I’m all for Plush toys, and Etsy got a crapload of interesting stuffed items. Very little description in this post, just a bunch of links to some of tonight’s favourites.
Chuck The Monkey
Octopus Stuffie
Crochet ChocoChip Cookies
Retro Dots ZadyBall
Octopi Mavro
And yes, I likes me some Octopi
Ok, I’m all for making your child familiar with cooking and the kitchen, and some of the products available over at Williams Sonoma Kids are likely to do exactly that. They’re colourful, easy to handle and in some cases just plain cool (the manual apple peeler will be mine), but the last item on the page includes one item that doesn’t site well with me. I swear I’m looking at a cheese grater.
I’m in my mid thirties and I can’t come within 3 feet of a grater without shredding my knuckles. Why would I think that a kid in my kitchen would have any more luck? I’m hoping I’ve just misidentified the product as the description calls for a whisk, spatula and tongs, but I don’t see tongs and I do see bloody knuckles.
And you don’t have the time to word it yourself, you could always just use these gems:
1. My son is under a doctor’s care and should not take PE today. Please execute him.
2. Please exkuce lisa for being absent she was sick and i had her shot.
3. Dear school: please ecsc’s john being absent on jan. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and also 33.
4. Please excuse gloria from jim today. She is administrating.
5. Please excuse roland from p.e. for a few days. Yesterday he fell out of a tree and misplaced his hip.
6. John has been absent because he had two teeth taken out of his face.
Visit Dysan.net for the rest.
A few of our friends with recent additions have decided to go the decal route in their kids’ rooms… in some cases its swirly abstract patterns on the walls, in another it’s letters that spell personality traits they hope their child will display.
Other friends have gone the old school route with animals etc painted on the wall to welcome their kids home.
I’m fine with that I guess… but I’d love to know what the impact would be if you were to decorate a room with something a little more edgy. I’m not talking Luke Chueh or anything though I really, REALLY like his art, but something slightly in that direction. How about:
Tim Biskup;
Audrey Kawasaki;
David Horvath;
Queen Andrea;
Blaine Fontana.
I don’t know about you, but I think I’m onto something here.
I guess I’d never put much thought into the whole baby monitor thing, but in retrospect it seems obvious that a cheap radio-based device like that would offer little to no privacy.
My personal experience was with walkie talkies when moving from the SF Bay Area back to Canada. We had two vehicles and stayed in touch via walkie talkie, but constantly picked up chatter along the way from business etc.
It seems that some friends of mine have decided to keep their baby monitor active despite their kids growing beyond its need. The reason? They’ve found it to be a good tool for keeping tabs on the neighbourhood. Nothing on TV? No problem, just turn on the monitor and see if there’s any drama across the street or over the back fence.
Clearly there are ethical issues at play here – what do you think, is it wholly the parents to blame, or should the manufacturers address the issue so there is no temptation?
Why not coordinate their wardrobe to divert attention from the goo?
I think I’d match this Red Rain Drops bib from Quilt Baby with something like Mixed Berries or Plums with Apples.
Bird on Branch might work well with the Gerber Second Foods Assorted Fruits pack… or you could be reasonable and accept that the kid’s going to be a mess 
I keep this photo on my desktop to share with friends as they announce the arrival of their little bundles of joy.
I send this one over after their second and third arrivals 
(no offense intended)
There’s something about really simple items designed for kids. I detest the overly busy crap friends’ parents always seem to gift to them… Why can’t it be ok to get a kid something that’s bright and colourful, without being obnoxious?
Anyway, here’s a good example of a winning product site in my books, Boon Inc. Even the site is beautiful in its simplicity… and gives you a sense of what the products will be like.
In particular I like the following:
Camo Coveralls
Come on, who can resist a kid in camo… and camo coveralls to boot? Chalk one up for the small one.
Squirt Dispensing Spoon
I don’t need to say much about this one other than “I’m getting one for myself.”
Trio Animal Bag
Ok, so I don’t completely get this one. I understand that its a) a soft plush bag that your child can play on and b) a place where she can store her ’soft’ toys, however I know that its only a matter of time before her little brother hides a sharp cornered Tonka truck beneath the stuffed animals. Good concept, not entirely sold on the final product.
Snack Ball
Simple ball with a sliding lid to hold junior’s snacks. Orange and white, clean and simple… and it reminds me of putting carrots and apples in blocks of ice to challenge polar bears at the zoo.
Well you get the Evil Eye of course.
Sorry for the budget post tonight (this morning?) but I’m on the road and even busier than usual. Some may argue that this isn’t really a child’s toy, but I have to believe that anything this consistent and repetitive must have some calming potential.
What am I talking about?
Hidamari and Nohohon toys. Those portly, round headed smiling, solar powered toys that nod as long as the sun will allow. I have to admit that I find them creepy, but I attribute that in part to the fact that our local Hidamari vendor maintains a huge wall of them in clear cases that all smile and nod in time together. I find it all very overwhelming
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