Corolle Doll Evolution

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.

Skinny Marinky RINKI Dink...

Loving this concept!! Check this out - a highchair/barstool. Form and function perfection, hey?

The RINKI from Seimi®

Fast and Slow

Observing the toddlers at play this weekend, I couldn't help but notice the drastic diference in their personalities! My little nephew is super-smart, super-fast, and all over the place! Freida is a stark opposite, walking slowly, stopping every few feet to (literally!) smell the flowers, look at leaves, attempt to eat a potato bug etc... She kept looking up with a bit of envy at her cousin running up the block at mach speed, and he continuously found her leisure curiosity amusing. Reminded me of this song from (the amazing) Laurie Berkner. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZgHeJ6yO1c]

Isn't this video charming?? The costumes, the artwork as backdrop - incredible!!

Check our other favorite songs from her: Rocketship Run, Family, Victor Vido, and I'm Gonna Catch You.

Believe it or not, she also did the vocals for one Weeds theme song "Little Boxes" (a bit out of character for a children's song-writer, but great nonetheless). : )

Sisters & Slow-Movement

We had a wonderful extended weekend here with my sisters visiting from San Francisco and Scottsdale. My older sister came in from Arizona with her 18 month old fireball-of-a-son (he and Freida were born the same week), and my younger sister drove down the coast with a friend. (Shout out to my husband for handling an all-most-girls-weekend!) We had the most peaceful Shabbos - pouring over magazines, gossiping, eating (a girly, non-traditional, low-carb, low-cal Shabbos menu), chilling, and simply relishing in each others company. The kids played together beautifully- enjoying each others opposite personalities, and experiencing the simple pleasures of a DIY Aero-bed bounce-house. Sometimes it's lovely to take a break from everyday life and appreciate the little things. Having my sisters here (with only the babies) allowed us to focus on ourselves for an extended period of time - trading makeup tips, sharing toning moves, marriage advice, organizational saviors, and of course the latest in baby-issues, gadgets, and activities. : )

(Thanks for making the trek here ladies, sisters are simply the best!!)

Here's some photos of our slow-movement weekend with the kiddos...

Hope your extended weekend was just as lovely!

Cuckoo for the Koo

The ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair) was held this month in NYC, and of the many designs for kids featured at the fair, I will have to say that my favorite is the Koo, the Bassinet/Rocker from Lunar. Talk about a multi-tasking piece of furniture!  No need for hacks here - this design's got it all in the making (in theory). Here's to helping chistle those late-night-newborn-feedings down to a T - with heaps of room to spare!  

And just for the record; I'm highly smitten with the Paket Table from Offi, as well. (Who doesn't love new things from Offi???)