Store Review- doudou bebe

doudou bebe is an online shop based out of Toronto, Canada. Michelle, the owner of the store, strives to give her customers the very best. What this means to you is that she offers very few MIC products, that her toys meet strict safety guidelines and that she only offers things that she would want in her house. After acquiring too many of the "must haves" that often come along with raising a family Michelle realized that while, "the stuff I needed was pretty limited, there were lovely practical things that would bring a little bit of prettiness into our harried life."

Lovely practical things are not hard to find at doudou bebe. The kids and I were fortunate enough to test out three of the great toys offered on the site. All three are made in Vermont and use non-toxic paints and glues. The came simply dressed in a standard cardboard box but the real treat was the filler used to cushion the toys. The kids were more than content to dig through the shredded magazines that had kept our toys safe and sound. I loved that this was a totally recycled and recyclable packing medium and the kids loved that they had found another way to torture the cat.

Ah, but the toys themselves. What I noticed first was the smell, or rather the lack of smell, coming from the toys. There were no odors, no scary fumes that force a parent to "air out" their children's toys. The rattle when straight into my little ones mouth, as did the pilot of the airplane.

The bi-plane ($35.56USD/$35 Canada) and its pilot and co-pilot have not left the children's side. The fact that a nearly five year old and a one year old can play for extended periods of time with the same toy speaks to its universal appeal and longevity. So far is has proven to be a sturdy toy as well. My rambunctious boy has had "terrible crashes" multiple times yet nothing has fallen off and there are no chips of paint missing. A box store airplane would not have withstood the torture this beautiful aircraft has.

The heirloom baby rattle ($13.72USD/$13.50 Canada)has a soothing, not nerve jangling bell and is just perfect for her little hand. Alli is big time into music and dancing. One shake of the rattle and she lights up, swaying side to side, reaching for this sweet little toy.

The cherry on the top was this ingenious little twirling toy they call the Spinny Speller($11.18 USD /$11 Canada). It's three letter combinations were really and truly perfect for Jackson's newly acquired reading skills. The pictures show how engaged he was and how hard he was trying to sound each word out. As a mama there is really no substitute for a great well made plaything that showcases a child's newest talent. My heart just melts as he diligently sounds out words like "HUG" "BAT" or my personal favorite "CAD". We went to the dictionary to find the true meaning of this word. Turns out it means, "An impolite gentleman." In my house the word is now liberally sprinkled into our everyday conversations. "Jackson you cad! Please don't burp in your sisters face!" Love it!A big thank you to doudou bebe for gracing our home with such lovely, safe and simple toys. We couldn't be happier!