A barn for your animals and 25% off at Rosie Hippo

First of all, if you have Christmas money to spend, Rosie Hippo still has 25% off all toys through January 1.  Even better, Rosie Hippo is supporting RoomtoGrow.org  by donating one toy to a child born into poverty for each order over $100; however, this ends at midnight December 31. A great opportunity to stock up for birthdays.

Now to the toy review......

Creche or Little Barn ($40.00)

I have been admiring this wooden toy barn for a long time and was so happy to be able to review this toy.  Earlier this month, my children had seen the play "Charlotte's Web" at our local high school and they were having fun playing "pig on the farm" with their Holztiger animals.  The barn reminded me of the set of the play.

This was supposed to be a pre-Holiday review.  Unfortunately, poor barn went to my old address (oops!) and arrived a few days after Christmas.  I apologize profusely if anyone is saying "Darn! That would have been the perfect gift!"  But, birthdays, Valentine's Day, Easter, feeling down, and snow are all good gift giving occasions.

Santa loves to bring us Holztiger, so the new animals were happy to have a new home.  In fact, here are the animal families all lined to ask Santa to bring them a new barn....

I have to laugh because we spent a lot of time at the mall in a very similar line. 

So the happy animals got their new barn and the girls did play "Charlotte's Web".  I dug up a plastic Halloween spider to be Charlotte.

So, Wilbur and Charlotte spent some quiet time together while Arielle dug out the rest of the farm animals.

They all agreed, it is a nice barn.  The wood is smooth.  It's easy for children to get their hands in.

Look, Fern is a princess!

And, everyone played nicely together.

The barn arrives packed flat and does require some easy assembly - but, a child can do it. There are no screws or nails, so if you are short on storage space, it quickly comes apart for storage.  But, it would also look really cute set up on a dresser or shelf.

There is an optional star, so it can be used for nativity scenes (or to hold a rooster).  It would be adorable with dollhouse dolls.

I know this barn will be used a lot.   Thank you, Rosie Hippo. And, everyone else, check out the sale and help a good cause.

Ooooh... 15% Off at Rosie Hippo

Ready for holiday shopping? Rosie Hippo has given us a code for 15% off purchases until the end of the year. Just type in "TOYBOX10" and it is good until 12/31/2010.

I plan to use the code to buy Holztiger animals for stocking stuffers.  Santa brings a few every year, and it has added up to a nice collection. Girly-girl Linnea will love the little pets like this <>kitten ($9.00).

Arielle is interested in exploring Australia.  So, I'm choosing Australian animals for her, like <>Mama Kangaroo with a joey in her pouch ($15.00).

And this big, 10 1/4 inch long <>crocodile ($18.00).

Rosie Hippo carries a large selection of natural, organic and Earth friendly toys.  If you are looking for a toddler dream gift, check out the <>rocking dory ($195 on sale) that Rosie Hippo donated for our <>Holiday Giving Auction.

Thank you, Rosie Hippo!

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.

A bird tree!

Not a partridge in a pear tree, a sparrow in an apple tree! And, a blue jay and a robin and a titmouse and a flying yellow songbird.

Birdies in an Apple Tree ($79)


I've told you before about how much we love our Holztiger animals. These wooden animals from Germany are a favorite with my girls. Each year, I buy a few more at Christmas or on birthdays or for Easter, and the girls are getting a pretty nice collection. They are played with all the time. And, when they aren't being played with, they look very cute on a shelf or dresser.

Lately, Arielle's favorites have been birds. When ever she saves up enough money, she buys a bird... one at a time. When Arielle saw the bird tree, her eyes lit right up. And Rosie Hippo was so kind to let her review it.

The tree has a stand to help it stay up on carpet, but it can be used without the stand.

There are plenty of flat spots for the birds to perch. Hmmm... where will this bird go?

Some other animals heard about the juicy apples.

Yummy.



Like all Holztiger figures, the tree is beautifully made and finished with non-toxic colors. It's a great addition to a play story. And, it is available separately for $24.

There really is nothing like Holztiger for open-ended, imaginative play. And, there is nowhere like Rosie Hippo for Holztiger. They have the best selection.

Check out all the wonderful European and American toys at Rosie Hippo.

Beautiful gifts from Rosie Hippo

Rosie Hippo specializes in beautiful designed toys that inspire creativity and spark imagination! Just the type of toys that we like best.

Many of these are toys that I haven't seen anywhere else.

There is a nice section of toys made in the USA like this classic heavy-duty wagon.

Rosie Red Wagon ($145)



There are also sections for special interests like fairies, castles or pirates, and for gifts under $15, under $25 and under $50 - just what you need when you're staying on a budget.

Gifts under $15.

Lavender Girl ($15.00), she's lavender and full of lavender for a soothing,calming scent. Made in Brazil.



Gifts under $25

Squiggles ($20)



I am going to recommend this for anyone between five and 105! I love my Squiggles book and I use it for stress relief. I get pretty silly with the pictures, and the kids love to peek and see what I've drawn.

You start with an outline and simple directions like "what kind of store?" and you go from there. No talent required.

Last year I gave one to all our big kids, including my step-son who is a wonderful artist.

Here are a few pages from my book.






Gifts under $50

I chose to review the scale.

Scale ($39)



When my mother was a child, she played with a little scale a lot. So, that is what I thought about when I saw this little wooden scale. It's made in Romania by Estia, and it comes with five weights of different sizes. It's a great learning toy as kids figure out the mathematical concepts of weight and balance, but it is also fun.

Linnea said "It's a wee-saw!" and she put two stuffed animals on it. I wish I had pictures.

Arielle took one look at it and said "that's not a toy, it's homework."

I said, "OK. Then don't play with it."

Just minutes later....






She has been really enjoying the scale. She likes to take different objects and see which is heavier. It is great for weighing little wooden animals; is the rabbit heavier than the sheep?

Linnea finally figured out what a scale really is for, and it's been a nice addition to their store play. "Would you like two pounds of chocolate?"

I considered a few scales, but I really like that this one is all wood and, at $35, it had the best price.

Rosie Hippo has wonderful toys and it's definitely worth a look. Thank you, Rosie Hippo!

Oh my! A museum in a box!

I am working on a review for a toy from Rosie Hippo - love Rosie Hippo - and I saw this! The absolutest coolest (but very pricey) toy ever. I just wanted to share.


Discovery Box Large ($199)




This 18-drawer box comes with a natural history collection that includes 50 different fossils, minerals, marine organisms and insects and a fact sheet.

It's like a mini-museum, but you can touch all you want.