Related Links: ABC News, Telegraph.co.uk

On that note, this would be a great time to check the ingredients on your pet shampoos and yard products. It may cost a little more to go organic, but it’s a good investment when you consider the possible health risks involved with the cheaper substitutes!

Have fun and stay healthy,

Dr.MOZ

Daddy Types had a great post about the Australian-made Tummy Shield which was designed to reduce the risk of injury during a car accident (to baby and mother) by repositioning the seat belt over the thighs instead of the belly. There are many products like this on the market, and they all sound great…but few of them have readily available crash test data to support their safety claims. Below are just a few related products along with their safety notes and sources:

• Tummy Shield (seen above): a platform placed on the car seat guides the seatbelt between the legs and off the belly using a hook positioned between a pregnant woman’s legs (Crash Test Info: Unknown/Unclear)
• BeSafe: a Norwegian designed product designed to secure the lap portion of the seatbelt in the appropriate postion and off the abdomen. (Crash Test Info: Yes)
• Safe’n'Comfy (seen above): a Florida-based company with a product designed to secure the lap portion of the seatbelt in the appropriate postion and off the abdomen. (Crash Test Info: Unknown/Unclear)
• The Maternity Seat Belt: another repositioning device, the Maternity Seat Belt claims to be the “only tested and patented product that provides pregnant women with the necessary means to benefit from the support and safety of the vehicle’s existing seat belt, while giving pregnant women additional comfort and piece of mind.” (Crash Test Info: Yes)

Let us know if you’ve used one of these products (or a related product) by clicking on the comments bubble above. The manufacturers of the mentioned products were invited to comment, so perhaps they’ll provide additional safety test updates or additional product information not found on their websites. They all appear to be useful products, so I’m looking forward to learning more.

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

Congratulations to Danielle (entry #25) for being the randomly chosen winner of Dear Dr.MOZ’s latest giveaway of 50 custom Momager custom calling cards by Paperlicious! If you didn’t win, you can always order your own customized calling cards in 40 different styles at www.paperlicious.com.

Check back at the Dear Dr.MOZ blog for three great new prizes in my huge Father’s Day giveaway coming soon!

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

Every now and then, I come across a product that is such a horrible idea that I’m afraid to provide links knowing that someone might actually purchase it. This my friends, is one of those products. Believe it or not, the scooter/stroller hybrid shown above (which will remain nameless and linkless) actually exists.

It’s designed to be ridden by like a razor scooter, although this bizarre invention holds a car seat. The product images and video demos all show dolls strapped inside the stroller, so I’m guessing that the inventor couldn’t find anyone crazy enough to let their kid ride this nightmare on wheels.

Have fun and stay healthy,

Dr.MOZ

Mother’s Day is only two days away, but Fridays are “GoodFather Fridays” here at the Dear Dr.MOZ blog…so let’s get started with the manliness! I ran across a fantastic campaign by Ad Council Creative designed to emphasize the importance of active fathering, and it’s definitely worthy of a GoodFather Friday post.

Ad Council Creative: Fatherhood Involvement

Campaign Website: fatherhood.gov

The commercials are great, but don’t forget to check out the posters because they are just as good. Thanks for the tip BB-Blog! Enjoy the weekend GoodFathers, and don’t forget to thank Mom this Mother’s Day!

Your favorite family man,
The GoodFather

I know that a lot of you arelooking for last minute Mother’s Day gift ideas, so here are a few fun finds under $50:

• Control A Kid: could be the perfect gift for a mom from a pre-teen. She’ll choose from a variety of necessary buttons like “say please“, “grow up“, and “don’t answer back” to name a few. Remember kids, this is only a good gift if you agree to follow the Contral A Kid’s commands! $8.75 at Spoon Sisters

• Margarita Mama: is a tasty collection of 100% alcohol free “mocktails” for moms-to-be. Your soon-to-be mother will enjoy fun libations like the Raging Hormone, the Chocolate Crave, and many more. Add cocktail shaker and a few cocktail umbrellas for the ultimate mocktail gift pack! $12.95 at Chronicle Books

• Bamboo Bath Caddy: What mom wouldn’t love this bamboo bath caddy with a built in book stand and wine glass holder? It adjusts to fit most bathtubs and would go great with a loofah and bath salts. $47.95 at Delight.com

Whatever you decide to get mom this year, you better do it soon because Mother’s Day is this Sunday the 11th!

Happy Shopping,
Dr.MOZ

Those looking for fun gifts for the new and expecting dad in the La Grange or Lombard, IL areas can now find Dr.MOZ’s GoodFather daddy gifts for Father’s Day at Belly Couture Boutique. Both locations feature stylish maternity clothing and now include the GoodFather gift CD-ROM and our GoodFather daddy T’s!

• La Grange Location: next to Starbucks at 42 South La Grange, IL (find it with Google Maps)
• Lombard Location: The Shops on Butterfield at 320 Yorktown Center, Lombard IL (find it with Google Maps)

Their GoodFather daddy gifts won’t last long with Father’s Day just around the corner, so visit our friends at Belly Couture Boutique today and whip them up while supplies last!

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

Paperlicious knows that moms everywhere are tired of writing their contact information on random scraps of paper, so they’ve introduced a more stylish option with their Momager Calling Cards! These customized cards are good for all types of mom-related activities from networking with fellow momtrepreneurs, to recruiting for the next play date or birthday party.

Win 50 Customized “Momager” Calling Cards by Paperlicious!

Enter to win 50 customized Momager Calling Cards in this week’s Dear Dr.MOZ giveaway by letting us which design you like best by Saturday, May 10th at 5pm PST. Remember bloggers, your chances of winning double if you link to this giveaway in your blog or website! Dear Dr.MOZ is moderated throughout the day, so don’t worry if your entry isn’t instantly viewable. For Dear Dr.MOZ giveaway details, please visit our dedicated “Contests” section by clicking on the tab at the top of the page.

Special thanks to this week’s sponsor Paperlicious (www.paperlicious.com) and our blog contest friends like Prizey and Prize-A-Tron for helping us get the word out.

Good luck everyone!

Dr.MOZ

It’s beginning to warm up as summer approaches which means that our very preggo readers out there (you know who you are) are finding it increasingly difficult to get comfortable. I can’t help you with the temperature, but I did come across a way to battle a bulging belly button while wearing form-fitting T-shirts and dresses.

Miss Oops has come to the rescue with their latex-free Popper Stopper strips! Popper Stopper’s hide the “outtie”, but don’t pop out like the old band-aid system. Find them (5 in each package) for $13 at MissOops.com.

Stay cool out there!

Dr.MOZ

Dear Dr.MOZ,

I was wondering if or a reader had any suggestions for finding playgroups. We don’t have any young children in our neighborhood, but I know they must be out there somewhere. How do new parents usually do it?

Thanks,
Ann

(more…)

Here’s an interesting Japanese invention for all the allergy sufferers out there. The Nose Mask Pit from Japan-based Bio International filters the pollens that would eventually enter your body by blocking them in your nostrils! I’m not sure what would happen if you actually did sneeze with the Nose Mask Pit in place, but it could be worth a try because a package including disposable filters and one nearly invisible frame can be purchased for only $14 (1,480 Yen) at bio-pit.com.

I’m not sure if they have distributors in North America yet, but click on the comment bubble above to share your source if you’ve seen them in the US or Canada.

See you on Friday!
Dr.MOZ

(thanks for the tip Watch Impress!)

Nintendo Recalls Lapel Pins (Due to Risk of Lead Exposure) The recalled lapel pins have images depicting 12 video game characters. The 1- to 2- inch lapel pins include Diddy Kong, Donkey Kong, Kirby, Mario, Mario Kart, Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Starfox, Waluigi and Wario Sold at: Nintendo stores in Redmond, Washington and New York, NY between April 2004 and November 2007 for between $1.50 and $4. The recalled lapel pins were also distributed to employees at electronics and game stores nationwide from April 2004 through November 2007.

That’s it for today’s recall warnings, but check back this time next week for updates!

Have fun and stay healthy,

Dr.MOZ