Looking For Hot Toys For Christmas?

Melissa & Doug is a well-recognized name when it comes to toys for kids. To help you with suggestions on what to buy all the littles in your life they have just announced their “Terrific Twenty” list of toys. Check out the list: you’ll definitely find some hot toys for Christmas that your kids (and you!) would love to have. Best part? They’re also giving some away!

Some of the top twenty are pictured above; visit their website for the entire list, which includes their popular Trunki, a train set with tunnel, and much more (I personally love the stamp set – am I too old to shop Melissa & Doug for myself?). I think Bubbles would love that tea set pictured, or maybe the grocery basket set to use in her play kitchen.

You should also pop over to their Facebook page. Their 20 Days of Terrific Twenty Giveaway starts today, and each day, they’ll be giving away one of their Terrific Twenty toys! (Hint: keep checking back here – we’re going to be giving away one of the items, too!).

Which one of the Terrific Twenty items would you most like to win?

Baby Safety Month: Monitoring Your Child

For a very long time Bubbles wouldn’t sleep unless one of us were holding her, lying next to her, or within arm’s reach. While it made for some long nights, it did make that parental urge to check your baby’s breathing much easier. We didn’t have to keep getting up and checking another room; we just looked down.

Now that Bubbles is older and has her own toddler bed, she enjoys having her own special sleep place. She still likes to fall asleep within sight of us (and still fights bedtime sleep like a professional boxer) but once asleep we move her to her bed and she’s content. While it’s good to see her independence grow – and also to be able to actually do the dishes while she sleeps now – it did put us in need of a monitor. The audio ones are nice and have been helpful for decades; I remember playing with the one my Mom had for my younger brothers. But I really wanted to try one of the new video and audio combo ones.

Baby Safety Month: Safe Car Travel With Kids

Traveling with kids can be a stressful event, but with a little planning you can have a great time! Britax’s Sarah Tilton has put together a quick recipe for success when traveling with kids.

Ingredients:

A convertible car seat and/or booster seat for each child

4-5 kids’ music CDs

10 soft toys

1 dash of sanity

6 water-filled sippy cups

4 different healthy snacks (give them options!)

2 window shades

National Baby Safety Month: Bath Time Safety

Bath time for many kids is one of the highlights of their day. I know that with Bubbles we now actually have to spell the word bath or she runs to the bathroom door and starts trying to wriggle out of her clothes like an escape artist. She isn’t that crazy about having her hair washed, but once that’s out the way, she plays happily until her fingers start to prune and she reluctantly lets us pull her out of the tub. While bath time is fun time, it unfortunately can also be dangerous. Being diligent while watching your child bathe is important, but there are also safety measures that you can take ahead of time to reduce the risks. Continue reading »

Favorite board books for toddler.

15 Fun Board Books Great For Young Toddlers

We’ve been lucky that Bubbles has enjoyed books and reading practically since birth. She loves to climb up with Mommy or Daddy and have us read her a book or five, often with multiple readings of each book. She is also equally content to sit and “read” on her own. Recently I observed her sitting with one of her “lift the flap” books where you’re trying to find a certain item, and as she lifted each flap, she’d shake her head and say “no” for each incorrect answer. It was pretty cute to watch.

We’re also fortunate that she has a very thorough library; we received a number of books from her baby showers, and we add to her collection on a regular basis. I loved books as a child and so it’s hard for me to resist buying when I spot a cute one. Some of them she has enjoyed more than others, so I thought I would share a list of 15 of our favorite board books. Most of them are ones that Bubbles brings to us daily, if not multiple times per day. If you know of anyone expecting, a few of these would make a lovely gift! Continue reading »

Views From the Ville

Melissa & Doug “Terrific Twenty” List and Giveaway

Looking For Hot Toys For Christmas?

Which one of the Terrific Twenty items would you most like to win?

Gain Extra Eyes And Ears With The VTech Safe & Sound Full Color Video And Audio Monitor

Baby Safety Month: Monitoring Your Child

9 Essential Ingredients For Safe Car Travel With Kids

Baby Safety Month: Safe Car Travel With Kids

National Baby Safety Month: Making Bath Time Safer

National Baby Safety Month: Bath Time Safety

15 Board Books For Young Toddlers

Favorite board books for toddler.