Category Archives: Age 1-3

A Children’s Summertime Classic – The Original Saltwater Sandal

Age 1-3, Age 3-5, Guest post: TheFind.com, New posts, Shoes, , , ,

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Generations of children recall endless summer days wearing the original Salt Water Sandal made by the Hoy Company of St. Louis Missouri. They’re called the “Salt Water” Sandal because they stand up even in salt water. You may remember wearing these exact sandals as a child. I do! I love the traditional classic lines of the “Original Sandal” style and the fact that these shoes stand up to hours of summer playtime. The flexible sole and heavy durable leather straps are comfortable and long lasting. Your child will most likely grow out of these sandals before they wear out. White and brown are the original colors with fresh bright shades such as fuchsia, orange, yellow and lime added to the collection.

From our friends at TheFind.com.

Plan Toys Eco Friendly Drum Set – From our friends at TheFind.com

Age 1-3, Age 3-5, New posts, Toys, Wooden Toys

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I’ve been searching for a modern, well made and eco-friendly drum set for my toddler daughter. Up until now she’s created her own impromptu drum set with my All-Clad sauce pans. Big mistake. It’s time to invest in a proper drum set to save my pots and my sanity. The Plan Toys drumset is much less disruptive than my cookware and is set up to develop hand eye coordination. I love that the set is made from eco-friendly and renewable plantation grown rubber wood and is colored with non-toxic vegetable dyes. In fact we are huge fans of all of the Plan Toys products, next on our list is the contemporary doll house, it’ll make the perfect gift when birthday time rolls around.

Lil’ Tag Alongs baby blanket
review + giveaway

Age 0-1 year, Age 1-3, New posts, Past Giveaways, , , , , ,

Lil' Tag Alongs baby blanket with link attachmentsWhat new mom doesn’t love a product that makes life a little easier? I certainly do and I recently learned about Lil’ Tag Alongs, a blanket that is sure to make any new mom’s life easier, really!
Lil’ Tag Alongs blankets perform several functions including keeping baby warm, cozy, and Lil’ Tag Alongs ensure that your baby’s favorite toy won’t fall on the dirty grocery store floor as long as it’s attached to a link on the blanket. You wouldn’t believe my reaction when Madelyn dropped a toy onto a dirty grocery store floor.  First I would gasp, then my super speedy reflexes took over as I picked the toy. Madelyn wasn’t allowed to touch it again until I sanitized it making for a miserable remainder of our grocery trip.  You’ll be happy to know that I’m not that crazy anymore… maybe in different ways but I’m not a “germaphone” (what my son used to call me) anymore.

Obviously, I would have benefited greatly from a Lil’ Tag Alongs blanket during Madelyn’s infant months.   The ability to attach Madelyn’s favorite toys to her blanket would have saved me time running from room to room looking for her favorite rattle or teething toy that I could have attached to a link on her Lil’ Tag Alongs blanket.  Toys attach to Lil’ Tag Alongs blankets using links sold at Wal-Mart and Babies R’ Us like those in the photograph here.  A lot of infant and baby toys snap right onto the links.

Lil' Tag Alongs blanket with links attached

Benefits of the Lil’ Tag Alongs:

  • Attach your baby’s Lil’ Tag Alongs blanket to your stroller using links
  • Lay the blanket on the floor and your new baby will playing with and reaching for the links.. great for doctor recommended tummy-time!
  • Your won’t have to go from room to room looking for baby’s favorite toys because they can all be attached to her Lil’ Tag Alongs blanket!

Lil’ Tag Alongs are available in large ($48) and small ($29.95) and in lots of colors and patterns.

GIVEAWAY!
One winner can choose a large Lil’ Tag Alongs blanket of their choice. Leave a comment below telling me what your favorite design is (use the link above) and you are entered to win! Contest ends July 10th.

From our friends at TheFind.com: Serena and Lily Market Sling

Age 0-1 year, Age 1-3, Guest post: TheFind.com, New posts, , ,

Serena and Lily is based in California’s Marin County. Marin is known for it’s lush hillsides, organic produce and laid back bohemian vibe all set to the tune of luxurious living and a European car in every garage. To be true to their luxe California upbringing, Marin mompreneurs, Serena and Lily have launched a line of successful children’s bedding, furniture, and accessories.

serenaandlilysling

Our favorite item from the collection is the Market sling. This sling takes the most commonly drab or hideously bright baby sling and takes it to another level. The charming styles are hand-embroidered or screen printed with a modern pretty block print designed by Serena on 100% organic cotton and have a cuddly soft interior. The sling’s design is one seamless piece of fabric without buckles, belts or straps, fits snugly and is easy to wear. The market sling comes in three styles, the Catalina, the peacock and the Prague.


Review:
The No-Cry Nap Solution: Guaranteed Gentle Ways to Solve All Your Naptime

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

The No-Cry Nap SolutionI am a firm believer in naps. It was difficult for me when Madelyn started fighting nap time at about 2 years old but I am determined for her to nap until she’s 10 at least 4.  Sebastian, now 9, took naps until he was 5 and still would if it was up to me! I need ‘nap time time’.  I need that couple of hours to work in peace, take a shower, or exercise and she needs the nap for many reasons.

In ‘The No-Cry Nap Solution‘ Elizabeth covers many reasons why your child may fight nap time including irregular schedules, being overtired and over-wired by nap time, and reliance on a specific sleep aid.  I believe that Madelyn started fighting nap time when we re-scheduled her nap time to 1:00 from her regular 11:30 nap time.  She was too wired and tired to settle down at 1:00 so it was difficult to get her to sleep.  I would not have thought about her being over-tired, but once we got her back to going down around 11:30-12:00, she fell asleep much quicker and with less of a fight.

Daytime naps might last just a few short hours, but they can affect all twenty-four hours of a child’s day. Naps can improve a child’s mood and reduce fussiness, crying, whining, and tantrums. Studies show that children who nap daily get sick less often, grow taller, and are less likely to be obese when they grow up. Naps enhance attention span and brain development. Naps can also help make up for any shortage in nighttime sleep. Even a one hour shortage in overall sleep hours can have a negative effect on a child – compromising alertness and brain function, and increasing fussiness and fatigue.

Author, Elizabeth Pantley, is the author of several other parenting books including the popular No-Cry Sleep Solution and has four children of her own so I trust that she knows what she’s talking about.  I highly recommend The No-Cry Nap Solution for any new parent or even parents of toddlers.. it’s never to late to figure out why the heck your child won’t take a nap and learn how to make nap-time happen!

You’ll find information about all 9 of Elizabeth Pantley’s books on her website.