From the category archives:

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warming up to the perfect rocker

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I love it when I have an email waiting for me that shares a cool new product like this one. Cuddle up to your own woolly sheep (when your tots aren’t cuddling it of course, maybe during naptime?) thanks to Max Tyrie and Bright Start Designs. Handmade with Baltic Birch and real sheepskin in California, [...]

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be my valentine’s

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If you’re looking for a thoughtful little Valentine’s gift for the kids in your life, Hearthsong has some awesome Valentine’s ideas. Though we all want it to be a holiday that is more personal than commercial, I think these ideas – and more at their site – help span the gap between the two. What [...]

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valentine’s toys are easy to lurve

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I’m not usually into hearts and pink and frills. In fact, my parents poke fun at me every time they notice a wayward heart or pink sock attach itself to Birdie. I think I’ve learned to give in to the smaller “accents” and worry more about the full-on head-to-toe pink ensembles! Ah, parenting, it’s really [...]

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a better doll: prudence dolls

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Without knowing any other details, Prudence dolls ($75 – $95) reached out to squeeze me from my very first glimpse of their sweet little faces. I mean, come on. How can you refuse. These Waldorf-style dolls feature the signature sculpted, wool-stuffed head and soft bodies of a standard Waldorf Doll. But the updated detailing, the [...]

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oh go outside & ogobild something

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Ok, maybe you don’t need to go outside if you’re in the far North like we are. But the phrase “Oh Go Outside” IS the story behind the name: Ogobild.  We’re looking for cabin fever busters around our neck of the woods, and Ogobild’s creative construction concepts are just right. Not only do you get [...]

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are we there yeti?

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We’ve had an unseasonably warm winter around here, and yet I can’t stop thinking about Yetis. Big, furry, warm-hearted beasts to go with my new fur-lined boots. Let me share some of my favorites with you, these may be appearing in my snow-filled dreams this very evening: (image above) Little Moog, from Hollow Shells, $50. [...]

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kaleidograph it

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Any time you can combine a little art, a lot of color, and endless pattern creations into an inexpensive toy for kids and adults you better believe I’ll be featuring it. Kaleidograph is a simple system of diecut cards that can be layered, relayered, flipped, and rotated into millions (they say 350 million!) of different [...]

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leggo my trigo!

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Did you see our advent calendar this year? Aside from the activities and some handmade things from me, my favorite advent gift for Birdie was one of these recycled pouches ($9 – $15) from a local fave: Trigo. Awesome, right? Recycled bicycle tires, cute little stamped images, and that perfect red tongue! (and by the [...]

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january loves every eskimo

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We had almost no snow in December, but suddenly New Year’s Eve brought us snow, blustery winds, and cold. I would rather we’d had that on Christmas Day, not now! But Every Eskimo’s sweet felt friends will feel right at home around here. Perhaps the pocket bears of all colors, with the perfect wintery scarves. [...]

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25% off ad special – 1 week only!

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I’ve got great big gargantuan plans for Small for Big in 2012, and if you’ve been waiting for the right moment, now is the time to jump in and join us! Add your ad (heh heh) to our curated selection at 25% off the regular rates for all new advertisers (both monthly and quarterly rates). [...]

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best apps to get the kids through the holidays

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These are some of our favorite apps right now – it’s an ever-changing smorgasbord in our house, but these finds are the ones that have recently pulled us through or will keep us going during Christmas travel and family visits! What are your go-to apps with your kids? Share in the comments, let’s get a [...]

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music to my ears!

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When planning this year’s Annual Gift Guides, there were times when I thought I should just send everyone to Land of Nod. Their carefully curated selection of toys, crafts, and musical instruments is bar none during the holidays. Plus, they’re offering free shipping on lots of items (I think almost EVERY item,  in fact) with [...]

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let’s get books to the kids who need them!

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click here & donate now! I just returned from an inspiring production of Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, and I’m full of Holiday Spirit and Charity – the kind that lets you keep Christmas all year round (that’s an almost quote!). What better time than now to share a great (and affordable) chance for you to [...]

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our handmade wooden doll family

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I have several little handmade projects I’d like to complete for Birdie this Christmas, I probably won’t get to all of them! But I found time for this little family – which I stuffed in her Advent Calendar yesterday! Can you tell which one is Birdie, myself and her Daddy-O? (Hint: She’s got the glasses!) [...]

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splurge-worthy gifts for kids

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I work hard year-round to be a thrifty design-lover. And I think I do a damn good job of sticking to a realistic budget. But when it comes to the holidays, sometimes the Designer side takes over. Because it’s either now or the annual birthday dash that provides all of us the option of spending [...]

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