Archive for the ‘travel’ Category

A new, all natural baby teether

Toofeze $20.00

We’re so excited to receive our first shipment of Toofeze this week or next. Toofeze is an all natural, hypo-allergenic teether made from food-grade ingredients. They were designed with both baby and parents in mind. Each one has 3 distinct teething surfaces, which helps your baby self-manage her teething. The stainless steel disk provides a therapeutic effect for your baby by keeping cool and clinically reduces teething pain associated with swelling and inflammation. Designed ergonomically, Toofeze features a silicone handle which is easy for baby to grip onto and control–it even aids in early motor skills. It can be used to provide relief even through the two-year molars.

Toofeze can be cooled down instantly in a glass of water, making it easy for you while out and about–no need for a fridge. And they are easy to clean with soap and water, antibacterial wipes, or in the dishwasher. As a keepsake, you can take Toofeze to a local engraver to have your baby’s name engraved in the steel plate!

Check in with us soon to get your Toofeze so you and your little one get get some relief.

Camp, camp, and more camp

Thinking Putty $2.99

Do you have kids at sleepaway camp? Here are some of our favorite goodies from the store that you can include in care packages to your camper. Think: coolest parents ever.

Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty, $2.99. Ages 3+

This is the stress relieving, hand exercising, mind expanding, totally fun and addicting Thinking Putty! Crazy Aaron says, “There’s nothing silly about Thinking Putty!” This wild putty comes in fascinating varieties including glow-in-the-dark, thermochromic Hypercolor and more.

Swish, $12.99. Recommended 8+

A fantastic new game from Thinkfun that all fits into a small carry pouch. Swish is a clear deck of cards with different patterns on each–some are “balls” and some are “baskets”. The goal of this visual game is to “swish” the balls into the baskets of the same color by stacking cards on top of each other and allowing the circles to line up. Your campers will love playing this during quiet time in their bunks!
Unhinged, $14.99. Recommended 8+
 
Unhinged is a folding puzzle made of 10 hexagons that the player flips and twists to match one of 40 challenges. Kids who enjoy Rush Hour will also like this tactile puzzle. Ideal for single player, but Unhinged is certainly a puzzle that friends and siblings can help with. Also perfect for quiet time, or it can fold up and travel with your camper!

Write it! Camp Stationery, $7.99

If your camper won’t write to you on regular paper, try sending him this seal & send stationery, which includes 40 letters and 48 stickers! Multiple choice answers and pre-formatted fill-in-the-blanks make it fun for your camper to write home. We have a whole selection of traditional stationery as well, so come take a peak!

Smarties Candy pillow, $24.95. Ages 3+
This is sure to make your camper smile! You might not be able to send real sweets to your camper, but this will pass by the mail inspection, and your little camper will think of you when she hugs this sweet-tasting pillow goodnight.

The unbalanced, balance game!

Suspend $16.99

Melissa & Doug has come out with a great new game for kids 8+ that’s perfect for family game night or even as a travel game for family vacation. The point of Suspend is to balance 24 notched wire pieces on each other, starting from the stand. It might look easy, but it stumped us the first few times. The result, if you can get to the end, looks like an Alexander Calder mobile! It’s a real challenge that will engage older kids (and parents) over and over. All the pieces fit into a convenient cylinder that travels easily. Try tucking it into a care package for your camper. At this price point, it’s a steal, too.

Game play is for 1-4 players and there are several variations to try. It’s sort of like reverse Jenga! Remember: only one hand to move a piece? That’s rule #1.

Suspend was featured on the Best Toys Guide for Best Games of 2012. We want to give a shout out to Dr. Robert Nardone for alerting us to how cool this game is! So, have fun!

It lights, it flies, it returns!

flash flyer $19.99

Here’s a cool new toy for summer days and nights: the AFO flash flyer! A spinning “boomerang” propelled by a pull of the cord, the flash flyer will return to you after soaring through the air. Its coolest feature, however, is that it lights up! Try it at night in the yard or take it to the beach after dinner for extra vacation fun. Our family tried it together this past weekend after dark and it provided truly spectacular excitement as the whirring, glowing red halo of light floated back to us. It comes in red and blue and creates a dazzling circle of light while aloft. Check out the video above.

The flash flyer will provide hours of delight (recommended for ages 7+), and will amuse boys and girls keen on Beyblades for its similar motion. It can fly up to 40ft. in the air! It performs best when outside, but it’s light enough that it can be used in appropriate indoor spaces without marring surfaces.

NEW Melissa & Doug outdoor play toys

Dart Dolphin Kickboard $6.99

Melissa & Doug has a special line of toys that inspire kids to explore and have fun outside. We have new items and some old favorites that are sure to win summer after summer… all at a great price point for birthdays or anytime gifts.


Dart Dolphin and Spark Shark Kickboards, $6.99

These cute kickboards just arrived! They can be used in the pool or at the beach and are sure to encourage kids to keep kicking! The characters motivate younger children to gain confidence in the water  and older kids will invent many games to play with these swimming animals. At such a bargain price they can be part of a birthday gift, party favors, or just a surprise goody to ward off boredom on warm days. Ages 4+


Tootle Turtle Lawn Mower, $29.99

Get your tot moovin’ and groovin’ outside. She or he will love to push this mower along the grass or pavement and pretend to mow the lawn with daddy. A storage compartment, “fuel” tank, crank notches, and pull-cord that sets off a real motor sound will provide plenty of ways to entertain your little one. Age 2+

 

Froggy Kickball, $9.99

These cute-faced, durable rubber balls are great at the playground or in the backyard. We also have Bollie Ladybug and Scootin’ Turtle. These balls are versatile and small enough for young kids’ hands to hold, making them perfect for kicking, bouncing, and catching. Ages 2+

Grub Scout Sprinkler and Blossom Bright Sprinklers, $19.99

Attach one of these to your garden hose for instant fun and cool satisfaction. At this price, the cute sprinkler (with grubs pictured above or pink blossoms, not pictured) can be a sweet and inventive birthday present for a friend or family member. Let your kiddos keep cool (and entertained) with fun and style. Ages 3+

What we’re digging in March

Duct tape, flipbooks, and more

Does the air feel unseasonably warm to you? Spring must be around the block. We thought we’d compile a list of things we like and what we’re listening to at the stores right now while we wait for the leaves to bud.

Pink and Blue Snuffles, (7 in. pictured) $13.00, 1 mo. – 5 yrs….

Just about as cute as Squishables (previous post). They come in different sizes plus as a rattle–adorable. Great gift for all the young babies you know. They eye you the same way your puppy might.

Alex Hot Duct Tape Fashion, $12.99, 7+…

Use Alex’s zany duct tape patterns and colors to make fashion accessories. Try the Duct Tape Tote Kit, $16.99 or the full kit, All Duct Out, $24.95 which includes 8 rolls of duct tape and all the parts to make glasses, jewelry, purse, a belt, headbands, and more!

Rocket Flip Book Kit from Fliptomania, $12.99, 3+…

Watch your own rocket ship zoom into outer space… over and over again! Teaches kids the essence of moving pictures. Includes book clips, markers, pre-drawn pages, and detailed instructions.

Swish, $12.99, 8+…

This artfully designed card game by Thinkfun–clear plastic cards with colorful layers printed on them–is a spatial game in which players must match the cards to create “swishes” by laying the cards on top of each other and seeing how the designs line up. Great for family game night. Swish is a meditative game. Includes a nylon bag for travel.

PLUS: we’re now streaming Pandora! Here’s what stations we’re listening to:

Aretha Franklin
Adele
Beirut
Balmorhea
Cole Porter
Ella Fitzgerald
Etta James
Louis Armstrong
Rodrigo y Gabriella
Walt Disney
New items for 2012 are still coming in.  Come check out the new offerings from Alex, Lego, and Playmobil.

Free parking and a Gubby game for older kids

Gubs $11.99

We just heard this great news: to make your holiday shopping a little easier, Wellesley and Natick are providing free parking in December. Parking in Natick is free 12/1-12/31 (2 hours) and in Wellesley from 12/12-1/12. Don’t forget, parking is always free in Wellesley in the rear lot.

Gubs by GamewrightCome in and we will be happy to recommend gifts for every age group. The tween range can be difficult, so here’s a game to make the 10+ crowd happy. Gubs, from Gamewright has won a plethora of awards in 2011 (Dr. Toy’s Best Vacation Products, National Parenting Center Seal of Approval, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award , Parents’ Choice Recommended, Tillywig Sterling Fun Award, and Play Advances Language (PAL) Award). The beautifully illustrated cards will excite the imagination of your older child, getting him or her to believe they are a small creature in a mystical woods. The object is to have the strongest colony of “free” and “safe” Gubs when the final card is played: the last letter to spell out “GUB”. The G, U, and B letter cards are shuffled throughout the deck and can show up at any unsuspecting time! It is cause for suspense, indeed. Rounds are played by each player picking up, playing, and discarding cards strategically. Barricade cards protect the Gubs, Hazard cards attack the others in play, and Tools help build your colony.

Gamewright, started by four parents who wanted to make enjoyable games for their kids, has been producing games since 1994. Their motto is “Games for the infinitely imaginitive”, and Gubs is certainly one of these–a game of strategy that will entertain children who love fantasy, adventure, and challenge.

Our service is out of this world!

A Star Wars Halloween

Check out our stellar employees showing off their Princess Leia garb on Halloween in front of the Star Wars themed window. With all the other staff, Whitney and Shannan provide service that is out of this world!

Speaking of windows, we are switching out the Halloween window for the winter holidays right now. Can you believe it’s that time already? To kick start the gift-buying season, we will be having a HUGE SALE in November: 20% off everything in the entire store. Details to follow. Stay posted.

Also, we are about to get our first shipment of Vapur water bottles, which are reusable and foldable which makes them hyper-portable. They’re made in the USA from BPA-free materials and are constructed to survive daily use and cleaning. They are also dishwasher safe! A great gift for an environmentally conscious friend or for a child who is always on the go!

Celebrate Sustainable Energy Day in Wellesley!

SnackTAXI $6.99 sml / $8.99 lg

SnackTAXI snack size and sandwich size pouches.We love snackTAXIs – they’re little and cute and reusable and… well, owner Erin Kelly-Dill of Plainfield, MA explains it best:

“I invented SnackTAXIs way back in 2003 as a way to stem the tide of plastic ziplock bags that flowed from our house to the landfill when our 3 kids started school! We pack over 500 lunches every year, and had definitely fallen prey to the easy appeal of the ziplock bag.

SnackTAXIs are easy too – really! They are made in our home-based workshop by talented (and fun!) local sewers – we are committed to keeping our business local, and will never outsource our labor.”

As our way of joining the celebration this Saturday, September 24 of “Sustainable Energy Day” in Wellesley, we will be offering 20% off all of our snackTAXI bags, regular $6.99 for snack size and $8.99 for sandwich size. SnackTAXIs can be washed by hand or machine and come in so many patterns! So pick some up today and curb your plastic baggy use.

It’s August!

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

We hope you enjoy the waning weeks of summer! from LittleBits and family (right).