The Car Seat Poncho Is In Canada - at Snuggle Bugz!

We are very, very excited to announce that Snuggle Bugz - Canada's Baby Store, will be carrying the Car Seat Poncho!

This is great news for our Canadian customers -- and Canadian babies.  More news as this story develops.

Anyone NOT Have An Opinion on "Tiger Mother"?

Just finished "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" and am collecting my thoughts, to post at a later date. 

I will say quickly that I think "Battle Hymn" is a marketing and pr concoction.  A lot of the anecdotes cited on talk shows and print articles are clearly chosen to create buzz and controversy.  The book itself has a lot of tongue-in-cheek, self effacing humor and reads more like a comic memoir (a Chelsea Handler or David Sedaris for helicopter moms) than as a parenting how-to. 

Someone told me that there is a movie deal in the works, which figures.

The Car Seat Lady on Good Morning America

Dr. Alisa Baer, aka "The Car Seat Lady," had a great segment on yesterday's Good Morning America:  "The 5 Most Important Things Parents Should Know About Car Seats."

Dr. Baer is a NICU specialist at Columbia University's Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital.  Safety is in her blood:  Her mother, Debbi Baer (a nurse), was the original Car Seat Lady and still provides child passenger safety consultation in the Baltimore, MD area. 

Check out the wonderful Car Seat Lady blog and "Like" the Car Seat Lady page on Facebook. 

When you go to her blog, ahem, notice the first picture in the Bundle Me post (looks familiar?), as well as the last picture (Blue Camouflage M/L) at the bottom!

Bidding Fond Farewell to Paisley



Paisley will not be available after Winter 2011.

For some inexplicable reason, the wonderful mill that supplies the fabric for the Car Seat Poncho has discontinued the Paisley print.  This means, so sadly, that once the current inventory of Paisley/Hot Pink ponchos are gone, there will be no more.

We are so bummed, because Paisley is such a joyful print (and a top seller).  Moms would tell me that it simply made a cold day warmer.  It was so cheerful and colorful, it made their girls smile just for the fun of wearing it -- even on the most dreary, slushy grey morning.

If you've always wanted one for your daughter, granddaughter, niece or favorite baby girl or toddler, don't wait.  As of today, there are fewer than 10 SMALL Paisley ponchos, and fewer than 20 MEDIUM/LARGE.

Great Review on About.com

Great grade from About.com

 The Car Seat Poncho got a/nother great review, this time on About.com's "Baby's First Year" blog:

"When I first glanced at this product, I'll be honest and say I wasn't too sure about it. I am a New Englander, and the winters up here get beyond frigid.

Would the Car Seat Poncho really keep my baby or toddler warm? Closer inspection reveals a solid, "Yes!"

The reason being, this poncho is made out of not just one layer of fleece, but two layers of 400-weight fleece. The weight of the blanketed poncho traps warm air next to your child while you go out to the carseat.

The other features of this product that I find appealing over some of the other winter car seat accessories are:

1. It works with both infant car seat carriers AND any 5-point harness. So if you are using a convertible car seat, this product will work for you.
2. It prevents any layers of material from coming between your baby and the harness straps. The straps remain as close to your baby as possible at all times, unlike popular winter gear like the Bundle Me.
3. It also can be used as warm weather wear. You get to your destination, and your child has the freedom to walk around and still keep warm."

Thanks to blogger Jennifer White, of About.com.  FYI: Unlike many other "product review" blogs, there was no "freebie" product given in exchange for a review.  Ms. White chose the Car Seat Poncho to review based on her own research and suggestions from her readers -- bona fide journalism!

Was there anything she left out of her great review?  Leave your two cents in the comment area for the article:  http://baby.about.com/b/2011/01/03/the-car-seat-poncho.htm#commentform

Want to read some more love?  Here are more Car Seat Poncho reviews.

GM Recalling 2011 Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain and Cadillac SRX Crossovers

Today, GM announced it was recalling over 100,000 2011 Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain and Cadillac SRX crossover SUVs because the front seatbelts could come loose in a crash.

While the seatbelts won't fail on a first impact, GM spokesman Alan Adler said, they could fail during a secondary impact. Car crashes frequently involve more than one impact.

GM will begin mailing letters to owners of the vehicles in mid-January. Owners will be asked to bring the vehicles to a GM dealer to have the seatbelt buckles modified.
Link:  http://money.cnn.com/2010/12/17/autos/gm_suv_seatbelt_recall/

FF Toddler Suffers Internal Decapitation

When toddlers in forward-facing car seats are involved in vehicle accidents, their heads can be thrown forward so forcefully that they suffer internal decapitation. Their skulls literally separate from their spines.  That's what happened to 2-year old Micah Andrews, of Phoenix AZ:

http://abcnews.go.com/m/screen?id=12035541#

Older children and adults are at less risk for internal decapitation because their necks and spinal cords are stronger and more developed.  Also, toddlers' heads still represent a significant proportion of their overall height and body weight:

Please consider rear-facing your babies and toddlers to the rear-facing limits of their car seats. It's not convenient or easy, but it could save their lives or spare them from serious injury like this.

Need it by Christmas? Order by 12/17!

If you need your Car Seat Poncho before Christmas, order it by midnight, Friday, 12/17. 

Delivery times (from New Jersey, USA via USPS Priority Mail) have generally been running as follows:

• To NJ, NYC and NY Metro Area: 1-2 days
• To New England and other Mid Atlantic States: 3-4 days
• To Ohio and Western PA around to DC/Baltimore: 4-5 days
• All Other Continental US: 5-6 days
• Canada: 7-10 days

Note that all delivery ranges are approximate, and based on previous deliveries.  Increases in holiday mail volume may affect arrival times.