Wednesday, December 8, 2010

When to Introduce a Pillow to your Toddler?


With all the safety concern regarding soft bedding items in cribs, a lot of parents wonder "when is the right time to give my child a pillow to sleep with?" I also get asked this question frequently at BobbleRoos. There are a lot of opinions to sift through, but currently, most of the official guidelines (from organizations like The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) are relevant for infants under 12 months of age. So does that mean a 13 or 14 month old can start using a pillow? Probably not.

In fact, we typically recommend our toddler pillows for 2 years and up and even then, it's best to check with your pediatrician. Your child's pediatrician will be up to date on changing safety recommendations and will also know your child's heath history including any issues that may impact sleeping, allergies or asthma, etc. Many leading child developmental experts agree that it's best to allow young children to sleep on a flat surface, and when you do introduce a pillow, choose one that is firm, yet flat - nothing too poofy or fluffy. Pick a pillow that is the right proportions for a child, like a 12 x 16 toddler pillow. If you think about it, giving a small child an adult sized pillow is the equivalent of giving an adult a twin or crib mattress as a pillow!

Sometimes, introducing a pillow is a great transitional item when the child is converting from the crib to a toddler bed or twin bed - but it all depends on age. With my two children, I waited as long as possible to move them out of the crib and it was usually around 3 - 3 1/2 years old. However I have friends with "climbers" who have moved their kids out of the crib before their first birthday. I also have friends with 2-3 year old children who had frequent ear infections or sinus problems and the pediatrician recommend the use of a small pillow to help elevate the child's head. I've had many customers also tell me that they knew their child was ready when he/she bundled up blankets under his/her head at night to sleep on, or slept on a stuffed animal. But PLEASE check with your child's doctor first.

If your child or baby is not yet ready for a pillow, our toddler pillows still have a ton of great uses during the daytime - your child may still enjoy cuddling up with it during playtime, or using it for a "seat" to make that wooden chair more comfy, or for playing house with dolls. It also makes a great travel pillow - even for adults. I took one to the hospital with me during labor and delivery - great to put behind your lower back or neck for extra support. I also used mine frequently during nursing. We also use ours for traveling as they squish up easily inside a suitcase, can be carried on a plane, and great for making the car seat ride more comfortable. Just make sure to keep that pillow and loose items out of the crib until they are ready.

So the bottom line is that many children are ready for a pillow around 2-3 years of age, but check with your pediatrician first and educate yourself on the current safety recommendations and pros and cons. When you do choose a pillow, choose one that is in proportion to your child (12x16 is perfect!) and pick out some fun printed pillowcases that will allow your child to get attached to the pillow and make sleeping time fun! I can't tell you how may parents have told me that our toddler pillows have helped restless sleepers (which is great for the child and the parents!!) Feel free to post your ideas and opinions about using a pillow with children.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Monday Madness - Steals and Deals

Each Monday throughout the month of December, we will be featuring special Steals and Deals. The deals will run until midnight and are good while supplies last. Make sure you subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on Facebook and/or Twitter to get the first heads-up on the items that are in the Monday sale. Today's sale items include our No-Slip Playard Sheets, Supersize Toddler Blankets, Satin Pillowcases, and Waterproof Mattress Pads.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

New Fabrics and Product Updates!

We have 2 new fabrics added to our website for the fall/winter 2010 season.
Sweet Hearts features sweet little hearts in all different colors in a patchwork type design. The color scheme includes pinks, purples, a dash of turquoise and yellow - a great fabric option for those girls who don't want something that is just pink. Our second fabric is Monkeys/Teal which is the same pattern as our previous fabric Monkey/Yellow, just with a beautiful teal colored background. This is a great neutral fabric for those wanting something other than just the standard green/yellow prints that are usually available in neutral items.

For product updates, after a long search, we finally found a new supplier for our satin fabrics (our previous fabric mill stopped producing the satins we were using). So the good news is that our Satin Extra Pillowcases are coming back! For those of you who are fans, make sure you preorder them now. For those who have never tried satin before, it's a great luxury and is said to help with hair tangles while sleeping. Rumor also has it that sleeping on a satin pillowcase helps reduce face wrinkles as well! I doubt our toddler customers are worried about that, but some of our adult customers may want to try it out.

We are also very close to announcing the date of arrival for our crib sheets. We finally have a design done and samples tested, etc. We will be cutting and sewing the crib sheets very soon so if you have any requests for which fabrics we should carry, let me know. Thanks again for checking out our blog!

Monday, October 25, 2010

Toddler Blanket/Pillow Giveaway!

To help promote our new BobbleRoos brand name, we are doing a series of product giveaways through some of our favorite mom bloggers. The first giveaway is hosted by Crazy House for a toddler blanket/pillow set. Check out the details and make sure to get your extra entries by following us on Facebook and Twitter. Stay tuned for many more giveaways in the month of November - our products make great holiday gifts.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Modified Shipping Oct 28 - Nov 4

Modified Shipping Schedule for Oct 28 - Nov 4, 2010 - Our shipping offices will be closed for vacation starting at noon on October 28 through November 4, 2010. Any orders placed during this time will be shipped when we return starting November 5, 2010. All orders (in-stock, non-custom/personalized items) placed before 5pm EDT on October 27, 2010 will be shipped before we leave for vacation. Thanks for your understanding!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

BobbleRoos Launches on Amazon.com

BobbleRoos™ Launches on Amazon.com
BobbleRoos™ was invited by Amazon.com to start offering our products in their baby category. We decided to try out our two most popular items - our No Slip Playard Sheets and our Toddler Pillows in a few select fabrics. To help promote our new partnership on Amazon.com, Playard Sheets are on sale for an introductory price of $16.99 (reg $19.95), and Toddler Pillow set (pillow insert plus one case) are $14.99 today through Oct 31, 2010 on Amazon.com. Our standard shipping rates apply. Plus, you can now add BobbleRoos™ items to your Baby Registry on Amazom.com! Check out this link to see BobbleRoos products on Amazon.com.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Product Reviews and Photos

Reviews by Bloggers:

Over the past years, we have worked with numerous bloggers - here is a small sampling. Many of these reviews have excellent pictures of our products in use. (please note many of these reviews were done under our old brand name)

Mom's Favorite Stuff - toddler pillow review

http://www.momsfavoritestuff.com/2010/12/03/toddler-pillows-unique-baby-gifts-bobbleroos/

Veater Family Adventures -

http://veaterfam.blogspot.com/2011/02/fun-finds-toddler-essentials-super.html



Mommy B Knows Best - Satin pillow review.

http://www.mommybknowsbest.com/bobbleroos-review/

Chubby Cheeks Thinks - Toddler Pillow and Blanket (supersize) review

http://www.chubbycheeksthinks.com/2011/01/bobbleroos-baby-toddler-gifts-are.html

Macaroni Kid - South Charlotte edition - toddler pillow review

http://southcharlotte.macaronikid.com/article/78398/bobbleroos

Carrie with Children - Personalized Toddler Pillow and Blanket (Supersize)

http://www.carriewithchildren.com/2011/01/bobbleroos-toddler-blankets-pillows-review.html

Macaroni Kid- Rockville/Gaithersburg edition - Youth pillow, toddler pillow with satin pillowcase

http://rockville.macaronikid.com/article/73588/mackid-rockvilles-pick-of-the-week

DustinNikki Mommy of Three -

http://www.dustinnikkimommyofthree.com/2010/12/holiday-gift-guide-bobbleroos-toddler-pillowblanket-set-review-and-giveaway.html


A Mom's Take - review of playard sheet, toddler pillow and toddler blanket

http://www.amomstake.com/2010/04/mr-bobbles-blankets-review-and-giveaway.html


Fabulous Family Reviews and Giveaways - playard sheet, toddler pillow and blanket

http://www.fabulousfamilyreviews.com/2010/08/bobbleroos-review-and-giveaway-ends-912.html


Crazy House - review of standard size blankets

http://lewiscrazyhouse.blogspot.com/2010/04/mr-bobbles-blankets-reviewgiveaway.html


Welcome to the Motherhood - review of toddler pillow/blanket set

http://www.tothemotherhood.com/2009/04/review-mr-bobbles-blankets.html


Vanilla Joy - review of toddler pillow set

http://www.vanillajoy.com/kids-gear-giveaway-13-toddler-pillow-set-from-mr-bobbles-blankets.html


Two of a Kind Working on Full House - toddler pillow and blanket review

http://www.twoofakindworkingonafullhouse.com/2008/12/mrbobbles-toddler-blanket-review-and.html


Heavenly Savings - review of toddler pillow and blanket

http://heavenlysavings.blogspot.com/2010/09/bobbleroos-review-and-giveaway.html


Luv My Two Girls - review of toddler pillow and blanket set

http://luvtosave.blogspot.com/2010/08/mr-bobbles-blankets-review-giveaway.html

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Bobbleroos.com

All our of our website content has been moved over to our new Bobbleroos.com URL so our mrbobblesblankets.com URL is no longer active. Thanks for checking out the website and new content. More news coming soon!

For Immediate Release - July 22, 2010

Mr. Bobbles’ Blankets announces re-branding of products under BobbleRoos™ name brand

GAITHERSBURG, MD – Mr. Bobbles’ Blankets, owned by RS Kids, Inc., announced today the re-branding of their baby bedding product line under the new brand name BobbleRoos™. The new name better reflects the growth of the product line to include more than just blankets, and positions the brand for future growth.

“We started out over 7 years ago making only our signature blankets. Over the years, our product line has expanded to include other popular products like our toddler pillows and playard sheets. We have plans to grow our product line further and wanted a new brand name that can grow along with our products,” said Renee Sirulnik, CEO and founder of RS Kids, Inc. “Many new customers see the current name and assume we still make just blankets, or think that the products are just for boys (because of the Mr.). The new BobbleRoos™ brand will allow us to branch out. In addition to new growth, we have a very loyal customer base – I want to make sure to note that other than the company/brand name change, everything else remains the same – the same designs/products, same ownership, same quality, same sewing.”

BobbleRoos™ offers unique yet practical gifts for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. All BobbleRoos™ products are professionally sewn on a small scale in the USA using high quality fabrics. BobbleRoos™ current product offerings include:

 Toddler and Youth Pillows
 No-Slip Playard Sheets
 Toddler size blankets
 Baby swaddling blankets
 Security blankets
 Nap Mat Covers
 Burp Cloths
 Washcloths
 Gift Sets for Twins/Triplets

Upcoming product growth plans include the addition of a crib sheet. “We have started incorporating the name change in our new tags that are sewn into our products. We have also started updating our packaging, website, Facebook page– everything else will remain the same. I am really excited about unveiling the new logo and brand name. Originally, Mr. Bobbles Blankets was named using my first son’s nickname. Now that I have two sons, I have the chance to incorporate both of my kids into the new name. As most parents can understand, you can’t do something for one child without also doing for the other!” said Sirulnik.

About RS Kids Inc. and BobbleRoos™
RS Kids, Inc. is a mom-owned business based in Gaithersburg, Maryland. BobbleRoos™ products include bedding products and gifts for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. BobbleRoos™ products can be found online at www.MrBobblesBlankets.com. Note: website URL will be changing to www.BobbleRoos.com
###

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Playard Sheets Restocked!

We have just restocked a bunch of our most popular colors in the playard sheets - Tea, Sage, and French Vanilla. We have also added playard sheets in Animals/Green, Dots N Daisy, Frogs/Moons/Teal, and Multi Sport. Check out these new selection as well as a few newly discounted colors/prints.

Rainy Day Giveaway

It's a rainy day here on the East coast so let's have a Rainy Day Giveaway for a $10 Gift Certificate. Go to our BobbleRoos Facebook page and leave a comment on our Rainy Day Giveaway post about your favorite BobbleRoos product. You will be entered to win a $10 BobbleRoos gift certificate. (Winner will be chosen at random using random.org, contest ends 10/1 at 12 noon EDT.)

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Restocking Time!

All of our web changes are done for now so it's time to focus on restocking. We have restocked most of our toddler (supersize) blankets and added a few new offerings including some solids this time around - Blue, Pink, and Sage. Our solid fabrics are super soft and always look great when personalized with your child's name. We have also restocked many of our standard size blankets. In both sizes, you will notice the return of the Animals/Green print. Next up, our pillowcases and playard sheets. And just a quick preview, we finally found some new satin fabrics and will have those arriving in late October/early November. Thanks for checking our newly rebranded BobbleRoos website!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Changes to our website

We made the switch over to our new URL today - www.bobbleroos.com. The old www.mrbobblesblankets.com URL will continue to forward you to the new website for a while. We had a few issues with the transfer of the graphic headers on the checkout pages, but that will be fixed shortly - the checkout process might not be pretty right now, still works just fine. Also, our email addresses have changed to @bobbleroos.com - the old @mrbobblesblankets.com email address are down for a day or so while we complete the transfer. Thanks so much for your patience and support!

Saturday, August 14, 2010

New Sale Feature - Daily Deals

Check out our new feature called Daily Deals. To help us clear out our products that have our old tags sewn in (Mr. Bobbles' Blankets) we'll be featuring a few products at an extra special clearance price. Keep checking back as we'll be updating this Daily Deal section frequently. Supplies are extremely limited (in some cases we may only have one or two items in each fabric left) so grab them when you see them. Thanks again!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Enter to Win $50 Gift Certificate Giveaway!

As we launch our new BobbleRoos facebook page, we are offering a chance to win a $50 Gift Certificate to our online store. To enter the drawing, just be one of our first 100 Facebook Fans. We will randomly draw a winner once we reach 100 fans. The lucky winner will receive a $50 Gift Certificate at www.BobbleRoos.com (formerly Mr. Bobbles' Blankets). Good luck!

Rebranding Campaign!

Last week, we announced the start of our rebranding campaign! We are so excited to unveil our new logo and brand name - BobbleRoos. Over the next few months, we will be transitioning over to our new brand name (rest assured, the name is the only change - products/ownership will remain th e same). Read our full press release on the website. Thanks for your support in helping us build our brand!

For Immediate Release - July 22, 2010

Mr. Bobbles’ Blankets announces re-branding of products under BobbleRoos™ name brand

GAITHERSBURG, MD – Mr. Bobbles’ Blankets, owned by RS Kids, Inc., announced today the re-branding of their baby bedding product line under the new brand name BobbleRoos™. The new name better reflects the growth of the product line to include more than just blankets, and positions the brand for future growth.

“We started out over 7 years ago making only our signature blankets. Over the years, our product line has expanded to include other popular products like our toddler pillows and playard sheets. We have plans to grow our product line further and wanted a new brand name that can grow along with our products,” said Renee Sirulnik, CEO and founder of RS Kids, Inc. “Many new customers see the current name and assume we still make just blankets, or think that the products are just for boys (because of the Mr.). The new BobbleRoos™ brand will allow us to branch out. In addition to new growth, we have a very loyal customer base – I want to make sure to note that other than the company/brand name change, everything else remains the same – the same designs/products, same ownership, same quality, same sewing.”

BobbleRoos™ offers unique yet practical gifts for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. All BobbleRoos™ products are professionally sewn on a small scale in the USA using high quality fabrics. BobbleRoos™ current product offerings include:

 Toddler and Youth Pillows
 No-Slip Playard Sheets
 Toddler size blankets
 Baby swaddling blankets
 Security blankets
 Nap Mat Covers
 Burp Cloths
 Washcloths
 Gift Sets for Twins/Triplets

Upcoming product growth plans include the addition of a crib sheet. “We have started incorporating the name change in our new tags that are sewn into our products. We have also started updating our packaging, website, Facebook page– everything else will remain the same. I am really excited about unveiling the new logo and brand name. Originally, Mr. Bobbles Blankets was named using my first son’s nickname. Now that I have two sons, I have the chance to incorporate both of my kids into the new name. As most parents can understand, you can’t do something for one child without also doing for the other!” said Sirulnik.

About RS Kids Inc. and BobbleRoos™
RS Kids, Inc. is a mom-owned business based in Gaithersburg, Maryland. BobbleRoos™ products include bedding products and gifts for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. BobbleRoos™ products can be found online at www.MrBobblesBlankets.com. Note: website URL will be changing to www.BobbleRoos.com
###

Monday, July 19, 2010

Newly restocked fabrics and SALE items!

All of our new summer fabrics have finally arrived and we have been hard at work cutting, sewing, and restocking our inventory. We have updated our No-Slip Playard sheet product offerings with our popular Sage, Tea, and French Vanilla back in stock - these neutral solids sell quickly so if you've been waiting, now is the time to grab them. Our Preschool Nap Mat Covers and Nap Mat Cover/Toddler Pillow Sets have also been updated with our new fabrics. Also check out our new items under Sale Items. Over the next few months, we will be updating our logo which means new tags and packing materials so be on the lookout for more sale items as we clear out our inventory!

Friday, July 9, 2010

New Summer Fabrics!

Our new Summer 2010 fabric collection has started arriving at our sewing factory and we are busy at work cutting, sewing, and restocking. We have 5 new flannel fabrics including two new monkey prints, multi sports, pink daisy, and a construction print. Make sure you check out the new fabrics on the website. We are currently stocked in the Nap Mat Covers and Supersize (Toddler size) Blankets and standard baby blankets. Pillowcases and playard sheets will be coming along in the next few weeks. Also over the next few weeks, be on the lookout for our new percale fabrics! Some are restocks of older prints (Dig It, In Transit, and Carnival Bloom) but we also have some new exciting prints as well - we have the scans up on the website to preview. More exciting news to come...

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Enter to win free Mr. Bobbles' Blankets Products

We are sponsoring a giveaway on yet another great mom's blog. A Mom's Take, Stories, Reviews & Giveaways is written by Janel. Janel recently reviewed our toddler pillow/blanket set in Tiny/Stars Blue fabric, as well as our No Slip Playard Sheet in Blue Stars fabric. She has some great photos on her blog featuring our products in use by her son. Take a minute to read the review as well as the information about how to enter the Mr. Bobbles' Blankets giveaway. The winner will receive their choice of a toddler pillow/blanket set OR a playard sheet with waterproof mattress pad. Contest ends 5/12/2010 at noon PST. Good luck!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

New Percale Fabric Options

We have a new fabric option available in our Percale Extra Pillowcases called Spring Garden - the colors are very soft and girly. In addition, we are waiting on the arrival of two new percales - solid pink and solid baby blue in an Organic 100% cotton sateen fabric. The new organic fabrics are beautifully soft and you can feel great knowing that they are produced from organically grown cotton - more details will be coming soon on the 2 new organic fabrics.

What is a "percale" fabric? Percale is sometimes defined as a closely woven cotton fabric that is frequently used for bed linens. Our percale fabrics were introduced as an alternate to our flannel fabrics - they are all 100% cotton and many customers love to use the percale pillowcases in the summer. However, we do have many customers who love to use the flannel all year even in hot summer climates like Florida and Las Vegas, NV. It really is just a matter of personal preference. No matter what you choose, all of our fabrics are great quality and 100% cotton.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Win free products!

Mr. Bobbles' Blankets has participated in two more product reviews/giveaways - check out these 2 great blogs and enter for your chance to win a free Mr. Bobbles' Blankets toddler pillow sets. Both of these blogs also have other great giveaways going on so make sure to check them out:

Sugar Pop Ribbons -Enter to win a toddler pillow and nap mat sheet in your choice of fabrics. Contest ends March 28th 2010. There are many different ways to enter including becoming a Mr. Bobbles' Blankets Facebook fan.

Smile A Day Giveaways - Reviews, Giveaways and Deals to Make You Smile - enter to win a $25 Gift Certificate so you can pick your own items in our online store. Contest ends April 9, 2010. Again there are many different ways to gain entries including being a Facebook fan or making a purchase in our online store.

Thanks for checking out our Spring Fling Giveaways - we will have more coming!!!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Toddler Pillow/Blanket Giveaway

Mr. Bobbles' Blankets is hosting a toddler pillow/blanket giveaway on a blog called The Veater Family Adventures. The blog owner, Ashley, also did a great review of our products. Check out the blog and enter for a chance to win and also make sure to check out her other current giveaways as well. Thanks!

Monday, February 1, 2010

We're Seeing Stars!

We just finished up a big production run of several items in three new star themed fabrics - Tiny Stars/Blue, Tiny Stars/Pink, and a brand new fabric called Blue/White Stars. All three of these fabrics are currently available for purchase in our famous Playard Sheets and we'll be updated the website soon to add in the standard and Supersize blankets. It's so hard to pick a favorite - all three are adorable!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Mr. Bobbles' Blankets featured in new book....

Mr. Bobbles' Blankets has been featured in a book called "Made Here, Baby!" by Bruce Wolk. His book details over 400 manufacturers who are still making their products right here in the USA. Made Here, Baby! is The Essential Guide to finding the Best American-Made Products for Your Kids. Make sure to check it out!

Friday, January 15, 2010

Stomach Flu tip for Winter

I keep a few of our waterproof mattress pads on hand when one of my kids has the stomach flu - they are great for protecting the bed, but also great to protect your rugs/carpet. I spread one out (crib or twin size are great) on the carpet next to their bed (along with the trash can). It sure beats cleaning carpets at 2am! If there is an accident and they can't make it to the bathroom, just roll up the waterproof pad and throw it in the wash. Another carpet related tip that I wish I would have found out about when my kids were babies - buy a small 1-2 gallon shop-vac (wet/dry vac) and use it for those carpet accidents. Just pour a decent amount of water on the accident and vacuum up. You may have to do it a few times. You can also use a tiny bit of a clear liquid soap (like Ivory) - just make sure to rinse a few times with clear water to get up all the soap. Then blot a few times with a towel. These tips are also great for pet accidents. Wishing you all a happy and healthy, flu-free 2010!