Pre-preschool and preschool tots are genuinely interested in anything fun and bright!
1. Wooden Drum Set - lil' rockstar jam sessions. $50.00
2. Colored Cubes - blocks have never been more fun! $40.00
3. Stuffed Max Doll - for your little wild thing. $10.00
4. Nuchi Figure 8 Train - a nice modern leap from Thomas. $39.99
5. Crocodile Creek Water Bottles - H²o goes bright, green, and chic. $9.99
I don't know if I'm the last one to see this, but I'm blown away by this simple and functional swiss-pocket-knife-style gift opener!! Provides solutions (blades) for even the most gnarly of packaging, and even has a screwdriver feature for all those "batteries not included" fine printed Chanukah gifts!
Now you can open it without cursing it! Definitely something I'd put on a list of household staples - right up there with scissors in the kitchen...
I know present crunch-time is now upon us, and unfortunately I hadn't thought to do this earlier, but after receiving many requests for a Chanukah gift-guide; I decided to bring it to you - albeit, a tad too late for prompt deliveries - here it is, Chanukah gift-guide: freidafroo style. Thought I'd start out with the wee-ones, affordably gifting the sweet lil' babes:
1. Handmade Baby Moccasins - buttery leather hipster booties. $45.00
2. Classic Baby Beads - vibrant wooden manipulative. $12.00
3. Eric Carle Stroller Cards - touch & feel sensory toys on-the-go. $10.00
4. WeilBaby Sippy Cup - Andrew Weil's award-winning sipster. $9.99
5. Vulli "Chan Pie Gnon" - Sophies siblings take on teething. $13.50
6. PlanToys Stacking Tree - babies play, moms display. $20.70
Tried getting a good shot of Freida for a birthday invite photo, but all I got was a fit. How appropriate for her 2 year old birthday... :)
Heaps of thanks to my awesome brother Yossi (over at YossiGraphicDesign) for turning a terrible tantrum into an artistic and inspiring invite!
Nothing deserves more celebration than acknowledging their trials and triumphs as they navigate their little way through life as they know it. A tantrum is never fun, and it's difficult to stop and think about what is transpiring in your little person while they are in the middle of chucking food across the room; but when you take a moment to think about how much development is going on inside of them, and how much independence is being explored - it really is quite the cause for celebration....
We had an "art party" for Freida on Sunday. I totally thought I would end up feeling like the stereotypical mom who made the party for themselves and the kid is not even enjoying it, so I went with Freida's current favorite activity: art. And she loved it every bit as much as I did. I know there are plenty of people who think it's totally ridiculous to throw a party for every year a kid advances, but growing up my parents always had a party for each of us - every year, and it really came to mean a lot to me. I felt special every day of the year because of that one special day when they'd pause to celebrate me.
I always have fun with the invitation (having a graphic designer in the family makes it even better!), can't believe it's been almost a year since I posted her 1 year old invites! Added to the party theme by opting for stamps by famous artists while at the post office...
I've been on a quest for a simple and modern Menorah. Last year I rounded up a few, but never landed on anything perfect. Happened upon this one above from EchoLine, and I think I've fallen for it (for now). Fluid and sustainable, this menorah is really quite Eames-bentwood-esque... Loving the concept!
