Babies Gotta Have It

I am a tee shirt and jeans kind of gal.  There’s just no denying it.  I may live in one of the most fashionable cities in the world, but I am a bit fashion challenged I must confess.  Lately though, since I have been treading the boards on the Broadest of Ways, I’ve had a real yen to kick it up a notch.  In the effort to embrace but yet improve upon my personal style, I’ve been on a quest to identify what it is that I like, and then expand upon it.  If I’m gonna be a tee shirt and jeans gal, then I should search out the best, coolest, most luxurious tees and jeans I can find (on the sale racks at Anthropologie).  And then dress them up!

I’d noticed a lot of super cool NYC Mamas wearing hand stamped jewelry with their kids names or initials on them.  When it comes to jewelry, I like simple, elegant pieces that don’t get in my way when I’m trying to shovel peas doused in yogurt into the Bean’s mouth.  A silver hand stamped necklace with her name on it seemed like a lovely choice.  So I trolled the internet until I found Joseph Allen Designs.

There is a lot of hand stamped silver jewelry available online right now, but just from the look of Joseph Allen’s photos I could tell his pieces are different. As he says on his site:

All of the pieces I sell are hand made by me. The biggest difference between my necklaces and most others that you find is that the pieces that I offer are carved and casted. The thickness of the pendants range between 1-3 mm. About the thickness of a dime to slightly thicker than a nickel.  I use only high quality Argentium Sterling Silver in all the casted pieces that I make. This alloy replaces some of the copper with metalloid germanium to make it the most tarnish resistant sterling silver available. I also like to put a sand-blasted finish on the pieces. It gives them a great look and feel and adds to their uniqueness.

I couldn’t say it any better myself.  Right before I went back to work, I bought the Medium Disc Necklace with my husband and baby’s names both stamped on it.  Sappy, I know, but as I reentered the land of the working, it felt really nice to have them both with me on a necklace.  I absolutely love it.  The disc is incredibly high quality and has such a satisfying weight and feel.  And the fact that Joseph casts the pieces himself gives them a texture and totally unique appearance that I just love.  These necklaces look like a million bucks.  I ordered the  Open Triangle Necklace for my sister-in-law for her birthday with the names of her three children stamped on the sides.  She and her children both love it.

I like this craftsman’s work so much that I approached him about hosting a giveaway of his jewelry and I’m so delighted that he said yes.  Needless to say, one of these necklaces would make an affordable and absolutely beautiful holiday gift for a friend, aunt, mother, grandmother…you name it.  And one of you will win one!  Want to enter?  Read on!

To Enter the Joseph Allen Designs Necklace Giveaway

• MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Swing by Joseph Allen Designs and browse his selection of beautiful Hand Stamped Silver Necklaces.  Come back and tell me which style you’d choose if you won. Entering is that easy!
  

***Want extra chances to win? After you have made your first entry as described above, do anything listed below and leave me additional comments for each one letting me know what you did!  Maximum of seven entries per person.

• Follow me on Twitter (click the birdy button on the left to do so easily) and Tweet this giveaway (I’ve even made it easy for you, just cut and paste):  I just entered to win a Hand-Stamped Silver Necklace from Joseph Allen Designs @BabiesGottaHavT http://tinyurl.com/yace8a5
• Blog this giveaway (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
• Subscribe to my blog using the button on the left
• Grab my button and put in on your blog or website! Button code is in the right sidebar. Leave the link in your entry.
• Become a Fan of Babies Gotta Have It on Facebook–just click the link on the left sidebar!
• Email your friends about the giveaway and link to the giveaway post! cc me in the message (babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com)–I promise I will not spam you or your friends. Cross my heart

Your email address will remain private and not be shared with anyone. Giveaway only open to those with U.S.  addresses. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway begins on Monday November 30th and ends on Friday December 11th at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Saturday December 12th,  Random.org will select the winner I’ll email you immediately. After my daughter called Larry the Cable guy the last time she did a drawing, we have decided to take a little vacation from her choosing the winner. Random.org is in no way as cute and unpredictable as my daughter, but it is much more efficient and does not use any pieces of paper, even recycled ones. I am sure you will understand. Thanks for entering! Disclosure: Joseph Allen Designs is offering the necklace for the winner of this giveaway.  I was not compensated in any way for this post. All views and opinions with regard to the product or company itself are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by the company prior to posting.

UPDATE: Random.org says “Result: 52″  Congratulations Shannon Mathena!  Thanks to all who entered!

So it’s Black Friday. I love Black Friday.  Maybe I’m the only one.  But my mother and grandmother and I have always enjoyed a big shopping day on the day after Thanksgiving.  When I was small we went to a wonderful downtown department store called Hess’s in Allentown, PA  (sadly no longer in existence) and dined at a restaurant inside the store!  I remember eating french fries and drinking vanilla cokes while very glamorous models strode by our table wearing clothes you could actually buy right there at Hess’s.  My mother is so committed to Black Friday and the amazing door busters that she once waited in line at 5:30 am to get a free ten dollar gift card…in a wheelchair!  She had broken her leg while hiking and insisted that my brother and I wheel her there in the freezing pre-dawn madness of late November anyway.

But I understand that we may be alone in this view.  I am aware that the mall on the day after Thanksgiving can be something of a nightmare.  I love to shop as much as the next gal, but I do feel that we may be going a wee bit overboard in our holiday purchasing these days.  At least in my family.  My mother also used to say “Well, you know, the Kennedys just write each other poems for Christmas!”  Needless to say, the Kennedy kids probably weren’t really lacking for socks and underwear and Ataris so poems probably were okay by them.  I thought that was a horrible idea at the time.  Now, I start to wonder…

I’ve been on the quest for some gift options that won’t contribute to the stuffification of my tiny apartment and might even give a little bit back to the world.  Now I’m not saying I want to get rid of Christmas presents entirely…but maybe I can pepper in a few greener, more generous, gifts as well.   Want to join me?

Check out Oxfam America Unwrapped.  I totally love this idea and I totally love this site.  Oxfam America is an international relief and development program, dedicated to creating lasting solutions to poverty, hunger and injustice.  Among leading humanitarian organizations, they are unique in that they are completely independent and accept no government money or money from any other sources that would compromise their ability to speak frankly about injustice.  How awesome is that?

So go to Oxfam America Unwrapped, and you can buy gifts that will truly help those who need it most–and still stay within your budget!  For only $12 you can contribute much needed soap to stop the spread of disease and keep a child healthy.  $18 buys a pack of seeds or mosquito nets.  For $20 you can contribute two school uniforms or irrigate a farmers’ fields for two months.  And those are just a few of the gifts available for under $25 (the selection is really super fun and I just have to mention that I’m totally giving my brother manure for Christmas this year).  When you buy a gift from Oxfam Gifts, your recipient gets a card with an image of your specific gift, and your donation profoundly affects the lives of people around  the globe.  Check out the Gifts in Action page on the Oxfam America Unwrapped site to see just how these donations help people in over 100 countries worldwide.

Manure for your little brother.  Chicks for your favorite Chicks.  Yeah, that’s something baby’s definitely gotta have.

Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Oxfam America Unwrapped and received a credit for a gift on the Oxfam site.

In New York City the Holiday decorations go up immediately after the Halloween ones come down.  This seems a little quick to me.  But when you do the math…well, suffice it to say that as of today there are only 33 days until Christmas.  I’ve said it in the past but I’m a total sucker for the holidays.  I love the decorations.  I love the shopping.  I love the baked goods.  I love it.

I also really do enjoy writing and sending…and even more than that receiving holiday cards.  Now for years I bucked the trend and insisted on hand writing individual notes to everyone.  But eventually this just got to be ridiculous.  So I settled for what I hoped were very funny and rather creative form letters (still kind of makes me cringe to confess that).  I am a bit saddened, though, by the fact that it seems fewer and fewer famlies are sending out holiday cards at all.  I know everyone is busy at this time of year.  But I think holiday cards are really really special and worth moving closer to the top of the December priority  list.  I for one love looking at photos of couples and babies and pets.  I love reading about your kids soccer seasons and science fair projects.  And I think there is real value in making contact with far-flung friends and family.  Even if it’s only once a year.

So maybe writing a  holiday letter is just not going to happen with all that you have going on this year.  Why not consider a photo card?  There are wonderful websites out there that make creating beautiful and creative photo holiday cards really easy!  Consider a collage card, with snaps from throughout the year.  Maybe you don’t have time to write about all everything you did, but the photos are a wonderful way to share those events anyway!

I have recently become acquainted with Paperspring.com — a site that offers beautiful personalized photo holiday cards as well as birth announcements, invitations, personalized stationery, digital name art and more, printed on (and this is what really excites me) 100% recycled cardstock.  Paperspring has made a genuine commitment to green printing.  Read all about their soy inks, lower VOC compounds in their cleaning products, low waste printing, and recycling efforts here.

And did I mention they have oodles of delicious holiday designs to choose from?  They do.  And did I mention all shipping from Paperspring.com is free?  It is.  Oh and did I mention that you can get 20% off all holiday card orders between now and December 6th with the code HOLIDAYCARD? You can.

So listen.  No more excuses.  No more delays.  Go back through all those digital pics you took this year, find some fun and funny and delightful ones, and make some holiday cards and then send one to me because I want to get some friggin mail this holiday season.  Don’t worry if you’re not all wearing Santa hats and looking like a GAP ad.  Don’t worry if the light is kind of dim or Aidan has pudding on his face or Grandma is asleep in the background.  For the record, that’s the holiday card that I totally want to see!

Need another little shove in the right direction?  Paperspring.com is offering one lucky Babies Gotta Have It reader a $60 Gift Certificate to their site!  Want to enter?  Read on!

To Enter the Paperspring.com Giveaway

• MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Check out the selection of beautiful photo cards on Paperspring.com. Come back and leave a comment saying which style you’d choose if you won!  Entering is that easy!
  

***Want extra chances to win? After you have made your first entry as described above, do anything listed below and leave me additional comments for each one letting me know what you did!  Maximum of eight entries per person.

• Follow Paperspring on Twitter - just click this link!
• Follow me on Twitter (click the birdy button on the left to do so easily) and Tweet this giveaway (I’ve even made it easy for you, just cut and paste):  @Paperspring and @BabiesGottaHavT love photo holiday cards! Win a $60 Gift Certificate today! http://tinyurl.com/y8ttdp3
• Blog this giveaway (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
• Subscribe to my blog using the button on the left
• Grab my button and put in on your blog or website! Button code is in the right sidebar. Leave the link in your entry.
• Become a Fan of Babies Gotta Have It on Facebook–just click the link on the left sidebar!
• Email your friends about the giveaway and link to the giveaway post! cc me in the message (babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com)–I promise I will not spam you or your friends. Cross my heart

Your email address will remain private and not be shared with anyone. Giveaway only open to those with U.S.  addresses. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway begins on Sunday November 22nd and ends on Sunday December 6th at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Monday December 7th (still plenty of time to get your cards out!),  Random.org will select the winner I’ll email you immediately. After my daughter called Larry the Cable guy the last time she did a drawing, we have decided to take a little vacation from her choosing the winner. Random.org is in no way as cute and unpredictable as my daughter, but it is much more efficient and does not use any pieces of paper, even recycled ones. I am sure you will understand. Thanks for entering! Disclosure: Paperspring.com has provided the $60 gift certificate to the winner of this giveaway and also a $60 gift certificate to me to thank me for my time reviewing their products and hosting this giveaway. All views and opinions with regard to the product or company itself are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by the company prior to posting.

UPDATE! We have a winner!  Random.org says “Result: 56″  Congratulations Manjari!  Thanks to everyone who entered!

Sesame Street is turning 40 this week.  And Elmo doesn’t look a day over three and a half!

I refuse to acknowledge how old that makes me.

But this is a birthday worth celebrating.  Sesame Street has been such a valued part of our lives for the past 40 years (or the 29 years of them that I have been living…ahem).  And as I return to it with my daughter, I am amazed and delighted anew by the magic of the muppets, the offbeat humor, the brilliance of the musical numbers, and the incredible amount of heart that the show continues to have.

My little Bean is pretty much obsessed with Elmo.  The theme to Elmo’s World is one of the very first songs she learned.  And hey, it’s not sooo bad watching him sing with the Goo Goo Dolls over and over again on YouTube.  That lead singer is kinda hot.  And I met Gordon a few months ago…that was pretty awesome.

The cool folks at Polliwalks Childrens Shoes recognize what an important part of our lives all the residents of Sesame Street have been over the years.  And in honor of their birthday, they’re offering one lucky Babies Gotta Have It reader a pair of Sesame Street Polliwalks in either the Oscar the Grouch or Cookie Monster styles. (They also have Elmo but sadly, he’s so popular that he’s currently out of stock!)  I love Polliwalks–watch the video I made of the Bean playing in the sprinkler in her awesome Fish Lips Polliwalks water shoes this past summer.  Want to enter?  Read on!

To Enter the Polliwalks “Sesame Street” Giveaway

• MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Swing by Zappos and check out the Polliwalks Sesame Street Shoes they have available.  Come back and leave a comment sharing which pair of  Polliwalks you’d choose if you won: Cookie Monster or Oscar the Grouch, and also one memory of “Sesame Street” from your childhood!  Entering is that easy!
  

***Want extra chances to win? After you have made your first entry as described above, do anything listed below and leave me additional comments for each one letting me know what you did!  Maximum of eight entries per person.

• Follow Polliwalks on Twitter - just click this link!
• Follow me on Twitter (click the birdy button on the left to do so easily) and Tweet this giveaway (I’ve even made it easy for you, just cut and paste):  @Polliwalks & @BabiesGottaHavT say Happy Birthday Sesame Street! Win a pair of Sesame Street Polliwalks today! http://tiny.cc/NITQm
• Blog this giveaway (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
• Subscribe to my blog using the button on the left
• Grab my button and put in on your blog or website! Button code is in the right sidebar. Leave the link in your entry.
• Become a Fan of Babies Gotta Have It on Facebook–just click the link on the left sidebar!
• Email your friends about the giveaway and link to the giveaway post! cc me in the message (babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com)–I promise I will not spam you or your friends. Cross my heart

Your email address will remain private and not be shared with anyone. Giveaway only open to those with U.S.  addresses. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway begins on Saturday November 14th and ends on Friday November 20th at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Saturday November 21st,  Random.org will select the winner I’ll email you immediately. After my daughter called Larry the Cable guy the last time she did a drawing, we have decided to take a little vacation from her choosing the winner. Random.org is in no way as cute and unpredictable as my daughter, but it is much more efficient and does not use any pieces of paper, even recycled ones. I am sure you will understand. Thanks for entering! Disclosure: The Flannery Brothers sent me their CD to review and they provided a CD for the winner of the giveaway.  I was not compensated in any way for this post. All views and opinions with regard to the product or company itself are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by the company prior to posting.

UPDATE! Random.org says “Result: 10″  Congratulations Maureen!  Thanks so much to everyone who entered!

I’m gonna be honest with you and tell you that before today, I had never really given Bobby Flay a second thought.  I watched a lot of the Food Network when I was pregnant (Does he have a show on The Food Network?  See, I don’t even know…) but not so much since.  But then I saw this:

And then he made me lunch.

And now I have to confess I have a teeny tiny crush on him.  Guys are cute when they talk about food.  And even cuter when they cook it.  And when they cook food for the holidays…well that’s when you marry them.

So a wee bit of back story (because sad to say, Bobby didn’t just call and invite me over), Hellmann’s Mayonnaise partnered with Bobby Flay to create  the “Real Holiday Helpings” program on www.Hellmanns.com.  Check out the website for recipes and tips on how to easily prepare real food for the holidays (yes real food, containing real, simple ingredients) that kids and parents will both enjoy.  I was invited to this cool demo kitcheny place to watch Bobby Flay cook up some of these recipes and then taste them.  Let me say, I have never gone to one of those cooking shows where they pass out the food to the audience.  It is super fun.  And if what we ate today is any indication, the recipes are really really good.  We sampled the Tandoori-Style Roasted Whole Turkey Breast (pictured above), the Hot Italian Cheese Toasts, the Roasted Green Beans with Almond Aoili, and the Turkey Cuban Sandwich.  I will say only this:  Bobby Flay can come cook my bird any time.

So you can get all the recipes and watch video and everything on the website.  But here’s the good stuff…the good stuff that he said in the room while he chopped onions and didn’t even look at his fingers.  Yeah, he’s that good.

• Bobby Flay’s favorite day of the year is Thanksgiving.  He cooks two 30 lb turkeys, and makes a traditional meal with a theme.  Last year Thanksgiving had a Texas twist.  This year, the flavors will be inspired by New England cooking.
• And I quote, “I don’t stuff the bird.”  He says stuffing the bird slows the cooking time for the turkey and doesn’t allow enough control over the texture and quality of the stuffing.  He called himself a “texture guy.”  So he makes “dressing” in a separate pan.  He likes his dressing a little crispy to complement the turkey.
• According to Bobby Flay, that fenugreek in your cabinet is probably around 29 years old (given warehouse and supermarket shelf time).  He encourages you to restock your spice cabinet with fresh spices every time you change the batteries in your smoke detector.
• Bobby Flay has “mixed feelings” about brining a turkey.  Basically, he suggested it’s not worth the hassle.  How does he do turkey?  He washes it, pats it dry, and salts and peppers the bird.  He puts it in the roasting pan with chopped carrots, onions, celery and lots of chicken stock.  He then adds chunks of butter to the chicken stock.  He roasts it slowly in a 350 oven, basting every 20 minutes with the pan drippings.  If he is going to glaze it, he adds the glaze in the last half hour of cooking so the sugar doesn’t burn.
• Let the turkey sit on the counter for ONE HOUR before you serve it.  Yup.  One hour.  That’s what he said.
• Finally, according to Bobby Flay, the key to Thanksgiving is hot chicken stock.  He has lots on hand to help reheat and moisten everything from turkey to stuffing so that all the dishes come to the table steamy and delicious.

Oh and I took my picture with him.  That was cool.

Disclaimer in case I need one: Bobby Flay and his staff made the yummy food I ate and they picked up the bill.  Hellmanns gave me a gift card to thank me for my time. That was kind of icing on the cake.  The food was really good.

As the holiday season approaches, I know I am going to be scouring the stores and the web for wonderful toys that will impact my little gal and the earth she inhabits equally well.  I am a huge fan of Sprig Toys! Their toys foster battery-free creativity in our children and the Story Builders Playsets are no exception.  These toys encourage storytelling and imaginative play, and the fact that they’re made of 100% recycled paperboard (printed with non-toxic water-based ink) and recycled sprig wood is just the pink stripe on the candy cane as far as I’m concerned.

These neat sets combine board books, puzzles, and sturdy 3-D paper dolls and buildings all in a compact, easy to take on the go package.  In addition to “Little Red Riding Hood” playset featured in the video also check out “The Three Little Pigs.”

Babies Bottom Line: Watch the video.  The Bean had a great time playing with the Little Red Riding Hood Story Builder board book and play set.  And Mama loves that it’s eco-friendly, non-toxic, and great for travel.

Disclosure: Sprig Toys sent me this product to review.  I was not compensated in any way for this post. All views and opinions with regard to the product or company itself are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by the company prior to posting.

People from Maine are a little crazy.  They love their state just as much as Texans love Texas. They’re just a lot quieter about it.  I lived in Texas.  I have family from Maine.  I know.  The mosquitoes were particularly horrendous in Maine this year (as they were all over the East Coast), and did a number on the little Bean when we went up in August.  But still, I have to admit to having a bit of a love affair with the Pine Tree State.  So when the cute as can be Flannery Brothers from Hampden, Maine contacted me to review their CD for kids, “Love Songs For Silly Things” I swooned at the chance.

I fancy myself a bit picky about kids music.  I’m a snob, I must confess.  The CDs I have recommended on this site, are really really good.  And this one is no exception.  My two year old loves it.  She calls it the “new CD” or the “blue CD” and despite the fact that it’s upbeat and cheerful, enjoys listening to it during her naps.  Go figure.  These guys have their finger on the pulse of what kids like.

Let me tell you about my two favorite songs on the CD.  The first is ‘Blue Sky Moon” — about just that.  That mysterious, beautiful, puzzling moon that shows up in the blue sky in the afternoon.  I can so remember staring up at it as a child and wondering if it was the same moon that came out at night and why it was there sometimes but not always.  I’ve sort of forgotten the wonder of the Blue Sky Moon.  The Flannery Brothers haven’t.  They think like kids, it seems.

I also love “Farmer’s Market”.  People in Maine are a step ahead of the rest of us in the slow food movement.  They’ve been shopping locally for years and we city people are just catching on. But this song is catchy and super fun and I find myself singing it to the Bean every Thursday when we take our tote bags and head to the local Green Market. Want to get your kids excited about vegetables?  This is just one of the songs on this CD designed to encourage adventurous eating.

It’s not too early to start thinking stocking stuffers for the grandkids or unique gifts for the neices and nephews and godchildren.  Heck, a collection of amazing CDs is one of the most wonderful and unique baby gifts you can give.  Pair “Love Songs for Silly Things” with a soothing lullabye CD for a truly wonderful present that will keep on giving long after the 3 month onesie has been passed along to another dear baby.  This CD was created for kids ages two to six and has been recognized by The John Lennon Songwriting Conest.  Cool, huh?

So here’s your chance!  Thanks to the aforementioned super cute Flannery Brothers, one lucky Babies Gotta Have It reader will win a copy of “Love Songs for Silly Things”!  Want to enter?  Read on!

To Enter the Flannery Brothers “Love Songs For Silly Things” Giveaway

• MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Do yourself a favor.  Check out the totally fun Flannery Brothers website and enjoy their tunes.  Then come back and leave me a comment sharing the music you loved most as a child  Entering is that easy!
  

***Want extra chances to win? After you have made your first entry as described above, do anything listed below and leave me additional comments for each one letting me know what you did!  Maximum of seven entries per person.

• Follow me on twitter (click the birdy button on the left to do so easily) and Twitter this giveaway (I’ve even made it easy for you, just cut and paste):  The Flannery Brothers “Love Songs for Silly Things” CD is rocks my kids world! Enter to win one @BabiesGottaHavT http://tinyurl.com/y8az9f7
• Blog this giveaway (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
• Subscribe to my blog using the button on the left
• Grab my button and put in on your blog or website! Button code is in the right sidebar. Leave the link in your entry.
• Become a Fan of Babies Gotta Have It on Facebook–just click the link on the left sidebar!
• Email your friends about the giveaway and link to the giveaway post! cc me in the message (babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com)–I promise I will not spam you or your friends. Cross my heart

Your email address will remain private and not be shared with anyone. Giveaway only open to those with U.S.  addresses. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway begins on Thursday November 5th and ends on Thursday November 19th at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Friday November 20th,  Random.org will select the winner I’ll email you immediately. After my daughter called Larry the Cable guy the last time she did a drawing, we have decided to take a little vacation from her choosing the winner. Random.org is in no way as cute and unpredictable as my daughter, but it is much more efficient and does not use any pieces of paper, even recycled ones. I am sure you will understand. Thanks for entering! Disclosure: The Flannery Brothers sent me their CD to review and they provided a CD for the winner of the giveaway.  I was not compensated in any way for this post. All views and opinions with regard to the product or company itself are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by the company prior to posting.

Update!  We have a winner!  Random.org says “Result: 5″ !  Congralutaions Katherine Puma!!!  Thanks so much to everyone who entered!

I have never considered myself a neat freak.  And if you could see what’s growing in my refrigerator’s snack pan, you’d absolutely agree.  But the amount of mess generated by a toddler learning to feed herself has shocked and very nearly grossed out this loving, dust-bunny-embracing, city Mama.  I clean the splat mat.  I pick congealed quiche that somehow ends up BENEATH the splat mat off the hardwood floors.  But still, there is a five foot radius of food splattered around the Bean’s high chair that could sustain a small dog for a week I’d say.

Learning to feed yourself is difficult.  It takes a while for those little fingers to figure out where the mouth is and then how to move food into it.  And when you start adding utensils, forget about it!  Kindertools were created by a mother of three, in conjunction with pediatricians and childcare specialists, to meet the needs of children ages 6 months to 6 years as they learn to use forks and spoons…and toothbrushes and crayons and paintbrushes and more!

Kindertools sent me and the Bean several of their products to try out.  Now, the Bean is almost 26 months old.  She is actually fairly great with her fine motor skills and has been using a fork and spoon for quite some time (bear in mind, however, that she didn’t walk until 18 months–kids all develop differently, right?). So she had actually progressed developmentally beyond some of these tools.  I would have loved to have tried them with her a year or so ago.  Though let me say, we have been using the toothbrush.  Kindertools were created both to facilitate learning to use straight handled items, and also for safety reasons!  I have often chased after the Bean as she runs around the apartment with her toothbrush in her mouth thinking she’s playing such a fun game with me.   But as they say on the Kindertools site:

Straight-handled utensils can also be a serious safety hazard for young children. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, in 2001 nearly 2500 children under the age of 4 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for straight-handled utensil injuries. Clearly, straight-handled utensils are not designed for young children.

The unique, wide safety handles make these toothbrushes  (and all the utensils) super safe and prevents choking or other serious accidents.  I have to say, the information on the Kindertools site made me think twice about chasing her with a  toothbrush in her mouth!

Kindertools are ergonomically designed; FDA approved; made of a soft, durable plastic with no hard or sharp edges; and dishwasher safe!  And thanks to the super folks at Kindertools I have a whole set of their products to give away to one lucky Babies Gotta Have It reader!  Enter today to win both toothbrushes, the spoon, the fork, the crayon holder and the paintbrush holder. Each one is brand new and comes separately packaged in a little ziploc (not packaged as seen in the photo above, however).

To Enter the Kindertools Giveaway

• MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Check out the full line of Kindertools products on their website, come back, and let me know which one you’re most excited about trying out!  Entering is that easy!
  

***Want extra chances to win? After you have made your first entry as described above, do anything listed below and leave me additional comments for each one letting me know what you did!  Maximum of seven entries per person.

• Follow me on twitter (click the birdy button on the left to do so easily) and Twitter this giveaway (I’ve even made it easy for you, just cut and paste):  Got a messy toddler? Try Kindertools! @BabiesGottaHavT Kindertools Giveaway http://tinyurl.com/ykz4web
• Blog this giveaway (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
• Subscribe to my blog using the button on the left
• Grab my button and put in on your blog or website! Button code is in the right sidebar. Leave the link in your entry.
• Become a Fan of Babies Gotta Have It on Facebook–just click the link on the left sidebar!
• Email your friends about the giveaway and link to the giveaway post! cc me in the message (babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com)–I promise I will not spam you or your friends. Cross my heart

Your email address will remain private and not be shared with anyone. Giveaway only open to those with U.S.  addresses. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway begins on Monday November 2nd and ends on Monday November 16th at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Tuesday November 17th,  Random.org will select the winner I’ll email you immediately. After my daughter called Larry the Cable guy the last time she did a drawing, we have decided to take a little vacation from her choosing the winner. Random.org is in no way as cute and unpredictable as my daughter, but it is much more efficient and does not use any pieces of paper, even recycled ones. I am sure you will understand. Thanks for entering! Disclosure: Kindertools sent me their full line of products to review and they are providing the products  for the winner of the giveaway.  I was not compensated in any way for this post. All views and opinions with regard to the product or company itself are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by the company prior to posting.

UPDATE!  We have a winner! Random.org says “Result:  36″  Congratulations Mommyishome!
Thanks so much to everyone who entered!