SheKnows.com has released the results of their 2011 Parenting Awards! 18 different categories were reviewed and voted on, and we’re so pleased that a handful of Sprout Soup products were voted Top Picks!

Here’s a rundown of the winners for our fans!

Top Pick!
Category: Carriers

Ergo Baby Sport Carrier

This handy carrier is made with a waist belt that extends to a maximum of 48 inches. The comfortable shoulder straps give you another 4 inches more than the standard carrier. Babies can be messy, but this is no problem for the Ergo as it is machine washable and can be either line dried or put in the dryer on low heat. Easy to use and easy to clean, parents will find this item rather handy.

View Ergo Baby Sport Carrier

 

 

Top Pick!
Category: Lullabies

Hushabye Baby: Lullaby Renditions of Taylor Swift

Inspire sweet and silent moments with Renditions of Taylor Swift. If it is time for bed and your little one will not drift off to dreamland, pop in this CD of some of Taylor Swift’s most beloved melodies recreated into soft and gentle music to rock you baby to sleep. The soft percussion and the gentle plucking of the guitar will provide a calm and relaxing atmosphere for your baby. Some included songs are “Teardrops On My Guitar,” “You Belong With Me,” and “Love Story.”

View Hushabye Baby: Lullaby Renditions of Taylor Swift

Category: Eco-Diapers

FuzziBunz

These modern cloth diapers are a parent favorite as they are highly fashionable and very easy to use. FuzziBunz offers two diapering options for your little one. First, the One Size Diaper is adjustable so you can fit it to your baby no matter what size they are. Second, the Perfect Size Diapers come in sizes XS, S, M, L and XL for a perfect fit without having to adjust. With a great warranty and fun colors, FuzziBunz is the easiest choice you have to make for your baby’s diapering needs.

View FuzziBunz

Category: Eco-Diapers

Bummis Organic Cotton Diaper Kit

Cloth diapers are great and when they come in an organic kit, you have a hit on your hands! The Bummis Organic Diaper Kit has all you need in a diaper including prefolded inserts, soft and flushable liners, and a step-by-step instruction manual to make learning to use a cloth diapering system easy. What this means for your baby is comfort; what this means for you is no rinsing, no pins and easy clean up. Organic cotton is the greenest option on the market making this perfect for the eco-minded family.

View Bummis Organic Cotton Diaper Kit

Top Pick!
Category: Eco-Toys

Green Toys Stacking Cups

Green Toys is a company who believes that the whole world would be a better place if all toys were safe, fun and made from materials that are friendly to the environment. Many of their products are made from recycled newspaper and plastics in hopes of reducing the use of fossil fuels and lowering the greenhouse gas emissions that harm the earth. These things will help make the planet a much cleaner and safer place for you little one to grow up in.

View Green Toys Stacking Cups

Category: Eco-Toys

Yellow Label Kids Rattles

Yellow Label Kids specializes in making products that are organic and produced in compliance with the Fair Trade Conditions Act. Their rattles come in beautiful designs that are made with organic bamboo yarn; this means no more hard plastic rattles during playtime. Instead, you will be placing a softer item in your baby’s hand that is still easy to clean. Choose from owls, birds, ice cream cones, donuts, vegetables and more to find your baby’s favorite shaped rattles!

View Yellow Label Kids Rattles

Top Pick!
Category: Dad Must Haves

Piggyback Rider from Full Sail International

The Piggyback Rider is a new product that brings new meaning to child carrier. This trend-setting product has a shoulder mounted foot bar that allows your child to stand on it. You can walk upright with ease and your child can see more and rest easier compared to using a traditional carrier. The Piggyback Rider provides an adventure for your little one all year long.

View Piggyback Rider from Full Sail International

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In honor of International Babywearing Week we are re-publishing an article we wrote a few years ago on the benefits of wearing your baby. International Babywearing Week is intended to bring babywearing to the attention of the media and parents everywhere. It’s a practice that we wholeheartedly believe in, and hope to encourage as many parents as possible to start babywearing from birth! Read on to learn just some of the benefits you and your baby will experience.

Why should you carry your baby? It’s no secret that babies like to be held. After nine months in a warm cozy womb, babies long for the close contact, warmth and gentle movements that they have become accustomed to. Some new parents are unprepared for just how much they will need to hold their babies. Others wonder if holding them too much is spoiling or setting them up for problems later. However, studies indicate that babies know what they need and holding your baby close as much as he wants is a good thing for both of you.

Columbia University conducted a study in 1990, which showed that mother and infant pairs who utilized soft baby carriers created a more securely attached relationship. Infant attachment plays an important role in healthy child development and has long-term effects on how the child will relate to others throughout their lives. Other studies show that babies who are carried are more organized, they learn from the world around them at an adult’s level, and they tend to cry less.

Baby-wearing makes brains smarter. So, not only is your child happier, but you can make them smarter as well. The first year of life is a crucial one for brain development. In a single year, the baby’s brain will double in volume. All these new nerve cells (neurons) grow fast and are largely unconnected. By holding your baby and letting him see your face and the world around you, you are helping the baby’s neurons connect. And more connections make a smarter brain. Even if you are doing other things while carrying your baby, he is gaining valuable experience about the way things work; all while feeling safe, secure and loved.

Baby-wearing makes babies happier. By carrying your baby you also drastically reduce the amount of time a baby spends crying (although even carried babies DO cry). The reason for this is that the constant movement helps to regulate the baby’s world. Babies are used to motion from being in the womb. Carrying your baby helps to recreate this environment to help you baby better make the transition from womb to world. While in a sling or carrier, a baby spends more time in the quiet alertness state—the state in which infants observe the world around them and build the important neural connections. Babies that are not held spend more time unsettled, startling and flailing about, and in general are less able to make these connections. Babies that are held and carried a lot are more responsive to visual and auditory stimuli, and they learn to make choices about what to pay attention to and what to ignore. The ability to chose what to focus on is a valuable tool for learning.

What kind of baby carrier? With so many benefits, it is a good idea to plan to hold and carry your baby as much as possible. There are many great baby carriers available today that make this easier, and also help keep your hands free so you can tend to other children or tasks.

When choosing a carrier for your baby, look for one that will hold him in the same positions you use when holding him in your arms. For many babies this is an upright or semi-upright position with their tummy against your chest. Another favorite infant carry is a cradle hold, with baby’s body semi-reclined across your arm. Both of these positions are possible in ring slings and stretchy wraps. But these are only two of the many option available. We at Sprout Soup are always available to help you determine which carrier will best fit your needs.

Carrying doesn’t end with infancy! Most carriers will last through toddlerhood and beyond! Toddlers especially may have times when being up in mom or dad’s arms is what they need and crave. A baby carrier can make these times easier on everyone, so no matter the age of your little one, babywearing can provide so many benefits it’s never too late to start.

Our first-ever Sprout Swap is upon us! We have a roomful of gently used baby carriers and cloth diapers, some are in excellent condition, you’d hardly know they were used! This is a great way to stock up on items for your little one, whether they are ready for the next size up or you are looking for a new way to carry your growing babe.

The swap begins promptly at 10am on Friday, February 20, shop early for the best selection! Our hours this weekend and for the swap are as follows:
Friday 10am – 6pm
Saturday 10am – 5pm
Sunday 12pm – 5pm

Every item in the swap is tagged and labeled with the item’s brand and size (as best as we could determine) and a price, most of which were set by the item’s owner. To whet your appetite here are some of the items we have available at this swap:

• Hotslings, both designer and pool pouches
• Kangaroo Korner fleece and cotton adjustable pouches
• Kozy Mei Tai carriers
• Ergo, Beco, Olives and Applesauce Structured Carriers
• Fuzzi Bunz in sizes XS through XL
• Bummis Wraps
• Kissaluvs contours and snaps
• Swaddlebees organic velour fitted diapers and pockets
• One-size pockets: BumGenius, Haute Pockets, Happy Heiney’s
• Prefolds and Snappis
• Wool soakers, longies and shorties
• Plus a $1 bin!

This is the first and only event of its kind in Columbus and all of Central Ohio! Come on in and join the fun!

Haven’t been to Sprout Soup before? Here’s where Sprout Soup is located.