Celebrity moms and dads, mommies- and daddies-to-be and lots of little rising stars got a head start on Golden Globe Awards excitement with a visit to the exclusive Boom Boom Room, a pre-show gifting suite hosted by TV personality and fashion guru Jayneoni Moore, featuring dozens of premier baby and children’s clothiers, toy and gear makers and other companies that specialize in products for kids.
As my son Stephen and I browsed the bustling event, enthusiastic marketers cheerfully vied for our attention to show us the latest and coolest items that are favored by tots of the rich and famous.
Stephen worked the room like a pro, striking up a flirtation with the toddler daughter of Mad Men’s Patrick Fischler, also famed as the namesake behind Malibu’s landmark Patrick’s R
oadhouse. The two snuggle bugs got cozy in the best seat in the house, the Nap Nanny, a plush and comfy lounger, made in both mommy and baby sizes. Napnany.com.
Typical boy, Stephen spotted a cool set of wheels, the Combi All-in-One Walker (combi-intl.com), and despite being about 5 pounds too heavy (aren’t’ we all) and a couple years too old for it, he hopped in for a cruise through the crowd, until I was able to coax him out with a bribe of a cake ball on a stick by Kayla’s Kakes (kaylaskakes.com).
Then it was onto the disco portion of our program in the back room, where Stephen tested the durability of a Tiny Love robot dog down a five-foot wooden slide. Built for inquiring minds and destructo-kids like mine, the toy dog survived, obliviously yapping and padding along, despite 
more than a few hard knocks. Besides the Follow Me Fred toy pooch, Tiny Love (tinylove.com), the new “it†company for developmental toys, had on display their sensory stimulating Gymini Mat for infants, which comes in fun and colorful themes such as Jungle Park, Sunny Day and Monkey Island.
Never one to shy from the spotlight, Stephen then struck a few poses at the Zooni booth, where he tried on the most fashionable little handmade hats I’d ever seen. His favorite was the bamboo Vroom! beanie in baby blue with a derby car detail. No wonder stylin’ stars like Matthew McConaughey, Courtney Cox and Ricki Lake love them. Along with beanies, the company makes adorable zversibles, mop hats, mittens and socks. Zooniwear.com.
Right across the aisle, Stephen got his vogue on with little hipster clothiers, Little Trendstar (littletrendstar.com), where the very sweet booth hostess declared Stephen as “sooo handsome,†and snapped his photo, as he did his best James Dean.
Though it was not even 11 o’clock, Stephen was already getting fussy for some sustenance, so lucky for us Ella’s Kitchen had squeezable smoothie pouches in yummy flavors like The Red One and The Yellow One, filled with a nutritious organic fruit blends. It was love at first slurp, and not just because my grandma’s name was Ella. Ellaskitchen.com.
So many booths and so little time before a pre-nap meltdown, we made a whirlwind tour of the suite to see the best-of-the best in what’s new and hot for kiddies. Here are some of our top picks.
For little starlets and leading men in training, the SnoozeShade, an esay-to-attach stroller shield, gives privacy from the paparazzi and a break from the hot Hollywood sun. snoozeshade.com.
Like all the activist actors in town, Denmark-based Neutral is making a name for itself by going green, for the planet and for better health for your baby. They carry a full line of products from Bambo Nautre eco diapers to Earth-friendly baby shampoo, oil and wipes. Bambo-nature.com.
“Hey baby, keep your pants on!†That’s the tagline for Little Belties, adorable patterned fabric belts for children, to prevent any wardrobe malfunctions with all those cute little pants that they haven’t quite grown into yet. Littlebelties.com.
If your little one isn’t yet part of the scene, you can make your announcement in stye with Paper Culture, with the darned cutes and most classy baby announcements ever, and a full line of other stationery products. Paperculture.com.
Lesson for up and comers. Never forget to thank the little people, or dad. Daddy Scrubs makes sure your other half get his due, with hospital scrubs imprinted with “I’m the Daddy.†Also, not to be forgotten, I’m told that scrubs that announce, “I’m the Other Mom†are in the works. Daddyscrubs.com.
Hot tots can’t be seen out in a dirty ride, so cleanbeebaby to the rescue. This mobile service steam cleans your stroller and car seat with non-toxic products, and they also install car seats. Cleanbeebaby.com.
Sometimes no amount of scrubbing can clean up that car seat, or the upholstery design is so last year. The solution is Bokoo Covers, chic and neat tailored covers that are not good looking but crash-tested for safety. Bokoocovers.com.
Out-and-about babies and toddlers can run and gum with an assortment of feeding and care products by Zoli, like the multi-colored On-the-Go travel formula and snack dispenser pack, the dual-handled Bot straw sippy cup or the clever Gummy Stick gum massager teether. Zolibaby.com.
Hit the latest in spot in town these days, the OshiMat, a eco-friendly, latex- and toxin-free portable soft surface for play, baby yoga and just sittin’ around. Oshimat.com.
All the frilly girly baby accessories on display from companies like Ruby Roxanne Designs (rubyroxannedesigns.com), Ella Bella Hair Clippies (ellabellahairclippies.com) and Little Diva Tutus (LittleDivaTutus.com), were adorable, if you have a girl; but as a boy-baby mamma, I was thrilled to find Wu Louse Designs, a denim recycling designer that makes baby bow ties and caps for the guy side. Better yet, their reclaimed materials help keep still-beautiful and useful textiles out of our landfills. WuLuDesigns.com.
For both baby and mommy, Dippy Cups are perfect-sized little snack cups made of fun colored FDA-grade silicone. Fill them with treats for tots, or use them for your own portion control for just a little of that yummy ice cream. Dippycups.com.
In Hollywood, you’ve got to see and be seen, which is super easy when you’re onboard the Piggyback Rider, an inventive rig for your back that allows little ones to stand up in stirrups while getting a great view over your shoulder. PiggybackRider.com.
Glam babies that demand only the best skincare will love Oh, Baby pure and organic skincare products that moisturize and protect. OhyBabySkincare.com.
Nobody puts Baby in a corner, but then again, some babies prefer snug spaces, like the Tummy Tub, a unique baby bath shaped like mommy’s tummy, so that when carefully immersed infants feel as safe and warm as in the womb. Tummytubusa.com.
For the best-supporting bra, the PumpEase Organic deserves an award. This double-pump bra for hands-free breast pumping is not only fully functional, it’s good looking, for a pumping bra. The 90-percent certified organic cotton and 10-percent spandex materials sure beat the ugly poly model I had to strap on for 12 long months. PumpEase.com.
Another great accessory for nursing mom is the Peek Away. It’s not only a designer nursing pillow, it’s a nursing changing pad, wipe dispenser and storage pocket for baby’s change of clothes. Peekaway.com.
Looking the part in Hollywood is half the game, so for teething tots who are too cool for drool, the Baby-Bandana Bib is just the answer, so you can capture that John Wayne look and the spittle making its way onto baby’s shirt all at the same time. Perbambinausa.com.
Hollywood moms can prep their child stars for the big screen with their own little screen, mounted in the Baby Beehavin Stroller DVD Pouch, a holder that attaches to rear-facing strollers, to keep tykes up on the latest releases while you walk. Babybeehaving.com.
If junior is more of a book type, Little Bookwormz can help him make a statement, with super cute Ts with literary quotes and alphabet lessons from the likes of Sojourner Truth, Shakespeare or Edgar Allen Poe. LittleBookwormz.com.
For a T that really means something, Elite Baby, Inc, has created a Kids 2 Kids line that features kid-created designs that give back, with proceeds going to Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Foundation. www.elite-baby.com.
Anyone who saw Meet the Fockers will remember Ben Stiller’s character babysitting the brilliant baby “Jack†who used sign language to express himself. Baby signing is not just in the movies. Learn it at home with Express Yourself Baby , an instructional DVD that helps al products to get a head start communicating with their little ones . expressyourselfbaby.com.
Finally, we left the Boom Boom Room with not just lots of loot but with a little inspiration from Faith Baby, a maker of Christian apparel for kids, where Stephen’s picked up a T that announced he was a “Child of the Most High God,†a nice reminder that I’m not the only one who loves my little bundle of joy unconditionally.
