I like to go to yard sales.  One person’s trash is another person’s treasure, right?

One thing I look for at these sales is toys.  You can often find Legos (like at my sister’s yard sale, thanks for saving them for me sis!) or favorite play figures.

Of course, you’ll want to clean these new treasures before passing them on. I used to fill the sink with some hot water and soap and let them soak for a while, Unfortunately, if your kid is with you they’ll want to get their hands on them right away.

Dapple Toy Cleaner Wipes is a friendly way to solve this little problem.  Packaged in a convenient travel pack, these all-natural wipes are perfect solution for the serious yard sale junkie. Using green technology, these wipes contain baking soda, purified water and essential oils.  The fabric is biodegradable, too.

These wipes are not anti-bacterial they just work like a good old-fashioned hand washing, which is better for a child’s immune system (let’s them build up resistance to some germs now and then) Of course, you’ll want to use these on everything your child comes in contact with from shopping carts to that “gotta have” used toy.

Winner of the iParenting award and the Yahoo Seeds For Success, this is one item you won’t want to leave home without. Look for it in the generous thirty –five-wipe canister or the handy spray.

OK- yes, you could make your own- but sometimes, well, we all need a convenient ready-made solution

I am trying to conserve the planet one day at a time.  Like many people, I use my own eco-friendly grocery bags to pack my weekly order.

Occasionally, I may be walking home from the park with my son and I decide to dash in to the farmer’s market to pick up a few things.  Do I surrender to using to a stand’s plastic bags and listen to a lecture all the way home from a 7-year-old on “how I am not supposed to be supporting the use of these”, or do I just buy 2 zucchinis and a tomato and call it a day?

If you are expecting a baby or know someone who is, this terrific stroller from Mutsy is a cool and practical gift.  The DIVSHOP Shopping Basket by Mutsy is designed to hold all of your purchases without the need for reusable totes.  It clips in and out of most Mutsy strollers for some serious shopping and no guilt.

Most under the stroller baskets just don’t hold that much, and the position of them (Usually located near the wheels of the stroller) makes retrieving your purchases from them inconvenient

The roomy DIVSHOP Basket clips in to an easy access position on the stroller. Just release the metal clips, and the attached carry handles allow you to transport groceries, beach bags or packages from stroller to house in a jiffy.

Mutsy makes a complete line of strollers and accessories for babies and kids ( Mutsy Diaper Bag) but this one is for MOMS!

Why is it that when you decide to venture off to the pool, beach etc… with your arms full of coolers, blankets, and totes, no thinks to bring a chair for the kids?  It’s like we envision them playing happily in the sand, water or whatever but all they really want to do is jump in your chair the second you get up to give them money for a Popsicle.

This is a great product my friends - The Redmon Baby Beach Chair and Umbrella.

First of all let me just tell you that this is a lightweight chair (under 3 lbs.) that folds flat so it’s light enough for the owner ( i.e. kids) to carry themselves (not that they want to carry anything, ever!) But hey, if they want go with you it’s not negotiable.

When the kids get hot and tired, this beach chair provides some nice cool shade for them to take a break in, and its Hot Pink color assures you won’t forget where you put them.

Not limited to the beach or pool, either.  Feel free to grab it and go on your next outing to the park or wherever this summer takes you.

With summer coming it’s time to head out. Out to the beach; out to the woods and out to visit family.

When we travel, which we do a lot and to a variety of different places, we often run into “bedding issues”. Anyone who has traveled with kids knows the feeling. Should we get one hotel room or two? It’s nap time and we’re at the beach – where should she sleep?

How many people REALLY fit in this tent.?

This cool Travel Bed I found really is misnamed. It certainly is a great extra bed for kids. It’s inflatable and quickly can be assembled on the floor in any guest bedroom. At 48″L x 30″W x 18 it’s perfect for toddlers and preschoolers, though it might be a bit cramped for a grade schooler.

But, it also has zip up, UV- protective sides and screens that turn it into a small tent perfect for days at the beach or camping in the woods. This is one of those perfect beach trip accessories!

It’s compact too as it folds up into a circular shape easy to carry with you slipped into a beach bag. For frequent travelers, it might be the perfect thing to keep in the car.

For a stylish yet practical alternative to the everyday diaper bag, there are lots of choices. But, tell me, where can you find one with 14 pockets? This Skip Hop diaper bag has pockets for every imaginable item. And, I admit, I am a sucker for pockets.  When traveling with one or two infants or toddlers or one of each, having enough pockets for baby gear and your own personal gear is essential.

With 14 pockets intelligently arranged with zippers and contrasting lining, it’s easy to find both bibs and bottles; lipstick and diaper liners; pacifiers and pens. This diaper bag snaps easily onto a stroller and is still keeps critical items accessible. Several of the pockets are insulated for baby food or bottles. And the balance vary by size so it’s easy find keys, cell phone and other personal items.

Best of all it’s eco friendly. The bag is PVC free and the manufacturer claims it’s made from eco materials- (not sure what that means, though - but PVC free is a plus.) At 17 x 6 x 12 inches, it’s a reasonable size for those of us not really ready to cart around a huge bag sure to send us running to the chiropractor in a few years!

This cozy pouch from JJ Cole solves some of those issues whether taking the family out for a stroll or just transporting from car to stroller. This Urban Bundle Me pouch is super soft and slips into a stroller or a convertible car seat for winter warmth. Car seat or stroller straps slip through the slots on set up, then easy zip in zip out access is the rule. This is a critical feature, since it’s not always that easy to slide baby in and out for quick diaper changes – nor do you want to in biting winter wind.

Since the microfiber lining is soft and warm, it provides a comfy cave even for lightly dressed toddlers. The outer shell is wind and moisture resistant and machine washable, something I consider a must for anything associated with infants.

The top layer even zips off for use all year round as a additional padding in hard car seats or strollers. Available in two sizes, for infants and for kids 1-3 years old, you also  have your choice of 3 different colors.

“Now this is cool.” I said when I saw this item on our PriceGrabber site. We travel by plane quite a bit to see far flung relatives and friends. And each time me travel the question comes up, “What should we do about the stroller?”

Rather than drag our big, full featured stroller with us we’ve tended toward taking a cheap travel stroller, of the under $20 dollars variety, which we won’t feel too bad about ditching along the way if it becomes too cumbersome. Or we call ahead to our hosts and ask them about borrowing a stroller for our visit. Of course loving grandparents and close relatives take that as a call to rush out and buy a stroller for us. As a result we have strollers dribbled across several states and two continents.

This handy stroller bag, though just might solve our problem! This convertible carrying case lets you pack your stroller with wheels exposed and roll it through the miles of airport corridors that seem to extend forever on the way to your plane. You can then pop off the wheels for check in or, since I’m not mechanically inclined, repack the stroller in its entirety in the case.

Padded and made from durable travel ready fabric, this is sure to make many a parent’s life easier!

Newborns are so fragile. We know that. We hear that before their birth. And then…ah, wow…these things really are fragile…yikes! And floppy and hard to hold securely…while trying to do just about anything else.
So, many of us, particularly those who subscribe to Attachment Parenting seek out a sling.

In the old days…say, 5 or 6 years ago, the options were limited. New parents sought far and wide to find anything resembling one, and then struggled with ill-fitting models and wiggly infants.

This is, of course no longer the case and new parents face a bewildering array of options. Wraps and slings and baby carriers of all types abound. Which is the best? Which is right?

Well, it turns out there is one sling recommended by Dr. Sears, well know pediatrician and the guru of Attachment Parenting.  The Serene Sling, a stretchy, one pocket sling that comes in…a whole bunch of sizes!

Since too many slings come in the basic, small, medium and large, too many of us struggled to find one that fit well enough to feel safe carrying our infants. Like those wonderful designers that actually consider that women come in different shapes and sizes and give us clothes that fit… Serene Sling gives us the option to find a sling that fits!.

I saw the Serene Sling in action last week and was amazed at how securely the infant fit into it. The stretchy fabric that is the other secret to the snug and super secure fit. The woven knit is certified by Oeko-Tex, an organization well known in Europe that tests for over 100 harmful substances, so you can be sure your baby is safe from nasty toxins. It’s environmentally friendly too!

Am I gushing? Perhaps I am, but a snug-fitting, environmentally friendly sling is on the top of my list  of essential baby items.

Bunny printed diaper bags and utilitarian brightly color-ed plastic are oh so 20^th century! Today’s parent can forgo the cutesy baby prints for a stylish looking diaper bag that expresses the wearer’s personality not her demographic group.

I was reading an article today that suggested Moms forgo using a diaper bag and instead just drop the various baby accessories needed for an excursion in a smartly printed, oversize purse. That person has obviously never traveled with a 6 month old!

Between diapers, wipes, a change of clothes, baby food, bottles, breast milk and ice pack, lotions and emergency toys…and the ensuing spit-up stained clothes and dirty diapers…one needs a diaper bag…one especially designed for the job.

The beauty of diaper bags is not only their multiple compartments but also their multiple PLASTIC pockets for those offending results of a day with a baby and those bottles prone to spilling. There are so many cute options out today there, no reason not to get one…even if you don’t have a baby!

I really like this cute OiOi Pink Floral Diaper Messenger Diaper Bag for summer. Lots of compartments for baby gear, as well as, wallet, sunscreen and lipstick make this one a great choice for a day in the park. For more formal occasions, at which more and more babies are welcome, this Kensington Diaper Bag from Safety First is so elegant it makes Mom feel like well…more than just a Mom.