Tried and True Mommy » Toys

‘old’ is the NEW, new.

Sue — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 06:47:49 +0000

I’m not really sure how it happens, I just know that it does.

It must take place late at night while everyone is sleeping. I’m not sure if it’s multiplication, cloning, or mitosis, but some how when I wake up in the morning there are twice as many toys in our house as there were when I went to bed! And some how my kids seem to know which ones are new and which ones are ‘old’. Old as in a few weeks. New toys are, of course, more exciting and entertaining, so now the ‘old’ toys get shoved to the back of the closet or under the bed never to be played with again. Or maybe not. . .

I’ve noticed a phenomenon that seems to take place every time I try to donate those ’old’ toys. When I dig them out from the depths of the closet and put them in a box destined for the donation truck all of a sudden they are the greatest toys ever! “You can’t give it away, it’s my favorite.” Before I know it my box is empty and all of the ‘old’ toys are now new. Amazing how that works.

Now if you really want to get the biggest reaction ever to ‘old’ toys take some Rubbermaid bins and toss about one third to one half of the toys in it and stick the bins in the attic or garage. Wait anywhere from three to four months and then rotate the new ‘old’ toys for the old ‘new’ toys. Does that make sense? It’s like Christmas every time we get the bins out of the attic. I try to get my timing right by rotating the toys out of the attic during times like spring break, the beginning of summer, when we have a new baby, basically any time I need my kids to be self entertained.

So the next time your kids come to you and say their bored simply grab a box and start piling all of the ‘old’ toys in it and sit back and watch the old become new again.

Best toy ever!

Sue — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 07:14:37 +0000

I think it’s unanimous for our family that Legos have to be the best toys ever! Whether it’s the bigger Duplos or it’s a set with tons of primary colored blocks, there is so much you can do with them. The developers at Lego must actually play with the toys they make because all of the pieces are compatible with one another and you can use the same piece in so many different ways.

My seven year old son loves to get a set of Legos, put it together the first time by following the included directions, and then takes them all apart and has an even better time building something new and imaginative. There is no limit to what he can build until he runs out of pieces. I am all about multi-task toys. What I mean by that is, the toys can be used in hundreds of different ways and lets a kid freely use their imagination. Even my husband uses the Legos. He built a custom fit stand for his MP3 player and portable speakers so that they stand up.

We keep my sons Legos under his bed in a large rolling drawer so he doesn’t have to dump them all over the floor to play with them. It saves my feet from the pain and agony of stepping on Legos when I have to get him up in the morning. It also, conveniently, pushes in quickly so baby can’t get to any of the pieces.

My younger kids love the Duplos (the large Legos) and I love to share these at play groups since they can be easily disinfected. Just dump them all in the bath with some hot water and liquid dish soap, swish them around, rinse them off and let them air dry in the tub. Better yet, throw the kids in with the Legos and just use baby soap!

There are all different types and sizes of Lego sets so you can easily find one that your kid is in to and with in your budget. I do have to admit though that Lego sets can get pretty expensive, so here’s my recommendations on how to get the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to shopping for Legos. Start with the basic tub of Legos that has the primary colored bricks. See what your child likes to build with them. Do they like to build houses? Do they like to build boats? Do they build castles for the princess? Take a cue from that on what set to buy next.

Always check places like Craigslist and resale shops for Legos. You can get some great deals on massive amounts of Legos this way. Also check online at Amazon.com. They have been known to have some amazing deals on certain sets of Legos. Lego.com also has a clearance/sale section. I bought my son a Custom Car Garage set for $30 when it was originally $70! If you have a Lego store nearby be sure to check out the ‘wall-o-Legos’ for cool individual pieces that can be used to build your own custom creations and be sure to ask them if they have any coupons. Tip: let the Lego Store host your kids birthday party! Another cool tip: the Lego Store has a free Lego night where your kid can build a mini set of Legos that usually coincide with the holiday that month. Check lego.com for more information. Lego also has a free magazine and catalog your kid can sign up for (my son loves to get mail).

Can you tell we love Legos? If you have other questions or tips about Legos please feel free to share. I’m always looking out for more fun ideas!

Toys for your tatertot

Sue — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 07:54:41 +0000

Now I know there are many different definitions as to what age a toddler is but here’s what I consider a toddler: age 18 months to 3 years. With that being said there is a wide range in physical and mental capabilities for toddlers, so finding the right toy can be a bit frustrating. Here are some of our families top toddler picks and even if you buy them when they are 18 months and they don’t really get it right away, don’t worry they will grow into it.

Mr. Potato Head! An oldie but goodie. The thing I really like about Mr. Potato Head is that kids of all ages love to make funny faces with him and can teach one another how to do it. My four year old son has a great time teaching his two year old sister how to put funny faces together and then trading and mixing them up. It also helps that our nine month old daughter can play along while she chews on the pieces and I don’t really worry about her choking on them. This is where I do have to put in a disclaimer that the toy is supposed to be for ages 2 and up (thank you Toy Story) but really I have yet to see a baby that’s been able to choke down Mr. Potato Heads eyes.

We have used Mr. Potato Head to teach our kids the parts of their face. It’s much more fun to learn about where your mouth is when you can put Mr. Potato Heads mouth in yours. When our daughter was 18 months old she loved to put Mr. Potato Heads glasses on and go around saying “Eyes! Eyes!”

The other thing I like about Mr. Potato Head is that he’s not very expensive and they have all sorts of new faces you can add, even different ones for holidays. If you click on the Mr. Potato Head link on my page it will take you to Hasbro’s coupon page where you can get a coupon for $2 off Mr. Potato Head or $5 off Mr. Potato Head Silly Suitcase. Have fun making funny faces!

Give me a ring

Sue — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:05:32 +0000

Teething rings or teethers – Cheap and easy stocking stuffers for your baby! There are so many different kinds and types (trust me we have tried most of them) but I have learned that they are not all created equally and here’s what sets apart the good ones from the crappy ones. Make sure that it is skinny enough for your baby to be able to hang on to and be able to put in their mouth. Too many teethers out there are way too big to fit into a baby’s mouth for them to be able to bite on for some relief. Don’t get me wrong I don’t want babies to choke on the teething rings, but there’s no point if it’s so big they can’t fit it in their mouth at all! All of my babies have preferred the kinds that are filled with sterilized water. We keep them in the refrigerator for extra cooling relief on their gums. When your baby is learning to self feed, the teether can also be used by your baby kind of like a spoon, without the risk of them cramming it down their throat. It’s easy for them to hang on to, dunk in the baby food and suck it off. Unfortunately the kind with the water in it cannot go in the dish washer but they are easily hand washed especially if they don’t have a lot of frills to them. The ones I have pictured below are the best we have found by far! We bought them at Target for less than $3. Keep in mind this was over a year ago but if you look for the same sizes and shapes it will do the trick.

ExerSaucer, not flying saucer, ExerSaucer

Sue — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:05:18 +0000

ExerSaucer or stationary baby activity centers – These are great for babies who are immobile but can easily hold up their heads, and ones who are mobile that you want to keep away from the dishwasher as you load it with dirty dishes. :-) We got a hand-me-down one with our first son and all of our babies have loved it. Our babies liked “standing up” and playing with the toys and they loved to bounce up and down in it too. The only draw back to ExerSaucers is that they are bulky and tend to be a little expensive if you buy them new. My recommendation is to buy a used one at a resale shop and then lend it out to family and friends to use with their babies until you are ready for your next baby to use it. Ours has been lent out to three other families and it is still in great condition! Make sure that if it has a cloth seat that it can be machine washed. Also check to see that the toys can be removed, not only to be played with elsewhere, but it makes them easier to clean too. The height can be adjusted on most ExerSaucers so that it grows with your baby. Last but not least your baby can continue to use it even when they’re not sitting in it. Our baby likes to stand on the outside of it and play with the toys, especially when her brother is under it.

Please click below to see how Breanna uses her ExerSaucer:

How to use an ExerSaucer by Breanna

I guess I should start from the beginning with Baby toys:

Sue — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:05:33 +0000

The main thing to keep in mind with baby toys is that they won’t be using them for very long. If you plan on having more than one child then you’ll be able to reuse the toys but don’t forget about storing them in between babies. With that being said here are some of our family’s top baby toy picks.

Play gym with hanging toys – Their perfect for immobile babies on their backs or on their tummies. Be sure to get a play mat with removable toys for when your baby is older so they can play with the toys on the go too. I have used the same play mat with all four of my kids and they have all loved it! These are usually pretty easy to find at local resale shops for not very much money. Make sure that the mat itself can be machine washed for easy spit-up removal and that it folds flat for easy storage.

I also highly recommend the Leka play mat from IKEA. It has lots of fun activities on it for babies who like to be on their tummies and it’s perfect to take to the park to have an entertaining place for baby to play. And the best part is . . . . .wait for it . . . . . IT’S MACHINE WASHABLE!!! Woo Hoo! Check it out at www.ikea.com/us product name Leka, or click on a link to it from the ’Tried and True Mommy Favorites’ section on my web page.

If only they stayed little.

Sue — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:49:19 +0000

Woo Hoo! My first post!

OK, I have tons of ideas and products I would love to all post right now but time is short, since my bed time is in an hour. So I’ll have to just start with one of my favorites and you’ll have to keep checking back for more.

Kids grow up so fast, and out grow their clothes, toys and fads even faster. Remember when the Disney movie Toy Story was all the rage? My son went nuts and wanted anything and everything to do with it. But then when Disney came out with the movie Cars my son completely lost interest in Toy Story and it was all about Cars. If there is one thing I have learned it’s don’t go nuts and buy into the fad too, because it’s just that, a fad. Of course my son ended up with one or two toys that had to do with the movies but it wasn’t enough to leave him with nothing when I sold them at a yard sale a year later. Speaking of yard sales

I love yard sales for kid toys. Especially outdoor toys. Why pay full price for a tricycle that’s going to get jumped on, rode through the dirt and left out in the rain? As long as it’s in decent shape and isn’t a safety concern, go for it! Some of the best toys, like the Little Tykes Cozy Coupe (little red and yellow car they scoot with their feet like the Flintstones), I got for a dollar and my kids have played with it for hours and hours. Do I mind that my son decided to ‘paint’ it? No! I got if for a buck!

Same goes for resale shops, craigslist and e-bay. Let other people pay full price and then sell it two months later when their baby is too big for it. You’ll be shocked at the baby items you can find in great condition for a fraction of the price.

Babies grow so fast! I have outfits that my daughter was given and she outgrew them before I could even take the tags off. Do yourself and your wallet a favor, buy one or two special outfits from a cute store and get the rest used. Try to buy used items that are timeless and durable like denim jeans and solid colored shirts. No one will ever know you bought them used.

Pajamas are way over priced for what they really are. There’s usually not much to them as far as fabric and decorations go (for safety reasons) and they only get used when no one sees them! Go for the hand me downs in jammies even if your little girl ends up wearing red fire trucks and blue police cars.

In future posts when I recommend products you’ll come to find that I’m all about getting the biggest bang for my buck. I’ll try to let you know where and how you can get the best deals on all the products I recommend.