HALO Founder Receives 2015 National Leadership Award from Cribs for Kids

Bill Schmid, founder of HALO Innovations, was recently awarded the 2015 Making a Difference National Leadership Award presented by Cribs For Kids. The award recognizes Schmid's ongoing role in safe sleep education.

As a result of a personal tragedy, Schmid began an exhaustive review of medical research available on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Halo Innovations began shortly after with a mission to reduce the number of infant deaths related to SIDS. His first product was an engineered solution to the issue of re-breathing, the Halo Active-Airflow Crib Mattress. The company expanded to include more convenient alternatives to crib blankets with the Halo SleepSack and the SleepSack Swaddle. Halo products are now sold throughout North America and a number of other countries and are used in more than 1,400 hospitals nationwide. Schmid's most recent invention is the Halo Bassinest, a bedside bassinet providing a safe sleep space for infants while still next to parents.

Bunnies By The Bay Apparel Bright and Cheery for Little Ones

A division of Kids Preferred, Bunnies By The Bay offers gifts for little ones embarking on their first years of life. The Stinkin Cute collection for boys includes a hoody with Malibu blue and carrot orange solid and striped knits with a fish coming out of the front pouch; pants that are pull on and off in solid Malibu blue with carrot orange striped waist and ankle bands; the Baseball Shirt with a striped long-sleeve shirt underneath a short-sleeved shirt with a retro baseball patch; and two tees in carrot orange and charcoal gray.

The Pretty Girl Spring collection features embroidered and stitched messages on each article of pale pink and gray-colored clothing. The line includes a Pretty Sailor Top in soft peony pink with a sailor collar; Pretty Sailor Dress with a double-layered ruffle skirt; Shorties, the bubble bottoms in gray stripes, to complement the Sailor Top and Dress; the Pretty Tweet Romper with ruffles at the neck and knees; and a number of other t-shirts, hooded sweaters and friendly stuffed animals.

The Stinkin Cute Boys collection and the Pretty Girl collection will both be available spring 2015.

Children's Choice Book Awards Recap

To kickoff Children's Book Week this week, the Children's Book Council held its 8th annual Children's Choice Book Awards Ceremony on Monday, May 4 in New York City. Winning titles are selected by young readers of all ages, and this year's event was hosted by Jon Scieszka and Betsy Bird. This year, children and teens across the United States made their voices heard by casting more than 1 million votes. The 2015 Children's Choice Book Awards winners are:

• Kindergarten to Second Grade Book of the Year: Eva and Sadie and the Worst Haircut EVER!, by Jeff Cohen, illustrated by Elanna Allen (HarperCollins Children's Books)
• Third Grade to Fourth Grade Book of the Year: Kali's Story: An Orphaned Polar Bear Rescue, by Jennifer Keats Curtis, illustrated by John Gomes (Arbordale Publishing)
• Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade Book of the Year: The Dumbest Idea Ever!, by Jimmy Gownley (Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic)
• Teen Book of the Year: The One, by Kiera Cass (HarperTeen)
• Children's Choice Debut Author: J.A. White for The Thickety: A Path Begins (Katherine Tegan Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Children's Books)
• Teen Choice Debut Author: Jennifer Mathieu for The Truth About Alice (Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group)
• Children's Choice Illustrator: Chris Appelhans for Sparky!, by Jenny Offill (Schwartz & Wade, an imprint of Random House Children's Books)

Balboa Baby Introduces Jersey Sling to Line

The Bablboa Baby Jersey Sling provides the highest carrying comfort for moms and babies. The Jersey Sling is designed to complement the active lifestyle of on-the-go moms while keeping Baby comfortable and secure.

From long walks around the neighborhood to running errands around town, busy parents will never want to leave home without this convenient hands-free solution.

The Jersey Sling is made from double faced jersey in black and grey that allows babies to be carried in four different positions.

ABC Kids Expo Hosts First North American Pavilion at CBME SEA

All Baby & Child (ABC) is excited to host the first North American Pavilion at CBME South East Asia (SEA) in Singapore. Once again ABC has joined forces with UBM, show organizers of the CBME expos, to host a North American Pavilion at the first edition of CBME SEA. Some of the exhibitors represented include Baby K'tan, Bumkins, Itsy Bitsy Pantry, Kittrich, and Zoli.

CBME SEA will take place at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Center April 16-18, 2015. The South East Asia region including Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam as well as Australia and New Zealand, is comprised of a population of 630 million people with 175 million younger than 14. In this booming market, 4 million newborns are being added every year with an expected GPD growth rate of 7 percent. Larry Schur, President of All Baby and Child Corp. says, "We are delighted to be able to team up again with UBM in order to provide North American exhibitors with opportunities to expand their product distribution internationally."

ABC is a historic partnership between independent specialty stores and the manufacturers who support them. Its goal is to promote the continued growth and prosperity of independent retailers and manufacturers in the baby and child industry. With more than 1,000 exhibitors utilizing 3,000 booths in nearly one million square feet of exhibit space, The ABC show is among the fastest growing trade shows in the nation.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Mezoome Organic Pully Mully Pacifier Holder

Mezoome Organic Pully Mully Pacifier Holder
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LÍLLÉbaby Announces Collaboration with tokidoki

Adding to its growing portfolio,LÍLLÉbaby has launched a collaboration with tokidoki, a pop culture brand meaning "sometimes" in Japanese.

The tokidoki x LÍLLÉbaby collection will feature new styles in the LÍLLÉbaby COMPLETE and LÍLLÉbaby CarryOn carriers and is the first ever tokidoki carrier. Since debuting in 2005, tokidoki has amassed a following for its larger‐than-life characters and emerged as a sought-after global lifestyle brand. tokidoki is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2015 and is commemorating this momentous occasion with a yearlong tribute to #tokidoki10ve.

The tokidoki x LÍLLÉbaby collection ranges from the award winning LÍLLÉbaby COMPLETE All Seasons to the highly anticipated LÍLLÉbaby CarryOn Toddler Carrier. The first collection features the tokidoki rebel pattern.