Nothing is more emasculating than carrying a bag with pink polka dots or flowers. (Never mind that it's stuffed with binkies, toys, and powder-scented wipes.) But rather than pull Dad off diaper duty just so he can retain his street cred, get him one of these testosterone-friendly totes. The city-chic Fleurville Re-Run comes with a wipe case and changing pad and has a fleece-lined pocket for electronics or sunglasses; we also love that it's made out of recycled plastic bottles. JJ Cole's System bag has a sportier look, a smart pacifier pod for baby, and an MP3-player pocket with cord escape for Dad.

Alphabet charts are kid's-room staples, but wouldn't it be great to find one that doesn't look too babyish when the kid is old enough to actually know what the alphabet is? Enter the Photogram Alphabet, winner of the American Institute of Graphic Arts typography award. The letters are created using shadows of found, recycled, and reused objects that start with that letter—an L formed by lollipops, N made of nails, etc. All the items were photographed together and are shown exactly to scale. Even we got excited when we recognized some of the trickier ones.

This durable foam bath-spout cover, from the innovative company 4Moms, does double safety duty by incorporating a quick-reading thermometer that displays the temperature of the water as it pours out. The backlit screen is green when the water is safe for washing up in, fades to blue when it is too cold for comfort, and flashes red when it's too hot. And should the temperature suddenly shift, an alarm will warn you. Basically, it worries about every detail—so you don't have to.

A cameo conjures old-fashioned thoughts of a time when afternoon tea was observed, and heirlooms were handed down through generations of women. This mother-of-pearl flower cameo from Gara Danielle is reminiscent of that sentiment, yet the graphic white-on-black carving feels surprisingly modern. Gara Danielle's fine jewelry is extremely customizable; for this piece, you can choose the length of chain, variety of gold (14-karat, rose, or white), and type of precious "dewdrop" gems (shown: emerald).

Clothing, accessories, dinnerware, fragrances—now Cynthia Rowley can add fantasy memoirs to her resume with the release of her first solo literary project: Slim. The book contains a whimsical collection of stories from her childhood ("How to Turn Your Bathtub into a Wishing Well," in which a young Rowley devastates her bathroom plumbing with mud, pebbles, and papier-mâché clumps) and through the beginning of her fashion-designer career (describing how she literally blew up the runway with a gunpowder fuse in "On with the Show"). Each tale is accompanied by Rowley's equally fantastical hand-drawn illustrations, which will likely captivate a reader of any age.

Potty training is hard, but at least now you can make it less disgusting. Instead of, er, dumping the contents of a kiddie toilet into an adult toilet, why not opt for the two-in-one Transitions toilet seat from Kohler? It includes a smaller, child-friendly seat as well as a regular adult one; is easy to attach to any toilet with just a couple of screws; and even comes in three color options to match. Quick-release, slow-closing hinges make cleaning easy and slamming impossible. Plus, it just might instill that ever-valuable putting-the-seat-down habit in little boys ... or their fathers.

Though Grandma may have taught you that Vaseline was the best moisturizer, petroleum and mineral oil can be irritating to tender, developing skin. With this in mind, Diane Troung and JJ Levenstein—two pediatricians who also happen to be mothers—put their heads together to develop Baby Silk, a hypoallergenic line of products made with natural ingredients like shea butter, aloe, and vitamin-E oil. And the "M.D. Moms" clearly understand a mother's need for convenience, as evidenced by products like sunscreen wipes, umbilical-cord swabs, and a liquid-to-powder lotion in a tube you can open with one hand.

A child's favorite toy or blanket soothes her through restless nights, accompanies her on every journey⿿and by childhood's end has often been worried to an unrecognizable mess. Dirty Wow Wow and Other Love Stories (also available at John Derian) offers 50 intimate portraits of such objects. Blankie Belmont's travels have reduced him to a frayed mass of knots; a much-loved stuffed bear is secretly not the "real" Ralph, but one of nine standbys purchased to avoid an emergency state of complete destruction as the result of too much love. You and your child are sure to recognize something of your own first friends among the sweet, peculiar pages.

Check out more of the best children's books.

Ever wish you could bottle someone's sunny enthusiasm? French perfumery Arthes has come close with its aptly named Smiley perfume, the very first antidepressant scent on the market (available at Henri Bendel, 800-423-6335). The warm, musky notes of chocolate, citrus, and bergamot will lift your spirits—and to make sure you keep on smiling, Arthes has added a secret weapon: chemically engineered molecules derived from pure cocoa extract that are scientifically proven to block stress and promote feelings of euphoria. Now this is what those department-store salesgirls should be spraying in your face as you walk by.

In the overpopulated world of snarky onesies, it's rare to find a brand that makes you feel like smiling instead of retching. But we love the arty and politico collections from Baby Wit. Its retro iron-on designs are hand-pressed onto sweatshop-free American Apparel fabrics. Plus, the site also sells designs by a slew of other talented indie artists, many of whom come from comic-book or rock-poster backgrounds. Best of all? You won't find a "I hide my crack in my diaper" anywhere among the bunch.