NHTSA has concluded its independent review of the Orbit Baby Infant Car Seat, brought on by the Consumer Reports “Do Not Buy” rating that was released at the end of August. Their findings confirm that the Orbit Infant Car Seat is perfectly safe. If you aren’t up to date on this story, read this first. In order to fully investigate ... Read More »

We’ve just launched a new radio ad campaign on MIKE FM (93.7) in Boston. It was a little tricky fitting everything there is to love about Magic Beans into just 15 seconds. It could have also been a challenge finding a seven-year-old who could say “cerebral cortex” but it wasn’t. Having a brainy kid has its benefits (thanks, Audrey). This ... Read More »

As anyone who has ever sat in a meeting with me knows, I love whiteboards. I love the way a whiteboard can help organize a conversation, define objectives and lend focus to an outcome. They’re also very entertaining when my kids come to visit – something which may be unremarkable in most other offices, but given that our office is ... Read More »

Hard to believe it’s been four years since I started blogging, but the dates don’t lie (and neither do my archives). We’ve been doing the blog thing so long, we’re practically dinosaurs. I don’t always post as often as I’d like, but Spilling the Beans is one of the best parts of my job. It’s a guilty pleasure of sorts ... Read More »

Sunshine Kids has just shipped the first updated Radian car seat models for 2010. The biggest change is the incorporation of Superlatch, a new, more robust LATCH connector that enables parents to use LATCH even after the child is over 48 pounds (the current weight limit on LATCH for all other car seats). The new models are called the Radian ... Read More »

In three days, we’re closing the mailing list for our annual catalog. This project is literally a labor of love; we handpick the products with input from everyone in the company, while our in-house, multitalented design team works overtime to collect information and photos and create a layout that rivals any other toy catalog we’ve seen. We’re a little biased. ... Read More »

This is what happens when product designers become parents: very creative problem solving. The Puj Tub (pronounced “pudge”) is the coolest new baby product I’ve seen in a long time. Bathing infants in a sink is always a challenge, but not anymore, thanks to this clever foam and magnet concoction. Snap it together and it forms a supportive, origami-esque basin ... Read More »

Here’s a secret. I have never figured out how to effectively organize my kids’ toys. In almost seven and a half years of parenthood (not to mention five years of selling toys), the playroom situation has gotten increasingly chaotic, with bins filled to the brim with random bits and pieces, and very few toys in the sort of orderly, complete ... Read More »