By Maura Keating

Everyone knows how hard it can be to find a good diaper bag. Most parents I know own several, each on their own individual quest for perfection. Once you do find that perfect bag, the chances of it coming with the ideal changing pad are . . . well, not good. I’ve been lucky to find several diaper bags that I love, but only one had a changing pad that was decent and, wouldn’t you know, I lost that pad months ago during a chaotic trip to Chuck E. Cheese. One pad is too short, another is too narrow. I have two that are close to the right size, but they are designed to be rolled and then tied after use. Who has time to do that after a harrowing diaper change, and more importantly—where do you put the baby?

The patemm pad is the perfect changing pad. It’s brilliant because it’s round. My son can wiggle the full circumference of the pad and still be protected from the germs on the floor or change station. On narrow changing stations, the patemm pad rolls up to give extra protection for curious hands. The patemm pad folds into a neat rectangle that fits into the pockets of most diaper bags. Or if you still haven’t found the perfect bag, the patemm pad frees you from the confines of a diaper bag. With the patemm pad, you can transform any bag into a great diaper bag. Going somewhere quick? You can throw the patemm pad into the stroller or car for a quick jaunt and be free of a bag altogether. If you are using multiple bags or if you switch off baby duty, the patemm pad makes it easy to make sure that you aren’t caught without wipes or another baby essential. The patemm pad can also function as a play mat at the park or a yoga mat for Baby at gym class. Patemm pads are available in three sizes—24, 28, and 30 inches—and in two styles–with or without pockets. We tested a 28-inch patemm pad with pockets.

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By Maura Keating

Remember when you only worried about whether sunscreen would work? Now I worry about the chemicals that make the sunscreen work. (To see how your favorite sunscreen—and other cosmetics—measures up, visit the Skin Deep website.) With an active toddler, I can’t hide from the sun, but I can extend the shade. Protect-a-Bub makes products that help you protect your Bub from the elements, including sunshades, swim and sun wear, rain covers, carrier covers, stroller inserts, blankets, hats, and even lip moisturizer. We tested a few of Protect-a-Bub’s sun protection products—the Classic Single and Back Seat Tandem Stroller Sunshades, Sun Protective Swimwear, Reversible Swim Hats, and the ‘Paint Your Own’ Sun Hat kit.

When I test-drove and reviewed eight strollers this past spring, I discovered that finding a good canopy on a good stroller is near impossible. As my son gets heavier, we have become semi-frequent stroller users. The stroller is especially essential for difficult nap times. My son passes out by the time I near the Seven Stars Café to retrieve the iced coffee that I earned for patience with a difficult toddler. Although I was content with the canopy on our current stroller, the hood does not pull down as far as I would like. On sunny days, my son’s legs stick out from the bottom and I need to apply sunscreen if he’s wearing shorts or sandals. Since some stroller trips (especially emergency nap inducers) aren’t planned, finding and then applying sunscreen on a reluctant toddler can be a hassle.

The Protect-a-Bub Sunshade is a lifesaver. The sunshade ties easily to any stroller frame with four double ties. The breathable mesh fabric (available in black or blue) is rated with an Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) of 50+. That rating means that it provides 98-plus percent protection from the sun’s rays while still allowing air to circulate, keeping Baby cool. The side vents allow Baby to see what is happening on all sides, enabling toddlers to keep their eyes on passing fire trucks and dogs, while maintaining 70 percent sun protection.

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I am thrilled that this series is back for a second season—so cool to watch a free movie outdoors in downtown Providence. Films are shown every Thursday at dusk from June through September, weather permitting. The movie is projected on the side of a building across from Tazza, on the corner of Westminster Street and Union Street. You can easily grab some drinks and food while you watch your favorite flicks under the stars.

Although some of these movies may be fun for the whole family, this event makes for a great date night or mom’s night out.

Schedule:
June
6/5 – Breakfast at Tiffany’s
6/12- The Princess Bride
6/19 – Indiana Jones: Raiders of the lost Ark
6/26 – Fletch

July
7/3 – Independence Day
7/10 – Soundsession 2008
7/17 – Rocky
7/24 – The Birds
7/31 – One Crazy Summer

August
8/7- Rocky Point Movie
8/14 – American Graffiti
8/21 – Monty Python and the Holy Grail
8/28 – Goldfinger

September
9/4 – Star Wars
9/11 – Forrest Gump
9/18 – Moonstruck
9/25 – Top Gun

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 Marianne Ruggiero
Coordinator of Family Programs at The RISD Museum

In the Asian art galleries of The RISD Museum, there stands a fearsome guardian. Part roaring lion, part winged bird, it is poised to attack any foe that enters its domain. The fantastic stone animal, created in China about fourteen centuries ago, is called a “chimera” (kie-MEER-ah). It was probably one of many statues whose ferocious demeanor served to keep evil beings, whether in spirit or living form, away from imperial tombs.

The chimera is just one of the many hybrid creatures created by different cultures throughout time. Others might come to mind, whether first seen in art galleries, on the pages of a story by Lewis Carroll, or on the screen of your kids’ Nintendo. Griffins, according to legend, have the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. The gentle unicorn could pass for a horse if you disregard the long horn that protrudes from its forehead . . . and, oh yes, there is the matter of that goat-like beard as well (also an attribute of the chimera).

Cultures often share the same traditional mythical beasts but don’t agree on their behavior. Is a dragon, possessed of reptilian body and avian wings, good or evil? We Westerners seem to relish the dragon’s malevolent qualities as it breathes fire at helpless maidens or valiant knights. In China, the dragon is every bit as mighty as its Western counterpart, but generally uses its might for right: to bring rain to parched earth, or to symbolize the strength and goodness of the emperor.

In whatever form or incarnation, children seem to love these hybrid beasts, the more fantastic the better. Here’s a fun project to do with your kids that lets them create their own “Mixed-Up Creatures.” It was adapted by Fran Gorman, Program Assistant in the Museum Education Department and former art teacher at Jamestown Elementary School.

MIXED-UP CREATURE BOOK

Materials
• 8 1/2 x 11-inch paper (white or colored, regular weight)
• Heavier paper (construction works well)
• Scissors
• Small piece of cardboard as measuring tool
• Ruler or straight edge
• Heavy yarn, string, or ribbon
• Crayons or other drawing materials

How to Make Book
• Fold the regular-weight paper the tall way (8 sheets makes a nice book).
• Use the heavier paper for the front and back covers. Cut to the size of the book pages (4.25” W x 11” H).
• Punch three holes on the folded edge of each sheet of paper, including covers.
• Thread the heavy string in the holes and tie in the three holes.
• Inside: Draw a straight line with the ruler ¼-inch away from the punched holes. The line is from top to bottom.
• Use the small cardboard to measure each page into four equal sections.
• Draw a line and cut straight across with scissors. Repeat with each page.

How to Create Creatures
• Draw the head of an animal in the top section.
• Draw the center of a different animal’s body in the next section down.
• Draw the legs (not the feet or paws) of yet a different animal in the next section down.
• Draw the feet, hoofs, paws, or claws of a different animal (or even a person!) in the lowest section.
• Decorate the cover of the book with designs or stamps.

Have fun flipping the pages of the book back and forth to create all kinds of mixed-up creatures!

East Meets West

Meet a cast of “mixed-up creatures” and have fun making art at The RISD Museum’s Free-For-All Saturday on May 31, 2008, from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. At 3:00 p.m., in the RISD Auditorium, Boston’s Chinese Folk Art Workshop amazes with traditional dance, drumming, and acrobatics. Free-For-All Saturday at the museum means admission, refreshments, and all activities are free!
Location: The RISD Museum – 224 Benefit Street, Providence, RI

The lion dance (pictured above), created in China over one thousand years ago, will be presented by Boston’s acclaimed Chinese Folk Art Workshop as part of “East Meets West.”

For Kids: Can You Draw This?
The Chinese seem to have a fondness for complicated beasts. Take the fenghuang or “Chinese phoenix”: with the face of a rooster, neck of a snake, breast of a goose, back of a tortoise, legs of a deer, and tail of a fish, it is just about the most mixed-up of all creatures. Think you can draw such a creature? Download and print the template here, and bring your drawing to The RISD Museum. You’ll receive a free pass to the museum for yourself and your family to use another day!

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CREDITS:
Chimera
Chinese, 6th century
Stone; 20 ** x 17 ** x 16 **
Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design
Museum Works of Art Fund
Photography by Erik Gould

All additional inquires or requests should be directed to: Melody Ennis, Coordinator of Photographic Services, The RISD Museum, 224 Benefit Street, Providence, RI 02903. 401 454-6535. E-mail inquires to: mennis@risd.edu
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ARTplay is a monthly column written by Marianne Ruggiero for The RISD Museum in which various themes and activities introduce kids and parents to the museum’s collection both online and off. Each month Kidoinfo will help spark your children’s interest in art – they can learn about different works at the museum and download a related activity to create offline. Be sure to visit the museum and explore the art in person. On Free-for-All Saturdays (the last Saturday of every month), kids may continue their exploration through a variety of hands-on workshops, performances, videos, and special gallery quests throughout the day.

Gas is expensive these days—and between the price of gas and the price of groceries these days it pays to find ways to save. Thanks to Katy, she recently told us how we can get groceries for less at Price Rite—now here are ways to find the lowest price of gas near you.

On the Web: Enter your zip code to find cheap gas prices in your city. These websites list nearby gas stations and their current gas prices to help you find low gasoline prices.
• Gasbuddy.com
• Gaspricewatch.com
• Gasprices.mapquest.com

On your mobile phone: While on the road, you can download software form Mobio networks to your cell phone. Enter your zip code to get nearby prices.
Getmobio.com/learn.cheapgas/

Use a widget: A desktop widget monitors gas prices without visiting a separate web page.
• automotive.com/widgets/gas-prices/index.html
• www.interdimensionmedia.com/widgets/gas/ (Mac)
If you have an Apple (my computer of choice) use a widget that compares prices from a particular gas station with the local area average to help us decide if it’s worth driving a few extra miles to save money.
www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/transportation/gas.html

By Maura Keating

I used my own hand-me-down stainless steel baby spoons as long as I could with my son. With my son was born a new fear of plastics, and I didn’t want BPA or PVC (or anything else that might cause harm) in my son’s mouth six or more times a day. Trebimbi Puppets Cutlery is the perfect compromise. The handles (or bodies) of the puppets are made from polypropylene that is BPA and PVC free, while the part that goes into a child’s mouth is made out of stainless steel.

My son loves his Trebimbi Puppets dinnerware. The Italian-made three-piece set includes a brightly colored fork, spoon, and knife. The hollow handles slide onto little fingers for instant action. With arms that snap together to hold hands with other pieces and smiling faces topped with caps, the plastic handles are fun and friendly. The stainless steel utensil tops have etched smiling faces, too, for extra sociability. My son (at nineteen months) has not caught onto the puppet appeal of the dinnerware set, but he loves to connect the pieces, and best of all, he loves to use the Puppets dinnerware as utensils—to transfer food from a plate into his mouth. This could be a breakthrough.

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By Maura Keating

If you’re breastfeeding, you may start to wonder why you bother to wear a shirt at all. Most of your day is spent with your shirt pulled up around your armpits. While your partner might appreciate this new fashion trend, visitors might find it awkward. As you and your Miracle venture out into a broader world of friends’ houses, malls, and parks, your decision to bare it all might give you pause. When I entered this phase, I began using scarves, blankets, and large burp cloths as a quick cover up. My son did not approve. He objected to anything touching his face. When he was younger, he wouldn’t nurse. As he got older, he would bat the cloth away—exposing us at precisely the wrong moment. I couldn’t see him to make sure that he was latched correctly and he couldn’t see me, removing some of the magic of the experience.

The Peanut Shell Nursing Cover is the perfect fix for nursing in mixed company. The Nursing Cover is a large piece of cloth, shaped perfectly to cover you from top to bottom and from side to side. The fabric is 100% cotton so it’s breathable and light. A soft jersey pocket is sewn into both sides of the Peanut Shell, perfect for storing for a gentle, quick wipe or for stashing the included matching burp cloth. The burping cloth is great for small drips but is too small to handle larger messes. The nursing cover is machine washable and still looks great after frequent use and repeated washes. In case you needed another reason to leave your scarves at home, the Peanut Shell Nursing Covers are as beautiful as they are practical and come in a wide variety of prints and patterns.

The genius of the nursing cover is a piece of flexible boning at the top. The boning creates a stiff edge at the top that sticks out just enough to create a gap that enables you to see Baby, but doesn’t allow others to see you. The boning’s flexibility allows you to adjust the gap as needed, but is sturdy enough so that it stays put. The boning also lifts the fabric of the cover away from Baby’s face so that the cloth does not cling to Baby like a blanket or other covers might. You feel covered and Baby doesn’t feel smothered—everybody’s happy.

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Our Walk on the Stroller Side wraps up today with reviews of the The Quinny Buzz stroller, the Brooks Pond Buggy Blanket and the Stroll Away.

By Maura Keating
The Quinny Buzz is a thing of beauty. There’s nothing extra. There’s no fabric that sags or bunches, nothing to distract you from a gorgeous stroller and the extra-gorgeous Baby inside. This is a stroller with great lines and a fabulous look. Heads will turn. The Buzz offers a smooth 3-wheeled ride in almost every terrain, from the beach to the mall. The pneumatic tires and front and back wheel suspension are fabulous on bumpy city streets and make hopping curbs a breeze. This stroller truly can “turn on a dime.” To entertain my son, I often drive my stroller like a race car. This is the first stroller that responds like a race car.

The Buzz features a gas spring that powers an automatic unfold. It’s pretty cool, kinda like magic, and makes for a great party trick. Simply unhook the safety strap (that keeps the Buzz from unfolding magically in your car) and give the handlebar a little tap with one hand (no magic wand necessary) and the Buzz springs into being. Whenever I launched the Buzz in public, I was tempted to include a little flourish or “Ta Da!” What every stroller really needs is an automatic fold and the Buzz doesn’t have one of those …yet. To fold, the Buzz requires both hands and a bit of effort, but once you’ve done it a few times, the fold gets easier and you get used to the crunching noise that sounds like you’re breaking the stroller. (Don’t worry, you’re not.) The Buzz folds very compactly without the wheels. I am too lazy to remove wheels, so the Buzz takes up most of my trunk. Since it has a low profile, I can still pile plenty of groceries on top of the stroller. It fits well in the closet, but requires its own dedicated floor space.
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By Maura Keating

Do you believe in kismet? What about love at first sight? Love at first stroll? The UPPAbaby G-LiTE arrived when my son was sleeping. Twenty minutes later, he was awake and screaming from pain from what turned out to be his first ear infection. He was exhausted, but no lullaby or story could lull him back to sleep. In desperation, I put him in the newly mobile G-LiTE. He passed out in minutes and slept for hours. This story relates the three most important features of the G-LiTE: its ability to maneuver tight spaces, its comfort, and its convenience.

There is just so much to love about the UPPAbaby G-LiTE. First, there’s the low price tag. For around $100, you get an amazing stroller that you can take almost anywhere. At 8.3 pounds (the lightest full-size umbrella stroller in the US), you won’t mind carrying it everywhere. A shoulder strap makes carrying the G-LiTE easy, and the G-LiTE folds down small, leaving plenty of room in your trunk for other trip necessities. A carry bag is available as an optional accessory—I wish it was included. An optional rain cover is also available. To open the G-LiTE, you need to squeeze two levers near the handles, then the stroller swings open. It stands when it’s folded, staying put in your closet and it takes up no room at all in your trunk.

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