The 2012 Caldecott Medal, presented to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children, went to A Ball for Daisy, written and illustrated by Chris Raschka. This charming story is told with no words, and it doesn’t need a one. It embodies the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
Spoiler alert: It’s a story about Daisy, an unstoppable dog, who loses her beloved ball (it actually explodes when another dog plays with it), and she falls into despair. Raschka delves into a gamut of emotions, such as sadness, loss, loneliness, happiness, and love. Thankfully, it has a happy ending.
It is a perfect book for interactive story time for you and your tot – especially one who is learning to form longer sentences (you can go through the book, verbalizing what is going on and ask your tot to do the same). Similar to the appeal of the silent film, images alone are sometimes so much more powerful (if you haven’t seen The Artist, get a sitter and go!).
I’m using this winner of a book to teach Chinese to my tots. It’s easy to convey meaning when you have perfectly illustrated pictures showing exactly what you are talking about. On Amazon
When it comes time for the “big girl or boy bed,” there are a few things to consider. Safety is number one: you don’t want mission- or slatted-style headboards and baseboards that little heads or feet can get stuck in. Durability is another biggie. Tots in new beds are known to jump and bounce around (whether we warn against it or not! What kid doesn’t love treating their bed like a trampoline?!). And practicality helps – some storage perhaps?
Today’s Tot Austin toddler bed has it all. With a solid, curved headboard and footboard there are no openings to entice little tot parts. It’s made of solid birch hardwood (no composites here) that is strong and durable, so it can happily take toddler abuse! And concerning functionality, it has a trundle drawer on metal runners underneath the bed that’s perfect for extra storage (and prevents little ones from hiding under the bed). And, of course, it comes with removable guardrails. You have a choice of cherry, natural, or oak finish to match any décor. So, as long as you’re not against putting it together yourself, the this is a great choice for after-the-crib and before-the-adult-bed. And at this price, you just can’t beat it!
On Babyage for $119.99 (marked down from $199.99 – and shipping is free!).
If you’re still trying to dissuade your tot from a living pet, why not try Huey first? Granted, it is a lamp, but it’s a robot glowing chameleon lamp that changes colors just like the real reptile. Huey will match the color of whatever surface he sits on. It’s not easy to explain to a small child how a chameleon actually has the ability to change color (how do they do that?), unless you have a cooperating Huey on hand. He will show your tot what a fantastical world we live in, in which science sometimes (almost all the time) seems like magic!
Wow, we had lava lamps, and now our kids have Huey the Color Copying Chameleon Lamp! That’s progress! At Think Geek for $29.99.
Let your girl dress down – and let her T-shirt dress up! This combines the concept of playing dress up with that of toying with dolls. Made of 100% organic cotton, you can choose between five different girls (your daughter will probably want the character with hair color that matches her own) and then she can choose the dress she wears.
Each comes with a Velcro bathing suit and a removable tutu dress (designed by Danielle Helmer), so you can buy additional outfits for your T-shirt friend.
This is a fun idea for little girls, but Lotty Dotty oddly carries this concept for grown women, as well. I wouldn’t recommend that – this is too cutesy, by far. Leave this for your daughter’s enjoyment only please!
At Lotty Dotty for $45.
Along with several partners, mom-of-two Jessica Alba just announced the launch of the Honest Company, an eco-friendly line of family essentials, which are available through a monthly subscription service at Honest.com. The safest and most sustainable products tend to be created by parents for parents, and there is no better mom for the job than Jessica.
“I’ve spent way too many hours researching products and driving around trying to find safer, eco-friendly options for my kids,” she says. “We had to make it easier.” Voila! After surveying moms all over the country to find out what families need most, the Honest Company launched a product line of diapers, wipes, bath and skincare, and household cleaning products all from natural, non-toxic ingredients.
They also make shopping as easy as possible. Each month, all the products are curated into a personalized bundle that’s not only made just for you and your family, it is shipped automatically. And this is just the beginning of their “honest” approach. Except much more to come from this earnest company.
Planning ahead is one of those things that sound like a good idea that somehow never comes through. Well, I’ll make it easy for you to start your warm weather preparation – get the suits ready before the weather turns nice and you’ll be sitting pretty with your lemonade in hand. The Mini Social is having a sale on Sunbusters swim wear, these all come with SFP so you get that added protection for peaceful mind when you are in blistering heat. Doesn’t that sound nice? The boardshorts are only $14 and the 2 piece suit with rash guard top is $24. There are a bunch of styles to choose from but like all sample sales, you must move fast. Shop now and feel good about being one step ahead.
What a great, fun way to reinforce that second (or third) language your tot is learning: French and Spanish Bingo! Covering six categories: animals, nature, market, colors, clothing, and vehicles, the game includes a pronunciation guide, along with colorful tiles to learn French or Spanish in a creative and enjoyable way. The object of the game is to fill a card with tiles by matching the pictures. And it is recommended for tots as young as three.
I just wish Eeboo had these clever Bingo games in more languages. I am trying (although, admittedly, not very hard) to teach my kids Chinese. Everywhere I turn, I am being tortured with guilt for not doing a better job. Maybe Eeboo can help me out!
There are so many resources available now (especially living in a melting pot like L.A.) that there is no excuse to avoid learning a new language. Forget dieting, my New Year’s Resolution is to teach my kids Chinese!
Spanish Bingo
I can’t imagine a bathing suit cuter than this: a juicy watermelon number, complete with full, seed-spotted peplum flair, for your little one to make a splash in. Peplum is a major trend for spring – not that your tot cares about what took over the runways, but this sweet feminine look is extra-cute on little girls.
Soft yet striking pink nylon is fully lined, and it even has lime-green piping as the rind, and an accenting bow to match. Summer is the time for fun, and that especially includes getting a little camera-happy. Oh, do take way too many pictures of your tots in their bathing suits. At the beach, in the pool, wherever – these are always the shots that inspire extra ooohs and ahhhs when you look back. When she’s posing in a suit like this, you’re bound to get particularly wistful. At Barneys New York for $68.
This is the coolest rocking chair ever! The crazy clear wheels and smooth seat make the Nurseryworks Vete Rocker look like it could roll away at any time, but that’s what’s so brilliant about this design. It has been created to produce the smoothest rocking motion you’ve ever felt (and no, you don’t roll away or tip over).
With suave looks and an even more seamless feel, Nurseryworks thinks about the parents, as well as the tots. This acrylic is 100% recyclable, meaning it wasn’t recycled but if you were to throw this out it could be (but why would you ever get rid of this? It can easily fit into your living room once the baby is out of the rocking stage. Actually, it’s likely to end up being the most popular chair in the house). Micro-suede is easy to clean, so go ahead and get the white!
For the modern parent with modern aesthetics, this will fit in your home like a dream. And probably rock you and baby right into one. At Art Bebé for $1,850.
You all know how much I love fantasy play structures. The most fantastical of them all are created by the renowned San Francisco builder and designer, Barbara Butler. She can literally turn your backyard into something straight out of Disneyland. In fact, Disney Productions (along with Robert Redford, Will Smith, and Kevin Klein) are clients. Barbara hand-designs each of her creations for a one-of-a-kind playhouse. But I use that term loosely – they aren’t just “playhouses.” She creates everything from comfy cabins to magnificent forts with flying bridges, sliding trap doors, and rock-climbing towers. Since Barbara believes children need their own special place to relax and feel free, she unleashes her extraordinary imagination to give them a truly magical place to call their own.
Equally impressive is her choice of green, Eco-friendly materials. She uses only natural, renewable resources, and even helps clients recycle, donate, and resell structures outgrown by children. Of course, they come with a price, ranging from over $13K for the Kew Garden Cottage to a whopping nearly $100K for Castle Ramparts!
These extravagant structures will last a lifetime – and will surely increase the value of your property. I would definitely pay more for a house that came with one of these! She can even build one big enough for grown-ups. You just may want your own private getaway!
Castle Ramparts, $92,800.
Country Cottage, $16,970.
Kew Garden Cottage, $13,860.
