The New Parents Guide Blog

You want to keep your child safe while you’re on vacation, so you plan to bring her car seat on the plane. Besides, you need it for when you reach your destination.  But those car seats are so heavy, and the thought of lugging your child, her car seat, and your carry-on bags through the airport is enough to make you think about canceling your trip altogether.

The Go-Go Kidz Travelmate was created with traveling parents in mind.  It’s like a stroller for your car seat.  Weighing only five pounds, it features a four-position telescoping handle and is compatible with most car seat models.  It folds flat for easy storage in the trunk of your car.

With the car seat securely attached to the Go-Go Kidz Travelmate, you can buckle your child in and comfortably stroll her through the airport.  You’ve got enough to carry–this takes a few things out of your hands.

BASKET OF BARGAINS

Buy 1 pair of Shoes, get 1 50% off at Target.com
Eligible items will have the following text on their product pages: “Buy One, Get One 50% Off”
Discount will appear in your shopping cart.
Valid through: March 20, 2010
Discount will be applied to the item with the lowest price. Qualifying item(s) are returnable by mail only. While supplies last.
See other Target coupons!

Free $25 bMoney Card when you buy $100 in Ralph Lauren Childrenswear at Bloomingdales.com
Gift will appear in your brown bag.
Valid through: March 24, 2010
bMoney Card(s) redeemable 3/25/10 through 4/30/2010. Applies to regularly-priced items. bMoney Cards are not valid on the purchase of gift cards and have no cash value.
See other Bloomingdale’s coupon codes!

If you’d like to win a great collection of bottles, sippy cups and more, enter our Tommee Tippee Giveaway!

Babywearing has been in the news since the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a warning late last week about the use of baby slings.

Parents who enjoy the convenience and closeness of using a baby sling can rest assured that slings are safe to use as long as they follow a few simple guidelines:

• Use extra care if your baby is a preemie, was of low birth weight, is in fragile health or has a cold or other respiratory infection.  Consult your doctor before using a sling if your baby falls into one of these categories.
• Make sure the infant’s face is not covered and is visible at all times to the sling’s wearer.
• If nursing the baby in a sling, change the baby’s position after feeding so that the baby’s head is facing up and away from the mother’s body.
• Be vigilant about frequently checking on your baby while carrying him in a sling.

All of these tips are really common sense anyway.  Stay alert to your baby’s cues and pay attention to his position when you have him in a sling.

If you’re looking for a sling or other baby carrier, we have a large selection of baby slings and soft-sided carriers to choose from.  Keep your hands free–wear your baby!

Who says you have to compromise your home décor just because you need to get a high chair for your child?  You don’t have to fill your home with primary-colored plastic and cartoon characters if that’s not your style.

Fisher-Price has introduced the Zen Collection high chair.   Its sophisticated style includes wood accents and washable leatherette and suede fabric padding in earthy colors–no “baby pink and blue” here.

But besides its great style, the Zen Collection high chair has all the quality and features you expect from Fisher-Price products.  There’s a 5-point safety harness, 3-position seat recline and an easily-removable tray insert that you can pop right into the dishwasher.  Seat height can be adjusted in 3 different positions, and the front wheels lock for extra safety.   Plus, the whole high chair folds for storage.  Without the tray, you can push the chair up to your dining table so the baby can sit with the family!

If you want your baby to dine in style, this is the high chair to get.

BASKET OF BARGAINS

TODAY AND TOMORROW ONLY!
10% off orders of $50 or more at Shop.Mattel.com
Use this link to activate the discount.
Valid through: March 17, 2010
See other Mattel Shop coupons!

50-70% off Bath Furniture at JCPenney.com
Discounts will appear on item pages.
Valid through: March 23, 2010
See other JCPenney coupon codes!

And don’t forget to enter our Tommee Tippee Giveaway–only 6 days left!

When your child starts eating table food, look out!  Your floors are never going to be the same. Suddenly you’ll need to vacuum three or four times a day to keep up with what gets dropped under the high chair.  At times, you’ll wonder if your child is managing to eat anything at all, because you’ll think you’ve found the entire meal on the floor.  We’re not even going to talk about what happens when your child starts eating in the car.

It’s good to keep a handheld vacuum around for jobs like these, or you’ll be hauling out your big, heavy upright vac all the time.  But some of those hand-vacs will barely pick up a Cheerio, and they’re not too great at getting into small spaces.

The Eureka71B has most hand-vacs beat on both counts.  It’s got a strong 5.5-amp motor, a revolving brush, stretch hose to get into those little crevices, and a 20-foot cord so you won’t have to plug it in several times to get around the whole room.   The bagless filter and dust cup are easy to clean.

And once your little mess-maker is a little older, he can handle this one himself and clean up his own crumbs.

Haven’t hit the table-food stage yet with your baby?  Then you’re in luck–we’ve teamed up with Babies R Us for a great Tommee Tippee giveaway:  a huge prize of baby-feeding products!  You’ve got one week left to enter to win!

BASKET OF BARGAINS

TODAY AND TOMORROW ONLY!
Free shipping on orders of $149.99 or more at Little Tikes
Use coupon code FRSH0309.
Valid for standard shipping.
Valid through: March 16, 2010, 11:59pm PT
Surcharges still apply. Product total must equal $149.99 or more. One promotional code per order. This offer cannot be combined with any other promotional discount code offer.
See other Little Tikes coupons!

Buy 2 pairs of Pants, get 1 50% off at FrenchToast.com
Use promo code QEJC92 during checkout.
Valid through: March 25, 2010
Promotional code cannot be combined with any other offers. Discount applies to merchandise only, and does not include embroidery services. Online only.
See other French Toast coupon codes!

Potty-training is right up there with sleeping through the night:  parents can’t wait until it happens for their child, and plenty of tears are shed in the process.

Elizabeth Pantley, a parenting expert with nine books to her credit, believes it doesn’t have to be that way.  Her book, The No-Cry Potty Training Solution, is subtitled “Gentle Ways to Help Your Child Say Good-bye to Diapers.”

Pantley’s techniques have been road-tested by real parents in a variety of situations and with children with varying temperaments.  They’ve even been used by parents of multiples, as well as working parents with limited available time.

The book includes a bonus section on childproofing your bathroom with toddler safety in mind.

This book is designed to encourage parents and offer strategies they can implement on their own with less frustration.   Pantley explores readiness cues, how to establish a realistic time frame for potty-training, and how to deal with setbacks.

If you’re getting ready to potty-train your child, you’ll want The No-Cry Potty Training Solution.  It can save your child (and you) a lot of tears!

There’s still time to enter our Tommee Tippee Giveaway!

Sure, it feels like spring outside, but that doesn’t mean that every day is a sunny day!  When you’re staring out the window at the third or fourth rainy day in a row, you’ll want to bring your family to a fun indoor activity.  If you live in the Chicago, IL area, a great place to go is the Kohl Children’s Museum in Glenview.

It’s loaded with hands-on exhibits for babies and children up to age 8.  Fully accessible and research-based, the museum provides an interactive environment for the whole family to learn together.  Take your choice of activities like Adventures in Art, Car Care, Play Libary, grocery store, Doll Day Care, Music Makers, Pet Vet and more.   Beginning Tuesday, March 16, the Eggs to Chicks exhibit will be open; children can learn all about how chickens hatch and grow.

For more fun in Illinois, check out our Illinois Travel Guide!

BASKET OF BARGAINS

15% off 2 or more Skincare products at Diapers.com
Enter promotion code MARSKIN in your shopping cart.
Valid through: March 18, 2010
You may need to log in to use this coupon. Diapers.com reserves the right to limit quantities. Valid while supplies last.
See other diapers.com coupons!

10% off orders of $100 or more at BabyAge.com
Use coupon code MAR10 in your shopping cart.
Valid through: March 19, 2010
Some restrictions may apply.
See other BabyAge coupon codes!

And don’t forget to enter our Tommee Tippee Giveaway!  Only 10 days left before the deadline!