Moms, help me out here.  Are your kids kickin’ it with the BabyLegs or not?

What are BabyLegs, you ask?   We’ll they’re simply covers for your baby’s legs which are designed to make changing diapers a wee bit easier, and also protect the little chubbers as they start crawling everywhere. Here’s what the website says:

Gapiosis: The space between the sock and the bottom of the pant, often accentuated by being held in arms or by being placed in a carrier or stroller…Sweet little baby legs all over the world are being exposed to the chilly air because of gapiosis. Protect their sweet little legs from wind burn and chill…Feet remain free to allow for successful crawling, walking, and dancing. BabyLegs also help keep socks on! They fit most kids from newborns to size 10 - BabyLegs will warm your little ones for a long time. They’re fun to use as arm warmers too!

Blogger and ThisNexter Carolyn D. loves her BabyLegs big-time, “Not only are these unbelievably adorable, they are also useful! No more fighting to change diapers - well, at least not as much fighting! They’re great for little girls to wear under dresses in colder weather, and for protecting the chubby knees of crawling babes!”

And GooGaBaby agrees, “Babylegs are these cute, versatile, legwarmer products for your baby! They’re oh so convenient because 1. they make diaper changing a breeze 2. they’re much easier on those baby knees when your little one starts crawling and 3. they come in such great designs.”

So, are these nifty little leggings insanely useful for mom’s on the go? Or, are they pretty darn cute but not practical for everyday? 

Moms of the world: debate. 

My So-Called SuperMom Life illustrates a rarely discussed parenting problem: being the parental pioneer.   “It sucks being the first one in the group to have a baby,” SuperMom says.  “Not because for awhile, no one really knows how your life has changed. But because you have to actually buy all your child’s clothes!!! For now, we get no hand-me-downs. Guess this will all change one day…the day that Grace starts wearing my clothes! {sigh} The problems of having to shop haunt me!!! (hehe, did you hear/read the sarcasm in that one!?)”  Actually, SuperMom loves the ‘problem’ but she’s careful about the expense…and she’s got good things to say about the usual suspects, like Children’s Place, Gap Kids and Gymboree … but also mentions Janie & Jack – “classic good looks with tailored English Style” as a good source of comfort and clothing at reasonable rates.

Tales from the Crib is a group mommy blog with a difference. It describes itself as “18 different women, 33 crazy children. 1 baby in utero…Adventures, Advice and Questions from a group of Mormon women who met in Queens, NY and have now scattered all over the place.” And with that description, you’d expect high religion and maybe low drama.

Not so. What you get instead is a healthy dose of practicality and good humor in a group of woman with distinct interests and plenty of smart things to say. Take Brandolyn, for instance. She’s billed as the “earth mother” of the group, but she’s a very down-to-earth-earth-mother … including her recommendations of Fuzzibunz. “These diapers are really awesome,” she says.  “They have a fleece lining that keeps the baby dry and doesn’t stain, an inner removable core that is super absorbent — Anwen didn’t leak all night after 9 or 10 hours — and a waterproof outer layer that doesn’t leak. They also have adjustable snaps so they can grow with the baby. They are a breeze to clean—just toss them in the washer and dryer, no soaking or scrubbing. Plus Anwen gets a lot of diaper rashes and because these are breathable, soft cloth and keep her skin dry, she doesn’t get rashes. Also there are no chemicals and weird absorbent crystal things right next to her sensitive areas.” Good deal .. and a very informative site.

A tag like “Toys” is going to give a wide range of results … but buried in that crowd of cool stuff are subsets of pure pleasure…like plush toys.

They’re stuffed, they’re squishy, but they’re not at all what you’d expect.  A surprising array of ThisNexters, from parents to designers to therapists and collectors, find themselves oddly attracted to plushies of every kind— some of them the weirder the better.  Consider&

...continued: Plush Me, ThisNext, PLUSH me!

SuperMom is a stay-at-home, home-schooling mother of three who understands that the most important things in life really do have something to do with things.  Here’s a recent post called “Bye Bye Baby” from her blog, What Makes a Housewife Desperate? 

“There it is. My baby things.
 The swing.
The exersaucer.
The bottles.
The sleepers.
The teethers and wrist rattles.
Save the crib, that’s it.
I’ve sold them. For $103.

Seems so small compared to all the happiness I’ve had using them.

I must admit. This was not an easy step to take. It’s like I’m admitting I won’t be having any more babies. I can think it. I can agree when my husband says ‘no more’, but actually coming out and doing something as drastic as selling my baby items? That means I have to commit to it.

I love babies. But that’s it for me. And I’m sad.”

A great, smart, feeling blog for parents of all shapes and ages.

Coolbuzz always has the most … um … amazing? products. Things you would never have imagined anyone would actually make, and yet here they are, waiting for you. Like a human-powered LED nose ring, or an inflatable movie screen, or a Click-and-Blink pocket eyelash curler (stop laughing, I’m serious). And they never forget the children, either. Consider this automatic crib rocker, a remote-controlled rocking system gently that creates motion automatically in a “harmonic rhythm to naturally soothe and settle babies to sleep.” It can even recreate the rocking motions of a mother’s womb, a mother’s heartbeat, a drive in the car or a boat on the water. Did I say amazing? I think I did

GreatGreenBaby is a shopping blog devoted to the green, eco-friendly, baby consumer that recently recommended organic baby clothes from Maggies. “This is one of those companies that does everything right.” GGB tells us. “First off, all the cotton baby clothes are created from the finest organic cotton, using no pesticides or chemicals. Second ,the dyes used are all low-impact and as environmentally sustainable as possible. Third, her clothes are naturally bleached, which avoids toxic chlorine chemicals. All these good-environment efforts are carried out by workers getting a fair wage in a fair trade environment. Her socks are wonderful, too!” And GGB is great, too – an active and attractive site for finding new and useful green products for new families.

ThisNexters have already started to put together amazing lists about unexpected things … like the best way to carry a baby. There’s a movement afoot to find the healthiest, safest, and most comfortable way to carry babies, and you can find it under a variety of tags already: baby wearing, baby carriers, and baby sling (among others), and the products range from a simple (and surprisingly useful) length of cloth to a high-tech cross-country carrier that can last a lifetime.

...continued: Slings, Carriers, Wearing – it’s all about the baby!

Amy Hatch (lynsalyns) was the first to list it in Baby Baubles. “ OK,” she says, “how cute are these? Cheaper than paint, and way cooler, too. I use them in the nursery, but you can peel and stick them just about anywhere. Are you renting? Don’t sweat it, the decals come right off. Get them. You’ll love them.” Laptopbride came next; she thought retro, and not just for the nursery; she’d like them in her own room. And our very own blogger Aunt Beep thinks they’re super-cute, girly, and playful. Kid stuff? Maybe. But if Aunt Beep likes ‘em, it’s official: they’re cool for everybody.

Marvel at TreeHuggerz has discovered gDiapers and passes the word along: They’re “flushable inserts in a ‘little g’ cover that don’t cost much more than disposables,” she says. “You can compost the urine soaked inserts and even save on water.” And each purchase also helps support the Children’s Health Environmental Coalition’s Blue Butterfly campaign. “Wow, I would have jumped on these if I’d known about them when DD arrived.

Hey, you never know where you’ll find good product picks. Consider Celebrity Baby Blog, the remarkably warm and fuzzy gossip/baby site where Danielle and her friends not only tell us about (obviously) celebrity babies, but make some interesting recommendations…including Frye Boots, organic pouches, and Playtex’ Diaper Genie System, that helps manage the mess and odor of your baby’s diapers.

Daddy Types, the weblog for new Daddys, has plenty to say and much advice to offer…including a recent nod towards the Maclaren East Traveler Car Seat Carrier Stoller (as well as good words on many other strollers). Hey, it even has an optional drink holder; it must be good.

Rebecca of The Space Between My Peers is a stay-at-home Mom who loves to blog about fashion “from the bottom of the fashion food chain.” But what great stuff…like this recommendation about zafu.com. “You can just answer an easy series of questions and they will give you recommendations for what jeans will fit you,” she says. “How cool is that?”

CrabbyKate of Tripping the Life Unbalanced is trying to raise a smart, strong daughter…and she’s just getting started. But Gwen here is helping (and if you can’t read her T-shirt, we’ll help: it says CHICKS ROCK.)

Christina’s A Mommy Story is just hilarious. And accurate. And true-to-life. And thought Christina doesn’t actually recommend the Blue’s Clues plush, it is already the center of her toddler’s life and that cause of much insanity…while she doesn’t really say you should give Glenlivet to your baby when she’s teething. But if you want to see what it’s really like to have a just-turned-two-year-old around the house… read on.

ClassyMommy offers a variety of very cool pics for the thoughtful parent, from the highly practical to the just plain cute. The “Bear Light” teddy bear/night light is just one example. “My daughter Mackenzie would love this,” ClassyMommy says, “especially if we remember to bring it on overnight trips when there is no night light in her bedroom.” Its removable silicone belly emits a soft glow of its own, even while the bear itself stays soft and squeezable. “An ideal companion on those late night trips to the bathroom,” Classy says.

Elizabeth is an Op-Ed columnist, a blogger at Parenting.com, and an online entrepreneur, and she keeps all those balls in their air on top of keeping DaMomma up to date. This is a woman who calls ‘em as she sees ‘em in a funny, fast way, and her product pics are part of the process – like these plain-spoken bibs and onesies for babies that tell the awful truth: High Maintenance … Too Freaking Cute … Warning: No Nap. How amazing: truth in parenting.

You might have done the splattered with cartoons, coated with plastic diaper bag.

But if we and ShopCrazy have our way, you’ll tote baby gear a lot more chic, inside and out.

Says ShopCrazy about Baby Couture Diaper Bags:

“Each Baby Couture diaper bag comes with a coordinating changing mat, amenities bag, internal waterproof pockets, key holder, and an exclusive Eiffel Tower Couture bag charm.”

Dooce is one of the most popular mommysites we know of, and she’s a hoot. She’s witty, she’s fast, she’s cute, she knows how to make fun of herself and she knows how to have fun – like the evidence of this recent trip to the Apple Store where she played with Photo Booth. Gee, remember the old days when all you got was a strip of bad pictures? Now you can change your entire reality!