jack's big music show!

www.noggin.com

my cousin has her hands full. she has two boys (a 6 week old and a 20 month old) and even on a good day she barely gets a chance to catch her breath.

she called me two days ago to tell me the news: they're all sick. "ugh," she coughed at me, "i'm exhausted. both boys have colds, i feel like crap, and i just need five minutes to blow my nose. i've been through every episode of sesame street we have on the dvr and if i have to watch dora the explorer one more time, i'm going to go loco. ACHOO!"

i feel your pain. as i've mentioned before when talking about my other favorite kid's show, i'm not a big proponent of letting your tiny tot watch a bunch of tv, but i'm not amish. and sometimes when cole is cranky, or i need two seconds to prepare his lunch or, as happened the other night, my child decides he is absolutely terrified of my super nice friend who loves children and was almost a preschool teacher, some child-friendly programming is just what we need. and jack's big music show is just what my cousin needs.

jack's big music show, on noggin (of course) is not only a great way to keep your child entertained, but teaches them about different types of music. the muppet-like puppets of jack, mary and jack's dog mel play a variety of instruments as they demonstrate rhythm, melody, singing and lots of different sounds.

the puppet sections are interspersed with live music segments. a range of musicians, from house musician laurie berkner to an a capella group to lisa loeb (!) perform songs for your child to sing along with. participation is encouraged and children can learn about the unique sounds of all sorts of instruments and types of music from different cultures.

jack's big music show fulfills all my requirements for children's programming. it's entertaining, bright and colorful, shows great interaction, encourages participation, it's educational and, most importantly, i don't want to pull all of my hair out while watching it. it's sweet enough for children but not so saccharine that it turns parents off.

and good news: my cousin's son loves it! they finally have some new songs to sing along with while they're all back on the road to recovery.

fisher-price sesame street silly sounds remote

www.amazon.com: Fisher-Price Sesame Street Silly Sounds Remote

my son loves watching on demand. at least that's the conclusion i've drawn after he's stolen the remote no less than 700 times and, almost every time, managed to press the "on demand" button.

apparently, there's something he'd really like to watch that i'm not allowing him to. however, despite his father's protests, he's still too young to watch - well, pretty much anything his father watches.

if your child is like mine, then you'll notice how quickly he gravitates towards electronics. even at just a few months old, teethers are quickly tossed aside while your baby tries to grab and drool on your remote control, your cordless phone, your cell, your pda and pretty much anything you think might be better off, say, not covered in drool.

the problem with most "toy" electronics is that they look like toys. and believe me when i say your child will be most unimpressed by this facsimile. they demand the real thing - or at least a reasonable likeness.

fisher-price must have some actual parents in their development department to come up with this sesame street silly sounds remote. not only is it the size and shape of your own prized controller, but it incorporates your child's favorite sesame street characters. the eyes at the top blink when the right button is pressed and the volume control actually works. your child can press any of the numbers to hear silly sounds, numbers, or the voices of oscar, ernie and the rest of the gang.

the sesame street remote is a great way to keep your child occupied and away from your electronics while entertaining them at the same time. now if only it would keep your husband away from the remote control...

blabla kids - stuffies, mobiles and more

www.blablakids.com

you've seen their soft knit stuffed animals clutched by tots everywhere you go. you've eyed their mobiles in chic boutiques. you've even possibly been silently coveting their tiny finger puppets. "but where are all these things coming from?" you ask. "i must have them for myself! i mean, my child!"

your prayers have been answered! i bring you: blabla. lovingly handcrafted by expert peruvian knitters (no, really!), blabla brings a snuggly softness to all of their fantastic products. blabla brings their signature simple, vibrant style to handmade stuffed animals, brightly colored knit mobiles, even backpacks, finger puppets, blankets and clothing!

all blabla products are made from natural fibers, making them extra cuddley. their modern design coupled with the feel of something that's already been lovingly worn in make them perfect presents for little - and even bigger - kidlets.

blabla's stuffed animals are prized possesions and their 100% cotton clothing is mom-tested and baby-approved. their whimsical knit rattles come in a wide variety of designs, from fruit and vegetables to a medley of songbirds to a giraffe in a hat (a favorite in our house. yeah, i don't get it either.).

who says you can't buy friends? purchase a few new ones for your tot from blabla and they'll never be lonely again.

jj cole outdoor blanket

www.babiesrus.com

this weekend was another typical san francisco weekend - each day started out damp and covered in fog and ended up gorgeous and sunny.

we had a sweet baby picnic at mission dolores park (meaning it was fun and full of children, not necessarily full of sweet babies) but found ourselves wholly unprepared for the wet transitioning to dry weather.

my husband thought that this was an opportune time to buy a waterproof-poncho-that-unzips-and-doubles-as-a-blanket. of course. i, on the other hand, wanted something better. and by better, i mean cuter.

my friend julie had the best outdoor blanket i've seen by another of our favorite companies, jj cole. makers of little dictators favorite the bundle me, jj cole brings us this fabulous outdoor blanket. it comes in three different and sassy patterns (pink stripes, retro blue dots and green stripes) and measures at a generous 5' x 5'. the built in inserts mean it's easy to fold. ready to go? the blanket packs up into a compact messenger bag with a built-in handle.

this great outdoor blanket is sturdy, attractive and portable. the durable outdoor fabric means you can take your blanket anywhere. from the sandy beach to the damp park, simply wipe it clean when you're done and ready to go. now if only it was so easy to clean your child...

boon frog pod - bathtub storage

www.babiesrus.com

bath time! time to wrestle a wet wriggly baby around in a tub, attempt to scrub him clean and keep him happy for the duration of the bath and then theoretically emerge unscathed and dry with a shiny clean baby.

more likely scenario: wrestle a wet wriggly baby around in a tub, try desperately to entertain him while washing one leg, one half an arm and maybe the front part of his hair and then emerge, soaking wet, with a partly clean baby.

the older your child gets, the more entertainment they need - and this holds true for bath time as well. we now have a small tub that fits in the big tub so my son doesn't slide all over the place, but both tubs are filled to the brim with rubber ducks, a phone that rings when wet, squeaky puppies that squirt water and a variety of other bathtub distractions. where will all this stuff go?

boon's frog pod has two parts: one that sticks to the side of your tub and a porous scoop that stores bath toys when not in use. you can scoop up the soaking wet toys and keep them aside without having to dry them off or worry where they're all going to go. not only that, it's shaped like a frog! how can you not like it?

i've noticed some online reviews that stated people had trouble getting the frog pod to stick - but we didn't. ours has moved happily into our tub and stayed exactly where he was put with suction cups. one small warning, though - we registered for the boon frog pod after seeing it online, but when it arrived in person i realized it was bigger than i thought. (base and scoop measure at 17" x 15".)

boon's frog pod is a welcome addition to our little bath family. now only if he could bathe my child for me - that would be a great present.

melissa & doug: wooden knob puzzles for little hands

www.melissaanddoug.com

while my son is still calling me (and my husband, and the dog, and a bagel) "dada," my friend's little boy knows what all the animals say. my friend will ask, "jakey, what does the cow say?" and he'll confidently reply, "MOO!" hmm. maybe i need to focus more on these things.

melissa and doug are here to help neglectful parents such as myself. a twenty-year-old company started in doug's parents' garage, melissa and doug make safe, quality toys for children. among their most popular: these great wooden puzzles that come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.

our favorites are their jumbo knob puzzles. designed for little ones still perfecting their grasp, the wooden puzzle pieces have giant knobs in place of handles, so they're easy for baby to grab and put back. or throw. or bang together loudly while your poor dog is trying to nap.

the smiling animals have baby-friendly faces and the sides are smooth and safe. melissa and doug subject all of their toys to rigorous safety testing, and these are no exception. you can choose from a variety of the jumbo knob puzzles, from farm animals (moo! baa! cluck! goat noise!) to jungle friends to cars.

looking for something a little more sophisticated? melissa and doug also make puzzles with everything from maps to the alphabet, and great magnetic puzzles where the pieces literally "stick" in place - no more wandering puzzle pieces waiting for a sleep-deprived parent to step on them.

melissa and doug even sell puzzle storage cases, specifically designed to keep their products organized and out of sight. because you might as well have one part of your life organized.

cordoba building blocks from haba

www.oompa.com

from one of our favorite websites (oompa) and one of our favorite companies (haba toys) comes the cordoba building block set.

these brightly colored wooden blocks are a fantastic gift (thanks, shar & brian!) and another great thing for you to play with while pretending to play with your child. i mean, let your child play with. and teach him how to share with you.

cordoba building blocks, for ages 1+, come with sixteen patterned and color saturated pieces in all different shapes and sizes. not only are the blocks small and smooth enough for baby to hold, but their different features - rattles! bells! jewels! - will keep you both entertained. every piece is decorated in non-toxic, child-friendly paint, so you don't have to worry when your child inevitably tastes a few pieces.

the blocks all fit together easily and can stack up into endless combinations for your little builder.

need more? the cordoba set matches perfectly with haba's sakrada building blocks as well as their fantasy block set. you know, just in case you can't build a skyscraper tall enough with only one set of blocks.

haba's cordoba blocks are so cute, in fact, that you don't have to worry about picking them up when friends come over. they even look good strewn across your child's floor. which is where they will inevitably end up. especially if it happens to be my child's floor.

wiggly giggler rattle

www.luvupumkin.com

my son has a lot of toys that make noises. and he loves them all. a tiny piano to plink on (acceptable), rattles to bang around (also acceptable) and that stupid baby einstein octopus that plays one million never-ending songs that start all over again when you look at it the wrong way given to us by my mother-in-law (totally unacceptable).

the wiggly giggler rattle is a small plastic rattle that makes a baby smile-inducing wheezy noise when shaken. it's the perfect size for tiny baby hands, weighs next to nothing and comes in an assortment of bright colors.

the wiggly giggler is baby safe and phthalate free (good), makes a not-too-loud noise that baby will love but won't drive you crazy (better) and can be easily grasped by baby (mostly good, until he realizes he can throw the wiggly giggler at the dog).

the flat ends mean that baby can place them down carefully or even stack them one on the other. the wiggly giggler is highly responsive, promotes gross motor development and most of all, will keep your child entertained for at least a few minutes. you can even buy them in a set of six if you're feeling particularly generous. or you like living dangerously. or your child doesn't have enough toys, because they never do. right?

fisher-price peek-a-blocks

www.target.com

everyone has that toy that they bought under the guise of "this is for my baby!" when really, it's for them. ("mister floofy pants the stuffed rabbit? oh, that's my son's. yes, i know it's in my purse. yes, i know my son isn't here. leave me alone.")

this time, however, i didn't even have to pretend, because this awesome present was purchased for my son by my sister. fisher-price's peek-a-blocks are one of the coolest kid's toys i've ever seen. peek-a-blocks are small blocks with easy-grip tops and bottoms but clear sides to see the surprise inside.

the alphabet peek-a-block set we were lucky enough to receive has 26 blocks (one for each letter) with a clever and cute object inside for baby to gaze at. the representations are fun and quirky and offer just the right level of interaction.

"u for umbrella" has a little plastic umbrella inside with small "rain" pellets that move around when you shake it. "m for monkey" contains a smiling little monkey that actually swings on his trapeze. "t for train" allows you or baby to twist the locomotive through a mountain over and over again. "a for airplane" takes flight with a spring-mounted plane while "i for ice cream" has a rainbow flurry of sprinkles that dance around the cone.

unfortunately, the pictures really don't do the peek-a-blocks justice. you'll obviously have to purchase them yourself to see just how much fun they are for you - i mean, baby - to play with.
*thanks to aunt stephanie for the fabulous blocks!

push around buggy by step2

www.amazon.com: Push Around Buggy

the excitement of first birthdays! all your little baby friends that just a few months ago were rolling around on the floor are suddenly, amazingly, terrifyingly mobile. they want to Go Places! and Touch Everything! and Move Really Fast!

while this milestone birthday means crawling for almost all, cruising for most and walking for the elite, it most definitely means mobility in any way, shape or form. and what's the best way to accomplish this? by being pushed around in a car, of course!

the push around buggy by step2 is every one-year-old's dream. luckily for me, it's also every parent-to-a-one-year-old's dream. the smiling plastic car has a solid handle attached at parent height for you to push your little one up and down the halls of your house or even down the street. there's a steering wheel that moves, a little horn that beeps when pushed and, best of all, a seat belt to keep active curious babies securely in place.

when not in motion, the push around buggy has a generous trunk in front that baby can open and close and hide numerous toys in. that'll keep your baby busy for a guaranteed five minutes. also, for those aspiring princesses, the buggy is also available in a lovely shade of pink. perfect for stuffing my little ponies in the trunk.

the buggy is a good size - big enough for your tot to ride in, but small enough to hide in a closet when playtime is over. as baby gets bigger and more independent, the buggy's handle is removable, so you could let your little one out to explore on his own..... within eyesight, of course.

oh, by the way - can't find your car keys? try looking in the push around buggy's trunk.

justplaygrounds.com - marin playground listings

www.justplaygrounds.com

woo! it has been one busy week leading up to cole's first birthday, and it's not even here yet!

needless to say, things have been hectic and that's why we've been a little light on posts. between my mother-in-law spending 5 hours on the tarmac and then spending the night in the newark airport just to get out here and the birthday parties we'll have literally every weekend between now and september, we are one busy family.

we had our friend ella's first birthday party today in beautiful belvedere, ca at the belvedere community park. it was so much fun that we'd actually go back to hang out, despite the 45 minute drive. a shaded area with stone gazebo and picnic tables skirts a manicured lawn, while the recently renovated playground provides fun for kids of all ages. there are see saws, baby swings, climbing structures and even little plastic cars and walkers to keep your tot busy.

justplaygrounds.com is a great website to give you more information on marin's playgrounds so that you, too, can drive to beautiful marin on a gorgeous bay area day. there are listings by city with multiple pictures of each park. helpful amenities are detailed on each page so that you can be informed on everything from the parking situation to whether or not there's drinking water to if the bathrooms are available (and clean).

if only there were a justplaygrounds.com for every county! i'd be on it in a minute. hmm.... our san francisco guide will have to wait, though, until we're done with all these birthday parties!

monday mommysaver: radio flyer walker wagon

www.amazon.com: Radio Flyer Classic Walker Wagon

the pre-walking stage is about as exciting as it gets around here. between cruising from couch to couch and occasionally forgetting that he can't quite stand on his own yet, i'm realizing that this is the least mobile my son will be for, say, the next million years.

that being said, even though i know it'll be the end of any remaining peace i may have, i'm really excited for cole to start walking. while he's perfectly happy with the little plastic walker we have at home, my friend jen highly recommends the radio flyer walker wagon.

radio flyer's walker wagon has been a bestseller for 25 years, and it's easy to see why. it has a durable build and is made of natural solid wood. as jen says, its solid design helps keep things stable when your little one's pulling up to use it as a walker. the front bumper will help save baby, furniture and (hopefully) even your dog from being bumped into, while the sturdy molded tires have enough grip to keep baby from sliding around when on the move.

the removable wooden sides keep things interesting as your child gains more confidence walking. when the sides are on, they make a perfect space for your child's favorite toys, bouncy balls, blankies or (hopefully not) your dog.

the radio flyer walker wagon makes a great gift for that special toddler-to-be in your life. and just in case my parents are reading this, i love you. and don't forget your grandson's first birthday is coming up.

monday mommysaver: peek-a-boo pop up tunnel

www.rightstart.com

blah, mondays. if you're a stay-at-home mom like me, then you also have 5 whole days before you've got both hands free at the same time. what to do with your cranky baby when it's yucky outside, you're tired and all your friends are busy? tunnel time!

the pop up co. makes your child's (and dachshund's) new favorite toy: a tunnel that goes right in your house! come on, you've given up the pretense of "not having giant toys in the house" a long time ago, so you might as well have some fun with it.

available through right start (one of our favorite companies) as well as other toy stores, the peek-a-boo pop up tunnel is really cool. it's 6 feet long - big enough for adventures, not so big that your kidlet will get tired halfway through. the brightly colored fabric is easy to clean (we unintentionally tested out that aspect over the weekend) and best of all has a long mesh panel that runs the length of the tunnel, allowing you to see what baby's up to and also letting them know you're right there to keep them company.

after you're done playing with the peek-a-boo tunnel, it folds up quickly into a flat circle with easy-close velcro tabs, so you don't have to live with it taking over your entire living room when not in use.

my son cole crawled through the tunnel all weekend long, back and forth, as did my weiner dog. so did my husband, who took an ill-advised trip halfway through the tunnel (before getting stuck). it has been baby, puppy and husband approved, although i'd only recommend letting the first two travel through it.

bay area discovery museum

www.baykidsmuseum.org

almost everyone i know with a child has been to the discovery museum. and everyone who has gone tells me that i absolutely have to go. with that kind of unanimous endorsement, who am i to say no?

so yesterday we packed up and headed over the golden gate bridge to the beautiful bayside town of sausalito and the bay area discovery museum. and now i am joining the legions of fans by telling you that you also absolutely have to go!

not only is the museum nestled against breathtaking views of the bay (really - what other children's museum do you know of that offers spectacular views of the golden gate bridge?), but the museum itself is a treat.

since its inception in 1987, the bay area discovery museum has been recognized as one of the best children's museums in the country. they serve over 260,000 visitors each year who come to enjoy their fantastic facilities and beautiful outdoor space. for little guys like my son, their indoor tot spot is a real treat.

tot spot, designed specifically for crawlers to preschoolers under 42", offers exhibits and play areas designed on animal habitats - so feel free to bounce away in a lily pond, crawl through cave-like tunnels and explore faux wilderness. want to try on bee wings? play with a skunk hand puppet? press a panel that makes frog noises over and over and over again? consider it done!

the outdoor tot spot space has a man-made "stream" with plastic fish to squeeze and touch in addition to hills to climb and instruments to play. but that's not all! for older kids, lookout cove offers 2.5-acres of outdoor, interactive exploration areas featuring natural, cultural and built icons of the bay area. all this plus art studios, an "underwater" tunnel, a 300-gallon sea star tank and rotating exhibitions? sign me up!

wheely bug

www.rightstart.com
www.wheelybug.com

uh-oh..... your child wants to walk. badly. and while we have plastic ride-on toys littering our living room, my friend jen went the sophisticated route and picked up this great wheely bug. show off. it's a wonder i'm still friends with her.

ahem. getting back to the wheely bug, it's a great little ride-on toy for your little one that you won't be too embarrassed to leave out when company comes over. more importantly, of course, kids love it.

the wheely bug is covered in soft leather over a foam padding with four sturdy rotating wheels that move in all directions, helping prevent your tiny tot from getting stuck in place. the aluminum handle is sturdy and the whole "bug" is pvc-free. not only is wheely bug cute, but he'll help your child develop his gross motor skills. recommended age is 1.5 years+, but 11 month old cole was having a grand old (supervised) time, let me tell you.

wheely bug has won all sorts of awards, including best australian toy for 5 out of 6 years in a row, which is no surprise to those who've seen it. and did i mention that they exceed toy safety standards and use renewable timber lumber? fun and eco-friendly, too!

the wheely bug comes in traditional ladybug (shown) and bumblebee and now is available in new mouse, cow and tiger designs. grrowr! i guess i'll have to stay friends with jen so that cole can go to her house and borrow wheely bug for a little while longer. just don't blow my cover.

alex toys "talk of the tub"

www.alextoys.us

as cole gets more and more aware of things, it seems he now demands to be entertained. no more lying on his back, staring at the ceiling - now there's always got to be something going on.

the nightly bath also is apparently not as fascinating as it used to be, despite all the awesome songs i sing and hilarious faces i make. i must not be as entertaining as i think i am. time for tub toys!

my mother-in-law got us this great little bath cell phone. alex toys makes an entire series of fun "rub a dub" tub toys for baby. we love "talk of the tub" - a little soft plastic cell phone that actually rings when wet. i don't know about your child, but mine is obsessed with phones. cell phones, cordless phones, television remote controls that look like phones - they're all fair game.

talk of the tub is cole's new favorite thing , since after all, he has lots of business calls to make from the bath before bedtime. what better way to multi task?

sassy "who loves baby?" photo album

www.amazon.com

my friend's mother in law lives out of town, and as my friend says, "she's desperately trying to imprint herself on my son. every time we see my mother in law, she leans over my son chanting 'it's your grandma! it's your grandma!' she is making me crazy."

save yourself from the it's-your-grandmas with this great product from sassy. the "who loves baby?" book is made of soft vinyl and designed to hold up to 6 pictures of family members or loved ones (or the family weiner dog) so that baby can learn who's who.

photos are safely ensconced in plastic to protect them from overeager droolers excited to see pictures of their daddies and the grip handle also serves as a teether. easy to clean pages mean that baby can drag "who loves baby?" to every mealtime and escape sparkly clean. what better and more delicious way to learn how popular you are?

baby gund fire truck playset

www.amazon.com: Baby Gund Fire Truck Playset


aunt mackenzie came to visit this weekend and brought some cool stuff that i'll be writing about all week! she also has perfect timing, because i was starting to panic about cole's lack of things to play with. (i know. i'm crazy. our son has a toy bin the size of the taj mahal.)

the baby gund fire truck playset is AWESOME. i had been secretly coveting it for months, and now it's here! the plush firetruck zips open at the top to reveal surpises inside. a water bucket! a fire hydrant! a tiny fireman! a little spotted dalmatian - that barks when you squeeze him!

so far, cole's favorite is the rattle-y water bucket with its shiny top, followed closely by the finger puppet fireman with his smiling face and sassy fireman's hat.

josie weiner dog's favorite is, not surprisingly, the dalmatian, which she has already tried to steal numerous times. nice try, weiner dog. this one's for your brother.

fire trucks not your thing? baby gund also makes a school bus playset with two children, a book and a pencil (all plush, of course) and a police car playset complete with barking dog, finger puppet policeman, crinkly flashlight and megaphone with squeaker. which hopefully will be your child's only brush with the law.

rich frog pull toys

http://www.bambinomountain.com/

help! i need a gift for a birthday party/baby shower/first visit to a new mom friend! i want to take something cute, but not something too cute. and it should be well made, but not cost a fortune.

oh, and i'd also like something that's cool, with bright colors and personality, but not something that they're going to get from everyone. i will not be the bringer of baby's 17th blanket! i will be original!

oooh - found it! rich frog, how i love you. you make such cute, fun toys for babies from newborn up to toddlers. i love your bath toys just like everyone else does, but what i really love are your velour pull toys. rich frog, you make such creative pull toys, the likes of which i've never seen before. lovingly stiched out of soft velour with sweet smiles sewn on, you have everything from a pull duck and family to a frog, cow, pony and even dinosaur and friends like the one shown here!

hmmm. maybe i don't need to take a present to my friend. maybe instead i'll just pick up this rich frog pull velour puppy for my own son. who'll know, except all the people reading this? uh, oh.....

monday mommysaver: infantino giggle ball toy set

www.target.com

a sassy trio of fun toys for your little one in one convenient package? and all for less than $15? yes! infantino's giggle ball toy set is a wonderful gift for someone.... or your own little one.

three little toys offer three different ways of keeping your baby happy and busy. the crab rattle and giggle ball are for 3+ months and the bendy bug is for 6+ months. each makes different rattling sounds and captivates your baby with moving or wiggling parts.

the giggle ball has sliding beads and different textured surfaces for baby to explore. the bendy bug has moving rings, makes a soft rattling sound when shaken and has (according to my son) delicious antennae. the crab rattle with its wiggly legs and mirrored ball hands still travels with us in the car.

overall, infantino's giggle ball toy set offers a lot of bang for the buck, so now you can afford those tiny prada shoes your baby so desperately needs.