Toddler Favourite - BuckleyBoo

Yesterday on one of my addictive mommy bargain websites they had these stuffed animals that I just couldn't resist. They are called BucklyBoos. They come in two different sizes, a variety of characters and the neat thing is that they have five different buckles along its stomach for kids to practice doing up. Well, I don't know about your little one, but my H is OBSESSED with buckles and will fixate on them for hours if I let him, so I thought I would try this out. I also thought it might make a good car toy as it would keep him occupied.

The company's belief is that the toy is good for three different stages of your child's life:

1. 15 mths - 18 mths - at this stage your child should be able to recognize the different patterns of ribbon and be able to match them up.
2. 18 mths - 3 yrs - at this stage your child should be able to do the buckles up on their own, but cannot undo them as they do not have the strength or dexterity yet. One mom also said that this is a good interactive toy as the parent can undo the buckles and then hand it to the child and repeat.
3. 3 yrs + - at this stage they should be able to undo and redo them up again.

Now, I have read many moms' concerns about the toy and many state that the buckles do not pinch fingers and that it does not teach them how to undo their buckles in carseats or high chairs. But I guess every child is different!

Anyways, you can check out these toys at www.buckleyboo.com and I will let you know what my little guy thinks of his once it arrives.

Other Favourites - Family Chiropractor

Allyson shares:

"I know this is a touchy subject for some, but my chiropractor - Dr. Jilla, has been a huge support for me since P was a newborn. I had back pain from labour that wasn't going away and not only did she help that, but my whole family now swears by her care. She treated me through my pregnancy with A, gave me advice about breastfeeding, and gives me general natural medical advice for the kids and myself. I can't say enough about what she does for our family. A has been seeing her since she was a newborn and it's amazing to see her climb up and lie down, knowing that Dr.Jilla is going to make her feel good. P was a harder sell, because he didn't see her on that level until he was over 2 yrs old. Now he is good to get up there too. With the kids, adjustments just look like a massage at certain pressure points. She is not invasive at all. Just by her touch, she can tell us that the kids are congested or have some other ailment. The practice is totally family friendly with lots of toys and a great atmosphere. There is a massage therapist, nutritionist and acupuncturist on staff as well. We've used them all!"

Thanks Allyson. I know that everyone has their own opinions on this subject, but thank you for sharing your positive experience.

If you are interested in visiting Allyson's chiropractor here in Barrie, just contact me and I can pass on her info.

Feeding Favourites - Playtex Cups, Plates and Bowls

Awhile back I wrote about my favourite sippy cup, The Sipster (Stage 1) which was made by Playtex. It was a good one to start with and H still uses this cup for his milk. I have now also moved on to two other styles of cups made by Playtex - The Insulator with a spout (Stage 3) and The Insulator with a straw (Stage 4). Both are a bit faster of a flow than The Sipster, are a bit bigger (9 oz) and are taller and skinnier with no handles. H took to these just as easily as he did with the first one. I can use the cups interchangeably and he doesn't seem to mind. Another nice feature is that they all use the same type of valves (except for the straw model) so this makes washing and matching very simple.

I have also been using their plates and bowls. These come in matching patterns to The Insulator cups (which I love - we have the cars and dinosaurs patterns) and are also BPA free and have rubber rims and bottoms which help prevent slipping. I also like that they are a bit smaller than other plates and fit nicely on high chair and booster seat trays.

All in all I am VERY HAPPY with Playtex's line of cups, plates and bowls and H seems to like them too! If you are looking for tried and true cups, plates and bowls I would highly recommend these!

Bedtime Favourite - Sleep Sheep

Andrea shares one of her bedtime favourites:

"It is called the Sleep Sheep. It is a little stuffed animal (white sheep) that plays soothing sounds for babies. It has rain, waves, orca whales and a trickling stream. J loves it to go to sleep. I also use it to calm him in the carseat. He hates the carseat! I have attached a link for you to check it out. I received it as a gift from my sister-in-law but I have seen them at Chapters and Scholars Choice. It is a great gift because a portion of the purchase goes to the Children's Miracle Network so you are giving to a great cause too. There is a large version and a travel size. I have the travel size.

http://www.sleepsheepandfriends.com/sheep.html

Thanks Andrea! I went to their site and it is sooo cute. I have also seen this guy at Serenity Birth Studio. H has a stuffed sheep, he calls it his "BaaBaa" and he loves it, wish I would have know about this toy when he was little!

Bedtime Favourites - Fisher Price Tender Lullabies

Allyson has sent me many of her faves (thank you so much!) and here is another of hers:

"The best lullaby CD for us is Fisher Price's Tender Lullabies. These are the CDs you find at the ends of the aisles of stores like Walmart and Shoppers Drug Mart. I can't even find it anymore (I think I've bought them all). But I know you can buy it on iTunes. It is a great going to bed CD. We have played it at least 2 times a day since the day we brought P home. It is just easy to listen to, classical lullabies done well. We had to buy another one when A was born because P was sad that I took away 'his music' (rip my heart out). Now bedtime in our house is the sound of these two CDs playing at different parts (ah, the crazy things we do...)! When I was putting P on a sleep schedule I had the songs memorized and knew that he had not slept long enough if the CD wasn't done because it is almost exactly an hour long! I wasn't lying about being obsessed about his sleep schedule!!"

Thanks Al! I use a CD, Lullaby Classics by Baby Einstein, when H goes down too and it really seems to work. We are even taking up our stereo and iPod to the cottage this weekend so he can have his sleepy music there! (I know about obsessions) I will definitely look for this one - perhaps H can change it up once in awhile!

Bedtime Favourite - My BabyZoo Night Light and Sleeptrainer

OK, I saw this night light today on one of my baby discount websites but was too late to get one so I then checked out their website. Here I found two cool products which I think would be helpful for your little one at night.

#1: Turtle Gus Night Light: it is a timer based night light (10, 20 or 30 minute setting) that is safe for your child to take to bed with them. If they wake up all they have to do is press down on the shell and the night light will turn on again. It sells for $19.99 USD

#2: Monkey Sleep Trainer: it is both a digital and an analog clock where the monkey's eyes are open when it is ok for them to get up or closed if it is still sleeping time (you can set the preferred wake up time). It also has a jungle alarm that can be volume controlled and it also can act as a night light. It sells for $34.99 USD.

Right now they are having a special on where you can purchase both for $45.99 (a savings of around $9).

I have not used either product or heard of anyone who has, but they sound pretty neat to me and I think that I will be picking them up for H very soon.

Check them out at http://www.mybabyzoo.com.

Toddler Favourites - See Kai Run shoes

Another favourite of Allyson's are See Kai Run shoes.

"They make shoes for all sizes, but I used them religiously for P when he was newly walking. My chiropractor highly recommended them saying that new walkers should spend as much time as possible in socks or bare feet. Many 'toddler' shoes are too stiff and the bones in their feet need the freedom to grow and fuse properly. They are adorable shoes in all styles (boots, shoes and sandals). They make shoes for girls as well which are equally adorable, but I found it hard to find nice shoes for boys that didn't have super heroes and dump trucks on them. The resale value is good because they are so popular. I've sold most of P's on Kijiji for more than half of what I paid for them. They generally don't wear out because their feet grow so quickly. Having said that, I would buy them new because once their worn for one foot a different foot will tread differently...It is an American company from Seattle, but worth the shipping and the exchange is great so, go for it!"

Allyson, I've seen this brand while searching online - they make some cute shoes! Since H is just newly walking I will definitely check them out at www.seekairun.com.

**I was just on their website and they are offering $5 off of shipping to Canada until the 16th of August**

Could it be baby - Hands-On Dads

I have another new post up on www.coulditbebaby.blogspot.com - The Hands-On Dad, check it out!

Favourite Toys - Mega Bloks Cat 3-In-1 Ride-On Dump Truck

We have tried many ride on toys with H and have finally found one that we really like. A friend of ours lent us the Mega Blocks Cat 3-In-1 Ride-On Dump Truck and H loved it immediately. After trying many, we have discovered that you want to find one where the wheels are flush with the side of the vehicle as many are contoured in and H ended up riding over his feet with the wheels.

This one is easy for him to maneuver around and it steers which makes turning very simple. You can sit on it, push it or pull it around - great for all ages and whatever stage they are in. It has a few push buttons which make noises, but actually the one we borrowed is broken so we have never heard the sounds and H loves it anyways.

I just recently saw this toy at Walmart selling for $49.99 but actually just picked one up at Costco for my nephew for $39.99. It also comes with a tiny tractor and some Lego blocks to play with as an extra bonus.

If you are in the market for a fun ride-on toy I would highly recommend this one!

Favourite Toys - Ice Cream Parlour Set

Allyson shares one of her kids' faves:

"Melissa and Doug - Ice Cream Scoops Toy. We love this toy! All the wooden pieces have magnets in them: the scoop, the scoops of ice cream and the cone. Kids can pile up the different flavours according to mommy's order. We got this for Christmas and I was amazed how great it was and we still play with it."

Thanks Allyson, I love the Melissa and Doug wooden toys and I can see how this one could be a lot of fun!

Summer Favourites - Outdoor Research Kids' Hats

At one of the outdoor stores in Thunder Bay I purchased H a sun hat that we really like made by Outdoor Research it is called a Boys' Solstice Bucket Hat. I had gone in to get one of those Kid Banz ones, but the sales lady convinced me to get this one and I am happy that we did. It is made out of a 30+ UPF fabric that is thinner so it dries quickly if it gets wet and it has a moisture wicking headband that helps keep your little one cooler as well. It comes in two colour combinations: red and grey or blue and grey (the girls colours are cute too!) and it costs about $24. One thing that I was worried about is that it does not come with a chin strap but is has attachments so that you can add one. This hasn't been a problem so far as H hasn't tried to take it off - so it must be comfy.

I checked out their website at www.outdoorresearch.com and they have a ton of cool outdoor clothing for all ages. I really like some of their other hats for kids as well.

I got mine in Thunder Bay at Take a Hike, but I also see that you can purchase them from Sojourn here in Barrie. If you go online you can find out if a store near you sells their products or you can buy their products online as well.