droolicious : portable

Neat Seat for On-the-Go Eating

Lisa Mulcahy — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Taking little ones out to eat is always an adventure. Whether it’s a good or bad experience often depends on how you keep your kids corralled and happy at the table.

Restaurant highchairs leave much to be desired, and that’s not even talking about the germ factor. Here’s a handy solution that adjusts to almost any chair. The Totseat, $36.99, functions like a portable highchair but is really a cushion that keeps kids harnessed to the chair. It folds up, comes with a carrier backpack and is machine washable.

Pop A Squat, No, PopATot

Lisa Mulcahy — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 16:30:00 GMT

When my son was of the exersaucer age it was heaven. I could put him in it, know he was safe and attend to what I had to do. The only problem is that I became dependent on it, so much so that I lugged it everywhere, to grandma’s, to the park, to the beach. Now finally there’s a portable version.

I was a little skeptical when I first saw the photo of PopATot, $49.99. Sure, it’s not sleek and sexy, but I’m willing to toss good looks sometimes for safety and function. It’s amazing how it folds up into a small carrying case. Could have saved me a lot of hauling. Right now you can get free shipping and a $10 rebate.

ABC Kids Expo 2008: The Wean Machine Portable Baby Food Grinder

Chris Ford — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:03:00 GMT

Fortunately, everything I saw at the ABC Kids Expo wasn't fancy furniture and strollers. I also saw some interesting and innovative smaller products as well. At the top of the list for me was a little portable baby food grinder called the Wean Machine. Explanation and a better photo after the jump.

The Wean Machine is basically like an enormous garlic press that you use to make food mushy enough for your baby to eat. The best part about it though is that it's totally portable, small enough to fit in a handbag or diaper. And it's as simple as a garlic press too. You just put the food you want your baby to eat in the bottom, press it up through to the top and use the built in spoon for feeding. There's also a cover that goes over the whole contraption which is good for keeping the food fresh inside, or just for keeping the inside of your bag clean if you're not able to clean it up on the go. According to the inventor, it will handle just about all the types of foods you would feed a baby that's new to solid foods (bananas, strawberries, peas etc.). It's not going to handle a steak or a pork roast, but you're probably not going to be carrying that with you anyway.

The Wean Machine should be available in the US in early January but you can check it out now at JuvenileSolutions.com

ABC Kids Expo 2008: Pipila Pacifier Sterilizer

Chris Ford — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:03:00 GMT

Four years and two children later, I've bought a lot of useless baby crap in my time. But if I had a child who was on the pacifier, I would seriously consider getting a Pipila pacifier sterilizer. Using ultraviolet rays, the Pipila is supposed to remove 99.9% of germs. The best part though is it runs on two AAA batteries and is completely portable. It accepts all standard pacifiers and finishes the job in about 5-6 minutes.

Pipila retails for about $29.99 and can be found at retailers across the country. Check them out at their web site, PipilaUSA.com.

Ancient Art of Hammock Sleeping Revived

Lisa Mulcahy — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:38:00 GMT

Dr. Sears, Dr. Karp, I’m on to you. It seems you may have hijacked some baby sleeping ideas from the ancient Mayans. It’s believed that they used hammocks to swaddle and swing babies to sleep over 800 years ago in Pre-Columbian Latin America. They didn’t need to read The Happiest Baby on the Block to know that simulating the womb experience was a surefire way to lull infants to sleep. Here’s your chance to put ancient principles to work with this modern marvel.

The Hushamok baby hammock creates a cozy sleeping environment that can help restless sleepers and even offer reflux relief. The hammock, frame, mattress and leaf spring, as well as a set of two matching fitted sheets are included. Another bonus is that it’s completely portable and comes with a travel bag.

$425 at Genius Jones.