droolicious : dogs

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

Li'l Lewis Luggage Tag

AmandaHill — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 01:30:00 GMT

Even the tiniest suitcases need adorable luggage togs. The Li'l Lewis Doggy Suitcase tag would be a great pick. The luggage tag dog is named Digger, and Digger is quite cute, if you ask me.

Click on over to Amazon to check it out.

Off With Their Heads!

Heather Kuldell — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:03:00 GMT

Djeco Wooden Animal Building Set is not as simple as it looks in the picture. These wooden animals are bolts in disguise. Twist the “feet” off, and the body piece slides off so re-animators can mix and match the animal parts of the rabbit, cat, dog and cow as they please. Part puzzle, part dexterity developer, the set is all fun. The set costs $21.99 at Oompa.

Argyle: So Hot Right Now

Heather Kuldell — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 18:01:00 GMT

I don’t know what’s more proper: saying thank you or wearing argyle. The Thank You Dog 4Bar cards score on both counts. Each card features a sweater-sporting dog (two, actually), and the message is mostly filled out. You, or better yet, the kids can fill out the who, what and their name on the ruled card. The recycled set includes 10 cards and 10 grape-colored envelopes for $9.50.

Classic Wooden Toys Collapse and Spring Back To Life

Chris Ford — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:30:00 GMT

You know what they say, "What's old is new again." I'm not that old, but when I was a kid I used to be fascinated with these types of little wooden toys - the kind that seem to collapse when you push the bottom but then spring to life again when you let go. Now you can get a few of them for your kids too - and at a price that won't break the bank.

The Petra Toys Press Puppets come in a Rhino, Giraffe, Red Dog and Elephant version. They would be great for an inexpensive little gift or even a party favor. Actually, it's kind of a pricey party favor, but they're cool nonetheless.

Petra Toys Wooden Press Puppets, $18 from BlackWagon.com

Bookworm Series: Nacho the Party Puppy

Cathy Hale — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Hold onto your hats moms and dads, because there’s a new puppy in town! Meet Nacho the Dog, an adorable fun-loving pooch that spreads laughter wherever he goes. Just like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day or a gigantic cupcake with tons of sprinkles, Nacho will surely make your kiddos smile!

Born in the great state of Texas and a big fan of cheese pizza, Nacho is known to wear many hats. Snowboarder. Politician. Astronaut. He makes his debut as Nacho the Party Puppy, a birthday connoisseur. Look for Nacho the Downward Dog to make an appearance in Fall 2009. Buy it at Amazon.

Black Cats And Other Animal Pillows From k studio

Chris Ford — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:30:00 GMT

This black cat pillow is one of a few different animal pillows made by design firm k studio. Each pillow is made from green and sustainable materials such as hemp, organic cotton and recycled wool (they recycle wool?). There is a dog, cat and bird versions, but I'm a fan of the cat pillow. Plus, what could be more holiday appropriate right now than a black cat pillow?

Cat Pillow, $110 from Design Public.

Fun Dogs? Fun Raincoat!

Meredith Broussard — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 14:13:00 GMT

This "Fun Dogs" raincoat from Hatley is sure to make your canine-loving toddler do a Doggy Bounce with joy.

In case your toddler is in an all-purple phase (OK, I had one of these back in the day), there's also a Dog Park version of the raincoat in lavender.

Fun Dogs children's raincoat, $36 at the Hatley store.

Monkeys Move From Jumping on Bed to Hanging on Wall

Heather Kuldell — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:16:00 GMT

The only perk about moving is redecorating, and I see a few of these monkeys in my son’s future.

An attractive, long-lasting alternative to posters or decals, Spot On Square’s Marcel the Monkey cut-out panel measures 15 1/2 inches by 15 1/2 inches, and is 3/4 of an inch thick. It’s available in three materials birch, bamboo or MDF painted in white, gray or orange. Once you choose the finish, there’s only one question left: Is it named after Ross’ pet on Friends?

Also available in Ray the Cat, Jasper the Dog or Charles the Cow for $45-$65 from 2modern.com.

Graphic Prints of Smafolk

Erin Behan — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:01:00 GMT

It's hard to believe that we grew up sporting pastel ducks and bunnies on our rompers and we still turned out OK, isn't it? Today's kid, ahem, parent, has so many graphic choices, and I think the Danish Smafolk line has some of the best, modern-influenced designs around.

Smafolk's long dog cotton suit ($34) is availalbe at Ittikid, an online store that carries other Danish and Swedish lines. I'm particularily smitten with the dog print, which is also available on shirts and onesies.

Dog Saddlebags: The Best Diaper Bag on Four Legs?

Chris Ford — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:16:00 GMT

Last week I wrote about this diaper caddy from Skip Hop, and although I'm not a big fan of bringing your diaper changing gear from room to room, I thought it was a pretty good product. But in the comments Babble reader "Rocket" had this out-of-the-box solution: put a saddle bag on your dog and stuff it full of diapers and wipes. Genius!

There are a couple of things I love about this idea:

No more free rides for Fido. Everyone else's world is going to be turned upside down by the new baby, so why not get the dog to help too?
The diaper gear comes to you. Now instead of figuring out where you put the diaper caddy, the wipes and diapers are a whistle away. And if you're clever enough, maybe you can train the dog to use it's keen sense of smell to detect the dirty diaper before you can.

So if you're willing to try it out, you can buy saddle bags for your dog at most pet stores, including this Dog Backpack from Pine Creek, $25.98 (pictured).

And if you try it out, PLEASE SEND ME PICTURES so I can post a follow up. Babble readers need to know if man's best friend can also be baby's best friend.

Big Deal: FLOR Carpet Tiles for Kids On Sale

Chris Ford — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:13:00 GMT

FLOR are the tile-sized squares of carpet that are a great alternative to traditional rugs and carpet (that I've sung the praises about before). Right now they have some selected tiles on sale, including some tiles for children's rooms.

The patterns for kid's rooms are Happy Landings (a subtle, airplane design that looks thoroughly modern - pictured) and Raining Cats and Dogs (available in "Blue Sky" or "Orange Thunder"). Both were originally $10.99/tile, but Happy Landings is now $8.79/tile and Raining Cats and Dogs is $7.69/tile.

Check them out at the FLOR "Shop Sale" page at FLOR.com.

Big Deal: Animal Backpack and Books at The Paragon

Mir — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 16:05:00 GMT

Right now your choice of these three plush backpacks (sized just right for little people) along with three board books are each on sale for just $6.99 at The Paragon. Even better? Through 11/12/07, get free shipping with coupon code P7W44E1A.

Spit Up: Why Yes, That IS a Dog Potty

Mir — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 20:05:00 GMT

This may indeed by "anatomically designed for the shape and comfort of the toddler" as their website claims, but this dog potty from SuperSmartyPants.net gives me the creeps. Overlooking the fact that it's $14.95 for a glorified plastic bowl without a proper seat or lid, do you really want to teach your child to pee inside a dog?

Dog Park Plush FAO Schwarz Exclusive

Mir — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 20:02:00 GMT

I'll confess to being one of those moms who is always bemoaning the proliferation of stuffed animals around here. Do we really need four dozen stuffies around the house?? And yet, I find myself strangely intrigued by this Dog Park Plush line. They just look... huggable. Squishable. Cute but not in a sickly-sweet way. Imagined by illustrator Derek Rippe, these dogs are $40 apiece exclusively from FAO Schwarz but "they prefer to hang out in groups." (I thought dogs ran in packs, but for $40 a pop I guess they've gone a bit more genteel.)

Halloween: For Your Lobster

Meredith Broussard — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 14:15:00 GMT

If you are a fan of Lobster Wars, the lobster scene in Annie Hall, or that episode where Ross and Rachel finally get together, you may want to consider dressing your child as your favorite crustacean for Halloween.

You could also put together a mommy-and-me or daddy-and-me ensemble with the adult full-body lobster costume.

If you feel like that's a bit much (we do, although it's never stopped us before), try wearing just a lobster hat.

You may also want to consider dressing your dog to match. This particular costume claims to be "Perfect for hard-to-fit dogs," which suggests that somewhere there is a kennel full of doggie fit models. No word on whether petite or husky sizes are available.

Baby Lobster Costume, $18 at amazon.com
Adult Lobster Costume, $199.95 at amazon.com
Dog Lobster Costume, $11.44 at amazon.com
Lobster Hat, $34.99 at amazon.com