A couple weeks ago I was asked to test toys for ebeanstalk. Of course I jumped at the chance. They sent out the toys last week. They sent out a variety of baby toys and toys for 1 year olds to toy experts (moms) for their review.
While ebeanstalk picks great toys, they like to get some help from the real experts – moms and kids, to help them select great learning toys. The toy we received was the Jumbo Knob Wooden Puzzle from Melissa & Doug who specialize in wooden toys.
My son is a little older, so I dropped …read more

I don’t often get to write about baby toys, but I found one that’s just adorable! Gentle Giraffe is one of the latest huggable soothing stuffed friends from Cloud B. Gentle Giraffe transports young listeners to the beautiful and mysterious plains of the Serengeti.

Gentle Giraffe features soothing sounds, including rhythmic drums, a waterfall, the sounds of a safari trail, and quiet giraffes to gently ease your baby or young one to sleep.
Gentle Giraffe would go great with a jungle, or safari theme bedroom or nursery. The best part is, he doesn’t have to stay in the nursery. Your child can …read more

If you have a baby or know someone who is having a baby, then the My First Fish Bowl is a must-have toy.  The My First Fish Bowl is intended for babies 6 months and older.  It’s meant to help babies explore textures, colors, sounds and more.  The best part – babies love it!
First, this toy is soft and babies love to teeth on the fish.  They can all go in the washing machine, which I love.  Each fish makes a different sound when you shake or squeeze them and each has a different texture.  As your baby grows, he …read more

My kids got the Sassy Poppin’ Push Car when they were babies.  Before they could even crawl, I remember pushing that car in front of them as they watched intently.  Soon they would hold it and shake it.  Eventually, they could push it along the floor themselves as they crawled behind.  This car took a lot of abuse and now, over three years later, they still use it.

My name is Susan Gunelius, and I’m very happy to be the new author of Play Library.  I have some big shoes to fill, but with 3-year old triplets and 10 neices and nephews ranging in age from 3 to 18, I’ve been around toys, games, children’s books, children’s movies, and more for a long, long time.  Suffice it to say, I’ve tried my fair share of toys and kids’ products, and with 3-year old triplets, I get to try them all again times 3!
I hope I can bring a unique perspective to Play Library, and of course, I’m thrilled to hear from …read more

Okay, so, I’m making my way through the sites that Jennifer mentioned in the comments here, and I started with PsychoBaby and it made me laugh. Okay, the site itself didn’t make me laugh (though some of the products were cracking me up). But I started laughing because it reminded me of a backpack that I was shown the other day. A friend had bought this adorable little pink backpack for her daughter, completely girly with roses all over it. It wasn’t until she got it home that she noticed images of skulls intermingled with all …read more

I’ve been nominated for this week’s Hot Stuff Award at GNMParents. The post in question was my mention of Julie Aigner-Clark’s recognition in the State of the Union Address.
While I have nothing against the Baby Einstein products, I can’t honestly say that I’ve ever seen the videos, listened to the CDs, or played with the toys. I can see why Erica of GNMParents took my enthusiastic congratulations of Aigner-Clark as a promotion of her product.
In actuality, I was congratulating Aigner-Clark on harnessing her passion, sharing it with the world, and being able to make a …read more

I don’t remember playing with the Fisher Price Corn Popper myself, but I do remember my sister (who’s a few years younger than me) annoying the snot out of me with it when she was a baby. Hmmm….she started awfully early with that trend, didn’t she?
Anyway, I thought I’d seen the last of it until one of my very dearest friends (or so I thought) bought my oldest one for her first birthday. Thanks.
My youngest is now perfecting the art of driving mommy insane with his constant pop-pop-popping around the house. It is quite …read more