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NEW YORK, NY, August 15, 2014… Five companies received Baby + Child Best New Product Awards today, with Lucy Darling receiving the “Best of Market” award for its Nursery Closet Organizers. Lucy Darling and four other individual category winners are eligible for NY NOW’s “Best of LIFESTYLE” Award, which will be determined by online balloting – at http://www.facebook.com/nynowmarket – during the Summer 2014 edition of NY NOW®, the Market for Home + Lifestyle (formerly NYIGF®), which runs through Wednesday, August 20, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

In addition to the “Best of Market” distinction, additional winners were honored for excellence in four categories: toy, décor, gear and apparel. A panel of 12 editors from trade media, kid-centric blogs and websites selected products which exemplified innovation, design and style.

The summer 2014 winners and finalists are:

BEST OF MARKET:
Lucy Company (Scottsdale, AZ) for its Nursery Closet Organizers, which give parents the ability to section clothing by age and size, starting with new-born and ending at 2T, keeping nursery closets neat, stylish and functional.

TOY:
Winner: nhocchi™ (New York, NY) for its Pop up House Fort, which is portable, packable, easy to set up and hangs for easy storage. The toy is handmade and hand embroidered with 100% cotton.
Finalist: Odette Williams Design Inc (New York, NY) for its Kids Apron Set.
Finalist: HABA® USA (Skaneateles, NY) for its Mini Monsters Stacking Game.

DÉCOR:
Winner: PlanToys® (Union City, CA) for its Table + Chair, which has a sleek bent wood design with two compartments for storage, sturdy support and a desk top that toddlers can draw on with chalk. The set includes a table and one chair.
Finalist: Cloud B® (Gardena, CA) for its Cosmic UFO.
Finalist: EFL Sales Co. representing Albetta, Fiona Walker England and Merino Kids (Brooklyn, NY) for its Fiona Walker England Wool Felt Animal Heads.

GEAR:
Winner: Innobaby LLC (Barrington, IL) for its Teethin’ Smart ez grip Fruit Teethers, which help babies soothe swollen gums. The flexible petal design base reaches all parts of the mouth for a thorough and gentle gum massage, with a unique shape and texture that stimulates the sensory nerves for improved oral development and speech. It has ventilated breathing holes, is non-toxic and is available in grape, strawberry, and citrus designs.
Finalist: nini and pumpkin LLC (Los Gatos, CA) for its Moon Cocoon.
Finalist: raplapla (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) for its Night owl.

APPAREL:
Winner: Magicforest, LTD (Portsmouth, NH) for its Hat & Mitten Gift Box Set, for infants from birth to six months. Made of soft, luxurious French fabrics, the hat has mouse or kitty ears with accent colors for either boys or girls, and Velcro under the chin. The mittens, which have a face on one hand and a paw on the other, are sewn together with a string to be hidden inside the coat.
Finalist: Bunnies By The Bay® (Anacortes, WA) for its Hoppy Hood Sweater.
Finalist: aden + anais® (Brooklyn, NY) for its pure merino muslin swaddle.

“Our judges were impressed with the range of new products presented by Baby + Child exhibitors,” said Melissa Engongoro, Baby + Child Sales Manager. “The winners’ and finalists’ products all were designed with innovation, utility and style in mind.”

All five winning products automatically qualify for consideration in the NY NOW “Best of Lifestyle” Award, which will be determined through online voting at www.facebook.com/nynowmarket. “Peoples’ Choice” balloting runs August 16-19, and the winner will be announced on August 20, at the conclusion of the summer 2014 edition of NY NOW.

The Best New Product Award judges were: Jennifer Bringle of Kids Today; Joanna Dreifus of MyMomShops.com; Jamie Cohen of Giftmama.com; Nanci Gregg of Baby & Children’s Product News; Samantha Ujvary of Giftware News / Baby & Kids; Lynda M. Johnson of KidStyleSource.com; Audrey Kingo of Earnshaw’s; Nancy Lombardi of Toys & Family Entertainment; Bessie Nestoras of Playthings; Serena Norr of Momtrends.com; Caryn Salomon of Kidsworld Magazine; and Leesa Valentino of TheGiggleGuide.com.

Presented as part of NY NOW’s LIFESTYLE Collection, Baby + Child features some 110 companies offering sophisticated and purpose-driven products for children 0-10 years. NY NOW’s four comprehensive collections – HOME, LIFESTYLE, HANDMADE and NEW! – encompass 100,000 products in 400+ product categories. Some 33,000 attendees from all 50 states and more than 80 countries worldwide are expected. Information and registration is available online at www.nynow.com.

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NOTE: Individual product photographs and group shot of award winners are available upon request. Contact [email protected] to request images.