What do you look for in a kid’s backpack?

How often when you pick out a backpack (or lunch box) for your child do you both like the same one?

If you’re like most, you’re lucky to find some combination of function and style – either a style you like or one your child does – and that’s about it.

Then, adding insult to injury, the bag ends up getting dragged around, straps flailing, and by the time the holidays hit that ‘back-to-school’ backpack is ready to be replaced.

Next time, try a Dabbawalla.

The brainchild of sisters Susan Givens and Carol Mack, Dabbawalla, an Indian name for the men who bring lunch boxes to offices, was created out of a frustration by the lack of functional and appropriately sized bags for children.

“You’ll find no cartoon characters or action figures, no utilitarian oversized styles that mimic adult packs – just simple, colorful designs that kids of all ages can relate to,” says co-founder Susan Givens.

Dabbawalla Bags (both Backpacks and Lunch Bags) are made of neoprene – the same material as wet suits – which is free of PVC, lead and other bad chemicals.

The bags feature simple, bright, fun designs on an easy-to-clean sack that both you and your child will love. The clever bags adjust on the inside, so no more problems with dangling straps.

The size is also perfect for a preschooler or early elementary aged child – the child actually wears the backpack rather than the other way around. And, since the bags are made of neoprene, they come out looking new each time you throw them in the wash.

Learn more and buy online at www.dabbawallabags.com

Imagine your child’s life being put at risk by something you bought to protect her. That’s exactly what happened to George DeCell.

Those outlet plugs you have all over your house in the name of child-proofing? Turns out they could do more harm than good.

After George removed an outlet plug in order to vacuum the house, his one year old daughter Sage reached onto the kitchen table and grabbed it. “When I turned around she was on the floor unable to breath,” says George who then saved his daughter’s life. “It
took less than a minute for this to happen.”

George was so outraged that a product sold to protect children could harm them he has spent more than four years fighting to remove the standard sized plugs from the market to ensure that another child is not injured. What’s more, George also designed a patent-pending safe solution: SafetyCaps.

Whereas standard small outlet plugs measure 1 3/8 inches wide, SafetyCaps measure 2 1/4 inches and include air holes inspired by the US government’s pacifier anti-choking recommendations.

And for about $10 for a whole-house solution, this purchase is a no-brainer. Learn more and buy at www.safetycaps.com

Like most parents, sisters Laura and Julie struggled to find a healthy balance between all of their commitments, family and ‘me’ time. Bogged down with the stress of too much to do and not enough time to do it, these two moms with six children between them sought out to simplify their lives.

From their fast-past lives, an idea was born to launch a company focused around products that make life easier for women. Product #1? The Azula, a stylish neoprene mat you place at the edge of the pool so that your bathing suit doesn’t snag when you sit poolside.

Whether you’re sporting a $20 Target special or the hottest find (splurge!) from vivre, suits with snags look unattractive. The Azula solves the snag problem for you. Plus, it’s easy to add to the pool or beach bag (sand doesn’t stick to it!), simply roll and tie it.

Visit www.myazula.com to learn more and buy.

Now that summer is in full swing, taking baby outside brings on a new challenge: protecting him from the sun.

The clever folks at Secure2Me have a great solution that doesn’t involve applying lots of sunscreen.

The Secure2Me Eclipse blanket is made of double-layered Solarveil breathable, sheer fabric that blocks 95% of the sun’s harmful rays. The Eclipse has four clips, one on each corner, so it’s a cinch to cover car seats, strollers, baby carriers or joggers. The breathable fabric ensures that baby stays cool and you can rest easy and focus on having fun in the sun!

Learn more and buy on the Secure2Me site.

Five years ago, two moms, Amy and Michelle, were chatting over dinner and laughing about balancing family, friends and work while keeping their sanity intact. Michelle’s designer diaper bag had milk stains all over it and receipts and diapers were falling out all over the restaurant floor.

Wanting something that looked good and matched her personality, Michelle had purchased the bag only weeks before when her attempts to find a stylish bag that also functioned well came to a halt. “I was not willing to give up my identity and style just because I had a baby,” says Michelle.

The conversation eventually moved to baby bags and how the contents of their diaper bags were a reflection of their lives: keys, diapers, day-planner, crumpled receipts, cell phones, cracker crumbs. Their diaper bags were not only a collection of baby items, but of items typically stored in their purses.

In an effort to streamline, the women found that their diaper bags had replaced their purses and briefcases as a catch-all for everything that needed carrying.

The baby bag discussion turned towards products. Amy, a product marketer, and Michelle, a working mom, lamented that diaper bags typically fell into two categories: functional or stylish (and ne’er the twain shall meet). So, a few cocktail napkin sketches later and the design for the first Amy Michelle bag was underway: stylish, functional, and made for both baby and mom.

“The bag had to transfer from work to school to play dates to a night out because today’s mom does not have time to change her bag each time she changes where she is going, ” says Michelle. “We actually went to a purse-manufacturing factory to have our bags sewn so that they resemble purses more than diaper bags.”

Fast forward to today and the Amy Michelle product line-up consists of eight different styles (grouped into Classic Baby Bags, Chic Baby Bags and Street Baby Totes) each of which contain a section for baby and – hooray – a section for mom.

The baby section of each bag contains a washable changing pad, internal and external bottle pockets, compartments for diapers and wipes, a stroller attachment and a quick release pacifier holder. The mom section has credit card/ID slots, a large compartment for typical purse contents and an easy to find key ring.

The best part about these bags is that they combine function with style without giving up their utility as a diaper bag. Baby or not, many of the bags (and definitely Clever Parents favorite Sweet Pea in red patent pictured above) easily doubles as a chic weekender. Now that’s clever.

Learn more about the Amy Michelle line and where to find them at www.amymichellebags.com

Meet Kimberly Naranjo (pictured right) of Evolve Studio. Mother of two, business owner, artist, photographer and founder of a non-profit. Kimberly’s specialty is ‘lifestyle phography’: photos taken in her clients’ homes and other spaces where they spend their quality time. Her goal is to “capture and make the ordinary beautiful” by finding those times people want to remember and “make what seems ordinary into beautiful art.”

Using digital photography, which gives the artist final control over the image, Kimberly creates photographs that are not just captured still moments, but are “carefully orchestrated beautifully composed renderings of those memories that will far outlast what it is depicting.”

Kimberly, who photographs people of all ages and in all stages of life, especially enjoys being a part of capturing new life. “As an artist what I feel most drawn toward and connected with at this time in my life, is the joy in sharing with new parents the birth of their babies,” says Kimberly. “I enjoy focusing much of my time on my new package From Birth to Birthday where I start photographing a newborn within the first seven days and then for every milestone there after until the first birthday. Then, I enjoy photographing the same children throughout their lives, giving the families wonderful non-traditional portraits that they can love and that go well in their homes.”

It follows quite naturally that Kimberly’s tip for non-professionals who photograph children is simply to take pictures often, to not make them smile and to simply capture them being who they are doing what they love.

Whether the photographs are of people or of places (you can see some of her limited edition art prints for sale at www.evolvelove.etsy.com), Kimberly’s passion for her work is clear in the images she creates.

“I thank God everyday for the privilege to be allowed into the lives of others and get to experience some of the most joyful moments they could feel. It is all about moments they want to remember, and in turn I have the privilege to provide for them artistic treasures that that they can cherish and remember forever. It is honestly a pure joy. I usually stay with my clients and their families and photograph them throughout the years, and I grow to sincerely care for them and their lives more and more.”

Remember My Love
Another passion of Kimberly’s is her new non-profit organization, Remember My Love. Founded in honor of Kimberly’s mother, Julia Ann, who died when Kimberly was a young child, Remember My Love was designed to bless families that are currently fighting cancer with beautiful photographs capturing the emotion and love that they have for their families and the relationships they share and hold so dear to their hearts. Learn more at www.remembermyloveproject.blogspot.com

Evolve Studio Special: Mention this article to receive a matted 8×12 signature print with your first session.

Learn more about Kimberly and her work at www.evolvestudiophoto.com

It’s easy to pop in a DVD when you need to get dinner made or fold another load of clothes without “help” from your toddler. And if you’re like me, you’ve noticed it’s rare that you will find a DVD that doesn’t just require your child to sit on the couch.

Tot-a-doodle-do has created entire kits that include education DVDs and a fun hands-on activity for your kids. We got the Animal set which included the 30 minute DVD and a craft kit with everything we needed to make animal masks.

The DVD walks your child through the mask making step-by-step. It also includes other sections like Hop-n-Bop that encourage movement and hand-eye coordination. SuperSnack shows your child how to make a fun, creative snack that makes healthy eating fun.

I found the DVD to be a little dry and forced but the craft portion of the set is fantastic. They give you everything you need right down to the scissors and a bottle of glue. My two-year-old made the sheep mask while my four-year-old made the rabbit. The kit is for ages 3-7 and I would recommend it for the older end of that range. My husband and I had to pretty much do everything for my kids. They certainly enjoyed the project, but it wasn’t as hands on for them as it would’ve been for an older child.

The masks are a huge hit and we were woken up this morning to a rabbit and sheep parading around our bedroom. It’s given our daughters’ imagination a spark of creativity that has encouraged other conversations like why do sheep have wool, and what else do rabbits eat besides carrots.

The craft and DVD kits would be a perfect birthday gift and certainly offer an escape from the same old, same old things that keep piling up in toy boxes everywhere.

www.totadoodledo.com

My four-year-old daughter is a ballet school dropout. After just one eight week course at our local community center she decided the life of a ballerina was not for her. Despite not wanting to pursue ballet as a hobby she continues to be fascinated by the art form.

There aren’t many DVDs out there about ballet that are made for young children. I recently came across Prima Princessa. It’s a 40 minute DVD that combines a performance of Swan Lake by the Paris Opera Ballet with ballet instruction from students at the School of American Ballet.

My daughters (two and four) were enthralled with this production. Prima Princessa narrates the selections from Swan Lake which are thrilling to the eye. The lavish costumes of the ballet combined with the music had my daughters dancing and leaping around. Swan Lake is broken down into a few simple acts that make the storyline easy to follow for young viewers.

In between trips to the ballet we learn simple ballet steps from the students at the School of American Ballet. The younger students give your child a great way to relate to the steps and get moving.

I found this to be a great DVD and was surprised to learn it was created by two moms without any film-making experience. It is a quality show that your kids will love to watch again and again. I think the DVD could spawn a fun sleepover or birthday party where everyone involved can get up and experience the true beauty and art of ballet.

www.Primaprincessa.com

Looking for a comfortable and luxurious way to put your baby to bed? We have reviewed our fair share of wearable blankets and swaddlers for baby’s sleepy-time. So when we heard about Babybonkies and Bonkiebags, we figured we knew what they were all about. Boy were we wrong.

The Bonkiebag, a high-end wearable blanket, is the Cadillac of wearable blankets. Designed in an array of beautiful patterns with a unique Velcro closure in front that stays in place wash after wash, this is one baby item you are sure to use again and again.

The best part about Bonkiebags is the super-soft Minkee chenille (exterior and lining) they are made of. So many swaddlers and wearable blankets gradually lose their texture over time, hardening through the wash and dry process. The Bonkiebag material, however, maintains its texture like no other we have reviewed.

So next time you are in the market for a shower gift (or if you’d like one for your own little one), pick up a Bonkiebag. Also worth noting, Baybonkies for the infant swaddle set in an array of fabulous designs and super soft linings.

Clever Tip: When washing, make sure you close the Velcro strip fully; dry Bonkiebag on low and remove promptly.

Learn more at www.babybonkie.com – the Teddy (pictured above and a Clever Parents favorite), Tally, Daisy and Hicks styles as well as the Sherpa will be available for purchase next week at www.kustumkribs.com

A Clever Parents reader tipped us off to this fabulous find: Fabkins, the brainchild of two friends and moms who wanted to offer kids a fun and easy way to be a part of saving the environment.

Joyce Raffo and Paige Rodgers had a hard time finding cloth napkins that weren’t too formal or too big for their childrens’ lunchboxes, so they created super cute cloth napkins with fun embroidered designs to make lunchboxes fun and paper-free!

Fabkins are adorable, reusable, washable and eco-friendly, they pass the “cute” and “cool” test, slip easily into lunchboxes and meet the goal of trashless lunches.

Available in an array of bright colors and playful designs, Fabkins come in themed packs of five – one for each day of the week. Choose from Garden Friends, Fruit Salad, Beach Bound, African Safari, Prima Ballerina and Sports Fan.

Learn more and buy at www.fabkins.com

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, why not pick up a little something for your littlest Valentine in the form of a hand sewn heart appliqué on a cute little baby tee or onesie? We found just the thing for you at Little Uni.

Little Uni, the collaboration of longtime friends Julie Crosson and Andrea Needleman, carries a hip line of baby tees, onesies, pants and hats adorned with hand sewn appliqués.

A departure from pink bunnies and blue sailboats, the Little Uni product line features classic animal shapes and objects in fun patterns and colors. Choose from the main line or customize the look with your child’s name, nickname or a cute saying of your choice.

Receive 25% off heart designs during the month of February. (Plus free shipping if you order *on* February 14th – Little Uni’s one year anniversary). Learn more at www.littleuni.com