Product Reviews

The English language is often mentioned as one of the hardest languages to learn. Luckily kids pick things up easily and teaching them early gives them a head start. Alphabotz is designed to do just that. Alphabotz is a flashcard set invented by a teacher and mom to help kids age 3 and up to learn about phonics. Each oversized colorful card contains a picture of a letter of the alphabet in upper and lower case, a robot character with the letter on it’s chest and an icon on it’s head (such as a cupcake for the letter “C”), three pictures that start with that letter and some stats about the robot character. Here is an example of the stats for the letter “I”:

Ability: Inventor
Best Friend: Izzy the Iguana
Key Object: Iglooo
Home: Igloo of Ingenuity in ImagiNATION
Secret Phrase: Imaginative iguanas with ingenious intent, invite icky-sticky inchworms into their igloo to invent.

In addition to the 26 letter cards, there are 20 more cards that help children unlock and decode the mystery of the English language. These include letter groups such as “Th” and “Ch”, vowel cards and additional letter cards for letters that made different sounds (C-circle and C-cupcake representing the “sss” and “Kuh” sounds of the letter “C”) Also included are a “how to” card and a games and activities card that details a variety of games with three different levels of play.

Alphabotz cards grow with your child from learning the alphabet to early reading skills and beyond.  A great tool for their $20 price tag!     

from our friends at theFind.

Hundreds of thousands of children's items ...clothing, sippy cups, towels, backpacks, etc ... end up forever lost at daycare, schools and all other places children congregate. Allenwood, New Jersey-based ID Me Labels has recently launched a most unique line of labels for infants, toddlers, and older children.

"Labels are becoming especially important in an age where more children attend pre-school, daycare, camps, and swim schools," according to Cliff Stieglitz, ID Me's co-founder.  Binky Buttons, Bib Buttons, and Photo ID Me Labels were originated by ID Me and are currently available nowhere else.. Another distinguishing feature is ID Me's 24- to 48-hour turnaround time on orders, one of the fastest in the industry.  ID Me Labels are specially laminated so they're UVA-resistant, microwave and dishwasher-safe, water-proof and highly durable. They are perfect on baby bottles, backpacks, bibs, bowls, CDs, DVDs, clothing,  lunch boxes, sporting goods, toys and the list goes on.

Additional products include Allergy labels, Sole Mates shoe labels, bag tags, All-Purpose labels, Stick-On clothing labels with a wide array of icons to choose from for further personalization. All of the labels are printed in vibrant, high-resolution color, and Photo ID Me labels feature your child's photo. Combination packs are also available.
For more information, visit www.idmelabels.com

Cardboard Safari is a tiny little company located in Charlottesville,Virginia. Drawing inspiration from nature and through the use of sustainable materials, Chris and Luis strive to design fun and fascinating products for your enjoyment. They are constantly coming up with new designs that include new animal figures, home accents and fun gifts.

We love this beautiful White Wreath, which also comes in a nice brown shade for a more natural look and perfect for fall and Thanksgiving decorating.  The white wreath will make any door or wall look outstanding during the Christmas, Hanukah and New Year's holiday. Wreath is laser-cut for precision fit and easy assembly using slotted construction. They can be decorated with paint, glitter or other craft materials. Each wreath is made from recycled cardboard, a non-toxic, environmentally friendly product and packaged flat for shipping with detailed instructions. $30.

Lots of cardboard fun animals to put together, including dinosaurs, rocket ships and more.  At Cardboard Safari

What sweet Puppets!  We love these three puppets we found at Orange and Pear and the giraffe, monkey and moose are all made by Cate and Levi.  No two Cate and Levi puppets will ever be the same. Each one is individually made and is a one-of-a-kind creation.

Cate and Levi was originally created by Josh Title and his wife while they waited for the birth of their first child. They felt that there was a lack of well designed products that were made responsibly. Josh created a unique collection of products that are well-crafted and environmentally responsible.  Their products are all handmade in Toronto, Canada. The puppets  are made of reclaimed wool.

Available from Orange and Pear, puppets are $35.

Now that my daughter is sleeping in a big-girl bed, we are in need of a newer grown up modern nightlight. The room is a fusion of vintage family heirlooms and modern storage pieces and a "Woodland" area rug from Pottery Barn Kids. I found three lamps/nightlights that put off a subtle glow to keep the room lit at night yet promote peaceful slumber through the night.

I love the adorable house design of the OXO Candela Roomi (top left, $29.99 at Amazon.com) because it is two lights in one. The unit's charger has a luminescent panel that's always lit, and the lamp lights up if the power goes out. The rechargeable lamp stays lit for up to 8 hours and is cool to the touch. Next the Grobag Egg Color Changing Thermometer ($24.99 at BabiesRUs) is an egg shaped nightlight that changes colors according to the current temperature in the room. The smart Grobag Egg nightlight glows red when it's too hot, blue when it's too cold, and yellow when it's just right. I'm sure that all kids will get a kick out of the changing colors of this light as well. Another light that would be a sure fire hit at my house is the MyPetLamp Dachshund by Offi (bottom, $59 at RacksandStands.com). All kids go through an obsession with pets and my daughter is in that stage right now. A cute little puppy would be the perfect friend to keep her safe and secure at night.

What a Sweet addition to any Child's Toy collection!  The Jasper’s Jungle collection is crafted from the unique pairing of certified organic cotton and naturally sustainable rubberwood.  The result is a high-quality look and feel with an environmental conscience.

Each piece includes an action, such as the monkey's clasping hands, the giraffe's poseable neck, the spring action of the pop up lion and the mobility of the pull along elephants.  All toys have a non-toxic finish and are made by I Love My Planet. This company is dedicated to providing childrens toys that are creative, fun, safe, and better for the environment.

Our Fave pick?  The Giraffe with the poseable neck.  All toys range in price from $20 - $35.

There is a cool crisp breeze in the air, apple festival time has arrived and Halloween decorations fill the stores. Gone are cotton sundresses, it is time for dressing up my toddler in tights and warmer dresses and skirts. She has several pair of tights, but her favorites are the styles from Oilily. Oilily tights are thick, cozy and hold in the washer and dryer. They also come in charming colorful designs that look adorable on little girls' legs. They look very pretty with fall dresses and corduroy skirts.

Shearling boots would be the perfect complement to these fun tights or how about a pair of sweet mary janes?

For Our Friends atwww.TheFind.com

We all worry about what we put into baby's mouth but do we think about what is right next to baby's skin, the clothing and bedding that they are layered in 24 hours a day?  Well, we all need to give this serious consideration, as many articles of clothing contain dyes and chemicals that can seep through skin and into the body.  Consider how fragile a baby's skin is and I think you will be trying to find clothing and bedding that is "pure" for your baby.  We love the organic cotton baby clothes, organic children's clothes, organic bedding, layette and gifts that can be found at Sage Creek Organics.  They offer only pure cotton clothing and bedding for infants and toddlers that has been stringently tested.  And the designs are as cute as can be!

Sage Creek Organic cotton products go through many steps. From the farmer's field, to the mill where the cotton is processed, to the tailor's room, all the cotton and cotton fabric is tested, and certified to be organically grown and processed by ECO CERT, a well respected and trusted governing body in organics. The standards are so strict that commercial cotton or cotton fabric cannot be transported nor stored in the same building, to avoid cross contamination. The cotton, colors, snaps and zippers are all tested to ensure the absence of contaminants such as nickel, lead, formaldehyde, amines, pesticides and heavy metals.