20% off at Rosie Hippo

I just posted a coupon code good for 20% off purchases at Rosie Hippo. The code "STB20" is good until the end of the year.

Check out Rosie Hippo for great holiday gifts.

Holztiger animals make great stocking stuffers and will be played with for years. Arielle asked Santa to bring her birds. She says that wooden animals are the best toys in the world.

Swimming Swan ($10.00)



Linnea thinks dolls are the best toys ever. And pine cones. This beautiful German-made Kathe Kruse fairy doll could flutter through the pine cones.

Flippippi Fairy Doll ($65.00)



Young knights will love the knight set. It's made in Germany and includes a tunic, sword and shield.

Knight Set ($52.00)



Your future scientist might appreciate a moon ball. OK, it's really me that wants a moon ball :0)

Moon Ball ($10.00)



Anyway, Rosie Hippo has lots and lots of wonderful toys. And, with the coupon, you'll get a great deal!

This month, for every purchase over $100, Rosie Hippo is donating a toy to Room to Grow. Room to Grow is a non-profit dedicated to enriching the lives of babies born into poverty throughout the critical first three years of development. They provide one-on-one parenting support and essential baby items.

So you get a great deal, and you can help someone else.

Handmade Holidays part 3

More handmade holiday! I'm so sorry about missing Thanksgiving, but we were traveling and I had limited computer access.

Swaddle Babies by Priscilla Rose are hand stitched cloth snuggling dolls. Each doll is custom designed and personalized with the child's name on the tag. They are available in fleece, velour or minky fabrics. If you go to the site, you will see the sweetest pictures of little ones and their snuggle babies. You'll want one for yourself :)

The dolls are crafted with organic cotton knit, organic eco-wool, organic thread, and natural and organic hand spun yarns. The picture is by Sara Sophia.

Swaddle Baby ($34-$56 depending on fabric)




Easy to Love makes Pennsylvania German handmade wooden toys (and toy patterns for those DIYers out there). If you don't want your children to come running, turn your computer on mute before entering the site. It plays some peppy, traditional music.

The wooden toys are just beautiful and I wouldn't be surprised if they were actually made by Santa's elves . My personal favorite is the tool box ($60), but there are also cars, trucks, airplanes, rocking horses, sleighs (see elves!) and trains.

Child's tool set ($60.00)



The Tan family offers Waldorf-inspired wood toys, naturally-dyed silks, hand-spun yarns and more. Everything by Rick and Jennifer in their home and is sold in their Etsy shop, Syrendell. Jennifer says, "I really enjoy creating handmade items for families. Some of our customers are homeschoolers, some are Waldorf-inspired families, and some people are fiber artists. We enjoy making custom orders of our handspun yarns, aromatherapy, naturally-dyed silks and wood toys. Our approach is always holistic, healthy, happy and creative!"

Check them out for naturally-dyed play silks,and felted and wooden toys.

Snail ($9.50)



These cute little snails are great for spring nature's tables or as friends to the Syrendell Sprites - little fairy figures sold on the site.

The play silks come in delicate natural colors and an assortment of sizes.



Speaking of play silks, I just discovered Desert Dyeworks where I found the most gorgeous tie-dyed play silks. I bought one for each girl's stocking ($20).





Check out the Matryoshka dolls and crowns at Little Red Caboose. Everything is on sale right now, but you'll have to act fast because the store closes on Sunday.

Matryoshka doll ($59.50)



More handmade toys next week. If you make a handmade toy and want to included, send me an email with a link to your site. If you want to know more about how the CPSIA is affecting handmade toys, visit the Handmade Toy Alliance.

Congratulations to our winners!

Thank you, Blueberry Forest Toys, for sponsoring such great giveaways.

Donna won an advent calendar. Donna is all about Christmas and chose the Bavarian Nativity Advent Calendar ($4.95) because it reflects the true meaning of Christmas. She has four girls who will enjoy counting down the days till the holiday.



Katie won the Mini Bambina Crumpet Doll. Katie was so excited because this was the first time she has won something, and she has a daughter who will love getting the doll for Christmas.

So many of you entered, and I appreciate the support. We currently have two more giveaways going on, so enter those. You might win next time.

If you didn't win, the Advent calendars are on sale (enter VTC25 at checkout) and we have a coupon code for 15% off Kathe Kruse, "STB2" is good until 12/15/2009.

Happy Holidays.

Handmade Holidays - Part 1

In support of Handmade American Toys, I am going to spotlight five American toy crafters each Friday from now until mid-December. Handmade toymakers are having a difficult year. The economy has been rough for all of us, but they've had to deal with the ups and downs of the CPSIA as well. All these toys are CPSIA compliant with no lead or phthalates.

Here are this weeks holiday shopping suggestions.

Auntie Jill is a Vermont crafter who makes Snuggle Bunnies and other stuffed animals. The Snuggle Bunnies are made of fleece or minky and come in two sizes, small (6.5") and large (12"), and in a variety of colors. Jill also makes teddy bears and custom animals. Ten dollars from each teddy bear sold goes to support breast cancer research. Cuddle for a cause!

Fleece Snuggle Bunnies ($12 small, $25 large)



Buggalove custom made designs include body suits, decor and beautiful mobiles. The mobiles can be customized to match your child's decor. Prices vary depending on size and style. Here are a few.





Crafty Baby's nap pads, clutch balls, diaper changing pads and bibs are all made and designed by Jill, a mother of three. We wrote about her clutch balls last January, and my mother bought one for a gift. She said is was well made and very cute. Jill's best-selling items are Nap Packs, which are made of soft fleece. Wouldn't they be perfect to use while traveling?


Nap Pack ($39.99)



The nap pack rolls up and has a handle for easy carrying.



Little Alouette is one of my Etsy favorites. The gorgeous wooden toys are sanded silky smooth and come packaged and ready for giving. A portion of the profits from each toy sold goes to support Tree Pals, a program that pairs U.S. schools with a school in another country for a joint tree planting project.

Cherry rattle teether ($19.00)





Ringo the Reindeer Teething Toy ($15.00)



Skipping Hippos makes ponchos and jackets for little girls and matching ponchitos for dolls. I have a little girl who feels that being stuffed into a jacket is the worst of all possible fates, so I think a poncho is perfect solution. They are available in a rainbow of colors and trims. This is my favorite.

Fleece poncho ($46.00)



Please support handmade. More next week :o)

Ten Dollar Treasures

Ten toys for ten dollars or less. In support of handmade toys, these are all from Etsy.

1. Pocket Gnomes ($7.50)



These little gnomes from lillipilli are handmade out of wool and cotton. Each gnome is about 2 inches tall, just the right size to carry in a pocket or ride in a toy truck. They are available in a whole rainbow of colors. The gnomes are made in Australia, so leave extra time for shipping. I think they are the friendliest little gnomes I've seen.

2. Felt finger puppets($8 each)



Puppets are still such a big deal for Arielle, and these ones are so festive. The puppets are made of eco-felt or rayon/wool felt. Stayawake also has a very cool space set (not $10).

3. Modeling beeswax - citrus colors ($8.20)



Twinkle of my Eye makes modeling beeswax using local (British Columbia) beeswax, organic oil and non-toxic pigment. Beeswax can be challenging for younger children who are used to working with dough, but a lot of fun for older kids. The wax has to warm up in your hand, but then it is very flexible and it smells yummy. It's really not like dough at all, but a whole different modeling experience.

4. Wooly acorns ($10.00)



Little Seedling makes a variety of natural toys and super cute clothing for Waldorf doll. But, I have a thing for acorns. I bet all the imaginary squirrels out there are thinking these look awfully tasty. The acorns are made of felted wool attached to real acorn caps.

Mamaroots makes wooden acorns ($4.00)

5. Moondrop ($10.00)



Linnea has several of these. The dolls are very very soft and very cuddly and a good grasping size for little ones (4"). They deal well with toddler love, and are available in a rainbow of colors.

Moonchild Studio also makes the absolute cutest shoes for Waldorf dolls.

6. Wooden helicopter ($7.00)



Imagination Kids makes toys in Indiana using sustainably harvested wood, AP certified non-toxic paint, and homemade natural wood polish made from beeswax, jojoba oil, and essential oils. The helicopter is 3.5 inches by 5.25 inches, and is available in seven colors. Check out the small, but very cute rainbow stacker ($13.00).

7. Felted wool hedgehog ball ($10)



These fun hedgehog balls are made from 100% wool and are about 3" in diameter, so they fill a good section of stocking. In addition to felted toys, Beneath the Rowan Tree also sells bold, bright, beautiful play silks.

8.Teether ($10)



The husband-wife company Finns and Flowers makes natural toys from wood and wool in Maine. These three inch diameter teethers are finished with beeswax, and the bumpy texture is great for sore gums.

9. Secret Decoder ($9 for a set of two)



When I first married my husband, my youngest step-son was nine. He loved everything to do with spies. This secret decoder would have been a big deal. It uses a Caesar cipher and comes in a pair, so a friend can decode the message. Makes a great best-friend gift for eight to ten year olds.

Wood Toy Shop also has a large selection of wood vehicles under $10.

10. Felt cupcake ($8.00)



These cupcakes are big -- cupcake size. Arielle has a couple of Sugar Chic Baby cupcakes that are a few years old. Because they are so pretty, they are a favorite with visiting little girls.

Remember that this is Etsy, so if the listing is sold out, click on the store site as the item is often re-listed. Many Etsy artisans are great about doing custom work, so if you want something slightly different, send them a message with your ideas.

I noticed that many of my old favorite Etsy artisans are no longer selling their toys. Last year, I wrote about the CPSIA. Since then, I've learned a lot about American toy makers (both good and bad) and the difficulties they face. Many have gone out of business either because they cannot afford testing fees or because the law is so convuluted, it is hard to know if one is in compliance. To learn more about handmade toys and the CPSIA, visit the Handmade Toy Alliance.

A Coupon from The Wooden Wagon

The Wooden Wagon sent us a new coupon to share. It is good for 15% any order during June. If the cute coupon isn't showing up for you, the code is "JUNE09".

Check out their New Arrivals for page for some beautiful new toys.

Sleepyhead Baby Doll ($29.95)

1001 Nights Building Set ($99.00)



Bird Tree Puzzle ($25.75)

Doll House Furniture by Plan Toys

Our doll house is an older Plan Toys doll house. I got it on eBay a few years ago with a mishmash of doll house furniture. Some was nice and sturdy, some was not. And, even the good sturdy furniture, didn't do so well when tromped on by teenage boys. So, early this summer, the time came for some new doll house furniture.

The Plan furniture is made is made in Thailand of natural, chemical free recycled rubber wood and finished with non-toxic water based dye. It is, of course, scaled to be the perfect size for Plan doll houses and it is tough enough to handle little sisters who like to throw objects and dump things on the floor.

Our doll house gets played with every day. The residents include doll house dolls, but also finger puppets and small stuffed animals. You never know who or what will be home.

Here's Linnea enjoying playing with the nursery furniture while Arielle is at preschool. If you peer carefully, you can see she rearranged the doll house in her signature post-natural disaster style.



The rest of the pictures are of rooms arranged by Arielle, followed by product pictures from KangarooBoo.



Nursery ($18.99) with everything a baby or duck needs.






Bathroom ($18.99) because potties are important.





Kitchen ($18.99) - the toaster and tea kettle are my favorites!






Living Room ($18.99)



All the doors and drawers open, of course. I love the bright colors of the furniture and they mirror the bright colors in the newer Plan doll houses.

Chalet Doll House ($129.99)




Contemporary Doll House ($119.99)

A very special toy - Hug A Hero Daddy Dolls

The first time I saw a Daddy Doll was a few years ago, long before my husband was deployed. The wife of a deployed soldier stopped us in the mall to show us the doll. My first thought was "that's strange and sort of creepy." Silly me.

A few months ago, we went to visit a good a friend and met her new significant other - a big bald guy. "Daddy!" said Linnea. Oh dear.

Fortunately, Eric is a sweet guy and loved getting love and attention from a toddler.

So we came home, and I ordered our Daddy Dolls. They get so much love; why didn't I do this earlier?

Excuse the chocolate cookie on Linnea's face. Here is Daddy Doll kissing Duplo Dora.

And some sweet hugs.



The hard part was getting a good picture of my husband. He kept sending pictures with no feet. Daddy Dolls must have feet.

Daddy dolls come in two sizes: small (12 inches $21.85) and large (17 inches $27.95). Ours are small. The doll can be personalized with a message such as "Daddy loves Linnea". There is a choice of eight fabrics for the back. We chose fabric to match Daddy's uniform. There is also an option of using two different images (for instance Grandma and Grandpa) on front and back for an additional fee. The doll washes beautifully (good because anything that gets this much toddler love needs to be washed fairly often).

Finally, there is a small pocket in the back of one-sided dolls for keeping a special note or treasure or for tucking in the optional voice recorder. We sent the recorders to Daddy who recorded a message for each little girl. When Arielle is scared or upset, Daddy's voice comforts her; she believes that Daddy Doll keeps her safe at night. Linnea loves to squeeze the toes and hear the message over and over, and she showers Daddy Doll with love and kisses.

The website also offers separation tips from other parents and other products to make separations easier: photo Taggie-style blankets, dog tags for children, photo pillows and teddy bears with photo t-shirts. These products are suitable not just for children of deployed soldiers, but for any child who has a loved one who either travels often or is far away.

I wanted to bring this toy up, not only for those children whose Daddy is deployed or travels often, but also because of Operation Hug-A-Hero. Operation Hug-A-Hero is a special fund to provide dolls to military children who have lost a parent in the line of duty or who can't afford Hug-A-Hero dolls. When I have my very scared for my husband moments, I am glad that we had the opportunity to make the Daddy Dolls with the special messages for our girls and that the girls will always have their dolls to treasure. To donate, click here.




A few other suggestions for children facing deployment:

-We made a photo album for each girl full of pictures of her spending time with Daddy.

- Since Linnea was still very small when Daddy started being away for training, I also took photographs to Staples and had them laminated so they would withstand lots of baby love.

-Military commissaries sometimes sell camouflage Hershey's Kisses. We get a "Daddy Kiss" each night that Daddy is away. Then we look for a star and wish for him to come home soon.