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!

Duck... duck... no, it's Franklin Goose

Franklin Goose is a company that is devoted to selling safe, organic and natural products for babies, children and families. They sent us an organic, stuffed Franklin Goose doll ($35) to review.

Linnea saw Franklin and yelled "Mine!!!!"; she grabbed him and ran away. I then spent weeks looking for Franklin, so I could write the review. He is one busy goose with hardly a moment to answer questions. But, eventually I pinned him down.

- So Franklin, how have you been?

"Well, I'm always traveling.



I love to explore and recently I had a chance to visit the Virginia countryside.



And, check out the wild flora. Mmmm... the flowers are tasty.



It is very hard to find time for an interview.



With hardly a moment to rest...



...before I'm on the go again."



In addition to extensive traveling, cuddling and flower tasting, Franklin is Franklin Goose's spokes-goose. Franklin Goose offers natural, organic, and chemical safe toys for your baby and child. Their toys are natural, organic, or made of recycled materials. Paint is lead free. And they carry no electronic or synthetic toys. Franklin is a good example and he works hard to live up to their ideals. Franklin is made in New York by Ecoleeko out of organic cotton sherpa, hand-dyed bamboo fleece, bamboo yarn, and kapok fiber filling. He is sewn with organic thread, and is machine washable on the delicate cycle.

Franklin is the perfect size for a car pillow, throwing at your sister, and of course a good game of Duck, Duck, Goose!

And, Franklin asked me to tell you about our new giveaway. One reader will win a $25 gift certificate to the Franklin Goose website. To enter, visit Franklin Goose, take a look and their awesome collection of toys and baby care products and then come back here and tell us how you would spend the gift certificate. Just post a comment with some sort of contact information at the end of this blog post. Franklin will draw the name of the winner on August 10.

Free shipping at Down to Earth Toys

Down To Earth Toys is offering Sara's Toy Box readers free shipping on purchases over $10. Use code "SARA" at checkout. The code is good until 4/30/2010, so you can use it for Easter shopping.

Down to Earth Toys offers a large selection of toys made in the U.S.A. Personally, they are one of my favorites :0) because I know that everything they sell is natural and safe.

My latest favorite new arrival are the walnut castle blocks ($118.95 for the large set)



I think I'm going to have to start saving. Arielle just came over and said, "That looks like a fairy house!" I can just see little fairy dolls making a home with dandelion beds and daisy chairs.

Down to Earth also has a large selection of toys under $20. That's more budget friendly!

The Roy Toy earth Friendly Tree House($17.00) looks like fun. There are several sets of Roy Toys available. They are an updated and eco-friendly building toy similar to Lincoln Logs.



Our very favorite, of course, is the Organic Sock Monkey ($19.95) from Maggie's Organics. Linnea's monkey Poo-Poo is still her constant companion and still holding up to three-year-old love. I just took of Linnea and Poo-Poo watching "Super Why".



It looks like Poo-Poo needs another trip through the washer. Hanging out with Linnea isn't the cleanest job.

And 10% off at UrthChild!

It's our lucky coupon day. UrthChild is offering our readers 10% off with the code "STB09". Happy holiday shopping!

UrthChild has a great selection of natural toys. Our favorites are the Holztiger animals. I bought a few for each birthday and Christmas since Arielle was two, and now we have quite a collection.

Holztiger zebra ($14.99)



The girls play with them alone, in combination with dolls or blocks, or invite them to tea parties.

These little sapling blocks ($18.99) would make a nice gift. How simple and how beautiful!



Little Sapling Toys are handcrafted in Idaho out of natural wood - maple, cherry, and walnut - and are finished with bee's wax and organic jojoba oil.

And, UrthChild sells the Mimi the Sardine Splashmat ($29.95), which you've seen in the background in many of our messy art posts.



The mat is a big 36"x46". I originally bought them to put under Arielle's highchair. I used them for Linnea as well, and now we use them for messy art. They go through the laundry over and over and over.... I highly recommend this; you'll really get your money's worth.

Here's Arielle painting salt-dough ghosts and pumpkins.




Check out all the great toys, natural clothing, art supplies, and baby care needs at UrthChild - all PVC, phthalate and BPA free. One percent of your purchase goes to support the Nature Conservancy and The Rocky Mountain Institute. And, gift wrapping is available - in a reusable cotton bag!

Yes, girls love firetrucks! And, this one is so cool.

Arielle loves fire trucks. Daddy is a volunteer firefighter and going to the firehouse to sit in the trucks is their special thing. Ever since she saw the Wooden Fire Truck ($47.95) on the Down To Earth Toys website, she has not stopped talking about it. So, she was particularly happy to have a chance to review this toy.

We love Down to Earth Toys because Down to Earth Toys specializes in offering high quality natural toys, organic toys and especially toys made in the USA. The firetruck is made in the USA by Montgomery Schoolhouse.

These are good, solid trucks (almost three pounds, so not for hitting your sister on the head, please!) made of durable, hardwood American maple. The truck is labeled Mongomery Fire Dept. Engine #1. It includes two removable ladders and two yellow firefighters for lots of firefighting play. And the bright red color and painted details come from non-toxic paints and finishes.

Arielle especially liked taking the "people" in and out and making them climb up ladders. She had a complicated scenario with the firefighters from the truck rescued some other little peg people and puppets. When I asked her about the firetruck, she said "It is a good toy, and kids should like it."

Arielle wasn't available for pictures, but, fortunately, Mulan said she'd help out :0)








Linnea says "I wuv firetwucks, too! Firetwucks are fun!" "


Thank you so much, Down to Earth Toys.

Happy Earth Day - Earth-friendly Penguins from Maggie's Organics

What is that silly Arielle doing?



She's pretending to be Daddy Penguin. "When baby penguins are small, they stand on their Daddy's feet to stay safe and warm." So, this is Arielle trying to keep her Maggie's Organics Penguin ($20) safe from "Polar bears and seals."



Last month, I reviewed Maggie's Organics Sock Monkey, and Linnea adores her Poo-Poo Monkey. Her monkey goes everywhere that she does. Like the monkeys, the penguins are made in the USA by Opportunity Threads, a 100% worker-owned cooperative in Morganton, North Carolina. The penguins and monkeys are environmentally friendly - they are made from excess fabric and irregular socks and are stuffed with reclaimed polyester mill scrap. The eyes are embroidered and the tie-dye snow hat is securely sewn on. The penguin can be machine washed and is safe for children (and Daddy Penguins) of all ages. Arielle named her penguin, Plum.

Here is Arielle with Plum on their way to preschool. The letter of the week was "B" and "Penguins are birds, you know."


So Plum is both educated and cute. Plum also enjoys relaxing with a friend, wildly dancing to Princess music, and long walks on the beach. OK.. I made the beach part up. But, as you can see, Plum is a penguin that loves to have fun.







Thank you, Maggie's Organics for letting us review the latest member of Maggie's Menagerie.

Poo-Poo the Organic Sock Monkey

Once upon a time, a little girl named Linnea met a monkey. She named her monkey Poo-Poo and they became best of friends.



Poo-Poo wasn't just any monkey. Poo-Poo is a Maggie's Organic Sock Monkey ($19.95 and available in a variety of natural colors). One of the many wonderful toys made in the USA and sold at Down to Earth Toys.



Poo-Poo is made of Maggie's Socks. These are the socks they sell at the food coop, which are made at a 100% worker-owned cooperative in North Carolina. Monkeys like Poo-Poo are made using the less than perfect socks (85% cotton certified organic cotton, 13% Nylon, 2% spandex) and are stuffed with reclaimed fiber from mill scraps. So Poo-Poo is eco-friendly.

Maggie's Sock Monkeys are safe for all ages. Linnea likes to chew hers, fortunately the friendly hand-embroidered face makes Maggie's monkeys perfectly safe for this.

Linnea likes to take her monkey everywhere. When we ride in the car, she yells "Need Poo-Poo!" This is only a little confusing as we are also working on potty training.

So, they go potty together.



They watch Dora.



They even share a cupcake with a friend.





Fortunately, Poo-Poo is washer and dryer safe -- just machine wash warm and tumble dry on low. Poo-Poo is up to anything that Linnea can dish out. I wonder what is next?



If you know anyone who needs an organic sock monkey or other fine toys made in the USA, Down to Earth Toys is offering our readers free shipping on all orders over $25. Use the code MAMA03 through April 15, and yes, the little girl on the home page does look familiar.