Tired of black? Personally, I love black. I may even have a little bit of a problem with the whole black clothing, black shoes and black accessory thing. Thank goodness for strollers! You can always count on stroller companies to add a colour pop to your wardrobe. Wait, did I just compare strollers to fashion…

Bugaboo has introduced three intense and vivid colours to their stroller line-up – electric blue, jade green and coral red. The colours are inspired by 2012 color trends, and will be available this month on the tailored fabric sets for the Bugaboo Donkey, Bugaboo Cameleon and Bugaboo Bee.

The Special Color Collection is all-weather protected, durable and machine washable. The tailored fabric set ($99) includes a sun canopy and apron for both the Donkey and Cameleon whereas the Bugaboo Bee Color Collection includes a sun canopy of $59.00. You can also purchase the sun canopy for the Donkey separately for $65.00. The new limited edition Color Collection is available starting this month for 6 months only.

Love purple? The Bugaboo Cameleon Stroller is now available in a limited edition Deep Purple (available exclusively through buy buy BABY). The stroller retails for $1029.99.

If you are looking for unique cantfindanywhereelse exclusives, giggle is proving to be your best bet. Not only do they sell many product exclusives from well known brands, they just introduced their two new exclusive stroller styles from Bugaboo. Yesterday, they announced the addition of the bloom ZEN CMYK Stroller ($799) which could very well be the most eye-popping of the season!

In a colorway that looks incredibly similar to giggle’s trademark colors, the new CMYK Zen from bloom is as stylish and fresh as it is practical. This all-terrain stroller boasts a cutting edge fold design making it super slim for storing in tight spaces and freestanding when folded flat. Although I have yet to test it out, this seems as though it would be an excellent travel stroller! The new Zen also features a first-of-its-kind solar lighting system that allows you to shine a light beam or flash hazards for additional safety. The fabric is breathable, stain-resistant and the cushion is reversible.

Another fun product is the Zen Yoga Newborn Nest ($250). This can be paired with the Zen stroller to create a comfortable newborn solution, or it can also be used a as a parent-facing newborn cradle, baby lounger or travel bed. It too folds flat for excellent portability.

Looking for something a little less flashy? The Monochrome Zen is your best bet. It too retails for $799.

All three of the products above are currently available for presage exclusively through giggle and are expected to ship in late February.

The one thing that I don’t like is bringing a ton of gear or products with me when traveling, in fact – we travel so much as a family now that I think we have the the art of packing lightly down pat. There is nothing worse than carrying a child and being bogged down by a heavy diaper bag or countless bags of luggage!

I was recently introduced to Splendipity, a mom-owned company who has taken the car seat cover and universalized it making it an all-in-one travel product for families. This universal cover is made from organic cotton and feels incredibly soft to the touch. It is sized generously and can be used in a multitude of different ways.

Although it makes an excellent car seat cover, the Splendipity can also be used as a Shopping Cart Cover, Car Seat Shade, Swing Cover and High Chair Cover! They mention that you can use this as a nursing shawl, but to be honest I generally don’t use a nursing cover and usually opt for my aden + anais Swaddles while nursing.

There is a gap to allow the car seat handle to come through in the middle of the cover. It also makes for a nice peek-a-boo window, so you can keep an eye on your little one.

Each Splendipity cover is machine washable and reversible. Regardless of whether you opt for the pink, green or blue versions, the cover can be flipped to reveal the soft creamy organic cotton lining which I love.

Price: $42.97 from Splendipity

Bugaboo has just recently introduced two new special-edition stroller colors! The Cameleon can now be purchased in the gorgeous navy/off-white pictured above for $979.99. I have to say the colors go fantastically well together. Also, right on trend. Blue – especially navy – is super hot this season!

The Bugaboo Bee is available in a Special Edition Off-White ($649), which is stunning. Also, good news for owners of the Bugaboo Bee stroller base! If you want to purchase the canopy separately, you can do that as well. The canopy retails for $49.00.

Love it!

There is nothing like snuggling up under a blanket in the winter months. The thing is, my kids have all the cuddly ones and mine are either woolen or cotton. Nothing wrong with wool or cotton blankets, but I can’t even begin to count the amount of times that I’ve lusted over my kids’ minky ones.

Saranoni is a new company that has included every member of the family with their line of luxurious minky blankets. Made from soft swirly, minky and satin, these plush and cuddly wonders are available in a variety of sizes. The mini is fantastic for babies and big enough to drape across a stroller or car seat.

One size up is the luscious 30 x 40 size which is ideal for a toddler. The Lavender Swirl/Chocolate Lush is amazing! Not only does it have the swirls on one side and soft lush on the other, it is framed by a 2 inch minky border. So you basically get three textures in one.

Saranoni has also just introduced a brand new size which is great for the toddler who has outgrown their blanket but large enough for teens. It also has the three textures and measures a generous 40 x 60.

And now, for my favorite. The Extra Large blanket from Saranoni is to die for…..and a little dangerous. See, the evenings are usually my work time, a window of opportunity to get some unfinished projects and contracts completed. If you do have things to do in the evenings, do NOT lie on the couch with this blanket because you will nod of faster then you can say boo. Although I adore it, I don’t recommend using it if you want to stay awake and upright .

Saranoni will be introducing a brand new Candy Apple Red and Hot Pink blanket on January 30th, just in time for Valentine’s Day and they will be marked down by 20% so keep your eyes peeled on their website for updates!

*Company sent sample for review.

Did you know Guess has entered the pram/stroller market? Although they have been designing fashions for the entire family for years, Guess has just recently debuted a brand new stroller set which includes a lightweight aluminum frame as well as the three different seats that can be used with it – regular pushchair seat, a car seat and a horizontal pram seat.

The upright pushchair seat (waterproof) comes with a hood and footmuff. It can be adjusted to face the street or the parent and a back window provides ventilation. In regards to a recline, the seat has four different reclining positions.

The car seat is suitable for babies weighing up to 10kg and has a three position handle. A leg cover and adapter is included. In regards to the pram seat, the hood and cover (included) are waterproof and a back window with zip provides ventilation. There is also a handle for carrying.

Closed, the stroller measures 95cm x 40cm x 60cm (37½ x 16 x 23½inch) and weighs about 6kg. The stroller is available in both blue and pink versions.

Price: £995.95/€1,195.54/$1,536.65 through our affiliate Childrensalon

For those living in Canada, are you aware of the new Car Seat Regulations which came into effect on January 1/2012?

The Canadian government does regular testing of car seats to ensure our children are kept safe. The testing changes often due to new technological advances in equipment, and the most recent testing yielded some significant changes to the current regulations. The changes include the following:

• a new testing requirement using a three-point seatbelt to secure car seats in vehicles;
• changes to child seats’ dynamic testing to adopt most of the U.S. testing parameters;
• changing the definition of an infant from 9 kg to 10 kg;
• an increase in the maximum allowable weight limit of child seats from 22 kg to 30 kg;
• introducing dynamic testing requirements for booster seats; and
• allowing harnesses to be certified for use on school buses by special needs children.

Information provided via Transport Canada’s press release

Car seat manufacturers are were set to comply with the new guidelines by December 31st, 2011, and must include the National Safety Mark on their car seats if they are to be sold within Canada. You can learn more about the NSM here, and visit Transport Canada’s Keep Kids Safe website to ensure your child’s car seat it is up to par.

Liz Lange, the renowned maternity fashion designer, has designed a collection of three chic diaper bags exclusive to Target. The stylish and sensible bags are an expansion of her popular Liz Lange for Target maternity collection.

As you can see the exteriors don’t scream ‘baby’ and look quite chic. Some features include quilt-stitching, on-trend prints (zebra is very hot right now!) as well as gold hardware.

In regards to the interior – it is all about baby! There are plenty of pockets to store all of your gear and each bag is lined with a hot pink water-resistant fabric.

You can find Liz Lange’s new line in Target stores starting today. All of the styles are affordable and can be snatched up for $49.00 USD.

One of my favourite handbag designers Rebecca Minkoff, is holding an incredibly sale for the next couple of days, with many of their top selling bags on for up to 50% off! Her baby bags usually sell out fairly quickly, which is why I was surprised to see these two listed.

The Marissa baby bag is one of Minkoff’s newer styles and perhaps one of my favorites. It is made from a quilted lightweight nylon and features a water resistant lining. The bag measures 16″ wide x 6.5″ deep x 11″ tall. The regular retail price is $395, but it is currently on sale for $215.

The Jodi Baby Bag is made from a lightweight cotton fabric printed with a fun zebra print.  It is outfitted with custom gold tone hardware and features the same water resistant lining as the first. This one is a little smaller and measures 14″ x 4″ x 11″. Priced at $215 from the regular $395.

Fendi is really diving into the children’s fashion world full force! After first partnering with Simonetta for a kids’ fashion line, they have now partnered with Italian stroller company Inglesina to release a luxury stroller.

The new Fendi stroller will feature the Fendi logo as well as their signature folor palette of cream, mahogany and brown. It will be released accompanied by a matching foot muff and baby carrier. No word yet on the weight or cost of this stroller, but from the looks of it, we can expect an umbrella fold, making it a good candidate for traveling.

The line will be sold in select stores worldwide starting in 2012.

Source: Fashion Times