Before I had my daughter, shopping on-line was kind of a novel idea and because I like to make sure that what I am buying is good quality (i.e. I like to touch it), I really did not do it that often. Now, with my schedule short on time, internet shopping is a necessity. Like any shopping experience, it takes some time to figure out what your likes and dislikes, needs and wants are. For example, I like on-line companies to have an easy ordering process, clear photos and a write up about the products they carry. I also really like to have a full selection of items, so I do not have to flip around from site to site gathering what I want and going through the ordering process for as many purchases.

Oompa toys is the on-line baby store for safe children’s toys and baby gear. If you need anything at all for your children’s playroom (and beyond), Oompa is the place to visit. Be prepared to get engrossed when shopping at Oompa; I recommend setting aside a few hours to look around. Their site is set up so that you can shop by brand, by the age of the child, toy and gear category (which is then further subdivided for easier shopping), where the products are made (I LOVE this feature!) and you can even create a shopping wish list for yourself. Oompa makes gift giving very easy with its gift wrapping and sensible ordering process. In case you have questions about the safety of the toys Oompa carries, they provide full product disclosure and even will keep you up to date on the latest toy recalls and US toy standards. As extra bonuses, Oompa does not charge tax, they have a 30 days return policy and offer a rewards program.

Take for example the Petite Lemonade plush toy from Blabla I received for review from Oompa. Shown at left, this toy is perfect for small hands and my daughter loves his ears, as she is very into tags these days. Blabla’s dolls are hand knit by Peruvian artists and are made of soft cotton, making them a great sleeping companion for your little one. As you browse through Oompa’s site you will see that this is the kind of craftsmanship and imagination-provoking product you should expect to find from them.

Buy it: To purchase, visit Oompa online

Giveaway: Oompa would like to offer a lucky My Wee View reader anything from the Blabla Petite Collection

To Enter: Visit Oompa online and make a comment back here about your favourite item

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Giveaway closes January 8th @11:59 pm PST.  Open to US and Canada

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When it comes to some really neat, sleek and clean products, Northern European companies really seem to have that down pat.  Scandinavian Child, is the American Distributor for some really stylish, innovative and creative children products, all the products they carry have “designs without compromise”.  Most of their products are eco-friendly and are made from sustainable raw materials, lead-free finishes, Phthalate-free plastics, PBDE-free cushions, low-VOC paint, and formaldehyde-free plywood – these are all things that are important to parents.

A few months back, I had asked all of you what items you would like to see on My Wee View, and Tammy N said “the Svan Scooter”.  Thanks to Tammy , and the people at Scandinavian Child, I am able to bring you a review of the Svan Scooter!  The scooter is really neat, it’s so sleek and simple, yet is diverse and very entertaining.

Genevieve is still a little bit too young to push herself along by herself on the scooter, however she can sit on it, and I can push her around.  Because there are 3 wheels, it is very very easy to turn on a dime.  The front wheel can do a full 360 very easily, and the back wheels will follow.  Children are very smart, and Genevieve has found another use for the Svan Scooter, she is using it to learn to walk.  She puts her hands on the seat, and pushes it around from the back.  She has a few toys that are meant to do this like a little lawnmower and a car, however, the Svan Scooter is lighter, and the wheels are so much easier to push along.  She really likes to walk (even run) with the scooter, and then when she gets older she will be able to use it as a scooter to sit on.  I thought it was pretty inventive of her, because I did not see this function at all when I first saw the scooter.  I do find that because the scooter only has 3 wheels, I have to watch Genevieve closely to ensure she does not tip over while she is trying to walk. If she pushes from the back all is fine, but if she grabs onto the side or the front, it can get a bit wobbly.

The Customer service at Scandinavian Child is excellent as well.  When my package arrived one of the wheels on the Svan Scooter was broken off.  I sent a message to customer service right away, and they shipped us a anew wheel.  It was very easy to put on, and the Svan Scooter was in business.

Scandinavian Child has some really cool products, they are all the same type of items we are used to here, but have such a neat twist to them to make them all look extra cool.  They carry strollers, highchairs, and accessories for babies, toddlers and children.  The products at Scandinavian Child are all tested and meet the American Society for Testing and Materials, are eco-friendly and ultra modern.

Buy it: To purchase, visit Scandinavian Child online

Giveaway: Scandinavian Child would like to offer a lucky My Wee View reader a Svan Scooter ($100)

To Enter: Visit Scandinavian Child and make a comment back here about your favourite item

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Giveaway closes September 11th at 11:59 pm PST. Open to US and Canada

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Watching Genevieve learn new things is priceless, she is not quite 1 yet and is already walking around on her own, putting blocks into small containers, and picking things up with her feet and placing them into her hands.  I thought these type of skills would have only come a little later in life.  It is truly amazing to see how smart children are.  There are plenty of toys out there that children can play with that a mind numbing and really have no educational value at all, and then there are other toys that really challenge little ones to use their brains to their maximum power.

Learning Toys, a Canadian company based out of Ontario specializes in toys that will stimulate your child’s brain and make learning fun.  They have age appropriate toys and other fun items for infants, toddlers, and children.  The website is very easy to navigate as well.  You can browse by age, themes, and brand names to find what you are looking for.

Learning Toys also has some great outdoor toys to get your kids outside.  This is also  a great way to get your child’s imagination going.  It seems that children now a days spend a lot of their time in front of a television, and we all know that too much TV isn’t good for anyone.

For review Learning Toys sent us a Kettler Baby Swing Seat.  This is such a perfect product for a baby/toddler.  I really want Genevieve to be an outdoor child, and I think the best way to do this is to start her off at a young age.  It’s hard to entertain babies outside, because really they can not do too much at their young age.  When I let her play in the yard, she tries to eat the grass – so a swing is a perfect way to get your child used to the outside.

The Kettler Baby Swing Seat is very durable, and the ropes have a pulley type system to adjust the length.  We do not have a swing set yet, so we used some heavy duty hooks and screwed the swing under the deck in the back yard.   The swing is very safe, and comes with a few safety features to ensure your child’s protection.  The swing has a safety belt, and also has a safety bar that fits higher than the waist.  The safety bar also clips between the legs, and locks underneath the seat so the infant will not be able to unhook themselves.  I even  found that the lock was pretty tight.

We have had countless hours of fun on the Swing that we received from Learning Toys.  Genevieve always giggles and laughs while swinging.  It’s not always possible to get to a park, and many parks only have 1 or not even any baby swings, so to have a baby swing in the back yard is priceless.  We have been more than pleased with how sturdy, safe and fun this swing is.

Learning Toys carries so many great items, they have many more outside toys and also have some other products that I have reviewed in the past including the Cloud B Twighlight Turtle and the Teach My Toddler Kit both really great products.  If you are looking for some fun and educational toys and games for your child, or want them to get outside again, the items at Learning Toys will make your shopping experience really easy, and Judi and Donna have amazing customer service.  And remember American readers, these prices are in Canadian dollars.

Buy it: To purchase, visit Learning Toys

Giveaway: Learning Toys would like to offer a lucky My Wee View reader a $150 Gift Certificate

To Enter: Visit Learning Toys, and make a comment back here about your favourite product.

Other Entries:

• Follow My Wee View on Twitter http://twitter.com/myweeview, and retweet this RT @myweeview  - Giveaway -  $150 Shopping Spree at Learning Toys  http://tiny.cc/sB6ZB ENDS 08/17 (you can tweet this once a day for an extra entry)
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Giveaway closes August 17th @ 11:59 pm PST. Open to US and Canada

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Taking care of our environment should be at the top of our list of things to do.  For many of us -ahem- older generation it’s hard to get our heads wrapped around the fact that the world is not indestructible and that clean water, and clean air just wont always be there.  But it is true, if we continue to treat our world with disrespect, the resources we rely on will no longer be there tomorrow.  This is why is it good to start your children off a young age to be environmentally friendly and consciences.

Idbids are eco-friendly toys that are teaching children at a young age that little things can make a huge difference for our environment.  The Idbids are not only a physical toy, but there is also a code that comes a long with each Idbid for children to enter online and they can learn and play with their new toy online too.

The Idbids teach your children about little ways they can make a difference for the environment.  Not only does it teach them what they can do, it also lets them know the effects of the changes they make are as well.  For example, it teaches children to turn off the tap when bruising their teeth and they can save a whole bath tub of water in a week.

There are 3 different types of Idbids, Scout the Cloud, Lola the pink flower, and Waverley the blue rain drop.  So there is an Idbid for every type of child to love and learn from.

The Idbid starter kit comes complete with the following items

• Idbid characters – made from 100% organic Egyptian cotton
• story book which teaches your child about ways they can help the environment -the book is printed on recycled paper and with eco-friendly inks
• Field Guide with 10 small steps that your child can do to help the environment, with a progress chart – printed on recycled paper and with eco-friendly inks
• Backpack to carry the Idbid and books – made with 100% organic cotton
• Online code for your child to interact with their Idbid online

All the packaging is also made from recycled paper and there is a paper doll cut out and play land insert.  You can also buy each Idbid separately.

If you are looking for an easy way to get your kids involved with the environment, the Idbids are sure to be an easy way to get them excited and interested in seeing what a difference one person can make.  These would make a create addition to a classroom as well. Hopefully with great products like the Idbids the next generation will have a better appreciation for our world than we do.

Buy it: To purchase visit Idbids online, or for my local readers you can get them at exclusively at P’lovers, you can also visit Eco-Alberta to see where Idbids are available in your area.

Giveaway: A lucky My Wee View reader will be receiving an Idbid of their own

To Enter: Visit Idbids online and make a comment back here about something you learned on their website

Other Entries:

• Follow My Wee View on Twitter http://twitter.com/myweeview, and retweet this RT @myweeview  - Giveaway – Idbids – Eco-friendly, interactive toys  http://a2a.me/fYd $40 Ends 07/27 (you can tweet this once a day for an extra entry)
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Giveaway closes July 27th @ 11:59 pm PST. Open to US and Canada

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Sakol Building Blocks, made by the high-end Swiss toy manufacturer ACTIVE PEOPLE, build creativity. They are unlike any other block on the market. When the designer, Jean-Maurice Varone watched his daughter play with conventional blocks he wanted to give her more options for inventing and building. Sakol Building Blocks goes beyond the wooden block by adding Velcro, and thus opening a new dimension for what one can do with blocks.

What is this set all about? Kids Travel Happy is honored to be able to offer these very difficult to find blocks. They offer them in a BULK 5-pack, 10-pack, 50-pack and the 20-piece Sakol Cado packaged in a wooden tube with a rope carrier.

The 20-piece Sakol Cado package consists of the 5 basic geometric shapes:

• rectangle & semicircle are approx 2″ long (5cm)
• triangle, square and circle approx 1″ long (2.5 cm)
• breakdown of pieces is as follows 6 rectangles, 4 semicircles, 6 squares, 2 circles, 2 triangles

Because Kids Travel Happy is a unique company, focusing on unplugged toys, games, books, travel trays and activities for kids of all ages, this product fits in for many reasons.

• they are perfect for travel, as creations don’t fall apart if playing surface becomes unstable
• the youngest of builders will love creating their first works of art with these user friendly blocks
• kindergarteners and older children will enjoy making more complicated masterpieces
• and yes, adults too will find these hard to resist
• the designers purposely have NOT made colored bricks, as to highlight the natural contrast of the wood and the black Velcro strips, playing to the visual senses
• the smooth wood is also a textural contrast to the bumpy and fuzzy parts of the Velcro, making it a multi-dimensional sensory toy
• the toy has therapeutic applications for elderly, seeing impaired etc.
• Please note: due to size these are for ages 3 and up

Buy it:  Visit Kids Travel Happy to purchase these and other great toys

DISCOUNT CODE:  During Checkout Tell Kids Travel Happy that you saw this review on My Wee View and you will receive 20% off the 20-piece set

Win it: Kids Travel Happy would like to offer a lucky My Wee View reader a  20-peice Sakol set ($30 value)

To Enter: Visit Kids Travel Happy and watch the viedo, or search the site, and make a comment back here about what you would like to build with your Sakol set.

Other Entries:

• Follow My Wee View on Twitter http://twitter.com/myweeview, and retweet this RT @myweeview  - Giveaway – SAKOL 20-piece building set – great for travel ($30 value)  http://a2a.me/HZV ENDS TONIGHT (you can tweet this once a day for an extra entry)
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Contest closes June 22nd @ 11:59 pm PST

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Trading cards have been mostly geared towards young boys.  I remember cards like Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh! which were really popular with young boys and of course, sports cards.  There haven’t been too many cards for young girls to collect and enjoy.  There is one company that is geared towards  young girls named Bella Sara. Bella Sara isn’t only trading cards, it is also an online world where young girls can create their own magical world with horses, and play games.

Bella Sara is the most successful trading card product ever created for young girls.  Bella Sara offers young girls positive and inspirational messages. Bella Sara is adding a ninth series to it’s already successful horse and fantasy themes.  The newest line is the Royalty line where  Sara, the goddess of North of North (the fantasy land) will finally be introduced to her fans.

Many parents wonder what the big deal is with trading cards.  In the Bella Sara collection, there are special codes in the trading cards that will allow your little girls to get some special treats.  There is also a parental control option so you can limit what your child can or can not do in the Bella Sara world.  I think this is an excellent feature.  Although all the content is child safe and friendly, we call know that kids can sometimes over do things.

Bella Sara is a safe and fun online and trading card game.  It is something safe for young girls to do online, but will also bring them together in real life with their friends when they play and trade cards.  I am so happy to hear about a successful trading card game for girls.

Thank you to Team Mom!

Buy it: Visit Bella Sara online to see where you can purchase the trading cards and other Bella Sara items, such as DS games

Win it: A Lucky My Wee View reader will win a Bella Sara prize pack which comes with  1 Royalty, 1 Miniatures and 1 Treasures Bella Sara collection.

To Enter: Visit Bella Sara and make a comment back here about something you saw on the Bella Sara site.

Other Entries:

• Follow My Wee View on Twitter http://twitter.com/myweeview, and ReTweet this  RT @myweeview – Giveaway – Bella Sara Prize Pack http://a2a.me/Dvk via  (you can Tweet this once a day for an extra entry each day)
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Contest closes June 15th at 11:59 pm PST.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY