Polarn O. Pyret, the beloved Swedish clothing line for kids (and expecting mums) has a 50% off sale going on now! Everything is made from 100% organic cotton - sustainable, durable, and affordable. Their iconic stripes and T-shirts, once available only in Europe, are now ours for the taking. Enjoy the sweet stripes, and other goodies at their new reduced prices!
I'm all for the joys of Crayola - they never cease to amaze me! Here's my latest favorite find: Sidewalk Crayons. Super creamy (almost as smooth as wet sidewalk chalk), bright and vibrant; these are perfect for the little guys who can't press down hard enough to extract any amount of pigment from the classic pastel sidewalk chalk. Freida loves them!! It's our latest "before dinner" activity. After getting dinner in the oven we go outside and hit the pavement with a bag of these crayons for some end-of-day outdoor fun with the neighbors...
If any of you mamas out share my nesting issues; you'll appreciate the concept of a good toy that blends into your home decor. I admit to being a total stickler for organization - i.e toys residing in the play room. And (unfortunately for my children)... I don't see myself wavering that often. It's great to have a nice looking toy bin (or an ottoman with storage) for stashing a few living room play things, but it's especially nice when the toys themselves don't wreak much feng shui havoc (I know, I'm psychotic). Found these wonderful foam blocks at an art store in my neighborhood, I thought they were the perfect weight and size for Freida to learn how to stack and build (to my architect-husband's delight), the fact that they were a well-designed faux bois was just a lovely bonus!
Step2 Soft & Sturdy Timber Blocks $12.71
(They seem to no longer be on the Step2 website, and they were rather difficult to track down online, so if you want some - grab 'em while they're there.)
Wanted to share an awesome "flash sale" website with all my readers. Geared towards the Mom race, Totsy offers brand-name kids clothing, toys, gear, and mom-goods at ridiculously reduced prices! Attempting to remain exclusive and not be tainted by an overdose of popularity (which would result in sell-outs before the first hour of sale), Totsy tried to remain an invitation-only website for a while, but membership can be requested now. All FreidaFroo readers can enter the Totsy-hood by clicking on the (linked) icon above. Happy thrifting, ladies!
I usually talk about how I can't believe that certain toys have not evolved or upgraded their options since I was a kid, however once in a while comes a toy so great and so lovely that I'm super grateful the exact same versions still exist for my little one. This is the case with Corolle dolls. Way long before American Dolls became a fad and made their way into my little-girl bedroom, I grew up on Corolle's. This fabulous French doll company has been making award-winning baby dolls since 1979. The dolls are now sold in more than 29 countries across the world, and in my opinion are better than anything else out there.
Never mind the superior quality and look of the dolls, I just love how many options there are! Corolle makes dolls in a myriad of sizes and forms; you can buy bald ones or babies with hair, dolls for infants, toddlers, and little ladies, and if you're searching for a soft-bodied doll that can go in the bath tub, they make those too!
Freida got her first Corolle from her Bubby when she was 4 months old - a soft rattle doll with a "lovie" blanket attached to its hand. We bought her a second at around 8 months old - a version a tad bigger, bean-filled body, and bald. Her third was sent from her Great Grandma in Chicago (who spent hours with me when I was a kid in FAO Schwartz picking out the most beautiful ones!) - perfectly short hair, visible teeth, and realistically well-shaped hands and feet.
My absolute favorite thing about these dolls is the fact that the "new-doll-scent" last forever, because they bake the doll "skin" with fresh vanilla beans!! Wait 'til you take a whiff - lovely!
And believe it or not, they are priced well, to boot!
If you don't know of a toy boutique near you that carries them, you can buy one here.
