Hats off to MoBoleez! This revolutionary baby accssory is head and shoulders above other breastfeeding cover-ups. A refreshing departure from same-old, same-old blankets used by nursing moms, this eye-catching, modern-day bonnet sports a wide brim for ultimate privacy for moms, while eliminating distractions for little ones. Not only is it perfectly sized for a baby’s tiny head, but because of its flexible, “crushable” design, you can pop it right into your diaper bag and the hat will pop right back into shape when you take it out again. You’ll be entertained by the amusing illustrations and witty sayings (like “Milky Way” and “Bee-licious”) on top of the hat. And when you lift up the brim, be sure to look for a little message from your favorite feeder. Yes, sometimes it’s feels like you spend the better part of your day (and night) nursing, so why not make it a little more fun for the both of you? Made from all natural fabrics and available in a variety of styles, you’re bound to find a MoBoleez hat that fits you and your baby’s lifestyle. And with summer right around the corner, it never hurts to have a little extra protection from the sun.
Funology.com is one of those sites that parents dream of. This site will hold your kid’s attention for hours with recipes, games, crafts, plus true science facts that will boost the IQ of anyone of any age.
There are enough cool arcade games to easily fill several rainy afternoons. Categories include action, logic, sports, and memory games. There are even some typing and puzzle games to help your kid learn how to type faster than you.
Check out the Jokes tab with countless belly busters, as well as the Boredom Buster section that includes ideas for crafts, an Art Gallery that shows your child how to create art with household items. Boredom Busters even includes a step-by-step guide to making your own hacky sack. Summer is approaching, after all.
My personal favorite is the array of magic tricks, which can turn your child into a regular David Blaine, though sans the creepy stare. With tons of card tricks, number tricks, and optical illusions, your kid is guaranteed to have a great time.
For whatever reason, both my kids love to watch Thomas the Tank Engine. Up until last year his face never moved and he could only roll his eyes. He also has a very checkered track record as he seems to always get into accidents (although luckily no one ever gets hurt). My boys love to look up Thomas online but the official site has a very limited number of videos to watch (and most are promos) so I turned to YouTube.
You have to be very careful playing Thomas videos on YouTube, since most of the videos are homemade mash-ups that might not be appropriate for young kids. I found Thomas songs mixed with Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent, but I also found a great Thomas video set to Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Using all the dark and spooky footage from Thomas, the video’s “editor” has mixed a story with Jackson’s classic song. The mash-up is less scary than Jackson’s original million-dollar music video and it’s a great way to teach your kids about eighties music. You may want to stop it just before the end because there are some shots of zombies from Jackson’s video which could be a little frightening to your little ones.
The internet is full of music, lots good and lots bad, but kids music seems to be overlooked online. Gooney Bird Kids means to change this by streaming kids’ tunes 24 hours a day to children around the world.
In August 2006, Gwyneth and her two kids were sitting around on a rainy day in Atlanta when she thought up the idea for Gooney Bird Kids. Now four years later, they’re going strong. There are themed days of music, as well as the latest in kids tunes. GBK also post a lot of music videos and concert reviews of kid bands. There’s even a huge list of kids’ bands and musicians on the site that links to each groups’ tunes.
Recently GBK posted a link to Zoogobble’s radio station, another great kids music resource, so check that out as well! Overall, lots of great info and, of course, great music. Visit today!
Everyone loves to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, including your child. Well, what better way to get into the mood than to adorn your kid with some great holiday-themed clothing that celebrates Mexican heritage and culture? Here are some gems that your kid will love:
This cotton bib tells the world that while their heart remains Uncle Sam’s, they can’t forget their Mexican heritage. It comes in three colors, and is washable.
When it comes to creepers, cotton is a baby’s best friend. This stylish version features a baby bean all wrapped up in a tortilla, much like a baby bunting. This creeper comes in three colors and three sizes.
Because nothing says festive like a traditional Mexican poncho. Available in child sizes, this colorful cloth is easily washable and will inspire all around your child to break out in hat dances.
Let your toddler’s friends know how much they love tacos with this cotton T-shirt. Available in three sizes, and imported, this shirt will definitely get your kid in the mood to celebrate, or at least to eat tacos!
Chad Smith, the soft-spoken drummer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers (how could he compete with the rest of the band in crazy?) has recorded a kid’s music album called Rhythm Train. He cut the album with vocalist Leslie Bixler and Dick Van Dyke, who’s rumored to have rapped on a track or two… yes rapped.
Being at the age where pretty much everyone has kids, including Smith and the rest of the Chili Peppers, sans ex-guitarist John Frusciante, Smith felt it was natural to want to appeal to this younger generation through music.
Smith produced the 13-track album, and his crazy voice is all over the album, playing characters like a pirate and train conductor. Says Smith, “I may not be playing as hard but I still am trying to be creative,” (as compared to the Chili Peppers and his other band Chickenfoot). “It’s just trying to make the songs as good as I can. That doesn’t change.”
Bixler, who actually wrote Rhythm Train, won a Parent’s Choice Award in 2005 her album Moon Food. For this album Bixler recruited Smith because she knew him through teaching music at Smith’s kids’ preschool. Van Dyke actually appeared on Bixler’s last album and is an old friend.
You can check out a couple tracks or order on the album’s website. They’ve even got testimonials from Julia Roberts and Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard. What are you waiting for? Honestly, I dig the song on the site, but I’m a sucker for Dick Van Dyke.
There’s nothing like a few back-to-back days of balmy weather to inspire you to dust off the picnic basket and head for the park. Once you’ve packed a lunch and what seems like everything but the kitchen sink, the last thing you need is to unload all your gear…only to realize you forgot a blanket. Don’t settle for one of those itchy, scratchy military blankets or one of your old bed sheets.
Skip Hop’s Central Park blanket is the perfect go-to staple to stash in your trunk. It folds out with plenty of space for the entire family. Thanks goodness, this blanket is water-resistant to handle any of those unforeseen spills. What’s a real treat is the pop-out, insulated cooler bag in which you can tuck extra juiceboxes and other refreshments, along with an ice pack. When you’re finished with lunch, simply detach the bag and take it over to the swings. Sure, life with kids isn’t always a picnic, but with this portable, versatile carry-along blanket/cooler bag, it can make you feel like you’re a bit more organized. Please pass the fried chicken…
Kids love knowing everything; you probably know that by now, no matter how old your kids are. If it moves, or even if it doesn’t, they want to know why. Why is the sky blue? I still don’t really know the answer to that one. But hey, maybe it can be found on this great news site aimed at kids called DOGO News.
With all the articles split into categories like current events, science, social studies, sports, and entertainment, it’s easy to find relevant stories and a lot of fun random stuff as well. Also great is the ability for your kids to subscribe to the site so they can not only comment on the articles, but also get daily news sent to their email.
A tab on DOGO connects to a list of other cool kids’ sites, from Let’s Talk About Insects, to Funology. The web is full of great information for your kids, as well as plenty of games that will easily entertain for hours, or at least minutes.
DOGO News has a tab called Earth that functions like a map for news. The picture of the globe is fully movable and it rotates as news stories from around the world are announced, which users can click on and read at will. Geography was always my worst subject, so maybe I’ll spend some time checking out the globe myself.
As we all know, the best gifts from our kids are the ones that are homemade—remember that macramé potholder you painstakingly crafted at summer camp?—and Mother’s Day is no exception. If your kids are looking for a way to honor Mom for all her hard work, here are a couple of suggestions using vanilla that they can make (with a little help from Dad). Whether she has a sweet tooth or just needs to relax, either of these treats will make her day:
Pots de Crème
Ingredients:
1 pkg. (6 oz.) chocolate chips
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
Dash of salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Whipped cream (optional)
Directions
Heat milk in a sauce pan until it is almost boiling. Remove from the stove.
Put all the other ingredients in a blender. Add the hot milk last. Blend on high for two minutes.
Pour immediately into four or five small cups, dividing equally. Put cups in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or more.
Top with whipped cream just before serving.
Mom’s Sweet Treat Vanilla Body Scrub
Ingredients:
1 cup vanilla sugar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 or 2 drops of an essential oil, such as lavender or eucalyptus
Woo hoo! We’re very happy to announce that Baby’s Favorite Rock Songs hit #3 on Billboard’s Kids Albums chart, #18 on the Independent Albums, and #111 on the Billboard Top 200.
