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• Creamy Crayons: Hot, Not or Just Plain Friggin Odd?

  We get a TON of press releases here at the 'Derby and sometimes they leave us shaking our heads in wonder. A flak from a popular magazine sent in a release the other day touting "Creamy Crayons" as the #1 thing that moms across America happy. Really? Creamy Crayons?   Read More... Posted Sep 17 2008, 09:01 AM by Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: products, toys, moms, creamy crayons, really confusing shit that hurts my wee little brain, press releases

• Crayola Intros Kid-Named Colors

  In case you hadn't heard, Crayola has slid in eight newly-named colors to the big box of crayons. Now if I were them, I'd spend my development money adding some structural reinforcement the black crayon, since its frequent use means it's the first one to break in half and force you to do outlines with that annoying little stubby crayon. Ahem. Anyhow, the new color names aren't as descriptive as you might hope, and I think the whole kid-named thing is a sham.  So, what kind of monikers do we have in the box now? Read More... Posted Apr 14 2008, 02:31 PM by Kelly Mills with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: kids, products, toys, art, bloggers, names, Gawker, development, crayons, colors

• New Uses for Old Products

  The solution for younger-looking skin has been with us all the time! We've just been foolish and wasteful enough to throw it away!           Read More... Posted Apr 09 2008, 09:00 AM by Adrienne Martini with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Placenta, products, drinks, beauty, lotion, japanese, face masks, pig, jellies

• Open Letter of the Month: Dear PR People...

  Greetings PR people! First, let me say I'm so glad you love the site, I appreciate that compliment. And I know your job can't be all easy, sending e-mails to bloggers and not knowing if you will be well-received or if some rogue is gonna mock the product or event you are pitching, though I suppose publicity is publicity. So let me just say a couple things and you can take or leave it, but I do mean this kindly. First, I should warn you that I'm not such a fan of receiving e-mails that start, "Dear Mommy Blogger." I know many are fine with that term, but even my kid... Read More... Posted Apr 08 2008, 06:35 PM by Kelly Mills with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Celebrities, products, parents, dads, moms, stereotypes, daddy blogger, sexism, mommy blogger, PR, posts, open letter, titles, mocking, public relations, letters

• Suave Isn't Hawking Hair Products, They Just Wanna Help a Martyr Mom Out

  First, thank you to Mom2Two for pointing me towards this ad campaign by Suave (I have Tivo, so I see nary a commercial these days.) It goes like this: Rapid shots of lady looking pretty, lady then in wedding dress, pregnant lady, harried lady-mom in assorted outfits, mom-lady looking a little haggard, mom-lady fixed up purty by Suave styling products. The campaign line is: "Motherhood Isn't Always Pretty" and the ad says "89 % of moms admit they let themselves go... 100% can get themselves back." Wow, and 100% of moms in my house got crabby when they saw this. Can you imagine if this campaign was aimed at dads? Dads, did you let yourselves go? Would... Read More... Posted Mar 11 2008, 07:00 PM by Kelly Mills with | with 9 comment(s) Filed under: products, dads, fathers, Motherhood, moms, advertising, beauty, self-esteem, body image, hair, sacrifice, comments, shampoo, mommy myths, self-love, martyrs, suave

• What's My Age Again?

  If you've ever wondered, "does anyone read the boxes and manuals that come with my kids' toys?" the answer may very well be, "no, not even the people who made the product." Submitted for your approval: The Everlast Youth Inflatable Punching Bag is just what you'd think it is: a punching bag that inflates. For a youth (or, as Joe Pesci said in 'My Cousin Vinnie,' yoots.) But what age youth? Ah, there's the rub....   Read More... Posted Mar 07 2008, 02:15 PM by Brett Singer with | with no comments Filed under: products, shopping, toys, boxing, mistakes, everlast, oops, warning labels, punching bags, my cousin vinnie, yoots, joe pesci, age

• Demeter Play Doh Cologne. Whatever Will They Think Of Next?

  I'm a big fan of Demeter Fragrances, with their quirky scents that mimic almost uncannily what they're intended to mimic. Grass, Tomato, Laundromat—I've had several over the years, including Play Doh. Not that I've ever really dreamed of smelling like Play Doh, but it was hard to resist. And it couldn't smell more like the real thing if you actually rubbed Play Doh on your pulse points. It's really amazing. Read More... Posted Sep 05 2007, 01:02 PM by Patti with | with 10 comment(s) Filed under: products, Wired, geekdad, play doh, perfume, cologne, demeter, fragrance

• Kitchenista: Poach Pod Makes For Eggy Cuteness

  There's nothing inherently parenting-related about a poached egg. I mean, I'm a parent and I like them, and I have at least one kid who likes them, but that's about it. Right? Wrong, because now there's this completely adorable way to poach your eggs, not that you'll ever be able to try it out because your kids are guaranteed to steal it immediately and spirit it away to the playroom. Enter the Poach Pod. Read More... Posted Aug 15 2007, 02:27 PM by Patti with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: products, kitchenista, breakfast, eggs, poach pod

• Crafty: Let Hello Kitty Inspire You To Sew

  My general distaste for character-driven merchandise kind of trails off right at the shores of Japan, because that's where Hello Kitty lives. I'm a sucker for a mouthless feline, what can I say? So I'm excited about this Hello Kitty sewing machine. It's well-priced, it's produced by Janome, a well-known and highly respected manufacturer of high-end sewing equipment, and if the Kitty didn't get me, the cherries would.  It's definitely bare-bones (not a lot of complicated stitch types) but it's totally uncomplicated, perfect for a total newbie and ideal for a child, especially if you're not entirely comfortable using your own machine as a teaching tool. And it'll look adorable as it sits patiently on the table because you're too lazy to put it away when you're done hemming curtains. There's a slightly, and I do mean slightly fancier model available, but I wouldn't say that the few additional features are worth the extra cost. Plus, no cherries. When you (or your kids) are ready for more power, you can go big. I'm pretty sure I know what my kid's getting for her birthday this fall. Maybe she can start making her own damn Barbie clothes. Posted Jul 30 2007, 02:25 PM by Patti with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: sewing, products, Hello Kitty, crafty, sewing machine, janome

• You Better Recognize: Mama Merit Badges

  "But, but, but," you say, "But I get paid in hugs and kisses! I get validation when my little Schatzie cups my face in her grubby, sticky hands and says she 'wubs' me! I don't need any external recognition of my job as a mother!" Well, that's you. Me, I'd like to have a nice crispy piece of paper that I could deposit into my shoe buying account every two weeks with "Bad-Ass Mama" scrawled across the memo line. In lieu of that, I'll take the whole damn set of Mama Merit Badges. This is one of those totally purposeless ideas that to me, manages to come off as totally genius. I can't say if I'd actually wear them, but in my head, I've got a bright pink sash across my chest, full of patches trumpeting my many accomplishments as a parent. And I've earned every single motherfreaking last one of  'em.  (via Nested)   Posted Jul 26 2007, 08:39 AM by Patti with | with 6 comment(s) Filed under: parenting, products, mothers, mama merit badges, nested

• Green Toys Introduces Plastics Even Waldorf Families Can Love

  There's not a thing wrong with a desire to bring the same consciousness to your children's toys that you bring to the way you clean your home, feed your family, and transport yourselves around town. And wooden toys are awesome, there's no denying that. But there's something to be said for a company that's both committed to ecofriendly practices and also pushing itself to explore the possibilities within those boundaries. San Francisco company Green Toys is experimenting with bioplastics—you may already be familiar with the use of this starch-based material in plastic cutlery. As durable as traditional plastics, bioplastic's manufacture uses significantly less of our natural resources. And in addition, Green Toys manufactures its products domestically to further reduce the environmental impact that transporting goods from foreign factories has on the planet. Due this fall, the initial product line includes classic creative playthings like tea sets, gardening and sand toys, and will be packaged in recycled-paper containers. Sounds like a no-brainer for thinking parents.   Posted Jul 25 2007, 06:25 PM by Patti with | with no comments Filed under: products, toys, environmentalism, ecofriendly products, Green Toys

• Kiddie Pools to Help End Summer With a Splash

  We plan to buy a little pool for our kids as soon as we can settle the argument of whether it should take up valuable patio real estate or kill a big patch of grass on the lawn. It's...almost August. We may work this out in time to grab something crappy on sale and use it once before it gets too cold. You, on the other hand, are probably in the market for a replacement pool already. Whatever you bought late last spring has probably cracked in the heat of the sun or developed a slow leak that causes a tidal wave after a half-hour of horseplay.  So for you, Slate has reviewed some kiddie pools that you'll want to check out or carefully avoid. How cute is that flower pool? I'd probably buy it even if it wasn't the highest-ranked pool in Slate's test.  And if I could talk my husband into allowing a big flower-shaped dead spot in his precious lawn. Why yes, I am married to Hank Hill, thanks for asking. Posted Jul 25 2007, 03:01 PM by Patti with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: products, Slate, summer activities, swimming

• Crafty: Moo Gives You Stickers From Your Flickr

  First they came along with Moo Cards, and I haven't ordered any yet, because I'm really just that lazy. Then they came along with Moo Notecards, and I keep meaning to get around to that. Now Moo, a company devoted to the art of helping you do interesting things with the photos you've uploaded into your Flickr stream, has made me an offer I'm going to find it difficult to refuse: the chance to make a book of stickers from my personal photo collection. Can you imagine the possibilities here? Scrapbooking, collages, decorating letters to Grandma, embellishing wrapped presents...and of course what my kids will end up doing with the high-quality vinyl stickers, which is slapping them in the middle of their foreheads and running around with a picture of Daddy on waterskis up there instead of a Chiquita Banana label. Now, seriously: what the f*** is my Flickr login?   Posted Jul 20 2007, 02:58 PM by Patti with | with no comments Filed under: crafts, activities, products, photography, moo, flickr, crafty, moo stickers

• Gen X Nostalgia Behind Latest Toys, Movies ... Suckas

  You'd be surprised at how long it takes me to catch on to things. (Then again, if you've been reading this blog for any measure of time, maybe you wouldn't be surprised at all. OK, fine. No maybe about it.) Still, I was quite shocked -- shocked! -- to discover that advertisers and Big Media companies were taking advantage of Gen-X nostalgia to pitch toys and movies. "Nooooo!" you say. Yes. It's true. I kid you not. The Dukes of Hazzard. Miami Vice. The freaking Ninja Turtles, and now, the latest, the Transformers movie. Nostalgia explains it all. Read More... Posted Jul 13 2007, 08:31 AM by Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: products, nostalgia, product placement

• What Every Parent Needs: An LCD Wine Thermometer

  Wouldn't you know it, it's a month and a half too late to buy this and call it my Mother's Day gift to myself, and a week too late to buy it for Father's Day and pretend it's really for my husband. The Carl Mertens wine thermometer clips around a standard bottle and within a minute, you're informed of the bottle's temperature. It's cleverly marked around the band with different types of wine, so even a novice can't screw up and serve the Chard too warm or the Pinot too cold. Absolute genius. I wonder if it works on baby bottles? Eh, probably not. But it's surely more useful than a damn wipes warmer. And I do have an anniversary coming up...  via Gizmodo  Posted Jun 26 2007, 09:29 AM by Patti with | with no comments Filed under: parenting, products, gadgets, drinking, wine

• Riding Vacuum Concept Could Help Kids Earn Their Keep

  Here's a vacuum cleaner your toddlers won't run from in fright: this concept design from Kristina Andersson is made for little kids to sit on and push around, cleaning up their own Cheerios for a change. Unfortunately it's currently in the "pipe dream" stage of development, so you can't rush out and get one for yourself. But what to do with your mess in the meantime? A small dustpan/whisk broom combo is a good start; my three year old doesn't even wait for me to tell her to sweep up the remains of her breakfast in the morning. Cleaning up seems to be so much fun that I despair of ever teaching her just to keep the food off the floor in the first place. Maybe a riding vacuum isn't such a great long-term solution after all?  via Gizmodo  Posted Jun 18 2007, 05:29 PM by Patti with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: kids, products, gadgets, toys, cleaning, vacuuming

• Kiddie Guitars for Your Rock Star Toddler

  Lil E is only a summer away from being three. He is full of energy, songs and silly rhymes. He is way into music. I mean, booty-shaking, lyric-perfecting, cheesy-stage-smile into music. He is still devastated Gina was sent home from American Idol and he spends a good amount of his toddler-sized attention span on pulling the microphone out of the stand (well, actually...pulling the broken golf club out of the baseball tee, as it were) for his act. Sure, he's into construction, talking about poop and sports, too. But music is definitely up there, which is why I let out a little eeeee when I saw these electric guitars made wee-size just for jam out toddlers like Lil E.  BabyGadget's not too keen on amping up your kiddie instruments but I'm thrilled about the electric guitars. Necessary for pre-K musical development? Of course not. A way-cool chance for your kid to hammer out a neighbor-cringing version of Wheels on the Bus while you fill up hours of video camera tape to send Star Search your in-laws? Absolutely. The miniature electric guitars have most of the same features as big-boy guitars but are created with a built-in amp so you're not in for buying loads of extra, expensive equipment just to get your child strumming and don't have to stress about your kid jumping off yet another platform surface. Since Santa paid $25 for an adorable little orange acoustic guitar for Lil E last Christmas, I don't even think the price tag - 60 pounds from this UK online retailer -- is that hefty. After all, we've all invested that kind of cash on plastic crap our kids haven't touched since they've opened and that offers zero chance for your child to earn back the cost in playing open mic gigs around the city this summer.     Posted Jun 11 2007, 02:29 PM by Jessica Ashley (Sassafrass) with | with no comments Filed under: products, musical instruments, babygadget

• One Step Ahead Fills Me With Joy

  Oh One Step Ahead catalog, how I love you. I cannot get enough of your ultra-sterile, extra-padded, money-sucking products. You truly have a way with the germphobes and the hyper-anxious among us. And just when I think, "Oh, they'll never come up with anything more ridiculous than that" you turn around and surprise me again. Thank you, OSA, thank you. My favorite today is this giant grocery cart cover that offers "360 degrees of germ-free protection." Because parents don't have enough crap to tote around, and they absolutely need to cover every possible surface with something squishy and sterile. And it doesn't look ridiculous at all. I have no doubt that a shopping cart is a dirty thing, but I'd think a little wipe-down would be preferable to encasing the cart seat in a giant polyester pad. Hey, shouldn't the kid in that picture be wearing special antimicrobial mittens and a space helmet? Negligent parents. Posted Jun 05 2007, 12:33 PM by Kelly Mills with | with 19 comment(s) Filed under: products, babies, One Step Ahead, childproofing, shopping cart

• Punny T-Shirts = Bad Ties of This Millennium for Dads?

  I love clever t-shirts. I love them for me, I love them for the kid and I even love them for the hubs (but, no dear, never all at once, never over-geeking to that degree). It seems like a quippy, political, retro or laughable t-shirt would be the perfect gift for Father's Day, especially for a kid to give dad or grandpa or one of those other male role models who really does not need another DVD of a movie he's already seen 400 times or gift card to Home Depot. In this age of so many fathers who stay at home, work from home or work in places where drycleaner starched and pressed attire actually send him back down the old ladder of success, has the funny tee become the quirky tie of previous generations as the standard dad gift?  And when so many holidays have been celebrated that the dad already has a drawer full of Sesame Street, A-Team and geek-love gear, where do you turn next? Do you (gulp) go with the punny tee for pops? In order to avoid another laser level, do you dare tread into the deep waters of nature-inspired, wacky animal pun gear? Do you dare give him a shirt with a graphic of grizzly in a tie with a PDA that says (yes, you've already guessed it) "The Blackbeary" or one playing on (yes, the inevitable Star Wars pun is indeed coming) his Luke love with "May the Forest Be with You"? Do you dare take the risk that he might just laugh and even more terrifying, wear it? In public? Possibly to work? That he may want the "Kiss My Bass" or "Nice Axe" boxers? If you're fully prepared for each humiliating unravelling of your decorum and disdain for slapstick wit as soon as he unties the ribbon, then for God's sake please take these folks up on their offer of a 25% discount on all the moose and bear products you purchase for your baby daddy. After that, there's really nothing left to do but sit back and have a Beary Happy Father's Day, Dam It!   Posted Jun 03 2007, 12:02 PM by Jessica Ashley (Sassafrass) with | with no comments Filed under: products, father's day gifts, funny t-shirts

• Bounce-House/Waterslide Combo. Seriously, What Dad Wouldn't Love It?

  My husband is the ultimate GeekDad. His latest obsession is filling our tiny backyard with some sort of climbing monstrosity that our kids will use four times and that we will eventually end up selling on Craigslist when we move. Which we will have to do because we rent. (I keep telling him...) He scours websites for play gyms. He oohs and ahs over above-ground pools. (I. Know.) The Target summer catalog has been cracked open to a page containing waterslide/pool combos and sprinkler thingies ever since it arrived earlier this week. I am very afraid that the kids and I will return from our vacation next month to find some sort of princess castle/mountain climbing gym parked next to our barbecue. Thank god he hasn't see this yet. Or perhaps he has, in which case, we're in trouble. I know Father's Day is coming up and all, but he's not allowed to get this. Posted May 23 2007, 06:01 PM by Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: products, gear, geekdad, summer toys, Fathers Day, bounce house

• More Whackadoo Stuff From One Step Ahead

  How much do I loooove the One Step Ahead catalog? Obviously, alot. Let's see what kind of "Baby's First Kevlar Vest" stuff they have for us today. When you want baby to be the albatross around your neck: Hey, those car seat carriers get heavy! So the folks at OSA, worried about our "aching wrists or forearms" came up with a car seat you can sling around your neck. Because mommy really needs a herniated disc. Now your hands are free to help pull you along the ground as you are reduced to stooping and slithering by the weight of your baby carrier.  When learning to crawl or walk feels tantamount to skydiving: Okay, this is a squishy helmet for kids to wear as they take navigate around tables and other highly dangerous objects. Call me crazy, but I don't think this exactly telegraphs confidence to the child. Besides, if you are so determined to ensure your child doesn't suffer brain trauma during those tentative first steps, why stop at a helmet? A full padded suit is really in order here. But I like how the helmet is covered with bright pictures of race cars. As if any parent interested in the headgear would let their child even think "race car". When every area of the house needs to simulate a padded cell: A giant inflatable bumper for the bathtub. That ought to be fun to blow up every bath night. Perhaps it's irresponsible to let your child use the big tub at all. Just bathe them in their infant tub until they turn 16 and run away from their sterile, foam-coated, primary-colored prison.   Posted May 21 2007, 08:11 AM by Kelly Mills with | with 6 comment(s) Filed under: products, infant car seats, One Step Ahead, childproofing

• Cute! Shoes! I Must Have Them!

  Oh, if only these came in my size... Have you seen the shoe lineup at Vincent? Billed as fun, fashionable, and functional, these adorable kid's shoes hit the Golden Shoe Trifecta right on the head. There are styles for the littlest pre-walker up to a child's 3.5 (conveniently my daughter Serena's size) and in everything from smiling rain boots to colorful sequined and embroidered mary janes complete with matching purse and little clogs with smiling faces that will look up your dress. There's actually a real Vincent, and he's 9 years old. His uncle and partner decided that shoes would make a great baby gift when Vincent was born, and voila! a shoe store was born. Nice gift, huh? Posted May 18 2007, 09:51 AM by Karen Murphy with | with 6 comment(s) Filed under: products, kid's shoes, shoes, Vincent

• The Stokke Xplory: Fancy Schmancy Strollers Coming To A Babies 'R Us Near You?

  According to Daddytypes, they're setting up the displays for the super-high-end stroller-to-the-stars Stokke Xplory at the Babies 'R Us in Manhattan's Union Square. Remember going to BRU to check out strollers sometime around your second trimester? If you did it more than a couple of years ago, your choices were probably Graco and Evenflo, in navy or khaki, full stop. Then the Maclarens trickled in, and now BRU's movin' on up, indeed. It's interesting in the same way that it's interesting that I bought Proenza Schouler clothes at Target, with one small exception: I didn't have to pay atelier prices for those clothes, and I got the buying experience commensurate with the cost (and I got lipgloss and toilet paper, too). If I'm going to spend Stokke money on a stroller, I'm going to need my ass kissed a lot more than they're going to kiss it at Babies 'R Freakin' Us. I'm afraid people who don't follow the exciting world of how rich people push their babies around are going to see this at their local baby gear mart and think "THIS is high design?" I don't think it is. I think it looks like the high chairs at fast food restaurants. But that's just one mama's opinion, and I assure you, if you're pushing an Xplory, you must know more about design than I do (or, you have a deep fondness for Taco Bell). But let me know if you hear that BRU's going to carry the Bugaboo Bee. I've decided it's not worth having another baby for, but I might be willing to get a tiny dog and push that around. Posted May 17 2007, 02:01 PM by Patti with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: products, strollers, daddytypes, stokke xplory, babies r us

• Gymboree to Open Lower-End "Crazy Eights" Stores

  Following the Gap's lead with their Old Navy brand, children's retailer Gymboree is set to open 10 new stores later this year which will target poorer more "budget-conscious" customers. Called "Crazy Eights," the name indicating that families are busy "eight days a week" (huh?) and often until "8 p.m.," (okay, yeah) the stores will open in 3-4 test markets across the country. My hope is that Crazy Eights stores will actually sell clothes without appliques, sequins, and other righteous crap all over them, cuz I'll bet you fifty bucks you can't find a plain t-shirt in a Gymboree. What looks like an unadorned t-shirt when folded will reveal eyelet sleeves, button flowers along the hem, and the words "sweet little baby cowgirl fairy princess" embroidered in rainbow thread across the chest. And that shirt will be part of a 3,871-piece grouping that includes everything from coordinated multi-colored ribbon barrettes to matching Band-Aids. Enh. I like to give Gymboree a bad time for its over-the-topness, but truth be told, it's the only place we buy socks, undies, and nightgowns. And if the Crazy Eights basics are as well made, I'll probably shop there, too.   Posted May 16 2007, 03:03 PM by Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) with | with 4 comment(s) Filed under: products, kids clothing, crazy eights, retail stores, gymboree

• Father's Day Gift Guide: For The Dad Who Cooks

  The carnage of Mother's Day is barely cleaned up, and it's already time to think about Father's Day. Cooking.com's got a selection of gift ideas for dads, complete with free shipping code. It's kind of an unsurprising list, heavy on grilling accessories and barware. Add a nice omelet pan to the list and it's pretty much tailor-made for the kind of kitchen activities my husband gets up to, so I guess there's a reason for the stereotype.  There are also several knives on the list, for which I assume we can thank Alton Brown and his magical way of making men, at least my man, think it might be fun to chop some shit up. What would I add to this list? Well, one of the best cooking-related gifts anyone ever gave my husband was a set of leather gloves for grilling, which he uses several times a week and which have also come in handy for stoking the logs in our little outdoor fireplace thing. But I'd hate to give my husband the impression that I just want him to cook for me more often. I'm thinking about getting him a nice grill pan or finally giving him the gift of a Kitchenaid mixer, two things that would ensure him a long life of having things grilled for him for a change, and having tasty things baked on his behalf. I'm thoughtful like that. Posted May 16 2007, 01:39 PM by Patti with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: products, shopping, gift ideas, cooking for kids, online shopping, father's day, father's day gift guide