The American International Toy Fair is one of the largest toy trade shows in the world and one where products from around the globe are premiered. Needless to say, Infantino is thrilled to be part of it and believe it’s the perfect forum to spread our passion for happy parenting with new, innovative and fun toys and accessories developed to make you, and your little ones, smile.

You can be part of the fun too! We’ll be posting pictures of the fair, first looks, cool ideas and fun events from all of our favorite spots in the city. Just hashtag #toyfair2012, #everybodyplays or keep an eye on our Facebook page for daily updates.  Get ready New York…here we come!

We’re thankful for…

You. You add substance and purpose to our efforts on a daily basis. We’re here to foster great experiences for parents and babies. Your contribution, be it via Facebook, Twitter, phone or e-mail, makes a difference and influences our brand. We like to hear when we’re doing right by you and also appreciate the opportunity to make things right if we’ve had an off moment. Thanks a bunch for supporting and hanging out with our brand – it really means a lot.

The Givers. We’re thankful for some really cool folks that have made some big and meaningful events happen this year. First we continue to be inspired by the Saving tiny Heart Society who give their time so selflessly to further research and treatments for adolescent congenital heart defects.

We also want to thank all the Mom Central test-drive mamas who’ve taken our products into their homes and joined us at our pre-BlogHer playdate. We truly appreciate the time you take to test our products and share your family experiences. Your work means a lot to us.

We can’t thank Kelle Hampton and all the Casting Call families enough for helping us with our Everybody Plays campaign. It was such an inspirational and important event that we’re eager to continue building on for years to come.

Family Infantino. Though our products may be sold coast-to-coast and internationally, we’re actually a small-but-mighty group of folks. And on the whole, minus the missing Diet Coke you know you left in the fridge, we feel lucky to be able to work with each other daily.

To everyone we wish the happiest of Thanksgivings.

Thankfully Yours,

Infantino

I would classify myself a frequent babywearer and I’m pretty demanding on the collection of carriers I own. I do a lot of errands on foot, am not a fan of carrying awkward car seats and don’t like the idea of loading strollers in and out of my car. I also do a bit of traveling with my two young kids.

I think it’s important to tell a little bit about myself because babywearing is an incredibly personal experience. I’ll be the first to admit that it’s not a one-carrier-fits-all world. That being said, the Sync is a perfect option for me, and here’s what made it such a simpatico choice…

For me the Sync was a great infant hold carrier. The panels are woven with just a touch of give and the resulting fabric kept my son really close and tight to me. Once he was in I didn’t have to tighten or adjust. The straps are stretchy, soft, and non-intrusive, and are incredibly simple to tie.

On a more emotional note, the closeness the Sync provides actually makes me feel pregnant again. I find myself rubbing the bump my son creates and experiencing the sense of calm and serenity I had in the months before he was born. Total connection.

My Quick List of Loves

I can roll it up and pop it in my diaper bag.
The comfortable lumbar support belt.
I can easily do a hip carry (though I prefer a front carry).
I can comfortably sit in it.
It is gosh darn pretty and trendy to boot!

When I Might Not Use It

If I need to remove it quickly – airport security, busy parking lots, etc. In those cases I tend to go with our Support carrier.
If I am going to be in an especially dirty place where the straps might touch the ground.
If my husband plans to take a turn carrying the lil’ man.

Click here to see it in action!
Available for pre-order at Amazon.com.

To kick it off, Infantino and Step 2 are collaborating with talented photographer/blogger Kelle Hampton who will be capturing some fresh faces for our 2012 packaging and website.

We’re looking forward to working with Kelle and we’ll share updates soon. In the meantime, you can see some of Kelle’s work and read her (awesome!) blog right here.

And that’s exactly what our Just BeCause program is about. It’s our way of giving wherever we can, whenever we can. So keep an eye out for some of our efforts, ventures and projects.

We’re currently in the process of launching this campaign and look forward to sharing it with you at the beginning of October. No child should feel excluded, and we feel proud to share in the same type of outreach that Shriver poured her heart into.
 
Shriver’s daughter Maria wrote a touching article about her mother and EKS Day which can be viewed here.

So here’s the thing with tummy time. We hear the pediatricians tell us how important tummy time is and we try to make time for it, but for some of us just getting through one minute of tummy time can be difficult (for both us and baby).

Baby is uncomfortable, then cries, then we instinctually scoop them up and call it quits. Then we feel guilty because we know tummy time is important.

Having been through this cycle ourselves as parents, we set out to make a better tummy time experience. To do it, we worked with pediatricians and occupational therapists to get to the source of what really makes tummy time so crummy.

Here’s what we learned. Babies feel very vulnerable on their tummies. And lifting up their heads and torso to look around, listen, touch and get comfy with their surroundings is hard work for their weak upper body muscles. This makes for a bummer of a time.

So we set out to create something that would help make it a little easier and turn tummy time from frustrating to fun. Our solution is the Right Angle Tummy Triangle.

The Right Angle Tummy Triangle has a unique angled design that helps baby engage their lower, stronger trunk muscles and build their not-so-big upper body muscles. The angle also gives them a better viewing vantage point and makes it easier for parents to get on the floor and encourage eye contact. And as baby gets stronger and stronger you can adjust the activity arch, with its playful mirror, to keep them engaged and challenged as they grow.

To learn more, watch this video or check out the Right Angle Tummy Triangle on our website. And if you simply must have it  – you can buy it online at Amazon.com, BabiesRus.com or at any Babies “R” Us store.

Then we moved our attention to the living room, veranda and kitchen transforming this beach-side home in Coronado into the perfect playdate space with fun food, activities and a candy bar!

With the finishing touches added we were ready for our guests. Over 30 bloggers from across the country in town for one of the biggest conferences around…BlogHer ‘11!

Folks made their way in, found their handmade (thanks Tracy) name tags and got the playdate started!

Bloggers got gifty with the new Infantino Comforting Play Collection, designed a Step 2 dream kitchen, fashioned new faces on some unsuspecting rubber ducks and were privy to the sneak peek of hot new products (one so new it didn’t even have a name yet).

All that playing worked up an appetite. All that needs to be said is DELICIOUS. Thank you Waters Catering, you did not disappoint!

The party ended where the day began, in the yard, by the water with the ducks. Amidst lots of cool Step 2 toys stood the Grand Walk-In Kitchen – the grand prize for the blogger with the lucky duck.

It was truly amazing to be in the company of such wonderful people that contribute greatly to the social space.  We appreciate you coming to our playdate so we could meet in a good old fashion face-to-face way.  And we look forward to keeping up our conversations in cyberspace.

Our new Soothe & Snuggle Pup is a faithful companion that’ll stay by your baby’s side and help keep them calm & relaxed. We always hear from moms (and have definitely learned from personal experience) how little ones get a little cranky and restless when they’re in the stroller, car seat or crib for a bit. So to keep us all sane, we created this snuggable, musical pup to gently soothe baby and send them to that happy place.

You can find out more about the Soothe & Snuggle Pup right here (link to product page).

P.S. For a great gift idea pair Soothe & Snuggle Pup with other must-have basic toys from our Comforting Play Collection and voila, a beautiful shower-worthy bundle!

Baby’s Main Squeeze

No matter how many times you do it, holding those tiny little hands is just magical. And it always seems to comfort baby in a special way. This simple interaction led to the creation of the Soothing Hand Squeezies. They replicate the feeling of grabbing onto mom’s (or dad’s) finger. A simple, but incredibly soothing and calming act for babies. During test drives with moms we often got the comment that these look like itty, bitty boxing gloves. We agree – and they help fight off the fussiness!

To find out more just click here.

Binky’s Best Buddy

Why can’t those darn binkies just stay put. Dropped, tossed, lost, stuffed under the carseat, scooting across the floor… We’ve been there. And now we’re coming to the rescue with our Binky Buddy – it keeps binky with baby and is easy to spot in that bottomless diaper bag of yours. It is also a great lovey that your little one will love to hold!

If you’re thinking of buying some pacifiers as part of a shower gift, this is the perfect match.

To find out more about the Binky Buddy, just click here .