Category Archives: Age 1-3

Magnetic Activity Play Garden

Age 1-3, Age 3-5, Toys

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Had we purchased this toy, it would have been one of the best investments we’ve made for Madelyn.  She is 20 months old now and has an absolute blast with this magnetic garden as do our older testers.  This magnetic garden toy has provided Madelyn with hours of fun and creative play.  I’m not just saying that.. it is very true. 

Other moms that were around during the testing of this product were just as pleased with Kushies as I was when we discovered that the flower garden doubles as a carrying case for storing the 11 magnetic garden accessories.  What a great concept and very useful. Just that feature alone has made the Magnetic Activity Play Garden a favorite to take on road trips, and to Grandmother’s house.

Madelyn spends a lot of time watering her garden with the watering can which has shiny strings ‘flowing’ of the spout to simulate a real watering can.  How neat is that?  She even has her own watering sound effects.

Kooskies_magnetgarden1The bottom of the reusable carrying case is the garden (grassy area) . There is a magnetic pad in the bottom of the case so when you turn it over, your child can place the magnetic garden accessories anywhere on the bottom
of the case.  Magnetic creatures
stick to the garden and the magnetic plant pieces stack and build! When your child is done playing, simply gather all of the garden accessories, put them in the case and zip it up!

Madelyn also enjoys putting the magnetic accessories on the side of the refrigerator, and on other metal surfaces around the house.  I needed to keep Madelyn in her stroller during Sebastian’s baseball tryouts, so I took these hoping that she would occupy herself by putting the magnets on the metal parts of her stroller and sure enough, it worked!  She was great!!

The garden is light enough for Madelyn to carry by herself and has a handle on either side for an easy grasp.   Garden accessories include a few flowers, and some really interested creatures.  All of the pieces are brightly colored and have some sort of texture which is great for tactile development.

I will be reviewing several other Kushies toys and other Kushies items soon.  Join our mailing list using the ‘subscribe’ box in the right column to be notified of new reviews.

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Click here to learn more about or buy the Magnetic Activity Play Garden on the Kushies website.

Robeez Tredz + Giveaway!

Age 0-1 year, Age 1-3, Baby & Kids Clothing, Shoes,

Madelyn is 20 months now and like most toddlers, she is all over the place.  Robeeztredz1
Climbing, jumping, dancing, running.  For the first year of her life she wore soft-soled baby shoes but now that she spends a lot of time playing outside her feet need the protection of a thicker soled shoe while still having the flexibility of the soft soled shoes.   Robeez’s new outdoor toddler shoe line, Tredz, offers just what she needs.. a thick soled super flexible shoe. Beyond that, Tredz are lightweight, water-resistant and grippy so Madelyn’s little feet have a good grip on smooth and wet surfaces.  A lot of  toddler shoes are either practical or cute/.  Rarely are toddler shoes both cute and have what a little toddler foot needs; flexibility and protection.  Robeez has done a great job with their new Tredz line, combining the best of both. 

Not lacking in selection, the Tredz line includes over one dozen designs featuring soothing and ‘earthy’ colored shoes decorated with cute flower, truck, and duck embellishments.

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Tredz have a
adjustable fasteners and elastic ankles to keep them on active toddlers and the cushioned insoles provide all day comfort for little one’s on the go.

I found that Tredz run a little large. Madelyn is an average size 20 month old and the 20-24 month size is a little big on her.  You might want to try a size smaller than what you think your toddler would wear.

I am going to try to get a photograph of Madelyn in her Tredz but because they are a little big I don’t know if they will stay on long enough.

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We received two pairs of Tredz from our great friends at Robeez and because we are so nice we are going to give away one pair. It pains me to do so, but it is the right of all parents to have the opportunity to experience the super cuteness of Tredz just like Madelyn and I have.  Simply leave a comment on this post letting me know what you think of Robeez baby shoes and/or the looks of the new Tredz line and I will choose a winner at random to receive a pair of Robeez. They are all girl styles so please keep that in mind when entering. CONTEST RUNS UNTIL February 15th, 08.

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Robeez Tredz outdoor toddler shoes

Froose: a healthy juice for kids

Age 1-3, Age 3-5, Age 5-7, Age 7-10, Food and Drink

What’s low in sugar, high in fiber, made with organic ingredients and yummy?  Your kids migFroose1_2ht say.. uh, nothing!?  Have your kids try Froose, a naturally healthy juice for kids, and I think they will change their minds.  Froose is a novel idea. Combine good flavor with organic ingredients and very low sugar to create a great tasting drink.  Good idea huh?

Our testers, ages 20 months – 9 years, tried all three flavors, Perfect Pear, Cheerful Cherry, and Playful Peach.  We didn’t hear complaints about any of the flavors but the Cheerful Cherry was the favorite. The kids loved the packaging with the cute moose and I as a parent love it because the colorful juice boxes add fun to a healthy drink.  I tasted the Froose juices, and it was like biting into a real pear or peach.. it was great!  I really appreciate that Froose juices don’t have the ‘flavored water’ taste that many juices have. You feel like you are actually enjoying a piece of fruit when drinking Froose.

Froose juices combine the best of whole grains and fruit in one nutritious, portable package that kids can grab out of the fridge or include in their packed school lunch.  I am impressed that Froose chose to package their juices in smaller 4.23 oz packages than the typical 6.75 or 8 oz packages. No more almost empty juice boxes laying around and no more ‘I’m not hungry for dinner’ after your child drinks a 6.75oz juice box!

Go to the Froose website to learn more about the flavors, how Froose is made, and the nutritional facts.

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Froose whole food kids juices

The First Adventures of Incredible You: personalized book

Age 1-3, Age 3-5, Books, Personalized

Custommadeforkids1The First Adventures of Incredible You is a personalized book about the most memorable experiences of early childhood, those that we want to hold on to forever.  An iParenting media award-winning book, The First Adventures of Incredible You,  is the perfect gift for the special child in your life.

Rhyming verses and rich, colorful illustrations will keep the attention of your younger child while the people and places mentioned in the story will delight your older child to no end.  Because faces are not shown in this book, it is perfect for any child no matter what their race, gender or family lifestyle is.

The book begins with a dedication page for which you can request a special dedication from mom and dad. The dedication in Madelyn’s book is "This book was custom made for Madelyn Rose Hagan who arrived on May 9th 2006. We Love You! Mommy, Daddy and Sebastian – 2008.

The First Adventures of Incredible You is a story about the first adventures
of your child’s life. What child doesn’t love a story about them self?   Your child is the main character in the story but the personalization doesn’t stop there. The story
includes the people and places that are most important to your child,
including your local zoo, park, and sports team, as well as her favorite food and the street where you live no doubt bringing the story to life every time she hears or reads it even as she gets older.

If you want to buy The First Adventures of Incredible You for a friend or family member’s child and don’t know the name of their local park, zoo, or favorite friend that’s not a problem. You can order a book gift certificate so the parent can fill out the form and complete the order.

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Custom Made for Kids personalized chidren’s book

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The Mommy Insider readers get 15% off with code insider15

MichaelsMind Children’s Books: $15.95

Age 1-3, Age 3-5, Age 5-7, Age 7-10, Books, Educational Toys

Michaelsmindbooks1Sebastian and I read every night.  Sometimes I like the book he chooses and sometimes I don’t. When he picks one of Steve Tiller’s books I am relieved because I know I am going enjoy our reading time just as much as he does that night.

The colorful, fairytale like illustrations and fun writing style keep Sebastian’s attention on the book.  Steve’s books are written and illustrated superbly with each story delivering a message in such a way so that the child understands the message.  Steve is a great children’s book author. He knows how to capture a child’s attention and keep it.  Steve’s books cover topics including self confidence (Just Be Yourself), faith (Boat & Wind), childhood fantasy (Tangle Fairies), and individuality (Inside Outside Who We Are).

Michaelsmindbooks2When we read one of Steve’s books Sebastian enjoys talking about it afterward.  Sebastian usually doesn’t want to talk about the meaning of a book, the characters or illustrations but he gets so into the characters and the stories that he sometimes continues the story with his own ‘next chapter’. 

Most of the books have a free curriculum that parents can download from the website.  The curriculum includes group discussions, recipes, activities and drawing.

You will also find a beautiful selection of posters on the website such as the one to the left.

Visit the MichaelsMind Books website to learn more about Steve’s books and to place an order.