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When does a diaper bag become something more akin to a lifestyle accessory rather than than just a diaper bag?

Well, when it is a fantastic piece of well constructed apparel that makes toting around a bunch of stuff effortless and easy. It has to be style neutral and feature rich. It would also be a good idea that this bag be constructed to withstand the rigors of both travel and poopies.
If you are looking for such a bag… look no further and check out the Slider and Messenger totes from Daddy & Co.
Recently Daddy & Co. procured the licence and the patent on the Go Gaga diaper bag line. These bags were pulled from the market a few years ago to the horror and sadness of millions of moms. Restructuring and changes to the buyers at several major big box stores (Buy Buy Baby and Babies R Us) led to a product flow issue for the original designer and she shelved the product to pursue another career path. But the industry and many moms were devastated. Seriously, to this day, I see four and five year old versions of these bags on the shoulders of industry persons as they move about trade shows and travel to events in our industry, even after being off the market for three years. And you will still find people searching for the bags online.
Why would the industry people still carry a 4 year old bag around when they don’t have children in need of diapering and can get just about any bag on the market for their use? Well, it is pretty simple…. this bag rocks.

It is all about the strap:

First up is the patent. The bags feature a patented strap that disperses the weight of whatever is in the bag across your shoulder and back. You think you understand that this might be nice but until you actually put on a fully loaded bag and feel the difference this strap makes you will not grasp how revolutionary this strap really is. You will be blown away. The strap was designed with an eye to appropriate ergonomics. When a parent is carrying a heavy bag with a thin strap (even 2 and 3 inch straps are thin compared to this) the weight of the bag creates a lot of pressure on the shoulder and back and neck. We have all had this experience. Ever notice people in the airport transferring their bag from one shoulder to the other over and over as they walk down to the gate. A thin strap with a lot of weight just hurts. This strap alleviates most of the pressure and you find this bag comfortable from empty to full of heavy items. Recently I took this bag on a trip and loaded it down: two ipads, two 1 liter bottles of water (over 4 pounds of water), an air plane pillow, a large camera, two iphones, chargers for all of the above, two sets of large over ear headphones, a kindle, 2 books, and more. Seriously this bag was loaded to about 14 pounds, and it was comfortable throughout a long day of traveling.

Beyond the Strap:

These bags are produced by the same factory that makes much of the Patagonia product. So you find great attention to construction detail and the materials are wonderful. Every seam is finished and everything just feels like quality throughout. The bags are designed and constructed to last for years of abuse and people tend to repurpose them beyond just a diaper bag.
The styling is simple and ergonomic and modern. You will not find big trendy patterns or graphics all over these bags. They look like what a modern mom in a urban center would use, not what someone takes to the country club to show off their ‘trendy taste’. These bags are about function, use and longevity, not to display your knowledge of the difference between an icat and a damask.
Both the sling and the messenger totes feature exterior INSULATED bottle pockets. The design is so that a bottle can be reached easily but remain secure in the bag. I can easily fit a 1 liter bottle in each of the exterior pockets. Ice cold water in these bottles doesn’t sweat all over the contents of the bag and the water stays quite cold throughout the day. A couple of baby bottles will be a breeze to secure in the deep pockets. I’ve even seen a wine bottle or two being toted in these pockets. The inside of the bags are full of nice dividers and each of the bags also ships with a padded changer pad and a wipe holder.

The big picture

The Go Gaga bags by Daddy & Co are designed with function in mind. If you are looking for something to save your shoulders, provide great storage and features, easily adapt to babies and work and travel, something your husband will use and want for himself and something constructed to withstand the stressors of living in a modern world you should do yourself a favor and check them out. If all you want is a cute diaper bag to show off at the country club: don’t bother.

BROWSE THE BAGS

It is fall and the cool breezes are beginning to blow.... it is also time to start getting the ducks in a row for the nursery glider before the Holiday Season starts. We have A FEW great opportunities for the next few weeks...

Devonshire Wing-Back Glider

The Lovely modern wingback glider with a tufted back has taken our store by storm.  This is the perfect scale chair and style for most any nursery, be it modern or traditional.  We adore this chair and have worked out a special event pricing on it.

• Take $100 off ANY Devonshire glider ordered between 10/19/2016 and 11/132016
• Add an ottoman and receive an additional $50 discount for a total of $150 off the pair
• Choose ANY active fabric combination (including options for contrast welt - upcharges might apply).
• Special order combinations ship in 5-6 weeks.
• Cannot be combined with other offers
• Discount not transferable to other products or on previously completed orders
• EXTENDED THROUGH 11/28/16

Amsterdam Recliner/Glider Sale

The Amsterdam Recliner Glider from Storytime Series is our number one glider/recliner.  It features an inside the arm release mechanism for the recline which makes engaging the recliner much easier than those chairs you have to reach around to engage.  The Amsterdam also features a plush blown hollowfill back for a highly comfortable seat during long hours rocking a new baby.

• Take $125 off ANY Amsterdam recliner glider ordered between 10/19/2016 and 11/132016
• Add an ottoman and receive an additional $50 discount for a total of $175 off the pair
• Choose ANY active fabric combination (including options for contrast welt - upcharges might apply).
• Special order combinations ship in 5-6 weeks.
• Stock chair (natural with white contrast welt) is available for immediate delivery while supplies last.
• Cannot be combined with other offers
• Discount not transferable to other products or on previously completed orders
• EXTENDED THROUGH 11/28/16

Four Seasons Slip-covered Gliders

Four Seasons seating makes some of the most spectacular seating options available in the US today.  Chairs feature fantastic warranty on construction.  Options for machine washable covers allow easy cleanup of spills and stains.  Over 250 fabrics.  Option for Down Filled cushions and standard resilient seat at no additional charge.

• Take $125 off ANY Slipcover Glider ordered between 10/19/2016 and 11/13/2016
• Add an ottoman and receive an additional $75 discount for a total of $200 off the pair
• Choose any active fabric combination (including options for contrast welt) - up-charges for fabric grade might apply
• Special order chairs ship in 10-12 weeks
• Cannot be combined with other offers
• Discount not transferable to other products or on previously completed orders
• EXTENDED THROUGH 11/28/16

Renowned artist, Clay Rice, will be at the Charlotte Showroom Thursday November 17th from 3pm-6pm.  There are limited number of sittings for these incredible Silhouette Portraits.  Each appointment is 5 minutes and the personalized hand cut portrait goes home with you that day (2 copies in fact).  Mr Rice is well known and produced some 900,000 portraits over his 32 year artistic history.  Mr Rice will also present an open storytime from 3:00pm-3:30pm.  Don't miss this unique opportunity to memorialize your child's sweet face for all time. Details:

• Thursday 11.17.2016 from 3:00 pm - 6:00pm
• Open Storytime from 3:00 - 3:30pm
• BFPK Charlotte - 800 Clanton Road, Charlotte NC 28217
• By Reservation ONLY 704-323-8000
• $42 for two copies of portrait

Thank goodness this Election is over and we can get back to the more important things.... raising children and creating wonderful places for them to grow up.  We are ready and have a ton of great opportunities for our IN STORE Thanksgiving Sale:

Romina & Silva Rail Event

The top of the line furniture collections from Romina and Siva Furniture are all on sale through 11.28.2016.  Romina features solid beech wood construction and exquisite finishes and detailing.  Silva offers beech wood construction with simple refined styling and elegance.

• 15% OFF all Romina and Silva Products

• FREE - toddler rail ($175 value) with purchase of any Silva or Romina Crib

• FREE - adult conversion kit (up to $375 value) with purchase of any Silva or Romina Crib plus a Silva or Romina Dresser

• FREE - toddler rail, FREE adult conversion kit and FREE Changer top (up to $830 value) with purchase of any Silva or Romina Crib with matching Dresser and Chest

• 30% Deposits and 3 months to pick up

• 12 Month Financing available

• 5 year accident protection available and recommended on all furniture purchases

• Sale  ENDS 11.28.16

FREE CRIBS from Baby's Dream

Baby's Dream is offering a great opportunity to get FREE crib with purchase

• Buy any Baby's Dream Dresser and get matching crib for 50% OFF

• Buy any Baby's Dream Dresser and Chest - get matching crib for FREE

• Add adult conversion kit - get FREE crib mattress

• 10% Deposits and 3 months to pick up

• 12 Month Financing available

• 5 year accident protection available and recommended on all furniture purchases

• Sale  ENDS 11.28.16

30% OFF Kensington Collection

• All Kensington Collection pieces are 30% OFF

• Crib + Dresser package starts at $769.99

• Add adult conversion kit - get FREE crib mattress

• 10% Deposits and 3 months to pick up

• 12 Month Financing available

• 5 year accident protection available and recommended on all furniture purchases

• Sale  ENDS 11.28.16

25% OFF all Trinity and Athena

• All Athena and Trinity Collection pieces are 25% OFF

• Crib + Dresser package starts at $974.98

• Add adult conversion kit - get FREE crib mattress

• 10% Deposits and 3 months to pick up

• 12 Month Financing available

• 5 year accident protection available and recommended on all furniture purchases

• Sale  ENDS 11.28.16

42% OFF Haven Gray

• All Haven Gray products are 42% OFF

• Crib + Dresser package starts at $694.84

• Add adult conversion kit - get FREE crib mattress

• 10% Deposits and 3 months to pick up

• 12 Month Financing available

• 5 year accident protection available and recommended on all furniture purchases

• Sale  ENDS 11.28.16

I’ve been selling baby products for a large number of years now. I’m starting to see the kids that I originally designed bedding for as an infant come back and they are entering college this year. The Columbia, SC location has been in business for over 35 years so we are now dealing with multiple generations having slept in our cribs or beds. All this experience has taught me something important: occasionally parents need a reality check.  Parenting is hard: being the ultimate ‘decider’ for an infant in your care can be overwhelming.  There are tons of resources for parents and parents to be.  In the age of instant information overload (the internet) it is exhausting trying to process all the information.  A while back I wrote a little post, ‘straight talk about safe sleep’, to hopefully demystify all the noise out there regarding safe sleep practices.  I think it is about time to do the same about an even more important topic: Car Seats

The child survived, uninjured, with help of the carseat.

Car Seats are the #1 Safety Purchase for your child.

There is not a single other product on the market that is required by a hospital for you to exit their doors after giving birth.  The evidence is sound, ubitiquous and lengthy:  A CHILD IS SAFER IN A PROPERLY USED CAR SEAT.  Most people seem to get this with that sweet little infant that can’t walk or crawl or talk…. but the proper use of car seats drops off quickly after those developmental milestones are reached.

Barriers to Proper Use of Car Seats

This little section might be hard for a few of you to read, but you need to hear this again if it pertains to you.

The barriers to proper uses of car seats are two fold and pretty simple:

1. parent is not educated about proper use
2. parent opts out of appropriate use because it is ‘hard’

Of the reasons someone is not using a car seat appropriately, only the first is truly acceptable.  The second one, where the parent’s are opting out…. well, all we can hope is that continued education, peer pressure and encouragement will change that for those parents.  Some of the most common improper uses of carseats and the rationale given by parents are:

No pouting, whining, temper tantrums or poor attitude should ever dissuade you from the best practices in safety.

• transitioning to forward facing earlier than advised : ‘they don’t like it’, ‘so i can see them’, ‘their legs will get cramped’, etc.
• transitioning out of 5 point harness before advised : ‘they don’t like it’, ‘i needed the seat for a different child’, ‘none of their friends use 5 point’, etc
• transitioning to seat belt only without booster: ‘they don’t like it’,’none of their friends use a booster’, ‘they won’t have it when they ride with (dad, grandma, aunt sally….), etc.

I hope you can see the trend and the absurdity of these rationales for not using a car seat appropriately.  In almost every case where we have spoken to a parent that is knowingly misusing a child restraint, they are making the decision because the parent ‘perceives’ an issue that doesn’t exist or they have allowed the child to make the determination about their safety.  This is not parenting behavior.  The reality of a severely injured (or dead) child versus the parent’s perception of a child ‘not liking’ their car seat seems like an idiot’s decision.

Recommended Proper Use of Car Seats:

Up to the age of puberty, children are much more susceptible to injury than the same sized adults.  The seats in automobiles and the restraints (seat belts and airbags) are not designed for children.  For these reasons there are some recommendations for best practices in automotive car safety:

• 

  Rear-facing to 50lbs/43 inches is our recommendation although most states have a ‘2 year’ law on the books we think longer is better and parents should aim for 4 years.

  Rear Facing – in general a child is safer rear-facing as long as possible.  The limitation on this seems to be the manufacture’s ability to get a seat tested and approved.  Currently on the market, are seats that allow extended rear facing up to 50 pounds and/or 43″ in height.  InSweden this standard of Rear-facing through age 4 is already in place and they are reporting zero fatality rate for children below 6 years of age.  Given their success in protecting children, I would expect other countries in Europe to follow suit.  There are plenty of rear-facing car seats in the US allowing up to 40 lbs.  A handfull of US seats are approaching this from the European standards, including the awesome Clek Foonf and Fllo allowing rear-facing to 50 pounds.  Most states in the US are recommending or requiring 2 years rear-facing and we consider this the bare minimum.  With options available to rear-face until the age of 4, 50 lbs or 43 inches height, smart parents should opt to this proven strategy for protecting their child.  My guess is that there will be new seats hitting the market over the next few years allowing rear-facing upto 60 or more pounds since there is such strong evidence of the protective nature of this position.

• 

  forward face in 5 point harness up to 65lbs and 5 foot tall.

  Forward Facing in 5 point Harness – We recommend keeping a child in 5 point harness as long as physically possible, up to 65 pounds and 5 foot tall.  I know there are plenty of adults below 5 foot height that are not in a 5 point harness, but there are significant differences in bone density and development prior to puberty.  Spinal injuries are most prevalent in children and pre-adolescents due tonot being properly restrained in an automobile accident.  The five point harness on car seats helps in protecting in an accident and the side impact protection in most full size car seats is also extremely protective and beneficial.  Ultimately drawing the line in the sand with a child “you can go to Disney in the carseat, or you can stay home’ might have to occur, but safety is the first concern ALWAYS.

• 

  full back booster with side impact protection until 100 pounds or 57″

  Use of Booster – a full back booster with significant side impact protection is recommended for all pre-adolescent children up to 100 pounds and 57″ in height.  This can become a battle of wills between parents and children, but ultimately providing the most protective environment for your child to travel in an automobile is the responsibility of the adult in the relationship.

Final Words and Resources

Unfortunately this was not a ‘lovey-dovey’ article to write.  It might come across as harsh and preachy, for that I am apologetic about the tone, but not the content.  We wish you and your family only the safest of journeys through this life and hope to be a resource in evaluating the fun stuff (like art work and custom bedding, etc) as well as the harder stuff like the ‘right car seat’.  In each of our locations we have multiple CPST (child passenger safety technicians).  Each of these individuals have spent multiple hours training and testing to attain this certification.  They will be happy to assist you in evaluating the install of your existing car seat.  We also offer a selection of, what we consider, the most advanced and safest car seats on the market.  The difference between the most technologically advanced carseat on the market and the one that just ‘meets’ the standards is about $100-$200.   $200 dollars is not a little bit of money, but when you are talking about protecting your child for the next 8 years it just doesn’t seem like something most people need to skimp on.

Parents today are faced with a myriad of suggestions and proclamations.  So many, in fact, most are petrified to make any decisions.  Friends, family, co-workers, pediatricians, gynecologists, websites, facebook, twitter, google search, pinterest, television news, television in general…. the list of people making suggestions about how you raise your baby is ENDLESS.  So we want to tackle this head on in a concise and clear manner.

What is “Safe-Sleep”

Safe-Sleep is terminology developed by health and safety agencies to address the concerns over the incidence of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) and the other child deaths related to sleep situations.  The goal of these organizations is to help reduce these deaths by creating a dialog with parents about best practices.  It is a huge endeavor and has elicited response from everyone in recent years, including the National Institutes of Health, Consumer Product Safety Commission, MULTIPLE non-profit organizations geared to child health, and a whole bunch of others who have some type of vested interest in the outcome (these tend to be product manufactures that are trying to sell something or sometimes trying to keep you from buying something).  The reality is that the message is getting convoluted and hard to understand.  Unfortunately in this day and age, people want a simple solution and latch onto a solitary item that might cause or might protect a child from these horrible outcomes.  The reality is that protecting your child is actually a continuum of behaviors, any single one not sufficient, but taken in concert can help you avoid a potentially horrible outcome.

SUID vs SIDS

SUID (Sudden Unexpected Infant Death) is relatively new terminology.  In the last couple of decades investigators into an infant’s death were noticing that what had been termed SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome – typically unexplained death of an infant under the age of 1) were often cases that could be explained by some other factors.  Closer investigations found that the cause of death of many of the children could in fact be determined to be other than “unexplained” .  It looks like only about 1/2 of the unexpected deaths are actually SIDS (un-explainable) and the balance are related to suffocation or strangulation in bed. (see Centers for Disease Control article on SUID).  Suffocation and strangulation can be prevented and this is where “Safe-Sleep” really comes into play.

So there are two things at play with safe sleep.

1. Things that contribute to Suffocation and Strangulation
2. Things that contribute to SIDS

Suffocation and Strangulation

One of the biggest culprits in these deaths is the improper environment.  ‘Bed-Sharing’, where the baby is actually in the same bed without a barrier from the parent, is considered one of the most dangerous sleeping environments.  Many people misunderstand the terminology around this.  “Co-Sleeping” – where the child sleeps in close proximity to the parent is touted as a robust way to bond with and administer attention to a young infant.  It (Co-Sleeping) is recommended by a myriad of professionals as a great parenting approach.  Unfortunately, many people misunderstand that the approach is not intended to be a ‘bed-sharing’ approach.  ‘Bed-Sharing’ puts the infant at risk for suffocation from the parent or in the parent’s bedding, where co-sleeping in an appropriate separate environment that protects the child.   Additionally, it is thought that those cute naps where the baby is sleeping on mom or dad’s chest on the sofa could be extremely dangerous.  A sleeping parent can in NO WAY monitor a child, and a child can easily slip into a precarious position between a parent and a cushion.  Basically it comes down to keeping the sleeping child in a safe environment of their own!

Strangulation can occur in situations where clothing, blankets, toys or other objects obstruct the child’s breathing passage.  Recent (2010) federal legislation addressed the construction of cribs to prevent strangulation of infants due poor construction methods that could result in child entrapment and strangulation within the crib.  Additional federal measures like recall of certain sleep positioners, changes to bouncers and swings and other products is helping to reduce the likelihood of strangulation deaths.  What is left for the parent is to be sure clothing and other objects in the sleeping environment do not create a risk.

SIDS reduction

This is an area of heated debate and much research.  In the past two years I have seen multiple targets of the cause of SIDS:

1. premature birth
2. exposure to drugs and or alcohol in-utero
3.  low birth weight
4. serotonin levels
5. exposure to second hand smoke
6. cardio-vascular problems
7. infection
8. brain anatomy and other genetic factors
9. lack of breastfeeding
10. AND MORE

Since there are so many ‘possible’ causes, many of which are still being investigated and many are not preventable, what is a parent to do?

The “Safe-Sleep Approach”

So since safe sleep is actually trying to get at both the ‘possible causes’ of SIDS as well as address the causes of strangulation and suffocation found in many of the SUID cases the approach seems cumbersome and exhausting to parents.  Many of the approaches are not about ‘buying’ something and are all about behavior so this isn’t always an easy task, because it is a daily ritual and not a purchase at your local store.  So HERE GOES:

1. Purchase or use a CPSC certified crib (those manufactured after 2010) that has gone through federal testing and certification process.  All cribs sold on the open market should meet this criteria at this point.  Retailers and Manufactures in violation of this are subject to enormous federal penalty and are very unlikely to be selling anything but certified cribs.
2.  Use a firm and supportive crib mattress.
3. DO NOT BED SHARE  (co-sleep/room share in an appropriate environment for the infant and not in YOUR bed without a barrier between you and your child)
4. Be diligent about not allowing the child to sleep in alternative environments (napping with mom or dad in the recliner or on the sofa…etc)
5. Do your best to Breastfeed
6. Do NOT smoke around child, Do not drink or smoke or do drugs while pregnant
7. Place child to sleep on their back
8. Use wearable blankets (swaddle, Halo SleepSack™, infant sleeping bag, etc) rather than loose clothing or blankets
9. Remove pillows, blankets, toys and other soft products from the crib. Don’t use sleep positioners.
10. Use a pacifier when you put your child to bed  (this is a weird one but recent studies have found that this is protective against sleep related deaths through an unknown mechanism)  Even if the pacifier falls out during the night it is still protective
11. Monitor the room temperature (neither too hot or too cool) There are great products out there to address the temp of the room.

Actually this all looks pretty simple.  For more detailed information and some resources, we recommend the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

* a note about monitors: although everyone is looking for the perfect single step solution, monitors are not it.  Monitors are great to help alleviate parental worry and could be helpful in identifying a potential incident, but should not be used as a replacement for all of the above behaviors.  Many people feel that if they use a monitor they won’t have to worry about the rest, in actuality, you should do all of the above and use a monitor as an additional tool.

We see all kinds of weird and wacky products in our industry. So we are not all that surprised by this one, although what you need with or what to do with this we haven't a clue.

We just love creative documentation of your new little ones first years.  New and first time mom, Elise, has taken some time off work to raise her cutie-pie son, Gio.  Well sometimes all that baby stuff lying around the house just becomes inspiration (especially for an artist).  Elise decided to take us all on an adventure.She writes:

"This is what happens when an artist becomes a first time mom! Baby Gio travels to fantastical places in a weekly saga of DIY photo art (collaging household items, e.g., sheets, dishes, baby, etc.)... When I donned the wig to play "Alice" and made my husband take the photos, we both cried with laughter. Yes, I have totally lost my mind. But we're all mad here, aren't we? Or we wouldn't have come here. :)"

What we love about this is the effect in the final composition is stunning and the components used to create this beautiful picture are hardly recognizable. Candles and jar tops function as apples on the tree, changing pads. Shower curtains and blankets take on the life of grass and trees. It is all just stunning and so clever. We will have to keep an eye on her adventures over at her Elise in Wonderland Pinterest page.

"Little known fact: the reason why Alice went down the rabbit hole was because she was chasing her 10-week-old baby, Giovanni Everett."

Gio and the Mad Hatter:

Baby Gio was quite pleased to join the Mad Hatter in celebrating his unbirthday, which just happened to fall on April 29th, the day Gio turned 11 weeks old. Alice had been sitting in the extra seat, but she drank out of the wrong cup, and grew too large for the table. Made by me, with: table cloth, shower curtain, window curtain, bed sheets, napkins, dress socks, an old beach towel, hair barrettes, tea set, teddy bear, mouse toy, vines, baby bottle, and construction paper. Starring Gio and Ian

Gio in the Garden of the Queen of Hearts:

At twelve weeks (which is not at all the same as 3 months), Baby Gio wandered into the garden of the Queen of Hearts. Made by Elise Ippolito using napkins, bird statue wrapped with tissue paper, halloween costume, Venetian mask, two stuffed animals, silk flowers, clothing, jewelry, curtains, sheets, window drapery, pipes, envelopes, potted tree and a broomstick.

Gio and the Magic Beanstalk

Brave little 13-week-old Gio found some magic beans while in Wonderland, and put them to good use... Picture made by Elise Ippolito, with "elephant ear" vine, blankets, sheets, gauze, dress, shower curtain, changing pads, and gold plated serving cup. Starring Gio

Gio Meets the Giant while trying to get a Golden Egg

14-week-old Baby Gio isn't afraid of that Giant, or the Goose, and fully intends to make off with the Golden Egg, even if it is a bit heavier and larger than he'd expected... Made by me with fuzzy baby blankets, gold tablecloth, oval serving dish, a coil of rope, several sheets, and elephant ear vine leaves. Starring Mr. Gio and his daddy, Ian, as the Giant.

Gio on the Magic Carpet

Gio is off again.  I guess we are gushing about this alot lately, but we just love when someone's passion for their child becomes a visual testament:

Gio, now 15 weeks old, escaped the Giant with the help of a magic lamp, and made a couple of new friends in the process. Made with: blue towel, carpet, more towels, belt, a multitude of clothing and sheets, sash, ribbon, gold card stock, monkey hat, construction paper, swaddle, and actual authentic Egyptian lamp. Starring Gio

One of our favorite things about this artist is her self deprecating humor about the project in general. Some comments she made on the original image she posted on facebook:

You can tell it's not a professional's work, because you can see the zippered fly of the pink jeans in the top right cloud! Gio cooperated amazingly, though. I was also really pleased with getting a Genie-shape out of the one blue towel we owned.

 ] 

Protect your investments, Baby Furniture Plus Kids offers a great program for protecting your furniture and upholstery!

We often joke about our customers having the "perfect child" just because they shopped with us, however the reality is little hands can be quite destructive and accidents do happen.  One of our favorite products is Montage's incredible furniture protection plan.  This is not an extended warranty...   This is a protection plan to help protect and maintain the products you buy for your kids' rooms.  For five years, after the purchase, Montage will repair or replace product from:

• damage from wipe warmer
• burning by curling iron
• deep penetrating scratches from toys
• chipping from the vacuum hitting the leg of the dresser
• rips in upholstery on your glider
• broken glide mechanism
• stains from juice
• stains from lipstick
• stains from fingernail polish
• stains from fingernail polish remover
• stains from kool-aid, mustard, red wine (yours of course your child won't be drinking this, right?)
• ...and any other staining things your child can think of
• drawer fronts ripped off in a fury of slamming (yeah it can happen)
• drawers broken because someone stood in the drawer (also happens)
• REALLY the types and number of damages is mind boggling...and your three year old will know every single one

This incredible program is available on all furniture and gliders.  You must purchase the protection program prior to picking up your furniture and the plan stays with you and your furniture for the next five years (they don't call it the Terrible Twos and Terrifying Threes for nothing)

Dads are making it big in advertising these days...bout time!

We all know a few of the dedicated stay at home dads that took the initiative to devote their time and energy to the kids (cant imagine a more exhausting or rewarding career). Finally some big national companies are taking a liking to this great group of parents and actually spending some time and money to advertise about and to them. This is such a big change from as early as a year ago when a group of dads started a petition to get Huggies to pull some ads that made "dads" out to be incompetent at child rearing; encouraging their consumers to videotape dads 'trying' to diaper a child.  Huggies eventually pulled the ads and apologized. Looks like the 'stay at home father' is finally getting their due and we hope the trend continues.  We just love this commercial from Tide. Stay at home dads ROCK!  They work hard hard hard!