Father's Day Top Ten

So, this isn't a normal Top Ten. Instead of doing a top ten... whatevers... I'm (Christina here again!) going to tell you ten awesome things for and about dads!

10. Thing Dads Do Best: Just being there for their kids! (Yeah, I mean pretty much everything they do.)

9. Best Daisy Baby Gift for Dads: Diaper Dude Diaper Bag!

Because no dad wants to carry anything by Kate Spade.

8. Best Thing About Being a Dad: Whatever your age, kids make you young again. (Play with them! You'll feel young! Or ridiculous, either way....)

7. Best Thing About Having a Dad: He loves you, unconditionally! (Ok, so "he pays for stuff" is pretty cool, too...)

6. Best Dad Tip: Love their mother. Even if you're not with her, love that she gave you your babies! (Seriously. She carried them around in her belly for 9 months. NINE months, dads!)

5. Best Thing to Do for Dad for Father's Day: Tell him how important he is and how much you appreciate him! (Ok, this is the cheap thing to do for Father's Day. But he'll appreciate it anyhow.)

4. Best Thing Dads Teach Their Kids: That they're important, and just right the way they are. (My dad also taught me how to wiggle my ears... I'm not sure which is more important.)

3. Best Father's Day Quotation: "My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it." - Clarence B. Kelland (I got nothin'. This quote is too good.)

2. Best Thing You Can Do for Your Kids' Future: Protect their planet. (No, seriously. Remember reduce, reuse, recycle? Well, they could always live on the moon, right?)

1. Best Thing for Dads to Know: You're not a babysitter; you're not a backup parent. You're the Father. And that's one of the best things you can be. (Well, a rock star would be pretty good, too.)



Now... what's the best thing about the dads in your life?

Let’s talk… Car seats!

First, this post is not about car seat safety. That’s been covered – and if you want to read about it there are plenty of places! Check out the links at the bottom of this post.

So what is this post about? It’s about the questions we commonly get about car seats, and about picking one (or more) for your family!

Parents often want to know which car seat is the safest… well, in the USA, all car seats must meet the same safety standards. That means you need to pick the one that has the features you want. Are you interested in rear facing your child as long as possible? Are you interested in having one car seat as long as possible? Are you interested in having an infant carrier car seat? What about the look of the seat? Do you want it to match your baby gear? Match your car's interior? Be able to move it from car to car?

So, what car seats do we carry, and which might you want? We carry Maxi Cosi, a European brand who makes car seats and boosters that will work throughout childhood. They have bases in the Netherlands, France, and various other European locations. They make strollers, car seats, and other baby gear with stringent safety standards and a sleek look!

Most of our clients choose to use an infant carrier seat first. It’s handy for things like taking out to restaurants (before baby’s ready to sit in that high chair and eat with you!), carrying in when you’re just running in the shop for a minute, or not waking a baby who’s fallen asleep in the car. The Maxi Cosi Mico fits babies from 5-22 pounds (don’t worry, you won’t want to lug that car seat and baby around after baby’s that big anyhow!) and comes in various colors and color combinations – come on in the shop and see the Playful Gray Mico!

After the infant carrier, move on up to the convertible Pria. You can actually start here if you don’t care for an infant car seat, and use their “tiny fit” system. Then, rear face your baby up to 40 pounds. Then it turns around and forward faces your child up to 70 pounds in the 5 point harness system – safety along with that sleek look! The Pria currently only comes in red, walnut brown, or black – tone on tone colors that will match your car’s interior, or stand out – your choice!

Finally, Maxi Cosi carries the Rodi, a lightweight booster that fits all shapes and sizes of children and converts to a backless booster. It comes in brown earth, intense red, lapis blue and total black.

These three seats will take your child from newborn through their own driving years in style. If you’re having a new baby or are in the market for a new car seat, come on in the shop, see what we carry, and take a look at the adorable Mico with our slight scary baby-doll inside!

 Links for Car Seat Safety Info:

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Avoid 10 Common Car Seat Mistakes (from Mayo Clinic)

The Car Seat Lady

Car Seat.Org Forums