I am an advocate for shopping online. As a mom, I rarely have time to visit the mall or shop at my favorite local stores. So it's always a treat for me to come across new sites with an effortless style that's as fun to browse as it is to…
It's hard to imagine a world without little plastic bricks, especially if you have a kid who's obsessed. But what if LEGO were made of wood? The cool part is that they actually exist. And they're compatible with the original bricks too. …
I had such a great time discovering so many cool new picks at the NY International Gift Fair this weekend. But what was maybe more interesting, was letting my 7 year-old daughter tag along so I could see her own favorites from the show t…
Whether you are looking for a stunning first-birthday gift for a special child in your life, or your preschooler just loves to build, this beautifully designed set of colorful blocks is one toy they'll treasure. Especially when they are …
I still remember taking my girls to a friend's house for a playdate, and realizing that my youngest daughter, then about two, could lose herself for an hour or more with the little girl's dollhouse without making a peep. I knew from then…
Growing up, I used to love spotting my name on keychains, toothbrushes, shoelaces, and whatever else happened to be hanging on those spinning racks by store cash registers. Kids today--well, my weirdly named kids, at least--don't always …
Puzzles really need to pop to stand out amongst the competition these days. When you give a puzzle, it can sometimes go unnoticed in a sea of blinking lights or licensed Harry Potter allure. I am absolutely in love with this handmade Bir…
One of my favorite pastimes with my kids has always been puzzles. I love the combination of relaxing and challenging. My son usually only lasts a quarter of the way through, but my daughter patiently works until the very last piece is pl…
One of the neat things about sending the kids off to preschool is seeing all the fun developmental toys they get to play with. It's also one of the mildly guilt-inducing things. Like, uh...was I supposed to be giving them all these fun d…
We love nothing more than finding toys for kids that are handmade, or at least, don't require an on and off switch and 300 batteries. Instead, our favorite toys of 2012 are all powered by the imaginations and little hands of kids. Liz LE…
When you consider that most nativity sets include a couple of sheep, some people, an angel, and a stable, is it any wonder that most kids can't wait to get their hands on them? But after my three were finished playing with the set I had …
We're not saying you need to leggo your LEGO (like your kids would ever let that happen). We're huge LEGO fans ! But this holiday season, we just want you to know about some really cool alternative building systems out there that'll get …
Silent night? Yeah, only if your holiday toy choices don't include batteries, drum sticks, or bells. We've found a beautiful selection of handmade, heirloom quality toys that can help your child create a peaceful, quiet winter wonderland…
This is the time of year that my kids become obsessed with games, puzzles and any activity that can keep their attention without them having to be outside in our freezing cold weather. Usually for Christmas I stock up on a little new inv…
My kids absolutely love to play store. They'll gather up whatever small toys they want to sell, set them out, and then yell at me until I agree to buy something. (They need to work on their customer service a little.) I imagine my favori…
For the past few years, my husband has kicked off November cleanly shaven and ended it in full mustache-mode. I don't even complain because he's doing it for Movember , an annual worldwide mustache-growing fundraiser to raise awareness a…
Here's a sweet phone for your little one that doesn't require a contract, an upgrade, or even a fancy power cord. And it even rings! You know, like phones used to do? The ring ring! phone available from our pals at ROMP is the apex of he…
It's nothing new to us mamas that kids love blocks. But it's double the awesome when kids get to build their own. And that's where Olliblocks come in. These adorable children's blocks are assembled by you and your child. All you need to …
I have a dollhouse-obsessed five year old...and I'm not complaining a bit. I love the fun creative play and imagination it inspires. (Currently, the little girl who resides in the dollhouse is named "Frodo.") If you're more interested in…
Let me rattle off a few words for you to chew on: heirloom, handmade , safe, affordable . Also: pretty . These Heirloom Baby Rattles from Windfall Boutique on Etsy are everything you could possibly want in a baby toy--but at half the pri…
When I survey my children's toys, I have two thoughts: 1. I should have purchased stock in Duracell. 2. How can one household amass so much plastic? So I was thrilled to come across a world of handmade toys, interactive ideas, and three …
One of my son's favorite activities is creating DIY roads and parking garages for his collection of Matchbox cars. So when I saw this super easy tutorial , I thought it would be a cool way to take his imaginative play to the next level. …
I'll admit it--puzzles don't normally pique my curiosity. But when you combine a beautiful painting with intricate laser-cut wood pieces that are works of art in themselves, you have me grinning like a Cheshire Cat. Artifact Puzzles is p…
First, the bad news: when you get all these block animals lined up just right, there will be no fireworks over the Kremlin. The good news: they're seriously cute and probably won't obsess you like Tetris. Oh, and your kid can play with t…