EDITOR’S PICKS

California Baby Party Aromatherapy Bubble Bath

I’ve got a dirty little mom-secret to share: Most party favors my kids bring home never make it past the front door. Sorry, pals, but most of ’em are junky plastic doohickeys made in China that just end up breaking and then getting lost behind the sofa cushions. I try to dispose of them before any of that happens and, not surprisingly, my kids are none the wiser and never miss them. If that makes me a mean mommy, I really don’t care. I don’t need any more crap in my house!

Because I have high party favor standards, I try to make a point to give out a cool, non-crappy favor when my kids have a birthday celebration. My new favorite is this organic, made-with-sustainably-grown-ingredients bubble bath, which is specially packaged in a 2-ounce size for use as a party favor. Filled with a special blend of orange, lavender and vanilla oils and absolutely no synthetic fragrances, harsh bubbling agents, sodium lauryl sulfate or DEA, it’s a completely safe, fun gift for your guests (and one that’s sure to be welcomed into anyone’s home—even mine).

($26.94 for a set of six, www.californiababy.com)

Paul Frank Edition Clek Oobr Booster Seats

Ever feel like your kid’s booster seat is just a little too shifty? I always did, so after seeing a pal with this one secured snugly to her backseat, I had to check it out for myself. Designed with an integrated rigid LATCH system to deliver both the safety of LATCH and the convenience of uncomplicated installation—features typically at odds with one another—it’s the only booster of its kind. Sure, they’re way sleek and cool-looking (they’re designed and engineered by a world-class automotive seat manufacturer and utilize many of the same materials found in luxury vehicle seating), but they also provide key safety, convenience and comfort features, too. Plus, they’re made with fabrics that resist moisture, stains and bacteria. The Oobr is available in four solid colors, but you gotta hook yourself up with the Paul Frank special editions (my faves: the Skurvy Camo and Zoom Julius). Pricey, 100 percent yes, but the peace of mind it’s given me is worth every penny.

($300, www.amazon.com)

LiveStrong.com’s MyPlate

Surely you’ve heard of Lance Armstrong’s LiveStrong foundation, but you may not know about Livestrong.com, the foundation’s health, fitness and lifestyle website. It’s chock-full of really helpful, relevant-to-your-life stuff like ovulation and pregnancy calculators, recipes, and even a quit-smoking plan. My personal favorite is the MyPlate feature, which helps you to safely manage your diet (whether you want to lose or—gasp!—gain weight), offering a daily calorie recommendation based on your individual goal, calorie-burning and consumption tracking, a food diary, and helpful recipes. All in all, it’s like free Weight Watchers in the comfort of your own home or at your own desk—not some annoying meeting. Love it! Visit www.livestrong.com/myplate to check it out.