toy brands

mr. pom pon, lalylala & some animals

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I consider myself a jack of all creative trades – anything from welding to knitting and I’m interested. But there’s one thing I’ve tried several times and always walked away flummoxed: crochet. I know, it’s silly, but I just can’t seem to get the hang of it. Single chain, sure, but what I want to be […]

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animals of all shapes from bleebla

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A little cork, a little sycamore wood, some gorgeous animals … Bleebla makes high design toys look deceptively simple. Look at how perfectly all the sea animals in the Critters Box nestle into their cork box home? Or, once they’re removed, how beautifully they stack together. That kind of detail makes me want to see […]

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a new balance bike system: Leg&Go Bikes

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I was watching Birdie practically fly down the street with her new bike the other day (we just graduated to a 20″ salmon pink hottie), and thinking how far she’s come. We started with a balance bike when she was around 3, and I can’t recommend them enough. It was almost exactly a year ago […]

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vintage becomes timeless with willowynn

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Somehow summertime always feels timeless to me: there are certain smells and activities that never change. The moment you experience them it’s like remembering all the summers before at the same time. Willowynn’s dolls feel a bit like that endless summer experience. They’re like a timeless moment from my childhood, or my girl’s, or maybe from yours. […]

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the most fashionable pandas

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Finding the perfect something that you didn’t know you even needed – that’s the most addictive side of shopping. Gets me every time. Like when I stumbled on these fashioanble panddas from Szmacianki. I mean, come on. Those scruffy sweet faces paired with the of-the-moment clothing? Who knew a panda could look so svelte? It kind […]

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new magnetic blocks

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Yippee Skippee! Tegu has expanded their selection of magnetic blocks! Now they have added smaller sets of blocks in a natural finish, with some awesome futuristic graphics in blue. Each set includes just enough pieces for an open ended session of  “What can I make next?”. I like to think of them like a Tangram […]

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it’s not Sunday, but mlle dimanche doesn’t care

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Ah, little French dolls. With cozy hats, hand-knit sweaters, pouty little lips, and strappy ballerina shoes. That’s what you get with a Mademoiselle Dimanche Doll Kit. (and yes, Dimanche means Sunday, hence my post title!). If you want a new craft project to start out with this summer, I highly suggest one of these. Each doll kit […]

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travel the world in the mail

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Travelling the world isn’t really an easy thing to do for most families. It certainly isn’t an option for us right now. Birdie, of course, knows how to make me feel extra guilty. She has asked many times “When can I go to China?”. Or Japan, Egypt, Paris, and other far-flung locales. Don’t you wish […]

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everyone needs an animal

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Our local animal shelter has the funniest looking little pug with eyes that might just pop out of her head. It’s not quite the right time to bring a dog home yet, and my husband thought they eyes were creepy. But Birdie and I, we liked them. This stuffed Pug from Jess Quinn reminds me […]

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love monarchs, plant milkweed

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There was one sumer, years and years ago, when my parents’ walnut trees were completely covered with flapping orange wings. It was only for a day or so, and I kept running outside to check on them, what I saw seemed impossible.  I was so disheartened the day I woke up to find them gone! As […]

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a sweet hello to studio escargot

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Simple and sweet, sometimes that’s all we need to get the point across. These dolls from Hallo Studio Escargot are a mix of that sweet simplicity and an original flair. They feel like a throwback to a vintage era when toys were nearly perfect, and handmade. I’m especially in love with the closed eyes and […]

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your living, bioluminescent, easiest pet ever

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When I was little, I remember one day my dad came home with this little vial of water. He was a music professor, and had nabbed this little vial from a colleague in the science building. When he shook that water, it lit up like a glow stick. Why? It was filled with tiny living […]

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did you know you need an archer bird?

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Hipster trends be damned, these perfect creatures make me happy – regardless of their hipster-friendly bows and arrows and perfect capes. Popetse Toys creates beautiful handmade little friends in Paris, France. So you know, they’re already cooler than the the toys in your house just in the nature of their birthplace. One of Birdie’s favorite […]

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I’m joining the polka dot club

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Even though I consider myself a fairly modern gal, with a love for clean lines and bright colors and new, innovative design ideas, there is something so beautiful about a classic teddy bear. Now, I think I’ve found a place where that classic style has met a modern, yet heritage-based, result. Meet Polka Dot Club, […]

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floating in the clouds house

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Ok, step away from the computer, and right into a cloud world that’s even better than that brick-building Cloud Cuckoo Land claims to be. That’s because the newest dollhouse from Rock & Pebble lets you – erm, your kids – decorate and populate your cloud house any which way you’d like to. I know for […]

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