A Toy Garden - I got my order!

It arrived so quickly! and the timing (2 days) was perfect. We were on our way to the doctor's office and had a long wait ahead of us.

Everything was beautifully wrapped in sunny yellow tissue paper, so just opening the box made us happy. But, I bet you're thinking "OK already, Sara, tell us what you got!!!"

OK. We ordered this sweet little set of four vehicles.

I recently got rid of the little plastic cars and was looking for an inexpensive replacement. The set of four is $19.99. The wheels seem to be very secure and I had no qualms about letting Linnea play with them.

Arielle was very excited about the "holicopter". She and her daddy spend a lot of time talking about helicopters and she misses him right now. She chose the helicopter and truck and very reluctantly agreed that Linnea could play with the bus and car. These worked great for keeping them entertained as we waited to be called for my appointment.

The wood is not the smoothest, but isn't splintery. Overall, we are quite happy and think this would make an excellent second birthday gift or stocking stuffer for a young child who likes cars.

We also ordered this rainbow puzzle.

The colors are intense and beautiful. The finger puppets had a blast playing on it, and Linnea really enjoyed emptying the tray out - over and over an over. While there is a bit of an oily smell to the plant-based non-toxic stains, we also have Spiel and Holz stacking cups and the smell goes away fast.

While traditional puzzles are great, they are like coloring books. They teach a particular skill and don't necessarily encourage creativity. I love puzzle toys that can be used in a variety of ways. The puppets were building houses for the big bad wolf to blow down. The puzzle could also be used with blocks or as a pie or to learn colors or make patterns. A good deal for $14.95.

Finally, we ordered the medium set of rainbow arches.

The arches arrived separately, and at first Arielle was far more interested in the bubble wrap., so Linnea got to check the arches out first. First she did what eleven-month-olds enjoy most, she threw them. But, eventually she decided they looked like telephones and held one up to her ear while she said "Hi, Dad." So sweet. But, soon enough the bubbles were popped and the arches were snatched away. Apparently they also make excellent finger puppet beds - what a surprise!

These were our most expensive purchase at $24.95. A larger set is available for $59.95. I'm sure they'll be enjoyed in many ways, both independently and in combination with the stacking cups, small puzzle pieces, little cars, finger puppets, wooden animals and other toys.