Reviews for Furniture & Decor
Personalized Meal Time Plate Sets $29.99 and up at Olive Kids |
Personalized gifts are fun to give — and kids love seeing their names on anything. These personalized melamine kids plate and placemat sets make great gifts and are super functional! The plates and placemats (also sold separately) are a newer product line offered by Olive Kids, a New Hampshire-based mom and dad company that, in addition to designing kids tableware, offers kids bedding, clocks, floor pillows, and other kids room decor items. Olive Kids’ design themes are simple and nostalgic, from “Flowerland,” “Mermaids,” and “Tea Party,” for girls, to “Under Construction,” “Ride ‘Em Cowboy,” “Dinosaurland,” and “Out of this World,” for boys. As you may know, all kids tableware sets are not created equal. These sets are of exceptional quality — the plates are solid and the mats are well-laminated to withstand washing. And, because the many themes Olive Kids offers are carried throughout the product lines, you can continue to purchase gifts from the same theme — for instance, sheets, comforter, clock and tableware — all with the “Out of this World” space theme. Or have fun and mix up the themes. There are plenty to choose from!
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Whether you and your grandchildren are in the heat of the baseball season and loving every moment of it, or muddling through the off-season, Ballpark Classics is a wonderful way to celebrate the game together indoors. Ballpark Classics is a finely crafted 3-dimensional hardwood game resembling a ballpark and equipped to simulate just about any scenario possible between pitcher and batter. Fastballs, sliders, walks, strikeouts, home runs — anything’s possible! The “pitching pipe” allows you to adjust your thumb and fingers to throw different types of pitches — and as with any game, practice makes perfect. When hitting, there is a mechanism that actually lets you feel the ball hitting your bat, so whether you hit a single (through a gate in the fence), or a home run (over the fence or back up the pitching pipe), you can actually experience the satisfaction of it as you might experience it playing the actual game in an actual park. The game is fast-paced and realistic, which makes it appealing to the younger generations (great for kids 8 and up). And older generations love the heart and soul that was clearly put into the design of Ballpark Classics — it takes just one look to realize that a long-time baseball fan conceived it. In fact, Doug Strohm developed the first version of the game as a teenager in 1976. Thousands of hours of product development time have passed and what you have is a beautifully nostalgic game with a design inspired by some of our country’s beloved ballparks. It even includes some vintage advertisement decals so you can personalize your park. There are no batteries or electricity needed, and it’s made in USA! So connect with your family members face-to-face, and enjoy America’s great pastime year-round. And as of Spring 2009, you can now special order some of your favorite ballparks! Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, Citi Field, Wrigley Field, Dodger Stadium and Busch Stadium. Surprise the baseball fans in your life — not just for grandkids!
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We recently took our first long car ride with the Snack & Play Travel Tray by Star Kids. Our trip was more relaxed than usual because our 4 year-old daughter was able to entertain herself without as much reaching, dropping, and asking for help. The Snack & Play Travel Tray was created by a entrepreneurial mom who wanted to address a problem recognized by most parents — how to keep young children occupied, self-sufficient and happy, with toys, snacks, etc., during extended travel in the car, plane or stroller. What’s novel about this tray is that it is just firm enough to color or roll toys on, yet is still soft and comfortable on a child’s lap. It can be used with any car seat, booster or stroller, and has a mesh pocket hanging from each side so your grandchild can store toys, cups, snacks, etc. This, in conjunction with the fact that the tray itself has a border around it, means a lot less reaching back to hand-over or pick-up hard-to-reach toys. The Snack & Play is manufactured in accordance with European standards, the strictest regulations in the world, and has been crash tested by a federally recognized testing facility — the tray system’s softness makes it much safer than other trays in the case of an accident. The fabric wipes clean and is certified lead and phthalate-free.
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Recently my kids and I have had the pleasure of playing with some of the wooden toys handcrafted by Tom Seal, of Bearded Seal Woodcrafts. We especially appreciate fine handcrafted wooden toys, and these are some of the finest we’ve seen. Tom custom-makes each product entirely by hand. He received his earliest inspiration as a child wandering the forests of his native Pacific Northwest. By high school he was crafting wood, and then honed his skills studying fine arts in college. He applies this appreciation of wood, as well as his knowledge of how to expertly craft it, into each of his products — from vintage wooden cars to classic wooden tangram puzzles. My kids have been vroom vroom’ing around non-stop with a gorgeous classic Ford mustang crafted from Makore & Bolivian Rosewood ($32). The tangrams set is crafted using American Black Walnut, and comes packaged in a decorative silk travel pouch, along with plenty of suggested tangram puzzles ($17 for domestic wood or $22 for exotic). We love tangrams, and what a treat it is to be able to play on such a beautiful set. If you and your grandchild enjoy logic puzzles (and also have some pretty good fine motor skills!), Tom also sells several other logic puzzles, such as a Sword puzzle and 2 Ring puzzle (both $7), as well as games, such as Marble Solitaire ($18). Tom’s signature pieces are his line of beautiful handcrafted wooden rocking horses. The Rocking Thoroughbred can be custom-ordered and made with any of the woods Tom uses (average price is $460). Or choose from various designs crafted from Pine and stained as light Golden Pecan to dark Walnut colors ($134). For a small fee, Tom can add a personalized inscription on many of his pieces. All of Tom’s wooden creations make fantastic kids gifts and, incidentally, are sure to delight all of us grownups, too!
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The TickleMe Plant (Mimosa Pudica from seeds) kids gift is a great science kit for ages 5 and up and fun for the entire family. Kids can experience the joy and responsibility of growing their own TickleMe plants from seeds, and then interact with them. Once the plants’ mature leaves have grown (within a month under the right conditions), you and your grandchild can literally tickle them and watch them move. This kit includes a reusable recycled plastic greenhouse (the gift’s packaging) to help nurture the seeds, as well as 3 TickleMe seed packets (with 10-20 Mimosa Pudica seeds and growing instructions on the back), 6 flower pots, 6 soil pellets and 10 science experiment ideas, such as: Use a toothpick to try to find out which part of the TickleMe Plant is most sensitive to touch. TickleMe plants can be re-potted when they are big enough and brought outside once temperatures don’t dip lower than 65 degrees. Seeds will take longer to grow in rooms that are cooler than 70 degrees. The company’s website has a Growing Tips section with specific instructions for growing, including tips for the Fall and Winter seasons. And for a budget-friendly gift idea under $10, TickleMe Plants sells a Mini greenhouse gift package that includes 1 seeds packet, 1 flower pot and 1 soil pellet for $5.95. This is a great birthday party favor idea as you can purchase 6 mini kits for $29.95. Parents may also want to mention the idea to teachers, as the company sells classroom science kits. TickleMe Plant Company was actually founded by a science teacher and, thus, has that seal of approval. A fun, creative, and educational gift idea!
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The Message Marquee is a portable, wearable or mountable (if desired) light-up message board that can be used for work or play, and that the entire family will enjoy. The concept is simple. Use the black wipe-off marker to write a message on the front white-board of the Message Marquee. Turn it on and little flashing white lights surround the white-board message. Just like a marquee! Your grandchild may decide to hang it on the bedroom door with a “I’m studying” message, or family members can wear a “Happy Birthday” marquee to help celebrate someone’s special day. I’ve been using it to get my kids’ attention on school mornings and urge them to “Get Ready!” It’s a little bit silly but can help get a point across in a fun, smile-provoking way. Perhaps your grandchild could find a use for it during school presentations — or younger kids (with supervision) could use it for dramatic play setups. However your grandchild and family members choose to use it, the Message Marquee gets the point across!
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Peg Loom -- Weaving for Beginners$20 at Amazon.com |
We love Harrisville Designs’ fiber arts kits that teach children how to use their hands to make something functional and beautiful. This Peg Loom kit for beginners (ages 5 and up) is just one of several weaving kits Harrisville sells, in addition to kits for making potholders, knitting, felt making, and more. It includes a child-size handheld hardwood loom with slanted pegs to hold yarn in place, as well as a plastic needle, cotton warp string, and enough yarn to complete a project. This weaving method is easy and satisfying for younger children to use — threading the needle over and under the warp string until they produce their own fabric. And, with a little help from you, they can transform that fabric into their own textile product! Peg Loom and other fiber arts projects help your grandchild to develop fine motor, basic math and concentration skills. And, as an added bonus, they have great intergenerational appeal — it’s easy to envision a grandparent or parent sitting with a child to guide them through a weaving project. While they go about their business of producing high quality knitting yarns and handweaving equipment for both children and adults (check out their website to see their full-size looms and other products), Harrisville Designs is helping to preserve the textile heritage of its town, Harrisville, New Hampshire, where yarn has been spun since 1794. In an age where so many children’s toy and product manufacturers struggle to design something new, it’s refreshing to promote a line of products that keeps an ancient art current, making it available to an appreciative new generation, as well as their parents and grandparents.
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First of all, we love the entrepreneurial success story behind this product. Louise Stall, the inventor of CARES — Kids Fly Safe airline safety harness, is a grandmother of 9 who was inspired to make airplane travel safer for her own grandchildren and for all young children. As she watched her own kids struggle to fly with her small grandchildren, Louise recognized a problem that most of us have encountered. Normal airline seat belts are not safe for toddlers and preschoolers, and it’s nearly impossible to lug a car seat onto the plane along with carry-ons and children themselves. Sketches and work to file for a patent eventually led to a partnership with AmSafe who also manufactures most of the airline seat belts found on today’s flights. After 4 years of developing and testing the prototypes for safety, the FAA certified the CARES system as the first and only alternative to car seats allowed on planes. The best thing about the CARES system, aside from peace of mind, is that it weighs just one pound. It’s packaged in a small nylon travel pouch with an instructional dvd and a safety card similar to the one found on airplanes. It can fit easily in a carry-on bag or can even be carried by your grandchild. When installed, the restraint system itself looks similar to a 5-point harness system used in an infant or toddler/convertible car seat. It should be noted that installation varies slightly depending on the type of airline seats and tray tables on the plane (and this is clearly diagrammed on the instructional safety card). On seats with a “non-recessed” tray table the CARES is installed under the tray table of the person behind you (allowing that person to use the tray table). Thus the CARES can be used throughout the entire flight. On seats where the with a “recessed” tray table, the CARES is installed over the tray table, thus it can only be used during taxi, takeoff and landing. Cares is designed for children age 1 and older who weigh between 22 and 44 pounds. Louise and her family-run business suggest that airlines should be required to carry and offer the CARES restraint to any child flying with them who fits that profile — and that sounds good to us. In the meantime, if you have grandchildren who fall in that range consider presenting them (and their parents!) with this gift of safety and convenience, invented and brought to market by a concerned and industrious grandparent — bravo!
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Project Table Two Stool Set$375 at Ecotots |
We’re always looking for children’s products that are made here in the U.S. using eco-friendly materials and practices. Ecotots kids furniture, including this table and stool set, are all that and more! First, every one of this company’s pieces are beautifully designed for aesthetics, function, and ease of assembly. The parts are made from 100% formaldehyde-free renewable birch Smartwood, and fit together in minutes without any hardware, tools or glue. Ecotots’ patented Lip & Groove and Slide Lock assembly system also makes disassembly, storage and transport easy. We love the clean, modern look of the furniture, as well as the colors to choose from (fire, leaf, cocoa and clear) — each derived from non-toxic water-based stains with U.V. cured finishes to minimize greenhouse gases. Ecotots takes their environmental practices seriously, and are Forest Stewardship Council accredited, Rainforest Alliance certified, and a member of the Sustainable Furniture Council. The pieces also come with a lifetime construction guarantee. Ecotots produces upscale and stylish children’s furniture that is also practical and environmentally responsible — this is a gift you can feel great about giving!
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Deglingos are the most creatively designed plush stuffed animals on the market today. Whether you choose familiar creatures, like Nonos The Dog, Ronronos The Cat, Lapinos the Bunny or Milkos the Cow — or less traditional friends, like Molos The Lobster (see photo), Pikos The Hedgehog, Ratos The Rat, BigBos The Wolf, or Chikos The Hen — be prepared to adjust your thinking on what plush toys, or stuffed animals, are all about. Yes, Deglingos are perfect for cuddling, but they’re also conversation starters. These animals have personalities (sense of humor included), giving you and your grandchild a starting-off point for imaginary play. We could go on and on about the wide varieties of colors and quality fabrics used to create these unique designs and personalities, but you should see for yourself. Deglingos are sure to delight!
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