Archive for December, 2009

As we get ready to close the curtain on 2009, and go on hiatus until January 4, 2010, we want to thank our readers for their loyalty, wit, moxie and candor. This past year, with the economy in a tailspin, gaining perspective, powering through and pulling back (spending-wise) became both essential and de rigueur. But as the UB community recognizes, a back-to-basics mindset need not mean an absence of flair, creativity or carpe diem attitude, especially when it comes to parenting and making the lives of our urban babies a little better and a little more interesting.

Part of holiday magic is about reflection. So in that vein, we look back at some 2009 UB faves:

1. BFF, Inc. - Tips for starting a business with your best friend. This could be the perfect economic climate. After all, the chocolate chip cookie, the Monopoly game and the supermarket were all invented during the Great Depression.

2. The Recessionista Diet - How eating well can help you de-stress. Think fab fats, green tea and blueberries.

3. Oooh, Aaah, Tell Me You Want to Wash All the Bibs! - Porn for New Moms. It’s PG. It’s escapism. It’s hot.

4. Father Knows Best - SAHDs + WOHMs = an evolution of the American family. An overview of the book The Daddy Shift: How Stay-at-Home-Dads, Breadwinning Moms, and Shared Parenting Are Transforming the American Family.

5. What Your Nanny Really Thinks of You - Possibly better than a nanny cam. A review of Just Like Family: Inside the Lives of Nannies, the Parents They Work for, and the Children They Love.” A must-read for anyone who’s been on either side of the nanny-parent relationship.”

6. Business as Usual - How being a parent can make you a better boss. They don’t teach this stuff in b-school.

7. Breaking Up is Hard to Do - How to kindly and respectfully cut people - your OB/GYN, your nanny, the parents of your kid’s BFF - out of your life. And you thought you were done with breakups after giving your ex the boot.

8. The Amazing Race - A thumbnail sketch of a humorous “baby handbook” for “excessively-motivated parents.” Our favorite nugget: IKEA products as inspirations for cool baby names.

9. Gifted: for the Tech-Obsessed Parent - The mother of all inventions for any stroller-pushing parent madly in love with her mobile device. Because nothing gets between you and your text messages.

10. East Meets West - Advice based on the best of Eastern and Western medicine from a fertility dream team.

If you’re still scrambling to find presents, check out UrbanBaby’s gift guide.

Happy Holidays!

Now there are more ways than ever for you to brag about your DC and his latest milestones. You can tweet, blog, vlog or post to Facebook. Yet, all of this technology is of no help when it comes to measuring the height of a squirmy infant who’s not too keen on “standing” (being propped up) against a wall chart. So it’s sometimes difficult to report the specifics of Junior’s latest growth spurt.

Time to hit the sheets. With the Hi Height Baby Measuring fitted crib sheet, you can easily calculate the baby’s height plus measure his head, hands and legs. The sheet is essentially a giant bulls eye with numbered rings so you can gather these “vital” stats from any direction. There’s even a footprint so you can find out your little guy’s shoe size. (About the only bits of info. this sheet can’t supply are weight and temperature.) The bedding is 100% cotton and made from eco-friendly ink. So simple. You’ve got to wonder why someone didn’t think of this sooner.

A painless way to show how your kid measures up.

Available at supermarkethq.com.

Let’s talk books. Every Friday.

We’re excited to share with you the launch of UrbanBaby’s first ever book blog, UrbanBaby Reads. Every Friday, we’ll update our blog with book reviews, book news, author news, book club suggestions and more.

We need you.

Here’s the fun part. It’s a virtual book club for the UrbanBaby Community and we want your opinion and comments to enrich the conversation. A discussion thread will be created each Friday on the message boards to follow UrbanBaby Reads. You should also feel free to email us at editor@urbanbaby.com with suggestions or comments regarding UrbanBaby Reads.

This is a great time of year for books and book lovers. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of useful, entertaining and informative “book lists” that are available to capture which books of 2009 are considered the best or most notable. Writers, critics, journalists and even bloggers chime in to share their thoughts and feelings regarding the books that they feel belong on a year in review list. Below, we have compiled a handful of these lists to share with you.

Let’s start the discussion: What was your favorite book of 2009? What will be the first book you reach for in 2010?

2009 Book Lists

“Best Parenting Books of 2009″ Wellsphere

“Best Books of 2009″ Publishers Weekly

“The 10 Best Books of the Year” The New York Times

“Notable Children’s Books of 2009″ The New York Times

“2009 Notable Children’s Books” American Library Association

“The Best Health Books of 2009″ WSJ.com

“The Best Book I Read This Year: A Month-Long Series from the Editors of The Atlantic” Atlantic Monthly

“The 10 Best Cookbooks of 2009″ NPR

“The Best Book Club Selections of 2009 (as chosen by Great Book Bloggers)” Flashlight Worthy

Preschoolers are forever at you to play with Mommy’s computer, and while you’re probably game, once they get on it seems there’s not a heck of a lot they can do. But there are actually plenty of safe places for kids age 2-5 to spend some time. You just have to know where to look.

Cherub Sweeties is for those moments when you couldn’t care less about learning. Sweet, nonthreatening games like treasure hunts and music games are wonderful non-commercial ways to while away a few minutes. It’s all a little airy-fairy and precious, but little girls in particular will love the soft-edged, pastel-colored imagery. It’s free to play and ad-free; a safe space for frivolous play.

Storynory is another tried-and-true friend for parents. Here, the easy answer to “Mama, read me a story!” is always just a click away. The velvet-voiced actor Natasha reads a new story every month, and there are dozens of already-read in the archives: classics like Sleeping Beauty and Thumbelina, as well as original tales, like my daughter’s favorite, the stories about an all-girl rock band. There are no pictures, so cajole your child into shutting his eyes and listening. Maybe he’ll even fall asleep.

Our last recommendation, FunBrain is tilted more towards educating visitors, with fun, age-appropriate math and grammar education games. For instance, kids have to solve a math problem to make a baseball player take a swing at a ball. There are some ads, and parental supervision may be required when kids are stumped on a problem. But for math beginners, this is a gentle, addictive introduction to important concepts.

Yesterday the Consumer Product and Safety Commission announced a recall of unprecedented proportions: practically every Roman and roll-up blind on the market is being recalled due to cords that pose a strangulation hazard to children.

About 50 million blinds sets are being recalled, but consumers who already have the blinds in their houses can call 800-504-4636 or visit windowcoverings.org to receive a repair kit that will allow dangerous cords to break away if weight is put on them; i.e., if a child is caught and struggling.

The CSPC said that five children have died and another 16 have come close to strangling in the dangerous cords attached to Roman shades since 2006. An additional three children have died due to roll-up shade cords since 2001. Some retailers, such as JCPenney, Pottery Barn, Land of Nod, and Walmart, are doing their own recalls; contact these retailers if you have purchased blinds recently from them.

Before The Real Housewives of New York City, Gossip Girl and NYC Prep allowed the public glimpses into NYC’s Upper East Side world of the charity-ball circuit, couture-clad kids and hyper-involved parents, there was The Nanny Diaries. Seven years ago, Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus’ roman a clef about caring for the off-spring of the creme de la creme captivated readers with details of designer duds and the depths of familial dysfunction.

Now, Nanny is back in Nanny Returns. The story picks up 10 years after Diaries. Nan is married to Harvard Hottie (Ryan), consulting at an uber-prestigious private school and again coming to the rescue of Grayer, her former charge. The Xes are going through a brutal divorce, and Grayer and his younger brother, Stilton, are the innocent victims of their parents’ non-parenting. Sexting, a few drug overdoses and a ripped-from-the-headlines, Madoff-like, financial scandal are all part of the mix. Nanny and her relationships with those closest to her are again the heart and soul of the book and are what keep the story grounded (and prevent it from veering off into NYC Prep territory). Nanny becomes even more Mary Poppins-like than Mary Poppins herself, with wit, sarcasm, a keen insight into the society set … and nary a flying umbrella in sight.

A good reminder of what the “finer things” in life are.

(Note to self: Check out page 229 for UrbanBaby’s cameo.)

Available at amazon.com.

Hanukkah came early this year. So cut yourself some slack if you were caught off-guard and didn’t stock up as usual for the Festival of Lights. The holiday is eight days. If you’re so over that menorah you received as a wedding gift a decade ago, or want to upgrade your dreidels, it’s not too late to act.

Housewares designer Jonathan Adler, ceramacist extraordinaire, is your go-to guy for menorah matters. He brings his “hippy chic,” modern aesthetic to these special, holiday candelabra. Check out Adler’s Utopia Man/Woman menorah. It’s reversible! Each of the nine separate modular pieces has a “hipster” on one side and “ye olde character” on the other. Hallmark Adler humor. He also makes a number of other menorahs, including the Relief menorah, which is a simple, singular piece accented with ripples.

If you’re looking to change up your dreidels, Adler’s Mod Dot versions may fit the bill. Just remember: spin control. The Mod Dots are made of porcelain.

For a list of Jonathan Adler stores, and to shop online, visit jonathanadler.com.

Toys to keep the little ones happy. For a few minutes at least, please, God.

Brightly colored plastic is not the loveliest thing to look at, but the Playskool Explore N’Grow Busy Ball Popper ($24.99) is one of those toys that will mesmerize both children and pets for a shocking length of time. Kids pop the big, soft (non-choke-y) balls into the popper, and press the plunger; a fan blows the balls in a wonderfully unpredictable way. Sometimes they come out the top of the popper, sometimes they fly across the room, whereupon the chuckling new walker runs to get them and starts the game over again. One warning: the toy does play obnoxious music, but cover up the speaker with some tape and it won’t bother you.

The urge to fiddle and arrange is strong at this age, but traditional wooden blocks may still be a bit of a challenge. Stacrobats ($56) solves the stacking challenge by magnetizing all its pieces: The friendly faced people, balls, and base all have magnets within their soft forms, so even a one-year-old can pick up and arrange the pieces. And pick it apart. And arrange them again.

If the essence of great gifting is to buy something for someone they want yet wouldn’t buy for themselves, surely the best gifts for new parents are gadgets that are over-the-top yet simplify their lives a tad.

For instance, the Itzbeen Baby Care Timer, a replacement for the battered school composition book Mom’s been keeping by the nursing chair. The reasonably priced ($26) handheld device tracks diapering, feeding (even time spent on the right or left side!), baby’s naps and nighttime sleep, and medication schedule (if any). The buttons are so intuitive to use that even a frazzled parent groping for the device at midnight can work them out, and the tracking saves a whole lot of middle-of-the-night anxieties. Oh, and it comes in pink, blue, and green for the indecisive.

Looking for a bigger-ticket item? Slide $69.96 Brookstone’s way and they’ll hand you back the Tranquil Moments White Noise Sound Machine for Baby, a sleek little bedside companion that offers a plethora of baby-friendly sounds: the loud whooshing of the womb, a soothing heartbeat, dolphins. Dolphins? Sure. Babies like it. They also like the Car Ride setting. No need to tiptoe around during naps with this baby on.

You’re loving your Kindle, and you’re not alone. This holiday season, e-readers are all the rage. And, yet, nothing can replace one of the most magical and treasured traditions of childhood: parent and child curling up in a cozy corner and reading a book together while flipping through the pages. So in honor of preserving this “rite of passages,” we offer a list of entertaining page-turners:

Around the World with Mouk - Parisian comic strip author and graphic artist Mark Boutavant certainly nailed the visuals. The neon hues and adorable little creatures make this sticker book a feast for the eyes. Plus, it’s educational. Mouk travels to Greece, Finland, Libya, Madagascar, China and beyond. Readers learn a little about each locale. Boutavant infuses some sass and personality into this delightful book without coming off as if he’s trying too hard. (Ages 3 and up because of the small stickers.)

Not Last Night but the Night Before - To be chanted to the tune of that childhood jump-roping song, “Not last night but the night before, 24 robbers came knocking at the door …” Every time the young narrator hears a knock at the door, various well-known, fairytale favorites - the man in the moon, the three little pigs, Little Miss Muffet - dash in with presents. Turns out it’s the main (unnamed) character’s birthday. Written by award-winning, London author Colin McNaughton and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (of Blue Kangaroo fame), the story concludes with an amusing rendition of “Happy Birthday,” courtesy of some updated lyrics.

Little Blue and Little Yellow - A 50th anniversary edition of author Leo Lionni’s wonderfully simple story about two best friends, Little Blue and Little Yellow. Lionni was a four-time Caldecott Honoree. This special anniversary edition includes an excerpt from Lionni’s autobiography in which he describes how he came up with the story.

Red Ted and the Lost Things - Written by former British Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen, this book tells the tale of Red Ted, a little bear who was accidentally left on a train. Red Ted is given shelter in the train station’s lost-and-found but makes a quick getaway with Crocodile, a lost-and-found shelf-mate he befriends. Red Ted and the new friends he meets along his journey follow the scent of cheese to find RT’s rightful owner.

The King of Quizzical Island - Also coming from across the pond is Gordon Snell’s tale about following your curiosity. The King of Quizzical Island sets out to discover what he’ll find at the edge of the world. His voyage takes him to Jigsaw Land, Vertical Land where rivers stand upright and the Sea of Dreadful Dreams. The King eventually figures out that the world is round. With rhythmic text, this book is perfect for reading aloud. A real tongue-pleaser.

Because you can’t cuddle with your Kindle.