toys « BabyElan {daily}

Posts Tagged ‘toys’

Tots On the Go

Monday, March 8th, 2010

Every parent should visit Tots On the Go before going on any type of trip or vacation. Besides offering some of the newest nessesities and luxuries for families with children Tots On the Go also offers personal consultations to help every busy parent select the perfect travel accessory for their family! I was sent two fabulous travel items for my family to use during our recent trip to Disneyland! My kids and I loved both of them so much I purchased them so we would be able to use them on future vacations!

The picture above is of my youngest son Will who is 9 months old. Tots On the Go sent him the Air Play {also pictured}to use on our vacation! This is a great toy that slips over an airplane’s tray table very securely and is covered with toys on both sides. There are peak-a-boo flaps with a mirror and another with a picture album where personal pictures of baby’s favorite people can be inserted! There are also several Velcro toys and balls attached as well. Will looks tired in the picture above but I promise you he had a fabulous time with his Air Play during our four hour flight. I loved that everything was attached so I did not have to pick anything off the floor.

My two year old daughter fell in love with her Trunki as soon as she saw it. While she had fun scooting on it around the house she LOVED being pulled on it through the airport! Being a big girl of 2 {and almost 3} she thinks strollers are for babies but still gets tired of walking sometimes. Her Trunki was a life saver for us. Not only did it provide entertainment for her and an easy trip through the airport for us, it doubled as her carry on. The Trunki fits perfectly under the seats on the plane and has room for all of the important items little gals and guys need to stay busy on long flights!

Tots On the Go is great for purchasing everything from Strollers and baby carriers to some of the great items I have outlined above. Another great feature Tots On the Go offers is their rental program. {Check their website to see if they offer rentals in your area please.} They will ship many items parents need to take care of baby and big kids to certain locations. Mom and dad will have the peace of mind that that each item will be clean, sanitized, safe and will arrive at your home or travel destination. Choose individual items or go for one of their package deals!

Visit Tots On the Go to see all the products they have for families with an on the go lifestyle! Happy Shopping!

Tags: baby carriers, newborn gift, stroller, toys, travel
Posted in BABYELAN | 1 Comment »

Musicolor

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

Kids love to create! I haven’t met a child who isn’t proud of something they drew or a song they learned to sing. MusiColor combines these two childhood favorites and will cause hours of fun and many, many smiles as a result!

Each music disc comes as a blank canvas for kids to color. The disc and markers are a “paint by letter” concept which allow kids to easily know which color goes where. {Marker A colors all the A’s on the disc and so on.} Once the disc has been colored kids insert it onto the player and the colors magically turn into music! {Choose to hear each song played by a piano, violin or horn!} These are songs that most kids are familiar with and can sing right along with them. There are also additional markers and discs available for purchase outside of the main MusicColor Kit. That is always a bonus for me since there is nothing worse than having your child fall in love with a toy that can’t be replenished.

Our family received our own MusiColor to try out. My five year old son couldn’t wait to get started. As a preschooler he is very proud of his polished coloring abilities and made sure to point out to me how well he had colored inside the lines on the first disc he worked on. It was also fun for him to use the “record player” by himself and he thought it was magic that his picture turned into a song. My daughter who is almost three LOVES to dance and has so much fun during the “dance parties” we have with our MusiColor. Although she is still working on her coloring skills she knows her colors and we used the markers to work on her letter recognition. My little Mozart also likes to color on the blank discs to make her own music!

To find a musicolor for your kids visit them at Musicolor or deltacreative.com. Delta Creative is an award winning company with toys you and your kids will love! Enjoy!

Tags: educational, games, gifts, toys
Posted in KIDELAN | No Comments »

(minimink)

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Are you looking for something original, esquiste, luxurious and warm? I found a collection for you! MINK, Mink, mink Austrialian mum Ally is a genious! She has fabulous taste and it shows in her collection. A few years ago she launched a mink blanket so wonderful, useful, and luxurious that today she has an entire Austrailian range of products, designed and owned. Curious now?

Ally is the owner of(minimink) and loves her work. Her products are for all stages and all seasons, not just for babies. There is a faux fur range and a new organic range in her collection. The faux fur range is amazing! People WILL stop you to comment on your childs blankie, wrap,rug, pram, hat, bootie, teddy bear, scarf or mittens! Noah is sitting on the rich lush chocolate blanket that Nicholas sleeps with every night since we got it. The faux fur is so super soft and amazinly the blankets wash beautifully! No dry cleaning needed. Over Noah’s shoulder is his very own Organic Cotton Essential blanket from the new organic range from (minimink). This blanket is wonderful in its neutral colours, the velour blanket is extremely soft and has velour on the front with three embroidered circles in chocolate and honey and lined with organic cotton interlock. They are bound with an organic cotton binding. I use this nightly with him after baths for massage time. He loves it.

The (minimink)® blanket measures 110cm x 140cm and is lined with cream 100% cotton jersey. Perfect as a blanket or throw for all ages! Fits the top of a single bed. Parents are buying them as a gift for their child when moving from the cot to the bed! A beautiful gift that will last and last. This blanket is also beautiful for any age and we have had lots of great feedback from people of all ages – whether as a rug on the sofa; a gift for an adult in hospital or a grandparent. Nicholas’ chocolate blanket sits folded in half at the bottom of his bed waiting for bedtime when he grabs it up to snuggle himself to sleep.

A LIMITED EDITION colour in the (minimink)® faux fur range. This new colour is called CHERRY. Nicholas is all comfy sipping hot cocoa after playing outside in the snow. Look at the rich shiny colour to this faux fur blanket. We LOVE it, it is gorgeous. The babies use it for Yoga and as a play rug. I don’t worry about drool messes because the blanket washes so easily in a regular cycle and you can even dry it on a delicate cycle. Looks just like when I opened the package.

Nicholas in the Cherry minimink blanket

Okay here is my ultimate favorite, even more than the Cherry Throw. (minimink) has the best pram papoose! I love this product. Who hasn’t had to take their baby out of a warm car to put into a freezing stroller to run into a pre-school, store or anywhere and hated it. The Pram Papoose solves this problem. It has holes for the 3 and 5 point harness and is designed to fit all standard prams, strollers and car seats. It has a foot muff and wraps over the child with ties to secure (much like a wrap top). Lined with cream 100% high quality cotton that is strong enough to handle lots of wear and tear! I used ours when we went home for Christmas to NY, Noah was 7 months old. I was so extremly thankful to have our papoose! He was snug as a bug in a MINK! And he looked absolutely adorable too. What a fantastic product!

Both boys received hats from (miniminks). Noah got the Russian in creamy soft milk and he looks so stinking cute with it on. The flaps are perfect for completely covering his ears keeping cold air out and colds away! I love the faux fur trim with cotton cord, the two fabrics look very rich together. Nicholas got the Mink in honey. Although he is NOT a hat guy he appreciates the style of the hat and smiles because he knows he looks so handsome wearing it.

Within the(minimink) faux fur range there are two styles of hats. For the smaller children we have the Russian style hat which has ear flaps and ties to secure under the chin. For the older children, we have the Mink Hat which uses the same fabric and faux fur but does not have the ear flaps.

The response to these hats is quite amazing – whether baby, toddler, preschool, school age or preteen and boy or girl! Teamed with a scarf the older children look gorgeous and keep warm!

Aren’t you excited! Don’t you love this collection as much as I do. Ally is wonderful, ask her any questions you have. Checkout the teddy bears, bootie, and the lovely organic gender neutral lounge wear too OR maybe you want to have a mink blanket of your very own…visit (minimink) today and get yours!

Tags: accessories, clothing, gear, hats, mink throws, scarves, toys
Posted in BABYELAN | No Comments »

Monkey Beanz {GIVEAWAY & DISCOUNT}

Monday, February 15th, 2010

When you pick up an item to buy how often do you consider where it came from, the person who made it, what their work environment is like, how they live? We have all heard the word “sweatshop” but do we really appreciate the meaning of the word.

“ A sweatshop is a working environment with unhealthy conditions that are considered by many people of industrialized nations to be difficult or dangerous, usually where the workers have few opportunities to address their situation. This can include exposure to harmful materials, hazardous situations, extreme temperatures, or abuse from employers. Sweatshop workers often work long hours for little pay, regardless of any laws mandating overtime pay or a minimum wage. Child labour laws may also be violated.

Although often associated with poor developing countries, sweatshops may exist in any country. Sweatshops have existed in several different countries and cultures, including in the United States and Europe. Sweatshops usually employ low levels of technology, but may produce many different goods, for example, toys, shoes, clothing, and furniture.”

Noah wearing his Fisherman Pants from Monkey Beanz

So let’s shop with a conscience. Monkey Beanz is a company owned by smart, well meaning and hard working husband and wife team. They strongly believe in buying and selling products that have not been made in sweatshops, they believe in Fair Trade. In that employees are treated fairly, reasonable wages, time off , maternity leave, work conditions. I can’t imagine that a person should work any other way.

Monkey Beanz imports its products from Thailand, bringing us Fair Trade clothes, toys, nursery decor, accessories and more! They have bold, fresh, engaging patterns and fabrics. Handmade toys, diaper bags, gorgeous and unqiue bedding. One of our lucky readers could win the little dress below, The Amelia. Perfect for your daughter to run around outside chasing butterflies this summer.

Monkey Beanz is a fair trade focused importer of unique kids’ products from Thailand. They create and select clothes, toys and nursery decor for the hip & modern family. Bright colors merge with bold designs creating products that are deliciously playful, modern and sweet. Monkey Beanz is more than just a business for husband and wife team, Bee and Julia. It is their dream of joining the two cultures of their family and supporting friends and family in Thailand.Monkey Beanz is committed to supporting local economies and culture and not giving up on style to get it!

Julia sent us this adorable Transport mobile for Noah’s room. The colors are fascinating to his little developing eyes. The bright colors really catch is stare. Monkey Beanz appreciates the imaginations of our children and hopes to inspire them in play through their products. We adore the mobile, it is light, soft with simple ribbon.

The Monkey Beanz mobiles are an excellent way to entertain your infant and stimulate the mind. The bright colors and engaging shapes will keep a smile on baby’s face for those wiggling diaper changes!

And how about these! If you have a son, you’ll love adding these adorable fisherman pants to his wardrobe. Super comfy which is so important to a baby with a big belly trying to crawl! We do yoga in our pants, we sit and drool all over them and we nap in them The Monkey Beanz Fisherman pants are the perfect lounge ware.

These adorable pants are a miniature version of the traditional Thai fisherman pants. Naturally baggy, they make playtime comfy and fun. Like the grown up style, these are one size fits all due to the wrap around adjustable. Available in three great colors. They measure 22″ from top to bottom and are made to be worn at any length from longer pants to capris to shorts.

You really have to visit their website to see all the fabulous products. The bedding is truly unique, I haven’t seen such color in fabrics for babies bedding. And the little booties are much more than a little bootie There is a lot going on with this fairly new company, established in 2007, now on Etsy with handmade Cotton Diaper Bags; http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36822979. Impressive products all apart of fair trade!

GIVEAWAY ALERT! One lucky reader can choose to win a pair of the adorable fisherman pants OR The Amelia dress! EXTRA ENTRY for letting us know what you like best about Monkey Beanz products ! {Looks like FB is allowing us to use joining FB groups as extra entries again so have at it…EXTRA ENTRY for becoming a Monkey Beanz FaceBook Fan too!!} Contest ends in one week, good luck to all! Sign up for their e-newsletter so you don’t miss out on sales and new products!

***DISCOUNT ALERT! SHOP ALL MONTH ON-LINE AND GET A 14% DISCOUNT BY ENTERING BLUXE14 AT CHECKOUT! HAPPY SHOPPING

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Tags: accessories, baby carriers, bedtime, decor, diaper bag, fair trade, giveaway, Shower Gift, toys
Posted in BABYELAN, DISCOUNTS, GIVEAWAYS | 101 Comments »

Kimochis {GIVEAWAY}

Monday, February 8th, 2010

“You make me so nervous Mommy!!!” That’s our little C, 4 years old in less than 2 months, our precious April Fools baby…he’s always “nervous”, whether’s he’s mad, excited, happy, or actually nervous, his emotion for the day is always nervous, too cute! Basically, now that he’s a preschooler, it’s time to start explaining to him what it means to actually feel one way or another. Why are you upset? What makes you happy? How did that make you feel? Lots of questions flying around our house as we teach Mr. Pre-K that screaming at the Wii remote is not an acceptable emotion and that being happy because your older brother tripped and fell is again, not acceptable. C does however have a new friend to help him on this educational journey on the emotional rollercoaster, “K” {we call our kids by their first initials alot…T, C, and A…so this newest toy was named “K”, for Kimochis}.

Kimochi means “feeling”, hence the most brilliant name for these clever creatures…Kimochis are feeling toys/pillows. They have little pockets {like kangaroos} on their tummys to keep their “feelings” for the day. So, if your child is happy in the morning {or anytime of the day for that matter}, “K’s” feeling should be happy too!! We have the Cloud Kimochi shown above that came in a wonderful box {perfect presentation if giving as a gift} and came with 3 feelings and it’s own book. It’s a remarkable, fun way to teach your child about emotions, proper reactions to all emotions, and how to handle strong emotions, both negative and positive. Our Kimochi has been such a joy to teach with! The concept is so different, that’s what makes it special and that’s why it works! Children react to uniqueness when it comes to their toys, boring just doesn’t cut it! And sneaking in the education is what makes us parents happy happy!

Cloud is joined by Cat, Bug, and Huggtopus, all Kimochis with their own feelings {extra feelings can be purchased separately as well to expand your child’s emotional horizon!}. Jealous {my boys know that one all too well, my husband calls them Caption Jealousy, Lieutenant Jealousy, & Sergent Jealous}, Grateful, Happy, Shy, Excited, and many more! A great gift to give an older sibling as they meet their baby brother/sister for the first time in the hospital as emotions run wild for them, or their first day of pre-k where everything is new, scary, and thrilling all at the same time! Think about how fabulous these toys would be in pre-k and Kindergarten classrooms world wide, an easy teaching tool for educators! I want to thank Kimochis for their sample and for remaining me to teach my children properly how to manage their emotions, internally and externally. We thought Connor saying everything was “nervous” was cute for so long but we never corrected him, we do now and NOW he understands!

You must see a Kimochi in person to appreciate the cleverness behind it! Let’s give one a reader a chance!! Win a Kimochi of your choosing by letting us know which one you would pick! EXTRA ENTRY for letting us know which emotion your child needs the most education on! {Looks like FB is allowing us to use joining FB groups as extra entries again so have at it…EXTRA ENTRY for becoming a Kimochis fan on FB too!!} Contest ends in one week, good luck to all!