Thursday, August 13, 2009

testing, testing, 1,2, 3

Lily's birthday is next week and we have been trying to decide what to get her for her birthday. I am at a loss, I don't know anything about little girl toys, I know trucks, trains, and cars. I don't want to buy anything that she won't play with, but I do want to have some toys that are hers and not just hand-me-downs from Lance. It is hard finding toys the kids like that don't drive me crazy with annoying lights, sounds, and the constant need to change the batteries. There are so many different brands and half of the stuff out there is just junk. So this toy dilemma reminds me of the discovery of ebeanstalk, a website that selects good, baby toys and has real families test them out. We have been lucky enough to try out the natural skwish toy from Manhattan Toy. The Manhattan Toy company makes great developmental toys, we have quite a few things from them and both kids have loved their toys.

So for the last week or so we have been playing with the natural skwish. I almost bought the colored skwish a few months ago for Lily, but we had to leave the store quickly and I never got around to going back to purchase it. The natural version is pretty cool, it is definitely a "green" baby toy, the wood is from renewable wood and it has a nice natural finish that is non-toxic, so safe for little mouths and teeth. This is one toy that you can feel good about buying, not only is it a toy that doesn't have a large impact on the environment, but Manhattan toys are sold as most locally owned stores which help small business and keep tax dollars in the community, benefiting your local economy. I really like this toy. The beads in the middle slide along the dowels creating a sound that is not at all annoying thus teaching babies cause and effect, a different, kind of rattle. Lily enjoyed trying to figure it out, pulling the bands to change the shape a bit, and shaking it. Like all the Manhattan Toys I have experienced, it is a very high quality toy that will survive being passed on from one sibling to the next. It doesn't require batteries, doesn't make annoying music or sounds, it isn't plastic, and from a design standpoint, it looks pretty darn cool so it gets high marks in my book. I would definitely purchase this as a baby shower gift for friends because it is different and and unique. I wish I would have bought this for her months ago, it would be great for the car, we are enjoying it now and better late then never, right?

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