My family has our kid-friendly favorites in and around Rhode Island—everything from the tastiest hotdog to the best shady park to the orchard where we pick our apples. What follows is our current list, but I know it will change and evolve as my kids and my husband and I keep exploring and day-tripping around the area.

Read the A-list here. I invite you to share your kid-friendly favorites and feel free to add categories as well. (Enter “Reader A-List” in the subject line.). We will post the Kidoinfo Reader A-List in the fall and randomly select one of our readers to win a $50 gift certificate to a local restaurant! Deadline: September 15, 2008.

By Maura Keating

It is terribly ironic that for decades, mothers (the women who most deserve a boost to their self-esteem and ego) have dragged around oversized, cutesy bags that match their charges. No more. There is whole new crop of bags that will take Mom beyond diapers, and the Zosephine diaper bag is one of the newest contenders.

Zosephine bags come in four styles named after points on the map: Kyoto, Seattle, Minneapolis, and St. Paul. Each bag is made from a solid, durable fabric complemented with a playful print that recalls the destination. The bags are lined with a white nylon fabric that wipes up easily and keeps bottle leaks from dripping all over your car. The bright white interior makes it easy to see objects inside. The nylon is a little stiff, and I worry that crumbs might collect in some of the seams of the smaller pockets. Zosephine bags come with a changing pad made of the same white nylon fabric that lines the inside of the bag. The changing pad rolls up to fit easily inside the bag and ties with an attached ribbon. I found that the changing pad was too small for us. My son is rarely still, especially during a diaper change, and I am nervous when I lay him down on the cleanest diaper-changing stations. I like to have plenty of room to roll, just in case.

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By Maura Keating

Every parent out there is different and each has his or her preferences for everything from strollers to baby wearing. My own bias leans towards ring slings. The concept is simple—a broad and long piece of cloth is threaded through two rings. Ring slings accommodate a wide range of shapes and sizes, allowing many people to share the baby wearing with a partner without having to buy another size. This also means that the sling can adjust to be worn over a T-shirt in the mall or over a heavy winter coat when you’re outside. They also work for Baby from birth until Baby is too large or too independent to be carried. The tail on a ring sling can be used as a nursing cover or a sun shade. I’ve also used a ring sling as a nursing cover when my son was out of the sling. Our ring sling has also doubled as a blanket, changing pad, and ground cover. I adore ring slings, but my husband gave up on them after a few weeks of trying. The adjustability that I adore made a sling too frustrating for him to use. He prefers buckles and consistency. For this review, I tested three rings slings: the Maya Wrap Ring Sling, the Sakura Bloom Essential Ring Sling, and the ZoloWear Ring Sling.

The hand-loomed fabric enables the Maya Wrap Sling to take a beating. The Guatemalan patterns can be a little granola crunchy, but they do wonders at masking unavoidable spills that come with close proximity to a baby or toddler. Post spill, the Maya Wrap is machine washable and one year later, the fabric on my sling still looks great. Solid colors are available in addition to the patterns. The weave is strong yet soft on my shoulders and on my son’s legs. In the summer, it is breathable, but I avoid it on the hottest days. The Maya Wrap Sling comes in four sizes based on height. Maya Wrap also offers a MamaBaby Sling made from 100 percent cotton and the Maya Tie, a carrier based on the Asian-style Mei Tai carrier.

I own the Original Maya Wrap Unpadded Sling—a product that is being discontinued in favor of the popular lightly padded sling that features light padding on the shoulder. Both Maya Wrap Slings feature a cap that folds over to hug your shoulder, distributing Baby’s weight. The biggest challenges that I had with the Maya Wrap was learning how to thread the sling, making sure that the fabric was not twisted—getting my son comfortable while being comfortable myself. Once I got the hang of it, putting on and adjusting the Maya Wrap became routine and unbelievably fast. A crying baby who wants to be worn can be powerful motivation.

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Our new Kido contest is sponsored by Pawtucket Day Child Development Center.

School is almost out. Do you know what your children are doing this summer yet? Pawtucket Day offers programs designed specifically for toddlers, pre-schoolers, and children before and after school up to age 12, including all-day camp during the summer. In their modern building and large, secure play yard, children learn from teachers educated in child development. The chef serves breakfast, lunch and a snack every day. This “hidden gem” is located on a secluded one-way street in Pawtucket, convenient to Route 95.

Click to enter the contest and see details regarding prize!

By Maura Keating

If you are new to baby wearing or just new to babies—if you find the rings, buckles, and straps of other carriers daunting or just too time consuming, a fitted pouch is a perfect solution to get baby on board quickly and easily. When my son was small, I found the mechanisms of a ring sling to be overwhelming. No matter how many times I watched the instructional DVD, I felt insecure. My husband still hasn’t figured out the ring sling—too many adjustments, he says. I wish I had tried a pouch when my son was younger, but I still find them useful for quick trips with my toddler in a hip carry.

Since fitted pouches don’t have buckles or other mechanisms to adjust size, getting a pouch with the correct fit for YOU is incredibly important. Unless you and your partner are the same size, this is not a carrier that you can share. Take the time to make sure that your measurements are correct—have a friend help if possible. Ideally, you should try on a pouch at a store where you can have a salesperson size you and give you a crash course in baby wearing. If you’re buying when you’re pregnant, post-partum, or online, make sure that the store has a reasonable return policy.

Hotslings and Peanut Shell pouches have more similarities than differences. I tested an Everyday Hotslings in a stretch sateen fabric and a Peanut Shell Reversible Baby Sling in a 100 percent cotton fabric. Both pouches must be folded before wearing. The Hotslings includes striped tabs that you can line up for a quick fold. Both slings feature a padded rail that is supposed to be easier on Baby’s knees for hip carries. My son has never had a problem with non-padded slings, but he seems to like the padding just fine too. The pouch on both is shallow—no pillow or towel needed for a cradle carry. Baby can see the world and the wearer can check in on Baby easily. The Peanut Shell seemed slightly deeper to our cradle carry tester, but we didn’t break out the yard stick. Both pouches are designed for high carries—the bottom of the pouch should hit somewhere around your belly button. Hotslings come in nine different sizes while the Peanut Shell comes in four sizes. Both fit comfortably around the wearer’s shoulder. The Peanut Shell is slightly narrower around the shoulder and I preferred the fit since I have narrow shoulders. For hip carries with a toddler, I flipped the fabric of the sling around my shoulder for a closer and more comfortable fit. Hotslings and Peanut Shell carriers can be used for cradle, kangaroo, or front, hip, and back carries.

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By Maura Keating
It’s summer, well, mostly . . . Memorial Day is the unofficial start to our summer season. Now we can start wearing white (with the gracious permission of the Fashion Police), and we can wear sandals every day if we want to. And we want to. The best sandals allow you to feel like you’re not wearing shoes even when you are. The best sandals give you all the best that shoes have to offer (protection, support, comfort) and limit all of the bad (odor, heat, clamminess, blisters).

This is my son’s second summer. He didn’t take his first steps until the fall last year so we didn’t worry much about sandals. This year, my son is exploring everything that his little feet can possibly do—walking, running, hopping, skipping. He’s going to need sandals. I’m picky about all shoes. Feet are important and they have to last us a long time. Toddler shoes need to support growing feet that are just learning what they need to do.

If you are looking for the perfect sandal, try Umi Shoes. They are adorable and/or chic, depending on the look that you are striving for. My husband loves the look of my son’s Umi sandals so much that he wants a pair. Sadly, like so many good things in life, Umi is for kids only.

The Umi sandals were comfortable right out of the box. With two Velcro tabs, the sandals are easy to put on and easy to take off, but not so easy that they slide off. The Umi sandals are made from very soft leather that is easy on baby skin and leaves no red marks. My son has inherited his mother’s sensitive skin. Every summer, I have to endure at least one uncomfortable week while my winter-tender skin acclimates to strappy sandals, rocky beaches, and the other ordeals of summer living. When he wears his Umi sandals, my son’s feet are just as happy as they are when encased in shoes. We’ll have to see how he fares with rocky beaches in bare feet at a later date.

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By Maura Keating

The Boon Snack Ball is the ultimate solution for snack storage and delivery on the go. In flashy orange paired with a cool light blue, the Boon Snack Ball is a show-off made for a life on the road. The Snack Ball twists open into two halves. It is easy to fill the Snack Ball and very easy to keep clean with no crevices. It’s even dishwasher-safe. The orange cap swings open to the side to allow access to snacks inside. My son (at sixteen months) figured out the open-and-close feature immediately. The opening is small, perfect for little hands and nimble fingers, but chubbier hands of younger users might have trouble reaching inside. The smaller opening means less mess if the Snack Ball takes a tumble. I’ve been impressed with the seal on the Snack Ball—snacks like cereal and crackers stay fresh, even when abandoned overnight. As it rolls around a diaper bag, the Boon Snack Ball construction prevents snacks from getting crushed—the inevitable outcome when using plastic baggies for snack storage. The size of the Snack Ball is perfect for a single serving and its compactness makes it easy to fit it in a diaper bag, stroller, or even a purse. After the snacks are gone, my son enjoys exploring the Snack Ball, playing with the lid, shaking it like a maraca, and rolling it back and forth.

The Boon Snack Ball is free from Bisphenol-A (BPA), PVC, and phthalates (the substance that makes vinyl soft and flexible), making it as safe as it is smart. By choosing a reusable container, you’ll be saving plastic bags from a landfill, which makes the Snack Ball smart for the environment and your wallet too.

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I spent a lovely long weekend away with my family to attend a wedding. My mind is still filled with visions of the luscious colored saris the women wore during the Hindu ceremony and the intricate henna pattern (Mehendi) on the bride’s feet and hands.

I am just now catching up with email and blog posts—I was pleasantly surprised to see that Linda from a la mode, awarded Kidoinfo one of her top five blogs. I am flattered. I will share the love and name some of my favorites:

Rag & Bone blog: A great place to feed your mind and creative soul with everything paper

IKEA Hacker: Endless creative ideas for your IKEA finds

Angry Chicken: Amy shares her creative life with kids

Scrumdilly-do: More fun things to make, read and do with our kidos

Social Media for Social Change: A VERY new site with the mission - exploring how technology can promote good in the world

It has been a happy day.

photo credit: Douglas Itkin

By Maura Keating

Were you first in line at the Transformers movie? My husband thinks that the Urban Rider looks like it belongs on the moon. With its wide wheelbase and large pneumatic tires that could take on lunar craters and its space age styling that features a smooth aluminum frame and shiny, almost iridescent fabric, I can see what he means. The Mutsy Urban Rider is an adaptable stroller that grows with you and Baby with an incomparable line of accessories and components.

The Mutsy Urban Rider comes standard with a toddler seat, travel cot (bassinet), air pump, a covered bumper bar, and coordinating sun shades for both seat and bassinet. To remove the seat or bassinet, click two buttons and pull the component out. To add a component, push it in until you hear two clicks. It couldn’t be easier. Additional optional accessories include a car seat adapter, step-up board for older children to ride along, footmuffs, matching bag, and a rain cover. My favorite accessories are the toddler fun seat with a great looking steering wheel and the dinner tray. You can also purchase a Babysitter rocker frame to use with the Mutsy toddler seat.

There are four different ways to roll with the Urban Rider. The stroller comes standard with two types of front wheels: A pair of plastic swivel wheels is ideal for daily obstacle courses—dodging kids at the park or shoppers at the mail. The smaller wheels can be swapped out for a pair of large pneumatic tires to bring the Mutsy off-roading through the city or the beach. The tires fly over sand, grass, curbs and potholes. The large pneumatic, rear wheels can be fixed forward, or lift a lever with your foot at the bottom of the stroller to engage the Mutsy’s unique swivel frame. When driving with the swivel frame, the Urban Rider rides a little like a boat trailer. The swivel frame takes some getting used to. My husband isn’t sure he’ll ever get used to it and I still have trouble going backwards.

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A stroller is a must have for any new parent but deciding which one to get requires research. Thanks to Maura Keating, Kidoinfo product reviewer, she has spent countless hours testing a number of strollers and a few accessories for our week of stroller reviews. There are also cool discounts and a stroller giveaway. If you are not in the market for a stroller but know someone who is, please spread the word by sharing the Kidoinfo site.

By Maura Keating

You know too much already about Graco and who hasn’t heard about the Bugaboo? We wanted to know more the other strollers out there to see what they were all about. Beyond the Big Box, there is a wonder land of independent retailers selling strollers that will turn your world upside down and your neighbors green with envy.

There is no perfect stroller out there. Sorry, but there isn’t. BUT… If you know where you’re going and what you’ll be doing, there is a stroller that will be perfect for you. It’s just a matter of finding it… I hope we can help.

Over the next five days, we’ll be looking at the following strollers: B.O.B Revolution, Bumbleride Indie, Mutsy Urban Rider, Peg Perego Pliko, Phil & Teds Sport, Quinny Buzz, and Uppababy G-Lite. We’ll also be telling you about two fabulous accessories to complete your stroller and one interview with an amazing Mom who also happens to be the founder of a cool new company that focuses on products for babies and kids.