Christmas Gift Idea for Babies and Toddlers

Its been a long been a tradition in our family to give everyone a nickname, they usually are quite ridiculous and start quite earnestly. My son, at the tender age of 9 months has become “Hudson one sock”. As previously stated, quite ridiculous and quite earnest. I am sure all babies lose their socks, its just that he always seems to lose one…and its always the same foot. If I had a nickel for every time during the day I’ve put his socks back on him, I think I could take a years vacation. To be fair, its not just socks…its a few pairs of his shoes as well. I am delighted that he is so mobile and so eager to scoot around the floor, I just worry his little feet are going to be cold. Our place is more than warm but we like his toes to be cozy.

I received for review a pair of Baby Booties Soft Soled Slippers, a matching terry cloth backed bib and and beige fleece beanie from BePe Baby. While quite cute, I was a bit skeptical about slippers for a baby. Hudson can’t keep a pair of socks or shoes on so how can he keep on slippers? I was very pleasantly surprised to see that they did stay on as they are very snug. The slippers are made from a snugly fleece, with a slip resistant bottom (love this) and have an elastic across the front of the foot and around the back to secure on your baby’s foot. The fleece is really warm, great to keep baby’s toes warm while cruising around. We found they were so cozy they would have been too warm to sleep in the entire evening but they were just perfect for daytime.

The bib has a quilted cloth front and has a terry cloth back so its fully reversible. The bibs from BePe Baby are larger than average and we love this because our son often gets more on him than in him and this has saved several of his little shirts.

The bib has a velcro closure and fits snugly so no food gets in between his neck and the bib. One wouldn’t think this would happen often but my son has a knack for getting his food everywhere.

In addition to snugly slippers and bibs, BePe Baby carries a mix of super cute little hats; fleece, knitted and cotton beanies.

Lots of cute prints to choose from for boys, girls and even a selection of gender neutral accessories.

Check out range of funky accessories for moms at BePe Baby; choose from a wide variety of bright and bold fabrics for the key fobs and some funky reversaible jacquard print belts, all of which are handmade. As an added bonus, all products can be custom made so you can have all your accessories made to match.

Buy it: To purchase, visit BePe Baby online -

Giveaway: One Lucky My Wee View reader is going to receive a $25 Gift Certificate to BePe Baby

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Giveaway closes December 21st @ 11:59 pm PST. Open to US and Canada

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Christmas Gift Idea for Babies, Toddlers & Kids

When I think of one-of-a-kind gifts, my mind wanders to things like boutiques, rare finds or artwork like sculptures and oil paintings. At any rate, I am convinced that one-of-a-kind is usually synonymous with expensive and generally not in my price range, so I am admittedly dismissive of products that claim to be just that. One-of-a-kind also congers up images of home craft projects, whose work is more labour intensive than fun and the final product not turning out exactly as I had hoped. (I recall a laborious photo album I put together for my mother that took up most of our usable living space for more than a month a few Christmases ago. I didn’t finish it and instead I bought cute picture boxes and threw everything in them).

The Cate and Levi Canadian handmade dog puppet I received for review is a delicious blend of affordability, adorability and sustainability. Cate and Levi construct all of their products from reclaimed wool, so although you have a general idea of what your sourced-close-to-home toy is going to look like, its uniqueness will only be unveiled once you open your postal box. The control freak in me thought I might not enjoy having someone else choose colours / textures / patterns for me, but once our little dog arrived, I realized that you could not go wrong with a Cate and Levi plaything; their sharp designs lend a funky beauty to any handmade creature they might dream up. And admittedly, they did do a better job than I could have done selecting matching fabrics. I love having something else that no one else has or will have. Cate and Levi offers a fun assortment of responsibly made toys including hand puppets, stuffed animals, zoo cubes and wall art in a range of whimsical creatures like penguins, giraffes, moose and parrots.

Cate and Levi’s dog hand puppet was unpacked one evening a few days ago; “Petey” and my daughter have been inseparable since. Petey eats with us (especially when Genevieve is having a hard time focusing on her meal), sleeps with us and goes on trips with us. Because Petey is a puppet, he folds easily and slips into a pocket without taking up too much room. Petey’s generous muzzle (where we have the end of our hand) lends itself to a comical range of doggy expressions; my daughter sometimes laughs so hard I have to put Petey down for a “nap” until she is able to regain her sanity and breath. We intend to adopt many more of Cate and Levi’s handmade toys.

Ten percent of Cate and Levi’s profits are donated to funds that help children in need.

Buy it: To purchase, visit Cate and Levi online at http://www.cateandlevi.com

Giveaway: Cate and Levi would like to offer a lucky My Wee View reader a $100 Gift Certificate

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Giveaway closes December 16th @11:59 pm PST.  Open to US and Canada

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Christmas Gift Idea for Babies, Toddlers and Preschoolers

LeapFrog is a household name that anyone with (even without) children know very well.  They have educational toys for children that are developmentally and age appropriate for all.  LeapFrog is most famous for creating educational toys that help Children read – oh how I wish this was around in 1985 when I was learning to read.

For review, LeapFrog sent us a number of different items for different age groups.  The first, is My Pal Scout. This green puppy is suitable for children ages 6 months – 3 years old.  Scout is programmable to be personalized for each child.  To program Scout, you simply have to visit the LeapFrog website, install the application, and find your child’s name, favourite food, favoutire colour and favourite animal.  Then connect Scout via USB cable into the computer (any USB cord will do – although it does come with it’s own).   I must admit, I was worried that Genevieve’s name would not be in the list, but it was… there are 1000’s and 1000’s of  of names to choose from.  One of the songs that Scout sings spells out the child’s name.  This day and age, parents are spelling names a little differently, but Scout gives the option to find a name that phonetically sounds like your child’s name, and then you can type out the correct spelling.  When the song plays, your child’s name will be spelled correctly.  Once again, LeapFrog has thought of everything.

Scout is a huge hit in our home.  Genevieve loves scout and pushes his hands and feet to listen to different songs.  Genevieve has since learned to say “Meow, and Ruff”, just like Scout, her new best friend does.  My husband and I even sing to the Scout songs.  Here is our favourite personalized Song.

“I’d like a Giraffe, Please, it’s my favourite animal,

I’d like it to be pink, Please, it’s my favourite colour,

I’d like it to eat bananas, Please, it’s my favourite food,

and I’d call it Genevieve, Just like you”

There are many song choices, and if your child changes their mind about their favourite items, just plug Scout in and all these personalized items can be changed as your child changes.

Also for review, I received Tag Junior.  This educational toy is appropriate for children 24 months to 4 years.  I’m not really sure how this technology works, but I am truly amazed by it’s capabilities.  I never enjoyed reading as a child.  I think it’s because I struggled a lot.  With a tool like Tag Junior, I think I would have enjoyed learning to read, because I would have not have felt embarrassed if I did not know a word, Tag Junior would read it for me.  To make Tag Junior work, you simply have to place the handheld device on each of the special Tag book pages, and it reads each page out loud.  It truly is amazing, and has really impressed everyone in our home.   What an excellent way to get your children to start reading early.  I have started with my daughter who is only 15 months old.  She likes to flip the pages as quickly as she can.  I’m not sure that she “gets” it yet, but as time goes on, she will come to appreciate having someone to read to her whenever she wants to be read to.

I also received Scribble & Write for review from LeapFrog.  This product is appropriate for children ages 3+.  It teaches young children how to write lines, and upper and lower case letters.   My printing was atrocious when I was in school.  Maybe if I didn’t spend so much time on printing, I would have been a better reader.  The Scribble & Write is a simple traceable screen with lights.  There is also a game where children have to guess what letter is lighting up, so it teaches your child about the alphabet at a very young age.  If kids can get the bases like writing and the alphabet under their belt before they get to school, they will have a a chance to focus on other things like reading – which is much harder.

We love all the developmental toys that we received from LeapFrog.  They make learning fun for kids and are appropriately.  Even if they were a little more expensive, my child’s development is worth it.

Buy it: To Purchase, visit LeapFrog online

Giveaway: 2 lucky My Wee View readers are going to win products from Leap Frog

Winner 1: My Pal Scout

Winner 2: Scribble & Write

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Giveaway closes  December 18th @11:59 pm PST.  Open to US and Canada

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Christmas Gift Idea for babies, infants and toddlers

Whether or not I want to admit it – winter is here.   Bundling up a 15 month old in a snowsuit just to get into the car and then to run around shopping takes so much time and effort (thankfully shes still wearing a diaper and is not at the stage where I get her all dress up then she has to go potty – but I am prepared for when this begins to happen).   In any case, not only does it take a lot of time and effort (I seem to be sweating by the time we leave the house), it is also said not to be safe to put your child in bulky clothing in their car seat - so what is a parent to do?  Thankfully, there is a product out there that will make your life easier and keep your child safe (double bonus).

JJ Cole Collections has a BundleMe line that basically keeps kids warm without having to bulk them up in lots of clothing.  Whether going for a walk in a stroller or in a car seat, the BundleMe covers the child, protecting them from the cold and wind.

For review,  JJ Cole Collections sent us the BundleMe urban in bright pink. The outside a bright pink quilted nylon and protects against wind, rain, and snow.  The inside is a dark grey made with an ultra soft chamois and makes the BundleMe extra warm for your little one.

The BundleMe urban has velcro with little slits in the back which makes it easy to fit into any car seat.  The safety harness in the car cast slips through the holes and the velcro goes back together keeping everything in place.  There is also another little slot for the safety belt clip to come up through between the legs.  There is a zipper along the bottom of the urban as well making it easy to just take the top section off, while the bottom can stay on.  Also included in the Urban BundleMe is a little zippered pocket in the front to hold important items like an emergency soother.  JJ Cole Collections has really thought of everything when it comes to a functional product - and it looks really nice too.

I also have the original JJ Cole  BundleMe, and love that as well.  I used it everyday last year from October – April with my daughter.   This version has a  plush polyester shearling inner lining  and the exterior is a soft  fleece which provides warmth.

I love the BundleMe line from  JJ Cole Collections, they really have made the winter months easier while getting a baby and toddler ready for a car ride, a walk or just out and about on a shopping trip.

Buy it: To purchase, visit  JJ Cole Collections online

Giveaway: JJ Cole Collections would like to offer a lucky My Wee View reader a BundleMe Urban

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Giveaway closes  December 4th @11:59 pm PST.  Open to US and Canada

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Christmas Gift Idea for the baby shoe lover

Before I became a parent, I would judge children’s apparel on looks alone. I had no idea that certain features could make kid’s clothing way better than the original version. Sure, the weird little pockets, zippers and snaps were interesting to look at, but I had no concept of what purpose they served, if any. This steep learning curve has forced me to reflect on some of the cringe worthy gifts I have given over the years to mothers-to-be; I wish I could take them all back to better spend my money. Now I shop primarily for innovative features; if the clothing happens to look great, so much the better.

Take for example one of the latest products that I received for review as a perfect example of what to look for – and how those handy features make a real difference when you most need them to. The item is a pair of chocolate leather boots from Bobux; they are not only beautiful but wonderfully functional. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways: The boots slide on easily thanks to elasticized ankles. They stay on for that very same reason. My kid loves to pull her footwear off, so this is a must have feature for us, lest I feel the need to retrace my steps every time I visit the grocery store looking for her lost footwear. Because of the elastics, I don’t have to fiddle with laces or buttons when she swings her feet to avoid getting dressed. And I don’t have to worry about anything poking into her on the inside of the boot.

The leather is soft and is specially branded as Eco-Leather, meaning that the tanning process produces environmentally friendly and biodegradable leather (traditional tanning methods use heavy metals and pose a health risk). Essentially, this means that I don’t have to freak out when my daughter sucks on her shoes. Bobux shoes wash off easily, and if you have read my previous reviews, you know how important this is to my daughter’s strained-carrot-spit-up habit. In addition, they are lined with a soft plush, making them warm and comfy for her. The soles grip the floor so she can move around without slipping; this type of sole is apparently very good for their foot development. AND they are fashionable – my daughter wears them with both pants and dresses.

Bobux originates in New Zealand and their apparel is sold internationally.

Buy it: To purchase, visit online at http://www.bobuxusa.com

Giveaway: Bobux would like to offer a lucky My Wee View reader a pair of Ministar Bootz

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Giveaway closes November 25th @11:59 pm PST.  Open to US and Canada

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