totmama

With everyone going green, us parents have been just overwhelmed with the latest items made from recycled materials and sustainable woods. Who really knows which plastics are safe and what items truely are non toxic? Ease your mind by going with blocks. Sometimes it’s the simple things that really are the most fun. Check out these cleaver and fun sets I know I’ll be adding to my newborn and toddler gift stash this summer.

Ant Antic Blocks by Uncle Goose - These lovely blocks have child safe inks, and create ant trails no matter how you connect them. Just think of the fun you can have bringing your own ants to your next picnic!

 BOK Wooden Blocks Town Scene by petitflaneur - BOK handmade blocks are the ultimate in hardworking fun, being created to work from infancy to your child’s school years by incorporating cleaver puzzles and games. Made of reclaimed wood and non toxic materials, the set of 12 can be rearranged to create a beautifully drawn town scene complete with school bus and fruit market. Turn the hand printed blocks again for a game of apple and ice cream tic-tac-toe. Did I mention they are gorgeous?

City and Country Mini Blocks by Fidoodle - Made of Baltic birch, these hand screened blocks give you the feel of it all, be it the hard city streets or a country farm. Created to fit in to a gift loving 3″ recycled cardboard cube, they’re perfect for on the go. Flip these over and the pieces fit together to create a cool puzzle scene. Excellent for your child’s “blue period.”

Just adore these very cute, collectible creations by KoKo Company in New York. The textile maker has extended it’s exotic and eclectic bedding and pillow collections to include a few items perfect for kids. These Zoo Felt Animal and Zoo Cotton Pillows are so fresh and fun. Definitely a smile maker, these handmade felt critters boast bright colors and lovely fauna attached. Can’t resist the Felt Zoo Giraffe, Monkey and Rhino. For more fun, there are black and white animals as well as Zoo Cotton, featuring a crabby Zoo Crab and Zoo Frog set. Great gifts for the child who has everything, and it makes a statement in any nursery.

As November approaches, I am beginning to think about the holidays that are right around the corner. This year, with so many of my fave little online shops closing, it’s been a tough one to find great stuff. I have a wide range of kids to buy for, from teens to pre-schoolers to infants, and I love to get things that are not the usual fare. Things that teach in a sly way, things that can be done with family in mind, things that are silly or cleaver. Here are some of my ideas for great gifts under $30. 

Food Kits 

I like to give great things that let kids learn something cool. Usually the parents learn something cool too. The best thing is when there is something to show for it in the end. Things like these kits or a collection of baking mixes from Kids Central Kitchen are always perfect, no matter the age. Throw in an apron and a few cookie cutters or a chef’s hat and you’re the best Auntie around!

I saw this Brew Your Own Cola Kit at UO, and thought it would be a great gift for kids. The joy in getting to make and drink your own home made soda sounds so nifty. You could even go farther and create bottle labels, etc. Fun for the whole lot!

Building Kits

Kids get bored with the same old simple wooden puzzles from day to day. It’s much more fun to have a challenge, and get the whole family involved. Something like these DIY Eiffel Tower, DIY Pirate’s Ship, or similar will get everyone in on the fun while they wait for the turducken in the oven.

My son loves to play with gadgets and gears. He often wants to watch Battle Bots with his dad, and stops dead in his tracks when he sees an ad for Myth Busters. (Did I tell you he’s only 4 years old?) He’s got it in his blood. When I saw this really neat Tin Can Robot Kit I thought it would be perfect for them both. My hubby gets to pretend he’s doing it all for his son, and my little guy can revel in the marvel that is destroying a handmade robot. It should be a blast. 

Plants and Green Gifts

Kids are easy. Dirt and water gravitate to them like “Pig Pen” on Charlie Brown. Why not get them something they can take care of, and teach them a little about the food they eat? This book Don’t Throw It, Grow It would be a wonderful gift with a gardening set or packs of seeds. These modern terrariums called Plant Cubes, can grow self contained gardens for your little ones. You can choose between (monster) Venus Fly Trap and Zen Grass Garden (Fairy), which you can doctor up and decorate for kids. If you need some landscaping, why not let the kids plant a tree! This Plant a Tree Kit comes with either a Date Palm or Apple Tree that the kids can plant. A proceed from the sale of the kits goes to charity to help replenish the forests.

Meal Time Gifts

Anything that makes it easier to get peas and carrots into the kids gets high marks in my book. These cleaver Stacking “Lego” Utensils would make a great gift when given along with a cute Emily Green item like a bowl, plate or cool placemat. On-the-go items like this Crayon Roll  and these super cute Water Games make travel and meals out much more fun. 

I am always looking for something cleaver and unique for my kiddies to make and give as gifts to friends and family. The other day I got a tip on something that fits both descriptions easily. Art Clay is a cool and fun way to fashion your own jewelry! Real silver, gold or bronze flakes are suspended in a resin that is pliable and can be pressed and sculpted almost like Playdough. You fire the items in a hot kiln, and voila!… lovely handmade charms or trinkets for your friends and loved ones. The resin is burned off in the kiln, and it leaves a solid precious metal piece of jewelry with a higher percentage of metal than most jewelry (like silver which is only 92.5%). Talk about cleaver! There are local places to make your own, like  Laurel Street Arts, which have a deal that gives you enough to make 4 pieces for only $40. 

Handmade dolls have a way of bringing out the giddy girly side of me, and now that I have a daughter it’s become much more of an obsession. Over the years I have amassed a decent amount of toys, and until now I never thought they would actually be played with by a child. (Sad, I know.) Recently, I unearthed a box full of some of my girly girlfriends and arranged them in my daughter’s nursery. Now all the older dolls are mixed with recent ones I have found for her, making a very cute display of mod chicks.

The other day I was happy to find these lovely vintage-y, girly gilrfriends from Craftsbury Kids called Posy Dolls. These lovely dolls by Projectgrabbag are entirely custom, so you can choose everything from her skin color and hair color to whether her eyes are open or shut. The button mary janes, neck scarf and cutesy “poof” hair make it just the right “it girl”; totally worthy of our dresser space. Perfect for my “daughter’s” growing handmade dolly collection! I can only hope that she grows up to understand the love and care that goes into making (and picking) these adorable friends. 

It’s hard these days to find anyone you like enough to invite to live in your space. Thanks to Christine Schwarzer of the Danish design duo RoomMate, your kids won’t have much trouble. She created these adorably silly Roomie Rag Dolls for kids, and they’re the perfect new housemate! With names like Jumping Jack, Pity Paul and Fabulous FuFu, you will be roaring watching your kids come up with silly situations. (I wonder what happened to Pity Paul? Maybe he said something about Fearless Fred’s Eyepatch! Hope that Doctor Dolly and Polka Olga can come to his rescue.)

 Whenever there is a child that I want to get a gift for, I know I can’t go wrong looking to HABA Toys. The quirky brightly colored toys are adorable for display and play. I was lucky enough to snare a Big Voyage Playset just as my son was starting to walk. He loved running around the house pulling the animals for a ride. The Trio Clutching Toy was also a favorite of his, and was passed on to his little sis. She loves the bell and tricky squeeker too. (edit.: There is a safety recall on some Haba toys, for mirrors or small parts that could shatter or dislodge. See Haba Recall for more info.) I have to say that I love the imagination that goes into the world they create. While researching things for my dream playroom, I came across some of their really gorgeous swings. The Chilly Swing Seat would be a cool addition to any kid filled home, while the Ship’s See-Saw just knocks it out of the park. You just have to love a company that named one swing the Ikarus, adding wings to the sides of the swing seat. Did they have such fun stuff available when we were kids? 

The new collaborations at International Playthings have created some really fun looking interactive toys for babies and toddlers. I stumbled across this really cool set of products branded Yookidoo, and I can’t take my eyes off of them. Gorgeous bright colors and smart features that seem to have been well thought out. (They must have asked a few parents for once!) There are “block” type toys called Stack Flap N’ Tumble, that look like they could give me a few free minutes from being “mommy jungle gym”. Then I saw the Discovery Playhouse and I was in awe! I can’t afford to splurge on the $100 price tag, but this playhouse would surely be a hoot to watch with my one year old. I could totally see big brother getting into the action too. Maybe I can convince someone it’s a combined gift? Hmmm…

With the sea of animals and toys you acquired once you announced that you were leaving the world of the singles, you wished your friends and family had the panache to pick up one (or two) of these modernly adorable bears. When I saw this photo of the Fauna Kuma Bears in my inbox, it made me smile. I figure that is what your kids toys should do! Check them out at Design Public. I just love the Fauna products, and my son’s fav tee for months was the Fauna Owl Tee. I haven’t splurged on one of the bears for the playroom yet, but I have a feeling I will soon. Problem is they’re like blueberries, you can’t eat just one! 

Was checking out a few of the new kid’s room items on Growing Up with Garnet Hill (I love their kid’s slippers!) and I found a company that makes very clean modern playsets for kids. Guidecraft creates great sturdy wooden play sets, toys and furniture, like this adorable Dress Up Carousel. My son likes to play fireman, and i never know where all the pieces are. This would be great for organizing in the playroom, and I can see this becoming popular with our new little girl of the house. (Wish they made this in adult sizes! I could totally use it in my own bedroom!) Guidecraft’s Complete Kitchen Center is selling at Garnet Hill, great to know about when you want something sturdy, good looking and just plain fun.