Recently in Gadgets and Gear Category

Here is an innovative and great looking alternative to a baby swing to sooth your little precious to deep, happy sleep. And the benefits go beyond just the glorious snoozing, the contours of the sleeping pad reduces the risk of flat head syndrome in infants, the varied sleep position options help colic or acid reflux, the back-to-sleep position prevent SIDS and the soft swaying motion is very comforting for restless sleepers (we all know how awesome napping is on a hammock!). The really cool looking Hushamock is also very lightweight and portable so you can transport this to whichever room you're in, or even take it on the road with you (it comes with a travel bag). The hammock is 100% organic cotton, the mattress is hypoallergenic and machine-washable and it come with two 400 count fitted sheets! Comes in blue green natural orange and pink, $379.99 at Magic Beans.

Here is a good way to get your Tot to clean her room. Or at least just the dirty laundry part. My daughter goes to a Montessori preschool where she obediently cleans up after herself all day long but when she gets home, it's as if she is making up for lost time with her trail of destruction! I am not sure if bribing her with cute domestic apparatus is the right way to parent but at least she will have fun putting away her clothes while it looks cute sitting in the corner. But I can imagine what my new problem will be; all the clean clothes from her drawers will undoubtedly end up on this hamper as well. What can you do? This works like a laundry shoot, clothes go in from the top and you unload it from the bottom. Assembly is required but what isn't? $145 at The Beans Closet.

I was in the parking lot of the market the other day and encountered the problem that this product solves. It was 100 degrees that day so I didn't want to put my daughter in the hot car longer than necessary. I decided to load the groceries in the car first but then realized I was parked on an incline so the cart kept rolling away from the car. I was totally struggling and didn't even know how I was going to do this until a very kind lady came to my rescue. Even if I didn't have my daughter in the cart, I would not have been able to load this shopping cart but of course the thought of my little girl rolling away into traffic was enough to send me in a panic - I even contemplated ditching my entire cart of food! And this was Whole Foods so it was like $270 worth of food! If only I had this Kart Katcher. One end ties to the inside of the trunk so it is always there and the other end has a strong velcro to attach to any part of the cart. And for $5.95 I think we can all agree that it is worth it just for the comfort and knowing there is an extra hand in case we need it. Get it at the Kart Katcher website for $5.95.

If you're a masochist like me, you watch John and Kate Plus 8. My husband refuses to watch with me because the stress of his own 2 kids is quite enough for him. There was this one episode where they put cereal in a draw string bag and clipped it to the top buckle of all the kids car seats. They call that breakfast, I call it GENIUS! So when I saw these I immediately thought of that use but there are endless uses for these nifty pouches, like for toys in your bag - anything with tons of pieces and small parts like dinosaurs and Princess accessories. These aren't as small as they look, they are 7 1/2" x 7" so if you are feeding your kids cereal, it will be a lot of cereal! They are great for non kids stuff too of course like my laptop power cord, cables and chargers. For trips, just take these along, you will inevitably find handy uses for them. I love the colorful and fun African print on 100% cotton. They are fully cotton lined. A set of 3 is $40 at ittikid.

My daughter recently started ballet and I have been toting her ballet gear in one of my fabulous designer bags until she slyly and sadly told me last week, "Mommy I want my own bag". "OMG", I thought, "why didn't I think of getting a super cute ballet bag just for ballet?" I went on a mad hunt to find the absolute most cutest bag the world has to offer and the mission was accomplished! This all plush totally soft duffle has a ballet bear tucked in a tutu harness for safe traveling and can be undone to come out and play (she is now my daughter's new BFF). The shipping time was surprisingly quick and it made it for the next ballet class with a beaming and very happy little ballerina carrying it. It is around 15" across the bottom so big enough for all the gear but dainty enough for a 3 year old. The best part? It is only $35, I thought I would have to pay more for ultimate cuteness. The entire line is just as cuddly and ridiculously adorable. The roller suitcases come in a variety of colors and friends, the hippo though is my favorite. Holiday shopping for all the kids on my list this year? Done and Done. Ballet Bear Pink Duffel Bag $35 and Hippo Red Roller also $35, entire collection sold at Amazon.

How cute does this sound -- a toothbrush specially designed for tot hands and mouths, that comes with one minute of tot-friendly music and encouraging phrases to motivate and congratulate little ones as they brush their teeth!? That's just what Tooth Tunes Junior ($9.99) does! Tot Snob Kelly's little bundle of joy uses the Star Wars-themed one and she says it helps tots brush properly because the music doesn't go on until there is proper pressure on the brush head. Plus, children will hear motivational phrases throughout the brushing cycle (beginning, middle, and end), so brushing is less of a chore and a little bit more fun for little kids who don't fully understand the benefits of brushing yet:) Check it out here -- Tooth Tunes Junior the Lion King "I Just Can't Wait to Be King".

Why is it that no matter how much money I spend on the latest and greatest baby gear, the following week it is outdated and obsolete?! About a year ago, I purchased a convertible car seat for my second child. I was thrilled to be rid of the carrier. Immediately I went to buy a "big boy" car seat for my son. Yippee!! No more carriers to lug and with two car seats, this meant my 3.5 year old daughter could bring a friend home from school for a play date. However, isn't there always a catch...it also meant I had to constantly install and reinstall the car seat from forward to rear facing. Oh the broken nails and ruined manicures I endured until my son's car seat was permanently forward facing. You can imagine my envy when I saw the Combi Zeus in my friend's car. This car seat installs once and swivels from forward to rear facing with the lift of a lever. The swivel seat makes getting her infant in and out easier too. She just swivels the chair sideways and her baby fastens right in. No awkward hunching, bending, or twisting. It accommodates infants from 5 - 50 pounds. While I can't justify spending another $300 on car seat, if you are in the market this is the one. Watch the demo video. Available at One Step Ahead ($299.95).

I love the idea of a sling, it's like having your baby in your tummy again, that closeness is so beautiful and of course your baby loves it too. But my problem is that most slings out there aren't city chic. Of course the always classic and tasteful Serena & Lily has the most elegant of all slings - their Market Sling has been seen on Nicole Kidman and Camila Alves. This design is so amazing I wish they made a kaftan for me! I love the pink lining peaking out of the gorgeous cloud blue linen. These come in 3 sizes, SML, to ensure a comfortable fit. It is made with 100% organic cotton - the lining is super soft so your precious baby will be cozy and comfy (in the Flax/Sky color combo, only the sky lining is 100% organic cotton, which is the most important part). At Serena & Lily for $129.

Is your tot snob also a tech snob? In no time he/she will be a tech whiz hooking up your wifi and hacking into your bank account (ack!). Keep them cuddly for the time being with this techie iPod speaker which is also a plush doll is super cute and fun. There are tiny speakers tucked inside a zipper with a velcro pocket for the iPod. You want to get a nano or something small like that so it won't fall out of that kangaroo pocket (in the back). I played with it and tested it out at a family BBQ. The consensus is that this is totally cool and cute but I have family in the music business so they had issues with the low fidelity of the speakers. Hello, this is for a little kid, you don't exactly want to blow their ear drums with booming concert speakers. I am not sure how it works but the speakers do not need batteries. This is totally great for the road, something to cuddle with and keep them entertained. At the Sigikid site for $112.

Garmin GPS Navigator$334.99; Charging Valet$64.95; Rock Band $119.99;
Logitech Harmony Universal Remote $194.77; Hammock $299; Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones $349

We might do the majority of the work (or so we think) but even so, what about the hormonal outbreaks our poor husbands have to endure? My husband puts up with a lot and he is a wonderful father so I should praise him daily and shower him with cool gadgets every day of the year, but thankfully I am only obliged to do so one Sunday in June every year =) This year, I asked him to help me with gift ideas for this story but that was just my ruse to get him to tell me what he really wants. Smart right? Two birds with one stone! These are total guy ideas that I probably wouldn't think of myself, especially the headphones. Let me break them down for you.

Garmin 660 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator$334.99 - I know it is a bit of a cliche to suggest a machine that gives him directions but it not only will reduce the bickering in the car and save some unnecessary driving, this thing gives up to the minute traffic updates and you can look up businesses and restaurants. It will save time and steam so he will come home a bit less persnickety.

Executive Charging Valet for Cell Phone, Mp3 Player, and More$64.95 - Is he unplugging your hairdryer to charge his phone? (yes). Please do not take over the kitchen island with your gadgets!! Give him his own space, it will keep things organized and make him feel special!

Rock Band Special Edition $119.99 - I promise you wholesome clean family fun with this. I will begin by saying that we in fact do go out with friends to real outside places, but this is the greatest home entertainment - invite people over, get some cocktails mixing and it is the best party ever! It comes with guitar, drum kit and microphone but I highly recommend adding a mike stand for the full effect.

Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote $194.77 - Never got your other universal remotes to work? This one downloads all the proper codes for all your components online and will switch your TV input, components, whatever that is needed to the proper channel or setting. Now when your parents and in laws visit, you won't need to be their remote remote anymore.

Heritage Hammock Essentials Package, Khaki Stripe $299 - This might be a self indulgent gift but if you promise him "alone time" on this thing, you will cancel out the guilt. The package comes with everything you need, stand, hammock and cover.

Bose QuietComfort 3 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones $349 - This will cancel out all the outside noise by creating a certain white noise. What this means is that he will have an acoustic environment where he hears nothing but the music and in fact, can listen at a lower volume because everything is so clean and clear. According to everyone I know who has this, it is life altering. I guess I will find out because this is what I am getting for my hubby. They make customized headsets, ones that are molded to your ears for a perfect fit for $2000 so be happy that this is only $349, even though initially it sounds like a lot.