Little Orso Bookshelf- Cluck Cluck Cluck Edition:)

Recently I had the pleasure of getting a sneak peak of an up and coming children's publishing line.  The company is called Three Chicken Books, and they already have two fabulous books available to the public.

Three Chicken Books is the brainchild of a dear friend of mine, named Barak Maguen.  Barak is a Board Certified Ophthalmologist in Los Angeles, but wanted to pursue a passion on the side.  He has always been one of my most creative friends, I remember him drawing me funny pictures back in the 7th grade. 

He has taken this creativity and intelligence, and has created a fantastic line of books.  The illustrations alone will keep your kids hooked, but the stories are actually really entertaining...plus they have great messages!!

The Snail Who Lost His Trail

The Snail Who Lost His Trail, is about a snail that loses his trail.  He searches everywhere and worries that he will never find it again.  Kids of all ages can relate to losing a part of them (or favorite toy), and fearing that they will never get it back.  The pictures of this snail on the hunt are hilarious, and will keep your kids interested in what happens next.  The ending has a sweet message about not getting too worked up, and that things usually work out in the end.

The Octopus Who Tried To Grow A Mustache

The Octopus Who Tried to Grow a Mustache, is an adorable book about an octopus trying to fit in with his friends.  He goes to extraordinary measures to look like them. This book will have you and your children cracking up, at what silly thing the octopus will try next.  Just like The Snail That Lost His Trail, this book has a great feel good ending.

I could go on about these books all day long, but don't want to ruin them for you!!  We got advanced e copies of both, and my son loved them.  Typically he only likes to read if he gets to hold the book and turn the pages, so the fact that he listened to a book on my computer says a lot about them!!

The Octopus Who Tried To Grow a Mustache

Three Chicken Books is currently working on a book called Chickens for Charity.  The book will be filled with hand drawn chickens by students and celebrities.  The proceeds from this book will help fund after school programs.  Having the freedom to do wonderful things like this, is why Barak started his own publishing group.  He now has the freedom to create his characters any way that he likes, and have them help do good:)

To grab your very own copy of these hilarious books, go to www.threechickenbooks.com

Giveaway!!

Due to the overwhelming response regarding Friday's post, we have a Surprise Giveaway!!

The company that makes the signs Dishwasher Sign, has offered to give away 2 signs. (yes 2 different winners)

You can pick from any of their signs.

To enter the giveaway you must do 3 things:
1. Follow them on Twitter- https://twitter.com/dishwashersign
2. Follow them on Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001895112250
3. Follow Little Orso on Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/LittleOrso....

...for an extra entry follow Little Orso on Twitter- https://twitter.com/littleorso
(comment below letting me know that you have done these things )

Good Luck:)

Vehicular Fashion!!

I saw the coolest item on tv last week.... (I feel like I start too many sentences with this line, that is probably why I am starting to look like a potato;))

They are called, Wearables from a company called Kids Construction.  They are cardboard vehicles, that you decorate, assemble, and then wear.  My excitement for them, probably stems from my dream of getting to drive a bulldozer...that and my love for coloring.  Luckily for me, my son has inherited this love of trucks and coloring.  I can't wait to buy him one of these:) 

Right now they have three vehicles to choose from; Stunt Plane, Princess Carriage, and Dozer.  Each is cuter than the next.  These would be fantastic for a birthday party.  It gives you an activity to do, and then a great party favor to take home.  Another huge plus, is that they can be played with outdoors or indoors.  Making them a great year round item.

Kids Construction is a small American based company, so you can feel good about your purchase.  There is nothing  better than supporting a small business, and getting a quality made item in return!!

Mommy's Helper :)

Being the mom of a toddler, amongst other things, makes life a never ending high speed roller coaster.  Most days I pass out on the couch right after my son goes to sleep, wondering what I actually did that day.

That is why when I find a really great item that helps me keep my sanity, I feel the need to share it with other parents.

My two favorites right now are...

Me4kidz Medibuddy on the go first aid kits are amazing.  They have everything you need to take care of minor injuries.  Just knowing I have mine with me makes me feel better...I tend to be a worrier;) The kit includes latex free bandaids, gauze pads, antiseptic wipes, ointment, knee and elbow bandages, a sting relief pad, and a burn relief pad.

They also come with stickers to cheer up a sad little face:)


My second item may not seem like something that belongs on a kids shopping blog...but hear me out;)

Since having my son, my husband and I barely get to finish a conversation.  This is why there have been way too many occasions, that have resulted in my emptying a dirty dishwasher (we never get time to tell the other person that we emptied and reloaded the dishwasher again).

After putting away dirty dishes (then having to hunt for them all to re-wash them...and realizing that was too hard so just washing everything in my kitchen), I realized it was time to come up with a better system, besides asking each other if the dishwasher was clean.  I started hunting for cute dishwasher signs, and found a perfect one on Etsy.  (I always find everything I need on there)  These signs have magnets on the back, and come with a magnetic strip to adhere to your dishwasher.  They are very modern looking, and come in quite a few cool color combinations. (I bought a stainless steel one that matches my dishwasher perfectly).  There is a little knob on the front that lets you change the message from "dirty" to "clean".  It looks like one of those automated subway signs.

I love mine, and since getting it there have not been any new dirty dish issues.  Dishwasher sign, the store that sells them, also makes a cute sign for your kids door.  It changes from "sleep" to "awake".  I think I have that one down, but for homes with lots of people I am sure it comes in very helpful...it is also really cute:)

A,B,C,D,E,F,G.....

As I have mentioned in many of my posts, I am obsessed with personalizing things...especially with monograms.  When I was pregnant with my son, I searched everywhere to find some wooden letters that I could hang over his crib.  I could never find exactly what I was looking for.  Most were way too feminine, too big, too small...I finally settled on one, but have never loved it. 

That is why I was so excited, when one of my favorite jewelry sites (Kayce Jones Designs) started making wooden letters!!

I have featured Kayce's work a few other times.  She makes adorable items, that will immediately melt your heart. (she made my all time favorite necklace)  When you receive an item from Kayce, you can feel the love that went into it.  That is why I was thrilled when I saw these letters.

They come in black or white, unless you order one of her special premium colors. (Rainbow Mama friends she has a fantastic rainbow print!!)

The letters are very affordable too...$12 for the first, and $8 for each additional letter. Add $1 (per letter) if you would like a personalized color.  They come with either a slot to hang them on, or a ribbon through the top.

I will definitely be replacing my son's "G", with one from Kayce Jones.  Her letters and colors are so cute, I think I may write his entire name. Or should I put "Mom" with a giant heart next to it??  I am sure he would love that when he got older;)

Head over today and grab some letters, and throw a little something cute in the cart for yourself too!!!

Call Me On The Line...

With tomorrow being the 4th of July, and summer in full effect, I thought this was a great time to feature this item.

They are disposable kids' id bracelets, by TigTagz.  I am sure one of the top fears of every parent is losing their child.  That is why we need to take every precaution that we can, like making sure that they have something with their name and number on it at all times.  I love these because they are disposable, and because they have cute designs on them.  You can make safety fun for your kids, by letting them pick a fun band to wear.

Tig Tagz started, when a mom became concerned that her 4 year old could not remember her cellphone number.  She realized that if she had trouble with it on a "normal day', then what would it be like on a stressful day...like getting lost!!  She then had a second child, that required medical attention, and realized that she needed to do something right away!! Luckily for all of us Tig Tagz and these brilliant bracelets were invented!!

The bracelets are impossible to be removed by kids (can only be removed with scissors), and are water resistant.  Now that my son is walking (aka running like a mad man), I will be ordering these. 

They come in bundles, and are very reasonably priced.  They even have one bundle of 17 on sale for $4.99 right now. 

Head over and grab a bundle today...you can never be too safe with your kids!!!

“Life is just a blank slate, what matters most is what you write on it”

The best part about being on Twitter, is meeting new people and companies.  A few weeks ago a company called BlankZ added me.  They make these really cute stuffed animals that you can decorate, and then wash and start all over. 

I immediately thought back to my childhood sleepovers, where we would all decorate our pillowcases.  I loved taking home a piece of those nights.  However we did those in permanent marker, so they would last forever!!!  Just like our friendships;)  That was the one thing that I wasn't sure if I liked about BlankZ...would I want to wash off all of my hard work??  Not like they would force me to, but for some reason this upset me. (I am not a fan of change...lol) 

However as I watched their tweets, and kept looking at their product I realized how much I actually liked that idea.  I love items that inspire people to be creative, especially children.  What a great way to get kids to use their imaginations!!  They get to "re-dress" their best friend  whenever they feel like it.  One day their stuffed animal can be a pirate, and the next day they can be dressed for a wedding.  They could be covered in get well messages, and the next day be in a Halloween costume...  You can use these to teach kids about weather changes, holidays, body parts...anything that you like!!  That is the best part, they are literally a "blank slate".

I can't wait to stock up on these for car trips, sick days, birthday gifts, party favors...  I also am thinking this is a great grandparent gift, let my son draw on one for each of them (ok on that occasion we may still use our sharpies:) )  I am definitely a convert, and can't wait to pick a few of these up!!!

Currently they have 7 animals to choose from;  Ele-Faint (elephant), No Bully (bull), Bare Hare (rabbit), Bare (bear), Bloink (pig), White Hound (dog), and Un-Sealed (seal).  You can order them here.

What do you think about these??  I think I need to get a Bare, and make him my official Little Orso mascot...and change his outfit daily of course:)

Love, Love, Love- Magical Backyard Edition :)

If you were lucky enough to grow up with a backyard, then you know what a magical place it can be...especially during the summer!!  Here are some very cool items, that will make your yard even more exciting!!

Huggle Pod Hanging Chair

Garden Fort

Wurlybird Flyer

I am cheating and adding 2 more "Loves" today...hey it's my blog I can do what I want right?!! ;)

Round and Round Outdoor Swing

Eco Friendly Tire Horse Swing

Hope you have a magical summer!!...and remember that you don't need a backyard or any of these items to make summer magical for your kids.  Just put down your phone, computers...and teach your children to use their imaginations :)

Cool Things I Stumble Upon...

Every parent wishes that they could find items that would do things for us, like scrub the toilets or put laundry away (ohhh one can dream!! ;)) While I wait for that one to be invented, I will  continue to be in awe of this cool new invention.

Not only are these very interesting looking bottles, but they are self warming.  The Iiamo Go is a bottle that warms itself to 37degree Celsius (body temperature) in 4 minutes.  It doesn't use batteries or wires to heat the bottle, just a salt water cartridge...so it is pretty safe!!  Not to mention extremely easy to take with you.  I remember trying to figure out creative ways to heat bottles, when my son was younger.  Including hot water from Starbucks:)

The bottles can be used for formula or breast milk, and even have an anti colic feature.  My first concern was how would I clean such a thing, but they claim that you can take them completely apart and are really easy to clean.  They do contain any PVC or BPA.

I haven't seen these in any of the stores near me (the company is based in the UK, and very popular there), so I contacted the company directly.  They told me that you can buy them online at Dainty Baby.

Even though I am trying to wean my son from bottles, I still want to get one.  I am so excited to see it work in person:)  What do you guys think about these??  Would you buy one??

I've Been Driving All Night...

Recently I transformed our loft from an office, into a play area for our son.  We are on a very limited budget right now, but I still wanted to do something fun for him. And most importantly find a way to keep all of his toys in one central place!! 

My journey towards a cute play area started with a garage sale to sell all of our office furniture and supplies.  We made just enough to buy a few things for his play area.  Our first purchase was the Lillabo Play Mat from Ikea.

Since the area is extremely small, every thing has to serve a double purpose. This rug is even cuter in person, and it obviously serves a double purpose:)

I then re-purposed a book shelf from another room, and bought some baskets from Ikea to store puzzles and small toys in.

Next came the best part of the project....DECORATING!!!

Just like everything else in the room, I wanted the decor to have a dual purpose.  Since I went with a cars theme, I decided the decor should revolve around that theme.  The first thing I did was blow up a picture of my son in his Little Tikes truck. I had it blown up and made into a canvas on Snapfish.com.  They were having a sale on canvases, so I got really lucky that day!!

Then my hunt got tricky, but fun!!  I knew I wanted some wooden cars to display, but was very picky about what I wanted.  They had to be made of 100% wood, and handmade. I wanted them to be cute enough to display for years, yet durable enough for my son to play with.  I wondered if I would be able to find such a thing, especially on my limited budget.  I knew my best bet was Etsy.  I headed over, and after 5 minutes of looking found exactly what I wanted at Darlingling.

Darlingling was started by a husband and wife in 2008, when they had their first son Benjamin.  Just like me, they were on the hunt for cute yet safe toys for their son.  They decided the best way to get them, was to make them themselves!!  I am so glad that they made that decision, because their cars are beautiful.  When you see them in person, you are amazed by the craftsmanship and shocked that they didn't cost a lot more.

They were exactly what I was looking for, but the real test would be the day that my son would finally get to play in his new play area. 

I took the cars off the shelf and put them on his rug.  Would he like them as much as the plastic ones at the gym??  Would they move well??...well the answer to all of my questions was YES!!  He loves them.  He even carries them with him to his nap, and to eat.  They move really well, and so far no dents despite a very destructive owner:) (who sometimes likes to crash them into each other).

Darlingling claims that their cars are made with love, and this is very evident from the second that you place your order.  They ship items immediately!! I got them the same week that I ordered them, despite them coming from Canada.  I can't wait to order a few more, especially one of these:

I told Olivia (from Darlingling) how much I loved her cars, and couldn't wait to share them with all of you... and she gave us all a special promo code to use!!  Get 10% off of your order, with code DARLING10 at check out. 

Now everyone can get something great from Darlingling!!!