Philadelphia’s premier baby planner, Shannon Choe of Premier Baby Concierge, was on “The 10! Show,” highlighting some favorite products for families to get organized! Whether toys are taking over your living room or looking for hints to help you  keep on track with New Year’s Resolutions, we have some great tools to share!

• Great toy organization is key!  There are countless bins and shelves and baskets out there.  It’s a great idea to survey the options before jumping in because, as with all organization, you need the right tools for the job. (Not to mention, some organization items are a bit of an investment!)  Thinking ahead can lead to a better looking playroom (consistently colored or shaped bins that really fit what you are trying to sort and store), and can save you from having to re-vamp your system to grow with your child(ren).  One great option:

• Skip Hop Bin-go & Bin-go Soft Diaper Caddy.  www.skiphop.com.  ((Note: We love these, and are sad to learn that although they were just sent us, they are no longer available on the Skip Hop website.  You can find most colors (higher price tag, though) at Albee Baby.)  These tote-able, sturdy canvas bins are great because they are super kid-friendly and fold flat when not in use.  Bonus: Bin-gos are monogramable (Think names, or better yet, types of toys!  ”Cars” “Dolls,” etc. Ah, our OCD side is showing!)  TIP:  In addition to labeling by word, try labeling by photos for toddlers to encourage them to help in the clean up process!

• The Bin-go Soft Diaper Caddy holds plenty of diapers (up to 36), a wipes case and other essentials in the outer pockets.  These are great for by the changing table, for setting up a secondary changing station in a family room, even for keeping a stash of diapers and change of clothes in the trunk.

• The Glow Baby, “Baby’s First Journal” www.glowbaby.com ($15.99) is a great way to track baby’s basic needs: feeding, sleeping, diapering and bathing.  It allows exhausted new parents to not have to remember all of these details and also to take note of patterns that may develop.  It’s a great communication tool to share with a care giver or grandparent as well, who can see at a glance what the day has looked like and will become a keepsake.
• Glow Baby’s “Baby’s First Foods” www.glowbaby.com ($15.99) is another great log for when parents introduce solids and track reactions to new foods.  It’s divided by common food groups and again, offers a terrific way to be sure that everyone has access to important info regarding baby!

• Boon offers many great organizational products.  Frog Pod www.booninc.com ($34.99) offers parents a cute and efficient way to keep the bathtub toys and baby wash tidy.  It adheres to the the wall and the scoop had holes to let water drain out, reducing the chance of toys getting mildewy.  Again, the scoop is a great, developmentally appropriate way to involve kids in clean up and train them that it’s the final step in playtime.

• Created by a mom of four, AboutOne.com www.aboutone.com ($5/month or $30/year) is an awesome new family information management system that allows busy families to keep all of their info and memories in one digital filing system.   It’s a game-changer, unlike anything I’ve seen before.  The best three points of this service are that your information is accessible anytime, anywhere from a computer, cell phone, etc., all the while offering bank-level security.  We’re talking all of your contacts, household repair receipts, report cards, kids artwork, etc.!  You can get started at any point, storing new info in seconds (by emailing or scanning) and you don’t have to go back and enter previous history.   And my personal favorite, is the awesome reports and newsletters and other products the system can auto-create, pulling from the info you’ve already entered.  (Want to send Grandma a monthly update with photos but never find the time?  This means you!)  You can even send snail mail cards to an individual or your entire holiday card list with free envelope labeling, standard postage rates and 10% off cards through a partnership AboutOne.com has with card companies!  So cool.

• We feature a lot of diaper bags throughout the year, but of course for a segment on organization, we’ve got to select carefully!  This was surprisingly easy as the Skip Hop Bento Bag www.skiphop.com ($99) is a no-brainer for the win in innovation and functionality for the family on-the-go!  It comes with their insulated Mealtime Kit with Clix containers and a perfect-fit freezer pack keep food fresh.  Of course there are plenty of pockets, a padded changing pad, an adjustable strap.  It’s BPA-, PVC- and Phthalate-Free and has patented Shuttle Clips so it can attach to any stroller.

• A great find for organizing your purse is the Card Cache www.thecardcache.com ($13 and up).  This ingenious little gadget organizes all of your cards big and small that may be cramping your wallet’s style or floating around your purse.  You pick your Card Cache, then personalize with a little pen, hook, calendar, etc.  Carefully punch holes in your various cards and add them to your Card Cache and you’re off!

We always have too many finds to share in our segments!  Will share more great organization products in the coming days…