Okay Gen X’ers…after 226 design submissions and 186,296 votes, the Muppets T-shirt design challenge by Threadless has a winner. This means that it’s officially time to start brainwashing your children with characters from kid’s TV shows that you actually enjoy!

The challenge was to design a t-shirt incorporating Muppets around the theme of friendship. The winning design titled “Together Again” is available in Men’s, Women’s, and Kid’s sizes.

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

> thanks to Peace Love and French Fries

have a bad habit of spontaneously breaking in half.

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

I’m not sure what it is, but rockers seem to be all the rage these days.  Spend a few minutes  hopping around your favorite baby and parent blogs and you’re sure to run into an amazing handcrafted rocker. Some take the shape of wooden kangaroos while others look

like well-polished Italian scooters…and then there’s “Rocker” by Doshi Levien.

Rocker in the designer’s words:

“Many things of interest to young children are not figurative but instead everyday objects that are not intended for play! Children find their own imaginative purpose for any object already in the home. This observation prompted us to create a “Rocker” for Richard Lampert that is like a found object, an improvised ride.”

To be honest, I’m never sure what to think about minimalist designs for young children like Rocker. I would imagine that kids would flock to it…if it were sitting alone, under a spotlight in an empty warehouse.  Put Rocker next to the previously mentioned kangaroo or Vespa Scooter rockers and it wouldn’t stand a chance. On the other hand…I was famous for eating cat food as a toddler, so perhaps I’m genetically predispositioned for less avant-garde toys.

What do you think parents? Am I off my rocker to think that most kids wouldn’t be excited about an elegant (bordering on post-apocalyptic) design like this one?

Have fun and stay healthy,

Dr.MOZ

As super fans may remember, we did a post back in 2008 “Nursery Art with a Twist” highlighting the fantastic husband and wife duo Berkleys. According to a recent tweet, they’ve entered the pillow business…and just in time for holiday shopping!

I don’t see their pillows available in their Etsy shop quite yet, but the word on the streets is they’ll be part of this weekend’s Crafty Wonderland in Portland, Oregon until this Sunday December 12th. In the off chance you can’t make it to the Oregon Convention center this weekend and need to score some animal madness of your own, I’ve assembled the ultimate linkfest for all things Berkley below:

Berkleys on Etsy – Berkleys on Twitter -  Berkleys on Facebook

Berkleys on Flickr – Let’s Share: The Berkley Blog

Thanks for visiting baby fans and have a great weekend!

Your friend,

Dr.MOZ

Innovations for wheelchair-bound children have been few and far between in recent years, so I was excited to see The Little Mermaid Swimming Float concept design by Soyeon Park, Taeyeong Park, and Hyeonjee Lee. The hand-wheel advances the float by shooting water

through a tube inside the body to propellers on the back. Price and distribution information won’t be available until the float is manufactured in the future, but I’ll be sure to let you know when it hits the market.

Hopefully, they’ll rethink the name before entering distribution. I’d hate to see a useful product like this crushed by Disney’s intellectual property elves over a mermaid dispute. What do you think parents? Would your toddler find a float like this useful?

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

> tipped by Yanko Design

The Toy Guardian by Tzung-Yu Lu is still a concept design, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see one in a children’s store near you judging from the recent IDEA Design win. This cute toy box is hard to ignore, reminding kids to fill it up with loose toys laying around the room.

Best of all, the Toy Guardian has wheels allowing it to double as a ride toy.

My only suggestion would be to add a few “softer” designs (without the monster teeth) in the upcoming line for the younger kids. What do yo think parents, would your family like a Toy Guardian when it hits retailers in the future?

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

> tip thanks to Yanko Design!

The average American child spends 7.5 hours a day on computers, using cell phones, watching TV, and playing video games. Factor in the alarming statistic that each American now eats approximately 15 pounds more sugar than we did in the 1970′s and it’s no

surprise that our kids are facing chronic obesity.

The good news…implementing small changes can make big differences. This is why Chefs across the US are being asked to partner with their local schools as part of the Chefs Move to Schools initiative, run through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Interested in learning more about the program? Choose the appropriate link below:

• Chefs: find a local school that could use your help

• Schools: sign-up a school in your neighborhood
  

Let’s get with the program everyone. For the first time in American history our children are expected to live shorter lives than we do, simply due to diet and lack of exercise.

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

If you’ve been planning on redesigning the nursery into a “big kid’s room” or play room, you’re going to love today’s feature. Design*Sponge is showcasing sneak peek of 25 of their favorite play rooms which are sure to inspire your upcoming project. From toy bins

and book cases to functional play areas, you’ll find dozens of useful storage ideas and stylish treatments for rooms (and budgets) of all sizes!

Do you have a favorite room or design idea in the play room gallery? Leave a comment for your favorite moose M.D. in the box below!

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

Are you tired of the kids vegging-out to video games and obnoxious children’s shows on the television? Enter to win a fun a set of felt toys made by Felt Playground and put a whole new spin on vegging-out while fostering imaginative play! Each amazing design is

handmade from eco-friendly felt and stuffed with sustainable bamboo fiber. Learn about the multiple ways you can enter for a chance to win below:

• Entry #1: Visit the Felt Playground store on Etsy, choose your favorite creation (anything in their store), and let us know what you would like to win in the comment box below.

• Entry #2: Shoot over to Dr.MOZ’s giveaway page on Facebook and include your favorite Felt Playground creation here too!

• Bonus Entry #3: Want another bonus entry? Your chances of winning will increase when you link to this giveaway on Twitter, your Facebook page, or on your blog. Include a link showing how you helped spread the word in the comment box below so we know to give you a b0nus entry when choosing a winner in September.

(Rules): The giveaway ends on Thursday, September 2nd at 6:00 pm PST. Each entry will be given a number and a single winner from this collection will be selected using the random number generator Random.org. The winner will be contacted using the provided email address by September the 3rd. This prize is global, so everyone is welcome to enter for a chance to win.

The Dear Dr.MOZ baby blog is moderated throughout the day, so please only enter once. Thanks for entering everyone and good luck!

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

> Thanks for the buzz Prizey.net and Prize_A-Tron!

What do Jackalopes, Underwear, and Werewolves have in common? They are just a few of Fred’s new XYZ BLOCK collection…much like the ABC blocks you stacked as a kid, but these are fun! Find more fun Fred creations at WorldwideFred.com.

Have fun and stay healthy,

Dr.MOZ

> tip thanks to our friends at KidCrave!

It doesn’t matter where you are in the world, parents with children suffering from food allergies all go through similar “allergy alert tour” at their kids’ schools, daycare centers, and summer camps. A parent never really knows who has access to their children’s

important medical alert forms, which is why I love the allergy patch collection by Jeeto! Found at specialty stores around the US, these cute allergy patches (seen above) can be applied to a backpack, hat, or just about anything that would be easily visible to a student’s teacher. Available in a variety of common allergy themes in sets of 3, 6, and 10 patches directly from Jeeto!

Have fun and stay healthy,

Dr.MOZ

> Doctor’s Note: No sewing necessary. Jeeto patches have a heat-seal backing for easy iron-on application. Patch find thanks to Barbara, a regular blog reader of the moose M.D.!