The Chicago Market: Living and Giving^® — Products for Doing Just That!

”Chicago, Chicago, I’ll show you around…” Those song lyrics hit the right note, because this January’s Chicago Market: Living and Giving gift and home show will lead you through floor after floor of vendors offering fine products — many making their 2011 debut at the show. Unlike those song lyrics, there will be no mention of “betting your bottom dollar,” because the products presented are sure winners for retailers and consumers!

As the preferred venue for buying specialty gift and home goods with the status of longest-running gift show, The Chicago Market will reconfirm both this year with more showrooms and new-to-market products. Check out the details online at www.shopchicagomarket.com. Among the juvenile product manufacturers you can meet there, watch for Babalu, Inc., Little Toader, Stephan Baby, and Four Peas.

A Little Play and a Lot of Learning — Toys from Babalu, Inc.

Good things come in threes, like the three product lines currently marketed by Babalu, Inc — hands-on, minds-on, and right-on educational toys that let children practice their imagination while learning.

Felt Tales Products is a new line of storyboards presenting detailed and movable felt cutouts ranging from Jurassic dinosaurs, to a Busy Day at the Zoo and on to Cinderella’s horse-drawn carriage. Each starts with a story appropriate to the title and lets a child interact, rearranging the pieces however imagination dictates. Designed for children ages 3 to 7, each set includes an attached carrying handle and a pouch for storing the cutouts ($19.95 SRP).

Mazeology Products are children’s maze diaries with invisible-ink markers. The child’s writing becomes visible only under the supplied UV light (SRP $19.95).

WJ Fantasy Products include 9-block mini-puzzles whose individual cubes rotate to reveal six different facets that piece together as different puzzles, and drum blocks and drumsticks to softly teach a child rhythm. These products are designed for children of 3-plus years and range from $6 to $20 MSRP.

Visit virtually at www.babaluinc.com, but visit in person at The Chicago Market!

Chicken Wings and Hippos — Juvenile Products from Little Toader

Florida-based Little Toader is a juvenile product manufacturer that sells Chompin’ Chicken Wings and Baby-Q Ribs, the tasty APPETEETHERS. They’re designed to help babies teethe and relieve the associated discomfort with the varying colors and textures of these adult food favorites, long before the little ones have their 32-tooth set to gnaw on the real thing. APPETEETHERS are soothing for baby’s gums and safe because they are non-toxic and Phthalate free, BPA free, PVC free, and lead free. All Little Toader products are appropriately tested and compliant with Consumer Product Safety Commission guidelines. From the online store, they normally ship within 24 hours (MSRP $17.99).

Little Toader also sells board books and a storybook pajama/book package entitled, “A Safari with Boppo the Hippo,” in which the images on the PJs help tell the story. The PJs are 100% cotton with a full-length zipper front and zipper guard and are available in sizes 6 months to 2T. (MSRP $29.99)

Little Toader sells online and wholesales to retailers. Learn the details on your own safari to www.LittleToader.com, but journey to The Chicago Market for the real adventure.

Baby Gifts That Won’t Break the Bank, from Stephan Baby

Stephan Baby, the folks who brought us Boo-Bunnie Ice Packs^® years ago (and still do), offer individual baby gifts and gift sets in collections that cover most of the alphabet from “Accessories” and “Baby’s Firsts” through “Vintage.”

Among their featured items is a whimsical gray plush elephant designed to tie to baby’s crib rails. This petite pachyderm is endearing just to look at, but pull its tail ring and it plays “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” to demonstrate more talent — good looking and musical, too, for $16.00 MSRP. A polka dot ceramic piggie bank for $13.00 MSRP gets high marks for dual-duty as a decoration and a place to start baby’s college fund with spare pocket change.

How about matching Melamine plate, bowl, mug, and stainless steel fork and spoon from the latest Guess book: Guess How Much I Love You (GHMILY) for $15.00 MSRP? This collection also offers sleep clothes, rompers, and a scrapbook with beautiful pages just waiting to be customized by inspired parents with their baby’s memorabilia.

See these extensive product lines at www.stephanbaby.net and find them at The Chicago Market, too.

Four Peas - Kids’ Bags That Look Good

What’s your bag? Any kind of bag seems to be a Four Peas’ bag: pencil bag, lunch bag, backpack, suitcase and more.

Pencil bags (MSR $9.50) are heavy PVC-free nylon zippered pouches for carrying crayons and other toddler treasures or pens, pencils and other school implements for the scholars. Nothing says a snack won’t fit in a pencil bag, but lunch is better stowed in a Four Peas lunch bag (MSRP $18.00) that’s 7 1/2” x 7 1/2” x 3 1/2”. An interior mesh pocket holds items secure and PVC-free and Phthalate-free insulation keeps things hot or cool.

Backpacks come in toddler (MSR $25.00) and school kid size (MSRP $35.00 sized through 8th graders). They’re heavy denier nylon with PVC-free construction and zipper closure. The bigger kid version is 16” x 13” x 7.5” with several pockets, plenty of room for books, and adjustable/padded straps to distribute the weight across young shoulders. Big Shark, Gray Biker, Pink Monkey and other assorted colors and designs suit boys and girls and can be personalized for a fee.

Bag these and other models for living or giving at www.fourpeasonline.com and at The Chicago Market.