Parenting and Babies: Baby Talk Blog

These simple, plush baby blankets by Coyuchi are available in four attractive colors and are woven into a pleasing snowflake pattern. They’re soft, durable, and machine-washable, using natural, non-toxic dyes. Best of all, Coyuchi blankets are made from the finest certified-organic cotton, grown on farms in India and manufactured using all ecologically sound practices. The blankets are pre-shrunk to maintain their size, and are available in white, natural, baby blue, and chartreuse.

At 36” by 46”, these blankets are big enough to wrap your baby comfortably, but small enough to travel with or keep in the car. And they are so soft. I felt one myself and wanted to curl up with it and fall asleep right there!

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It’s long been known how valuable puzzles are for stimulating cognitive development and hand-eye coordination in young children. Different types of puzzles with different levels of difficulty are great for children of all ages. With that in mind, Melissa and Doug, a company that’s been making fine children’s products for over twenty years, offers a fantastic collection of puzzles for babies and very young children.

One of their most popular is this Vehicles Chunky Puzzle. The Melissa & Doug line of chunky puzzles is perfect for babies and toddlers because its large, easy-to-grasp pieces are perfect for little hands and stimulate the development of motor skills. The puzzle set includes nine pieces, each of which can also stand upright to be played with: three train pieces, an airplane, a police car, a fire truck, a school bus, a sail boat, and a cruise liner. Each piece also has a full-color image underneath.

Check out the full assortment of Melissa & Doug Kids’ Puzzles here.

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While searching around the internet for wooden toys for my two-year-old, I came across the website of a German manufacturer called HABA. HABA, which stands for High Quality Products and Age Appropriate Materials (in German of course!), not only makes some fantastic wooden toys, but is also a company that I can really get behind.

HABA is super environmentally friendly, and also treats its employees really well. Their corporate philosophy seems truly enlightened, and they’re dedicated to making classic toys that will not only be fun but also mentally stimulating. All their toys are made from all-natural European wood, and they don’t have any sort of synthetic materials or dyes or anything nasty like that.

Check out some great HABA wood toys here.

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Everyone wants their baby’s blanket to stand out—no humdrum piece of cloth will do! That’s why I’ve been trolling the internet for the most unique baby blankets I can find. Here are some of my favorites that I’ve come across so far. The Chenille Duo Blanket from Little Giraffe has a classy two-tone design and looks like it’s just as soft as can be! This blanket can also be monogrammed and embroidered for a little extra touch.

While that one’s a bit pricey, I also found an organic cotton baby blanket with an equally attractive design. Cotton is lightweight and breathable, and organic materials are important to consider in today’s world.

Well, I’m going to get back to the searching—I’ll let you know what I find!

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For years, Stephen Joseph has been making some of the highest-quality, most unique toddler backpacks available. They’re prized for their simplicity, functionality, and attractive designs. But, wanting Kayden’s first backpack to be special, I still couldn’t decide between their two most popular types of backpack, the Go-Go Backpacks and the Quilted Backpacks, so I did a head-to-head comparison. Here’s what I found:

- Design—I think I like the Go-Go Backpacks a little bit more in this category. I like the simply, flat, glossy images, and the Go-Go Backpacks come in more varieties for both genders.

- Comfort—A comfortable backpack is essential, or a child simply won’t want to wear it. I give this one to the Quilted Backpacks—the material is softer and the shape of the pack seems to be just a little bit easier on the back.

- Functionality—As far as I can tell, this one’s a tie. The Quilted Backpacks can hold a bit more and have multiple pockets, but the Go-Go Backpack is just so easy to clean, and totally stain resistant. They’re both durable and well-constructed, and are both the right size for a toddler about to enter preschool.

In my book it’s still a toss-up, but hopefully this will help you make a decision. Either way, I’m sure you’re child will love it!

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As I've written about here before, our family business is running an ecommerce store called sleepytimestore.com. We started off selling baby blankets, mostly Little Giraffe and Coyuchi organic ones, but then we added a line of blankets called Barefoot Dreams--and that's when the entire trajectory of the business changed.

Continue reading "Barefoot Dreams--a lesson in accidents" »

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Barefoot Dreams

Here's what prompted me to do it. I just came across a great blog. In fact, the blogger is just the sort of person I'd love to have writing for me (see the "calling all mom bloggers" post). Her post is, not surprisingly, about her discovery of the Barefoot Dreams line of clothes, blankets, and other goodies. Check it out here.

In case you're curious, here's what she wrote:

"This blog is for the ladies"

Continue reading "Barefoot Dreams Launch!" »

Posted by Scott at 12:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I could write a book about baby blankets. H and LC's baby blankets are one of those three or four things (right after BooBoo the dog, a few Mary Oliver and Rumi books, and our love letters) to grab if the house ever catches on fire. I shudder at the memory of one two-hour car daytrip with a 12-month-old H when we forgot to bring his blanky. Never again, believe me.

My babies simply NEED these things. They need them to sleep with most of all, but they also need them when they're sad orwhen they just want to get a little cozy. H has a way of wrapping his Little Giraffe blanket around his body and scrunching his shoulders up and down as a way to make a little nest, and one of LC's favorite pleas is for her "bink-ta." I was the same way. I finally gave my blanket up under intense pressure and an irresistible bribe (new bike) at the age of five. It was originally cotton with a silk border, I'm told, but all I remember of it is the silk because that's all that remained after about three years.

So it's partly the bittersweet body-memory of my dear blanky that inspired me to start a business around the Little Giraffe blankets my children love. (They both have the chenille ones with the silk border--blue for H and white for LC.) Our store is www.sleepytimestore.com--and I think it's a great source for baby blankets for gifts or especially for your own children. As I said, we carry a great selection of Little Giraffe blankets and a nice organic cotton baby blanket by Coyuchi, plus lots of other nursery bedding and crib sets. It's good to run a business that carries such a warm reminder of my own childhood. Come visit sometime.

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