Organic Cotton Baby Toy by Under the Nile

Get baby to love her fruits and veggies with the fun organic toys from Under the Nile. I recently came across this product line while browsing thru green toys online. So glad I did. They're pretty reasonably priced, good for the enviro, and safe for baby!
My fav, the cute little grape teether toy (about $6). You can dip the bottom few grapes in water and freeze them for added soothing for teething tots.

Bumbo Baby Seats

No, that's not a typo, I didn't mean to write Dumbo. I'm talking about the colorful, soft, and ever so useful
Bumbo Baby Seat. I bought mine about two years ago and it still looks brand new, despite using it with both of my girls. They come in a variety of colors and cost about $40.
These chairs are great for feeding babies (at least three months old). I also like to use mine as a seat for baby in the bathroom as I get ready or what have you. They help babies build their back muscles so they can sit unaided sooner. Both my girls started sitting up a month earlier than the milestones say they should. I attribute that to using the Bumbo.
The Bumbo is one of the must-have items every new mom should put on her registry or wish list. You can reuse them for every child and because they are super durable you can resell them on eBay or at a local resale shop when you kids outgrown them (though my two year old thinks it's fun to sit in the Bumbo and watch a DVD every once and a while).
Warning: Never leave baby unattended in the Bumbo and don't put the Bumbo on a table or other elevated surface. Babies (especially with skinny legs) can fall out or tip the Bumbo over. These were actually recalled several months ago to add warning stickers that say just that. But there was never a defect in the product, which clearly stated this in its instructions all along.

Baby Galileo DVD

From the stars to planets to clouds, the Baby Galileo: Discovering the Sky DVD by Baby Einstein teaches little ones about everything in the sky. This is by far the favorite DVD of my 10 month old. From the first moment it started playing she started laughing and giggling with delight. That is not her norm. She usually watches DVDs with interest and an occasional laugh but nothing like this. I thought it was a fluke. But every time since, it's the same thing. That makes Baby Galileo one of my favorites too.
But make no mistake, it's not just for babies. My toddler enjoys this one as well, much more than any of the other DVDs in the Baby Einstein series. But then, she loves the moon. It's her favorite word I think. She enjoys singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and repeating the words. I was surprised when she said Jupiter today. Sun, moon, stars, sure. But the name of a planet? Now that's impressive! I'm going to be playing this one a lot more. Maybe I'll end up with two little astronomers? We're definitely going to check out the local observatory now.
Baby Galileo has all of the great features Baby Einstein videos have come to be known for: soothing yet stimulating classical music, puppet shows, real world images mixed with art, and more. Plus it has a repeat play function if 28 minutes of learning about the sky isn't enough for your future star gazers. It also has a DVD-ROM bonus feature that allows you to print out a coloring book with corresponding images and ideas from the program.
You can find it at Buy.com for $16.88.

Teething Toys

Teethers are practical toys to help baby get thru teething. Who knew this must-have for babies had so many cool variations!

HABA Bear Teether

1. Teething Rings By Haba ($9.99-$17.09) German-made wooden teething rings made with 100% non-toxic water based stains. Available in a variety of designs from bears to flowers. These are super cool looking, safe, and innovative! I've previously mentioned how much I like HABA's products. Can't say it enough!

2. Organic Cotton Grapes by Under the Nile ($5.90)
Get baby to eat her fruits, or at least munch on them. Can be dipped in water and frozen for ultimate teething relief. And they’re organic. Other fruit and veggie teether designs available too. (I featured this one in a separate post a few days ago.)
3. Raz-berry Teether by Razbaby ($5.99)
Made of non-toxic 100% medical grade silicone. This is a teether and a pacifier with little textured bumps to soothe gums. Available in red or blue.
4. Luv N Care Cool-Sicles by Nuby $7.99
These are best frozen for added comfort for sore gums. Made of nontoxic purICE Gel which stays cold longer than other types of teethers. Come in four cute designs - elephant, alligator, clown, chicken.
5. Combi Training Teethers($4.95-$5.99)
Combi has a different model teether for each stage of baby’s teething needs. All models are made to stimulate gums, teeth, tongue, lips and help baby transition between stages.

4 months: Combi Training Teether - Stage 1
6 months: Combi Training Teether - Stage 2
8 Months: Combi Training Teether - Stage 3

Wooden Tot Toys

Haba Clutching Toy: Bonita

Haba Clutching Toy: Ping Pong

It seems like there are so many recalls of kids toys that it's kind of scary to let your little ones put anything in their mouth. But I have found a safe solution: HABA toys.

These German-made toys are cool looking and made with non-toxic stains. Not to mention they keep kids busy with their cool designs. (Did I mention they were cool. lol).
They have products for every kid stage from teether toys to "grocery" items to pacifier chains.
Lots of these are going on our wish list!

Foogo Straw Bottles

Knowing we'd be in the car for long stretches without breaks, we brought along Foogo Straw Bottles on our recent road trip to California. (You can read about the trip HERE.) These bottles boast that they keep liquids cool and fresh for up to 12 hours. They didn't disappoint. We put Ellerie's (10 months old) formula in hers. Ava had watered down apple juice. Both girls liked the containers. Ava (2 years old) found it easy to push the button to open the pop top too.
They advertise as leak-proof and they mostly are. But the tiny print on the packaging insert reveals that they aren't truly leak proof unless the lid is closed. Still, we didn't have a problem, even when Ellerie routinely threw hers onto the floor.
They are a overpriced at $18 a pop. But they are stylish, practical, made from safe stainless steel (ie, without BPA), and good for both of my girls despite their age difference. Plus, they seem sturdy so we should have these for many a road trip to come.