Big brands doing cool things - Skip Hop's new baby toys at Toys R Us

We love finding cool gifts and gear from small, up and coming designers, so we especially love when the humongo chains get smart and help turn them into big, up and coming designers. That's why we were excited to discover mom and pop founded Skip*hop has created a brand new baby toy collection exclusively for Toys R Us.

Their smart and sophisticated design sense that started with their infamous diaper bags is now translated in two lines of bright, aesthetically pleasing baby toys--our fave being the adorable Garden Floral Activity Playmat. Considering how much room these mats generally take up, it's nice to finally find one that you don't mind staring at for half the day. And the hanging rattles that play music, squeak, crinkle and vibrate make it interesting for your baby too.

I've often wondered why I never actually used our mats that much. After seeing this one from Skip Hop, I figured out why; I just couldn't bear to look at them until now. -Kristen