The Dear Dr.MOZ Baby Blog

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

Read the rest of this entry »

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!)

Just when everyone is distracted by this week’s release of Grand Theft Auto 4, Nintendo’s old timers (Mario, Kirby, and Pikachu) prove that they are the true real bad boys of the video game world. Here’s the latest CPSC recall warning released yesterday, April 29th.

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

Did you hear that today is free ice cream day? It’s true, three of my favorite words “free ice cream” have finally come together at Ben & Jerry’s! Free cones are only available today Tuesday, April 29th at participating Ben & Jerry’s shops.

It appears that most scoop shops are participating, but I recommend visiting the locator to see if the Ben & Jerry’s near you is participating in today’s free cone day. Thanks for the “heads up” for today’s free goodies Goodyblog!

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

Entry #75 “Jennifer Barr” was randomly selected at 5:01 today and now has 48 hours to claim her 2 children’s books through the email address used in her original entry.

If we don’t hear from Jennifer by Wednesday the 30th, we’ll pull another contestant from the list. Keep your eyes peeled for giveaway updates!

Yours,

Dr.MOZ

Do you need a little inspiration to help tackle the spring cleaning you’ve been putting off? Here’s a collection of fun organization tools to help pull everything together, along with a few inventions that will actually do the job for you.

• NÖJE: A fun wall basket for the kids from IKEA selling in stores only (not onlline) for $4.99

• MINNEN DRAKE: Here’s another cool organizer from IKEA selling in stores only (not onlline) for $9.99

• Slipper Genie: This one is definitely unnecessary, but it’s a fun way to dust up the pet hair on your hardwood or tile floors! (via swissmiss)

• Robomow RM400: It’s finally happened, they’ve invented a lawnmower that cuts the grass by itself! The RM400 leaves the base station at the pre-set scheduled mowing days/time, and will then return to the base to charge until the next scheduled operation. I’m not sure how it will handle hills, holes, water, or your cat/dog, but click on the comments bubble above to give us a review if you’ve seen one in action.

• A-Z CD Dividers: You may already have a CD shelf to keep your cases contained, but here’s a great way to keep your Steely Dan separate from your Dan Zanes. Each plastic separator card comes with a list of band names to help easily organize each group without the need to sing the alphabet song.

Enjoy the weekend everyone, and don’t forget to sign-up to win 2 great children’s books in this week’s Dear Dr.MOZ giveaway!

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

Beco has received eight reports of straps slipping through the shoulder buckles on their “Butterfly” baby carriers. No injuries have been reported, but they have announced a voluntary recall yesterday (April 22nd) to see that families using the carrier fix the potentially dangerous product.

Approximately 2,000 carriers (styles: Mia, Pony Express, Carnival, Addison, Ethan, Sophia, Cameron, Ava, and Joshua) were sold for about $140 in specialty stores nationwide between January and February 2008. If you own one, you should immediately stop using the carrier and contact Beco Baby Carrier to receive instructions for returning the carriers for repair at (888) 943-8232 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m PT Mon-Fri or visit their website at www.becobabycarrier.com. Additional information can also be found at the recall posting found at CPSC’s website.

A fair number of Dear Dr.MOZ posts are dedicated to green-focused companies and products, so why don’t we do something even more eco-friendly this Earth Day? Let’s celebrate by turning off our computers and getting a little exercise outside. I’ll see you out there!

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ