Stuff We Like: Father Goose

Music is something that’s important to us, and we wanted to encourage Violet to enjoy it too at an early age. Part of our preparations for bringing home baby included setting up a tiny speaker set for what was to become her iPod, loaded with lullabies that we still play in her room around the clock.

Of course, she hears a lot of our tunes, but we’ve accumulated quite a collection of kids’ music as well . . . about 24 hours of it to date. In keeping with our musical tastes (preferences for world music, jazz, blues, reggae, folk, and classic rock – aversions to country, rap, hip-hop, and pop), Violet’s playlist ranges from African Lullaby to the Baby Loves Jazz Band, to our favorite kids’ CD: It’s a Bam Bam Diddly, by Father Goose.

Essentially reggae/ska aimed at the shorter set, It’s a Bam Bam Diddly is a blast. In addition to the Goose himself (aka Rankin Don), the album includes performances by favorite kid's music artist Dan Zanes – and even Sheryl Crow. The title track could get anybody on their feet, as could "Come Down the Line" and "Chi Chi Buddo." My other personal favorite songs: "Jig Jog Gee" and "By and By."

In the world of children’s music, we’ve found a lot that we like, but nothing like Father Goose!

Stuff We Like: Tiny Diner Portable Placemat

We don't eat out often, but when we do, we want Violet to be able to eat with us. That's tough at this age, when food on a plate might as well be sitting on a frisbee waiting to find itself in flight. And of course the thought of putting what she'll be eating directly on the restaurant table is - put politely - stomach-churning. The solution? The Tiny Diner Portable Placemat.

The Tiny Diner placemat is compact (it rolls up to take up less space in the diaper bag), durable, and most importantly, made of safe materials: no lead, PVC, or phthalates. The suction cups on the bottom help affix it to the table, and the spill catcher is effective at keeping at least some of the food that doesn't make it to her mouth off the floor. We pack it alongside her meal whenever we head elsewhere to eat, and when she's done, roll it up, bring it home and wash it so it's ready to go again.

Here she is, putting it to good use tonight as she enjoys her dinner of brown rice, black beans, tomatoes and avocado (with a side of melon) at a brewery alongside the river:

Stuff We Like: Sophie the Giraffe

As we amassed baby gear in the months before (and after) Violet was born, we relied heavily upon the recommendations of other parents with similar priorities in making our selections. We still do, though we're moving beyond baby gear as Violet approaches toddlerhood. And now that we have a little bit of experience ourselves, we're looking forward to turning others on to things that have become favorites in the East End, starting with Sophie the Giraffe.

Made by Vulli for over 40 years, this teething toy has earned her status as a classic. Sophie was without question Violet's first favorite toy. Soft and pliable, Violet could manipulate Sophie's long legs and neck easily early on and - as intended - her head and hooves found themselves in Violet's mouth often. Most importantly, all that chomping was completely safe: Sophie is handmade in France with natural rubber and non-toxic paint. She's become my go-to baby gift, so if you're expecting, well . . . you'll know what to expect.