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We could all use a hand now and then. Snuggling while feeding your baby a bottle is wonderful. But let’s face it, sometimes you have to answer the phone. You try to prop the bottle up for the baby but it slips, the bottle drops and everyone cries over spilt milk. You need a little help. Get that help from a cute plush friend: Bottle Snugglers.

Bottle Snugglers are adjustable and keep the bottle poised at just the right angle for your baby. Older children, like my son, enjoy snuggling with these plush critters. They are machine washable and lovable. They also make a perfect companion for car trips.

I love kids clothes with car related themes, and euro design sensibilites. So when I saw the car print tees and pants at Polarn O Pyret, I knew I was in for a treat. The  friend who told me about this groovy line of Swedish kidswear described it as, “Pippi Longstocking meets the Partridge Family.” How can you resist a description like that?

It’s easy to see, from a quick look around the Polarn O Pyret site, what my friend was talking about. The designs on this site definitely have a fun retro feeling. And the vibe is decidedly Swedish – the stripes, the repetitive motifs, are all reminiscent of the best of Nordic design. But what you cannot see firsthand from browsing the site is the quality of these clothes. It’s a quality that is often lacking in clothes we buy from popular US chains. In a way this reminds me of retro clothing as well. Clothing that was made to last through a few kids in the same family, to be washed and worn and washed again, and weather the abuse of childhood. Many of the designs on the Polarn O Pyret site are specifically designated as “uni” meaning that they can be handed down to younger siblings without fear of taunting. Which, in these times I find super cool. It’s thrifty chic, and exactly what Pippi would have done, if she had a little brother.

One more note about the quality and versatility – even the leggings from this company feature an adjustable waistband. I cannot tell you how happy this made my lanky 9 year old daughter. She is constantly using a hair rubber band or a pin to keep her leggings on, or wearing a pair of size 6 leggings as capris.

Polarn O Pyret clothes are fast becoming a celeb fave. There is a summer clearance sale going on at the site right now, through tomorrow. And their fall line up is showing up next week Go check Polarn O Pyret out. Buy your kids a tambourine. And put Pippi Longstocking on your end-of-summer reading list!

My infant carseat expires in about 3 months… not quite enough time to use the old seat for my new baby. So I’ve been surveying the aisles of Babies R Us, Target, and the like for a new seat.

And, really, if I’m going to get a new seat, I might as well get a travel system to make life easier, right? The Bertini B5 catches my eye time and again at BRU, and not just because its also in my garage. With its sharp-looking fabric of black and white with yellow piping, its certain to be a set you give a second look to as well. (Please, go to the store and take a look yourself, or see my image of the stroller here. Its so much a sharper look in person.)

We’ve tested out the B5 carseat in 3 cars, making sure it fits with ease. (According to Car Passenger Seat Tech Dr. Laura Jana, this is extremely important when selecting a carseat. Always ask to take it outside to your car(s) and make sure its a comfortable fit.) Surprisingly, I could fit the Bertini, a Britax Roundabout and a Britax Marathon 3-across in the second row of my Honda Pilot. The squeeze was extremely tight, but it was doable. In the VW Routan (image here) which I recently tested, I found it difficult to install, but not so much because of the B5′s LATCHs, more because the LATCHes are difficult to access in the Routan. It also fit nicely in our Honda Accord, though only 2 seats will fit in there.

A feature I love in the B5 is the ability to keep the handle in the upright position. This isn’t something all seats do (read your instruction guide because all seats are different) and with 3 kids any little step you can avoid (like clicking the handle down) is a bonus.

The seat features EPP ProTech foam (energy absorbing) and adjustable stay in car base which uses either LATCH and tether. As well you can strap the seat directly into the car. And while it provides more legroom than the average seat (allowing for longer babies and longer use than many seats), it also comes with an insert for smaller babies. The seat has been tested and approved for babies 4 to 35 pounds.

The stroller, which is approved up to 50 pounds, offers a large seat base, huge basket, and an easy-to-collapse one handed release. The highlight to the stroller? It stands upright and clips in the baby seat simply by placing the carrier onto the stroller.

This post was written by Julie Pron, a mom of nearly 3 children who is attempting to enjoy nesting. In addition to Car & Caboodle, she writes for a carload of blogs including Just Precious, Mommies with Style and Popshopology.

Our family of four spent last weekend at Bass Lake near Yosemite National Park. That meant we spent the better part of three days in water, near water, soaked by water, or riding on top of water. As with many lakes, the shores of Bass Lake are very rocky – in fact, my 2-year-old’s favorite activity was standing among the palm-sized (to him) smooth, erosion-rounded stones and throwing them into the water to delight at the “plop!” sound they made.

Happy feet!

Instead of stressing out about the boys losing their balance and falling among the slippery rocks, I made them wear the mesh water shoes that Lands’ End sent us to try. Basically, they’re like sneakers for wearing in water. The 2-year-old wore them all weekend without complaint, which is saying a lot because he, being 2, complains about everything. In fact, he even requested them using one of the few words he knows: he would hold them up and cry “Soos!” when he knew we were getting ready to head down to the water.

The rest of us appreciated the stability the shoes afforded us at the lake’s edge. I found my pretty coral shoes to fit a bit loosely on my feet, so I won’t be using them to run through creek beds at high speed. Not that I would do that anyway. My 4-year-old was not immune to the whines – he didn’t like the way the sand got caught inside the shoe after running around on the beach for a while. Plus, the shoes seem to run large for his size, too, and he started to get irritated. For this boy I would go with a sandal next time.

And speaking of sandals, my husband tried the Men’s River Trekkers, which would have been perfect except that this shoe runs on the narrow side, and my husband has Neanderthal feet. As such, his pinkie toe stuck out the side and this bothered him so much he didn’t care about walking barefoot on the rocks. Our travel companion, Patrick, inherited the shoes, and his more slender feet found a love connection with the Trekkers, so we all lived happily ever after.

Big brother, you forgot your water shoes!

It’s not easy getting kids in and out of the car and keeping everything clean, let alone cute. Two products from Itzy Ritzy are your car’s dream come true. I’ve always admired Itzy Ritzy’s gorgeous carseat covers that come in a wide array of fashionable fabrics. They make a utilitarian car interior look smashingly fashionable. From a practical standpoint they are also the best. Let’s face it: blow outs and spills happen. It’s nice to protect your carseat investment with a cover that is easily removed and washed. I’m also able to admit that I am ocd enough to really groove on the idea of having my kids carseat fabrics (infant and toddler seats) match each other. I like matchy accessories!

Itzy Ritzy has taken car travel ease one step further with their partnership with Wet Happened. These attractive bags (also in fashionable fabrics) contain soiled clothing and can be tossed right in the wash with the clothes so that you have less mess in your life. More fashion, less mess… I can only say “Thanks Itzy Ritzy! From the bottom of my neatnik heart!”

Ready to hit the road with your baby in tow? Maybe you are just looking for a safe place for your baby to nap while visiting friends or a Grandparent? Save you back and save some time – leave the portacrib at home. There is an easier and more stylish solution to the problem of finding a safe and clean place to lay your baby down.

I first saw Lulyboo at the ABCKids show last fall. I was there with my baby and I sure wished I had one! This clever soft bassinet folds and rolls into an easily carried backpack. There are even pockets on the side to store babies diapers, wipes and bottle. Pack it up with a few essentials and you are ready to roll. Lulyboo infant lounges are also great for cosleeping and creating a safe area for baby to play.

So few products offer a solution that is this simple, practical and fashionable too. Lulyboo Infant lounges are washable and made from a variety of fun, funky fabrics.

We carry a lot of fabulous baby carriers and I’m a fan of all of them (otherwise – why would we carry them right?) That being said, I probably reach for my Beco Baby Carrier more than any other.

Why? Well it has this great pouch for baby to sit in that means I can take my daughter out before taking the carrier off (easier for loading her into the car!). Also I can “pre-load” her into the carrier before putting it onto my back. While I love the Ergo Baby Carrier, I was never flexible or co-ordinated enough to put a child on my back using my Ergo. I know that makes me a less talented baby wearer (especially by Bay Area standards). I’m here to say though, if you’ve had trouble with the back carry too, the Beco Baby Carrier might be the one for you!

Okay – let’s say you have a Beco, know it, love it, or are just considering it. Well Beco designed a special carrier with unique fabric just for their instruction manual to make it bright and easy to see the carrier in the pictures. Apparently they’ve had many customers asking for this particular pattern over the years but never had more of the fabric they used. Well they were just able to source some of this unique “Scooters” fabric and have made 160 limited edition carriers in the Scooters pattern.

We grabbed up a few of these (which sold out completely in 3 hours) limited edition carriers for our customers. We expect them to arrive at the end of May but if you are interested – pre-order one now before they are gone! They are definitely bright but super cute and very gender neutral so even if you don’t know the future – it will still work for you!

P.S. They are a bit pricier due to the fabric price and the complexity of sewing to insure the design lines up just right! We guarantee it will be worth it though!

Written by the Baby Gear Guru’s of www.LetsGoStrolling.com where they know how to make parents lives with babies easier and better. Shop the best selection of strollers, diaper bags, baby gear and more with their knowledgeable customer service.

Have you ever glanced in the rearview mirror and caught a glimpse of your toddler contorted into a Cirque du Soleil like position whilst drinking from their standard sippy cup? Amusing as that is to watch, it’s probably not so good for them. A new cup manufacturer has addressed this issue of ergonomics (sans difficult-to-clean straw, thank you very much!) with the Tilty cup. Suddenly staying hydrated is a little more comfortable. The Tilty is made of BPA free, safe plastic.

You know how your infant/toddler sees a stuffed animal, gets super excited, plays with it for ten minutes, and then drops it in the gutter, never to be loved again?

Come on, it’s happened to you, right? Which makes it hard, after you wise up, to commit to a stuffed purchase. But I have some good news if you still have a soft spot for cute and cuddley plush animals. Buckleyboo toys are definitely not boring.

What makes them so exciting? Buckles. Yes, buckles. Buckles may not be so thrilling to you and I, but to an exploring infant/toddler, they are the bomb. Babies start making connections and putting things together at about 15 months of age. Their minds are little sponges and their hands are busy. When they’ve explored a regular stuffie and “figured it out”, its on to the next thing. But with a Buckleyboo they’ve got a lot more to explore. First there is the concept of matching, each buckle has a different color and pattern. Then there is the fastening and finallly, by age 3 or 4, unfastening. Note: These toys will not prematurely teach your tot how to get out of their carseat, so don’t stress! They are a different kind of buckle!

Buckleyboo is a really clever toy that keeps kids occupied and learning. I always love to have a few of these “busy toys” on hand, so I was thrilled to hear about this one. Check out all the Buckleyboo animals in their shop. There is even a small Buckleyboo that is perfect for travelling with.

It’s that time of year when our family seems to be rolling through one illness after another. I’m about ready to encase my one year old in a hygienically sealed bubble.

Would that I could. Unfortunately the daily routine marches on and we have grocery stores to go to, lunches grabbed at the neighborhood cafe and more. Which is why I am so glad that someone thought to send me a Ritzy Baby Cart/Highchair cover last year. I am really using this thing now!

What I really love about the Ritzy Baby Cover is that it is so meticulously crafted and uber luxurious. I kind of wish I had one for all the places I have to sit! Ours is a scrumptious minky dot that reverses to a colorful animal print. Ritzy Baby has thought of everything and included pockets for my stuff, a sippy cup holder and toy clips. I love that this cover also fits on playground swings, and public (theme park, mall etc) strollers.

I never used a cover with my other (3) kids. I just did a quick swipe with a wipey. But after meeting a family that nearly lost their baby to MRSA which they believe was contracted from a public highchair, I have been evangelized. The cover lives in my car and we now wipe AND cover.

If you are looking for a versatile luxurious and practical cart/highchair cover, that comes in great color combos, check out the Ritzy Baby Site!