The Princess Room and the Magic Princess Bed

One of the reasons that I wasn't posting so much this summer (aside from the general chaos of having five kids home full-time)is that we were finishing the upstairs. Arielle finally has her big girl room. She co-slept with us when she was small and then slept in a toddler bed in our room. Moving into her own room was a big deal for Arielle, and I wanted to make it special.



I let her choose the paint color which is Valspar's Perfectly Pink from Lowe's. I used two sets of Seasons Wall Decals ($54) for the trees and a few sets of Djeco's beautiful fairy and flower Garden of Nine wall stickers ($24.49).

But the very best thing, the thing that truly made this a Princess Room is the Rose Silk Canopy ($89.95) from Sarah's Silks. It was very easy to install - just screw the hook into the ceiling - and it fits a toddler or twin bed perfectly. The canopy hangs from four ribbons.

It could also be used in a corner to make a cozy reading nook or princess hideaway.



But, we needed a special princess bed, one that would keep away bad dreams and make a princess feel safe and secure. Since she is as the age where imaginations tend to run wild, Ari was a bit concerned about monsters. But, only the very friendliest of monsters like to be around pink. And pink silk is magical - the monsters can't see in, but princesses can see out.

Blueberry forest carries the whole line of Sarah's Silks canopies. Thank you, Sarah - we love it.

Here's Linnea's (mostly not used) bed. Linnea is a little too wild for a canopy, but she loves her Sesame Street posters. The tree house belonged to my older daughter



I painted my son's old dresser and an old cabinet a slightly deeper shade of the same pink for clothing storage. We used a ribbon to display her collection of hair bows. She loves seeing pictures of herself when she was small, so I put lots throughout the room.

Good night, Princess Arielle, safe and snug.

I love these blocks!

Haba's new Eeny Meeny Zoo Blocks ($49.99) are my new favorite toy for toddlers.


I'm pretty sure they rank close to the top of the Haba toy cuteness list - and Haba makes a whole lot of cuteness. Linnea loved them, too. She went right to work as soon as Arielle gave her a chance to play.






The blocks are made in Germany and are stained with nontoxic stains. They are Haba, so they will last and can be mixed with other Haba blocks.

The blocks are available from Bright October who has generously offered our readers 10% off on any item with the code “sarastoybox" until 12/31/2008.

NMC Toys

NMC (Not Made in China) Toys has a new Green and Organic Section. They have given us a code ( "sarasbox" ) for 10% off that expires 12/31/08.

Actually, my favorite toy is this set of four safe-plastic tubs ($48.50). They are perfect for bringing messy play inside. We used them for water play during our long, very rainy summer, and I think we could also use them to bring in some snow in the winter, or play with sand indoors or run cars in cornmeal or rice, or just squish some glop.


The girls really enjoyed testing out my kitchen utensils, but we've also done doll laundry and given the dolls bubble baths.

New Products at Comptoir d'enfance

Emma from Comptoir d'enfance wrote to let me know that they have a few new French lines in their store and that the coupon "sara" is still working for our readers. And, it looks like the cool chalkboard stickers are also on sale.

This flowers and butterflies mobile ($35) is made of silk and bamboo.


Very cute stuff!

PhD Crocheted Flying Disk

The Phd pocket disk ($12.50) is the invention of a third grade Waldorf student in North Carolina. It all began when Savanna Groft tried to crochet a placemat for a handwork class assignment, but a few too many double stitches, and instead, she made a prototype of the indoor disc, now called the Phd.



So the place mat of sorts, which looked more like a small crocheted Frisbee, decorated the living room table for almost a year, until the Larsen family came over for dinner. Dad, Chris Larsen spotted the placemat and, on a whim, picked it up and threw it. It sailed across the living room, and the PhD was born.

The PhD soft flying discs are a hand-made, fair trade toy. They are crocheted out of 100% cotton in Guatemala (mothers crochet while they watch their children play). The designs are awesome - bright and beautiful and remind me of hackysacks.

The disks are very lightweight, easy to stash in a pocket, and easy to throw and catch and suggested for all ages. They can be played with both indoors and out. When thrown indoors, the PhD won't damage pretty knickknacks, and if it gets messy outside, the PhD can be gently washed. What a great idea for thos who need active indoor play ideas for the winter.

The Phd was formally introduced to children at a North Carolina elementary school last spring. Students there use the Phds to play dodge ball, push up hockey, and develop soccer skills. The Phd can safely substitute for a ball or Frisbee in almost any game. And there is a website with games and play ideas http://www.livelovecatch.com/

The PhD discs also double as the cute little berets, and this is what Arielle and Linnea wanted to do. But mostly, I found it serving as a bed for small stuffed animals and puppets. My college-aged stepson did spend a few afternoons tossing it, but thenwent back to his hackysack.

So I sent it to Eleanor, thinking her children might find it more fun. Great idea! They had a great time and Eleanor was pleased that nothing was damaged.

Here's Jack enjoying the PhD outside,

and inside.



And, even Alli got in on the action.



Thank you, Larsens and Savannah, and guest reviewers Jack and Alli for all your help.

Back to school with Stubby Pencil

It seems summer vacation has only just started, yet already we are seeing ads for back to school sales. Now is a great time to stock up on school supplies, and don't forget my favorite place for eco-friendly art supplies, Stubby Pencil Studio.

We recently got to try some of the new products at Stubby Pencil Studio.

The Trimax Triangular Jumbo Colored Pencils ($11.95) are nice and thick and easy for little hands to grip . They have an ergonomic triangular shape which increases finger contact and improves pencil control - very helpful for those who, like Arielle, are just starting to write. The pencils are made from reforested wood, and are end-dipped by color, with a natural lacquer finish. We liked the smooth feel and bright colors (12 for $5.95 or set of 24 for $9.95).





Eco Highlighter pencils ($2.00 each) are an environmentally friendly alternative to the standard yellow marker - with no plastics, no ink solvents, no volatile organic compounds and they are made from in Austria and are biodegradable. They will last all year (or even longer) and work great - no bleeding to the other side - and even erase. We are sending one off to college this year.



Watercolor crayons ($3.95 for a set of 12) I was so excited to try these and they didn't disappoint.

First you draw a picture.



Got to get it just right.




And then you go over it with a wet paintbrush. Voila!



The bright colors mix instantly and give a great effect. Do not place the crayons directly in water. The crayons are made in Brazil.

On our school shopping list are:

Prang Fun Pro Soy Crayons (8 for $1.00, 24 for $3.00)

We love the smooth feel and bright colors of these crayons. We've been using ours for months and except for the ones Linnea has intentionally broken (she went through a fun "I break crayons because I can" stage), they are in great shape.



We've been wanting to try the Crayon Rocks (16 for $6.95). The pebble-shaped crayons are made from soy and natural mineral powders. Their smooth shape is supposed to be easier for toddler fingers to hold and control, and I love those bright colors.



Smencils (5 for $5.95). For more information see my previous review.

Recycled mini note books ($4.50) I love mine. It is just the right size for shopping lists or lists of errands, but it would also work for keeping track of homework.

Stubby Pencil also has just the right pencil sharpener ($2.75) for sharpening those fat, triangular pencils. These are extra cute and fit both standard and jumbo pencils.



And we love Mary's Soft Dough ($6.50-$18.50). It's time for us to stock up again.

Also, check out Stubby Pencil for small environmentally friendly gifts. The wooden key chains ($1.95) are especially cute and really dress-up a back pack or diaper bag.



Stubby Pencil is still offering a free monkey pencil set with purchase, so be sure to add that to your cart. If you spend over $100, they will also include a Flip & Tumble reusable bag.

Comptoir d'Enfance

Comptoir d'Enfance has extended their discount code. There are lots of new arrivals from France, including some truly adorable wall decals and felt and fabric stuffed animals.

Great Stuff from Nico and Zoe - Store Review

Nico & Zoe is the creation of two moms, Pamela (Zoe's mom) and Stacy (Nico's mom). Their inspiration is their children. They are always on the lookout for high quality, locally made, funky toys - that don’t cost too much.

They carry toys manufactured by green companies such as Plan Toys, Voila, Sparrowkids, Anne Claire-Petit, Kathe Kruse, Chelona, Wee Gallery, Yellow Label Kids, and US designed and manufactured toys by D and Me, Mossy Creek, Maple Landmark, Lauri, Montgomery Schoolhouse, Camden Rose, and Imagination Box Co. They also have small production, hand made items by Sockadoodle Do, Zoe’s Baby Toys, Sweeter Dolls, Monkey Doodle and more.

We recently placed an order with Nico & Zoe, and we love our new toys.


Zita Zoe Felt Ravioli ($17.00)



Arielle loves eating ravioli. She says they are good because "they look like little fishies". So, Zita Zoe's handmade felt ravioli was a great addition to her toy kitchen. The ravioli is made by Pamela, and they are exclusive to Nico and Zoe's. They come packaged just like real, fresh pasta. The ravioli is made of 70% wool felt, and the packaging is recyclable/compostable. The packaging lasted for a few days of play, but then the ravioli were on their own.



Not a problem. Ravioli make an excellent lunch for bears, and you can cook them over and over again. If the bears decide they'd rather eat honey, then the ravioli make excellent pillows for sleepy Anamalz. They can also be sorted, counted and stacked.



Jungle Wall Graphics ($38.00)




This was the purchase that I was most excited about. Now that the last of our big boys is going to college, we are finally converting our computer room into a play room and I needed a way for it to say kid-space without being too childish as it is adjacent to our living and dining rooms. These Blik wall decals are perfect. What a great way to dress-up the dress-up corner.

I wiped the wall with a damp cloth (knocked down quite a few cobwebs) and the decals stuck very easily and smoothly. Repositioning was no problem. Linnea loves monkeys, so she was very excited to see the happy monkeys swinging on the wall.



I like the graphic simplicity of the black and white images. They'd work well in a nursery, and are far more sophisticated than pink bunnies or dancing sheep. Nico and Zoe's also carries Garden Wall Graphics with a squirrel, bird, bugs and worm. It was a very tough decision.

Gymnic Hop Ball ($29.00)



This was one of those toys that required no explanation. This very sturdy hop ball is made by Gymnic in Italy of non-toxic, latex-free and phthalate-free vinyl (which corresponds to the European norms and are TÜV/GS and CE marked). It inflated quickly and easily using a bicycle pump, and comes with one valve and two plugs. Arielle had no problem staying up and used up lots of energy (always a good thing). If you have the space, it can also be used indoors. It's probably a great solution to the winter blahs.




Gymnic Rody Pony ($48.00)

Linnea is too small for a hop ball (although she thinks throwing such a big ball is great fun), but the Gymnic Rody Pony is a sturdy bouncy toy made of the same Italian vinyl. It is suggested for ages two and up, and Linnea is eighteen months old. The amount it is inflated can be adjusted to fit children of different sizes (so can the hop ball). And it can be used both indoors and out.



I wanted to get a picture of Linnea happily bouncing, but it came out a blur! Again, this is a good way to use up some energy. After a week of rainy days, it is just what she needed.

The moms at Nico & Zoe's are always looking for new toys that are good for the kids, environment and health. They just added Soy Crayons ($8.00) and will soon be carrying safe-plastic sand toys by Wader, a German company.

Nico & Zoe has offered our readers 10% off their purchase with the code "nicozoefun08".

Store Review- Kobold Toys

Kobold Toys is an online shop based in the US. Ana Eiras is the founder of the online store, and her partner Carmina Valdizan owns the brick and mortar shop in Panama. The two mamas are dedicated to bringing you toys that help spark a child's imagination. In addition, they offer gift cards and gift wrap that they import from Germany as part of their Very Busy Very Thoughtful program.

I found their website easy to navigate and full of beautiful toys and gifts. They have a robust collection of Plan Toys, one of my favorite brands. Some of my top picks are:

This Breakfast Menu ($17.50). It is the perfect compliment to your play kitchen collection. Who wouldn't love a little breakfast in bed?

I adore these Assorted Fruits and Vegetables ($19.99). I really like that they split open when cut with the beautiful wooden butter knife. Perfect!

Of course every child would like to push their groceries, books, or kitty around. This Shopping Cart ($55.00) is perfect for your tiny shopper.What I like about Ana and Kobold Toys is that they offer an array of toys, yet each toy is selected for its ability to spark a child's imagination. Ana believes that, "Imagination is perhaps one of the single most important skills humans can have because it is the one skill that will help one sort out new obstacles, solve new issues, and come up with responses to the many challenges life will have for them--as children and later on in life." I couldn't agree more!

Ana lists where each toy is designed and the customer can search for toys designed in a specific country. What I could not find was where each toy was made. Ana has a blog on her stance on MIC toys.

Though Kobold Toys is a new store, Ana was kind enough to send us the Daisy Girls Wooden Magnetic Dress-Up set. Jackson, age 5, played with it for one evening. Then we sent it on to his Pre-K class. The reviews were not mixed. The kids LOVED the dolls. Their teacher said that every child in the room played with it, both boys and girls, and that it was now the favorite center during free time. I was concerned that the magnets would slip but we found that the magnets stayed on very well. I can tell you that they are much easier to use than the cut out type I had as a young girl. This toy is MIC.

Ana has been kind enough to extend to our readers the following promotion code: C2NNF8 This code is good for a 10% discount on your next purchase from Kobold Toys.