LilSugar

Growing Through Arts' Music Series: Kid-Friendly or Are You Kidding?

Kate Stahl — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:56:42 PDT

We're all about exposing kids to fine arts, but is opera asking a bit too much? Not according to Growing Through Arts, a company founded by former pro dancer and Harvard grad Aleksandra Efimova, which creates educational children's books and toys. The company just launched its second series of books (the first focused on ballet), breaking down some seriously highbrow stuff for kids ages 2 to 6. Growing Through Arts' philosophy: exposing kids to the arts early will help develop creativity and imagination, confidence, leadership, memory, abstract thinking, discipline, focus, and preacademic skills.

The three music series books - The Peter and the Wolf Symphony, The Snow Maiden Opera, and Twist, A Musical - each include beautiful illustrations, a modern take on the classic opera, symphony, and musical tales, and questions designed for parents to ask their children to teach them moral lessons. You'll also find a glossary of terms that will teach kids words that are used in music class, the opera, and the symphony.

So what do you think? Could you get your 2-year-old amped about opera? Psyched about the symphony? Weigh in below!

Undercover Tape: Kid-Friendly or Are You Kidding?

Kate Stahl — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:03:18 PDT

Since my 1-year-old daughter is, number one, obsessed with any and all clothing (lately, when she's fussy, I just take her to her closet and show her all of her dresses. Works every time, and yes, I'm already terrified of her teenage years) and, number two, can't really talk, I don't have to worry about scratchy clothes. But my mom friends warn me that soon a single irritating tab, seam, or sequin will mean lifetime clothing banishment. It's a kid reality that moms Michele Naftal and Michelle Isrow knew well, and they were on a quest to find the answer to bring hundreds of dollars of unworn clothing back into regular rotation.

The result: Undercover Tape ($12 for 15 one-by-three-inch adhesive strips). The clothlike, hypoallergenic tape - with a tagline "Ditch the Itch" - essentially acts as a bandage for clothing, smoothing out any scratchy bits. The tape, which comes in five colors and prints, works on all types of clothing including sports jerseys, costumes, socks, hats, and underwear and will even last for up to eight cycles through the washer and dryer.

So what do you think? Is Undercover Tape the answer to your kids' wardrobe woes? Or will you be sticking to the scissors? Weigh in below.

MagicBath Baby Hot Tub: Kid-Friendly or Are You Kidding?

Lisa Horten — Tue, 15 May 2012 08:03:26 PDT

We all want to give our little ones the very best that money can buy, right? Sometimes, though, there's a fine (or not so fine) line between what's within reason and what's absolutely ridiculous.

Enter the MagicBath Baby Hot Tub from BluBleu, an Italian company that specializes in high-end whirlpools and stylish tubs. Ten air jets spew out bubbles, while underwater LED lights emit "chromatherapy" light rays. The tub is designed for newborns to 6-month-olds in a reclining position and for 6- to 12-month-olds in a sitting position.

Wondering what the MagicBath will set you back? A whopping $2,186. While the absurdly high price tag probably takes the tub out of range for most of us, we wonder if any of this year's new celeb moms will treat their little ones to the at-home spa (Maxwell Drew and Blue Ivy, we're talking to you!)

Pop-Up Tops: Kid-Friendly or Are You Kidding?

Kate Stahl — Tue, 01 May 2012 11:44:50 PDT

Like most young toddlers, my daughter is fairly obsessed with pop-up and peekaboo books, which seem to surprise and delight her no matter how many times she's revealed that teddy bear under the bed or the snail behind the flower. While we've collected more than a dozen pop-up books, we don't have a single piece of pop-up clothing, a fact that Etsy seller Jane of Little Blue Frogs could rectify. Jane's kids also love pop-up books, and that fascination inspired her to create a collection of pop-up onesies and T-shirts ($22 each) for babies and toddlers. Choose from designs like a cloud covering the sun (shown above), a kite, or a plane, a record covering music notes, or a leaf over a ladybug. The designs are printed and sewn on supersoft American Apparel cotton tees and onesies and come in sizes for babes 3 to 24 months.

So what do you think? Would your lil one love a pop-up top or will you leave the peekaboo to the books? Weigh in below and let us know.

Vegan Is Love - Having Heart and Taking Action: Kid Friendly or Are You Kidding Me?

Rebecca M Gruber — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 08:21:10 PDT

Alternative diets may be all the rage, but how early should they be introduced to tots? Sure, some kids have to eat wheat-, nut-, or dairy-free diets due to allergies, but a growing number of families are opting to raise their lil ones vegan because that's how mom and dad eat - and we're not just talking about celeb tots who follow alternative eating plans.

Ruby Roth, a children's book author who became a vegan as an adult, is hoping to show children that choosing a vegan lifestyle is not only healthy, but brave, too. Her latest book, Vegan Is Love: Having Heart and Taking Action won't be released until next week, but it's already generating criticism from parents and dietitians who fear that after reading the book, kids may choose to give up meat and dairy without proper nutritional planning. What do you think?

Classic Literature Baby Books: Kid-Friendly or Are You Kidding?

Kate Stahl — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 04:25:18 PDT

If you're a bibliophile, chances are you're eager to move on from Goodnight Moon and Pat the Bunny to meatier fare. I love Eric Carle's books, but we recently added Have You Seen My Cat? to my daughter's collection, a book in which every single page says, "Have you seen my cat?" and "This is not my cat!" Absolute torture after three readings.

You can entertain your baby and be reminded of your days reading books with actual chapters if you pick up BabyLit's new collection of literary classics-turned-board books ($10 each). Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet have all been gorgeously reimagined for lil ones with clever, simple text by Jennifer Adams and stylish illustrations by Alison Oliver. Pride and Prejudice and Romeo and Juliet are also available as eBooks for your iPad ($4 each).

While I'm seriously digging these interpretations of some of my favorite classic books, I'm not sure the stories of star-crossed lovers and tortured orphans are quite baby-appropriate. What do you think? Are these BabyLit board books kid-friendly or will you stick to Karen Katz and Sandra Boynton?

Teddy Needs a Bath: Kid-Friendly or Are You Kidding?

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 11:41:28 PDT

When there's a foul odor coming from my kids' bedrooms, the first place I look is the pile of stuffed animals that sits near their beds. While some parents consider stuffed animals to be little more than dust collectors, in our home, they are a necessity, helping soothe my kids to sleep each night. But cleaning them has always been an issue - I fear the day one of their loveys is destroyed in the washing machine and we have to suffer through nights of inconsolable children.

That's why my interest was piqued when I heard about Teddy Needs a Bath ($15). Basically just an oversize, eco-friendly laundry bag with a serious zipper on it, Teddy Needs a Bath keeps stuffed animals safe during routine washings, ensuring that they can be returned to their rightful owner looking the same way they did earlier - only cleaner and germ-free! What do you think?

The Ride-On Carry-On: Kid-Friendly Or Are You Kidding?

LilSugar — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 13:32:18 PDT

Have you seen this crazy new invention, the Ride-On Carry-On? Developed by a flight attendant mom, the concept is a collapsible, kid-size chair that slides over your rolling luggage's handle. Buckle your child in and wheel them off to your gate. It saves you the hassle of having to check a stroller and streamlines the entire airport experience. Once you're in your seats, the Ride-On Carry-On folds flat to fit in an overhead bin. The device sells for $40, or parents of multiple lil ones can get two chairs for $70.

At first glance, it looks a bit ridiculous, but for anyone who's ever trekked through an airport with a child on one hip, a carry-on on the other, and a rolling bag trailing behind, there just may be some appeal here! What do you think?

Upspring Baby Aqua Scale: Kid-Friendly or Are You Kidding Me?

Rebecca M Gruber — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:42:08 PDT

For new moms, one sure way of knowing that their lil one is growing is monthly weigh-ins at the doctor's office. But waiting for the next doctor's appointment can feel like years for an anxious mama. While some of us use the old "weigh yourself holding your tot and then by yourself" method for a general sense of how she's growing, a new product may replace those inaccurate measurements.

The Aqua Scale ($70) is a 3-in-1 baby tub, combining lil one's bath with a scale and thermometer to keep tots safe. A large LCD display shows the baby's weight (to the ounce), as well as the water temperature while the lil tyke is comfortable in a full tub. But is it all necessary? Weigh in below!

Miniature Milk Milk-Fiber Clothing: Kid-Friendly or Are You Kidding?

Kate Stahl — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:41:34 PDT

Sure, your baby often sports a milk-covered face, but would you cover his entire body in milk? That's exactly what Miniature Milk, a brand-new eco-friendly infant clothing line, suggests. The New York-based company debuts a layette collection this week, and the cow-print rompers, onesies, striped bibs, beanies, and blankets (prices range from $15 to $60) are all made from organic cotton and - get this - milk fiber, a protein that's extracted from cow’s milk.

According to Miniature Milk, milk fiber is perfect for baby clothing because of its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory qualities. "We wanted to create a simple and stylish range of baby clothes that not only looks great but also incorporates a fabric that has positive attributes for the sensitive skin of babies," said Jamie Archer-Perkins, founder of Miniature Milk, in a press release. So would you let your baby drink his milk . . . and wear it, too?