Built of Blocks: Roundup!

I can partially blame Freida's building infatuation on the fact that her daddy is an architect, but either way this girl is obsessed with stacking/building & demolishing. She's really not bad at it either. She does get frustrated when she discovers one of her designs is not really spatially possible...  then she just goes all "king-kong" on the entire operation! : ) Here's a roundup of some of my favorite ways to enhance this classic,timeless, and important manipulative.

1. Kido Colored Cubes $40.00

Perfect shades of color, for heaps of good looking construction!

2. Step2 Timber Blocks

We love these blocks! I can't find them available at the moment, you'll have to track 'em down...

3. Green Toys Blocks $24.99

These lego-style building blocks are super for underage architects! Easy to grasp, easy to stack.

4. Muji City in a Bag Wooden Blocks $14.00

Awesome geography extras, to use alone as a play-city or to accessorize their man-made structures.

5. Tree Branch Blocks from Romp $40.00

Warm and earthy, these twig-like builders just may be the ticket to get your little tree hugger focused on a very tactile fine-motor-skill activity.

6. City Blocks by artist, Seth Clark $85.00

These detailed city blocks are sure to up the anti on the creativity-turned-playtime factor. Pricey enough to attempt a DIY, which makes a great painting activity along the way...

7. Handmade (with heaps of love!) ModPodged blocks ($-not yet established.)

I made a fabulous set of wooden blocks while I was pregnant with Freida. I'm thinking about making them to custom order... featuring a huge selection of beautiful paper for each of the 6 sides. Just thought I'd give you all the heads-up. They make wonderful baby gifts (for the child's name etc.)...

(possibly in aleph-beis options as well.) Coming Soon! : )

Peas Please!

Alright, this is super random, but when I figured this out I found myself wishing some seasoned mom had let me in on the secret... So I'm just sharing the discovery. Frozen Peas.

Freida never swallowed a single pea in her little life. At 5 months old she spit out the pea puree over and over again, at 9 months old she spit-shot little steamed peas out of her mouth and onto the floor, and at 15 months old (don't know why I didn't just give it up!) she actually scratched the pea remnants (after spitting it out) off her tongue!

I so wanted her to like peas! Aside from broccoli she really doesn't get many green veggies in her diet (she doesn't chew leafy greens very well), and peas are such an easy on-the-go protein to sneak into any mealtime/snacktime.

Well, today she loves peas. Frozen peas. We've dubbed them "ice cream peas", and she's obsessed. Victory. Was worth the wait... easy vitamins, fiber, and protein all rolled into one teeny tiny pea.

Try it, they'll like it. (Maybe.)

Some Street-Cred for the Kids

I'm loving this fabulous collection of "street-wear" for the little ones. Appaman has been dubbed as "Brooklyn inspired clothing for kids", and this Norwegian designer really got the urban-chic thing damn straight! Who could pass up European quality coupled with Big City style?? Here's what I mean:

You can find Appaman here.

She Picks her Tunes

Leave it to their dads to make 'em do the darn-est of things... Yesterday Freida waltzed into the kitchen complacently listening to Trevor Hall on an iPod. (Add to list of things to teach my daughter: Nothing can make you cool enough to pick your nose in public. Ever.)

Trendy Threads

Wovenplay. Beatifically breathtaking and overtly overpriced.

Some things were meant to simply inspire (and I'm taking notes!).

How completely entrancing is that Peter-Pan-inspired butterfly costume?? I think I must attempt a knockoff...

And this silk and layered tutu? Mmm mmm good.