Mom Central: Hot Parenting Products

Tyson Cares What’s For Dinner

It’s no secret that Tyson is a friend to families. In fact, their website proclaims their gratitude to moms everywhere “who fight the good fight against picky eaters, one meal at a time,” and they they’ve long asserted their commitment to families, communities, and the environment. But, recently, Tyson has taken an even greater step towards being mom-friendly. In fact, with $70 million behind their newest campaign, it’s more of a Superman-sized leap.

Along with the new “thank you, Mom” campaigns, Tyson is introducing chicken with no antibiotics or artificial ingredients, something today’s healthy families have been waiting for. While no one disputes antibiotic free is healthier, many lament the usually much-higher prices charged for such products, though over 90% of consumers say they would like to see more natural chicken widely available. So Tyson is stepping in to help moms everywhere by not only bringing them healthier products, but also by offering them at more affordable prices. With chicken that is 100% natural, moms no longer have to worry about the effects antibiotics may have on either their families or the environment.

The new ads begin in July, and the new, healthier chicken is hitting stores now. With its new products, Tyson has proven once again that they know what moms want, and it seems worth a round of applause for such a large-scale decision that will keep our families happier and healthier than ever.

Image: Tyson

Drummed in Our Heads

Is it just me, or have kids today lost the art of downtime and play? They’re busy running from basketball practice to art class to French tutors even before they ever hit first grade, and we’re too busy organizing it all to pay attention to carving in some free time. Feeling this need, Yamaha has stepped in to reintroduce a lost art – drumming.

Yes, drumming. While some parents may not see the appeal of bongo drums, pretty much any child will. Small enough for little hands, but with a great sound for their size, the new bongos by Yamaha are attractive, fun, and sound great. They’re also portable, water-resistant, and truly are a great first instrument to introduce any child to the world of music – or that of creative (not to mention unscheduled) expression.

I can tell you this because I know from experience. Even my kids, who are way past the age where you’d think a set of bongo drums would impress them, still play with them on a regular basis.

So does my husband, Ron.

In fact, I sit at my computer in my office during the day and can hear various stages of drumming as someone passes by the bongos and can’t resist tapping out a tune. In fact, they’re getting pretty good. And if it can keep their attention, I’m sure a young child would be endlessly entertained. These new bongos have truly helped us recapture something we’d lost in our busy everyday schedules - a childlike sense of curiosity, creativity, and, of course, some good old fashioned noise.

Fine Moments Cards

It’s a proud moment: after 9 months of waiting and wondering, your baby is here and you can’t wait to send out the announcements. If you’re looking for something extra special, you might try Fine Moments, a card company started by a husband and wife team based in California, which offers a polished, stylish selection of birth announcements. There are several designs to choose from (in matte or glossy finish) that show a graphic (about $1.65 per card) or your baby’s photo (about $2.15 per card), with the birth information underneath. If you’d like something extra extra special, they offer custom baby announcements that use premium grade photo paper attached to heavy cardstock. Each announcement is enclosed in an envelope with a pewter baby-themed square emblem. These cost about $5.85 per card. All prices decrease with orders over 75 cards. If you have a super-adorable baby photo, these higher-priced custom announcements are perfect for sending to family and close friends.

The look and feel of the cards is clean, simple, elegant. There is more variation in design than color (mostly light blues and browns for boys and pinks and browns for girls). You may request design alterations in a designated box on the order form, although it does not specify the degree of change allowed. Eco-conscious customers can choose from a nice variety of cards made with 100% recycled fibers, for about $3.85 per card.

Fine Moments also makes thank you cards, invitations, and holiday cards. For more info, visit www.finemoments.com.   

Miracle Blanket

Dark, extremely cramped, hot and humid air – this is how babies live during a woman’s last trimester and they absolutely love it. After feeling protected in such a compact space, being in the open air after birth is a scary thing. The Miracle Blanket is a handy product meant to recreate the snug feeling of the womb. It’s a common sight to see newborns tightly swaddled like a burrito, and the tighter the better. The Miracle Blanket has flaps and pockets neatly designed to control a newborn’s flailing arms. It also has an extra-long final flap that wraps completely around the baby for extra hold. For new parents, the one-page instructions may seem complicated, but after doing it once, you won’t need to read them again. Some users claim their newborns have slept 7-8 hours in this blanket. The material is machine washable and 100% cotton.

Is this Miracle Blanket a necessity? Not really. Hospitals use regular flannel-like blankets for swaddling, and most nurses will teach you the art of a tight burrito-wrap (our hospital even let us take home a half-dozen of these blankets). Newborns won’t know the difference as long as they’re wrapped well. A big problem we had was our baby’s arms constantly slipping out, which would cause him to wake up and cry. Therefore the special arm flaps on the Miracle Blanket can be helpful, although a skillful baby might still wriggle out. The one size only may not last long for larger newborns or fast-growing babies. Regardless, this makes a thoughtful baby shower gift, and who knows – the user might be one of the lucky ones who gets that 8-hour stretch of sleep from using this product. That chance is definitely worth the $35 price tag.

My Royal Heinie

Let’s start out by applauding the perfect name for this product. First-time moms know that their baby’s heinie gets more daily attention and loving care than any other body part, demanding the biggest array of products (diapers, wipes, lotions, rash cream). My Royal Heinie™ is a snappy little organizer to take all of those products to go.

The ads claim that the bag can hold six diapers and a large stack of wipes (we found this to be true although it leaves little extra room to store items in the side pockets). The bag’s real strength is in the details. There’s an easy-to-reach front location of the wipes dispenser—really handy since wipes can be used for things other than heinies, such as wiping down a shopping cart handle or toilet seat. The dispenser does a pretty good job of retaining the moisture of the wipes. One mesh inner pocket and a zippered outer pocket can hold creams, a cell phone, and other small items (depending on how stuffed it already is with diapers!). The wristlet handle smartly unsnaps and lengthens to convert to a shoulder bag. There’s even a keychain attachment to hold a small bottle of sanitizer.

It’s made of polyester duck, a lightweight durable fabric that’s stain and water-resistant and machine washable. They come in a variety of patterns with mod names like “Miami Juice” and “Chocolate Kiss.” Matching diaper changing pads are available for $8.

Each bag is pretty pricey at $38 but it’s a good-looking, functional product and after your baby has outgrown diapers, you can use it as a regular bag or give it to an expecting friend who’d probably welcome it as a hand-me-down. My Royal Heinies™ are available at high-end stores in 12 states and Canada or online at www.myroyalheinie.com.