…..With MiniMitts™ and Grippees™ Wash Mitts

BellyLaf recently finished a photoshoot of kids and parents using our new MiniMitts™ and Grippees™ wash mitts. While we conducted market testing on our character designs prior to having our products manufactured, you never quite know what the reaction will be to a new product line from people who have never seen it before. We had a splash – literally – watching all the kids use our MiniMitts™.

“Mom, I want to keep these!” “These are mine…No, these are mine!” and “I like them all!” Not only did the kids love our first line of aquatic characters, parents told us they thought our character names are clever — Zippo the Blowfish, Rocko the Crab, Cosmo the Starfish, Glo the Jellyfish and Echo the Whale. We can’t wait for the 2008 ABC Kids Expo where we will unveil our first characters, the stories behind each of them and our new company, BellyLaf. As Echo would say, it’s going to be a whale of a good time!

September Is Baby Safety Month

We found out yesterday that BellyLaf’s Grippees™ wash mitts were chosen as a new product finalist for the prestigious JPMA Innovation Awards. The JPMA Innovation Awards highlight some of the most exciting new products on the market today and the 2008 winners will be announced at the opening ceremony at the ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas on September 7th. The JPMA judging committee is comprised of 17 trade media representatives and industry retail buyers. New products are evaluated based on innovation, marketability, trend setting potential, appeal and usefulness.

Each year, hundreds of products are submitted to the JPMA but only a select few are chosen as finalists. Our patent pending Grippees™ wash mitts are made from ultra soft eco-friendly bamboo/cotton blended material which is ideal for bathing children. Each pair of Grippees™ wash mitt has clear, soft and non-toxic silicone gripping dots on the lower palm of the hand that aid in holding slippery children of all ages. These gripping dots help parents bathe their children with confidence and reduce the risk of injuries in the bathroom. Grippees™ also have colorful SmartShapes™ appliqué characters sewn on the top of each wash mitt which appeal to children. September is also Baby Safety Month and the ideal time to launch our company and new product line! We’re so excited!

SmartShapes™

BellyLaf’s designers have created a number of modern, playful characters that will be unveiled at the ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas and soon be available at the BellyLaf online store. Zippo, our round blowfish design, is not only cute and colorful but was developed with learning in mind. Zippo is composed of several shapes including circles, triangles and trapezoids. Young children are naturally drawn to bold geometric shapes and recognition of basic shapes and patterns is essential to early childhood development…which makes Zippo the “Catch of the Day.”

Giggle Gear Collection™

It’s time to “Get Your Green On!” BellyLaf has added our new green logo to our Giggle Gear Collection now available at Cafepress. Check out this latest design and other fun taglines too! If you have some ideas for us, feel free to contact us.

Thirsty?

More often than not, I find myself disappointed when I enter most retail stores searching for cool contemporary designs, only to be presented with the same old drab concepts. Several years ago when I was designing the nursery for my baby girl, I was astonished that all I was offered was barnyard, flower and teddy bear motifs. Parents of today are thirsty for chic contemporary designs and products that are functional and affordable.

Bellylaf created SmartShapes™ which encompass developmental geometric shapes, cool contemporary colors and when combined together create cheeky, playful characters. No more primary colors! What’s wrong with yummy lime green or refreshing aqua? BellyLaf’s SmartShapes™ designs are incorporated into our first line of products, Grippees™ and MiniMitts™ wash mitts. As our line of products expand so will the birth of new exciting designs and products.