Monthly Archives: November 2008

Painted children’s room decor from Tatutina

Age 1-3, Bedding - baby & kids, Nursery & Room Decor, , , , , , ,

Tatutina-binsMadelyn is past the 'nursery room' stage so we've been transi
tioning to decor pieces that are more bright and vibrant in color.  Pastels and light colors were wonderful for her first year but I think her room needs brighter colors now.  Tatutina children's room decor pieces are adorable and would be great for any toddler's room.

Tatutina's "Happy painted gifts for a happy lifestyle" are beautifully designed wooden pieces, and are painted with vibrant colors including pinks, purples, blues and reds.  Tatutina uses non-toxic paint and sealers and the edges of the wooden pieces are nice and smooth so I wouldn't worry about Madelyn getting a splinter or licking herself into toxicity.  Yes, I worry about those things!

You can shop by collection such as the Tatutina Flowers Collection pictured here.  Items in the collections include book-ends, a keepsake box, mini-bins, and a wastebasket.  I love the hand-painted look and feel of Tatutina's decor pieces and can imagine that Madelyn will like these pieces well into her tween years if not longer.  The Dinosaurs, Animals and Sports designs are great for a little boy's room.

Prices are in the $20 range.

Tatutina children's room decor and gift items are available at the Tatutina store!

Fisher Price Zen Collection Swing

Age 0-1 year, Bedtime, Nursery & Room Decor

Zen_swing
Fisher Price's Zen Collection combines style and function with beautiful wood accents and a plush reclining seat that swings back and forth and side to side.  Younger babies prefer to rock side to side but I imagine that older babies might bet a little 'sea-sick' swinging side to side so bath and forth seems more comfortable for them.

The Zen Collection swing is sturdy and has exceptional features.  Most of our rooms are full or dark wood furniture so I would have loved to have the Zen swing instead of the bright colored swing with a metal base, that we had for Madelyn two years ago.  She loved sitting in her swing.   The Zen swing has a variety of gentle songs and musical styles that will stimulate baby’s auditory sense or instantly calm her down. 
The entire seat is removable so you can carry it from room to room and the fabric is machine washable.  The Zen swing is the first (that I know of) to have a plug-in option which is a huge money saver!

The maximum weight is 25lbs which equates to an average of two years old.  I doubt a two year old will sit in a swing very long, or at all, but the possibility is there.  

Price: around $200

You can buy the Fisher-Price Zen Collection Cradle Swing at Amazon.com
.

See other products from the Fisher Price Zen Collection, here.

Fill in the Blankie – a completely customizable baby blanket

Bedding - baby & kids, , , ,

FillintheblankieTaking customization one step further, Fill in the Blankie is the 'pimp my blankie' version of the hit MTV show Pimp my Ride.  You will never buy another 'baby store' blanket again after having a Fill in the Blankie blanket.  

Dallas-based
company president, Todd Lilly, offers customers the most personalization you can
find on a blanket. He's not kidding around when he says personalized baby blanket. 

Customers can choose:

  • The font style and thread color
  • Up to 200 characters to be embroidered around the edges of the blanket
  • 3 blanket sizes
  • Select from many fabric and satin trim color combination's.
  • There are what seems like an endless amount of customization choices.

A Fill in the Blankie blanket will make a great new baby or holiday gift!

Available at: Fill in the Blankie

3 steps toward Green(er) parenting
Step 1: Green school supplies

Green, , ,

Fleurville-rerun-messengerTeaching kids how to lessen their footprint on the environment is vital and can be done easily, affordably and with style!  Here are a few online stores, and a sampling of their products, that will
get your kids started on their Green school supply collection.

  • Forest Choice – Graphite #2 pencils and colored pencils
  • Green Apple – Earth Friendly School Pack 2", Recycled Content Markers, Recycled Ballpoint Pen, and Maped Natural Rubber Eraser are a few products offered here.
  • Fluerville – Re-Run™ Beta Binder and Re-Run™ Messenger.

A few tips that I particularly like from The Green Parent website article, Green Your School Supplies are:

  1. Aim For A Waste-Free Lunch
  2. Borrow or Rent Sports Equipment and Instruments.
  3. Update and reuse last year’s backpack by adding or removing fabric patches or designs.

Gloria Campos with Daily Green Tips reminds us that if we can't afford to buy all green school supplies, that's okay. Buy what
you can green on the supply list. You will still make a difference.

Are your kids using Green school supplies?  If so, what are they and where do you buy them?

Danika’s Totally Terrible Toss: The Legend of the Purple Flurp

Age 7-10, Ages 10-13, Books, , ,

Purple-flurpThis book is part of the Secret Keeper Girl book series.  If you have a tween girl or know one, this is the perfect book to add to her collection.  The Legend of the Purple Flurp is a book about a 12 year old girl, Danika who gets in trouble for accidentally tossing ‘purple flurp’ at the lunch lady.  Consequently Danika gets into trouble which puts a major kink in her plans of winning the title of Miss Teeny Pop at Marion, Ohio’s Annual Popcorn Festival. 
Although the incident is an unfortunate accident Danika is given detention and meets three girls who help her gain new insight into what life is about.  Before accidentally throwing purple flurp (you have to read the book to learn what it is!) at a lunch lady Danika had the mindset that life was about what she had rather than who she is.  You know… fancy clothes, a big house, nice cars, all that stuff.

Danika’s Totally Terrible Toss: The Legend of the Purple Flurp is full of humor, real life situations, and activities for moms and daughters to do together. 
The book is addictive.  I read it with my nine year old the first day I got it for review and he actually read it in bed that night!  Don’t tell!!  We made sure to read the book in such a way that it didn’t seem so girly and he wouldn’t feel like he was reading a girly book.  I told him not to mind the pink cover. 

The Secret Keeper Girl series of books opens a door for moms and daughters to communicate about situations that tween girls go through.  There are currently three books in the Secret Keeper Girl series and are available individually or in bundles.

You will find Danika’s Totally Terrible Toss (Secret Keeper Girl) at Amazon.com for about $10.