Babies Gotta Have It

• I love the Huggy Buggy toddler push toys and baby push toys!  But I fear that it may become increasingly hard to find.  I actually got mine at a closeout store..and indeed, Hooray!, the kids company that makes the Huggy Buggy, seems to have gone out of business.  Which is super sad because besides the fact that these are fleecy, fun, sporty push toys that won’t scratch up your floors, they won lots of awards, are made from renewable resources, and from what I’ve read they are biodegradable too!
• There are still a lot of these available online and in stores.  Toys in the Mail, WOKiTS, Totally Tots, All In One Collectibles, Kids Stop, and Grand River Toys all still offer some Huggy Buggies.  Get them quick folks. And keep an eye out at Odd Lot and closeout stores as well.
• So since the Huggy Buggy is a rare species…anyone got a baby push toy they absolutely love?  Leave me a comment…leave me a link…I’ll check it out!
• UPDATE! HUGGY BUGGY HAS BEEN REBORN! Check out Rubbabu toys!  They are Huggy Buggy 2.0, come in all kinds of new colors, sizes and shapes, and are fantastic!

The first leaves are just starting to turn here in the Northeast. Mums have arrived at the farm stands. It’s time for apple picking and cider doughnuts. Time for corduroy pants, light cotton sweaters, new shoes and backpacks. It’s back to school time, and time also for a few new things for the kiddos!

To celebrate the release of their absolutely adorable fall line, Katie and Company, the gorgeous children’s clothing company based in my hometown of Lewisburg, PA, has graciously offered a $75 dollar gift certificate to be given away to one Babies Gotta Have It reader.  I fell in love with this company when I was home in July, and I’m so excited to be able to offer your kids a chance to own some of their exquisite clothing!

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:

1. Just take a swing by Katie and Company.
2. Come back, and leave me a comment (click on the word “Comments” below and scroll all the way down to the bottom to access form) telling me what item you’d use your gift certificate to purchase. It’s that easy!

Want an extra chance to win? Blog or twitter about this giveaway, leave me an additional comment letting me know (please include the url), and I’ll put your name in the hat twice! Not a blogger? Email a friend about the giveaway, cc me in the message at babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com (I promise I will not spam you or your friends - cross my heart) and you’ll have two entries. Make sure you include your email address with your entry.

With your entry, you will a become a Katie & Co. preferred customer. As such you’ll receive occasional emails making you the first to hear about all sales and Katie & Co. news!

Giveaway open to those with U.S. and Canadian mailing addresses. Gift Certificate good for all non-sale items.  Giveaway begins on Saturday September 20th and ends on Sunday September 28th at midnight Eastern Standard Time. On Monday September 29th, my baby girl will draw the winning name and I’ll email you immediately.  It’s not a terribly scientific drawing, but I assure you it could not be more random.  Thanks for entering!

Contest Closed.  WOW!  Thank you all so very much for entering!

I’ve kinda had it with batteries. I mean, don’t get me wrong.  All my baby wants to play with, really, is the cell phone and the TV remote. And after Dr. Oz informed my mother via “Oprah” this week that children really should not use cell phones because no research has been conducted regarding what effects cell phones have on developing brains (let alone grown-up ones I suspect), I am somewhat forbidden to allow her to do so.  Although I have attempted to limit the amount of plastic c-r-a-p that has invaded our small apartment, we do have a heck of a lot of it. And though the Elmo remote control does make fun sounds, I find myself yearning for more toys that do not light up and quack and move about on their own accord.  More toys that I can feel good about.

And then I was walking past this neat little boutique in my neighborhood called “Liberty House” on my way to get coffee, and saw this tea set made by Green Toys in the window.  I still got my coffee, but first I made a little detour into Liberty House and started my Christmas shopping early.

I love all the Green Toys products and here’s why:

• They are awesome. I love the way the Tea Set and Cookware and Dining Set both look.  They are plastic so they won’t break, and they are un-fussy and not too girly which appeals to the tomboy in me.  I look at the pictures and I, myself, want to play with them.  That tells me something.
• They are made in the good old U. S. of A.
• The primary ingredient used to make these toys is recycled milk jugs! Woo Hoo!  So maybe the guys in the basement aren’t just tossing out all that stuff I tote down there to recycle.  Someone is actually using it to make stuff!
• Even the packaging is green! All the toys are packaged in  recycled corrugated boxes with no plastics, cellophane or twist-ties, and are 100% recyclable. So that means it won’t take you three hours, a pair of pliers, and a phillips head screwdriver to open the darned thing while your kid screams that she just wants to “plaaaaaaay with her birthday present”.
• The toys have undergone the most rigorous safety testing and are Bisphenol-A free…so you can actually drink tea from your Tea Set!  Imagine that!

Yeah, tea or coffee, as the case may be.

While my baby girl is serving up some green tea, I’ll be slurping down a cup o BPA-free joe from her faboo Green Toys tea set.  Now that’s something baby’s just gotta have.