Christmas Gift Idea for Kids

The internet is a marvelous place!  I live on the east coast of Canada, and it seems that we have been forgotten when it comes to all the latest and greatest products. There are no brick and mortar stores that sell a lot of the items I have featured on by website and I live in an urban area! I feel really terrible for those that live in Northern areas or hours away from a city, because there is no chance that their local Mom and Pop shop are going to have any of the hottest new trendy items.  And if you are lucky enough to find something, the price has usually been so inflated it should be gold plated.  This is what makes the internet so amazing – no matter where you live, you can find exactly what you are looking for, and it can be shipped straight to your door.

Narissa Singh, a  mommy of 2, lives in Northern Alberta and has had the trouble of trying to find the perfect products for her own kids for special occasions, yet alone the perfect gifts for others.  With a Bachelors Degree and 10 years experience in the financial industry, Narissa was ready to set out to a new adventure – starting an online store with quality products.

Play and Learn Toys is very picky when they decide on which suppliers to choose from, they want good quality toys and also have the environment in mind as well – with most of their products being eco-friendly wooden toys.  I had the opportunity to review some of the products that Play and Learn Toys have in the past.  For example, they carry Haba.  Haba makes excellent quality wooden toys that keep children interested with their bright colours and ability to makes noises.  Plan Toys also makes excellent wooden toys that are age appropriate for learning and development.  Play and Learn Toys also carries Melissa and Doug, this is a top of the line company that makes so many great toys, including puzzles and classic toys like blocks and trains.

Play and Learn Toys also carries high quality quilts, receiving blankets, bunting bags and bibs by companies such as Swaddle Designs and Bizoux Bizoux.  These companies are very hip and modern, there are no fluffy bears on any of their designs.  These would make excellent gifts for new babies as you would be sure to be giving a product that is unique (can’t get it at your local big box store) and modern.

The Play and Learn Toys website is well laid out, you can shop by age, category, price or brand.  There is also a gift registry available which makes shopping for a new bundle, a birthday or even Christmas really easy.   If you are in the Rainbow Lake, Alberta area, Narissa would also be more than happy to have you come to her house to show you all the great options there are outside of the regular products you will only find at your local brick and mortar.

Buy it: To purchase, visit Play and Learn Toys

Giveaway: 1 lucky My Wee View reader is going to win a $100 Gift Certificate to Play and Learn Toys

To Enter: Visit Play and Learn Toys, and make a comment back here about your favourite item

Bonus Entries:

• Follow My Wee View and on Twitter, and ReTweet this  RT @myweeview #Giveaway – $100 Gift Certificate to Play and Learn Toys #win Ends 12/18 http://tiny.cc/2Llti (you can Tweet this once a day for an extra entry each day)
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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 kids & tweens

If you haven’t heard of  Build-A-Bear Workshop, you may have been sleeping for the past dozen years or have had no media connection to the outside world. Chief Executive Bear, Maxine Clark, started this international phenomenon in 1997 and has since opened hundreds of stores in Europe, Australia, Canada, United States, Asia, Africa, etc. and has appeared on major television shows such as Oprah and has even paired up with the restaurant chain McDonald’s for special Happy Meal promotions.

Whether you buy your custom toy online or in one of its stores, your purchase comes with some wonderful perks. First, your custom made toy will be secured against lost with the Find-A-Bear ID Program through birth certificate and barcode information. Second, Build-A-Bear supports a number of charitable causes, like creating play areas for kids, honoring incredible kids doing community work and its generous donations to the World Wildlife Fund. Third, your custom toy comes with a birth certificate and a recognizable Build-A-Bear box to house your new friend. Fourth, Build-A-Bear was named on Fortune’s 2009 list of Best Companies To Work For.  Fifth, you can build your own bear on-line if you hate leaving the house to shop or you can make a family outing out of Christmas shopping. I originally had three points I wanted to make here but see that I have ended up with five and was on my way to making a few more… apologies.

Our Frosty custom made toy stands about eighteen inches, carries a broom and a corncob pipe and is full of Christmas joy. My daughter loves watching the soft blinking red and green lights in his cheeks (he is battery operated by three AA batteries). Frosty and his plush friends make a fabulous custom toy for anyone who is gaga about Christmas. And if you have anyone on your list that may be a tad bit difficult to shop for, I suggest you stop by to see how you can unload your shopping stress with this unique gift.

Buy it: To purchase, visit Build-A-Bear online at http://www.buildabear.ca

Giveaway: Build-A-Bear would like to offer a lucky My Wee View reader a Frosty the Snowman

To Enter: Visit Build-A-Bear online and make a comment back here about your favourite item

Bonus Entries:

• Follow My Wee View on Twitter , and ReTweet this giveaway RT @myweeview #Giveaway - Build-A-Bear – Frosty the Snowman ENDS 12/18  http://tiny.cc/i9iWU (you can tweet this once a day for extra entries)
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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 busy kids

We have fallen in love with Squeak shoes in our house hold.  Listening to our little princess prance around while laughing and smiling at herself is absolutely priceless.  Not to mention we know where she is at all times.  We have a few pair of squeak shoes, and sandals, but we thought it would end there – no squeaking for the winter – until we came across Wee Squeak Shoes.  They carry winter boots with squeakers!

For review, Wee Squeak Shoes sent us a pair of brown suede squeak boots in size 7.  Genevieve is only 15 months old, but she has some very wide and thick feet (sorry honey), so the larger sized boots tend to fit her feet better.  Although they are a little bit long (about a centimeter or so), I am able to get them on her feet without any trouble, and zipped up.  The great thing about boots is that they are more difficult for children to take off than shoes – thankfully these boots stay on her feet longer than any other pair of shoes she owns.

The boots are also very stylish, and look like a mini version of boots that are very popular right now.  My mother likes to put these adorable boots on Genevieve when out and about.  She always gets plenty of compliments on her clothing and shoes.

Now onto the good part, the squeaking!  Genevieve loves to walk run everywhere she goes. Whether at home or out shopping, she loves to be out and about and running around.   When she has her new boots on from Wee Squeak Shoes, she’s even happier to be running around, especially in public.  I have a little social butterfly on my hands; other than Santa Clause, she will talk and engage with any person she meets on the street or in the store.  With her squeak boots on, she is the center of attention and she loves every single minute of it.  You can see the confidence in her, and I really hope this is something that continues as she gets older.  People stop and ask so many questions about her squeak boots.  Many have seen (or heard) squeak shoes before, but never boots.

The squeakers in these boots have traveled many miles, and they continue to work step after step.  These boots make everyone happy – I like that they fit and that I can hear where my daughter is at all times (if the squeaking stops, I know she’s getting in trouble somewhere), and she likes listening to herself walk and getting attention.  My mother loves how stylish the boots are, and makes sure she has them on when bringing her on an outing.  Overall, the Wee Squeak Shoes brown suede squeak boots are a huge hit in our home.

The boots come in sizes 3 – 12. Wee Squeak Shoes also has squeak shoes and sandals and non squeak shoes too for boys and girls sizes 0 – 12.  There is something that everyone will love at Wee Squeak Shoes

Buy it: To purchase, visit Wee Squeak Shoes

Giveaway: 1 lucky My Wee View reader is going to win a pair of squeak shoes or boots

To Enter: Visit Wee Squeak Shoes and make a comment back here about your favourite pair

Bonus Entries:

• Follow My Wee View and on Twitter,and ReTweet this  RT @myweeview #Giveaway – pair of Wee Squeak Shoes (~$32)ENDS 12/18  http://tiny.cc/grL34 (you can Tweet this once a day for an extra entry each day)
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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 special kids

I want to pass on my love of reading to my son, we read to him several times during the day and try to read to him in the evening, it all depends on how he falls asleep. We both enjoy our special reading times and we have a few of our favorites. Repetition and rhyme make a perfect combination for our reading fun and we especially love books that are personalized. Hudson is a unique name name and at 7 months he is  just starting to realize it is his name so saying it often, especially during reading time is fun for mommy and Hudson.

MJM Books was founded in 2007 by three brothers; Mike, Jeff and Matt. The idea behind MJM Books was created when brother Jeff was looking for a unique Christmas gift for his niece Olivia. Jeff wrote and illustrated “If I were big” as if from the view of a little one. After family and friends saw the result of Jeff’s first creation, he was asked to create more books.

MJM Books features three  titles; each with their own illustrators. We received for review the book “A day at the park” . Illustrated by Sara Michaels, A Day at the Park , takes Hudson from the boring journey of swings, slides and sandboxes on a journey of imagination with dinosaurs, castles and blasting away with rockets.

The book is soft covered with a personalized dedication at the beginning and starts Hudson on a journey with “When Hudson goes to the park”.

The second book offered by MJM Books is “What Animal Are You”? which takes your child along a journey of self discovery  with help from animals in their natural habitat.

The third adventure book by MJM Books is “If I were Big”. This adorable book takes your child through the journey of the possibility of being big by exploring new heights as they are enlarged to epic proportions.

I ordered  “A day at the Park” via the MJM website and was pleased at how easy it was to preview and order your book. As well as personalizing the front dedication and using your child’s name through out the book, you are also able to choose the option of changing the appearance of the main character to look more like your own child. You can select the hair, eye and skin  color! What an amazing opportunity  to customize your personalized book, sure to create a treasured book you and your child will love to read together.

Buy it: To purchase, visit MJM Books online

Giveaway: MJM Books would like to offer a lucky My Wee View reader a personalized book

To Enter: Visit MJM Books online and make a comment back here about your favourite product

Other Entries:

• Follow My Wee View on Twitter, and ReTweet this  RT @myweeview #Giveaway  - MJM Personalized Book ENDS 12/18 http://tiny.cc/OzqCh (you can Tweet this once a day for an extra entry each day)
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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, toddlers and kids

Like adults, children’s clothing sizes varies depending on which company makes them. At 8 months our little dude  weighs a whopping 24 lbs. He can wear a size 6-12 months or a 12-18 months depending on the particular pants. He’s adorable but lets face it, he’s kinda chubby. As well as being a bit chubby, we are a cloth diapering family and with the extra padding, few of the pants that are supposed to fit him do. More often than not the 6-12 month pants fit him in the legs but are too small in the butt and belly area so we move up to the 12-18 month pants so more often than not he’s wearing a size bigger to accommodate for the extra room needed in the butt area. Like his mommy, the pants that fit him in the butt are too long and too big in the waist. I thought it was only women who had this problem!

Lucky for us, we were sent for review the Dapper Snappers in chocolate brown with blue snaps from Baby Grins.

Dapper Snappers are essentially an elastic with snaps that has been designed to act like a belt without interfering with changing the diaper or potty training. The Dapper Snappers are intended for children aged 9 months to 5 years so you will definitely get your usage out of the Dapper Snappers. They have 4 snaps so you are able to use for a variety of sizes; perfect if your child is chubby like mine and if you need to go up a size in clothes or for those thin kids whose legs fits the pants and the waist is too big. Either way, this solves the problem of a waist too big for the pants, irksome for many parents.

Baby Grins started in my home province of Nova Scotia and is now run from Leduc, Alberta. Searching for a way to combine making an income and spending time with her children, owner and operator Marcie Paige started Baby Grins as a website as an online store to promote all her favorite baby products.

Along with the Dapper Snappers, Baby Grins has a great assortment of modern baby products and they are very conveniently sorted into categories; mealtimes, breastfeeding, diapering, outdoors, music and developement, etc.

I love that there is a huge selection of products and I especially love that there are lots of price points for those savvy shopper like myself. As much as I love online shopping, its very easy to get carried away. Baby Grins offers products for mom and dad with a mix of  trendy, stylish products (how I love the organic bedding sets) as well as lots of practical items that come in handy and you can use every day.

Baby Grins is pleased to offer free shipping on orders of over $150.00 and offers a convenient  gift registry. Additionally,  Baby Grins is proud to offer parents and families of multiples an exclusive discount; order one item at regular price and receive the second of the same item at 40% off all products on the website. How great is that?

Buy it: To purchase, visit Baby Grins online

Giveaway: One Lucky My Wee View reader is going to receive a $50 Gift Certificate

To Enter: Visit   Baby Grins, and make a comment back here about how you would like to spend your winnings!

Bonus Entries:

• Follow My Wee View and on Twitter,and ReTweet this  RT @myweeview #Giveaway – $50 Gift Certificate to Baby Grins!  Christmas Gift Idea – Ends 12/11  http://tiny.cc/RcY1z (you can Tweet this once a day for an extra entry each day)
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Giveaway closes December 11th @ 11:59 pm PST. Open to US and Canada

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Christmas Gift Idea for Adventurous Kids ages 1 – 5

What’s more exciting than getting a new bike - especially on Christmas Day?  To be honest, as a young child, I don’t think there was anything better than getting a shiny new bike.  The old bike was usually too short and had too many bangs and scratches on it to count.  New bikes bring a feeling of excitement with all the future adventures you will have together.  Do you also remember learning to ride a bike?  Uh,,, how hard was that? I had training wheels on my bike for what seemed like FOREVER.  I wanted to go, go, go, but my wheels kept me from going to all those exciting places I wanted to explore.  Training wheels just don’t work in deep mud puddles.

My daughter along with other toddlers will no longer have to go through the painful experience of “learning” how to ride a bike.  Much like talking, they will just learn on their own with the Strider Running Bike.  This Bike for toddlers, doesn’t have any peddles, is low to the ground and is made specifically for little ones to learn balance.  So before getting your kids a trike with 3 wheels, go straight for a two wheeler.

Strider Running Bike is suggested for children ages 1 – 5.  I would say the earlier you start your kid on the Strider Running Bike, the better.  The benefit to the Strider Running Bike is your child learns balance without really having to learn – they will just end up “getting” it on their own – much like a language.  We’re not sure how we learn to talk as a baby, we just do.

For review, Strider Sports Canada sent us a bike in pink.  The bike came packaged up, and was easy to assemble (it even came with it’s own wrench).  It took about 5 minutes to just add the front wheel and the handlebars.  At first, Genevieve was a little reluctant with her new toy, but after she saw me running and pushing the Strider around, she wanted to have fun too.

I sat her on the low seat, which is the perfect hight for her – as she gets taller, the seat can go higher.   I pushed her around the house and she enjoyed herself.  There were lots of giggles and smiles.  Then, she wanted to be independent – she started walking herself around on the Strider bike.  At first, she was walking alongside the bike and pushing with the handlebars.  She had to make sure that the bike stayed up as she walked along. Sometimes it fell over, but she would pick it up and try again. She then put her leg over the seat and started walking along with the bike with each foot on either side of the bike.  She’s pretty slow, but it’s great to see her trying.  She does not yet sit on the seat and push herself, but just walking around with the bike is an excellent start.

I will continue to let her use the Strider Running Bike. For toddlers, this is the easiest and best way that they can learn to ride a bike without “having to learn”.   I can see an improvement in her abilities in just a short amount of time.  She will probably be the youngest bike rider around town.   Because she is so young, she wont have any memory of learning how to ride a bike, and will probably be teaching other kids how to ride their bikes.

I wish Strider bikes existed when I was a child.

Buy it: To purchase, visit Strider Sports Canada and Strider Sports in US

Giveaway: 2 Lucky My Wee View readers are going to win a Strider bike.  One Canadian and one US readers are going to win a Strider Bike ($135CDN & $98US )

To Enter: Visit Strider Sports Canada, and make a comment back here about something you saw on their site.  Also, please leave your state or province.

Bonus Entries:

• Follow My Wee View and ERGObaby on Twitter , and ReTweet this  RT @myweeview # Giveaway – Strider Running Bike – 2 winners (1 US and 1 Can) GREAT Christmas Gift ENDS 12/11 http://tiny.cc/xjh71 (you can Tweet this once a day for an extra entry each day)
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Giveaway closes December  11th @ 11:59 pm PST. Open to US and Canada

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Christmas Gift Idea for babies, toddlers and kids

Well, it’s inevitable, winter is pretty much here to stay.  On the west coast of Canada they already have had snow on the ground.  The only thing I like about winter is the accessories, as I mentioned before, I love our Zooni hat and mitts, and now I have another thing to add to the “only good things about winter” list – the boots that I received from Stride Rite.

Stride Rite is a leading shoe company specializing in shoes, sandals, sneakers and boots for children ages 0 – 5 years +.  Some people may be nervous to buy shoes online, but Stride Rite has that all figured out, they have a sizing chart for babies, girls and boys so you are sure to get the right sized shoe for your child.  All the shoes are also development appropriate for the age of your child.

For review, I received the SRT Vicki boots.  The suede brown boots with little splashes of pink and tassels are fantastic.  They are perfect for the fall, winter and spring seasons that we have here in Nova Scotia – not too much snow and not too chilly.  The boots reach above her ankles giving her full support while walking.  The strap and velcro are at the back of her boots which makes it more difficult for her to take off by herself.   The inside of the boot have a  self-molding footbed with contoured heel cradle, a moisture-wicking, eco-friendly lining, and Sensory Response Technology™.  That is pretty impressive for an infants shoe.

Another impressive feature about the Stride Rite boots is the removable insole with the Check Fit system.  This gives parents a clear indication as to when your child needs a new pair of shoes.  I remember in the “old” days, you used to have to put the sole of the shoe against the child’s foot to see if it was too small.  Now there is no need to leave the guess work up to you, there is an obvious and simple way to ensure the shoe still fits.  Ah – technology is making out lives so much easier.

Stride Rite has a simple to follow website, you can shop by age, size, sex and sale items!  Stride Rite has a huge assortment of shoes at a reduced price.  They also carry slippers and socks.  The shoes at Stride Rite are not your average everyday shoe that you are going to find in a big box store, they are stylish, adorable and still affordable.  Your child will have the best looking feet in the neighbourhood with their Stride Rite Shoes.  Since you can’t fight winter, you may as well embrace it and get the best looking boots possible for your children.

Buy it: To purchase, visit Stride Rite online

Giveaway: Stride Rite would like to offer a lucky My Wee View reader a pair of shoes

To Enter: Visit Stride Rite, and make a comment back here about your favourite item

Bonus Entries:

• Follow My Wee View on Twitter and retweet this RT @myweeview Christmas Gift Idea for the Kids – Stride Rite shoes – Win a pair #Giveaway ENDS 12/04 http://tiny.cc/8trbp (You can tweet this once a day for extra entries)
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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 fun kids

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to review Zooni’s hat and mittens you can read the review here, well they are back at My Wee View with a new product.  Zooni has added to their fantastic product line to include some socks.  These are not ordinary socks either, they of course carry the Zooni flare with them. The socks are called Zooni ConFEETi, and are like no other socks I have ever seen before.

Before, I get into the socks themselves, I would also like to add that  Zooni really puts a lot of effort into their packaging as well.  The package was so well presented that it could easily be kept in it’s original packaging and make a wonderful gift just as is (no need for extra wrapping).  Not only was the outside packaging really nice, the product inside looked just as nice.  The 3 pack of socks were packaged inside a what looked like a carousel.  Each sock was placed on it’s own little  piece of cardboard that made it stand up.  Of all the products I have received to date, the packaging at for the Zooni ConFEETi socks is in the top 5 for originality and presentation.

Now, onto the  Zooni ConFEETi socks.  The socks I received were a girly package, with the socks  being a pink bunny, a purple kitty and a black and white panda bear.  The socks are 3D, have you ever heard of such a thing?!?  Either had I until I received the package from Zooni.  The socks have little puffy faces, ears and feet on the front and puffy tails and feet that stick out in the back.  These socks are absolutely adorable and get so many comments from family, friends and even strangers.  My daughter will not keep shoes on her feet when we go shopping, this used to really bother me because I always felt like a bad parent having a young child with only socks on.  With the  Zooni socks, I don’t mind (as much), that she takes her shoes off as soon as we get into the car.  These are the type of socks that you will want to show off and have people see.  And believe me, the will see them and make comments.

The  Zooni conFEETi socks are the most adorable socks I have ever come across, and they also are safe too.  The bottom of the socks have rubber non slip bottoms and have the Zooni logo on them as well, so everyone will know where the socks are from.  These socks from  Zooni are just another great product that Zooni offers.

The Zooni hats and mitts are adorable as well and will also make a great gift for any young person on your Christmas Shopping List.

Buy it: To purchase, visit  Zooni online

Giveaway: Zooni would like to offer a lucky My Wee View reader a package of ConFEETi Socks ($24)

To Enter: Visit  Zooni and make a comment back here about you favoutire prodcut

Bonus Entries:

• Follow My Wee View on Twitter and retweet this RT @myweeview #Giveaway – Christmas Gift Idea for FUN Kids – ConFEETi puppet socks from Zooni ENDS 11/27 http://tiny.cc/9Ri3n (You can tweet this once a day for extra entries)
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Giveaway closes November 27th @ 11:59 pm PST. Open to US and Canada

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