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Summer is best known for relaxing poolside, sipping a frosty beverage and enjoying lazy days. Wait, it is? Then why is my summer a completely chaotic, unorganized journey of madness. Okay, it’s not that bad. Not yet.  As the mom of two youngsters, pool safety is a major concern. And getting my little guy (who has the mentality of a stubborn teenager) to willingly wear floaties or a life jacket is a battle.

I kept seeing these little cuties at the pool with nifty flotation devices. After some online research, I found out they are called Puddle Jumpers by Stearns. It’s like a life jacket combined with floaties with an adjustable strap and buckle in the back. It’s not a bulky or uncomfortable. Shockingly enough, I ordered one for my youngest son at the beginning of the summer. Yeah, I’d normally do it three days before summer officially ended. Anyway, I bought it at Leisure Pro and we took it for a test drive today. LOVE IT.

Here’s more about it:

- The Patent Pending design allows free range of motion and great stability while in the water.

- Choose from the green frog, the orange smile, the blue lion and the red ladybug.

- The Puddle Jumpers life jacket is U.S. Coast Guard- approved, and is also a great confidence builder for kids who are just learning their way around they water.

They sell them at Target and Toys R Us, but I found the best selection and prices online.

What’s your favorite summer toy for 2011?

Last week I was thumbing through a parenting magazine when I came across this awesome high chair. It’s called the Tavo and it’s made by an innovative design company called Monte Design. Speaking from personal experience, you don’t want to skimp on the high chair. I did and I totally regretted it.

To save money, we picked up a white, plastic high chair. It was such a nightmare to clean and fumbling with the tray made me crazy. I almost snagged my kid’s fingers in it – as well as mine – a zillion times. Anyway, read more about the terrific Tavo in my post on Babble’s Family Style blog.

If you’ve got birthday parties, baby showers or other special occasions requiring a cute baby gift, don’t fret! You can find some seriously stylish baby goodies for less than $20. You just have to know where to look. A few weeks ago I was in Dripping Springs, Texas, and stopped by Jordyn’s Closet boutique. In addition to the women’s clothes, handbags, jewelry and shoes, they have a GREAT selection of baby items. Take a look:

Baby Legs – Blue Flame – $10

Rock Star Baby Plate – $10

Mud Pie – Chenille Birdie Rattle – $6.75

Mud Pie – Princess Ballet Slippers – $12.50

Bombay Duck – Hush Little Baby Door Hanger – $12

When it comes to diaper bags, this one is H.O.T. I’m really loving the style, size and color. It makes a statement and the statement is not, “I’m carrying a dorky diaper bag.”

This is the OiOi Red Studded Tote and is does everything except change and burp your baby. Now don’t get too excited because it’s back ordered at Arte Bebe until July. Nevertheless, it’s fabulous and here’s why:

- elasticized feature pockets
- one main internal compartment with 3 elasticized pockets
- 4 exterior pockets (2 with magnetic snap closure)
- water resistant nylon lining and accessories
- antique brass hardware
- fixed stroller straps
- large padded microfiber change mat
- insulated bottle holder- insulation 2 hours – (Max bottle size 330mm)
- OiOi hard wipes case
- protective metal feet on base

Find it at Arte Bebe for $160. Don’t forget to shop around a bit because it’s one of my all time fave baby shops!

I’ve featured a few cool things for babies on Droolicious recently including a beautiful Moses Basket, an organic swaddle wrap and cutie-patootie dresses for only $12. Check them out!

The Picci Jennifer Moses Basket is beautiful and functional. This little piece of palmy heaven allows you to move your sleeping baby throughout the day without waking him/her up. It’s also lightweight, so it’s easy to carry. I’m really loving the print on the bedding. Keep this in mind as a great baby shower gift for the special mommy in your life. Read more about it on Droolicious.

Speaking of sleeping babies, wrap ‘em up tight in this organic SwaddleMe Adjustable Infant Wrap. The fabric is certified organic cotton and it’s easy to use. If you haven’t tried to swaddled your newborn yet, I recommend giving it a go. Hop over to Droolicious to read more about this blankie and find out where to go for video instructions on swaddling.

Last but not least are these sweet Polo Dresses from Greendog. I buy Greendog clothes for my kiddos at Macy’s and I think they’re awesome. The clothes are cute, well-made and the price is right. Read more about these springy, flingy, fun dresses on Droolicious! They’re only $12 – sizes 6 mos up to 24 mos.

If you’re ready to make an investment in your baby’s eating & snoozing, this might be the high chair of your dreams. It’s from a popular brand parents trust, phil & teds, and it’s fully loaded.

This is the Highpod High Chair and it’s even newborn-friendly. This is a great seating solution for babies who like eat & snooze because it’s fully adjustable. You can raise and lower baby with ease. It’s also very easy to clean, which is muy importante because babies are the messiest little critters ever, god bless ‘em. Take a look at some of the cool features:

- Superior adjustability: newborn to toddler (45 pounds)
- 3-position recline for food fiesta & subsequent siesta
- Adjustable food tray to match seat angle
- Ergonomic hard shell with removable form-fit insert for wash & wear
- Quick, telescopic 5 position seat-height adjustment for stand & deliver feeding or table level family dining
- Single-handed easy-fit food tray & cross bar

Find this hip high chair at BabyEarth for $300.

If you haven’t heard about Rikshaw Design, you’re in for a treat. This unique company offers a variety of bohemian baby bedding and products that boast simplicity at its best.

These little beauties are the Lali Diaper Pouches. Now you can keep all of your baby’s essentials organized in your bag!  Each in different block-printed patterns from their collections. A set of 2 retails for $26.

You should also take a peek at the Rikshaw Design blog. It’s fresh, delightful and oh-so sweet. Go ahead, indulge.

Welcome to 2010, folks! I thought I’d start the year off with a few fabulous products you might consider to make life with your baby/toddler easier for everyone. Why are these products fabulous? Because they have lasted for five years in my household and have not fallen apart yet! That’s why these baby items are worth the dough, in my opinion.

#1 – BOB Sport Utility Stroller – This is one of the best items we ever purchased because it is sitting in my garage right now and works perfectly. We’ve blown a few tires over the years, but that’s about it. The suspension system, handling and even the fabric is un unbelievable condition. My oldest child is five and we bought this BOB jogger when he was six months old. Yes – worth every penny. Retails for $299 at BabyEarth.

TIP: Get a pedometer so you can total up the miles you put on it. I wish we had b/c I trained for 10k races with ours and would love to know that magic number.

#2 – Joovy Caboose Stand-On Stroller – We bought this dream vehicle when my youngest was about six months old (he’s two now) and it still looks wonderful. We have used it so many times for a variety of activities. It has been the perfect stroller solution when we need to get around with both kiddos. It’s not the most luxurious or the most comfy, but in certain instances it has been a lifesaver. Now you can get the Joovy Ultralight which weighs quite a bit less. It retails for $160 at BabyEarth.

#3 – Stokke Tripp Trapp – I’ve read both pros and cons about this chair and my feeling is it is worth the money. I’m not sure how sensible it is for babies, even with the cushion and infant seat, but it works great for toddlers. It looks cool, it’s easy to clean and easy to climb into for youngsters. I love the way it adjusts to different heights and fits under every kind of table perfectly. I’ve had this for about two years and still love it, as do my kiddos. It retails for $250 at BabyEarth.

#4 – Britax Car Seats – I know it’s hard to fork out this kind of money when you have to buy multiple car seats, but it’s worth the moolah. It’s just hard to beat a Britax car seat for so many reasons. In addition to all of the impressive safety features, these seats are easy to install – and easy to install correctly. There is one for every age and every weight category. Gotta give them high grades. You can find a huge selection of Britax car seats at BabyEarth.