Some Security for Baby Knees
Baby Bumpers, a downsized version of knee protectors worn by Little Leaguers, can help prevent those scraped knees so familiar to parents of infants and toddlers.
The kneepads were created by Randy Lapin, a Los Angeles marketing and promotions executive, who went searching for such a product for his infant niece several years ago. Lapin says he felt guilty because he had taken the baby outside during a family barbecue at his brother’s house, and the next thing he saw was her bloody knees after she crawled on the brick patio.
He says he couldn’t find any suitable baby knee protectors, so he decided to design some. After testing several prototypes on relatives’ and friends’ children, Lapin came up with the one-size-fits-all kneepads. “I also did much of my research in malls, asking mothers and fathers what they thought,” he says. “I would give out prototypes to strangers as well as friends.”
Today, Lapin and his wife, Margaret, use Baby Bumpers for their own infant and distribute their product in 300 locations nationwide. The kneepads soon will be produced in England.
Baby Bumpers, suitable for children ages 6 months to 3 years, have a 3/4-inch foam pad and come in five colorful cotton designs and three solid colors, red, blue and green. They’re washable and reversible.
Because they attach with Velcro straps, Baby Bumpers ($6.95 a pair) are adjustable to fit over bare knees or clothing.
Anne Taylor, assistant director of the occupational/physical therapy department at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, says the staff uses the kneepads for patients who need joint protection--especially hemophiliac or arthritic babies--and calls them “a super pediatric product.”
Locally, you can find Baby Bumpers at most Nordstrom stores; Sport Chalets; Gymboree in Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and Marina del Rey; Flap Happy on Centinela Avenue in Los Angeles, and Baby Unlimited in Van Nuys. They’re also available at National Baby Shops and through the Right Start catalogue, (800) LITTLE-1.
Or you can order them direct from Lapin’s company, Marran International, 10315 Missouri Ave., Suite 5E, Los Angeles, Calif. 90025; phone, (310) 271-9911. Add $1.50 for shipping and handling.
Start ‘Em Off Right on the Environment
Speaking of babies, the Welcome to the World basket for newborns would be a thoughtful and environmentally friendly shower gift.
Produced by Carol Baxter, founder of My Favorite Planet, a mail-order business specializing in such products and gifts for babies and children, the natural willow basket contains environmentally safe baby products, including a cotton hooded towel, washcloth and toiletries made from natural ingredients not tested on animals. Among the items are talc-free baby powder, “un-petroleum” jelly, natural shampoo and Baby Cakes soap, made from vegetable oil, goat milk and honey.
Baxter also has added a soft, squeezable globe to get baby “started early loving and hugging the earth.”
Welcome to the World basket ($45, plus $5.95 shipping and handling) can be ordered from My Favorite Planet, 1740 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10019; phone (212) 645-4641.
Tonneau Cover for Pickups Is Like a Tarp
Pickup owners may want to check out the Tonneau Tarp by Pacer Performance Products. Tonneau Tarp gets its name by offering a clean, sharp appearance of a tonneau cover while attaching with tie-down straps so it actually functions as a tarpaulin for the truck bed.
Constructed of polyethylene, Tonneau Tarp’s “skirt” provides protection for loads higher than the bed level. The cover is waterproof.
There are models for six-foot and eight-foot truck beds. Both are available with or without the synthetic rubber tie-downs and hooks.
The six-foot model with tie-downs is $39.95, including shipping and handling; without ties, $24.95. Eight-foot with ties is $49.95 with shipping included; without ties, $29.95. To order, contact Pacer Performance Products, 5345 San Fernando West, Los Angeles, Calif., 90039; phone, (213) 245-3654 or (818) 247-3824. Tonneau Tarp also will be offered in the upcoming Sears catalogues.
