Clever Parents just loves a good parentrepreneur story.

Last year, Clever Parents featured Monkey Toes and their adorable animal and insect themed footwear line by single mom of two, Jenny Chism. (See the review.)

When Oprah interviewed Tom Cruise in the now infamous Telluride visit, the first part of the program showed Oprah walking into his home, picking up a cute pair of mini-fashionista Suri’s ladybug mary janes and saying how adorable they are. As you can imagine, Monkey Toes jumped into the limelight and sales soared as people flocked to find Suri’s ladybug shoes on Oprah. Hooray for Jenny!

If you missed the show, you can see it tomorrow – December 12th (look here for local listings). Use code OSURI08 and receive $5 off your purchase. Happy shopping.

Looking for a fun Santa experience for your children? Avoid the sitting on laps of strangers dressed in red and opt for a phone call from Santa Speaking.

Created by mother of three Anne Gaskell, Santa Speaking offers personalized live phone calls with Santa Claus. Spurred on by the observation that the happy experience parents hope for with a ’sit on the knee Santa experience’ doesn’t always happen, Anne wanted to offer more of a Miracle on 34th Street option.

An easy to fill out form allows you to offer details about your child to create a custom experience. So the Santa Speaking Santa Claus knows what your children want for Christmas, their favorite toys and books, their siblings’ names and whether they’ve been bad or good. Santa can even offer areas for improvement, such as telling your child that they need to remember to pick up their room or to try not to be so bossy to their brother.

Choose from a single (a 3-5 minute call ideal for one child) or an extended call (best for more than 1 child) and if you choose, receive an MP3 or a CD of the recording.

The excitement in our house was palpable while waiting for Santa’s call; Henry could hardly contain himself. And when the call came, I was truly impressed by the realistic and jolly voice on the other end who was able to get Henry talking – even pulling a Jingle Bells serenade out of my child who does not like to perform on demand. After the call, Henry kept remembering different things that Santa told him. ‘Oh! We need to remember to leave milk and cookies for Santa and a carrot for the reindeer!’ It was just the type of experience I was hoping for.

Visit Santa Speaking at www.santaspeaking.com

A trip to visit Santa is typically something that typically plays out better in your mind’s eye than in reality. Between mall traffic, long lines, screaming kids and coughing patrons the trip can be more stressful than sweet. What’s more, your child senses your own stress and anticipation and often will act out or decide that the big burly bearded fellow with the not so white gloves is a little more scary than jolly.

Enter MakeBeliever, a multimedia company that allows people to create personalized online video greetings with real life characters. And since it ’tis the season, the online video greeting of choice for its business launch (conveniently timed with this holiday season) is with Santa himself.

The brainchild of longtime friends and entrepreneurs Ted Taggart and David Wallace, MakeBeliever aims to fill a gap in the online greeting business, which Ted and Dave say lacks personalization and the ability to create individualized content.

So how does it work? Pick the V-greeting of your choice, type out what you’d like the greeting to say, then enter the name and email of the recipient and when you’d like the message to be delivered. You’ll also receive a copy of the greeting so you can view the finished product.

V-greetings include naughty or nice V-greetings for friends, colleagues, spouses, family and, of course, for children. What’s more? It costs about the same amount as a regular greeting card. So get clever this year. Give your child a personalized Santa message online and send a few Clever V-greetings for the ones you love.

Visit MakeBeliever at www.makebeliever.com

“The day you were born was a dream come true. It began the lifetime adventure of incredible YOU.” So starts the fun, sentimental, custom keepsake book titled The First Adventures of Incredible You. Through beautiful illustrations and a story that is a joy to read with its rhyming words and gentle cadence, you and your child will fall in love with this book.

Written by Sarah Riley Headrick and Sarah Foreman Rivera, two friends who met through a suburban playgroup when their first-borns were six months old, the two Sarahs quickly became experts in giving and receiving gifts for babies and young children. “We found the gifts that we most enjoyed giving and receiving were somehow personalized and had special meaning for the recipient’s family.”

Made custom by answering about 20 questions such as your child’s name, birth date, friends names and favorite park, The First Adventures of Incredible You cleverly and seamlessly inserts the personalized details of your child’s life while maintaining the rhyming, fun nature of the book.

A wonderful gift for girls and boys, biological and adopted children, children of all races and nationalities, for newborns, toddlers, preschoolers through third graders, The First Adventures of Incredible You is a Clever Parents favorite. Buy this hardcover book as a holiday gift, a birthday present, a baby shower or just because.

Use code cp10 for 10% off your purchase from now through December 15th. Purchase by December 7th (standard shipping) or December 15th (expedited shipping) for Christmas delivery. Learn more and buy the book at www.custommadeforkids.com

First it was Spanx, a nylon solution created by the Sara Blakely and adored by Oprah to smooth out rear ends across the nation. Now, two fashion-savvy northern California moms have solved another fashion faux pas: the exposed derriere.

Whether it is the backpack toting teen, a bright pink thong peeking out of her low-rise jeans or the young mother bending over to pick up her toddler, most would agree that “southern exposure” is a growing problem.

Best friends Christine Meeks and Kelly DeSerpa have created a solution that has created such Internet buzz it has been dubbed “the holiday must-have and must-give” by bloggers across cysperspace.

The Salinas, California mothers are the minds behind Hip-T. I stumbled across Hip-T when surfing the web and was immediately intrigued. It seem sometimes as if clothing manufacturers don’t realize that moms need jeans that will *ahem* keep us covered when we’re swooping down to pick up a carseat or give a two year-old a hug.

As a mother and an entrepreneur, I love it when I can say I use and adore a product made my another parentrepreneur.

Similar to a tube top, the Hip-T is a snug, surprisingly stylish cotton garment worn around the hips. It covers any backside pop-ups while giving the wearer a layered look without the bulk of an additional long tank.

“There’s nothing else like this out there,” said DeSerpa, “It’s such a new concept.”

Women have been flocking to the site to buy Hip-T’s not only for themselves, but for their daughters.

Meeks and DeSerpa understand why: they have teenage daughters of their own.

“They wear them all the time,” DeSerpa said. “They’re our biggest supporters.”

It’s impossible to tell if a woman is wearing a Hip-T; the end result appears to be an extra fitted t-shirt or tank. I’m giving out Hip-T’s to my cousins and friends this year. I can’t wait for them to see the cute packaging and even cuter product.

Here’s to bending over!

You can find Hip-T’s online and in retail stores in the Bay Area. www.myhip-t.com

If you know of any great, undiscovered products by parent entrepreneurs, leave me a comment and I’ll write about it!

How many times have you tended to a child’s scraped knee or bug bite at the park without the convenience of bandaids or ointment? Thanks to Richelle Nassos, founder of Me4Kidz and the original Medibag kid-friendly first aid kit, you can clean up cuts and bites easily by keeping Medibuddy in your diaper bag, purse or stroller.

Packaged in a small, colorful plastic container measuring 6″ x 2″ x 2″, the Medibuddy punches above its fighting weight by including 40 kid-friendly, latex-free first aid items to help ease your child’s pain.

Including 15 brightly colored crayon bandages, a 3″ knee and elbow bandage, a sting relief pad, gauze pads, antiseptic (sting-free) wipes, burn relief cream, antibiotic ointments and kid-friendly fun stickers, the Medibuddy is definitely a Clever Parents must-have! The Medibuddy eases your own pain by being quite reasonably priced at $9.95 for a package of two.

Learn more about the Medibuddy and buy here.

Read the Clever Parents feature on the original Medibag first aid kit.

swad·dle: to wrap (an infant) with swaddling clothes; envelop, swathe

As a nurse, Lynette knew of many reasons why swaddling is important, yet she discovered that often people did not know how to swaddle effectively, couldn’t remember how to swaddle, or simply did not have the right kind of blanket to bundle their babies.

“When I shopped for blankets for my friends and family, I wasn’t satisfied,” says Lynette. “The blankets were too small, not the right shape, not the right material, too fancy, too slippery or too thick.” So, the mother of two young children took her own knowledge of all things swaddle and created her own.

The Ultimate Receiving Blanket is a large (42″ x 42″) preshrunk cotton flannel blanket perfect for swaddling, as a privacy throw for nursing, for tummy time or for tucking around your baby in the stroller or car seat. With several hip designs including a unique decorative edge and a clever swaddle tip tag sewn into the blanket, it is definitely a Clever Parents favorite. Pick up a few, they’ll become your favorite everyday blanket for baby. Coordinating Burpies and super-soft Lovies available from the Swaddle Designs site, too.

www.swaddledesigns.com

Looking for something to keep your children silently occupied in the doctor’s office, at restaurants, on the airplane and in the car? Clever Parents recommends the Peek-A-Boo bag, a 6.5″ square stuffed bean bag featuring courdoroy fabric on one side and a see-through vinyl window on the other.

Simply squeeze, shake and search for a host of fun items hiding among the white beads. A ballerina, butterfly, sea horse, flower and teddy bear are just a few of the thirty or so items found in the Girl bag. (An attached fabric tag lists all of the hidden treasures included in the bag.)

“We wanted to make a product that would provide the peace and quiet all mothers crave,” say mom inventors Marcella Shumway and Teresa Hammond who also wanted the product to be educational and fun.

Styles are available in Girl, Boy and ABC. Learn more and buy at www.mytoysmart.com

What child doesn’t love a fort? A blanket spread across a couple of chairs or a bush in the backyard is transformed into a play wonderland whose only constraints are a child’s imagination. As a parent helping a child put together his or her dream world, you may at times have been frustrated by the too heavy blanket that makes the chair topple over or the wind that carries the sheet away again and again. Or perhaps
you’ve leaned towards the pre-made fort options with their tents and attaching tunnels only to find the setup too long, the space lost in a room too great, the durability of the fort too weak and the opportunity for creative play too limited. Have no fear – Fortamajig is here!

Fortamajig is an 8′ x 8′ colorful, lightweight tarp designed for children to easily create their own forts. Using the adjustable Velcro loops around its interior and exterior edges, children simply attach Fortamajig to chairs, stair rails, door knobs, curtain rods, fence posts and tree branches to create their own spaces. Put a book or a shoe in the corner pockets to stabilize the structure or open a window in the Fortamajig to create a skylight.

Clever Parents loves the Fortamajig because it’s easy to use, it’s fun, it offers limitless opportunities for open-ended creative play and when play time is over, it folds up neatly into a bag. Pretty clever, huh?

Learn more and buy at www.fortamajig.com

Are you forever on a quest to find for unique clothing for your child to fit her free spirit? Do you find yourself drawn to vintage, whimsical and brightly colored looks in the finest fabrics? Are heirloom quality and craftsmanship an important part of what you look for in clothing? If so, Heather Flottmann, designer and owner of Liliputians NYC has a treat in store for you.

Inspired by the birth of her daughter in 2004, Liliputians NYC is not your ordinary children’s clothing store. A hip, indie clothing label from NYC, Liliputians specializes in custom, boutique style children’s clothes. At Liliputians NYC you can find special every day looks, holiday outfits, mommy and me sets and adorable birthday wear. Liliputions also loves Frida Kahlo and has several Frida inspired clothing designs for your little budding artist.

Clever Parents favorites include the birthday shirts (in boys and girls styles), which are fun, one-of-a-kind creations to debut on your child’s big day, then to wear again and again as a proud testament to your child’s new age. We also love the Lil’ Cupcake faux suede mod mini dress for girls and the two piece Mod Zoo Animals pants set for boys.

Learn more and shop at www.liliputians-nyc.com

Looking for a fun and stylish bag to carry your essentials, whatever they may be? Lexie Barnes has you covered. With a collection ranging from laptop bags, gym and diaper carryalls to knitting, craft and yoga totes, if you have something to carry, Lexie Barnes has a chic way to tote it. Plus, all of her bags are water resistent and easy-to-clean – a requirement for Clever Parents who are never too far from a set or two of sticky fingers.

The Superstar courier bag is great for the gym, diapers or travel and boasts loads of room with five interior organizational pockets and a hidden quick access key or phone pocket. Too big for your taste? Try the slightly smaller Darling or the Gem, which are perfectly sized for running around town with a couple of diapers, some wipes, your cell phone, wallet and keys.

If you’re on the job, you’ll make a statement with the Echo laptop case. Offered in three fabric options and sizes, your laptop will fit perfectly whether you’re carting a 12″ widescreen PC or a 17″ MacBook Pro and you’ll still have room for your peripherals and a copy of Wired.

Crafty types love the stylish knitting totes and the Betty (for straight needles) and the Kitty (for circulars) are sure to bring back knitting cool. When it’s time for a little Downward Dog, grab your Mariposa yoga bag and bend in style.

Pick your favorite bag and fabric and shop away at www.lexiebarnes.com

Did you know that it takes approximately 1,000 years for a single plastic grocery bag to biodegrade in a landfill?

Here’s an easy way to help the environment and send a gentle message in the process. Pick up a few heavy duty canvas ‘Paper, Plastic or ME?’ re-useable bags and help do your part the next time you’re grocery shopping. The bags measure 16″ high by 18″ wide and hold approximately as much food items as three regular sized plastic grocery bags.

Ellen and Michael McNeil became interested in conservation when gasoline prices skyrocketed in mid 2006. “Rather than complain about it we decided to do some research on what impacts gas prices,” says Ellen. “We found the topics of energy, global warming, and conservation so compelling that we decided to take action. We created a website, www.NRGawareness.org, as our way of raising National, Regional, and Global (NRG) awareness of conservation issues.”

The duo went on to design an apparel line including sweatshirts, polo shirts, tee shirts, caps, and patches to help adults spread the word about NRG Awareness and conservation. And as ideas tend to spawn more ideas and action, the thought of teaching conservation habits at an early age – even before kindergarten – came to mind. “Our research showed that conservation is a topic of conversation on Earth Day or Arbor Day, but not many more,” says Ellen. “We believe that’s really not enough for the conservation message to get through.”

MyConservationBaby.com was born as a way to educate future conservationists to see the value of conservation and being eco-conscious. Find Paper, Plastic or ME? bags at My Conservation Baby along with a full line of onesie gift sets silk screened with conservation-inspired messages – available in regular and 100% organic cotton, of course.

There’s even a line of conservation wear for Fido, so be sure to check out all the goods at www.myconservationbaby.com

Watch the Clever Parents TV Vidcast Episode #34 featuring My Conservation Baby.

Frustrated by the lack of healthy, good tasting prepared snacks for their kids, Mark and Maureen Hotchkiss started experimenting with energy bar recipes in their own kitchen to come up with something to send in with their kids’ school lunches. Finding a winning recipe in their ‘Propeller Bar’ recipe, the Hotchkisses branched out and whipped up healthy and good tasting options for more of their favorite baked goods. “We then began experimenting with other favorite baked goods like chocolate chip cookies, brownies, oatmeal raisin cookies, sugar cookies, banana bread and even pancakes,” say the Hotchkisses. “We kept at it until we came up with tastes and textures our kids liked while maintaining the nutrition and health goals we were after.”

An unexpected side-note from the experiments? Mark and Maureen’s children and their taste-tester friends loved to measure, pour, mix, set the timer, clean up and – not-so-surprisingly – eat their creations. Realizing there was a business in all of this, Kids Central Kitchen was born. Made of whole grains and lower in fat and sugar than traditional baking mixes, Kids Central Kitchen mixes contain no trans fats, hydrogenated oils, refined sugars, high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, artificial flavors or preservatives.

Some of the delicious options include oatmeal raisin, chocolate chocolate chip and sugar cookie mixes, chocolate brownie, banana bread, flip flop flapjacks mix and the original Propeller Bar energy bar mix that ignited the Kids Central Kitchen spark. Also available on the Kids Central Kitchen website: mixing bowls, smiley face mixing spoons, pancake rings in fun shapes, measuring cups and spoons and kids’ sized wooden kitchen tools.

Clever Parents faves include the Dinosaur Cookie Kit, the Rise & Shine Breakfast kit and Homerun Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Mix.

Get 10% off your first order with code ‘CLEVER’ and receive free shipping on orders over $50. Learn more at www.kidscentralkitchen.com

Watch Clever Parents TV Vidcast #33 to see the feature on Kids Central Kitchen.

Watch Geralin Thomas of Metropolitan Organizing share tips for saying no to the constant stream of requests for your time without burning bridges. The Danger Rangers make safety a fun topic for kids. Plus, Kids Central Kitchen makes healthy and delicious snacks for kids that they can make!

See Vidcast #33 on Clever Parents TV.

• Visit the OH! Organizing Hints column on Clever Parents
• Visit the Metropolitan Organizing website at www.metropolitanorganizing.com
• Visit the Danger Rangers website at www.dangerrangers.com
• Visit Kids Central Kitchen at www.kidscentralkitchen.com and use code CLEVER for 10% off your first order. Free shipping for orders $50 or more

NOTE: This video is a large file so we can bring you better quality sound and visuals. If your computer is not on a fast connection or if the video ‘hangs up’ when you attempt to watch it, view a lesser quality option of the video here.

See Vidcast #33 on Clever Parents TV.

Twenty seven years ago new mom Sallie Broach started a clothing business out of her home. With a couple of sewing machines and herself a skilled seamstress, she designed each season’s collection, cut the fabric, did much of the sewing and all of the applique work with the help of one assistant. The result? Beautiful, classic and custom children’s clothing.

The backbone of the company, Just Ducky Originals, was then and continues to be the home show division. “We were possibly the first children’s home show company,” says Sallie. “Now there are lots of competitors, but in 1980 it was a fairly novel idea for children’s clothing.”

One of the big differences between Just Ducky Originals and other home shows is in the design. Although sample garments are sent out to the home shows to give prospective buyers an idea of the line, customers can change anything on the garment to “make it their own.” By picking from 30 garment styles and 25 seasonal fabrics, plus current embroideries and monograms, customers truly create their own special look.

Once orders are received, production begins. “These garments are truly unique; in fact, we often like the items (the customers) design better than the ones we ourselves put in the sample trunks,” says Sallie. “Our hostesses are very good at helping their customers envision how something will look in a different fabric with a design other than the one we sampled. No one else allows that much freedom. And that’s why we have our own factory with our own seamstresses. This work cannot be done off shore!”

Twice a year, 300 home shows are held across the nation (between July and October for the Fall/Winter line and between January and March for the Spring/Summer line).

To find a home show near you, fill out a form on their website to be contacted by a hostess near you.

Interested in becoming a hostess? Fill out an application here.

Rather shop online? Visit www.justduckyoriginals.com and shop away.

When she was expecting her first child, Lara Frankovitch searched for the perfect baby book to record her little one’s milestones and stories. Finding none that fit the bill, and being in the nesting phase of pregnancy, Lara decided to create her own way to capture her son’s stories. Using notecards to record the major milestones as well as the little things that make each day special, Tiny Tales was born.

The Baby Tales kit makes it easy to effortlessly capture all of baby’s firsts. The kit includes two pads of 4×6 notecards (25 sheets per pad) categorized by type of story and four dividers to organize by three month increments of baby’s first year. The categories on the notecards include: ‘today i did something… for the first time, hilarious, amazing, so sweet, that embarrassed my parents, maddening, wonderful or other.’ Simply check the type of story and fill in the date and details.

The kit is attractively contained in an acryllic box that fits nicely on the kitchen counter or the bedside table next to the rocker in baby’s room. Clever Tip: file a picture with the story and at the end of the year you have all of the tools to easily create your own baby book!

Maybe you’re super organized already and have your own categories in mind? Let Tiny Tales know and they’ll create a custom Personalized Tales kit with your own specific categories. The kits also come in Toddler Tales, for post-baby stage milestones and story recording.

Watch the Clever Parents TV vidcast feature on Tiny Tales.

Learn more and buy your Baby Tales kit at www.tiny-tales.com

Clever Parents loves Beyond Learning’s Word Chase and Number Hunt games. For ages 4 and up, these games offer a fun way to introduce reading and math into your curious preschoolers’ and kindergarteners’ worlds. Plus, Clever Parents TV Video Correspondent Sara Holliday demonstrates some mom and baby toning exercises and a clever way to record your baby’s stories from his first year.

See Vidcast #32 on Clever Parents TV.

• A Clever, Eco-Friendly Reading-Readiness Board Game for Young Children: Word Chase!
• Learn more about Word Chase and Number Hunt and buy them at Beyond Learning
• Read the Fit By Sara column written by Sara Holliday on Clever Parents
• Visit Tiny Tales at www.tiny-tales.com

See Vidcast #32 on Clever Parents TV.

Looking for a clever and environmentally sound way to make learning the letters of the alphabet fun for your kids? Pick up an alphabet tee or two from bioME 5, an eco-friendly apparel company focused on using fashion as a tool for learning. bioME 5, which takes its inspiration from the earth’s biomes, produces a line of 100% organic alphabet tees each emblazoned with a single letter, superimposed with a wild animal representing the letter (’B’ for bear, ‘J’ for jaguar, ‘O’ for octopus…). The animal name is cleverly printed upside-down below the larger letter on the shirt, giving the child wearing the shirt the best vantage point for reading.

The shirts are tagless and pre-shrunk; online orders are packaged and shipped in ‘green film’ biodegradable plastic bags that take only nine months to biodegrade.

The website alone is worth a visit. Simply click on one of the letters of the alphabet and listen to the museum-quality animal sound representing each of the 26 featured animals. Check out the Links area for a list of environment-friendly websites.

Use coupon code 07CP02 for $5 off any Alphabet Animal tee and free shipping from now until September 9, 2007. Learn more at www.bioME5.com

See vidcast #31 featuring bioME 5 animal alphabet tees on Clever Parents TV.

Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep and can’t tell where to find them; if only Little Bo Peep knew about Little Bow Peep, her hair wouldn’t have blocked her view to her now lost sheep.

The brain child of mom of four, Carol Edwards, Little Bow Peep offers unique, beautiful, hand-made hair accessories of any color, design and style that you can possibly imagine. Carol designs all of the products which are then hand-made by stay-at-home moms in Raleigh, North Carolina.

For little girls with or without little curls, Little Bow Peep has something for every little princess who is looking for more of a “big girl” look for their hair. Fairy “Tails”, hair bands with streamer like ribbons attached, accessorize without a hair bow and tuxedo style barrettes, headbands and boutique style hair bows offer a more classic, old fashioned look.

Choose from polka dots, stripes and solids in so many different options it will make your head spin.

The product line also features an entire ‘Made to Match’ series for Gymboree, Chez Ami (Patsy Aiken), Gap, Kelly’s Kids, Orient Expressed and American Girl.

Still can’t find exactly what you want? Design your own custom look.

Learn more and shop away at www.LittleBowPeepTails.com

Problem: Your baby loves to swing, but you’re less than thrilled about the hygienically challenged swing at the park – especially during fall when germs seem to descend on all people three feet and under. Problem solved: No more worries about carting around the Purell and wipes to clean off bucket swings, The Swing Scarf has you – and the swing – covered.

The Swing Scarf is the clever invention of Dottie Foley, a Clever Parent of two young children. “The very first time I put my daughter into a park swing, she leaned over and put her cute little mouth all over the front of the swing,” says Dottie. “YUCK was all I could think and then I thought, I need something to put over the swing to keep her from the germs and dirt on the swing.” Dottie looked for a product that covered the swing nicely and also easily fit into a diaper bag. Finding none, she decided to design her own and The Swing Scarf was born.

Recommended for babies 5 months old to toddlers two years of age, The (patent-pending) Swing Scarf is a large rectangular piece of fabric with leg holes sewn in the middle. Simply place the reversible cover into the swing, line up the leg holes of the fabric with the leg holes of the swing, fold the excess fabric over the sides, and you’re all set for baby to swing germ-free! Plus, The Swing Scarf comes with a wrap-around band in the matching fabric so you can fold it up and store it without taking up all of the room in your diaper bag.

Pick from 22 cute fabrics and buy yours at www.theswingscarf.com