Sleek, Durable, and Portable Baby Gear

We recently went on vacation with one of those moms that I know other people are, but I am not - a cool mom. This post is a shout out to this mom, LSS, her her little red head cutie of a son. Not too long ago we were “holidaying” with them and they introduced us to the wonderful world of Phil & Teds. When my “cool mom” friend asked me if I knew of their products I sheepishly said no. As I watched her easily put up the Phil & Teds Pack and Play or simply attach the Phil & Teds highchair to the counter, I realized I just might be missing something here. She had with her these two portable, sleek, and durable items which seemed to just “appear” from nowhere. After struggling with the bulky items we had brought with us, I knew that my little green eyed monster was spouting out as I longingly coveted each and every Phil & Teds item she had. So although we don’t own any yet, I know these might just have to make it onto Mom’s Favorite Wish-list!

The Only Item Needed When Traveling with a Toddler

Our family recently returned from a trip overseas. We have traveled on a plane before this and yes, we made it. This time our toddler is more active so prior to the trip I researched tips and items that would be helpful in entertaining him during the flight. I packed some of his favorite toys a week before we left so that they would seem like “new ones.” I purchased a few activity books for him, and we brought some of his favorite small cuddly toys as well. When we boarded our plane we even discovered that the airplane had a small screen in front of him where he could watch his favorite character - Pooh.  Regardless of arming ourselves with this arsenal of “entertaining weapons” our son found it far more interesting to look at the people behind us and to greet them every five minutes with a chorus of “hellos.”

On the way back from our trip he decided not to sleep for one minute on a nine hour flight and quickly disregarded every single toy we had brought. And then I realized the most obvious oversight I had made before leaving for our trip - mom needed to arm herself with a few things as well - patience, mellowness, and a whole lot of love.  I had just assumed that these toys would do the job and that our son would eventually fall asleep as well. Well they didn’t and he didn’t. So be it.  He was fine - but his parent’s probably weren’t. We were too concerned that he wasn’t sleeping or that he was disturbing others. I finally told myself to “take a chill pill” and just be happy he wasn’t screaming his head off.  I overlooked the only item really needed when traveling with a toddler - less structure and a more carefree spirit which decides its okay to “go with the flow.”

A Wagon Full of Blocks and a Day Full of Fun

I recently wrote about three great companies that are producing quality American made toys, and lucky for us we have very generous grandparents who went ahead and sent us one of these toys. It is the Mega Bloks Fill & Dump Wagon and honestly has to be one of biggest hits in our household. This mom is all about “multli-functional” toys - and this one truly is - it is a wagon, dump truck, platform for building blocks, and a bin for any toy needing a place to be stored. I am not too proud to say even I have found myself enjoying it…

One of Mom’s Favorite Old Fashioned Toys

After my last post, I had quite a few comments about my “wild goose chase” for toys not made in China. Yes, there are tons of companies out there that specialize in good old fashioned toys made in the USA or elsewhere. One company that I have recently become aware of is OLOZOO- a company on the internet which specializes in “green toys” as well as products that promote a “green environment for kids.” They have a great selection of wooden toys, eco-friendly toys, and learning toys. Recently we sent the wood castle (a nice “old fashioned’ toy) to our best friend’s baby in Australia - and she was thrilled that the blocks were made in Germany. This mom will keep you posted on more of her favorite, reasonable, durable, toys made in a local, sustainable, & safe way.

More Great American Made Toys

After writing about my Wild Goose Chase for Toys not made in China, I have been very happy to find three companies that seem to produce many of their products in America:

Step 2 is a great toy company that manufactures many large outdoor toys in their plant in Ohio. Their website boasts “We are proud of our U.S. manufacturing heritage” and at Step 2 they make it clear what products are, and are not, made in the USA.

Little Tikes is another classic American toy company that is still making most of their toys in the USA. Their website explains that “We are proud to say that over 70% of Little Tikes products are made in the U.S.A. at our Ohio facility, and all Little Tikes products are subject to rigorous testing standards at each stage of production, which meet and often exceed Federal guidelines.”

And finally, our favorite - Mega Bloks are mostly made in Canada and the Mega Brand profile states that “MEGA Brands provides stimulating creative experiences for children and families through innovative, well-designed, affordable and high-quality products that are marketed worldwide.”

For these reasons and more these are three winners in this mom’s eyes!

A Cool Store for Very ‘Kool Kids’

After reading about my “Wild Goose Chase for Toys Not Made in China” a friend referred me to a great online toy company called Oompa Toys. Most of their toys are made in the USA or Europe and have been strictly tested and the company tag-line reads “NO BATTERIES. NO BLINKING LIGHTS. NO CARTOON-THEMED TOYS. PERIOD.” They produce quality toys that are meant to stand the test of time and are especially concerned that toys should be of the highest quality, natural and safe. We applaud this sort of “counter-cultural” toy company for their efforts and we will be sure to add this company as one of mom’s favorites.

A Wild Goose Chase for Toys Not Made in China

It all started with one of those conversations that we have when we get older (with other people that are getting older):

“Do you remember those old wood castles we used to play with?”
“I loved my old rocking horse.”
“I loved my Raggedy Ann doll.”
“Remember when the Fisher Price Garage was made of wood not plastic?”
“Remember when toys were made in the USA?”

That was the discussion that led me on a proverbial wild goose chase. A close friend and I decided to go on a mission to find “old fashioned” toys made in the USA or Europe. We went to five large toy stores in the course of a week only to discover what we pretty much knew already - almost everything was made in China. And boy, do I mean everything. Given the recent toy recalls, this didn’t fill us with much confidence.

So, did we find any toys not made in China? Drum roll please - here is the sum total of what we found (yes, it is possible we didn’t get to everything): One Children’s Book made in Thailand. Yes ONE!

I am really not kidding. That was it - in five stores. We looked at stuffed animals, books, dvds, trucks, cars, seats, dolls, blocks, ducks, boats, push toys, plush toys, infant toys, toddler toys, and “big kid toys” and that was it - one book made in Thailand.

So what is the big deal? Again, see the above comment about toy recalls, but also think about the trade deficit with China. According to the US Census Bureau, in April 2008, the United States exported 5.68 billion dollars in goods to China and imported 29.5 billion dollars of goods. The upshot is - we send the raw materials of cotton, leather, and paper to China and they send us back our products. The real upshot is, there are good companies in America & Europe trying to compete with these cheaper products and finding that big “name-brand” stores don’t want to carry their products because they cost more.

What is the moral of this wild goose chase? Although we realize that some of our favorite toys and products are made in China, and that is the nature of the global economy, we also understand that it is important to seek out companies and products that are made locally or independently. Yes, they might cost a bit more, but that money is well spent - as it helps to buy the safety of the toy & those that manufacture it, it helps to  support local economies, and it helps to curb the trade deficit.

So this mom hopes that some of her favorite toys, and her kids’ favorite toys, will be good old fashioned toys not necessarily made in China.

Mom’s Favorite New Mamma Treat

One of my closest friends just had a baby and we were discussing some of the tricks to try and get some balance back in her life (don’t we all remember those days!). She was recalling the long baths she used to take in silence before those newborn baby whimpers began, and seemed convinced these would never return. To help remind her of those days, and the great ones ahead I found a Mom & Baby TLC Gift Set from Burt’s Bee and popped it at the front door. I love this company and trust their products, and know that this new mamma and her babe will hopefully get a bit of all natural TLC from this kit and some much needed pampering too.