This week at NYC’s Toy Fair Tiny Love debuted a few new products that will be definitely be popular with new parents.

The company, who is known for their bright baby mats and whimsical mobiles, introduced a machine washable supermat, a playard mobile, an animated crib toy, lots of new plush characters and a BOUNCER!

I am very excited about this whole collection.

Gossip Girl’s Kelly Rutherford and son Hermes pack up the car to head to the beach in Malibu this afternoon.

Not long before, the new mom unloaded a bunch of new gear for Baby Helena.

Kelly carries two of our favs: a Medela breast pump and a Tiny Love Playmat.

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Everything is pink at Tiny Love! This summer they will be introducing the Tiny Princess™ Collection. Moms who are looking for a couple more pink pieces for their new baby’s nursery will love this new line.

Tiny Love’s new all pink collection, comprised of the Gymini Tiny Princess™, Tiny Princess™ Mobile, Tiny Princess™ Electronic Book and Follow-Me Fiona crawling toy, is sure to make any baby girl squeal with delight.

As comprehensive as it is colorful, the toys included in the Tiny Princess™ collection address all of the developmental milestones that babies experience in their first years of life — sensory development, building cognitive and motor skills, the growth of emotional intelligence and much more.

• The Tiny Princess™ Mobile soothes baby while encouraging her cognitive, visual and hearing development. This unique mobile is designed to resemble a magical tree in a fairytale forest with lush pink flowers extending from its branches, each holding its own friendly dancing creature. Each adorable doll has their own special choreographed “dance” to engage and mesmerize baby —lulling baby into a dream filled slumber sure to end happily ever after.
• The Gymini® Tiny Princess™ offers baby a breadth of engaging and feature-rich developmental activities fit for royalty. The pink portable kick pad, with its engaging mirror and touch-sensitive effects, is a detachable, stand alone component that is as conveniently useful out in the yard, in baby’s crib or in the car as it is on the Gymini®. Fun accessories such as a pink butterfly, yellow sunshine and baby turtle dangle on the flexible overhead arches, encouraging baby to uncover a wealth of sounds, colors and textures.
• With the Tiny Princess™ Electronic Book(not shown), a multitude of fun and stimulating activities await to be discovered with the turn of every page. The Tiny Princess™ fairy wand makes the friendly storybook characters and attractive images come alive. The bright and pretty images arouse curiosity and encourage baby to touch her new book with the electronic wand, promoting her fine motor skills, cognitive abilities and emotional development.
• Follow-Me Fiona toy, is a motorized self-rolling puppy that engages baby with cheerful barking sounds and stimulates physical movement and interaction. The female version of Tiny Love’s popular, Follow-Me Fred crawling toy, this cheerful pup plays more distinct feminine musical tunes when in motion. To best serve baby’s crawling needs, Follow-Me Fiona features a multi-directional, accordion-shaped body that can be set to move in a straight line as well as in a circular motion. Parents will also be happy to know that Follow Me-Fiona comes with two speed settings to adapt to baby’s pace.

Tiny Love has always been known for their original, innovative baby toys.

This year they have introduced some products that will benefit babies while they are playing around the house or while they are out with mom and dad.

I like that each product has an element for every developmental stage and that the company’s website outlines the benefits for your baby at each stage for each toy.

This is a great resource for parents because it helps them know what things to look for when their child is playing with these and other products.

Here are our picks for 2009:

Clockwise:

• Musical Nature Stroll
• Island Stroller Set
• Sweet Island Dreams Mobile
• Music Take-Along Arch
• Nature’s Serenade Mobile

]]> http://www.growingyourbaby.com/2009/02/18/toy-fair-2009-tiny-love/feed/ 0 http://www.growingyourbaby.com/2008/08/07/study-lack-of-tummy-time-could-mean-developmental-delay-in-babies/ http://www.growingyourbaby.com/2008/08/07/study-lack-of-tummy-time-could-mean-developmental-delay-in-babies/#comments Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:07:17 +0000 Lisa http://growingyourbaby.com/2008/08/07/study-lack-of-tummy-time-could-mean-developmental-delay-in-babies/

Now the American Physical Therapy Assn. wants parents to know that position is for when they’re sleeping and unsupervised.

A national survey of 400 pediatric physical and occupational therapists by the children’s health advocacy group Pathways Awareness found that two-thirds of therapists reported increases in motor delays in infants who spend too much time on their backs.

“We have seen first-hand what the lack of tummy time can mean for a baby: developmental, cognitive, and organizational skills delays, eye-tracking problems, and behavioral issues, to name just some complications,” said association spokeswoman Judy Towne Jennings from Fairfield, Ohio, in a news release. “New parents are told of the importance of babies sleeping on their backs to avoid SIDS, but they are not always informed about the importance of tummy time.”

It’s not just when they’re asleep that babies are on their backs. What with car seats, infant carriers, strollers and swings, the new generation of babies spend much of their awake time locked into a variety of protective containers — on their backs.

Tummy Time promotes muscle development and helps avoid flat areas on the backs of heads. So regularly get the little tykes out of those convenient containers and get down on the floor with them – even if they don’t like it.
Babycenter offers these tips to help make Tummy Time more enjoyable for both parent and baby:

1. Join them on the floor – get down on their level and encourage them, talk with them, shake their rattle, make funny faces or play peekaboo.
2. Buy a few tummy time toys – invest in a tummy-time toy or gym, designed especially for babies to play with while on their belly. Some have lights, mirrors, moving pictures, music and/or squeaky toys attached.
3. Get the other kids involved – if you have other kids at home have them join you to distract the baby.
4. It’s all about timing – make sure that you baby isn’t hungry or tired when you set them down for tummy time. A just-fed baby may also be uncomfortable if you try it just after feeding

Tip: Some parents find it helpful to roll their babies over on their tummy for a little while after every diaper change. It’s easy to remember to do it, and your baby may come to expect it. Your baby may also enjoy the view, if he’s up on a changing table. Just be sure to hold on to him so he doesn’t roll off.
Some tummy time toy suggestions:

Parenting Magazine looks back at the last 20 years of innovations and lists their top 20 products. I agree with some, while other leave me thinking REALLY?

Here is the list and my thoughts:

1. Crayola Washable Markers (1987) – I like the idea of washable markers now that my son has discovered his creative side. I have a feeling I will appreciate this fab invention more in the new few years.
2. Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus Food Processor – Selling new moms on prepping their own baby food is easier when the gear they are using is efficient. While I have never used this food processor, I have heard many great things about it.
3. Boppy Pillow (1990) – I never bonded with my Boppy. My son sag when he breastfed on it and he didn’t fit on it properly when he got bigger, causing me to give up and just use a regular pillow to breastfeed.
4. Baby Trend Snap N Go (1994) – This stroller frame was definitely a great mom invention. Parents who travel with babies find this product a godsend because of its ability to act like a stroller without the bulkiness.
5. Tiny Love 3-D Gymini Activity Gym (1993) – The Gymini is definitely a product that would go in my top 20. While the first models were not as fancy a current offerings. Newer Tiny Love Activity Gyms heavily promote tummy time, which is needed now that babies are on supposed to sleep on their backs.
6. Playtex No-Spill Sippy Cup (1994) – Have one, my son loves it!
7. Medela Pump In Style (1996) – The double electric breast pump will go in history as one of the best accessory for breast feeding moms. Both sides at the same time with have to manually do anything? Need I say any more?
8. Shout Stain Remover Wipes (1996) – I have never used this product…
9. Powdered Formula Dispenser (1997) – Great idea – not necessary. I used to just bring a tupperware container with an extra scooper in it.
10. Swiffer Sweeper – Just a glorified sweeper to me. I drives me crazy that it doesn’t actually clean, it just picks up. With that being said, my husband swears by his Swiffer.
11. Liquid Band-Aid – I have never tried it
12. Portable DVD Player (2000) – Trips to Gramma house have not been the same since we got our portable DVD player. LOVE IT!!
13. SkipHop DUO Diaper Bag (2003) – The introduction of a diaper bag that can be attached the stroller handle without tipping it was definitely a huge moment for moms on the go.
14. Ergo Baby Carrier (2003) –
15. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (2003) – Hmm…has Parenting magazine never read the e-mails?
16. Fisher-Price Spacesaver High Chair (2005) – Great idea, I agree!
17. Diaper Genie II (2006) – I will never be fond of the Diaper Genie whether it is first or second edition. Parents find the refills expensive causing them to abandon the whole system. If you have ever been to a baby consignment shop, you will see hundreds of these things lined up to be sold…
18. Graco Digital Baby Monitor (2005) – I need this! I can’t tell you the number of times I ran upstairs thinking my son was crying, just to find out that the baby next door was unhappy.
19. Fisher-Price Power Plus Swing (2005) – The power swing – a great invention.
20. EasyShare V803 (2007) – Nicely priced digital cameras are definitely a great mom invention.

Related Articles:

• 7 Useless Products For Baby
• 10 Things For Baby I Couldn’t Live Without

VIA MSNBC