Posts filed under 'toys'
Two parents, who were having trouble getting their 5 yr old to want to eat anything other than hot-dogs and macaroni and cheese (we’ve all felt those struggles), came up with the aptly named Food Game to banish their mealtime issues!
This game is easy to use, teaches kids the different types of food (proteins, starch, vegetables…) and keeps kids engaged and not bored while eating —they get to spin a spinner and find out what to eat next! Kid’s love that! Also, look at the great way the board fits into mealtime. There is an orange spot where your child’s plate sits on the gameboard !
After using this game, many parents who could not get their kids to sit at the table, or eat broccoli have been amazed to see that this game actually has helped their child to do just that. I bet this game would absolutely keep my daughter eating the whole variety of foods offered to her as well as keep her wanting to stay at the table for longer periods of time.
Phenomenal!!!
Mama Jen
February 18th, 2009
One of the hit gifts this holiday was a Blabla doll that my daughter received. Irresistibly adorable, unique in design and ever-so-cuddly—my daughter and I are in love!
Designed by a mom who is an artist and handmade by artisans in Peru, these dolls carry such an amazing character around with them. They are beautiful to look at, range from girly looking to wonderful boyish or unisex designs and—-they are WASHABLE. Those of you who have seen a favorite cuddly dragged through dirt or sleet will greatly appreciate that these dolls can be easily cleaned and not become irrecognizable.
The company also has these differently designed hand knit dolls called boogaloos that are full of childish whimsy. They also carry fabulous clothing options, finger puppets, backpacks and amazing rattles such as the little bird pictured above!
Wonderful!!
Mama Jen
January 5th, 2009
Happy Holidays
Last Chance to Save Before the Holidays
If you are looking for something for someone small in your life and also want to support a small business, Funky Monkey Baby Boutique is offering a special holiday deal for you…Check out the uber-snuggly Baby Legs and the amazing clothing from the ever-so-hip Tea Collection, and the wonderful Automoblox that allow the little one in your life to build a very hip looking vehicle!!
From December 1st until December 15th:
Shop online:
Coupon Code: HOLIDAY2008 and SAVE 20%
on all your purchases (Some restrictions apply. See website for details.)
December 10th, 2008
HipBabyGear.com has the most adorable little piano available in pink white or red to get your toddler started tickling the ivories!
This little piano will not only look good, it will help your child explore their musicality!
This site also carries my favorite gift to my friends who are having little boys…Pee Pee Tee Pees!!! Never heard of ‘em??? Absolutely invaluable to parents of baby boys!!!
Mama Jen
July 14th, 2008
With all of this wonderful warm weather, outdoor games are a must! Oompa Toys has some phenomenal wooden games (and various other items of phenomenal quality) for your toddlers that are sure to be a hit with them and the grown-ups! These games are something that can be passed down through multiple generations and always remain popular.
Check out this cute little croquet set! Fun, colorful, and will help kids learn hand-eye coordination while having a blast!
For those who have tiny people who want to play golf just like daddy or mommy, check out this adorable mini golf set.
I am especially fond of the Goblin Catch Ring Toss…Just the look of it makes me want to giggle and start tossing rings at the little guys!
Mama Jen
June 30th, 2008
OK. So I’ve often thought I could make my own gift bags — just some cool fabric and a few zigzags on the sewing machine, right? Well, that means that I actually have to get out my sewing machine and go to the store to pick out fabric, iron it, make sure the kids are outta they way before I try to run the sewing machine, etc. etc. So, pretty much, my little spurt of craftiness is not gonna happen.
Enter Lucky Crow fabric bags, owned by Green Approach LLC in Portland, OR. Though I’m a fine papers fanatic, the sustainable/green aspects of our MomAppeal personas LOVE these. By design, they are reusable and, made of fabric, are much sturdier than any of the old paper gift bags, wraps and trimmings I have filling up two bins in my basement. And, the ribbons are attached and the fabric are cool: From the Retro-Rocket Rascals and the Sock Monkey patterns to some ’60s flashback prints (Carnival, Free Spirit and Happy Tree) and even holiday and hip organic prints, you’ll find a design that matches your gifting style and theme.
Lucky Crow bags are sold individually in a range of sizes ($4.50-$13.50), including those that just the right fit for tiny bling boxes, wine bottles, CDs, books and even bigger gifts. The largest size almost fit a Rody bounce-on toy; two extra large bags would work better, and allow you to wrap other similarly sized assembled gifts (we all know wrapping those well with paper is just about impossible).
Or, make your life really easy and choose from one of five collections ($17.99-$115.99) that include bags of assorted sizes and patterns. We love that the Lucky Crow tells you how much purchasing by collection saves vs. ordering oodles of individual bags, and that the company has some fun and free gift tags you can print from your browser window.
Here’s something else we like: Lucky Crow is a member of 1% for the Planet, an international group of businesses that donates one percent of their sales to nonprofit environmental organizations.
Lucky Crow has created a special promotion code for MomAppeal readers — so you can stock up now and be set for birthday parties, house warmings and holidays for the rest of the year. Type in the promotional code MomAppeal at checkout and you’ll receive 20% off any order of $50 or more. Thanks Lucky Crow!
Mama Kate
March 24th, 2008
A while back, the catalog for Twilite Moon came to my house and I have been looking at their website ever since.
They have the most amazing selection of stylish items for mom, dad and baby. The items tend to be quite modern, though they do have some traditional items as well. Look at this amazing dresser for a child’s room. There is also a funky low piece that could be great for storing toys. If you are looking for your child’s furniture to be art, these are the ticket… You can customize what the accent drawer color is too! Maybe these should be in your room…so chic!
And GASP!! Sexy Nursing Bras??? They found ‘em…How’d they do that??
They also have a selection of accessories for safety and many practical items as well, such as the Sleepsack which I used and loved for my daughter—keeps little babies warm and covered without the fear of having them sleeping with loose blankets. In our experience, loose blankets never stayed on a sleeping baby, AND I was afraid about the blankets covering her face…the Sleepsack solves both problems.
At Twilite Moon, they put together a wonderful section to help you find gifts for every kind of child and family.
Twilite moon is one of those baby boutiques that makes moms drool—-and that has MomAppeal!
Mama Jen
March 4th, 2008
Lori Pope, a fellow mom came up with an idea that will help unclutter your home, and give your kids the chance to try many different toys—a Toy rental company called Baby Plays—lots of choices and opportunities to continuously refresh your child’s playtime. No more fear that you spent money on a toy for your child which may be as interesting to them as your dusty treadmill is to you.
All of the toys stocked are kid approved, organized by age appropriateness, sanitized and loaded with fresh batteries before they reach your door. Pope specifically chooses toys that are easy to clean, so you can rest your germ fears on this one!
“Families generally keep the toys for one month and then send them back in the box they came in, using a postage-paid return label the company includes with each shipment. Most parents know that’s long enough for little kids to exhaust their interest.
But it’s no big deal if the little one wants to hang on to a couple of toys for several months, Pope said. Parents can just exchange the toys they don’t want, and new toys are shipped out as the old ones are returned.” (AOL Money and Finance)
Don’t worry that you will be receiving really worn items either…anything that is more than “gently worn” is donated to needy families who are nominated by Baby Plays customers.
Each shipment of toys is lead tested—wooohoo! Also, toys with small parts, or that are not easy to clean are avoided. Fantastic!
Lori Pope also mentions that this is a great way for grandparents to have some great toys on hand and change it up every now and again. So smart and full of MomAppeal!!!
Happy Toy Renting and great job Lori! Mama Jen
February 11th, 2008
With the holiday season coming up, Mama Jess and I will begin every week with a gift idea for parents and/or their kids. In the meantime, I came across a wonderful collection of links to toys made in the USA which may come in handy while shopping this year if all the recent recalls from toys made overseas has you bummed out. Check it out at this fellow mom’s site http://journeytocrunchville.wordpress.com/2007/08/28/toys-made-in-america-part-two/. Mama Jen
October 25th, 2007
