On the Shelf   

As we have not just veterans on our minds at this time, but military personnel currently serving our country, it's the perfect opportunity to show some of the ways moms, dads, and even grandmaws and grandpaws can help the babies in their lives show support for these brave people.

So in honor of Veterans Day this week, here are a few ways to make a soldier-daddy proud of his little one… and possibly eager to show off his new baby gear and décor.

In this August heat, it’s tempting to take a trip to the beach and spend the entire time under the cool water, wiggling my toes in the wet sand. Or maybe it’s better to stay dry yet cool, by visiting the aquarium. But even if I stay home, my master bedroom feels cool because I painted it blue a few months ago – a slate blue, inspired by a showroom I visited at the Las Vegas Market early last year.

When it’s this hot, even children get sluggish when they try to play outside. So why not give them an underwater paradise right in their bedroom?

I have a brand new baby nephew, Julian. I was really surprised several months ago when his mommy sent me pictures of two bedding sets for his nursery that she couldn’t decide between – one had monkeys, the other had a jungle theme.

I would’ve bet money that lil Julian’s nursery would be done to the hilt in trains. His daddy, after all, is an engineer with Norfolk-Southern Railroad, and his paternal great-grandfathers were railroaders as well. His daddy, grandfather and uncle (my husband) have collected model trains all their lives.

I haven’t seen Julian’s nursery yet, but I thought I’d share some train products that his mommy could blend into the nursery, ...Read More

Growing up in the suburbs of a big city, I was always enamored by farm life. As a child, driving from our home in New Orleans to see aunts and uncles two hours away, I loved passing the farms, with their cows tucked behind long white fences, and rows of crops.

I was 25 when I heard my first cow moo. I ate what I consider my very first fresh veggies at 31, when I moved to a small North Carolina town where is seems like every other yard has a vegetable garden. I also set foot on my first “farm” that year. But even then, it was just a big piece of property with a stable that housed mules and chickens… and the best, freshest eggs I’ve ever eaten. But to me, fresh eggs = farm, at its most basic level.

I learned about farms, as most of us did, as a toddler – through picture books, PBS shows and a plastic toy farm. Even looking at “vi...Read More

With the end of school just around the corner, kids are undoubtedly dreaming of how they will be spending their freedom this summer.

For me, it was hanging out in my neighborhood, which was full of kids my age. We’d form teams and play kickball in the street, softball in the empty lot across the street, or basketball in the driveway. Not a hot day passed that there wasn’t the sound of a ball bouncing around outside. We sometimes even heard the sounds of a distant crowd cheering from the stands of a playground around the corner where “real” sports were played, complete with team rosters and coaches.

Many lucky children today have the opportunity to bring their sports interests indoors through décor – and I’m sure moms everywhere are thankful footballs are on bedding and basketballs are on lamps, rather than lodged in a TV s...Read More

It’s an odd time of year, isn’t it? Spring is sprung. When the weather is great, the pollen is terrible. And when the pollen is great, the weather is terrible. We just can’t seem to win.

At least when I’m stranded inside, I have a lot to see as I look out the windows at my garden. There’s my copper-topped birdhouse, an iron bird bath, a rain gauge with a bronze feather on its holder, and a weeping cherry tree where the birds land before dipping into the fountain for a cool drink. But the pièce de résistance is a bird’s nest built on top of a bend in my gutter’s drainpipe, where the eave protects the little ones from the elements. This is the third year I’ve had tenants there, and they’re such a delight to watch.

With springtime and my yard in mind, I’ve come across some quick ways to bring b...Read More

I wasn’t planning on broadcasting to the entire readership of Kids Today that I just ate fast food for lunch, but I had such a good experience, I had to share it with juvenile retailers.

Let me first offer a smidgeon of background: I have 10 years of retail experience, mostly in management, followed by six years as editor of some community newspapers, before joining the Furniture Today/Kids Today crowd in 2005.

With the newspapers, I loved doing feature stories, and most of my interviewees got pretty comfortable with me pretty fast. As I spoke to them, I kept pressing on, kept looking for the hook that would bring in readers… the big crescendo that would make a reader say “WOW!”

I refused to conclude my interview until I personally felt “wowed.” I didn’t tell THEM that, I just continued with questions, trying to ge...Read More

The CPSC is requesting comments on which children’s products should be subject to the requirements of CPSIA Section 108. There is some talk about other products being added, such as strollers, bouncers, crib sheets, mattresses and bibs.
 
As a refresher, Section 108, which went into effect on Feb. 10, permanently prohibits the sale of any children’s toy or child care article containing more than .1% of three specified phthalates (DEHP, DBP and BBP). It also prohibits, on an interim basis, toys that can be placed in a child’s mouth or child care articles containing more than .1% of three additional phthalates (DINP, DIDP and DnOP).

So the CPSC is trying to determine what constitutes a “children’s toy or child care article.” The staff is willing to make the requirements all-encompassing for each category, or pick and c...Read More

Kids and dogs. Dogs and kids. They just go together. They have so much energy and enthusiasm; love their toys and getting dirty. The louder they are, the better they think it is. They have regularly-scheduled feeding times, and have to be calmed down so they can go to sleep at night. Why not let your child enjoy some dog days in their bedroom?

Napping Greyhound

There’s nothing like the excitement of a baby or child’s birthday. Everyone anticipates the games, goodies and cake, the gathering of family and friends, the familiar song.

When my sister turned about 8 or 9, the family celebrated at Pizza Hut. But it turned out to not be such a happy occasion for her, because the waitress brought ME a personal pan pizza too. She thought she was special, and she frowned the rest of the night because she had to “share” her birthday with me, her little sister.

So in honor of her 40-something birthday this week, I extend my heartfelt apology for stealing her thunder (and her glory of being the only mini-pizza-eater that night) back then. And here’s a quick round-up of some fun things to consider for your own special celebration:

...Read More

Frogs and snails and puppy dog tails, according to the nursery rhyme, are what little boys are made of.

But I know for a fact that little girls like frogs too. Sure, they may see them as "cute," rather than "slimy" like the boys see them, but girls can be smitten with them as well.

I speak from experience. My sister and I used to pretend we were "raising" tadpoles in an old wheelbarrow behind the garage. We would check on them every day, and before long, tiny little froggies were hopping around.

And I distinctly recall my first day of first grade, when I discovered a tiny frog in the grass just off the school walkway. I scooped him up and gently placed him my schoolbag. I couldn't wait for recess, so I could play with him. I was heartbroken when I couldn't find him at recess, even after pulling o...Read More

Last year, in an effort to get my husband something really different for Valentine's Day, I did various searches on eBay, including his first name, Randy, and last name, Hunt. I discovered that there used to be the Hunt Bros. Circus, and there were all sorts of memorabilia on the auction block. I thought maybe an 8x10 picture would be interesting, or a pennant.

But then I came across a vintage advertising poster, and knew immediately that it was my gift for Randy, no matter what the cost. It was 4 feet long and 2 feet wide, and had 3 male clowns (who could definitely pass for Randy and his 2 brothers) and 1 female clown (me!). But the amazing thing, the reason I just HAD to have THIS poster, was that splashed across the bottom in giant letters was the date the circus would be in town – S...Read More