Thanks to grannyg for this tip: There’s a really cool new service for expectant parents. SnappyBaby will deliver news of a new birth via phone and e-mail for you. From what I can see, it seems really simple (they say it’s so easy even a husband can do it. Ouch.) – you call and record a message with all the ... Read More »

Sorry for the quiet around here. We’ve been moving the Magic Beans warehouse this week, and let me tell you, that’s been an adventure. We purchased used shelving for the new warehouse, and it arrived in a patently filthy condition. In all our planning and coordination for the move, we had not accounted for 600 shelves that would each need ... Read More »

Safeguard is a relatively new name in the car seat industry, as far as the public is concerned. But in reality, IMMI, Safeguard’s parent company, has been manufacturing components for several major car seat brands for two decades. A couple of years ago, IMMI developed some new technology — a ratcheting LATCH mechanism that made installation a breeze. As the ... Read More »

Just found this tidbit on Boston.com. Apparently, a group of Norwegian scientists conducted a massive study about birth order and IQ, and guess what they discovered? Older children are smarter than their younger siblings by an average of 2.3 IQ points. According to the study, the cause is nurture, not nature (parents less distracted, perhaps?). There’s some debate about how ... Read More »

Good news and bad news. The good news is that Dorel has made some nice improvements to the US version of the Zapp. They’ve adjusted some of the functional design and they’ve added (drumroll, please) a storage basket. The bad news is they’ve decided to increase the retail price to $239.99. From what I can understand, the price increase will ... Read More »

The newest Volo color has arrived, the chic white model that we saw at the JPMA show. Unwilling to gamble much on this unusual color combination, we ordered just a few, so they are only available in the store right now. The white stroller comes with a black seat pad and a black canopy. It’s very cool, if you’re into ... Read More »

Check out this crazy story on CNN – apparently a mom near Chicago has been receiving a live video feed from inside the space shuttle Atlantis — on her baby monitor. She has a Summer Infant brand video monitor that has two channels, and one is broadcasting her baby, as expected. The other, for some bizarre reason, is broadcasting a ... Read More »

Oh my goodness. I’ve seen a few recalls since we started Magic Beans, but this one isn’t doing good things for my blood pressure. Apparently, one of the manufacturers in China who make the Thomas Wooden Railway products for RC2 has been using lead-based paint on the products. This is a voluntary recall and it affects 1.5 million units worldwide. ... Read More »

If you live in the area, don’t miss Brookline’s annual Flag Day 5k road race this coming Sunday morning (June 17). Magic Beans is a race sponsor and in fact, my nutty husband has issued the following challenge: any Team Beans runner who beats his time will receive $5 in store credit for every 30 seconds they finish ahead of ... Read More »

Thanks to all who voted. We won our category for the second year in a row! I’m blushing… Read More »