mommy likes to shop

sweetpea3 mp3 player

2009-02-22T14:19:00.009-05:00

My boys love music ... no I mean, they LOVVVVVE music! But like most toddlers their age (3 and 1 1/2), give them an object as fragile as a CD player or your common mp3 player and it will take them seconds to either break it or hide it in the most unusual spot ... like the dryer drawer, for instance. Then along came SweetPea3 ... an mp3 player specifically designed for infants and toddlers ... and the boys and I are all doing the happy dance.

I spotted it at the one of my fave local toyshops but didn't buy it right away. I googled for reviews (CNET and ZDNet) first and then ran back to the toyshop and snatched the last blue one. We've only had it for about a week but it has already been kid-tested and mommy-approved. Love it. Love it. Love it.

Powered by only 1 AA battery, the SP3 has an integrated speaker that generates good sound for its size. The 3 control buttons (back, start/stop and forward) are easy to use and, in my opinion, all your kids will need. The volume control is hidden, meaning that parents control the sound at least until the kids get older and hack into the parental controls. It has 1GB of memory and supports up to 3 playlists ... more than enough for our music collection.

The best part for us (aside from its obvious portability) is that the SweetPea3 comes preloaded with songs and stories that the boys have already fallen in love with. Lil C can be caught dancing and singing along to Suzie Tallman's "The Itsy, Bitsy Spider" when his big bro gives him a turn at the controls. While Big C will play "I've been working on the Railroad" again and again until the cows come home. Both are mesmerized by Jim Weiss' stories ... their first introduction to audiobooks/stories.

It's a perfect gadget for my little-audiophiles-in-the-making and I'm not surprised that it was voted top Battery-operated Toy of 2009 by the Canadian Toy Testing Council. Read the KidsTechReview article, to find out more.

stokke tripp trapp highchair

2009-02-18T19:47:00.018-05:00

Recently, a number of very chic-looking highchairs have entered the market, but for this wannabe-hip-mama, the Stokke Tripp Trapp remains my favourite. After the stroller, it was probably the biggest ticket item for my first baby. Believe me ... it is well worth the investment, particularly, if you value sharing the family table with your infant or toddler. My hubby and I are such great fans that we are now proud owners of 2 of these beauties (both lime green).

This highchair is not for the keep-the-mess-in-one-spot-obsessed. The dinner table becomes your child's tray and everyone sitting around the table his audience or target. We started pulling our first baby up to the dinner table when he was 8-mths-old and never regretted one messy moment. Today, with two toddlers (17 months and almost 3 years) sitting across from each other, our dinners typically last between 45 to 60 minutes and our 'conversations' can be down right hilarious. Our priceless interactions at the dinner table are countless, and, we owe it all to our Tripp Trapp highchairs for allowing us to integrate our boys into dinner activities so early.

It's comfortable, versatile, durable, grows with your child into adulthood ... in fact, there's so much to love about this highchair that I'm just going to give you a link about it's many great features.

WARNING: There is a YouTube video going around showing a baby tipping this highchair over while in it. My response is this: Anything is possible. The Tripp Trapp is not for all situations and parents need to be vigilant about watching their kids in any highchair. Friction will make ANY chair tip given the right conditions. Tripp Trapp's Safety Instructions will tell you more.

monte cubino chairs

2009-02-15T19:24:00.014-05:00

We have the orange loveseat and green chair and absolutely love them. Not only do they look fantastic in the familyroom, but have become more than just a comfy place for our 2 boys to sit on. Yes, often, I will find my toddlers reading or just sitting in them. At times, without any prompting from mommy or daddy, they have also become main props for imaginary play. Turn them upside down and they become a house/tent/cave with the seat cushion as a door. Line them up and it's a passenger train. And, oh my ... pile them up and the boys have a mountain to climb (this last activity is discouraged for obvious reasons).

Want other reasons to love them? These Monte chairs are hand-made in Canada. They're lightweight and durable. The seat and cushion covers are removable and machine washable. I haven't had to wash mine yet and I've had them for over 1 1/2 years ... but I turn a blind eye to minor drool or spit-up marks.

sprig discovery rig

2009-02-14T22:37:00.018-05:00

I hate to admit it ... with 2 boys under the age of 3, I have already amassed a huge pile of bad-for-the-planet toys and gear that David Suzuki would "tsk-tsk" at. So when I found the Sprig Adventure Series at my favourite local toy store while looking for Christmas presents for the boys, I bought the whole collection ... all three vehicles and a couple of extra little 'adventure guides'. These durable off-roaders are not only cute but also earth-friendly. They're made out of a composite of recycled wood and reclaimed plastic and runs without batteries. Oh, and Sprig Toys are made in Canada. Bonus!

The boys love the Discovery Rig best. Pushing it along powers the driver's headlamp and sounds. It's a little difficult to understand what each of the characters are saying but the kids don't really care. My 17-month-old gets to experiment with cause and effect ... push it and it will make funny sounds. And his flashlight-obsessed, one-month-shy-of-being-3 brother is in total awe of the headlamp on the adventure guides.

As for the 2 pump-powered vehicles (Rally Racer and Baja Scout), it may have been better if I had held off buying these until the boys were a little older as they slip away from their little hands when pumping it. Oh well. They'll figure it out eventually. FYI - our headlamp friends only sing and talk in the Discovery Rig. I noticed this after taking the Rally Racer out of it's packaging (made out of post-consumer material, of course).