Teach My Toddler

Teach My™ Toddler was created by (Canadian) mom, Christy Cook. When she was looking for items to help her toddler with the alphabet, numbers, colours and shapes she had a hard time finding things, especially pieces that worked together.

So....Teach My™ Toddler was created.

In a portable tote lies everything you need to help your toddler learn basic numbers, letters, colours and shapes. Each of the four sections comes with

• a fully coordinated puzzle
• board book
• teaching chart
  
• and flash cards

We've been using our Teach My™ Toddler kit with my 2 1/2 year old for about 2 weeks, for the recommended 20 minutes a day and we are more than impressed. Before, using the Teach My™ Toddler kit our toddler could identify about 50% of the alphabet and he is now pretty close to 100%. The other day we started using the letters in the puzzle to spell words, like cat, dog and other simple ones. He loves doing the puzzles and reading the books and you can tell the sense of pride and accomplishment he feels when he is playing.

Other than the clear learning advantages Teach My™ Toddler has helped make our toddler feel special. Since we have a new baby in the house, it's easy sometimes to forget that your toddler needs as much attention as the new baby. The 20 minutes a day have become a special time for him with Mommy or Daddy and he asks to play with his Teach My™ Toddler kit. In fact, in the morning it is the first toy he grabs and he insists that we play 'school' and he becomes the teacher -- the imaginative play aspect is a bonus!

I really like the fact that it's an all-in-one solution and that everything colour coordinates, as well I love seeing my little one's eyes light up when he goes "to work with his briefcase!"

Sew Cute: Personalized Baby Clothes & Unqiue Gifts

Review 1: My 2 1/2 year old daughter absolutely ADORES her personalized long sleeved shirt from Sew Cute! She wore it non-stop for the first weekend that she got it, showing it off to everyone she saw.

I am very impressed with the quality of the clothing. It is durable, soft and washes really well. The embroidery compliments the material perfectly and is top quality.
Sew Cutewear would definitely make a perfect, personalized gift for that new little one in your life. I highly recommend it!
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Review 2: When I choose my daughter's name I knew that she wouldn't be able to get her name on items like pencils or pens or other items. I am so happy that I have found Sew Cute. It's a great Canadian-based mom-owned company that makes personalized clothing and accessories for babies and kids!

I love the monogrammed pink hat , with her initial "M" on it that will fit her from now, about 8 weeks old until she is one. It is great for both the winter, as well as Spring and Fall and it washes really well.

The matching long sleeve t-shirt we purchased for her matched the hat and I really love the colour of the shirt - nice and bright!

Her big brother is so proud to wear his shirt with the words "Big Brother" on it! A really good idea for a present for a new sibling. I would suggest getting the next size up in these as they fit small.

And finally Maeve's pink personalized hooded towel, is perfect for bath time and in the summer will be useful at the beach as well.

I am really excited to have found Sew Cute and will keep them top of mind for all the upcoming baby showers and as my kids grow! It really makes them feel special to have a shirt or hat made especially for them. As well, what a great idea to keep the personalized gear for babies so when they are a little older they can use for dress-up with dolls and to keep as a very special keepsake.

Baby Nika

I can't tell you how much we love our Baby Nika blanket. It goes everywhere we go -- and everywhere we go people comment on how cute the cow print chenille blanket is.

This "Made in Canada" blanket is handcrafted with care and attention and will be with our baby from infancy onwards as she loves to cuddle with it.

The prints available are so hip and cute, from the cow print to giraffe and cheetah! It's a totally different take on the baby blanket and the chenille will keep baby warm and cuddly in this cold winter.

Best of all -- it washes really well and I've been able to get the stains out that come with having a newborn.

Baby Nika doesn't just make fabulous blankets. They also make the coats as well as The Can-Go-Roo™ bunting bag for strollers which is designed for infants to preschoolers and fits variety of strollers including: Bugaboo, Maclaren, Peg-Perego and many others.

Pippalily: A stylish way to get your hand back

I've had my Pippalily sling since the summer, but wanted to wait and post about it until after my second baby arrived.

And since her arrival a few weeks ago I've been wearing her around the house in my Pippalily sling. Having an active toddler and a newborn is challenging to say the least and trying to take care of the needs of my toddler, while keeping my newborn close to me is important.

There are a number of reasons why I really love my Pippalily sling -- including the fact that unlike the other pouch sling I own my Pippalily sling is very stylish and funky. I have the Sea Green Coriander in Cotton (pictured here). The 2 times I have been out of the house while wearing admiring moms have stopped and asked where they can get their own Pippalily sling!

There are lots of colours to choose from, including a fabulous camouflage one as well as Satin Brocade in various patterns and colours.

Pippalily's slings are handmade in Canada with the utmost attention to detail and style and sizing yourself for the sling to purchase is easy! You just order the size you are in a t-shirt (if you are in between sizes order the next size up)

And if you are new to the whole idea of babywearing they have amazing instructional videos on how to wear your baby in different positions. It's makes it easy to see how to wear your little one!

Sugar and Spice Hairbows and Accessories

Sugar and Spice Bows have a large variety of adorable, girly hair accessories to offer. Their designs are colourful, fun and unique.



Their hair clip is made for even the finest of baby hair and it does indeed work! Made with good quality materials, these clips are very durable. At very reasonable prices, these hair clips are a definite must for every young girl.

Not many hair accessories will stay in my daughter's hair, but the grippy clippy did! It stayed in until I took it out. I am so excited to have found a product that will work with my daughter's hair.

Febe Bebe:Makers of Fine Droolers & Bibs

Ok, I'll admit it. I am jealous of the talent of Sarah Howard. A few years ago I was introduced to her artwork and I knew that I could never (ever) dream of painting anything like what she could! Before York Region Baby in early 2006, my friend and I had started an online store that only sold items made by Canadian moms. We sold her amazing paintings to a number of very happy customers. And oer the past few months I've been eyeing her site as our nursery is being finished for our new little girl, who is set to arrive any day.

What's even more amazing is that on top of her very successful art business, she has 3 small children and has just started another business!

Before starting Mump & Grump Studios, Sarah made these very sophisticated bibs and droolers for a small store in her hometown and decided to start up again after her third child (who the company is named after) came along and was, shall we say very drooly.

Sarah started Febe Bebe as a Canadian answer to the stylish, functional bib that has been lacking in our market. Like all things fashionable the bibs and fabrics are always changing to keep up with the latest styles.

Sarah says "I had been through the cutesy teddy bear stuff, and was looking for something that would stand out! It was also important to have something that would be soft on my baby's skin, and was made with non-toxic materials."

The craft-momship is truly amazing and makes a fabulous new baby gift and what's even better is that the bibs are 100% vinyl free and are individually handmade in Canada.

Just Jill: Handmade Love for your Little Ones

Product Name: Blankets, Onesies & Shoes from Just Jill

Description: Handcrafted cozy blankets,cuddly quilts, huggable pillowcases, cute shoes and onesies! Just Jill uses the softest, coziest fabrics. Vibrant modern prints and fun, whimsical fabrics are stylish and eye catching.

Review: Just Jill is an Etsy based store from Oakville, creating truly one of a kind blankets, shoes and onesies for babies. I ordered a pair of super cute cotton shoes in size 0-6 moths, in the ever-so-funky 'sock monkey' fabric and matching onesie. I ordered it for a shower gift -- but loved it so much I kept it for my new baby! The quality of the product is truly outstanding, and I can't wait to put the little cute shoes on our sweet little monkey! Just Jill also makes amazingly hip blankets for little ones, and I fell in love with a great blanket which will be great to use as nursing coverup, stroller or just to snuggle with. It's the perfect size to fit into a diaper bag, with cotton on one side and soft minky on the other.

All of the products have washed really well, and I love how inexpensive the shipping is on these products, and that they arrived within a day or two of ordering, and the fact that by purchasing from a small designer I was supporting a small business! You can view the newly added designs from Just Jill here, as well you can visit Just Jill at The Children's Trunk Show in November to pick up some great gifts for baby.

Belly Casting Kit from The Better Baby Company

Product Name: Belly Casting Kit from The Better Baby Company

Review:7:49 – Dinner is over and my toddler is with his grandma. I finally have uninterrupted time to start my belly cast.

Following the directions, I set up a chair and drape it with the plastic sheet provided. It’s Sunday

night and the Amazing Race is about to start so I put the chair near the tv. I get my husband to fill up a bowl of water. We cut the plaster strips according to the instruction sheet – the messiest part about the whole process as plaster dust settled over our coffee table – and we lay everything out like we are doing surgery. My husband is skeptical about the cast but gets into it a little more as he realizes its plaster of Paris. It reminds us of our childhoods and we reminisce about art projects gone wrong!

As I read the instructions, I like the individuality of the casting process – you can do whatever you want and decorate it however you want. I decided to only do my belly but according to the box and the website lots of women choose to do their entire torso, breasts included. I sat in the chair with a towel protecting my pajama pants and my husband started to apply the strips of plaster we had cut. I recommend using an old towel as protection for clothing as the strips do drip a little and it made clean up a breeze. He laid the strips across my belly slowly building up the layers. We chatted and laughed (and watched the tv) and genuinely enjoyed ourselves. Generally when our toddler is at Grandma’s we use the time to catch up on other stuff and don’t spend quality time together. I was a little apprehensive to start the cast because I thought it would take a lot of time and require a lot of clean up. It really didn’t. We were done in less than half an hour and the clean up was about 5 minutes – including vacuuming the plaster dust from our coffee table.

8:19 – I sit back to continue watching the Amazing Race and wait for the cast to harden. I am pleased with how easy it was to do. When we are done my husband says that was kind of fun and I agreed. Now I must wait 48 hours to decorate it and I am trying to decide what method I should use. I’m a scrapbooker so the ideas are flowing. I don’t know that I personally will keep this for life but it was really fun and easy and gave my husband and me something to bond over with the baby-to-be.

Classic Sling from the Better Baby Company

Product Name: Classic Sling from the Better Baby Company

Description: A ring sling for babywearing

Price: $69.99-$74.99

Function: For parents to wear their baby/toddler

Review #1:

I’ve always been a little hesitant of ring slings, don’t ask me why, I just have. I think it’s because they just look so darn complicated.

But, after testing and trying the Classic Sling in Blue & Green Stripes (Size Long) I’m addicted.

When I opened the Sling Package from The Better Baby Company, there was a instruction manual with pictures that I followed and was able to be ‘up and running’ in a few minutes. Being nearly 6 foot and having a husband who is over 6 foot the size Large suited us both well. Our toddler loves being able to be carried by both ‘mama’ and ‘dada’. (and so do I!!) I also love that because the ring sling is adjustable, it’s easy to wear over a coat or winter jacket.

I also love that this baby/toddler sling is handmade in Canada, and that it’s stylish and a great price! For $74.99 for a long size and $69.99 for a regular size sling, it is well worth the investment in a sling that takes you from newborn to toddler.

Review #2:

Slings are a lifesaver for new Moms and not-so-new Moms! When your baby is very young and needing to be held, rocked, bounced, etc., it can be very tiring! When your child is older (e.g. toddler age) and cutting teeth or sick and needing extra love and attention, it can be backbreaking trying to lift them and carry them around.

The Better Baby Company makes a top quality sling for parents. It comes in six fashionable colours made from top quality fabric. They are sewn with 'wear and tear' in mind, and trust us, you will get a lot of wear out of this product. The aluminium rings are durable and provide for simple adjustments of your sling.

One unique feature of the The Better Baby Company's sling is the storage pouch in the tail of the sling for carrying an extra diaper, your bank card, a hat or receiving blanket etc. This pouch is a convenient addition to their sling.

The slings come in two sizes and each allow for plenty of adjustment room to fit your comfort needs and your growing baby.

The sixteen page instruction booklet comes complete with pictures and is easy to follow, guiding even the newest of parents through the six different wearing positions.

Baby wearing is definitely the way to go and with the The Better Baby Company sling, you will definitely be satisfied. You can carry your baby or child without getting tired, Moms can breastfeed discreetly and you can look stylish all at the same time.

Top 10 reasons for buying a sling from The Better Baby Company

• Wearing your baby is convenient for you!
• Wearing your baby promotes physical development.
• Babies worn in slings are more content.
• Using a sling can help prevent Positional Plagiocephely ("baby flat-head").
• Slings allow for proper bone and joint development.
• Baby wearing helps you to communicatewith your baby and her with you.
• Slings are a bonding tool for fathers, grandparents,and other caregivers.
• Slings are a safe and secure place for a baby or toddler to be.
• Slings are economical.
• Slings are an emotionally safe place for children to experience life.

Little Star Sling available at Baby~ola

Product Name: Little Star Sling available at Baby~ola
Description: Cotton and Hemp Baby Slings
Price:$45.00
Review: I though my babywearing days were over! With a 27 pound (wiggly) toddler I could no longer where him the front carrier (that I wish I had never had bought!) as his legs dangled down and it just wasn't working. But I still wanted the ease of being able to not have to talk my stroller and shopping with ease and comfort. Last fall I was in Baby~ola and was attracted to the new slings they has just got in. There were denim, black, olive cotton ones and hemp ones as well. I decided to give it a whirl and put my toddler into the sling. At first it was a no-go! He wanted nothing to do with it, but after attempting a few more times, he liked being up high and seeing what I saw, and I liked how small it was. I could literally put it on in 2 seconds and carry it in my purse.

Last December we went away to Cuba, and decided to forgo the stroller and just take my Little Star Sling! It was the best thing we could have done!! In the airports we walked easily carrying our luggage, we strolled down the beach and I wore him whenever he asked! I really think the Little Star Sling has helped us become a little closer as well, as we spent lots of time close together and bonded!

I am looking forward to continue wearing my toddler, and hopefully any future babies!