Big news in our household this week was the announcement that the Nick Jr. special “Let’s Hear it for the Laurie Berkner Band” is getting released on DVD on September 28th, 2010.  The special first aired in July of 2009 and my daughter was already an avid Laurie Berkner fan – a product of Laurie’s frequent appearances on Jack’s Big Music Show.  We recorded the special on our DVR...

While the children’s television show Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is a cute and creative show, which my daughter loves, the Fisher Price Mickey Mouse Clubhouse See n’ Say toy was quickly hidden from her reach. The main reason is the toy’s lack of volume controls, resulting in an elevated parental annoyance level. Don’t get me wrong – the toy itself is a fine toy, I think all kids had something...

Jack’s Big Music Show is an often forgotten and underestimated show currently in syndication on Nick Jr. most weekdays and weekends. From the research I’ve found on various sites, the show was produced between 2005 to 2007 and is not currently in active production, which is upsetting because this happens to be one of my daughter’s favorite shows. The format of the show is relatively standard –...

Product Review: The Lascal Kiddy Guard Retractable Safety Gate Summary: The Kiddy Guard Retractable Safety Gate from Lascal is an extremely innovative and space-saving child gate, but the complexity of operating the locking mechanism and the noise made as the gate retracts may be a deal-breaker for some consumers. Baby or child-proofing the house is an exercise we all go through within the first few years of parenthood...

I was recently contacted by a media group representative doing some work on a Nokia phone application, who asked if I would write a blog post about a new app they were targeting at fathers. A few comments up front: I do not own a Nokia phone, therefore I have never used this application, nor do I have access to use this application. My knowledge of this application is from screen shots, documentation, and videos provided...

Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Learning Piggy Bank: At first my daughter got frustrated with this toy because it was difficult for her to put the coins in the top slot of the bank.  For about a month she had to use 2 hands and go very slowly to get one into the bank.  The next month she was using one hand on the coin, but still going slowly.  The following month she was throwing them into the bank like it was no problem....

Many of the arguments for adding this item to your collection of “baby stuff” goes along with the Infant Bouncy Chair article, but the activity playmat does add some important elements. Tiny Love Gymini Super Deluxe - Lights&Music Tummy Time If you’re a soon-to-be Dad, then you are probably not familiar with the term or concept of “tummy time.”  Esesentially, it’s the best exercise...

Newborn babies are delicate – if you are a new or expectant father, hopefully you know this already.  When you first get home from the hospital you will jump at every cough, sneeze, and cry.  You may think that your best bet will be to hold the baby at all times, because really, where are you going to put her? Well, one place that can prove very helpful is an infant bouncy chair. Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium...

Background When my wife and I were setting up our baby registry it was pretty clear that my pregnant wife was focussed on getting in and out of Babies-R-Us as soon as possible.  So my job was to take the scanning gun and scan as much as possible, in as timely a manner as possible.  I could not overly scrutinize my selections and I was using the guide from Babies-R-Us as a checklist while we were navigating the various...

Best Way to Clean Dr. Brown Baby Bottles There are a variety of options and factors to consider when choosing which type of baby bottle is best for your new born.  In many cases, Dr. Brown bottles fit your need – this was the case for my daughter who handled gas much better under the Dr. Brown versus Medela, Playtex, and Avent brands.  These other brands have their perks, but it’s entirely based on the...