From the category archives:

ages 0 to 1

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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the best toys & gifts for babies!

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It’s that’s time everyone!  Finally, a chance to gather all of my favorite things in one fantabulously grandiose week of overabundance and cool design. I’ve been staring at all these lovely things so long that my eyes still see them when they close, and I know my dreams will be technicolor all week long (well, [...]

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getting to know Santa Claus

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Birdie will turn three years old a mere thirteen days after Christmas. Last year, Santa, though cheery in her picture books, was a rather fearful creature in real life (particularly on the day he wore jingle bells all the way down his front). Last night we were watching a little bit of The Santa Clause [...]

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soopsori’s on!

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I stopped by Soopsori a couple of week’s ago, and was flabbergasted by all the goodies they now have! It seemed like a perfect time to share them with you. All of Soopsori’s products use 20 varieties of natural woods, carefully dried and naturally finished with non-toxic linseed oil. I’m certain there are items priced [...]

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pull-along fabadorablousness (it’s a word)

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I can’t help it, I see my ads every day and Grasshoppers’ new ad (see it over there on the left?) features these adorable Djeco Pull Toys. Then I discovered they’re using illustrations from one of my all-time favorite illustrators: Mouk. Yeah, that’s the stuff. Two of my favorite brands working together on an ideal [...]

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imagination rules at Learning Materials Workshop

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The moment I saw the beautiful color range in Learning Materials Workshop’s products, I was hooked. Designed by Toy Designer Karen Hewitt, each item is created to focus on open-ended play and stimulation through color, light and shadows, and three dimensional play patterns. We’ve been happily playing with the new Coloraturo block set (see below), [...]

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the wooden eyes have it

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I think we can all agree wooden toys are where it’s at these days. But you want unique wooden toys? Handmade, with an extra smidgeon of forlorn charm? Then Noli Noli Handmade is the place to go. Handmade by a dad who loves his craft, these little wonders are all-natural, with organic beans inside and [...]

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wood for babies

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Though I’ve theoretically understood for years that wooden toys can be safe for infants – and for teething in particular – it wasn’t until Etsy, and my own wee one that I really began to get it. I know, wood seems a little counterintuitive, right? Hard wood, little baby mouths, the possibility of splinters. But, [...]

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pretty ugly baby toys

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Moulin Roty’s Jolis pas Beaux (which roughly trasnlates to “the Pretty Uglies”) are my kind of baby toys. They have just the right basic features: baby-safe, super soft, multi-textured, with a little bit of sound. Luckily the extra-concentrated dose of character-building charm keeps them from seeming dull. Because if you’re going to be staring at [...]

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my favorite romp

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One of my all-time favorite online shops is closing it’s virtual doors. Sigh, help me say goodbye to Romp. They have been my go-to destination for unique-quality-timeless-yet-quirky items that I can’t find anywhere else. A moment of silence, please. Okay, but on the brighter side, they’re offering an awesome discount code to help clear out [...]

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modern toys from julabug

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I’ve found that even in our fairly large metro area, the only way to find a thorough selection of my favorite modern and/or organic toys is to go online. Some websites are definitely more friendly than others. Sometimes it’s better to stick locally. But Julabug seems to be one of the friendliest I’ve seen yet. They [...]

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doll obsession: timo handmade

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I’m going to give in and start a semi-regular post about dolls, because I keep finding more, More, MORE! I can’t deny it, I have a thing for handmade dolls of all shapes, sizes, and colors. But today’s finds from Timo Handmade more than just sweet girlie dolls, there are modern gnomes, men with glasses, [...]

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best kids balance bikes – wishbone bikes

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There are products that just floor with me, and today I get to feature one of those companies: Wishbone Design. Have you heard of balance bikes yet? They’re this generation’s answer to training wheels. A balance bike is a small pedal-less bike that helps young kids learn to balance on two wheels before graduating to [...]

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the natural side of teething time

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My 2 and half year old has always been a little slow when it comes to getting her teeth. I’ve heard – and firmly believe – that getting teeth later means better teeth and a smarter kid. So I’ll brag about it. Should I say it again? No? You got it the first time? Oh, [...]

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top five stuffed pals for spring

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I love knowing you’re out there reading, commenting and sharing your finds with me. In return, could you pay it forward and vote for me here? If nothing else, you can “meet” me via my sassy video – thanks! These are the little stuffed munchkins (aka, plush) that have been tickling my fancy lately. With [...]

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