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We've Moved!

editors — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:13:00 GMT

image: http://www.bellgirl.com.au

Don’t adjust your internets, Droolicious has a new address and a slightly new look and search. We’re very excited to have launched new software so update your bookmarks, links and anywhere else you have us saved so you won’t miss out on the best (and worst) baby, kid and parent design on the planet. Follow us here!

Trying to find that awesome stroller we talked about last month? Look it up in our archives on the sidebar. Happy shopping! - April Peveteaux, Babble Blog Editor

A Possible Cure to Are We There Yet

elizabeth leach — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:00:00 GMT

This lap pad is perfect for car trips or air travel. With a chalkboard on one side and a notepad on the other, your little artist can draw away the hours and hopefully that will cut down on the number of times you hear "Are we there yet?". The popsicles are cute, too.

The Zookies Car Lap Pad is at Oompa for $31.99. Chalk, crayons and note pad are included. Shop Oompa for more styles of Zookies Car Lap Pads.

7 Days of Dad: Music to his Ears

JeanneSager — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:01:00 GMT

He ponied up for Mother's Day, so now it's time to get cracking on how to make Dad's day. Lucky for you, we were wondering too. So we're offering up seven days of what we'll be giving the guy who reads bedtime stories and changes stinky diapers.

For dads whose playlist can't handle one more "waaaah" or "why," we can help.

Help him get double duty out of his iPhone or iPod with the dexim docking station that hooks right into the TV for big-screen viewing and big sound listening of your downloaded podcasts and movies. One of the most affordable options out there at just $69.95, it was easy to set up and it's versatility means it will last (it works with most generations of the iPod or iPhone). With a wireless remote for easy control from his easy chair and a recharging option as part of the docking station, the dexim will let him share his favorites with his favorite little people.

Because sometimes, he just needs to block it all out, EarPollution headphones from iFrogz can help. He can design his own set (or you can plug his tastes into their site to make him a pair), but even better than the style is the sturdiness of these headphones. Made to be folded up and stowed in the bag, they can handle your toddler yanking them off of Dad's head to ask him a question or accidentally (we'll give them the benefit of the doubt) sitting on them. Loud enough to drown out the noise, with good quality sound and comfortable fit, iFrogz hops onto the list for Dad.

Check out more gifts for Dad this week on the 7 Days of Dad.

Classic Vans for Robot Fans

Heather Kuldell — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 23:05:00 GMT

My boy already bounces around like he's part bionic. So to ease the wear and tear on his hinges and hydraulics, I opt for tried and true brands like Vans. These slip-on robot shoes ($34) feature ankle biter 'bots in lively colors. And let's face it: Summer is not the time to fight with laces.

We All Scream for Ice Cream

elizabeth leach — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:05:00 GMT

This new organic t-shirt by Little Lark is perfect for your little screamer! Nothing says "summer" better than a soft serve ice cream cone. Also available as a onesie for smaller screamers.

Onesies are available in cream and light blue for $26. T-shirts are available in cream, brown and light blue for $26. Check out Little Lark's incredible selection of cool t-shirts for summer.

Our Four Best Picks for Kids' Packs

JeanneSager — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:01:00 GMT

Summer vacation is coming. Whether you'll be packing the kids up for a trip to grandma's or getting a vacation yourself, you can't go wrong with these picks for packing:

1. Little Passenger Sparky Junior Travel Backpack - They'll be so busy making their way through the adventures in this car-shaped backpack, they'll forget to ask "are we there yet?" seventeen times over. Stuffed with their own map and road atlas, plus travel-themed playcards and activity books, there's room to add a few more of their favorites into the bag before you hit the road.TIP FOR PARENTS: Use the accompanying dry erase markers to plot your road trip route in the map so they can follow along.

Sparky's see-through make-up also means they can spot their toys from the outside, leaving you to drive while they paw through their Little Passenger. Get it from CSN Stores for $23.50 with free shipping.

2. Ramblin' Kids Suitcase by the Piggy Story - Retro- and rover-licious, this hard case is made in the grand old traditions of overnight cases. And while it really is an overnight case with limited room for their goodies, I say that in the best sense of the word. Packed with a soft blanket and pillow, the Piggy Story case is covered in a fun doggy print that suits both girls and guys.

Take out the pillow and blankie to pack in an overnight outfit and a few of their favorite toys, or leave them in and send them off to granny's where she has doubles of their duds anyway. The case is small enough for them to carry, and sturdy enough that it will survive the trips. Get it from The Chocolate Cake Club for $54.

3. Dastardly Dragon Overnight Bag by Sassafras - Let them out of your castle for an overnight adventure with a small bag that packs a surprising amount of room. The cuddly dragon (didn't know that could happen, did you?) lets this bag double as a friend to squeeze when they're away from home at night, but it's the ample space inside the zippered body that makes this a must buy for parents. Well, that and the sparkly "fire-breathing" tongue? Get it from the Chocolate Cake Club too - for $26.95.

4. Duffel Bag, Little MissMatched - The last thing you want when you're five hundred miles from home, is to find out your daughter's sippy cup that he chucked onto the bag beside her has soaked through the bag into all of her clothes. Hello waterproof linings! It doesn't hurt that these are cute (and a little on the kooky side), but the Little MissMatched bags make it onto the list thanks to ample space for all of their clothes (I packed ten days worth in my daughter's duffel on a recent trip), handles for little kids to cart them or a strap for Mom and Dad, and a lining that helps them stand up to being dropped in mud puddles on the way into the hotel or left too close to the pool. Get one for $30 (check out the different designs).

Check Out More On the Go Goodies:

Five Finds for On-the-Go With Your Little Monkey

Spit Up: What Does a $1230 Baby Spoon Look Like?

SunnyChanel — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:30:00 GMT

How much would you spend on a baby spoon? $1? $2? $5? Maybe $9.99? How about $1230? Yeah, I thought not. Want to see what a $1230 baby spoon looks like. Just look below and check it out for free!

This Diamond Sterling Baby Spoon by Christofle is made of sterling silver and features a small diamond on the handle…hence the high price tag. This spoon is an exclusive for Vivre right here if you have that kind of money in your kid’s cutlery budget.

Personalized Stickers By Frecklebox

Lisa Estall — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:00:00 GMT

These Way To Go personalized stickers from Frecklebox are a hit with my son who is car crazy. I’m going to use them to label his backpack and water bottles.

Prices range from $3.95 for 12 stickers to $9.95 for 48 stickers.

See other designs at Frecklebox.

Pregnancy Faves and Raves: Spoiled Mama Skincare

elizabeth leach — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:30:00 GMT

Spoiled Mama's organic and natural skincare for pregnancy, postpartum, breastfeeding and babies offers an extensive collection of skincare products for all the stages of pregnancy and beyond. I thoroughly enjoyed spoiling myself with a few of their pregnancy products!

My favorite was the Massaging Aloe Leg Gel which is perfect for us pregnant women in the summer. Spearmint leaves and Peppermint oil help with circulation of swollen, aching legs and feet. Keep it in the refrigerator for a refreshing treat. Let your husband massage your legs and enjoy one of the few perks of pregnancy!

The Cocoa and Shea Tummy Butter smells like chocolate and feels luxuriously rich and wonderful on the skin. The Lavender Sugar Scrub helps with circulation, deep cleans and brightens tired skin. It also smells delicious. Beautiful packages are available for gifts. Everyone deserves to be spoiled. Shop Spoiled Mama.

Do You Dream of Electric Pink Sheep?

SunnyChanel — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:00:00 GMT

You got your white sheep and your occasional black sheep but what little kid gets to ride on their very own pink sheep? The lucky one who gets the Electric Pink Rocking Sheep by Danish Crafts. This fluffy hot pink sheep is an adorable option for the nursery that goes beyond just the black and white. But it’s an expensive option. It goes for $575 from Vivre here.

Pee and Poo Guys Return

Lisa Mulcahy — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:30:00 GMT

You may have seen the pee and poo guys here on Droolicious before in their plush form, but now you can inject a little humor into the all too tense potty training period with these boys’ briefs.

Until you become a parent you can never really understand the trials and tribulations of potty training. There will be tears (both yours and theirs), screaming, frustration, the occasional laugh and in the end utter joy. But until the journey is over anything to make it easier, or at least more tolerable, is much appreciated. For all of you who never thought you would have to explain to a toddler where pee and poo comes from, this one’s for you.

With the pee guy on the front and poo guy in the rear of these boys briefs, for $11.95 you’ll have a visual aid for your potty training lessons.

7 Days of Dad: Can You Picture This?

JeanneSager — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:01:00 GMT

Pictures of his little munchkins always make Dad's day, but do you think he really wants another t-shirt he'll have to shove to the back of the closet? Another coffee mug with their mug?

Greet him on Father's Day morning with a giant canvas made from his favorite pic. The folks at Shutterfly take art-worthy shots to the next level of presentation with high quality prints wrapped around immense wooden canvases (my husband's only words? "wow, just wow" when he saw a pic I picked of our daughter remade as a 20 x 30 shot for our wall). They'll take dad's appreciation for art to another level too.

A few tips:- depending on what size canvas you're going for, pre-crop your images so you get exactly what you want. Remember: a lot of today's digital SLRs do not take a standard size photo, so you can leave it up to Shutterfly, but they will have to do some adjusting to make it fit the canvas. Also, key in on the focus in your pictures - at 20 x 30, mistakes show up big time! You want to pick a picture that reprepesents the best of your kids' scrapbook.

The canvas prints are on sale until June 16. At $50 off, now's the time to get one, so check them out at Shutterfly.

Want to save a little dough and still go the photo route? Shutterfly's 252-piece puzzles give him something to do WITH the kids. Their photo is superimposed on a sturdy cardboard sheet, then cut to make a game for the whole family. At $24.99, it's easy on the pocketbook and did we say it gives them something to do? That's priceless!

A few tips: choose a photo that's VERY colorful. Monochromatic photos or those with a lot of one color in the background make for a major puzzle challenge. The pieces are small, so this is for your older kids (age four at the minimum - although it depends on your child's puzzle skills).

Check out more gifts for Dad this week on the 7 Days of Dad.

Star Kid: Kate Gosselin’s Daughter Gets Her Gymboree On

SunnyChanel — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 03:46:00 GMT

Kate Gosselin, the papparazzi’s new preferred prey, was spotted on vacation in Bald Held Island in North Carolina over the weekend - without her husband Jon, who was at Barney’s COOP dropping two grand on clothes. Kate, who’s has a hand sanitizer addiction, helped daughter Hannah apply some germ killer to her hands. Hannah was dressed for vacation in a Smocked Flutter Sleeve Dress by Gymboree. If you want to pick one up, now’s the time. It’s on sale for $13.99 (it was $34.75). You can pick one up here.

Photo: Just Jared

Black and White Nursery Art

Cathy Hale — Sun, 31 May 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Seeking a fresh, sophisticated and fun twist on nursery decor? Check out celeb-fave, Green Frog Art, for your nursery art fix.

These beautiful black and white flowers are double matted and framed in a 3/4 thick matte white frame. They will certainly last beyond your child's baby years. The dimensions of Flower Power Frame Print is 18.5" x 18.25" and retails for $160 at BabyEarth. Print also comes in other color options.

Searching for black & white crib bedding? Check out this MommyQ blog post for seven great ideas!

Green Baby: Bonjour Monsieur!

Cathy Hale — Sun, 31 May 2009 20:00:00 GMT

Fond of raspberry jam, napping in the sun and reading bedtime stories, Monieur TseTse is an international mystery monster.

This sophisticated little fellow is made from non-toxic, eco-friendly materials, so your little baby can use him as a pal or a teething buddy. He even comes in his own special house. Check him out at Mahar Drygoods.

Gotta Have It: CushyStraps

Cathy Hale — Sun, 31 May 2009 18:00:00 GMT

As a new parent, I remember HATING it when car seat straps or stroller straps would dig into my baby's neck. Back in the day, the strap covers were rather dull and ugly. Now they are really cute and very comfortable.

Take a look at CushyStraps from Kiddopotamus. These soft plush strap covers are easy to move from car seat to stroller or jogger. They come in three cute styles, neutral (bear), pink (bunny) and blue (cat). A set retails for $4 at BabyEarth. Makes a great baby shower gift add-on!

A Green Cleaner That Gets Out Spit-Up

Lisa Estall — Sun, 31 May 2009 17:30:00 GMT

There are a lot of green cleaners out there but one product that is used regularly in my household is Eco Mist Solutions Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner.

It is the only cleaner that gets stains such as juice and baby spit-up out of the carpet! Pretty impressive since the ingredients are non-chlorinated... water, tree sap, corn, potatoes, grass and soy. I'm not kidding, this solution really works.

You can buy Eco Mist products online at thegetgreenstore.com.

Be Mine from Ju-Ju-Be

elizabeth leach — Sun, 31 May 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Ju-Ju-Be designs a lot of fabulous add-ons to make your Ju-Ju-Be bag or any bag more organized. Be Mine is the perfect size for credit cards, money, business cards, cell phone, driver's license and whatever random stuff that would usually float around your bag.

Much like Be Major (read that review here), but smaller, Be Mine is great to grab when you want to leave your diaper bag in the car or at home. Bag can be worn on your wrist and comes with an extended shoulder strap if wearing it on your shoulder is your thing. There's even a mini mirror, so bring your Be Mine to the pool or beach. You never know when your make up will run or you need to apply more sunscreen.

Be Mine is available in twenty patterns and solid colors. Shop Ju-Ju-Be.

I Like That Boom Boom Pow!

Cathy Hale — Sun, 31 May 2009 15:00:00 GMT

Believe or not, the 4th of July is right around the corner. Where does the time go? Wanna be festive without doing all of the shopping yourself? Here's a bucket-o-fun for the kiddos with a sprinkle of excitement.

Aptly named the 4th of July Bucket, this treat spells star-spangled fun with fireworks that won't really get anyone in trouble. It comes with lots of red white & blue goodies like a festive headband, gumballs, cookie cutters and a meteor storm toy. It may have some small pieces in it, so check for choking hazards if little ones under three are playing with it. Retails for $49 at Chasing Fireflies!

7 Days Of Dolls: Priya The Waldorf Doll

SunnyChanel — Sun, 31 May 2009 00:27:00 GMT

Waldorf dolls are created in a wide variety of makes, models, sizes and styles. But their fundamentals are generally the same – they’re usually made by hand, have a simple expressionless face, and are made using traditional European techniques. Another thing that is common is that they are never cheap. The one I’m featuring here is on the top of the cost scale but it’s also one of the more unique versions I found.

This 14” 'Priya' doll, by Joy’s Waldorf Dolls, is an East Indian fashioned doll of the Waldorf variety. This soft doll includes a traditional five piece Indian garb made with bright red and yellow hues. The Sari seen here is worn as a scarf but can be worn in several different variations. This is a limited edition doll with only 21 of them in the run. But be warned, due to the extra additions on this doll such as the beading on the top and the Bindi, it is meant for older kids…their suggestion is 12 or up. You can pick one up here for $139.

Girls' Zebra Graphic Tee

AmandaHill — Sat, 30 May 2009 23:00:00 GMT

Everybody loves Zebras. This Girls' Zebra Graphic Tee portrays a lovely zebra in a gorgeous color of pink. The best part about the shirt is that you can order the shirt with the Zebra in pink or silver.

Click on over to Crew Cuts.

Girls' Chino Minishort

AmandaHill — Sat, 30 May 2009 20:00:00 GMT

The Girl's Chino Minishort seen above is one of the better khaki options I've seen for spring and summer for little girls. The cotton chinos have a flat front with fabulous little flap pockets. They are available in khaki, white, navy and golden cypress.

Click on over to J. Crew's Crew Cuts to check them out.

Funky Monkey Freeze Dried Fruit Snacks

Lisa Estall — Sat, 30 May 2009 18:42:00 GMT

I recently got to test out Funky Monkey Snacks on my 3-year-old. These snacks are freeze dried fruit with no added sugar, preservatives, colors or flavors.

Since my son is a very picky eater I wasn’t sure if he would like them. It turned out that he ate the whole bag in one sitting! Dried fruit is always the...

healthier option than a bag of salty crackers so I was happy.

There are four flavors: Bananamon (banana and cinnamon), Carnaval Mix (banana, pineapple, apple, papaya and raisins), Jivealime (pineapple and lime juice) and Purple Funk (banana and acai berries).

You can buy them at amazon.com.

Little People School Bus Ride-On

elizabeth leach — Sat, 30 May 2009 15:00:00 GMT

Is your toddler obsessed with Fisher-Price's Little People, like mine? The Little People School Bus Ride-On has Little People driving the bus and riding on the bus. My little girl gets on her bus with her Little People in the storage seat and drives around our house pressing the buttons and jabbering away to her friends.

One button plays a happy song and the two Little People in the front of the bus spin to the music. Press another button and hear the bus driver tell everyone to please sit down so we can go to school and another button is the horn. Press the two Little People in the front seat and hear them laughing. Pictures of Little People passengers on the sides of the bus fascinate and the colors of the bus, red and yellow, are bright and attractive. Bus can also be pushed by you or your child with the handle at the back.

School Bus is for ages 12 months to 3 years. Find the Fisher-Price Little People School Bus Ride-On for $34.99.

Oval Wall Mobile

Lisa Estall — Fri, 29 May 2009 23:30:00 GMT

I really dig this modern mobile. Called the Oras Oval Wall Mobile in Uoga, it’s hand made from foam and strung with nylon-coated steel wire...

and beads. Found at the wallstickershop.com, it’s a pricey $148.

This would be cool in a nursery, but would it hold a baby's attention?