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The trend in baby products has thankfully moved far beyond cartoon characters and babyish themes. The more grown-up baby gear looks, especially crib bedding, the better. There are a few items that have been overlooked during this process. One in particular is the activity mat. The majority of them seem to be really tacky with horrible bright colors and cheapo plush animals. My son had one with an orange and yellow, Ostrich-looking, plush bird that was downright creepy!

That’s why I really like this fun option from Skip Hop. It’s the Funky Farm Fun Activity Mat and although it’s quite colorful, it’s cute. The animal characters are quirky and sweet, while the mat itself has lots of great eye candy for baby. I love the plush, striped carrot with the bunny and the goofy pig that is actually just a circle with a snout.

Find it at BabyEarth for $60.

I’ll try my best to ease everyone back into the Back to School chaos. Let’s start with something small like these friendly Clip-On Crochet Coin Purses. These brightly colored finds are great for clipping on a backpack. Not sure how much you buy with change….when I was in elementary school you could buy a pack of three chocolate chip cookies for 5 cents.

Anyway, the purses come in a kitty, butterfly, flower and heart. Makes a cute birthday gift or gift add-on. Retails for $10 at Hanna Andersson.

All mommies know that even at a very early age – like two – your child can destroy a backpack. I have no idea what happens to these little bags, but they take some serious abuse.  From rips and tears to splatters and drips, they never seem to look as great as they did on that historic ‘first day’ of school.

Why not go for cute and durable? This is Rory The Lion Little Kid Backpack. It is made from nylon and laminated canvas so it’s easy to clean. For extra comfort on little bodies, it has a padded  back panel and padded straps. It also has a patch on the back for your little cub’s name. It’s on sale now at Posh Tots for $36!

The line of eco-friendly knit toys from Yellow Label Kids is hard to beat. Take a look at this delicious Sushi Rattle Set. Cuddly, creative and made through fair trade practices. The perfect gift for your favorite eco-conscious mommy and her sweet ‘green’ baby.

This yummy set retails for $34 at Arte Bebe. The only thing missing is a knit chunk of wasabi and a knit ice cold Sapporo…

Talk about something you would’ve loved as a kid! Get a load of this hilarious Fisheye Camera. Your kiddos can take goofy photos with ease, thanks to the special lens that actually makes distorted cool. When I was a kid, my sister and I would’ve spent hours laughing and giggling with this camera.

We had our own photo album of bloopers that we made with construction paper and tape. No Snapfih albums back then. We would pick the absolute worst photos from the pile and give them clever little titles. The infamous ‘Book of Mess Ups’ was a cherished household item. I remember one photo that was an extreme close-up of my sister, so she looked as white as a sheet. The title was about pilgrims and the Mayflower. Who knows, but as a kid it was HILARIOUS. Believe it or not, the book was lost and we have no idea where it is. I sure would love to see it again. I bet it’s still funny.

Anyway, the Fisheye Camera uses standard 35mm film, so you can develop the goofiness easily. Retails for $54 at Chasing Fireflies.

Sweet, smoking-hot, burn-your-tongue, set-your-toaster-on-fire, gooey, sugary goodness. All bow down to the Pop Tart. The most delicious way to instantly add too many sizzling calories to your day!

Your little chef will love these frosted felt goodies. They are eco-friendly because the felt is made from recycled water bottles. The trio of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla comes in an adorable cello-bag, so they are perfect to give as a gift. Just keep in mind that the cute little sprinkles can be crunched off by a hungry toddler! Check out Etsy seller, LittleFluffStuff for even more handmade treats!

I stumble across a bunch of odd things in my line of work. And no, I won’t define what that might be exactly. Anyway, I saw this old post from DaddyTypes.com and thought it was awesome. If you’re a MommyQ reader, you know that knit things are among my fave to blog about.

Over at DaddyTypes in July 2007, as the iPhone was being hyped, a smart daddy recognized the need for something fun that could withstand some drool. Oh – I’m assuming you know how much babies like to chew on cell phones. To save the $800 device from baby lovin’ (and not the good kind), mommy knitted an iPhone.

The best part of this post is the pic below the knitted iPhone – the knitted Pop Tart cell phone cozy. This rocks! I want one! I’m such a huge fan of Pop Tarts (S’mores are the BEST!), so this strikes a place near & dear to my heart. You can read the full post here. Thanks for sharing the yarny goodness, DaddyTypes!

Nothing screams “Hook ‘Em Horns” for baby quite like the new WubbaNub Longhorn Bull. This perfectly burnt orange little Soothie Pacifier is an essential part of every baby’s UT  fan apparel. And if the game doesn’t go exactly as planned, mom or dad can borrow it.

The eyes of Texas will certainly be upon you as other UT fans (and parents) see your baby with this priceless gem. Get your WubbaNub at Exclusively Children’s for $11.50.