There are two things that my preschooler is totally into right now — computers and audio books. Put the two together and you get Speakaboos, an online publisher that celebrates kid’s stories, songs, games and educational activities for children — for free!

To put it lightly, my daughter has fallen madly in love with this site. I set up my laptop on her little table and she spends a good portion of every morning going through the site. The nursery rhymes and songs are currently her favorites. The site is set up in a great way because every time my pre-reader lays the mouse over a word, the computer dictates the word to her so that she always knows what she is clicking on. No help needed from Mommy!

Offering 50 titles such as Arthur, Goldilocks, The Ugly Duckling, Old McDonald and Aesop’s Fables with audio provided by talented actors and musicians such as Kevin Bacon, Nick Cannon, Kelly Ripa, Marcia Gay Harden, Harry Shearer and Chazz Palminteri, at least 15% of Speakaboos’ revenue is contributed directly to charities supporting children’s causes.

View the entire library online for free, or download the tracks onto your computer for only $0.99! All of the audio tracks are also available on iTunes.com and Rhapsody.com.

– Teba

Posted in CBB Faves, Fashion & Gear, Fashion & Gear - Entertainment, Main

Safety 1st’s Nature Next line is made with eco-consciousness in mind — the products use bamboo (a renewable resource), recycled plastic, and bio-plastic (a durable plastic developed from renewable plant resources like corn and tapioca, instead of fossil fuels).

The Safety 1st Nature Next Bio-Plastic 3 in 1 Potty ($10) is made from 50% bio-plastic, a durable plastic made from plant resources.

It can be used as a self-contained potty, a step stool with the lid closed or as a training seat if you take the top part off.

The bowl is removable for easy clean up and the lid locks for easy carrying.

– Nancy

Posted in CBB Faves, Fashion & Gear, Fashion & Gear - Toilet Training, Main

Like many new moms, I had a lot of trouble breastfeeding my daughter the first few days of her life. Despite having read every single book I could get my hands on, breastfeeding was really difficult to figure out. I wish I had Simply Breastfeeding: The Criso Breastfeeding Method ($40) during those early days.

Shari Criso is a Certified Nurse Midwife and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant who has delivered over 600 babies and helped thousands of new parents successfully breastfeed. The DVD is thorough to say the least. It has two parts and runs two-hours. Part 1 is all about the benefits of breastfeeding and addresses why this is a great choice for you to make (maybe it is just me but it felt kind of like she is preaching to the choir). Part 2 is all about breastfeeding techniques and challenges.

Most importantly it actually teaches you exactly how to breastfeed. Essential for those first few days when you are back home from the hospital and have no clue what you are doing. I think that everyone should watch this DVD in pregnancy to learn about the challenges that may come up later on because the key to success in breastfeeding is being prepared. But I love the fact that in the DVD format new moms can fast forward right to the chapter that covers the breastfeeding challenges you are experiencing right at that moment. This is a great gift for first-time moms but I think even veteran nursers will benefit from this DVD.

– Teba

CBB Deal: Receive 20% off your order when you mention celebrity (expires 7/31/09).

Posted in CBB Faves, Fashion & Gear, Fashion & Gear - Baby Shower Gifts, Fashion & Gear - Breastfeeding, Main

The Teutonia line of strollers introduces a whole new way for your baby to ride. Or is it a whole new way for you to shop for strollers? A little bit of both, really.

Unlike most stroller systems where you have to just take what you’re given, the Teutonia line is completely customizable. From the color of the seat to the style of the wheels — and everything in between — choices are both plentiful and practical. Let’s say you’re shopping for a toddler… well, you don’t need a bassinet so why pay for one? So skip it. Like girly colors, but might have a boy in the future? Get a neutral seat color and embellish it with a flowery cushion. You even have three chassis choices so you can select one that will be most appropriate for your lifestyle.

All of the Teutonia chassis options allow for the seat to be positioned either forward facing or reverse. (I love this feature!) And the same seat will work on any chassis, so if you’re like some moms I know, you might buy more than one chassis and keep one in the car. You can buy everything all at once, or add to your system as baby grows. The folks at Teutonia really have thought of everything.

I tested a T-150. In Teutonia-speak, that means I tested a t-100 chassis ($425) with explore-50 heels. I added a t-sStroller seat ($150) in Jasper Brown and a pretty flowery t-duo cushion ($60), too. There are two other stroller chassis options: the T-200, which is a sporty all-terrain 3-wheel base perfect for urban (bumpy) sidewalks and dirt roads, and the T-300, which has a reversible handle.

Putting it Together
So easy. Just unfold the stroller, click on the front and back wheels, snap on the sun canopy and you’re ready to roll.

The Ride
Because of the independent wheel suspension and the ball bearing construction it really doesn’t matter which Teutonia chassis you choose, you’re going to have a smooth ride. The wheels are air-filled, but are tubeless and require no maintenance. The handlebar is adjustable to 12 different positions so anyone can push the stroller and feel comfortable doing so.

It turns on a dime. I absolutely love pushing it because it’s just so easy to maneuver… even if I have only one hand free to do so (which happens more often than I would like!). My combination weighs 30.2 lbs and, while not the lightest stroller around, is in no way difficult to lift up and down stairs.

The Seat
The t-stroller Seat (which comes with a rain cover) is a great seat. My children (a one-year-old and a four-year-old) can each (though not at the same time) fit comfortably into it. The recline is adjustable with one hand and the water-resistant canopy has all kinds of positioning options including a neat zip-away part that reveals ventilation mesh for hot summer walks.

The buckle, which is different from any other I’ve used, is 5-point, but has five separate straps that you connect as you put the child in. Sounds complicated, but I actually prefer it and it makes things easy when you have to add accessories (say, a foot muff) to the stroller. I have found that things get a bit squishy in the seat when dealing with foot muffs and winter coats, but aside from that, I love it.

Storage
There is lots of space in the under-seat storage and is easy to access, whichever way the seat is facing.

Sun/Weather Exposure
The canopy fabrics all have UV 50+ protection and pull down easily to cover baby without blocking too much of their view.

The Fold
The highlight of the fold for me is that it folds with the seat on unlike some other high-end strollers where the seat has to be removed. Of course, you can also fold them without the seat if that’s preferable. Folding is easy — just pull up on the fold latches and the stroller pretty much folds in on itself. The handlebar folds under, you fasten the buckle locks and you’re set.

Accessories
Teutonia accessories are plentiful, to say the least. From the brilliant (so, so brilliant!) t-handmuff ($60) — you can see our review here — to the beautiful t-duo cushions, there are lots of neat items you can add to customize your Teutonia stroller. My daughter loves the t-footmuff ($80) and has asked for it specifically when we’ve been out on cool days. And the t-winter footmuff ($100) is a thicker, warmer option for chilly climates — so warm and cozy. There’s a t-carseat adaptor ($40), a diaper bag (currently free with a stroller purchase) and even interchangeable liners ($55) for the t-carrycot ($150). These accessories are all optional add-ons to a basic stroller. Included with the t-stroller seat is a raincover and included with the t-tario car seat is a mosquito net cover and a cold weather boot. Because you’re custom designing your stroller from the wheels up, you can add (or omit) any accessories you like.

The Teutonia Experience in a Nutshell
Step 1: Build. Choose the chassis (three to choose from), wheels (explore-50, metro-60) and your seating options (3 to choose from: t-tario/infant car seat, t-carrycot, t-stroller seat).
Step 2: Design. Choose your fabrics — 9 solids and 3 designer prints every season.
Step 3: Accessorize. Choose your accent fabric and accessories, which include the following…
t-duo cushion (available in 11 accent fabrics)
t-handmuff
t-mosquito netting
t-deluxe weather protection
t-car seat adapter
t-changing bag (available in 9 colors and designer fabrics)
t-footmuff (available in 9 colors)
t-winter footmuff (available in 3 colors)
extra t-tario base

Teutonia strollers are currently only available in stores. Because the process of creating your own stroller is a new one in North America, Teutonia wants customers to be able to work with experts in the stores when designing an ideal stroller to fit their lifestyle. A visit to their website, however, will give you lots of details about the strollers and show you why celebrities like Minnie Driver and Constance Zimmer love theirs.

Obviously, a Teutonia is a luxury purchase, but from a mom of two (one who even does a LOT of babywearing), I cannot say enough about how a great stroller like a Teutonia will make a huge difference. You’re going to use this thing every day for the next three or more years. It might as well be excellent quality and easy to push. If you get to design it to be exactly (and I really do mean exactly) what you want, all the better. And if it just happens to be as gorgeous as a Teutonia, too? Well that’s just the icing on the cake!

– Stephanie

Posted in CBB Faves, Fashion & Gear, Fashion & Gear - Strollers, Main