baby t

walker wagons

 

 

 

Asa is only seven months (well, in a few days he'll be seven months) but since he's been crawling for the past month, I've been thinking about walker wagons. Now, in no way shape or form do I want to rush my baby into walking (gah, it's crazy how fast they grow) but I do want to be prepared.

Jamie posted pretty adorable instagrams of her little guy loving his Radio Flyer walker wagon. It made me fall in love with that wagon. I do like the classic look of the Radio Flyer and it's pretty reasonable price wise. Above are some other ones we are considering.

I found this really great post about walker wagons here if you are interested.

When I worked at Grasshopper, the Plan Toys Baby Walker Wagon was one of the most popular items. It has friction on the wheels and a little break and comes with a full set of non toxic wooden blocks. Babies and older kids loved playing with the floor model. I like it as an indoor wagon...maybe one indoor and the Radio Flyer for outdoors? Is that overkill?

Do you/did you use a walker wagon for your little one? I'd love to hear.

From the top: Plan Toys Baby Walker, Montessori Child Walker, and Radio Flyer Walker Wagon

small friends to stitch

 

How insanely cute are these little fabric creatures?

Fabric artist Cynthia Treen sells pdf patterns and ready to make kits for these animals.You can view the full collection at her etsy shop here.

I'm tempted to download the rabbit pdf and make one for Asa's Easter basket.

The kits are a great project for children ages 8 and up. You can find out more behind the project at her website Threadfollower. Treen also has a fabulous blog right here.

 

toys we love: stacking cups

I thought it would be fun to include a regular feature about toys we actually PLAY with at our house. As a stay at home Mom I'm lucky to be with Asa pretty much 24/7 so I get to see firsthand the toys he's drawn to and those that are left behind in the basket. This also means that I'm constantly looking for activities to fill our day. So I'd like to share our experiences and maybe along the way I can hear some of yours?

Asa is pretty active and has played with toys from about eight weeks on. When I say "play" I mean reacted to, shook, giggled at or reached for. Obviously an eight week old isn't prentending to play house or anything...you get what I mean, right?

Anyway...on to our first toy.

Asa is six months old (and one week) and loves these rainbow stacking cups. I bought them at a thrift store so here is a link to a similar set. I love the way they look just stacked up in his room. I've been stacking them up and letting him knock them down which he seems to thoroughly enjoy. He also loves picking them up and observing them. When he's a bit older it'll be fun to show him how they can nest. I also think they will probably be great in the tub.

Do you have stacking cups? What are some ways you play with them?

 

 

beautiful wares

Ok, ok...I know I said I didn't want to turn this into a "shopping blog" but have you seen this gorgeous store?

It carries artisan goods from Africa and they are all so lovely! The ones above would look particulary swell in a nursery I think.

* * * *

Tonight is our first birthing class! I'm nervous, I don't always do well in group seetings but I'm sure it'll be fun...

Ok, back soon.

etsy wishes

a.k.a. ...things I cannot  afford at the moment, but they sure are pretty!

From the top: songrbirds wooden mobile from Snug Studio, Circus Print by Judy Kauffmann, baby blanket from Pata Pri, Rainbow Sweater Ball by Handmade Pretties

a place of his own

(photos shown above are from the Den gode feen blog and all copyrights to them belong to the author/photographer Linda. Found through this article in Little Nordic.)

I know it's a few years away, but I cannot wait until Baby T is old enough to have a little play place of his own. Isn't the playhouse above dreamy? I adore it-in fact, I kinda want to live there!

Gowing up my siblings and I were lucky enough to have a fort out back that my Dad built for us. It had a ladder that pulled up like a drawbridge, a slide, a bar to swing on and a sandbox underneath. We spent our days out back, hanging out in our own little place. 

Did you have a playhouse? What was it like?

 

rainbow bright

 

 

Now that we know Baby T is a boy baby, I have not changed my mind about color choices for the baby's room/clothes/toys. I just won't succumb to decorating in pale blue!

Here are some things I've found around etsy lately that are inspiring me...hope you enjoy.

From the top: Organic Tee from Jessalin Beutler, Stacker Toy from Imagination Kids, Alphabet Print from ReStyle, and Crochet Teething Ring from Koukku

first toys

When I lived in Portland I was lucky enough to work for a locally owned Children's boutique. The owner had her own line of beautiful children's clothing and the shop also carried safe & eco friendly toys and the best books. As employees we were expected to learn about the products; how they were made, what customers thought of them and their age appropriateness. It opened my eyes to how unsafe and unecessary many toys are and how great simple toys can be.

The toys featured above are made by Haba. You can find them online at this store or if you're in Portland-head on over to Grasshopper. Haba is a European based toy company that's been creating toys for almost 75 years. I adore the bright colors and simplicity of their toys. Those shown above were some customer favorites that I hope to get for Baby T. 

What are some of your favorite toys out there?

Today we find out if Baby T is a girl or boy....can't wait!