The bright colors of these bottle brushes from Munchkin caught my eye, but what kept my attention focused on them was their unique design. I love the sturdy handle, and the ease of having the soap stored right inside. If you have to wash bottles, this looks like the way to go. The fun colors will brighten up your work for sure. You can purchase one for $6.95 at babyearth.com.

I have to confess that I’m not the most zaelous bather of my children. In the summer, however, you just can’t get away with too much space between baths. Even reluctant bathers, however, are sure to enjoy these fantastic soapsicles from Bath & Body Works. Available in all kinds of fun colors, they area perfect summer treat. Although the usual retail is $7, they are currently on sale 2 for $10. You can purchase them in stores or at BathAndBodyWorks.com.

These whale soaps from Kiss My Face are a great, all-natural way to add fun to bath time. We have the Orange U Smart scent, and they are a big hit. My three year old loves the shape (which goes perfectly with her favorite musical dolphin tub toys), and I love the Earth-friendly, chemical-free aspect. You can purchase the 2-pack for $7.95 at kissmyfacewebstore.com. I also found them at my local Target store.

With my three year old finally using the bathroom independently (most of the time), handwashing has become an important issue. In all honesty, my almost ten year old could probably use a refresher course as well. I came across this SquidSoap from the makers of Airborne and thought it seemed like a great idea. The concept is simple–when your child goes to wash his or her hands, s/he gets “inked” with a colorful dye that washes away after 15-20 seconds. The soap thus thus teaches kids to wash thoroughly.

The idea is great, and the bottle is very fun and inviting, with a rubbery squid attached.  Unfortunately, it hasn’t quite worked as I expected.  For on thing, the “ink” isn’t delivered with the soap.  It is on a little colored tablet on top of the pump.  I found it a little hard to use, and it is just too difficult for my toddler. When I was trying to figure it out, I stained my thumb orange, and the color didn’t come off after 15-20 seconds as promised. I’d have to say I’m a bit disappointed in this soap.  If they could improve the delivery mechanism for the ink, I think it would be an amazing product and teaching tool.

 You can purchase this product at Drugstore.com for $3.99.

I’ve used Dr. Bronner’s soap for many years and I really like it (although I wouldn’t recommend using it as toothpaste or for some of the other purposes listed on the label).  I was recently excited to discover that mainstream stores such as Target are starting to carry Dr. Bronner’s products, including this Unscented Castile soap for babies.

This extremely mild soap contains olive oil and is made without any fragrances.  It is perfect for a baby’s delicate skin, but it is great for adult skin, too, especially as we move into the dry winter months.  You can buy a large, 32 oz bottle for $13.69 at target.com.