We went to a Usborne home-party a while back, and I ended up doing most of my Christmas shopping there, because Usborne books are truly amazing! They have books for kids of all ages from wee little babes to school-aged children. They have noisy books, touchy-feely books, bath books, board books, activity books, sticker books, language books, arts & craft idea books, and they even have a book that comes with a train and a train-track built right INTO the book (so cool!). You are guaranteed to find a book for every child in your life, including the German, French, and Spanish speaking ones! You can view the full Usborne catalogue here. [...]
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Ecotronic Torches are a great way to introduce your kids to a flashlight. Not only are they super cute, but they are also battery-free! Their batteries are charged by friction rather than by traditional batteries which require chemical reactions. Each animal has an ‘arm’ that pops out of the side, and you squeeze it over and over in order to charge the battery. Once the battery is charged, the arm clicks back into the flashlight until the next time it is needed. And surprisingly, the battery stays charged for quite some time! You don’t have to worry about your child forgetting to turn the light off before they throw it in the toy box, and you don’t have batteries to throw away/recycle! [...] …Shelley!! Congratulations! We will contact you for your details by email shortly. Thanks so much everyone for your participation – It’s fun to know what appliques and fabrics you like best, because we just love them all! Don’t forget to use the promo codes listed here for great savings until the end of the month. Thanks Lilikoi Lane! [...] Crystal Allen, the Canadian creator of Lilikoi Lane, approached us about trying one of her gorgeous handmade shirts. Once I knew that I was selected as the lucky Spilt Milk Mom to try out the shirt, I realized that I had my work cut out for me – Lilkoi Lane has so many unique and adorable applique patterns and so many gorgeous and funky fabrics to chose from. After chatting with Crystal, we opted for me to try out one of her newer designs: Alphabet Shirts! [...] I sat down to write a post about a cool shape sorting box, and ended up falling in love with a company. EverEarth (by parent company Maxim Enterprise) creates sustainable wooden toys in an eco-friendly manner, literally from a tree sapling to a store shelf. The EverEarth line of gorgeous toys are constructed of solid wood from renewable forests, finished with non-toxic water-based paint, and minimally packaged in strictly recycled materials. This company truly takes ‘eco-friendly’ to a new level by only purchasing wood from nurseries that are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, which is an international organization that promotes responsible stewardship of the world’s forests. [...] By now you all probably know about my obsession with green cleaning products, well Norwex truly takes the cake! Norwex is a line of cleaning products based on not using cleaners at all! Norwex has created a line of microfibre cleaning cloths (which collect more dirt and grime than regular clothes), AND, they have silver filaments woven into the fabric (which allows them to act as an antibacterial agent). The end result: you use the cloths with water ONLY and you can clean your house – top to bottom – without any chemicals. [...] One of the most cherished gifts Maddie has received is her Villeroy and Boch Farm Animals Cutlery Set. Who knew that a simple set of stainless steel cutlery could evoke such emotions of love and nostalgia? There is something so wonderful about receiving a gift that you know you will cherish forever. I still have my Royal Doulton Bunnykins set from when I was a kid, and Maddie uses it every time she stays at my parents house. It is so special knowing that she is using the same set that I used when I was her age (maybe because in my mind there is such a disconnect when it comes to comprehending that I was once her age?!) Similarly, I really think that this set is something that Maddie will be proud to share with her children when the time comes. [...] In fact, designed with hand-washable fabrics in mind, Soak is so gentle that you don’t even have to rinse it! A perfect solution for keeping your clothes fresh while travelling. Furthermore, it’s totally guilt-free because it’s biodegradable and non-toxic. Available in four yummy scents (citrus, aquae, flora, and celebration) you are sure to find one that you love. Or, its available in a scent-less formula, for those with more picky palates. [...] Our households Melissa & Doug favourite as of late is the Magnetic Chalkboard / Dry-Erase board. With a chalk board on one side and a white dry-erase board on the other, it is a great way to introduce your children to drawing and writing, beyond the world of paper and crayons. It comes complete with a dry erase marker, 3 pieces of chalk, and an eraser brush. And, it also includes a set of magnetic wooden letters and numbers! We actually came across this as we were searching for wooden magnetic letters for Maddie to play with on our fridge. All we could find were the magnetic plastic version, and then we found this! For the same price as a pack of plastic letters ($19 CAD), we got the reversible chalk board and the magnetic wooden letters! We now use the magnetic board to spell out different words and to practice putting the numbers in order…. and of course we use it to draw! [...] This Christmas I was introduced to the wonderful world of friction motorized toys. My favourite one was this little ditty shown above, Penny’s Pooch ‘n’ Ride by WOW! WOW has mastered the use of friction motors. A friction motor powers a toy without the use of batteries. Similar to the old school wind-up Hot Wheels, a friction motor gains momentum through pushing them forward. Then, when you release the toy, they just keep going! And you have no batteries to buy, and none to throw away/ recycle. [...] |
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