From the category archives:

ages 1 to 3

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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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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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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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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worth 1000 words: presto chango butterfly doll

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Looking for a unique doll this holiday season? Fidoodle’s Butterfly Doll ($46) has both the adorable details – aw, those sweet lil’ eyes! – and the cool functionality. Transform her modern dress over her head and she becomes a Monarch with beautiful screen-printed wings. 100% wool felt hair, hand painted (and safely sealed) face, and [...]

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the best toys and gifts for toddlers!

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Today we get to feature that lovable age: toddlerhood. Full of crazy fast exploration and lots of change, toys for toddlers need to be open-ended, imaginative, and with lots of options for playtime. Not to worry, these toys will get you through! There are many more Gift Guides, and this year’s Guides in the tab [...]

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the 24 day countdown is coming

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I spent my weekend madly – slightly manically, to be honest – trying to create a brand new Advent Calendar for Birdie. Which means not only was I a crafting genius (roll with me on that one, you’ll see the results this week if all goes as planned!), but I was also working hard to [...]

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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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the littlest healthy gourmet

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You won’t believe it. This weekend, at a lovely restaurant, with the requisite kids sized macaroni and cheese waiting in front of her, my 2.5 year old daughter actually had three whole bites of my salad. Lettuce. She ate lettuce. Maybe there is hope after all! In our play kitchen we have the sets of [...]

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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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