Archive for June, 2010

School is only a month or two away, so you’re probably scouting around for stuff-carriers: lunchboxes, backpacks. When the thing you want to carry is water, and the thing you’ve been using until now is a dented ol’ Sigg, you and yours might be ready for an upgrade.

Camelbak’s kids’ bottle has many of the advantages of the Sigg and its brethren: made of stainless steel, it’s BPA-free, lightweight, and practically indestructible. But the Camelbak also a few stylistic flourishes, like the patented Big Bite valve, which kids have to bite apart and suck on at the same time to drink from, making the Camelbak leakproof (unlike a Sigg left open in the lunchbox!) and fun. The bottles’ designs are also cool, like this surf-graphics influenced mermaid bottle.

Camelbak stainless steel kids’ bottles, $20

It’s always nice when you can blame something on your mother …

New research from Cornell University shows that kids who sense their mother is playing favorites are more likely to be depressed in middle age. It doesn’t matter whether the child is mom’s chosen one or the black sheep. Both can be affected in a negative way if their mother consistently favors one kid over others or routinely rejects one DC. Earlier studies linked favoritism to harmful effects on mental health and behavioral problems in children, teens and young adults. But the Cornell study by gerontologist Karl Pillemer shows that these detrimental effects persist long into adulthood. Pillemer says the findings could lead to new therapies for practitioners who work with later-life families.

And for those of us with younger kids, the take-away message couldn’t be clearer.

You still have a handful of thank-you notes left to write for wedding presents you received a decade ago. So what are the chances that, in your sleep-deprived, frazzled state, you’ll ever finish your notes of gratitude for the baby presents?

Enter thanksforeverything.net, a thank-you note writing service started by NYC couple Sarah and Jonathan Rapaport. The recently launched site offers note writing for baby and wedding presents. (Birthday and Bar/Bat Mitzvah options will be phased in within six months). And these aren’t your standard three-liners. They’ve got substance as well as style. Here’s how the service works: You select the notes you want (on the site), the font and delivery service, and then you send in a list of gifts and people to thank. You’ll get the notes in three days. You can review them and then send ‘em out, so they’ll be stamped with your postmark.

The notes aren’t actually handwritten, but thanksforeverything.net uses sophisticated handwriting fonts that would fool almost anyone but a skilled graphologist; they even skew male, female or gender-neutral! And if your BFF points out that it’s not your handwriting on the card, tell her it’s your DH’s. (Shocker.)

Emily Post would be proud.

Note + envelope + stamp = $5.50 ($4.95 without the stamp). With the text-only option, they’ll e-mail you the wording, and then you finish the job. Visit thanksforeverything.net.

Back when the Obamas first brought Portuguese Water Dog Bo to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the president was enjoying a 66% approval rating. A little over a year later, that number has dipped to 45%. Perhaps a new book on Bo can bring back some ratings magic to the Obama White House …

Highly-acclaimed author and illustrator Bob Staake has recently released a new picture book entitled, The First Pup: The Real Story of How Bo Got to the White House (for ages 4-8). First Pup details Bo’s journey from a Texas farm to his uber-prestigious D.C. home and includes information about White House life, D.C. landmarks as well as some election basics. Staake’s work has been featured in The New Yorker and The Wall Street Journal. The Cape Cod-based author and artist has illustrated more than 48 books, including The Red Lemon, The Donut Chef and I’m a Truck.

Unfortunately, Bo is no match for the depressing economy, Gulf Oil spill and other situations plaguing the Obama presidency.

Available at amazon.com.

All things Bob Staake
Watch Bob create his artwork
Read Bob’s unpublished book Name That Baby!

Doesn’t matter that you haven’t had a glamorous family trip since 2008. Your kids can take a virtual (read: affordable) trip every month with the utterly charming website Little Passports. Each month, the Little Passports avatars, Sofia and Sam, travel to a new country, and send your kids a package in the mail with a letter about the country and little souvenirs (postcards, paper toys). Kids also get the access code to the Little Passports members’ only site, which offers games and activities connected to the travel (see the Brazil Boarding Zone to check those out).

Packages vary, with discounts for those who sign up for multiple months all at once, but the service runs from about $12-15 a month. Seems worth it to see the smile on your newly cosmopolitan kid’s face when he gets the mail and it’s for him. Imagine that.

Visit Little Passports for more information.

Oh, the heartbreak of cradle cap. Well, it’s not really heartbreaking. More annoying than anything else, albeit fun to pick while in the bathtub. But it does tend to take the shine off those high-resolution new-baby pics, as well as dampening the enthusiasm from those who hold your little one for the first time. Get those flakes and scabs gone faster with Bean-B-Clean, a soft brush to use on baby’s scalp.

You may remember brushes like it from the hospital. Known as hospital scrub brushes, these brushes have a sponge on one side that, like all brushes, can become germy and gross when used repeatedly. Bean-B-Clean has the same ultra-gentle plastic bristles as the hospital brushes, but leaves off the sponge, making it possible to clean and re-use the brush. It can be used for months on end, though one hopes the cradle cap won’t linger that long. And it works a lot better than even the gentlest comb, leaving smooth skin instead of oozing scabs behind.

Bean-B-Clean, $7

Digital cameras have revolutionized photography and our ability to share pics with our BFFs. But it can be somewhat of a production to actually print the photos. (What’s the ratio of pics on your camera/computer vs. the ones you’ve actually printed? Enough said.) So we welcome with open arms the return of the beloved Polaroid instant camera.

The iconic camera has been relaunched in the form of the Polaroid 300. The 300 prints photos the size of a business card -  perfect for stashing in your wallet. The camera is not as cumbersome as its ancestors, nor is it as portable as today’s sleek, little digitals. But it’s easy enough for your DC to use. And nothing beats the excitement of watching the photo shoot out of the camera and then develop.

Something pixels can never replace.

The Polaroid 300 retails for around $90, a 10-pack of film for about $10. Available at amazon.com.

Now this is the kind of research you love to quote - a new study says that when a dad shares in the housework, he gets along better with his spouse/significant other. (But you already knew this!)

ManoftheHouse.com* found that of the 1,000 dads surveyed, 91% said their relationships were better when they pitched in around the house. This poll is the latest in a growing body of research suggesting that dad helping = a better marriage. In a Pew Research Center survey, sharing household chores now ranks third in importance in a list of items typically associated with successful marriages. Only faithfulness and a happy sexual relationship outrank housework. The “chores” item beat out perennial faves - adequate income, and shared tastes and interests.

A study published in the Journal of Family Issues late last year revealed that husbands and wives who spend more hours helping with chores reported more frequent sex (with their spouses).

You just love it when the numbers are on your side.

*The ManoftheHouse.com survey was conducted by Kelton Research. ManoftheHouse.com is a new Web site from Procter & Gamble Productions and is run in partnership with Barefoot Proximity, a global interactive and CRM network.

Ah, the men in our lives - the brothers, fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers, and dear husbands. This weekend, they might be glued to an iPad/Blackberry/HDTV to tune into the World Cup, latest on the oil spill, or the US Open to see if Phil will best Tiger in another major this year, but these books should pique his interest as well:

The Complete Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Man Skills by Joshua Piven, David Borgenicht and Ben H. Winters

For all that might come his way:
* Chapter One “Great Escapes” includes How to Drive Down a Flight of Stairs
* Chapter Two “Sports & Hobbie” includes How to Flip an Overturned Kayak
* Chapter Three “Love & Sex” includes How to Make Your Betrothed Parents Like You
* Chapter Four “Domestic Disasters” includes Emergency Phrases for When You’re in the Doghouse
* Chapter Five “Work” includes Things Never to Say in a Meeting
* Chapter Six “Out & About” includes How to Build a Shelter in the Snow
Chronicle Books - April 21, 2010
Available at Amazon.com

…unfinished business…One Man’s Extraordinary Year of Trying to do the Right Things by Lee Kravitz
He was one of the many; he lost his job. But what he did next might be a bit distinctive. Instead of setting out to get a new job, he took a year to set some things straight, things that had been neglected during his years steadfastly dedicated to his profession. His unfinished business led him on ten journeys of redemption, including repaying long-overdue debts, keeping promises, and reaching out to a distant friend. The stuff that life should be made of - re-thinking, redoing, reliving.
Available at Amazon.com

Handy Dad: 25 Awesome Projects for Dads and Kids by Todd Davis
There is nothing that might say ‘childhood’ quite like the original homemade projects: bottle rockets, rope swings, and go carts. These days, kid’s tastes might be a bit more sophisticated, so this handy project book also includes details on how to make half-pipes and ziplines. Packed with helpful and entertaining pictures, 25 Awesome Projects is organized so Dad and kids can start with the “Easy Projects,” move on to the “Afternoon Projects,” and as the dog days of summer kick in, they’ll be ready for the “Weekend Projects.”
Chronicle Books - April 28, 2010
Available at Amazon.com

Made by Hand by Mark Frauenfelder
What is your “Coconut Day?” While on vacation in the South Pacific, author Mark Fraunfelder relished in collecting and cooking coconut with his young daughter. He was hooked. At home, he worked to add small and meaning projects to their daily rituals believing it improved the quality of their lives. The book shows that it’s not just about what is being produced, but what is learned in the process, the pride in the accomplishment and the focused effort that often has a calming effect.
Available at Amazon.com

Geek Dad: Awesomely Geeky Projects and Activities for Dads and Kids to Share by Ken Denmead
Cool is a state of mind, and most “geeks” these days relish in their self-proclaimed status and are incredibly passionate about the projects they pursue (see Glee.) Denmead’s subcategories for each project - concept, cost, difficulty, duration and reusability - help readers easily navigate the book to find items they want to make that match their budgets, skill-levels, etc.
GeekDad Blog
Available at Amazon.com

You’re constantly adding songs to your iPod playlists. Junior deserves to have some fresh music in the rotation as well. Below are a few new albums debuting this summer:

Many Hands: Family Music for Haiti
A We are the World for the sandbox set. Many Hands: Family Music for Haiti is the brainchild of family musician Dean Jones. Shortly after the devastating January 12th earthquake that destroyed the Haitian capital, Jones decided he wanted to create something that could help the rebuilding effort. He enlisted a who’s who of family music artists - including Dan Zanes, hip-hop star Secret Agent 23 Skidoo and They Might be Giants -  to write and record songs for Many Hands. The album is filled with spiritual, uplifting (but not too out there) music as well as some whimsical and impossibly catchy tunes (”Arabella Angelique”). The soothing vocals of Elizabeth Mitchell, Emily Curtis and Frances England are some of the best in the world of kiddie music.
Coming 8/10. Will be available on amazon.com.

Putumayo Kids
Rock & Roll Playground
Putumayo Kids’ latest release is a tribute to the history of early rock ‘n’ roll. The CD comes with a fab little booklet about the origins of rock and the story behind each song. The album is a mix of established artists - Peter Himmelman plus Grammy-Award winners Dan Zanes and Friends and Bill Harley - and up-and-coming ones. Unlike some of the other current “children’s” albums, this one doesn’t ooze cross-generational appeal, with the exception of “Magic Carpet Ride.” That’s a must-listen. It’s even iPod worthy.
Coming 6/29. Available for pre-order on amazon.com.

The Best of The Laurie Berkner Band
The goddess of tot rock is coming out with her first collection of greatest hits. “Victor Vito,” “I’m Not Perfect,” “Song in My Tummy” and “Bumblebee” are all on The Best of The Laurie Berkner Band. The final track, “Open Your Heart,” is the one new song. It’s hallmark zany Berkner but with a Carly Simon-esque melody woven in that’s definitely ear-worthy for you. Berkner wrote Open Your Heart for the national children’s charity The Pajama Program, which provides new jammies and books to kids in need throughout the country and around the world.
Coming 6/29. Available for pre-order on amazon.com.