I just heard about the company BabyFaces, which makes custom silver or gold charms of your child's face from a photograph. My husband Matt finds them a little strange, but I think they're like a modern version of a locket. Plus, anything with my son's picture on it is absolutely adorable. :)

The BabyFaces charms are about the size of a quarter, and start at $129 for sterling silver. They also make smaller versions (Babyfaces Juniors, which are about the size of a dime), starting at $69 for the ones in silver. Additionally, they offer other jewelry items (tie tacks, money clips, charm bracelets) that can be personalized with the charms.

What: Picture Book, Baby Knows Best, by Kathy Henderson (illustrated by Brit Granström)
Website: Baby Knows Best at Amazon.com
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

You know the common saying that when you buy a kid a new toy, all she wants to play with is the box it came in? In Baby Knows Best, Henderson explores this oh-so-true observation with warmhearted humor and a parent's knowing insight. No matter how many toys, clothes, and baby "necessities" this family provides for their little girl, all she wants is whatever the rest of the family has. The language is rhythmic and rhyming, and Granström's soft watercolor illustrations are full of pictures of familiar objects in baby's world.

At the moment, this is 16-month-old Ethan's favorite book. My toddler loves scouring the pictures to find things he recognizes from his own life: a high chair, books, bathtub, pasta....He points at them and announces their names with glee. He says "Eewww" at the picture of the baby eating the newspaper, and "Awww" when she curls up to sleep in her Mom's arms. Our whole family enjoys reading this book that truly depicts daily life with a young toddler and emphasizes what babies really care about.

After legal action was taken against Wal-Mart, the mega-corporation has recalled its vinyl and vinyl-backed baby bibs, which have been found to contain high levels of lead. The amount of lead found in these bibs not only exceeds the lead levels permitted in children's products, it is over 16 times higher than the amount of lead allowed in paint.

The Baby Connection brand vinyl bibs were sold at Wal-Mart stores across the United States as far back as 2004. They came in packs of 2 or 7 bibs. If you have these bibs, stop using them immediately and contact your local Wal-Mart to see if you are eligible for a refund.

Here is a description of the bibs from Wal-Mart's product recalls page:

Name of products:
Baby Connection 2-Pack Easy Wipe Bibs (UPC No. 01468152705)
Baby Connection 7-Pack Feeder Bibs (UPC No. 01468151077)
Baby Connection 2-Pack Feeder Bibs (UPC No. 01468102732)

Description:
The Baby Connection 2-Pack Easy Wipe Bibs contain two bibs per unit, each with a textile back, laminated with clear plastic front and having a clear plastic pocket at the bottom of the front of the bib.  The textile backing, visible through the clear plastic lamination, is imprinted with multiple patterns and colors. 

The Baby Connection 7-Pack Feeder Bibs contains seven bibs per unit, each with a textile terry cloth front, and white plastic sewn to the back.   The textile terry cloth front comes in multiple colors with multiple embroidered prints.

The Baby Connection 2-Pack Feeder Bibs contains 2 bibs per unit, each with a textile terry cloth front, and white plastic sewn to the back.  The textile terry cloth front comes in multiple colors with multiple prints of various Sesame Street characters like Big Bird, Elmo & Cookie Monster.

More information about the recall can be found at the Center for Environmental Health.

The idea mirrors what Old Navy is to Gap and Banana Republic: a lower-end children's apparel store targeted at customers with a smaller household income than those who shop at Gymboree and Janie & Jack.

Set to launch in the second half of 2007, Gymboree plans to open at least 10 Crazy Eight retail stores in 3-4 test markets across the country. These stores will be found in traditional malls, more upscale "lifestyle centers", and other venues. The stores will be similar in size to the Gymboree Outlet stores, and will showcase a broader range of sizes, with clothing and accessories for newborns up through size 14.

The concept behind the name "Crazy Eight" is that children and their families are crazy eight days a week, from the time they wake up in the morning and hurry off to school, rush to sports activities, and visit with friends and relatives, until they fall into bed at night. Kids are going nonstop from 8am to 8pm, and Gymboree wants to clothe and accessorize them the whole time.

Did you know that getting just one bad sunburn as a child can double the risk of getting skin cancer later in life?

Here are the top 5 ways to keep your kids safe in the summer sun:

1. Try to find shady places to play when the sun is strongest (10a to 4p). Keep young babies (under 6 months) in the shade as much as possible.


2. Cover up with UV-protective swimwear. They're increasingly common these days, and you can find "rash guards" or sun shirts sold at popular stores like Target and Old Navy. You can also get plenty of sun protective swimwear for kids and adults of all ages online from sites like Solartex and Sand Pail Kids.


3. Slather plenty of sunblock (SPF 30 or higher) on all exposed skin (for children over 6 months of age). Most people use too little sunblock, so really slop it on! Reapply it frequently - after swimming, sweating, or towel-drying. Look for a non-chemical sunblock like the ones made by California Baby.


4. Put on a sun hat with a nice wide brim that will shade their face, ears, neck, and shoulders.


5. Don't forget their little eyes! Sun exposure can do damage to eyes and lead to cataracts later in life, so find some UV-blocking sunglasses for your kids. Even the littlest babies can wear fun shades like the ones made by Baby Banz.

Above all, set a good example. Most parents protect their children from the sun, but fail to protect their own skin. Wear your sunglasses, hats, and sunblock, and have fun playing outside with your kiddos this summer.

Stuck in a food rut? Tired of trying to get more healthy snacks into your toddler? Try the snack tray! Find an inexpensive serving tray with separate compartments, or use something you already have - an ice cube tray or a muffin pan - and fill it with various healthy options for your kid to munch on throughout the day. Children love all the tiny little compartments, and when you fill each one of them with something different, it can really look nice. The photo above is of our silicone mini-muffin snack tray, filled with corn, peas, carrots, cheese, pickles, raisins, bread, black beans, crackers, strawberries, celery, and peaches.

Sometimes we forget that our little ones need to eat frequently, especially if they're busy playing and don't think to stop and ask us for food until they're ravenous. Low blood sugar and hunger can make them particularly grumpy or whiny. If you're having one of those days, try filling up a snack tray and leaving it out to help tone down those behavior challenges. Make a larger snack tray for yourself while you're at it!