Category Archives: Age 1-3

Thudguard infant protective safety hat

Age 0-1 year, Age 1-3, New posts, Safety, , , , , , ,

Thudguard Here is something you don't see or hear about everyday but can save you a lot of heartache.
Thudguard is a light foam crash helmet for toddlers designed to help absorb and reduce the impact of head injuries due to a
fall or collision. It is suitable for babies and toddlers aged 7 months
to 2+ years.

I can't tell you how many times Madelyn fell when learning to walk at 10 months.  We spend most of our time in our kitchen which has hardwood floors and unfortunately, that is where she fell most.  Madelyn walked right into cabinets, chairs, and the refrigerator because she wasn't looking where she was going. To this day she still walks into things but because she has a big head and is over 2 she can't wear the safety helmet.  Madelyn just doesn't look where she's going!

Read some expert opinions about Thudguard and head injuries here on the Thudguard website.

Kelly Forsyth-Gibson, a mom of 3 lives in the Scottish city of Aberdeen and invented Thudguard after her 1 year old who was learning to walk fell and bumped her head.

Thudguard is available in
lilac or baby blue and can be purchased for about $38.  Think about it, isn't $40 a great price to pay rather than having to take your toddler to the emergancy room after a fall?

Toy review: architecture abc blocks by Parents®

Age 1-3, Age 3-5, Educational Toys, Toys, , , , , ,

Madelyn loves, loves, loves Parents® abc architecture blocks.   TParents® abc architecture toddler blockshese blocks are colorful, squishy soft and stack easily.  One of my favorite things about the abc architecture blocks is because they are soft, they don't make a loud crashing sound when they are knocked down.

Parents® abc architecture blocks can even go in the bathtub.  They float making them lots of fun.  Just be sure to sqeeze all of the water out when the kids are through playing with them.

There are 9 different shapes including squares, columns, and curvy pieces that can go on top of the column pieces to make a cool tower.  Each block has an animal and/or a letter of the alphabet molded on it. 

Parents® also makes wooden toys including a Doctor's play set that Madelyn is getting for Christmas.  I am so excited.. she'll have so much fun with it.  Something that I really appreciate about Parents® toys is that they are all practical and educational.

Recommended for ages 6+ months.

You will find Parents® ABC architecture toddler blocks at your local Target (check first) or Target.com here for about $19.

smart-e-bear: click, connect, and cuddle for ages 2-6

Age 1-3, Age 3-5, Educational Toys, Toys, , ,

162_2438A super snuggly bear for kids ages 2-6, smart-e-bear is a huggable, loveable friend that plays award-winning kids music, fun games, and interactive stories right out of the box!

Madelyn’s favorite activity is listening to Five Little Monkeys and Head and Shoulders which Sebastian also loves.  They both crack up and have a blast when smart-e-bear starts singing really fast.  Madelyn is learning songs and stories and Sebastian,  9 years old, is learning things like Head and Shoulds in Japanese!

He’s the only bear with a computer interface, a lesson plan that you can customize, AND he’s totally wired into the children’s music scene – with access to thousands of songs by artist like Sara Hickman.

To set up smart-e-bear, plug him into your computer’s USB port for download, and he’s ready to engage and interact as your child sings and reads along, while answering questions by squeezing his paws.

smart-e-bear asks Madelyn questions such as “Do you want to play simon says?  If yes, push my hand, if no push my foot”.  Then smart-e-bear says “simon says push my yellow foot” and she pushes his yellow foot.  She loves that smart-e-bear interacts with her when she pushes his hands and feet.  Madelyn finds smart-e-bear very easy to understand and follow.  smart-e-bear’s interactive design lets Madelyn decide what games to play, or stories to hear, with a squeeze of his hands or feet.  When she first got smart-e-bear she had to push around on his hands and feet to find the sensor but after a couple times of playing, she knows where they are without a problem.

smart-e-bear speaks English and Spanish, and calls your child by name. I can select age-appropriate content, customizing Madelyn’s learning experience with thousands of songs, stories and games.  Like iTunes, most songs and activities are .99 to download.

smart-e-bear is soft and cuddly.  Other than having a small module box stuffed way into his back, he is a regular super soft and plush bear and can be squeezed just like any plush animal.

Learn more about smart-e-bear here.  You can buy smart-e-bear at amazon.com here.  There is also a smart-e-dog or smart-e-cat.

Watch a short video of smart-e-bear singing.

Review of Joobles – the cutest little animals, from FairIndigo.com

Age 1-3, Age 3-5, Age 5-7, Toys, , , ,

 Joobles from FairIndigo.comThese are the cutest little animals!  

I recently got Bella, a huggable little bunny with lots of personality, to review and think moms are going to want to keep these to themselves.  Don't kid yourself.. you're going to be jealous of your kids if you don't buy a Jooble for yourself.  I am a huge snuggler and always have something in my arms at night.  I found my new favorite!

Joobles are made of 100% soft organic yarns and eco-friendly dyes and are about 11 inches tall making them super snuggly and perfect for little hands to hold.

Joobles are very special in that they are made fairly in Peru under fair trade conditions which is a rapidly gJoobles from FairIndigo.com
rowing movement dedicated to paying workers fair wages rather than minimum ones and to providing workers with a safe and healthy working environment.

Joobles are GREAT stocking stuffers!

Price: $29.99

Where to buy: FairIndigo.com


Win a Jooble of your very own!
Go to the Fair Indigo website and click on the Meet the Joobles link, choose your favorite Jooble, AND then click on the About Fair Trade link in the top right area of the site.  Then come back here and tell me which is your favorite Jooble and something you learned about Fair Trade, in the comments box below.  Or blog about this post and send me the link and you will be entered to win the Jooble of your choice.
I just learned that they are out of Icy the Penguin and Jiffy the Giraffe so be sure to choose an available Jooble.

View more photographs of the kids with their Jooble, Bella the Bunny.

Painted children’s room decor from Tatutina

Age 1-3, Bedding - baby & kids, Nursery & Room Decor, , , , , , ,

Tatutina-binsMadelyn is past the 'nursery room' stage so we've been transi
tioning to decor pieces that are more bright and vibrant in color.  Pastels and light colors were wonderful for her first year but I think her room needs brighter colors now.  Tatutina children's room decor pieces are adorable and would be great for any toddler's room.

Tatutina's "Happy painted gifts for a happy lifestyle" are beautifully designed wooden pieces, and are painted with vibrant colors including pinks, purples, blues and reds.  Tatutina uses non-toxic paint and sealers and the edges of the wooden pieces are nice and smooth so I wouldn't worry about Madelyn getting a splinter or licking herself into toxicity.  Yes, I worry about those things!

You can shop by collection such as the Tatutina Flowers Collection pictured here.  Items in the collections include book-ends, a keepsake box, mini-bins, and a wastebasket.  I love the hand-painted look and feel of Tatutina's decor pieces and can imagine that Madelyn will like these pieces well into her tween years if not longer.  The Dinosaurs, Animals and Sports designs are great for a little boy's room.

Prices are in the $20 range.

Tatutina children's room decor and gift items are available at the Tatutina store!