child can sit on top in the bathtub, or even have a safer place to stand as well.

The stool is also available in white, green, red, and blue.

Tiny Clacker by Tag-She Says

Maybe I'm a weird mom, but I disagree on what my husband wrote about the clacker. I really don't think something like this would bother me. Maybe if I was sitting right next to Andy, but I figure this is the type of toy you give as you walk out of the room. Now, we have a pretty open floorplan and house, so I can easily see him a room over, but I think that unless you're sleep depraved (and I'm usually not anymore), that this clacker could be a fun toy.

Tiny Clacker-He Says

Okay, I will admit that I would never buy this Tiny Clacker for Anderson, but it seems like a great gift for somebody else's child. Somebody you wish to exact some sweet sweet revenge on. The only thing better than this could be a set of toddler pots and pans.

The manufacturer claims that the product "develops early gross motor skills", and "encourages movement with intention and purpose", but makes no mention of "drives all adults within one city block absolutely bonkers".

Personalized Train Apron

As soon as Anderson can hold a measuring cup without sticking it in his mouth, I'm going to start teaching him how to cook. When I was younger I often cooked for myself, be it hot dogs or even macaroni and cheese. I want Anderson to be able to do the same for himself. A personalized apron like this one from Williams-Sonoma might make cooking a little more interesting to him. After all, who doesn't like dressing up to do a new activity? You can also use an apron like this for those messy craft projects that kids these days are always getting into.

Free Shipping at Mama Mio

I just found out that Mama Mio has free shipping for the rest of September whenever you spend $50 or more. If you are pregnant or know someone who is, you might want to take advantage of this deal!

Tubbly Hippo Bubble Bath Dispenser

Our son is starting to really enjoy his bath time. At first he screamed and screamed, but now he enjoys kicking and splashing in the tub. When he's a little older, I have a feeling he'll really enjoy bubble baths as well.

Apparently bonking your head on the faucet can be quite a problem, as I'm sure many of you understand. Instead a simple protector like this can keep those bumps and bruises away from bath time while adding a little fun and a unique way of adding bubbles to your bubble bath. There are lots of other designs as well, so pick the one that your child will enjoy the most!

Twilight Turtle

When I was growing up, I had glow in the dark stars on my bedroom ceiling. I put them up myself, so I didn't quite get the constellations right. Of course, since I didn't wear my glasses to bed, I couldn't really see them anyway. But regardless, the Twilight Turtle by Cloud B simplifies the whole process by projecting constellations in a variety of colors directly onto the ceiling.

Twilight Turtle, the first and only plush constellation nightlight ever created, gently transforms nurseries and bedrooms into a starry night sky that comforts and calms children and adults alike. From within his plastic shell, Twilight Turtle projects a complete starry night sky onto the walls and ceiling of any room. Twilight comes with three soothing color options blue, green, and amber to create magical, tranquil environments that are ideal for helping children of all ages fall asleep easier.

Of course, since the turtle runs on 3 AAA batteries, I would have to think that you'd be replacing batteries fairly often. Furthermore, its usefulness as a nightlight is diminished if it automatically shuts off after 45 minutes. I'm sure it helps children fall asleep, but what about when they wake up in the middle of the night in a pitch black room?

Halloween at Pottery Barn Kids

If you like to spend way too much money on Halloween like I do, consider Pottery Barn Kids. Besides the costumes (love the dragon one), they have linens, plates and glasses, place mats, and tons of cute decorations for all your party needs. And I love the felt treat bags, I want them all!

Squirting Fish by Kathe Kruse

Anderson has started to finally like bath time. I want to encourage this by finding him some fun toys to play with while in the bath. Here's one that I think I'd like to play with myself, the Squirting Fish by Kathe Kruse. You put it under water, squeeze it to get the air out of it, and then let go to fill it up with water. Then you can squirt the water! I think any child that can hold this will find tons of fun with this. And the bright colors are great too. Comes in four color: blue fins, green fins, yellow fins, and red fins.

Baby Go Packs

I love these diapering kits from Craftsbury Kids, they are such a good idea. When you don't want to lug your diaper bag with you but need to bring a few supplies, the Baby Go Pack is the perfect thing for you. You can fit a few diapers, wipes, and other essentials into this kit, which also has a changing pad, and you are ready to go! Or you could put it in your diaper bag to keep everything organized. I really think I need one of these. My favorite design is the Cocoa Dots because it looks awfully similar to my diaper bag, but Pink Posies and Florida Sunshine are nice too.