What To Expect® And Babies"R"Us® Team Up To Simplify The Baby Registry Process By Showcasing Products Recommended Most By Moms

NEW YORK, April 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- WhatToExpect.com, the official online home for Heidi Murkoff's world-renowned pregnancy and parenting brand, today announced that Babies"R"Us®, the nation's leading dedicated baby products authority, will serve as the go-to retail destination for the must-have registry products honored with its What To Expect Awards. The collection of nearly 50 award-winning products in categories such as nursery, car seats, strollers, feeding and safety were selected as the best-of-the-best by moms visiting WhatToExpect.com. Now, parents and gift-givers shopping Babies"R"Us stores and Babiesrus.com can register and shop with ease and confidence, as these distinguished products can be effortlessly identified by the prestigious What to Expect "Moms' Love-It" and "Editors' Picks" logos. To celebrate the program and partnership, on Saturday, May 3, Babies"R"Us stores nationwide will host an event, where attendees can enter a raffle, totaling more than $300,000 in prizes. In advance of the event, to further engage expectant parents in a conversation about preparing for baby, Heidi Murkoff will host a Twitter Chat on May 1 using the hashtag, #WTEAwardsParty. 

Simplifying the Registry Process with Trusted, Peer Recommendations 
WhatToExpect.com branding and content can be found at Babies"R"Us Baby Registry counters in-store, as well as at Babiesrus.com/MomsLoveIt. Plus, to make it easier for parents to identify trusted products when shopping or adding items to their baby registry, the What To Expect Awards seal, which symbolizes the voice and endorsement from millions of moms, is now visible on shelf call-outs in stores and on individual online product pages for items that have received this distinction.  What To Expect Moms Love-It Award winning products were crowd-sourced through WhatToExpect.com's "Love-It List" tool, which helps new parents curate a list of their favorite baby products in a visual format. Parents can then easily turn that list into a baby registry at Babies"R"Us. Several notable products that offer unique solutions were also specially selected by moms and editors to win What To Expect Editors' Picks Awards.

In-Store and Online Events Planned to Build Awareness and Fan Excitement
On Saturday, May 3 from 10am to 12 noon, Babies"R"Us stores nationwide will welcome new, expectant and experienced parents to attend a special raffle event, where they can find out more about these fan-favorite products and have the chance to win one of many great prizes. More than a dozen products will be up for the winning at each store, including Chicco's NextFit Convertible Car Seat ($299.99 value), Baby Trend Snap N Go EX Universal Infant Car Seat Stroller ($74.99 value), PROTECT Auto Close Metal Gate by Munchkin ($59 value), and HUGGIES Newborn Starter Kit ($32.49 value), as well as items from Johnson's Baby, Playtex and more. An estimated 7,500 people will take home a What To Expect Award-winning raffle prize. 

Additionally, in advance of the in-store event, Heidi Murkoff, author and creator of WhatToExpect.com, will host a Twitter Chat on Thursday, May 1, 2014 at 2pm-3pm ET/11am-12pm PT at Twitter.com/WhatToExpect, during which Heidi (@HeidiMurkoff) will answer parents' questions about pregnancy, registering and preparing for baby. Twitter Chat participants using the hashtag, #WTEAwardsParty, will also have the chance to learn more about the What to Expect Awards and win products honored with those awards, such as the Crane Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (Owl), the Britax B-Safe 30 Infant Car Seat, the Badger Basket Elegance Round White Bassinet, the Fisher-Price Newborn Rock 'n Play Sleeper and the Fisher-Price Rainforest Melodies & Lights Deluxe Gym.

"We are thrilled to showcase the What To Expect Award-winning products in our stores as they help parents navigate the best, and most trusted, products for must-have baby registry categories," said Tom Via, Senior Vice President, Babies"R"Us, U.S. "What To Expect is an iconic pregnancy and parenting brand, and we have truly enjoyed working with WhatToExpect.com to make the baby registry process even easier for moms online, and now at the point-of-purchase as well."  

"Getting ready for a baby is exciting, but also overwhelming," explained Heidi Murkoff. "These mom-tested products mean new parents can spend less time stressing, and more time loving on their little ones…which is what makes having a baby priceless!"

The popular online destination for today's pregnant women and parents, What To Expect, announced the winners of their inaugural awards in February of this year. To view the complete list of What To Expect Award winners, please visit WhatToExpect.com/2014Winners or Babiesus.com/momsloveit.

About WhatToExpect.com
WhatToExpect.com is the online home to Heidi Murkoff's globally recognized parenting and pregnancy brand, WhatToExpect.com®. Offering original content and innovative tools for pregnancy and parenting every step of the way, the digital reach is 8.5 million women monthly through desktop and mobile, with a community activity every 1.5 seconds (source: Omniture). Heidi Murkoff, author of the bestselling WhatToExpect.com® series of pregnancy and parenting books, has helped guide more than 40 million families worldwide from conception through the toddler years and beyond. According to USA Today, this parenting book, known as the "Bible" to moms across the world, is bought by 93 percent of all expecting mothers who buy a guide.

About Toys"R"Us, Inc. 
Toys"R"Us, Inc. is the world's leading dedicated toy and baby products retailer, offering a differentiated shopping experience through its family of brands. Merchandise is sold in 873 Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us stores in the United States and Puerto Rico, and in more than 715 international stores and over 180 licensed stores in 35 countries and jurisdictions. In addition, it exclusively operates the legendary FAO Schwarz brand and sells extraordinary toys in the brand's flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City. With its strong portfolio of e-commerce sites including Toysrus.com, Babiesrus.com, eToys.com and FAO.com, it provides shoppers with a broad online selection of distinctive toy and baby products. Headquartered in Wayne, NJ, Toys"R"Us, Inc. employs approximately 70,000 associates annually worldwide. The company is committed to serving its communities as a caring and reputable neighbor through programs dedicated to keeping kids safe and helping them in times of need. Additional information about Toys"R"Us, Inc. can be found on Toysrusinc.com. Follow Toys"R"Us, Babies"R"Us and FAO Schwarz on Facebook at Facebook.com/Toysrus, Facebook.com/Babiesrus and Facebook.com/FAO and on Twitter at Twitter.com/Toysrus and Twitter.com/Babiesrus.

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SOURCE WhatToExpect.com