NYC Based Oeuf Debuts Affordable New Robin Collection at ABC Kids Show

Oeuf, the New York based design company known for smart, modern design, continues to raise the bar within the furniture industry with their new Robin Collection, which they debuted to specialty retailers at the ABC Kids Show in Las Vegas in Early September. The New Robin Colletion, which will be available to ship in Mid October, is so unique. It not only offers the uncompromising quality that Oeuf is known for but at the company’s lowest price point to date. Oeuf adapted to the market by designing the Robin and meeting the challenge to offer a more affordable option for its customers while ensuring that the collection adheres to its high product standards.

Essentially, Oeuf ’s designers went back to the drawing board, rethinking every component to minimize cost without sacrificing functionality, safety and style. The Robin is also Oeuf ’s most eco-friendly collection, made in Europe from 100% sustainable wood and painted in 100% natural, water-based whitewash finish.

The collection includes a crib and a dresser, retailing at $565/$585, respectively. Also, as in all of Oeuf ’s collections, the conversion kit extends the life of the crib by converting the crib into a toddler bed and will be available for only $145.

The entire Oeuf Collection including the Oeuf Sparrow Collection, the Oeuf Classic Collection and the new Robin Collection are available at www.poshbaby.com.

Portland Sitter Soiree at POSH BOUTIQUE

Let Sitter Soiree introduce you to a pool of brilliant, educated and experienced babysitters while noshing on goodies and shopping for irresistible goods. You’ll have a chance to meet, greet and connect with a wonderful pool of babysitting candidates selected by Sitter Soiree in a fun, comfortable setting. You’ll also have the chance to shop for goods from local businesses in a fun, no pressure atmosphere.

You’ll leave the Soiree with an exclusive “Sitter Book” complete with a bio, contact information and photo of each sitter. When the time comes to hire a sitter you contact the sitter directly, you conduct interviews and check references, you set the schedule and you choose the right sitter for you.

Space is limited.

The cost to attend the Soiree is $45.00.

No costly agency fees.

Choosing the Right Baby Monitor

Baby monitors are an extra set of ears--and, in some cases, eyes--that allow you to keep tabs on your sleeping baby. There are two basic types: audio and video/audio. Both operate within a selected radio frequency band to send sound from the baby's room to a receiver. Each monitor consists of a transmitter (child unit) and one or more receivers (parent units). Video/audio monitors have a small wall-mounted or tabletop camera to transmit images to a video monitor.

A baby monitor's challenge is to transmit recognizable sound (and/or images) over a distance with minimal interference--static, buzzing, or irritating noise--from other electronic products and transmitters, including cordless phones that share the same frequency bands, cellular phones, appliances, and even fluorescent lights. Interference can also be hearing someone else's conversation, which makes it difficult, if not impossible, to decipher the sounds coming from your monitor. Interference can also mean fuzzy reception in video monitors. Overall, interference is probably the biggest complaint parents have about baby monitors.

A Few SHOPPING SECRETS Courtesy of Consumer Reports:

Consider your home and lifestyle. You may appreciate a monitor with both sound and lights, so you can see your baby's cries. The louder he cries, the more lights light up. If you'll be taking business calls during naptime, for example, it can be helpful to turn the sound down low and rely on the lights. A video monitor can serve the same purpose, though we believe an audio monitor with lights can suffice. Similarly, if you live in a large house, you may want a monitor with two receivers rather than just one. In general, look for monitors with features that make it easy to move about, such as a compact parent unit that clips onto your belt. Try it on before buying, if possible; antennas have been known to poke the wearer.

Factor in your phone. To minimize the possibility of interference, choose a baby monitor that operates on a different frequency band from other wireless products in your home. A 2.4GHz cordless phone and a 2.4GHz monitor can interfere with each other. The 2.4GHz frequency band is widely used for cordless phones.

Consider digital if you have nearby neighbors with babies. If you want to be sure the sounds transmitted by your monitor are heard only by you and not by neighbors who might have a similar model (or a cordless phone using the same frequency band), go with a digital monitor, not an analog one. This will also ensure that the sounds you hear are coming from your baby and not the neighbor's. Analog monitors operate on a particular frequency band, much like a radio, sending signals from monitor to receiver in a straight shot. Digital monitors, on the other hand, encode the signal as it travels between the monitor and the receiver, making it nearly impossible for the sounds to be heard by others, and reduces the possibility of running into interference from other electronic devices.

Learn the return policy. Before you buy or register for any wireless product, such as a baby monitor, be sure the store will let you return or exchange it, in case you can't get rid of interference problems. If you receive a monitor as a baby shower gift and know where it was purchased, try it before the retailer's return period (usually 30 days) runs out.

WHAT'S AVAILABLE

The major brands of baby monitors, in alphabetical order, are: Evenflo (www.evenflo.com), Fisher-Price (www.fisher-price.com), Graco (www.gracobaby.com), Mobicam (www.getmobi.com), Philips (http://www.consumer.philips.com), Safety 1st (www.safety1st.com), Sony (www.sony.com), Summer Infant (www.summerinfant.com), The First Years (www.thefirstyears.com), and Unisar Bebe Sounds (www.bebesounds.com). Prices range from $15 to $200 for audio monitors, $100 to $200 for audio/video monitors. The higher the price, the more features and frills.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Among the models tested by Consumer Reports tested, the digital baby monitors are top-rated. Short of DECT technology, there's no guarantee against interference with either digital or analog monitors, although digital monitors are less susceptible and more private. One digital model in particular, the Philips SCD Line (Consumer Reports tested the SCD589, which was an old model which in 2009 was replaced by the Philips SCD510, SCD520 and SCD530) shined superior. All three are loaded with features, and since they operate in the fairly lightly used, at least for now, 1.9GHZ frequency band, they are unlikely to pick up interference. Prices range from $99 to $189. The SCD520 and SCD530 models offer features such as talk back features and lullaby modes as well as the ability to monitor room temperature levels in your baby’s room. The SCD530 even offers the ability to monitor humidity levels in your baby's room.

If you anticipate interference and want to spend a little bit less, buy a less-pricey digital model that's not in the same frequency band as other wireless products in your home, and consider models with more than two channels. The other digital monitors tested by consumer reports were also very good. Among our favorites was The Summer Infant Secure Sounds ($59), which is a great choice if privacy is important, though, it has fewer frills than the Philips SCD models.

Consumer reports recommended avoiding the Evenflo WhisperConnect Sensa ($50). It has a Pet Sensor, which is designed to alert you to any unusual movement around your baby's crib--a cat or other pet climbed in, say. That feature worked well, but you can easily keep pets away from the crib by closing the door to your baby's room. In addition, Consumer Reports found that one of the three samples they tested had an annoying problem: The out of range alarm would go off at random. This happened over and over again with that particular sample, and once or twice with one of the other two samples they tested.

The audio/video monitors they tested have small color screens, and unlike earlier models, reasonably good pictures. However, they found them to be susceptible to interference, particularly from microwave ovens in use. Some models, such as the MobiCam ($199), let you tape to a VCR or watch your monitor on the television set. But overall, they didn’t see much need for a video baby monitor.

Features to consider Baby monitors

Frequency band. As we mentioned, the closer your monitor's frequency is to that of another device, such as a cordless phone, the more likely you'll hear static or cross talk. One manufacturer, Philips Electronics, has addressed the interference issue by using a new frequency band: 1.9GHz. The new frequency, reserved exclusively for voice-only applications by the Federal Communications Commission, is called DECT technology, for digitally enhanced cordless telecommunications. The Philips SCD baby monitor are the only one we know of that uses the 1.9GHz frequency band. And as far as we know, there's only one cordless phone that uses the 1.9GHz band, also made by Philips. In their tests, the Philips monitors and its brandmate cordless phone, didn't interfere with each other. Overall, the 1.9GHz frequency band is lightly used, at least for now, and can improve your chances of privacy and no interference.

Multiple channels. Some monitors offer only two channels; others, as many as 60. Multiple channels can be an advantage. If you're getting interference, you can change channels and try to get rid of it. Some models use an auto-select feature to automatically find a free and secure channel, which is handy.

Sound lights. With this common feature, a monitor's lights turn on when the baby makes a sound; the louder he cries, the more lights light up. Consider this a must-have. It's helpful in a noisy room, plus it lets you turn the volume down and still know when your baby is crying. Some new models have a "vibrate" feature, similar to that found on cell phones or pagers, to quietly alert you that your baby is awake or crying.

Out-of-range indicator. This common feature is a light or beep that lets you know you've reached the range limit of the monitor. Models that lack this feature may let you know you're out of range with static, but that's not as definitive as an out-of-range indictor.

Low-battery indicator. Look for a monitor with a light or an icon on an LCD display that lets you know the batteries in your parent unit are running low.

Extra parent unit. If you have two parent units, you can keep one receiver near your bed and carry the other around with you during the day, or both you and your spouse can listen for your baby at the same time.

NICE BUT NOT NECESSARY

Walkie-talkie. You'll find this feature in models with more than one parent unit. It lets you talk to each other via the receivers.

Talking remotely to your baby. At least one brand tested by Consumer Reports, the Philips SCD baby monitors, have an intercom that allows you to speak to your child in his crib by pushing a button on your parent unit.

Auto playback or music. Some baby monitors, such as the Sony BabyCall ($50), let you record a voice message for your baby or play lullabies or other soothing music.

Expandability. Some monitors let you add more cameras, a VCR, or webcam so the system covers more areas in your house. Other models have additional parent units you can buy.

DEFINITELY NOT NECESSARY

Attaching the monitor to your baby's crib. All of the monitors we tested could easily detect baby's sounds from 5 or more feet away, so there's no need to put the monitor directly on the crib rail.

WORKS BETTER IN THEORY
Pager or parent-unit finder. If you've lost the parent unit, you can press a button on the child unit to make the parent unit beep. Unfortunately, the parent unit must be turned on for this feature to work, and if you leave the parent unit on, the batteries may go dead before you find it.

Remember, Not Everyone Needs a Monitor. Some parents are reassured by the constant surveillance of a baby's every whimper and movement. Others find it nerve-racking and feel like they have to be hypervigilant. Decide which category you're in before you go shopping. A monitor isn't a must-have. If you live in a small house or apartment or want a break when your baby is sleeping--which is legitimate--it's OK not to have one.

This information was provided by My Simon. For the latest information on this and many other products and services, visit www.ConsumerReports.org.
To Purchase these recommended monitors visit POSH BABY.

Daily Tea: Mix + Match Knits...For a world of play...Everyday!

Daily Tea from Tea Collection is a line of 100% cotton, machine-washable clothing that can be worn everyday. The line consists of fabulous mix + match pieces with bold prints and amazing graphics for girls and boys sizes 3 months to 5 years. More importantly, it won't break the bank...everything in the tea daily line is priced between $14-$29. Take our word that the quality of this line is far superior to everything we have seen in this price range.

Tea For Girls:

• Layette - Sizes 03M to 12M
• Baby - Sizes 06M to 24M
• Kiddo - Sizes 2T to 5T

Tea For Boys:

• Layette - Sizes 03M to 12M
• Baby - Sizes 06M to 24M
• Kiddo - Sizes 2T to 5T
  

Tea's everyday Tea Daily line's vivid colors and unique styling change from season to season, but the principles — wear well, wash well, and priced well — will remain true.

Daily Tea: Affordable everyday clothing without sacrificing an ounce of style!

It's Hard to Beat a Mutsy Stroller

The Mutsy stroller collection offers parents unparalleled flexibility and style for baby transport and care. More imporantly, they start at just $499. Four basic stroller frames make up the Mutsy range, each with its own specific steering features. These fabulous frames can accommodate a multitude of optional accessories ranging from easily attachable and removable bassinets that rival even the best of moses baskets to the funseat to a fabulous and cavernous detachable shopping basket bag that can handle all of your shopping exploits.

If an affordable umbrella stroller is more your thing, Mutsy offers the spider for just $199. Revolutionary in design technology, the Spider offers all the benefits of a lightweight buggy in an incredibly compact package.The Mutsy collection also contains several innovative seating concepts including the the easygrow high chair and the grow-up ! booster seat.