Summer offers great opportunity for grabbing a whole new set of items for baby, whether it’s that super-cute bathing suit, or new gear for the home now that baby is ready to eat solids.
Best Buy offers a wide range of items for babies, including plenty of new stuff now available this month.
Baby Wear
Like me, you probably best know Baby Banz for its handy sunglasses for babies that include a band that wraps around the back of the head to keep them secure. But did you know Baby Banz also makes clothing, like this adorable Pineapple 1-Piece Swimsuit for 1.5-2.5 year olds? Available in summer-friendly white and pink, with a trio of the delectable fruits on the front, the swimsuit is made with a mix of polymide and spandex material that has a UPF rating of 50+ to help keep baby safe from ultraviolet (UV) rays. Plus, it’s loose, light, and stretches – perfect for the hot, humid summer months. It can be machine washed as well.
For boys, there’s the Baby Banz 2-piece short sleeve rashguard set, which can fit kids aged 18 months to 2.5 years. With a cute, tropical green and white leaf pattern and smiling frog on the front, the set is perfect for the beach, swim class, at the pool, or up at the cottage. Like the aforementioned frilly one-piece for girls, it’s made from material with a UPF rating of 50+ to fend off UV rays.
Baby Eats
If baby is just now getting into solids, it means you’ll need to wash and dry more than just bottles and nipples. Take a look at the Boon Grass Dish Drying Rack, which you can use as a dedicated spot to dry off baby’s food accessories, including bottles, spoons, and other small utensils, keeping them upright so the water drips off and they dry more quickly. The rigid but bendable prongs resemble a small bed of grass, while the bottom tray collects the excess water. It’s made from durable PVC- and phthalate-free plastic, and is dishwasher-safe.
If you prefer to pop the gear into the dishwasher, you might like the neat Boon Span Dishwasher Net, which hooks on to any dishwasher rack, and can stretch to cover your small baby items, keeping them securely in place so they don’t flip over and get filled with dirty rinse water. Made of stretchy silicone, the net is PVC- and phthalate-free, so it’s totally safe to use with your kid’s dinnerware.
My son starts kindergarten this coming September. But now that he’s in summer day camp, I’ve already gone through the milestone back-to-school process of getting him a backpack (Avengers, of course) and matching lunch bag. One of the additional items I found handy was snack boxes to hold things like a sandwich, fruits, crackers, raisins, or other healthy snacks for him to eat throughout the day. Of course, he gave an animal-shaped one with bright colours a double thumbs up. This cute Trunk Snack Box from Boon fits that bill, and what I really like about it is the divided compartments for keeping foods separate. So you don’t have to worry about the sliced grapes making the homemade trail mix soggy, or the apple pieces causing the cheese slices to get prematurely moist. Plus, it has an integrated handle, so the kids can carry it solo for short outings that only require snacks, or pop it into a larger cloth lunch bag or backpack as a snack organizer. To clean the PVC- and phthalate-free plastic container, just remove the lid, and rinse, or toss it into the dishwasher.
Your babe may still be in arms, and thus limited to consuming only that which comes in a bottle. In this case, you’re probably still at that lovely stage of studiously heating up milk by sitting the bottle in a pot of boiled water. (Yes, many people are thoroughly against using the microwave for this task, particularly because it doesn’t heat the milk evenly.) You can, however, achieve a nice, quick, and even heat with a bottle warmer, which explains why these devices are so popular with new parents.
Boon’s Orb Bottle Warmer employs, as the name implies, an orb-like shape, giving you that feeling that it’s truly wrapping your baby’s meal up in a nice, warm hug. It can steam heat not only bottles of milk and formula, but also jars of baby food once your baby has begun trying out solids. The auto-off feature means you don’t need to set a manual timer, or keep a watchful eye to ensure the liquid doesn’t get too hot. A graduated tube can even be used for measuring the right amount of water for heating. And the cool look makes it an eye-catching addition to the kitchen, rather than a clunky eyesore. (Who needs yet another gadget taking up room on the kitchen counter?) It, too, can be thrown into the dishwasher when it needs a cleaning.
If you’re eating out with baby at a restaurant, chances are you grimace at the sight of the establishment’s high chairs, often depleting your entire supply of wipes just to ensure it’s clean and disinfected before your baby rubs his hands and clothes all over it. But even when you’re dining at a friend or family member’s place, you can’t exactly bring your high chair with you. Or can you? The guzzie+guss Perch Hanging High Chair, in attractive navy blue ,folds up and fits into a travel bag. When you’re ready for some grub, just clamp it to the side of the table – the 10cm clamp can fit most tables. And your toddler, aged 2 or 3 and up to 35 lbs. in weight, can enjoy a meal while seated comfortably at the table with everyone else.
Baby’s Room
When you have a nice change table in baby’s room, it becomes part of the main decor. And that means the soft change pad that sits atop it as well. So it’s nice to have something that’s both fashionable, and matches the room. The Kidicomfort Changing Pad in Quattrofoil Grey employs a cute pattern, and colours that will fit in many decors – from a pink girl’s room to a baby blue boy’s. And even if you’re not using the pad on a dedicated change table, it can transform any flat surface into a baby changing zone. It’s made using certified soybean foam padding for baby’s comfort, and has safety straps to ensure baby doesn’t roll off. The vinyl cover is durable, and can be wiped clean as needed.
Keep an eye on baby using the Motorola 3.5” Digital Video Baby Monitor, which comes with infrared night vision, remote pan, tilt, and zoom capabilities, and five lullabies you can trigger remotely to help soothe baby back to sleep. There’s also two-way audio so you can talk to baby if he’s stirring, comforting him that you’re still there, watching over him, even if you’re simply trying to catch a few ZZZs yourself in the room down the hall.
Check out plenty more baby gear at Best Buy Online.
