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all of those super cool baby loves disco city series posters are now available for purchase . each one is hand printed and set to a heavy poster matte. my favorite is philly but i'm partial. my son samson has san diego hanging over his bed, and charlie thinks brooklyn is "the most beautifulist one". check out the whole series here - they're all gorgeous and they're all the product of artist ryan loyko and his brililant company rattle 'n roll who can make you and your own family custom made baby announcements, birthday invites and more. just click here. |
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every once in a while we get a random hate mail from a randomly outraged parent who takes offense to baby loves disco. every time it happens i tell heather to just let it go, but (almost) every time heather takes the time (that she doesn't have!) to respond with a heartfelt reply. the latest is from a mom named cindy from detroit turned into an all out email war for the ages! a great piece worth reading right here. |
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its gonna be quiet in the BLD fake office this week as heather leaves her laundry room and heads out on a mini tour to the midwest with Headlong Dance Theater. Isadora (she's still proudly breastfeeding) and a nanny are coming with her as she will be performing Yonder and excerpts from Michigan with some of her favorite artist friends! So If you are near Brownville Nebraska or West Plains Missouri, come check her out. |
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last friday i took my dad to new york city so he could share the story of his life. i interviewed him as part of the nationwide story corps project funded by the smithsonian institute that's taking place across the country. they give you a free cd of the interview and it's also archived for generations to come at the Library of Congress. really - was one of the most beautiful moments i've had with my dad in a long time and one i can now hold onto forever. i urge all of you to take anybody that you love. |
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After scouring the Internet to fill her house with only the best toys for her infant twin sons, Lori Pope hated to watch the clutter build as the boys lost interest. If you can rent movies, video games and even handbags online, she thought, why not toys? That's the idea behind Baby Plays, a Web-based company Pope launched in October that allows parents to receive four or six toys in the mail every month, assembled and ready for playtime. |
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I rarely rave about kid stuff, mostly because we believe that less is more - a cardboard box and some crayons scissors and glue make for he best afternoon fun BUT last week i got hipped to q-ba-maze and it was love at first site! but forget about me! my five year old son max loves it even more. think legos meets marble run meets free form interactive 3-D puzzle and yes, you've got Q-BA-MAZE. its just cool, has endless combinations and gets the whole family involved. due to the marbles, no, you will not be seeing this toy in our chill-out spaces, BUT we are psyched to be will giving away a few Q-BA-MAZE sets to select older freeze dance winners at an event near you! check 'em out here. |
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with jazz fest on the horizon it's a great time to spoon feed your kids some funky kidz is a new musical compilation featuring classic kids songs we all know and love (think "Yellow Submarine", "Zip a dee doo dah" etc.), funkified and stylized by a dozen of New Orleans' acclaimed artists like Ivan Neville, The Radiators, George Porter Jr. and more. a great idea who's time has come. check out some tracks and pick up a copy here. renew orleans here. |
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great article from babble that speaks directly to my oldest son samson who started out as a fantastic eater but somewhere after his second birthday started eliminating entire food groups daily. now he really only likes to eat four things that start with p - pizza, pasta, popcorn and peanut butter. i guess it could be worse. check out "let them eat nuggets" and know that you are not alone. |
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most folks are amazed to find that baby loves disco is still just me and my partner heather. we have one assistant and are blessed with a few dozen remarkable host moms (and one host dad) that run each local event in their home towns. so when i got an email from the temple university school of business requesting a tour of our offices and a meeting with our staff....i had to laugh. my office sits on my lap and i run it all from this mac. the real comedy comes from heather's end where her family has relegated her and all her stuff to the laundry room (you can click here to see a big picture of this scene). and erica just floats somewhere in cyberspace. once a week we meet at our favorite tea lounge in philly and on the other 6 days we bombard each other with (literally) hundreds of emails. it does all add up to one complex office. but we do it for the love! by all means necessary....the shows must go on! |
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while you're kids may not be old enough yet uncle scam is waiting. the notorious No Child Left Behind Act includes a sneaky section that requires high schools to turn over private information on students to military recruiters? |
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the baby loves disco train just keeps cruising as we are proud to announce our two latest cities - local momma nelly lobbied us for 8 months straight and finally made it happen in her home town of cincinnati which opens in march at cincy metropolis. and say aloha to the people of hawaii, especially local mom natalia who wanted to bring bld to the o lounge starting in april to help spread awareness for her charity and help bring fun to her friends! |
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Behavior problems among preschoolers are emerging as a national issue," reports Sue Shellenbarger in The Wall Street Journal (1/17/08). While it's true that any kid between ages three and five can be "stubborn and irrational" at times, "some experts say they are increasingly seeing behavior that is out of synch with expected development, such as kindergartners who engage in frequent fighting, aggression, tantrums or a persistent inability to cooperate with others". breaking news? read the full article here. |
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here at the virtual baby disco offices, our favorite kids cd comes from jazz-funk all-stars medeski martin and wood who's new children's album let's go everywhere is finally out and it's amazing (even if you don't have kids). check it out on myspace or just pick one up here. |
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it still makes me laugh (or cry?) whenever my neighbor stephanie insists i "sanitize" my hands with some guck that is
basically all chemicals before touching holding her baby. so for her birthday i'm sending a case of cleanwell - kid safe, all-natural hand sanitizer which. no chemicals, no guck. and now cleanwell has an all-natural foaming antibacterial soap to replace all those chemical filled purple soaps you use now. want some for yourself? go here and fill in your name, address and put “BLD” in the CleanWell code space. 50 names will be drawn to receive a free bottle of CleanWell hand wash.
want more? cleanwell is now available at (gulp!) target in the soap section....or you can look for at at BLD across the country. |
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with a future that spells no job for george, the bush is working on his post-presidential career path and has announced plans to create a line of children's toys. |
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even if you can't read russian, you can click here and read a great write up about BLD in the moscow press (just look for the words "baby loves disco" - it's like a word search game). |
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thanx to mamanatrix kristen chase for turning us on to ecochildsplay.com an off shoot of greenoptions.com -- another one of our favorite blogs.isn't it funny to say the word blog? next time your husband (or wife) asks you a question you have no answer for, stare in his/her eyes and smile real wide as you say BLOG-BLOG-BLOG |
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rummaging through my old baby loves disco memory books i stumbled across this video that helped me realize why we started it all in the first place. |
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way back in the day me and my sister would watch sesame street every day and pray for mahnamana to come on. |
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what does a godparent really do? and how do you pick one? even after two kids (and four godparents) i'm still trying to figure this out. but for inspiration i look to this guy charles who cares about his godson so much that he took him to baby loves disco and posted this blog entry. |
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our friends at sesame hipped us to this sneak peak - the new sesame video player is now up and running in it's beta stage and can be viewed right now by clicking here. |
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not sure why folks think people pay me to write this stuff (note - for the record, except for that cool bugaboo video on the top right side of this site (which we adore!) we have never received any money by any company to publish anything on this site. i only reference that fact so that it's perfectly clear that when i tell you how much i love the new sandra boynton book and how much i enjoyed this boynton interview from babble.com that you know it comes from the heart (always!). |
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the baby whisperer was nice and all but get real and get deep into your roll as a parent. scream free parenting offers a revolutionary new option by inviting parents to focus on themselves, grow themselves up, and calm themselves down. The ScreamFree Parenting principles will lead parents of all ages (with kids of all ages) to create and enjoy the family relationships they've always craved starting now. stop screaming and get with: read the first chatper here; order the book here; or check out some videos. |
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i went to the johnson wedding down in atlanta last weekend and just when we all thought it was gonna be the same-old-same-old, the couple busts THIS out. |
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NEED magazine creates exposure for humanitarian aid through an informative, artistic, visual narrative of human stories. created by a Husband and wife team the publication makes a difference by telling stories of people working towards positive change. you need to get involved. |
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if you checked out heather's holiday gift guide you already know what we think you should get the kids for the holidays, but remember, (especially with the little ones) sometimes they'll be more excited about the paper then the present. |
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photograph each member of your family on the same day every year like these guys and you just might be able to shoot an arrow through time. |
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last week we had a team of folks from germany's biggest television station show up at baby loves disco. they danced, they drank (!!!) and they produced this segment which aired all across their country on friday. click here to see. |
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also in new york city last week we had babble's own nicole marie come to shoot a slide show on "what kids are wearing at the disco". click here to get a quick fashion tip and see how fabulous the little ones look when they come to the disco! |
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my favorite "grown up" jam band is the disco biscuits and thanx to my newphew nate, my new favorite kids jam band is the dream jam band who take elements of the beatles, mozart, duke ellington and woody guthrie to create some of the freshest sounds around. check out this great video caled " bike": . listen more here. |
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we're proud of the disco daddy (aka andy) who has taken baby loves to new levels (and new genres) including his baby loves jazz series which just released 3 new books and a new cd. but we're most proud of him for taking his family on the road for his speakers series. click here to see andy with son charlie at a book reading last week in cherry hill new jersey (charlie plays the drums during the reading). |
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funny thing is that heather doesn't even have a t.v. and while i do, it's never tuned to cnbc. so we were both pleasantly surprised by how well received our interview was from "the big idea w/ donny deutsch" last week. see the full clip here. and to answer all your questions (seems like everyone wanted to know) yes, donny's teeth are really that white, no he didn't pinch heather's butt or ask her for her phone number; and yes even though he might seem arrogant, he's actually pretty nice (and the father of two kids under 5!). |
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we are super excited to announce the latest addition to the BLD family - orange country california, where we will launch this february at the world famous shark club. the oc promises to be one of the most fabulous (and fresh squeezed) parties on the baby loves disco map and will be challenging souther neighbors san diego and la up north for the right to be called " most glamerous disco dance party in the land . click here for tickets and more info. |
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in london they take the baby loves disco experience to a whole 'nother level with the crazy colored dance floor that lights up to the music saturday night fever style. check out the video here. |
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welcome to the scary world of gender clue, where choosing the gender of your child is possible; the hottest band in nyc right now is a heavy metal bee gees cover band called tragedy; and the worry of the week is officially wifi. |
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we were in nyc last weekend and got jumped by moms in the hood; over in atlanta we learned that playdates aren't just for kids anymore; down on sesame street we discovered panwapa; and with halloween 'round the corner we have to share our love for maggie and the ferocious beast so much so that we'll be giving away copies for free at all october bld's. |
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seriously - how cool are our new bld city posters? my favorite is san diego, with philly coming in a close second. but really - i love all of them and you will too. all the credit goes to rattle-n-roll the husband and wife team that knows how to dream - hire them to do your baby announcements, family posters and more - easily the coolest way to announce....anything! and stay tuned, starting next month we will have a limited number of each city poster for sale at the store. |
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click here to read a great interview on bld founding momma heather which breaks down how she started baby loves disco, where she's been and where it's all heading. speaking of heading.....if you're anywhere near brooklyn this week "head" down to see heather as she'll be a featured dancer in the 2007 wave rising series performing The Mentalist, a movement-video work for 7 dancers inspired by imagery from Charlotte Perkins Gillman's short story The Yellow Wallpaper. tickets and info here:www.whitewavedance.com |
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while we throw huge parties for kids and their families every weekend, i was totally stumped on what to do for my son's 3rd birthday party. and then last month i met party planner (and author) lisa kothari at bld seattle and learned about her awesome website. peppers and pollywogs has over 1000 party ideas, tips and tools on how to throw an inexpensive, super creative party for your kids. super nice human with great info, felt the need to share. |
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take 5 minutes and reward yourself with a little tv time. click here to learn child cpr, click here and learn how to give a great foot massage; or click here to watch a short clip on creative ways to recycle your electronics. |
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we all want our kids to excel, and we all think our kids are brilliant (and they are), but what if your kid's paintings actually were considered sensation by art critics worldwide? and your 4 year old became an international sensation in the art world? be careful what you wish for. check out the trailer for "my kid could paint that". |
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for a fantastic audio journey through baby loves disco click here to hear a fabulous piece recorded in seattle and aired nationally on national public radio last week. |
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disposable diapers are filling up our landfills across the planet and are made with potent chemicals like chlorine. that's why we endorse fuzzi bunz reusable diapering systems as the official diaper of baby loves disco. the stylish, easy-to use, Fuzzi Bunz design was invented by a mom and work hard to keep your babies' bottoms dry and rash-free… always! the icing on the cake (so to speak) is that this cool invention has already deterred thousands of diapers from entering our landfills. You'll see more information about Fuzzi Bunz at the Baby Loves Disco Diaper Changing Stations in all participant cities! see www.fuzzibunz.com for more info. |
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Swiss Netgranny is a collective of 15 grandmothers who knit socks on demand and sell them online. Customers pick a granny and a colour, and the socks are delivered with 2 weeks. |
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take a break from reading your kids a bed time story tonight. just click here and let christopher walken do it instead with this fantastic recital of the three little pigs. |
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the most popular item in the baby loves disco chill our room? easily it's the tee pee's donated by tee pee for me. they make adorable, super-cool, super-cumffy, super-safe tee pees for inside use and more durable versions for out door play. so what do you say? meet me in the tee pee. get a sweet discount on your purchase by mentioning BLD - simply use BLD15 in the discount code box. |
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momsrising continues to fight the power and their latest battle is the breastfeeding promotion act to simply ensure the rights of mothers to feed their children. learn the full scoop and take action by clicking here read up on the huffington post's take on the issues here; click here to read a harrowing tale of why this bill is needed ; and you can add your own story by clicking here |
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at bld we were reluctant to take on a corporate sponsor, but now feel the need to share - the fine folks at stride rite are super cool, super nice and super into your kids and mine. plus, they have the highest quality shoes at a reasonable price. nice! so a big thank you to marketing queen malinda and all the fine folks at stride rite for helping bring bld usa to life. |
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bld boston has been sold out for a record 9 consecutive months. now we need some help as we expand our chillout zone. email kris and tell her you want to be down! nice pay, free tickets, and a chance to be all you can be! |
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let's hear it for the boys! daddy blogs are starting to make a lot of noise. get your dad daily here ; check out the dad gone mad; be all dad centric right here; jump into "and then there was pickle" here; and get up with the metro dad right here. |
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while you were sleeping we were working over time to give you more music. baby will always love disco, but baby loves jazz too! we're proud to announce baby loves jazz greatest hits volumes one and two (which was recently named the gold medal winner as the best children's cd of the year by the parents magazine association!). check out this fantastic video here and pick up a copy of the compilation (only $15.99 and includes 2 cds filled with music). right here. more blj info here. |
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you always want to "do something" to get involved but never have the time. make the commitment to yourself and to others and check out one of our favorite charities - project sunshine. sign up and make a simple once a month visit to visit sick kids that could use your love. learn more about project sunshine here |
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First it was toxic lead paint on Thomas the Train Engines, then it was toxic Doras, Big Birds, and Elmos--and now it's toxic Barbies. momsrising.org has helped create this email list that will send you real-time alerts about toy recalls (sad but true fact of life these days). sign up here take action to prevent toxic toys from being sold in the first place here. |
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the fine folks at babble have launched motherhoodlum which takes a vérité-style, single camera (and irreverent) look at new parenthood ; phillips has a new drawing tool that lets kids graffiti all over the wall (with no mess!); this photographer has made it his goal to take a photo of one child from every country on earth living in New York city City ; and the hush a baby is the coolest little baby hammock i've ever seen (i wish i could sleep in one myself) . |
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our good friends at offsprung have just sprung off version 2.0 of their parenting humor site and it's packed with tons of great stuff. check it out here. |
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my sister lisa is an artist. while her art (mostly paintings, drawings and sculptures) has always been critically acclaimed (and personally adored) it wasn't until she became a mommy that it started to reek of love, longing and timeless emotion. if you need a print for the living room, the kids room, or your secret club house, visit lisa's website or pick up a very affordable print at her store. she's the mommy to nate and henry and has won "best sister in the world" award for a record 39 years straight! |
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looking for the perfect gift for the perfect child that already has all the perfect stuff? check out these hats by zooni that are sure to turn heads (and they are sooooooo cumffy!). look for zooni giving away coloring books, crayons and......hats at bld events in san fran and the east bay this september. can't wait? click here and use this promo code: (LUVZOONI) to get 15% off. |
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alot of folks come up to me at the disco and say "geeez, bld is such a great idea, i wish i thought of it!". and when i saw my first preview of yo gabba gabba i thought the same thing. not nearly as cool, but equally impressive musically, check out the british kids phenomenon skunk foo - all music done by wu-tang's ghost face killa. |
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parents magazine not only features baby loves disco in their september issue but also has this great feature on BLD on their newly launched online parents tv. click here to see this great piece shot live at BLD portland. |
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yea, yea, all you mommies and daddies out there look at baby loves disco and say "i wish i thought of that!" well.....you didn't! heather did. and what you might know is that she's (still) a professional dancer with the troupe she helped found, she supports a community of artists and friends, and she's the best mom in the world to max (4) and isadora (almost 1). here she speaks in her own words through a great interview with connecting moms. |
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Thanks to U.S. immigration policy, children (including infants and toddlers) whose parents are in immigration courts, are being locked up at detention centers in conditions being compared to concentration camps. this is happening now, in our country and nobody is doing anything about it. can we at least try? read the whole story here; check out some videos here and here. take action here. |
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you go to a disco, there are hundreds of people dancing like mad, but there's no sound to be heard.....until you put on those headphones. check out this fantastic concept that all those crazy kids at bonnaroo were rocking earlier this month. ahhhh, to be young and free! |
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i can't help it, i love the wonder pets even though my kids don't. and so i was totally into this babble behind the scenes look at how the show is made (including pictures of the kids that play ming-ming, tuck and turtle) check it out | |
